Chapter 9
Submission
~Harebell
Twenty minutes had passed with under the weather Shiho cradled in shell shocked Yzak's embrace. She had fallen asleep again reluctantly. He had to keep his arms around her to keep her from slipping out of his grasp and unto the cold and unyielding floor. With the presently meek silver haired man's chest pressed again her side, the sense of comfort and security emanated from him, just like her father would do when she was younger and was sick. It was a few seconds after seeing Shiho cry and crumble that Yzak felt something stir inside him and it wasn't guilt. Subsequently, this was the first time in all of the twenty two years of his life that he didn't feel disgusted at seeing a female cry, with the exception of his mother since he hadn't seen her cry yet or maybe he wasn't supposed to see.
She looked very lovely with the silent tears that streamed down her face. He wasn't used to that and it made him feel like a psycho and a pervert. He was supposed to berate himself for waking her up when she was obviously fatigued and sick but now he was acting like a kid who seeing a butterfly making its way out of a cocoon for the first time. He was really fascinated at the current moment that was unfolding but the more he indulge himself into his fleeting feelings, the more he would be embroiled into a scandal when everybody else wakes up and sees them.
Gathering his wits, he manoeuvred Shiho into his arms and carried her like a princess. The shifting of position, stirred Shiho. With her eyes heavily lidded with exhaustion, she focused on Yzak's embarrassed face as he counted numbers softly, trying to keep his sanity. She couldn't even tease him. Her energy was already being drained by keeping her eyes opened. They finally reached her room and the moonlight blessed man struggled on opening the door with both his hands occupied with her.
Finding her voice, she offered in a whisper. "I'll open it."
Yzak trained his gaze at her, shock assaulting his body, he almost let go of her body. He wasn't expecting she would wake up and see him doing this to her, for her. When the door opened, Miriallia was just about to rise from bed. The look on her face was filled with mixed emotions. Shock, wonderment, curiosity and dare he say it, bliss or was it pleasure?
"Miriallia, listen to me first before you go on with your unheard of accusations." Yzak quickly fired at her. The last thing he wanted from the other woman was romantic notions and harassment for her best friend. Surely, she would let her imagination run wild with her and spill her guts to her equally imaginative lover, who will again, surely love to make his day bloody damn fantastic.
Miriallia sat up from the bed and laughed softly. "I wasn't going to say anything at all Yzak. I was pretty surprised and thank you for breaking that very pregnant silence."
Yzak coughed, not wanting to shout when Shiho was still in his arms. Carefully, laying her down the bed, he couldn't avoid that moment, when he would be staring down at her flushed face, while he was still covering her body with his.
"Hey, are you okay?" The utterly concerned man let out, it was filled with so much concern that even his ears blistered red in embarrassment. Nonetheless he wanted to know what was happening to her.
"I-I-I'll be okay, later." Shiho breathe out. She was certainly sick, her face was burning up and the close proximity of Yzak's worried face was making her all the more uncomfortable.
"You should stay in bed and rest today. I'll do the chores… Somehow." Yzak turned his head away as he leaned away from her, feeling that the more he stared at her he would flush his face and catch her cold as well.
Miriallia at the moment was contemplating on whether or not to leave the two some privacy or continue to watch the two whisper at each other. She wanted to jump in joy and squeal her heart out but decided to keep quiet and left to find Dearka's whereabouts. She'll let them settle for now. She shouldn't stop the flower from budding so that it may bloom later on in life.
On her way to the next room, the twins and Dearka were already up and playing with his phone. She smiled at the image. Maybe creating a family with Dearka wasn't such a bad idea. Approaching the trio with a warm good morning, she crawled to Ren's side and placed him in her lap. Hugging his warm and small torso in hers as he intensely watched his brother play the racing game.
*A*
It was a breezy dawn, the sun has not yet risen up but the brightening horizon was a sign that morning has come while the moon lingered and looked transparent in the vast canvas of the sky. Today was the day Leon Hahnenfuss was going home.
