Chapter 5

Lasting affection

~ Magenta Zinnia

"Sophie, I have told you a hundred times, or more, this week that I am not hiding Yzak from you." Dearka said in exasperation. Downing his third shot for the night, hoping his drunkenness can save him from the bitching blonde.

"I believe you, Dearka. It's like admitting you're still a virgin." Sophie scoffed and surveyed the people coming in the club. "If I see even a single strand of silver hair here, Dearka, you are going to get it. Remember that." The blonde haired woman poked his chest and finally left Dearka to search for the missing silver-haired boy.

Yzak, you owe me big time wherever you are. Freaking bitch, can't take a hint.

Dearka sighed for the nth time during the whole duration of the night. A woman with short brown hair then sat beside Dearka's stool.

"You know, they say that every time you sigh, a little piece of your happiness flies away." The woman smiled at him and clinked her glass with his empty shot glass before sipping her cocktail.

"Miri! You're here! I thought you would never come!" Dearka happily wanted to engulf the woman in a hug but the woman pushed him before he could accomplish his idea of a warm greeting.

"Dearka be satisfied that I even came here. No touching, you hear?" Miriallia warned him as she placed her glass on the bar's counter. "I don't see your silver haired snapping turtle beside you? Where is that crazy man? In the toilet I wonder?"

"Nah, he's out of sight." Dearka reported as she sat down on his seat. Downing his fourth shot of vodka.

"That's new. Did he finally meet a girl that could tie him up and obey her like a dog being baited by a biscuit?" Mirialla asked as she saw a blonde girl approach them.

"You are so cruel, Miri. You know that is never gonna happen. He must be grounded or something, he was so wasted and cranky that he ended up making a brawl happen in the club we were drinking at. I bet his mom transformed into a fire breathing dragon just to lecture him." Dearka turned to face the bar and left his back facing the crowded dance floor, seeing the blonde she-devil was yet approaching him.

"Dearka! Just give it up and tell me where Yzak is? He hasn't contacted me for a week already! I'm scared something might have happened to him!" Sophie whined at Dearka like a broken record.

Something bad will happen to Yzak if you knew where he is. Dearka thought, mirth bubbling up in his mouth, it must be the vodka.

Miriallia groaned at distaste as she saw the blonde woman in a skin tight blue dress that stuck to her like a second skin with her breasts squeezed in so much in the dress that looks like it needs a breather.

"Sophie, dream on. Yzak never contacted you. I think you are suffering from too many anaesthetics." Dearka stated as he tried to ignore her pulling.

"I didn't know you were trying to become a clown, Dearka. Just freaking tell me already!" Her eyes were frantically moving and her makeup was already melting. Sweat accumulated on her polished upper lip. Definitely a Barbie doll, great body, no brains.

Dearka continued his cold shoulder and 'I can't hear you' tactics. He was not going to deal with her anymore, he finally got back together with Mirialla and he was not going to ruin the night with listening to her relentless nagging and pointless questioning. Then all of a sudden he heard something snap, the sound was very familiar to the sound he hears when he pisses Miri with his pointless chatter when they were cuddling.

"Miss, whoever you are. Stop whining already. If Yzak did not call you, it means he isn't interested. So take a hike." Mirialla gruffly said as she pulled Dearka from his seat. "And also next time buy a dress size that fits you because I think your boobs needs to breath, they might explode dear, it will be a waste, believe me. They're the only thing worth looking at." Mirialla slammed a few bills on the bar counter and scoffed at the woman. Dearka laughed at Mirialla's brave words as they walked out of the club.

"That is why, I love you so much!" Dearka exclaimed as he tried to kiss Mirialla.

"You stink! Don't kiss me!" Mirialla moved away from Dearka while he tried to run after her. Miri's giggles echoed through the night as they ran after one another in the parking lot.

*A*

This is not the end of things, Dearka. I will not stop bugging you until you tell me where Yzak is.

Gripping her arms, she went to the bathroom to freshen up. The night was still young and she could still have fun, even if Yzak was not around.

