Aruiteku Together Forever – Chapter Five
Kaname lay curled up on the couch, napping. She had spent her day cleaning every little thing in the apartment, exhausting herself, and combined with the bad sleep she had gotten the past two nights, she fell asleep the moment she laid down. Her face was burrowed deeply in the tank top she still wore, and she snored quietly.
Sousuke stood over her, looking down with a soft expression of concern. He knelt beside the couch and pressed his wrist to her forehead to check for a temperature, then timidly combed his fingers through her bangs. The fact that she was wearing his clothes did not escape his notice, and he was unsure of what he felt at that. Certainly she looked adorable in the oversized garments, but for what reason was she wearing them in the first place, and what kind of danger might she have been in that drove her to his apartment in the first place?
He sighed quietly and picked her up in his arms, carrying her to her room where he could rest her on the bed. After tucking her in, he sat on the covers beside her. He stroked her head, enjoying the feel of her cool silky hair against his calloused skin. Sousuke had slept through his plane rides, awakening only for the change over at Hachijojima and again when he had landed in Tokyo.
Since Kaname was sleeping soundly, he decided to run his security checks. He had wanted to see her first, and so he had gone straight to her apartment, letting himself in as he had been told. Careful not to wake her, he slid off of the bed and poked around her apartment. None of his security systems had been tampered with or breached, but her place seemed even more clean than usual. He hoped nothing had happened to her that she felt the need to cover up like this.
Sousuke left her apartment, locking up, and then went to his own. None of his weapons or communication devices had been touched since he left, but his bed had been slept in. It was easy enough to tell by whom, when he saw the long blue strands of hair left on his pillow. He smiled in spite of his concerns, the thought of Kaname sleeping in his bed stirring something within him.
Once he was satisfied with the state of everything, he returned to Kaname's apartment. When he let himself in, he could hear the shower running. It seemed she had woken up. He knocked on the bathroom door and heard her squeak in surprise and drop something. Sousuke grinned at the reaction and called in, "It's me, Kaname."
"Sousuke! Hold on, don't go anywhere, I'll be right out!" Inside the bathroom, Kaname smiled as she scrubbed herself roughly, anxious to get out and check on him. She also felt relieved, assuming it must have been Sousuke that put her in bed. Knowing him, he decided to get some work done while she was asleep instead of waking her up.
Sousuke shifted his weight and considered her words. Had she meant not to leave the apartment or not to move from his spot by the door? With Kaname, you could never be sure, so he decided to take her words more literally and stayed in his position, patiently waiting for her to finish her shower. A few minutes later Kaname opened the door violently and threw herself at him, making him grateful he had decided not to move. She wore her own clothes now, her blue and white striped pajamas, and her hair was very damp since she decided to forego blow-drying it.
He wrapped his arms around her and ran his hands down her back and through her hair while he nuzzled the top of her head and breathed in her freshly clean scent. They stood like that for a few moments before Sousuke could hold his fears at bay no longer. "Is everything all right, Kaname? Did something happen while I was gone?"
Kaname shook her head and pulled back with a bright smile. "No, nothing happened, I was just worried about you. It's good to have you back, Sousuke!"
He looked down at her with concern before returning her smile. He decided to hold off on the talk he wanted to have with her, not wanting her to lose that good mood she was in just yet. "I see. Well, that's good then. As long as you're safe."
"Are you all right, though? Did you get hurt anywhere? How bad was it? Is Tessa safe?" She grabbed him by the arm while she talked, dragging him into the kitchen and pushing him into a chair. "Are you hungry, should I start dinner?"
Sousuke stayed silent for a few moments, sorting through the questions he had been bombarded with. "Dinner would be wonderful, I haven't eaten since before the mission," that settled her mind on that and she immediately set to work cooking. He watched her, silent for a few moments more, before answering the rest of the questions.
"I'm well enough, no injuries besides some scrapes and bruises. It was difficult, but I would rather talk about that another time. The captain is safe and well, it seems her brother had advocated her good treatment," he paused, seeing Kaname shudder when he mentioned Tessa's brother. "Kaname? Is something wrong?"
