XXx Honey xXX
Warm sunlight pools on my face, causing my eyes to float open lazily. A warm summer breeze blows my bangs across my face, suddenly reminding me I'm not in my bedroom. As the world comes into focus around me, I see the bright flowers and silk pillows of mom's gazebo.
Huh...I guess we never went inside last night.
As if to properly confirm my thoughts, I hear a soft groan from my right. I look over to see Aya sleeping a few feet away from me, curling around a giant green pillow. She burrows deeper into her thin blanket, and without much thought I take mine and drape it over her body.
I smile as I pull myself into a sitting position.
We were out watching the fireflies last night. Normally things like this never caught my interest, but Aya insisted it was like watching a dance that could never be replicated by humans. And I'll admit, there was something mesmerizing about the way thy skimmed the surface of the pool, but I wasn't watching them most of the time.
Since we've gotten back from Karuizawa the summer days have melted into a blur, and we were already going back to Ouran the day after tomorrow.
And not once have I succeeded in finding a good time to tell Aya how I feel about her.
It really stinks...as I climbed into bed each night I came to the realization that there were at least five perfect opportunities to tell her that day.
I quietly scoot closer to her, as she continues to sleep, doing my best to committing every detail of her face to memory.
She really is beautiful.
The frown lines she used to have on her forehead have smoothed out, and her lips seem to have no trouble forming a smile now. She has a healthy glow to her face that wasn't there when I first met her, and she finally seems to have a reason to laugh.
She's outgrown her shell, and I'm really proud of her.
"Oh, you're up?"
I turn to see Akimi walking through the wrought iron archway with a tray in her hands.
"Yeah," I say quietly. "You brought everything?"
She nods as she sets the tray down in front of me, letting me take a chance to approve the contents.
First is a bulky square package wrapped in cream tissue paper and tied with a black ribbon, a small black box with a pink ribbon around it, two tea cups and a teapot already filled and steaming, and lastly is a small plate covered with a clear food cover.
On it sits a small circular cake with white frosting and blue frosting roses climbing up the side. Aya's name is written on the top in black.
"Perfect," I whisper to Akimi.
"Good luck," she replies before sneaking back out of the yard.
And now I wait.
XXx Aya xXX
My lashes brush me cheeks as they flutter open. Then they quickly snap shut as they're met with bright rays of sunlight.
"Come on Aya-chan," a soft voice coaxes. "You don't want to sleep through your own birthday do you?"
The shock from that statement sends me flying bolt upright.
"It's my birthday?" I ask stupidly.
"Yup," Honey says with a smile. "And if you don't hurry the cake will melt."
I look down to see a miniature cake sitting on a tray in front of me. It's hardly bigger than both my fists combined, but it's so pretty that the fact doesn't even bother me.
"It's beautiful!" I exclaim.
"Thanks," Honey says with a smile. "I made it especially for you. Triple fudge chocolate with a chocolate mint center."
I throw my arms around him for a second, too happy to feel the least bit embarrassed.
"Split it with me?" I ask him as I pull away, a happy smile shamelessly adorning my lips.
His face lights up as he reaches for the utensils, and he begins cutting the cake in half as I scoot up to sit next to him, detangling myself from the blankets and pulling my hair up into a sloppy bun. I watch him as he slides my half onto a plate and sets it in front of me.
I'm touched that he made me my own cake. It's already the best day ever and I've barely been awake five minutes. Gah…the things feelings do to you.
He hands me my fork and I dig in without hesitation.
Rich chocolate flavor floods my mouth almost instantly. The frosting is light, just the way I like it, and the chocolate chips are generously sized. The ice cream is a sweet mint, and it's without a doubt the best cake I've ever had. Well, I guess I could just be biased towards the baker.
"Sa magnifique," I say as soon as I swallow. "I love it."
"That's good to hear," he says with a smile. "But don't forget you have presents too."
He hands me a bulky package wrapped in cream tissue paper and done up with a black silk ribbon.
"That one's from the parents," he explains as I pull the bow out. "Our Oka-san seemed to have a lot of fun helping put it together."
I pull the tissue paper aside to see a beautiful faded leather book with a piece of black ribbon holding the binding together.