Everyone will have to do, Yzak's not here.

Bombarding her body with suffocating and nauseating perfume, she looked at the mirror. "I look fresh again." She put on her red lipstick again and smacked her lips together, with her expensive high heels clacking on the bathroom floor as she returned to the crowded dance floor.

*A*

Yzak sneezed all of a sudden. He was in a scramble of limbs. The boys were hugging his legs. Sighing in exhaustion he pulled their bodies into a more comfortable position. He placed his pillows under their head and pulled the blankets over them.

Where am I going to sleep? Bed-hoggers .They're much worse than Dearka, at least I can push him off the bed without feeling a snitch of guilt.

Standing by the window, he craned his aching neck and saw a figure walking in the fields. It was Shiho, wearing a flowing long white skirt and a beige cardigan carrying along a basket.

I wonder where she is going at this time of night.

With nothing else to do he decided to join Shiho. Quickly trotting downstairs and out of the house, he caught up with Shiho, making her freak out a bit.

"Oh, it's just you, you're still awake." She pointed out while clutching the front of her chest.

"I am, the little devils decided they wanted to sleep over in my room. Even your cat joined in the fun." Yzak said as he walked beside Shiho. There was something calming about her company.

"Is that so?" She let out a restrained laugh. "Forgive them, they really just like you. They never do that to other people. Cling, that is. They were always alone, those two." Shiho told Yzak as she looked at the moon, strolling by the fields. "Ever since that day I told them I couldn't play with them, they never asked me again." Then she looked at Yzak. "Your hair is really pretty. Is that color natural?" She curiously inquired as she walked backwards, facing Yzak intently.

It seems inquisitiveness runs in the family, Yzak thought.

"This? Yeah, my mom has silver hair too." Yzak touched his hair casually and combed his fingers through it.

"Is that so? It reminds me of the water in the stream at night, when the moonlight illuminates it." Shiho informed the boy walking through the fields with her.

"Hmmm. Where are you going anyway?" Yzak asked as he touched the tall grass, picking a blade from time to time.

"Me? I'm going to the greenhouse. I'm going to check on the flowers." Shiho said and showed Yzak her gardening tools.

"In the middle of the night? Is that okay?" He asked in disbelief.

I bet she hasn't heard of the term 'rest' or 'relaxation'.

"I always do this and it isn't the middle of the night. It must be just 9 o clock right now. We ate at 6 pm so it must be 9 pm, right now." Shiho pondered aloud.

"Are you always this busy? You have workers don't you? Why don't you tell them to do this?" Yzak interrogated as he crossed his arms on the back of his head. Flinching as he felt his upper arms twitch and burn from over exertion from tilling.

"Just like you, I have work in this place and besides if I don't tend to my flowers they'll wither." Shiho replied nearing the greenhouse.

"As if you have lots of free time… You cook, clean the house and take care of your father and siblings." He counted the chores on his fingers just then he noticed it was blistered and raw.

"Plus you." Shiho said with a straight face and looked at Yzak.

Yzak looked at her with widened eyes and tsked. "I do not need of your taking care, I just need food from you and I will be okay for life."

"I was kidding." Shiho joked and opened the door, letting Yzak come inside first.

Placing her tools on a work table filled with different blooming flowers on small pots, Shiho wore her gloves and filled her watering can with water. Sprinkling water on the potted flowers, she then pruned the bushes of flowers that even Yzak can't recognize which was which.

"If you are only going to stand there, at least make yourself useful and help me turn the soil to aerate the roots." Shiho pointed at the hoe located at the floor near the door.

Yzak looked at her in disbelief, "If you must know, ma'am I'm doing plenty. I'm guarding the door so no one will dare attack you while you tend to your cute little flowers, I'm also keeping these potted flowers company, I believe flowers need talking to like humans." His hands touched the smooth petals of the colourful small flowers, his hands felt a bit better. They were blistered and raw from holding the blasted hoe all day.