She single-mindedly prepared supper, ignoring his question for several minutes. He let the silence stretch on, hoping that would do more to get her to speak than his persistence would. The only times she clammed up like this was when he asked about what happened when she was alone after he had been recalled by Mithril in October. Finally, he decided to ask another question, not expecting an answer, just a reaction he could judge by. "Have you met Leonard Testarossa before, Kaname?"
Her entire body tensed up and she paused in her work before returning to it with ferocity. Whatever she said now, he knew the truth. He would not press her though, not yet. "Of course not! How would I have ever met someone like him?" She spat out those last words with contempt, obviously having a severe dislike for the man.
"I see," he said the words quietly, letting her know with that small statement that he had seen through her. He would respect her privacy on the matter for now. Instead, he decided to play a dangerous game, knowing full well how Kaname felt about Tessa when it came to him. The two seemed well enough when left alone, it was only when he was involved that they were at odds, and now he had a better idea of why that was. "In any case, Tessa is doing well. I visited her before returning here."
Kaname growled low in her throat, and Sousuke was unsure of whether he should be amused or afraid. He found himself torn between those two often when she was involved. "Oh, is that right? Well, I'm glad your precious captain is doing well after being kidnapped. It's a very trying experience after all. I would know. Maybe I should teach her how to deal with it, if she's going to be captured again. Then she could handle the stress of it on her own, like I do."
He smiled, grateful her back was to him. Kaname would be in a good mood soon enough, she always calmed down and became sweet tempered to him if he riled her up on this topic and then reminded her that he was with her, and not Tessa. He held back a sigh. He was learning how to play these games with her. It had been a dangerous nine months, and he still had much to figure out, but he had at least made some headway.
Rather than continuing on the topic of teaching Tessa, as he was sure she expected him to, he decided to backtrack to him returning. "Yes, it is good she is doing well. I was unable to stay with her as long as she had wanted me to, as I would have missed my flight to return to you. I would have had to wait another two days if I had."
Dinner was ready and Kaname set a full plate of curry rice in front of Sousuke with a gentle smile. "Well, I'm glad you wanted to come home so quickly! Did anything else happen, Sousuke?" She set down her own plate and poured them both water before sitting down for their meal.
For some reason, he choked on his rice at that, his face turning bright red. She jumped to the wrong idea, of course, and got mad again. "Sousuke! Nothing better have happened between you and Tessa or I'll-!"
He shook his head quickly and drained half of his water to clear his throat before he could talk. "No! No, nothing like that! I would never, I swear!"
She glared at him, her hand slamming down on the table dangerously close to his. "You better not! What happened?!"
Sousuke blushed again and glanced down at his plate before meeting her gaze again, remembering his danger. "Nothing that I think you would disapprove of. I just, ah, had a talk with Mao," Kaname strummed her fingers on the table impatiently, waiting for him to continue. "I just asked for her advice on a, uh, rather embarrassing topic," he gazed at her, pleading with his eyes for her to drop it.
"Hmph! Fine! I'll get it out of you one day!" He blushed again, even redder this time, and ducked his head, mumbling something under his breath. She glared at him, "What was that, Sousuke?"
He flinched before repeating himself, barely loud enough for her to hear this time. "I look forward to it…," he busied himself eating after that, hoping to avoid further discussion on the matter.
"You look forward to it? Just what is that supposed to mean? Oh, nevermind!" She laughed lightly and ate her own dinner, smiling softly at him. Kaname was beginning to get an idea of what he might have asked Melissa about, so she let it drop. Poor Sousuke had no experience with even the idea of dating, and she had to stifle laughter when she remembered what he had initially thought flirting was.
With the teasing Onodera gave him, and the confusion Shinji caused when he tried to relate things to Sousuke in military terms without proper clarification, she certainly hoped Sousuke had learned his lesson and went to someone who understood him better to explain things. Not to mention, if Sousuke had learned anything at all, he should know by now to go to a girl for advice on girls.
They finished eating in a comfortable silence and washed up the dishes together. Then, Kaname led him gently into the living room, motioning him to sit on the couch while she went to the curious stack of wrapped boxes. She carried them over to him and placed them on the ground nearby with a gentle smile. "Have you ever unwrapped a gift, Sousuke?"