I flip open the cover to see a picture of mom with an infant me in her arms right after she was released from the hospital.
I can't help the smile that breaks out over my face as I see the picture of my Grand-mère Joséphine next to it, along with my hyperactive Aunt Élise. She may be slightly insane (and I wouldn't have her any other way), but she holds me softly and securely, like I'm made of glass.
I skim the next few pages, watching myself grow until it's caught up to the present. They've even put picture from a few club events in here. But the book is only a third of the way full, and I can already tell Mama is going to be insistent on me actually finishing this book.
"It's amazing," I whisper as I gaze at some of the pictures from Karuizawa. "They made this?"
"Yeah," Honey says with a small smile as I flip back a few pages. "Hey is that you?"
I suppress a groan.
I have no idea how I missed this. This specific picture is of my seventh birthday party. Nicolette is standing next to me behind a table holding a large cake full of pink frosting flowers. She has her catlike smirk adorning her face, somehow managing to make it look camera friendly. I on the other hand, am stiff under her hug, and refusing to look away from the Bon Anniversaire Aya! written on my cake in bold pink cursive.
"Unfortunately," I groan as I shove the book away with distaste.
"What about her?" he asks, pointing to Nicolette. "You don't look so fond of her."
"That girl is the embodiment of all that is evil in this world," I sigh as I slam the book closed. "And my self-appointed personal tormenter… 'Aya, be a dear and get this hideous haircut for my birthday. Aya, be a dear and taste this for me. Never mind you might be allergic to walnuts, but I'm afraid my brothers made this with dark chocolate. And we all know how I only like milk chocolate.' All kinds of bullshit like that."
"You let her push you around like that?" he asks in slight disbelief.
"Well I really grow a spine until I was about eleven or twelve," I explain. "Until then, I was pushed around by all kinds of people."
"That's hard to imagine," he says as he quietly munches on cake.
"It's all in the past," I say as I set the book aside and munch on my own cake. "It's hard knowing that I was a pushover that let people walk all over me without so much as a squeak of protest. But at the time I had no self-respect. Once I came to terms with the fact that I just wanted to throw everyone over her shoulder and through a wall, it became easier to deal with."
A calm quiet falls over us as we just stare up at the brilliant blue sky. This subject is not one that I'm fond of, so to my delight Honey shifts to another.
"So how old are you today?" he asks.
"Don't you know how rude it is to ask a lady how old she is?" I ask him with mock fury etched into my face.
But my expression cracks almost instantly and soon we both burst out laughing. Our voices blend together, pure and light.
"Eighteen," I gasp as I clutch a pillow to my stomach. "I'm eighteen today."
His eyes widen as he stops laughing.
"Awwwww, that makes you older than me!" he whines. "I won't turn eighteen until the end of February."
"Well I am technically repeating a year," I point out. "If I were back in France I'd have graduated already. Damn, can you imagine that?"
"Well, I'm glad you're not."
I look over to him, not bothering to conceal my surprise.
"You are?"
"Yes," he says, a slight pink tint appearing in his cheeks. "We've become such great friends. I don't think I've been closer to anyone other than Takashi."
I smile and feel heat flush in my cheeks.
Ever since I've come to Japan, the barrier that's safeguarded all my emotions seems to have been completely and utterly destroyed. It feels great to show I'm capable of showing emotions other than anger and hate.
And it's all the work of this little Loli boy, who's way more grown up than he'll ever let on.
XXx Honey xXX
I turn away from Aya for a moment, trying in vain to hide my burning face.
Why can't I do it? It's just three words.
Yeah…Three words that will either make or break our future.
I guess what makes this all so hard is that I've never felt like this around a girl before. This warmth that completely takes over my body, yet at the same time can send shivers up my spine. She's the first to make me feel like this.
When I'm with Aya, I feel like I can act my age, when I can make her smile, I feel like I've grown up.
And the fact that I've had to work to gain her trust makes those feelings run deeper and stronger than I could have ever imagined.
I glance back at her, smiling softly as I watch the sunlight dance across her face. Her eyes shine brightly, flecks of gold and copper standing out against the light green of her iris.
They look so content. So warm and happy.