"No need to make excuses. Just say you're tired and I'll understand. I know you worked hard in the fields." Shiho stood up and approached Yzak. "Could you pass that tulip? The pink one." Yzak slowly grasped the pot, the rough exterior making his raw skin hurt. He tried to keep his face impassive. He didn't like seeing eyes with pity.

Taking the pot from Yzak, she saw him flinch when her gloves brushed with his hands. Placing the pot back unto the table, she removed her gloves and grasped his hands in hers. "Oh my, your hands! They're raw and blistered!" Yzak surprised with Shiho's outburst but she returned to her calmed state once again. Shuffling around at her wicker basket, she found the chamomile balm she made. She gave him a small container of sweet smelling balm. "This is chamomile. It should help with relieving the pain. Just lather it up on your hands." Shiho showed Yzak and told him to keep massaging the herbal balm in his hands. Yzak felt a bit better, the rawness fading.

"Come on, I'll have to bandage those hands up, if you have to work tomorrow on the fields again." He pulled Yzak and went back to the house. She got a medicine kit from the bathroom and bandaged Yzak's hands, bandaging both of his hands.

"So tell me do you have any other injuries for me to bandage up?" The violet-eyed woman asked as she looked straight in his eyes.

"Well... My upper arms and lower back hurts." Yzak confessed as he stretched his arms unto the table.

Searching the kit, she pulled a green container. "This should help, just smear the peppermint balm on the aching points and it will be better tomorrow." Yzak looked at her and his hands, back and forth.

"Fine. Just this once, okay?" Standing up, Shiho rolled Yzak's sleeves up until it reached his shoulders. She then put a cooling salve, to help with the relaxation of his strained muscles.

The minty smell and cool effect on Yzak's skin made him relax. His arms were definitely toned and muscular while his pale skin very soft and smooth, talk about irony. Shiho focused on massaging his tensed muscles, he kept flinching and grunting in pain as she continued assaulting a certain spot in his lower back. As Shiho continued to rub the balm, Yzak felt something rough rubbing against his skin. When Shiho finally done placing the salve, he spoke without thinking of what he was about to say.

"Your hands are rough."

Shiho stopped arranging the medicine kit and seemed to have blushed from embarrassment.

"What do you expect from work laden hands?" Shiho clasped her hands together sat down on the chair. Looking at her hands, she saw the small cuts and rough pads on her fingertips and palms. "See, I told you I'm busy." She showed Yzak her palms.

"Women's hands are supposed to be soft, aren't they?" Yzak asked looking at Shiho's shocked expression, his chin atop the table and his arms outstretched on the table.

"Yes, well those words are meant for women who don't know or haven't even heard of work or working. My hands maybe rough but at least they are not just for decoration. Having rough hands doesn't make me less of a woman, doesn't it?" Shiho flustered with Yzak's impassive face. She picked up the medicine kit and returned it in the bathroom.

"You should go back to sleep. I'll fetch the boys. You have an early morning again." She slowly toddled up the stairs. Yzak turned off the lights and followed Shiho. His room's door was open. She picked Rin first and turned to see Yzak by the door, she excused herself as she passed him. Tagging along Shiho, he saw her open the door beside his room, the room was larger and the bed was larger too, she tucked Rin in and returned to Yzak's room to pick up Ren. When she picked Ren up, she bid Yzak a restful sleep and good night. Closing the door softly, he listened to the opening and closing of their door and opening again.

"Yzak, are you still awake? I have something to give you." Shiho knocked on the door lightly.

Yzak opened the door and saw Shiho holding out a notebook. "Dad said you should write down what you learn here, everyday. Or how you feel or experience."

"Hmm." Yzak curiously looked at Shiho's expression and accepted the soon to be diary of Yzak Joule. She went back to her room and he closed his door. The platinum blonde placed the notebook on his desk and decided to sleep.

I thought she would have been angry when I said her hands were rough. Yzak pondered as he looked out at the shining moon.

Would it have been another woman, she might have killed me by breaking my neck or... that girl might die of embarrassment. Weird woman... Yzak pulled his pillow and buried his face in it.

-to be continued-