He started, looking at her with shock. Slowly, he shook his head, a small blush on his cheeks. She smiled and sat down beside him, handing a box to him. "Well! Now is a good time to start then! Don't worry about the paper, it's supposed to get ripped up, just open it with your hands, okay?"
Sousuke held onto the box, just looking at it for several moments before he felt Kaname tense up with impatience beside him. Turned the box around in his hands, and when he saw where it was taped down, he slid his fingers in to undo the flap and then slid the box out. He slid the top off slowly, revealing a soft brown cashmere sweater with a lighter brown scarf to go with it. He blinked at it, and then turned to look at Kaname questioningly.
She leaned against him, smiling softly. "I just thought that maybe you would like some clothes that would help you, I don't know, fit in better with normal civilians," she blushed and busied herself grabbing another box.
"You," he coughed, the word catching in his throat, and then continued with a stronger voice, "you didn't have to spend your money on me, Kaname. I know you don't get much to spend on yourself, you-," she placed two fingers on his lips, silencing him before sliding another box onto his lap.
"I wanted to, Sousuke. That's reason enough, so shush and enjoy your gifts," she took her fingers away and shyly replaced them with her lips before pulling back. The two stared at each other before continuing.
He opened the next box to find a pair of heavy black cargo pants and the cologne Kaname had picked out for him. He picked it up, confused, not understanding its purpose. She giggled and poked him in the side, "It's cologne, dummy. You spray a little of it on you so you smell nice. It's perfume for men."
"Oh. I see," he decided not to question it further, and put the two opened boxes off to the side when Kaname pushed another box at him. He went through and opened all the gifts Kaname had bought for him, coming out with a large number of new outfits. He had a hard time understanding why she would buy him anything, but she seemed really happy while he was opening everything, even more so when he expressed approval of the items.
She had been careful to pick out clothes he would be comfortable in, he noticed. She had not picked out the loose and useless type of clothing he had been made to wear when pretending to be Shirai. All the boxes, now opened, sat on the other side of his legs in a pile, and he stared down at them, wondering what he should do. He turned to Kaname, who was gazing at him expectantly.
"Thank you, Kaname. The clothes are appreciated," he blushed lightly, she was still giving him that look, her body edging closer now. He reached up and placed his hand on her cheek, his thumb gently tracing her high cheekbones before he even realized he had moved to touch her. Kaname sighed happily and leaned forward even more. Sousuke swallowed harshly before leaning in to kiss her timidly.
That seemed to be what she was waiting for, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against him, causing him to fall back, laying down on the couch with her on top of him. He held her close, stroking her lower back gently and kissing her with more fervor now. Things seemed to go so well when he let his mind stop dictating his actions in these situations, so he let go, holding onto her possessively.
Kaname fisted her hands in his shirt, rubbing against him in a way that had him groaning and sliding his hands under her pajama top. She decided to be the bold one this time, and slid her tongue into his mouth with a moan. She let go of his shirt and reached under it to run her nails down his side, making Sousuke buck against her unexpectedly. Her eyes widened and she paused when she felt his arousal pressed against her hip. She pulled back, coming back to herself with embarrassment.
Sousuke panted under her, his eyes dark with lust turning into confusion, his hands rested on her back under her shirt. "Kaname? Did I do something wrong?" He looked concerned as he fought to gain control of himself, his breath still ragged and his face flushed.
She shook her head slowly and lowered herself to rest her head on his chest gently. He slipped his hands free of her shirt and rested them on her back, gently rubbing between her shoulder blades. "I'm sorry Sousuke. It was just a little too much at once," she blushed, realizing she was still sitting on the reason for her pulling back. She knew enough about men to realize he could not exactly control his reaction, but it was embarrassing all the same.
"I-I'm sorry, too, then, Kaname. I do not want to push you," he sounded ashamed now, and he shook slightly under her, his hands gripping her shirt tightly for a moment before letting go.
"It's all right, Sousuke, it's not your fault. I lost control as much as you did," she sighed softly and he shivered, her breath cool against his hot and damp skin. She smiled softly and nuzzled his chest, her hair tickling his nose. "This is nice."
He rubbed his nose and then smoothed her hair away with a soft smile. He had to agree, holding her like this was definitely nice. "Yes. This is very nice. Are you comfortable?"