That's when I make my decision. Those eyes are the first thing I want to see every morning, and the last things I see every night. But I won't get anywhere near there if I can't steel my spine and tell her how she makes me feel.
Suddenly, my tongue feels like dead weight in my mouth and my throat seems to close up. Why does this have to happen now?
"Aya-chan?" I manage to choke out after a few false starts.
She turns to face me, her head tilted to the side slightly. Those captivating eyes lock on mine and my mind suddenly goes blank. They blink slowly and innocently, her lashes grazing the tops of her cheeks momentarily.
…What was I about to say?
"Hmm?" she hums lightly, contracting her back and stretching her arms out in front of her.
I swallow hard, not quite knowing how to continue without making a total fool of myself. I really don't want to beat around the bush. I want be confident and look her in the eye when I tell her how I feel. But every time she looks me in the eye all the resolve I've built up melts like butter.
"What's wrong?" she asks calmly.
I struggle to keep my face from flooding with color, but based on her reaction I've failed. She shifts to her knees and brushes my bangs aside before placing the back of her hand on my forehead. Her eyebrows furrow as he presses her other hand to my neck, causing my temperature to rise.
"You didn't get sick from sleeping outside did you?" she asks quickly. "Your forehead is really warm."
I reach up and remove her hands from my face and neck. She looks at me curiously as I clasp them within my own, giving them a gentle squeeze before resting them in the narrow space between us.
"I'm not sick," I murmur, running the pad of my thumb over her knuckles.
There's a sharp, almost silent intake of breath on her part. Her muscles go ridged under my touch, but another gentle stroke has them relaxing slightly. She loses tension with every pass my thumb makes over her knuckles, and I take a chance to look up at her.
She's flushed high and vibrant in her cheeks, but not even attempting to try and cover it up. Part of that gives me a flimsy hope, and as I watch her eyes soften as she looks down at our hands, the words bubble up in my throat with a little more ease this time.
"There's something I've been meaning to tell you...for a while," I say quietly. "I just never really can find the right way to say it."
I can feel her pulse hammering in her wrist, and I hope with everything I have that it's a good sign. Her breathing is ragged and short, as if she's trying to force herself to calm down but it's working her up more than calming her.
I take a deep breath before looking up. The sudden movement has her jerking her own head up, and her eyes swirl with too many emotions to name.
"Oh! Good, you're both up now!"
Akimi steps up in front of the gazebo, and I'm wondering how we both failed to notice the clicking of her heels on the stone floor. She sees our hands and seems to quickly understand that she just interrupted something. Her large violet eyes lock on mine, and she seems to be pleading silently for forgiveness.
I just nod and her guilty expression ebbs away slightly. She puts on a professional face and bows her head slightly, her braid falling over her shoulder.
"Your parents would like to speak with you both in the study right away," she says quickly before she pulls herself up to her full height again. "If you'll please follow me."
I feel Aya tense beneath my hands. I glance over to see her shoot me a confused glance before gently pulling her hands from mine and getting to her feet.
"What's this about Kimi?" she asks cautiously, bringing her arms up to cradle her elbows.
"Sorry," Kimi mumbles as she looks at her feet. "But I'm not really sure. I'm just a messenger."
My pulse leaps as a bit of worry flickers through Aya's eyes. No, worry isn't the right word for it. Panic is more appropriate.
"Oh, alright then," she says quietly.
"Are we in trouble or something Kimi-chan?" I ask as I get to my feet.
"No, nothing like that," she says with a shake of her head.
A bit of my anxiety dies down, but the same can't really be said for Aya. She's gnawing on her lower lip and her nails are digging into the skin around her elbows. Her whole body is ridged, as if someone had just upended a barrel of ice water over her head.
"Come on then," Akimi says as she turns on her heel and motions for us to follow her.
The walk to the study is silent, save for Aya's constant attempts to calm herself down with deep breathing. But again, it seems like it's doing more damage than repair.
I grab her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. She returns it and her breathing begins to steady even though her pulse still hammers away like a humming bird on steroids.
I run my thumb over her knuckles again, and her muscles relax and go slack.
Akimi comes to a sudden stop, and I realize we're already outside the doors to the study.
I honestly have no idea why we even have a study. I mean, it seems to me like it's only for show when I think about it. Oka-san will use it every once in a while but that's about it.
"Well, go on," Akimi says as she pulls the door open for us.
We nod a quick thank you before walking in.
Oto-san is sitting behind the desk, half hidden in the shadows as usual. Oka-san is sitting in a plush chair next to the love seat Aya's parents are sitting on.
"Ah there you are!" Oka-san says happily as she gestures for us to take a seat in the love seat across from them.
"What's going on here?" Aya asks nervously.
"We just wanted to ask you two a few questions," Oto-san says.
"Alright," I answer, trying not to sound as confused as I feel.
"Have you thought about what you're going to do after you graduate this spring?" Oka-san asks.
Aya and I share a confused glance before looking back at them.
"Like you Mitsukuni," Oka-san elaborates. "Have you decided on going to a university or will you skip straight to learning how to run the dojo?"
I remain silent for a moment. Even though this is my last year of high school, I realize that I've been so caught up in everything that's happened since Haruhi and Aya showed up that I actually haven't given it that much thought.
"I'm not sure," I say softly. "There hasn't been much that caught my eye in school, so I might just skip to the dojo."
Oto-san just nods from behind his desk, still not leaning into the light.
"And you Amaya?" her own mother asks.
"Well," Aya sighs. "I'm not sure yet. I was thinking of enrolling in the university."
"Alright," Oka-san says. "It's ok if you don't know for sure right now, but it is something you should be thinking about."
We nod, and a feeling of relief passes over me. And here I thought there was something wrong.
"And now we one last question," Aya's dad says gruffly, as if just asking the question itself doesn't sit well with him.
I see Aya nod out of the corner of my eye, her lips pressed in a thin line at her father's tone.
His lips are also pressed thin. He keeps swallowing hard, giving many false starts before just eventually just sitting there and gaping like a fish. His wife eventually places a small hand on his clenched fist in an attempt to relax him. He shudders and she just rolls her eyes.
"How do you feel about each other?" she asks bluntly.
I feel my face heat up a considerable amount, and I can feel Aya's pulse racing through her hand. She seems to have paled instead of going red this time. Her eyes widen and her pupils dilate in cold panic. I can feel her discomfort rolling off her body in waves. Well, this is definitely no time to be honest. Or at least…not completely.
'"Well, I do like Aya-chan," I mutter, trying not to sound like I'm overthinking my response. "She's my best friend. And she doesn't treat me like a kid."
Her parents nod, seeming to approve of the answer. They turn their eyes to Aya, who looks like she's trying to find the best way to say what's on her mind.
"Mitsukuni has helped me get over myself and accept who I am," she eventually whispers from beside me. "And I do like being around him as well. I'm not sure what I'd do without him."
She squeezes my hand through her last words, and I gladly return it.
"Alright, that's great," Oka-san says as everyone seems to relax. "Then there's something we need to tell you two. It's important, and I don't know how to say this without sounding blunt."
"Ok?" Aya replies.
"Well you see, the two of you are engaged and will be married sometime next year."
XXx Aya xXX
I'm almost certain my heart just stopped.
I thought Mama and Papa came to tell us we're moving back to France! I could never imagined that they'd be telling me this instead…
"W-what are you talking about?" Honey stammers beside me. "I think I'd remember if I asked Aya-chan to marry me."
My chest constricts at his words. All of a sudden the room feels very small, and has nowhere near enough air. How do you breathe again?
"Well you see," Honey's mom says calmly. "We arranged it before they left France. It's no coincidence that they are staying here with us when the Atsumi Clan's estate is less than a mile away."
I feel like my stomach is about to fall through the floor.
"We understand that's not really much if a warning," Papa continues stiffly. "But please consider the importance of carrying on the family traditions. We believe the Haninozuka and Atsumi clans can form a style that could be one unlike the world has seen yet."
"We don't have a date set yet," Mama says, as if I'm not gaping like a fish. "But we were hoping for some time around sakura season or early summer."
I blanch.
"Amaya?"
I glance up at my mother, her large hazel eyes drilling holes into me.
"Est-ce que vous vous sentez bien?"
"Please excuse me," I manage to choke out as I push myself off the couch and head for the door.