Kaname sighed again, happily, and nodded. "Yeah. Are you?"
"Affirmative," she giggled when he said that, and he glanced down at her for a moment before shaking his head. They lay like that for a long while in silence, just enjoying being with each other again. It had been a long two days for them both. After some time, Sousuke heard her breathing even out, indicating she was asleep. He smiled tenderly and rubbed her back.
Since there was no way he could move without waking her, he shifted slightly to make himself more comfortable and then fell asleep himself. Experience had given him the ability to sleep in just about any position and immediately, needing to take advantage of rest whenever the chance presented itself.
Morning came around and Sousuke woke up with special notice to his surroundings. He was laying on Kaname's couch, the girl still sleeping peacefully atop him. He smiled and ran his hands through her hair. If he could choose a way to wake up for the rest of his life, it would be like this, with the girl he loved in his arms. Softly, he nuzzled her hair, enjoying the smell of almonds that came from the shampoo she used.
He could hear her alarm sound from her bedroom, and considered waking her up when he realized it could not do its job from there. He decided against it, though he was sure it would mean pain for him later, he was far too content to want to ruin the moment. Sousuke had never had a moment quite like this, where he felt so relaxed and happy, that he wanted it to last as long as possible, consequences be damned.
Since he wasn't going anywhere, he let himself drift back into a light sleep, hands tracing idle patterns along Kaname's back as he relaxed. It was a few hours later, around the time class would be starting, when he felt her stir above him and then yawn. She lifted herself up a little and gazed down at him, wearing a smile of pure happiness and contentment.
He returned it, shifting his hold so he could stroke her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into the touch, then leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his lips. She slipped off of him and stretched, his eyes roamed across her body as she did so, and he blushed. Kaname turned to look at the time, and when she noticed it was nearing nine, she scowled and turned an accusing look on him.
Sousuke stood up and walked over to her, hoping to pacify her with a hug. She let him wrap his arms around her, but she didn't return the hug, instead she looked up and glared at him. He stroked her hair softly and pressed a kiss to her temple. Finally, she lifted her arms to hug him, and burrowed her face in his chest. "Hell with it, let's just skip school today, Sousuke."
He knew he should object, but he did not want to. He just leaned back to kiss her on the forehead and take a small step away. "I should go back to my apartment to clean up."
"Nonsense. I have an extra toothbrush I haven't opened yet, you can use that. Everything else we can share. You have clean clothes," she pointed at the boxes by the couch, "so there's no reason for you to go anywhere. I'm cleaning up first, though!" With that, she turned, whipping him in the face with her hair and disappearing into the bathroom.
He shook his head with a grin, amused by her attitude, and turned back to the boxes of clothes. He went through them and pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans and a rust colored long sleeved shirt. All of the shirts Kaname had bought were made of soft materials, which would take some getting used to, since all of his military clothes were made of hard materials meant to take a beating.
As he had done that time nearly eight months back now, when the captain had escaped to his apartment, a Mithril safe house, with Takuma in tow, and took a shower at his place, he cursed his exceptional hearing. He could hear the clothes drop to the floor, even over the sound of running water, and he found himself losing himself in his imagination again. He shook his head harshly, afraid of what Kaname might think of him if she came out here when he was thinking such thoughts.
He sat on the couch and turned on the television, watching the news while she took her shower as a way to distract him. After half an hour she came out, a towel wrapped around her. "The shower is free now Sousuke," she said sweetly before sauntering into her room.
Sousuke stared at the closed door for several moments. She had to have done that on purpose. He could not understand why she would, but she must have. He stood up slowly, grabbing his chosen outfit, and went to the bathroom to shower and clean up. Kaname had taken out the toothbrush she mentioned and left it sitting beside the sink. He smiled and shook his head, then undressed himself for his shower.
In the bedroom, Kaname got changed while humming happily to herself. She was upset about school, and could have just gone in late, but she decided not to bother. She wanted to spend the day with Sousuke, relaxing and having fun, instead of being bored in class. Besides, it was just reviews for finals this week, and today was the English review. Sousuke was fluent, and while she wasn't good if English was spoken quickly or with most of the technical talk Sousuke used, she knew everything that would be on the test.