I manage to keep a walking pace until I turn the corner of the hall. Then I make a mad dash for my room. I slam my door closed behind me and slide down to the floor in a shanking mess.
I can't believe this is actually happening...This can't be happening… they actually want me to marry Honey...
The feelings of shock are pushed aside as a new feeling begins to rise up within me.
Happiness, and...longing?
I never thought past the simple fact that I love him. I never allowed myself to consider what would happen if by some one in a billion chance he felt the same way as me. Would we date? How long would it last? What would happen when we graduated or I had to move back to France?
Pulling myself to my feet I walk to the bathroom on shaky legs. I stumble up to the sink and turn the tap for the cold water before cupping my hands under the stream and splashing it on my face.
I straighten up and stare at my reflection for a moment before tugging my hair out of its bun, letting it fall in soft waves to the small of my back. I run a hand through my slightly damp bangs before picking up my bottle of Tokidoki's Adieu perfume. I lightly mist it in the air, hoping the familiarity of the scent will help calm me down. When it doesn't I roam back out to my room, shedding yesterday's clothes and tossing them in the hamper.
I grab a pair of fuzzy white dance shorts and a long sleeve black top. I flop back on my bed; covering my face with my hands. Why did do that? Why did I just walk out? Or the better question is, why didn't I just suck it up and tell Honey what I feel before something like this had the chance to happen?
I squirm uncomfortably on top of my covers. Now if I say anything, he'll think I'm just saying it because it would make our situation less awkward. But on the other hand, I can spend the rest of my life with him, and we can even skip the awkward dating phase that most arranged marriage couples go through. This might not be as bad as I think it is. It's time I was more honest with him.
My pulse spikes as I hear the knock on my door.
My feet drag in the plush carpet, not really wanting to open the door. But I have to face my parents sooner or later. They'll probably scold me for running out like that, but I'm not going to let them fork all the blame onto me.
But it wasn't my parents standing outside my room.
Honey's face is still flushed when I open the door.
"A-aya-chan," he stammers, thinking my anger is for him. "I-I'll come back later."
He turns to walk away and my hand shoots out on its own accord, grabbing onto his wrist before he can take a step. He stiffens and looks back at me, almost as if he expects me to smack him or something. I almost smile.
"It's alright," I whisper. "I'm not mad at you."
I let go of his wrist and open the door a little wider for him and step aside. He walks through and for the first time ever looks uncomfortable to be around me. I feel a pang of hurt, but try to hide it as I close the door behind me and silently lock it for good measure.
"So what did you want to talk to me about?" I ask, even though I already know the answer.
He looks like he's struggling to find an answer, but can't seem to phrase it right. I walk past him and take a seat on top of my bed, nodding my head to the right and inviting him to take a seat with me. He lowers his gaze to his feet and sits, but then he looks back up at me, his eyes pleading silently.
"I'm sorry," he says as I hug my legs nervously. "I had no idea this is why you've been staying here with us Aya-chan. I understand if this isn't what you want. We could talk to them, and maybe if we make a convincing enough argument then they might-"
I place my hand over his mouth, looking down for a quick second so he can't see me smile. All he's thinking about right now is me and how I feel. Some part of me is still scared about what his reaction to me not being upset by that is. But hey, faint hearts never won fair ladies…and vice versa…
"I didn't leave because I didn't want to marry you," I say softly, suddenly not at all irritated that my blush returns. "I was just upset with my parents."
My hand falls from his mouth and he catches it in one of his own.
"What's wrong Aya?"
I pause for a moment, thrown off by the sudden drop of the 'chan.' But, I recover quickly.
"I thought my parents brought me here because they were worried about me," I say quietly. "And now that I know that it was because they wanted me to get married, well...I'm not even sure how to feel about it."
Honey gently squeezes my hand, and I take more comfort from the small gesture than I've ever done from my parent's hugs.
"I feel like I should feel betrayed, but it's hard because, I really love being here. If hadn't come with them, I never would have met Haruhi, Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, Kyoya, Mori, or...you. And I don't know what I'd do without any of you.
I'd probably still be a moody cynical little brat."
He reaches up and brushes the pad of his thumb against my cheek.
Oh god...when did I start crying?