She picked up the living room, throwing away the wrapping paper from the night before and setting the boxes up along the wall, neat and out of the way. A few minutes later Sousuke found her cooking breakfast, Kaname still humming and swaying to whatever song it was. He leaned against the doorframe, content to stand there and watch her. She knew he was there and pointed to the kitchen table without stopping what she was doing.
Slowly, he moved his way to the table, and as he pulled out a chair, he changed his mind. Sousuke turned and stepped quietly over to her, resting his hands on her waist. She yelped and dropped her spatula, having not heard him approach. He grinned and pressed his face against the side of her neck, kissing her softly as if to say sorry. She elbowed him lightly and glared, retrieving the spatula and returning to cooking.
"Don't sneak up on me like that! I could have burned myself, you know," she growled, remembering the other times she burned herself on account of Sousuke the past couple of days.
He kissed her below the ear and murmured an apology, then wrapped his arms around her waist tightly, pulling her back slightly against him. Kaname leaned back into him with a soft sigh, and noticed he felt tense. She moved the pancakes she was making onto a plate already filled with a bunch, turned off the heat and moved the pan, then turned in his arms. "Is something wrong, Sousuke?"
Sousuke placed his fingers under her chin to gently tilt her head back and leaned forward to kiss her. He moved her away from the stove to press her against one of the counters, pinning her there with his arms on either side. Kaname leaned into the kiss, sighing softly into his mouth and he slid his tongue in between her parted lips.
All too soon for her liking, he pulled back, and drew her in close for a tight hug. "There're some things we need to talk about, Kaname. But it can wait until after breakfast," confused, she looked up at him and he shook his head. "Later."
She frowned but let it go, carting the plate of pancakes to the table, which was set, along with a bottle of syrup. There were some things she had liked from her time in America, and this was one of them. Sousuke took his seat now and smiled reassuringly to her. She poured orange juice for them and then took her own. They ate and cleaned up in silence, Kaname wondering what he might need to talk about, and Sousuke wondering how to go about it.
Finished, they went back into the living room to settle on the couch once more. "Okay Sousuke, I've been patient. What is it?"
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "We need to figure out what we're going to do, Kaname. This isn't just because of our new relationship. There are other things, too."
"What do you mean?"
"Our classmates aren't stupid, Kaname. They're bound to realize that we have been at the center of their problems. The high-jacking and the sea-jacking, and anything else that might happen. That is what Hayashimizu was talking to me about, on the roof the other day. He has noticed, who else might have?" He sighed, looking down at the ground, away from her pained expression. He shook his head and grabbed her hand, squeezing it lightly before continuing.
"He brought up a good point. People can be cruel, Kaname. I want to protect you, here, with all of your friends, where you're happy and comfortable. I want to protect them, as a way of protecting you, I don't want you to have to suffer the guilt you would feel if something happened to them on your account. And I will keep doing that if that is what you choose.
"But what if they figure it out, and turn on you? They won't see you as a friend anymore, Kaname. Hayashimizu has been keeping others from noticing, he takes their attention away from us, but he'll be gone in a month," he took in a deep breath and tugged her close to him, holding her tight. "I have several arrangements set up. I have a lot of money saved up and hidden away, where even Mithril doesn't know about it. We could live anywhere you want, really.
"We don't have to go anywhere, either, if you don't want to. We can keep going this way, and I could even quit Mithril to stay with you all the time. It will be difficult, I might not be able to continue attending school, but I could always find ways to watch you. I would have to leave my apartment, since it's a safe house, but I could figure something out.
"It's up to you, Kaname. I will go along with whatever you choose. I just want you to know what we're looking at now. Okay?" She nodded against his chest and breathed in his scent deeply.
"Yeah. I-I need to think about this," she pulled back and looked at him sadly, but trying to give him a brave smile.
"Take as much time as you need."
AN: Thanks go to you reviewers, much appreciated ^_^ I've been a little unsure if I've been keeping them in character, but I guess I've been doing a decent job at least, so thanks!
Also, I went back and fixed some typos and grammatical mistakes in the previous chapters, hopefully I caught them all.
And please, as always, R&R. Thanks!