My hands rise to my face, and sure enough my fingers come back slick with tears. I quickly fist my fingers in the fabric of my sleeves and rub my eyes furiously.
"And now I'm crying again," I mumble.
While I'm busy scrubbing the tears from my face, arms loop under my knees and around my waist. I'm pulled into his lap, and am suddenly back in the tree in the Ootori's family water park. Only this time the both of us are very much awake. Honey holds me close to his body, resting my head on his shoulder and slinging a protective arm around my waist. His other hand traces soft circles on my hip, causing my cheeks to heat up more.
"I think I should finish telling you what I started saying earlier," he finally says. "I know this may have been better if I told you before we found out about this arranged marriage, but...I really like you. Way more than I should."
My mouth goes dry as I look up at him. His face is red, and his grip on my body tightens.
"I'm not sure when I started wanting more out of our relationship. But I knew that my feelings for you were different the night of the dance party. The way we danced and talked and even, well…flirted. No girl has ever treated me like that.
And it just got better and better every day we spent together. Then the day we got caught in the current pool and I thought I lost you. I was terrified. When we got out of there, I felt like we might be something more, but things were just like normal around here and at school.
You have no idea how hard it's been seeing other boys look at you, touch you, and flirt with you, knowing they have an infinitely better chance of going you with you, all because I was too scared to tell you what I felt."
He goes silent, and it takes about a minute for me to just process what he just said.
I break out of his grasp and turn to face him, sitting lightly on my knees. He looks hurt that I broke out of his arms, but he looks me straight in the eye.
"I love you Aya," he whispers as he reaches out and brushes a lock of hair behind my ear. "More than anything. And I want to be with you…forever."
His hand drops back to his side as his eyes search mine for some sort of response.
"You're right," I finally say. "I would have liked to hear that a long time ago."
He looks startled for a moment before I launch myself into his arms. His arms fly up to catch me, but the force behind my jump knocks him flat on his back, and he takes me with him.
I press my face into the crook of his neck, my arms curling possessively around his torso. His own grip on me is fierce, and he chuckles lightly as he pushes the both of us back into a sitting position. My grip relaxes as I pull back, placing a light kiss to his forehead before a smile spreads across my face.
"Love huh?" I mutter as I stare into his eyes. "Are you sure? Marriage is no cakewalk, you really want me to fill that wife position?"
"I can't imagine myself with anyone else," he says with a smile.
"I'm just glad the feeling is mutual," I laugh. "These feelings I've had have been really hard for me to accept. I thought I had officially sworn off boys. I still don't know how you did it so easily."
I settle back into his embrace, too happy to care about anything else. All I care about is arms around my waist and I never want him to let go of me. So I stay as still as possible, leaning my head against his shoulder with my arms wrapped tightly around his torso.
"You have no idea how long I've waited to hold you like this."
His confession is heartwarming, and I slink deeper into his embrace, ignoring the face that my legs are beginning to fall asleep from sitting on them for so long.
"Well," I sigh. "Since you are going to be my husband, I guess I can allow it."
"Probably would have done it anyways," he mutters into my hair. "Just be prepared for me never letting you go while we're at home. I want to be the only one who can hold you like this."
"Speaking of which..." I mutter. "What are we going to do about the club? And school for that matter?"
"Takashi will find out sooner or later."
"And no doubt Kyoya already knows somehow."
"For now let's just keep it to ourselves," he says. "You know, now it's going to be hard giving any attention to those girls who always visit us."
"Well," I mutter. "I'm sure your expert host skills won't fail you. And if that's not enough incentive, just think about what Kisa would do to me if she found out."
"Like she could ever lay a finger on you," he teases, even though he squeezes my waist possessively. "But you're right."
"Aren't I always?" I chuckle as he begins to thread his fingers through the ends of my hair.
"I'm sure there's a chapter about that in the marriage manual," he says with a smile. "Your wife is always right. Even when she's wrong, she's right."
"Truer words have never been spoken," I sigh.
We lapse into a comfortable silence for a while, just listening to the steady beating of each other's heart. It brings me a comfort I've never felt before, and I never want to let this go.
"Hey Aya?" Honey asks suddenly, his voice carrying that innocent lilt that I love.
"Yeah?" I ask, brushing the tips of his soft honey blond hair.
"We should go on a date tomorrow. A real date, just the two of us."
"But don't we have that Expo to go to with the guys tomorrow?" I ask, wishing we didn't.
"Well, looks like they'll have to go without us," he says with a mischievous smile.
I mirror it and flip onto my side, and curling into him. Almost immediately his arm snakes around my waist, holding me upright and close to his side.
"Where would we go?" I ask.
He pauses for a moment before his eyes light up.
"How about Disneyland?"
"Why Disneyland?" I ask as I fight the urge to laugh.
"Well, if we're really going to be married next spring, this is the last summer we'll be spending as kids," he says. "What better way to say goodbye to it than Disneyland?"
"Alright," I murmur. "It sounds great."
"I'll go call Tama-chan," he says as he reluctantly lets go of me and begins to walk over to the door. "See you in an hour?"
I nod, and he turns to leave. The sight of him walking away after all this stirs something deep in my chest. My body seems to be ruled by impulse, and I leap off my bed and tumble over to Honey.
"You ok?" he asks as he saves me from face-plating again.
But instead of a response, I cup his face in my hands and kiss him gently.
He freezes for a second before he kisses me back, wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me off the floor slightly. I squeak and he sets my feet back on the floor again, his hands resting on my waist.
I let him feel everything that's been too hard to put in words. Desire, longing, passion, want, and the jealousy I harbor towards his guests. And he returns it just as fiercely, but it has a gentle edge to it that melts me like butter.
A sudden knock on my door surprises us and we pull away slowly, aware that the door is locked and no one can actually walk in on us.
"Mitsukuni-sama?" Akimi calls from the other side of the door. "Are you in here?"
"Coming Kimi-chan," he replies in a slightly wavering voice. "What is it?"
"Yorihisa-sama wishes to speak to you about your new training regimen," she replies. "If you'd please go see him right away, he's in the dojo."
Honey looks down at me before giving me one last lingering kiss before he runs a hand through my hair.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," he whispers before kissing my forehead.
I nod as he goes over and unlocks the door quietly before slipping out and leaving me with a stupid smile plastered across my face.
I really just did that...
Well, I guess I should clean up a bit before he comes back. I decide to start with a bath, so I waltz back to my bathroom and put my phone on shuffle as I go about filling the tub with water and bubble mix made to smell like my perfume.
XXxXX Honey
The bell jingles merrily as I walk through the door and into the small shop. I nervously clutch a large yellow envelope in my hands, still thinking about Aya's kiss.
Sure, I'd imagined what it would be like to kiss her. But I never thought it would be this addictive...it had hardly been an hour and I already was itching to have her in my arms again.
"Ah...Mitsukuni," and old voice calls out pleasantly. "What can I do for you?"
My head shoots up as an elderly man in a work stained shirt steps out from a back room. He polishes a pair of glasses on the edge of his shirt as he maneuvers around the boxes he has piled up behind the counter.
I walk up the counter, setting the envelope down on the surface and sliding it over to the man.
"I need a ring Ojii-san," I say softly. "Do you think you can make something like this?"
He slides some pictures from the envelope and studies them for a moment.
"It's a simple design," he says after a while. "I can bump this up on my commission list and have it done in a few hours. When do you need it by?"
"Tomorrow," I reply.
His eyebrows raise.
"What's the hurry? It's not your mother's birthday yet."
"Well, it's not for her Ojii-san...you see, I'm…getting married."
A wide smile breaks out over the old man's face.
"And so the boy becomes a man," he says with a chuckle before looking over the pictures again. "What stones would you like to be put in?"
"I want the same as the stones in the picture," I answer. "That way she can camouflage it at school as a set."
"Alright," he says with a knowing smile. "I'll have it sent to the estate by morning."
"Don't overwork yourself Ojii-san," I warn him. "I really don't need it until tomorrow night."
"Ah, don't worry about me Mitsukuni," he says as he slides everything back into the envelope. "I plan to serve you long into your marriage."
I smile to him before turning to walk away, eager to get back to Aya as fast as I can.
XXx Author's NotesxXX
Da da dada da da dadadada dada da dada da da da DAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I'm almost there!
lotsa love, Krystal