He had a great time with his old folks fishing, singing, and reminiscing the past plus some social drinking. Of course he wouldn't mention that to his daughter. The weeklong vacation was unexpectedly relieving. He actually forgot about his children during those 7 happy days and he didn't even have to worry one bit. Maybe it was because of Yzak's presence in their household. It seems he had given his undivided trust to Yzak without him realizing it. Sipping from his freshly brewed coffee, the Hahnenfuss patriarch wondered if that was a good or bad thing as he gazed at the rising sun from the east.
"Leon, are you ready to go?" A wobbly old man with thick glasses asked him as he approached him with a cup of steaming coffee in his grasp.
"Yeah, I hope we could come back here again and fish. This was a great vacation Grieg, thank you." He chuckled as the old man shook his head.
"It was my pleasure to invite you. It was good you didn't turn it down this year or else I would have nabbed you while you are asleep." He sniggered, throwing his head back in the process showing his crooked teeth.
Leon looked at him with amused amethyst eyes and drank a sip from his black strong coffee. "Is that so? Don't you worry I have someone to take care of the kids now so I can come. I think that was the sign that I was waiting for to come and join this trip."
"Ah, yes, Fynn is a very reliable boy. I never noticed he grew up from being an obnoxious brat and into a responsible man. Are you planning to marry off Shiho to him? I mean we are all getting old with rickety bones. Isn't it time to pass the farm to someone stronger? I believe you do like the boy, right?" Grieg pointed out as Leon nodded.
"He is, but I was talking about my late best friend's son who is currently residing in our place." Leon clarified. He was getting old and ailing. He wouldn't want his children to be unstable when he was gone. Shiho is a very reliable child and now a woman. He knew that sometime he had to give up his daughter to become someone's wife.
She had been a very loving sister and daughter to him and her service to the family is astounding. It was something that a lot of girls who grew up in a farm threw away to go and live in the city. Every girl in the country left as soon as they got a degree however Shiho stayed knowing she had to take care of her father and brothers.
"I think I'll let Shiho decide on that matter on her own but I won't be objecting to that if ever she decides to get married." Leon felt a mixture of feelings settle in his body but right now he was excited to go home and give the twins their new pet fish.
Grieg nodded at his words and patted his back in support, "If she ever gets married, that beautiful daughter of yours will never leave you. I see it in her eyes. She loves you very much."
Leon thanked his long time friend in his support and laughed the heavy atmosphere away that had dawned upon them.
*A*
Shiho fought to rise up from her bed, earning her a hissing reprimand from her platinum haired nurse. "I told you to rest. What are you doing?"
"If I lay down all day I would get sick all the more. I need to move and sweat this cold out." Shiho weakly replied, wincing a bit when she was hit by another dizzy spell. She shouldn't have slept in the study and walked in the rain.
"Just tell me what I have to do." Yzak argued, noticing how she tried to keep her resilient act.
"I'll do it. It's not that strenuous. I'll-"
"No." Yzak gritted out, callously severing her words. "You don't even have the strength to stand up."
He ran his hands through his silver locks and huffed in annoyance. His head was telling him to stop assaulting her but his heart told him to stop the woman. He got irritated with his undecided self and mulled at what he was feeling. Right now, all he wanted was to see her hale and hearty again, as soon as possible. Seeing her weak made him angry and unsettled for some reason and it wasn't because he'd have more chores but he'd rather see her bickering with him than to stay in her sick bed. Something heavy falls upon him when he sees people in their sick bed. To him it was the calling of the maker, the next step to get closer to heaven.
So his tirade continued, "Stop acting like you can do everything on your own. At least depend on me. What good do I bring here if you don't let me help you? Do you really expect me to let you work like that? Shiho, don't treat me like I'm a cold-hearted, unaffected and stupid bastard! I know I am all that sometimes but right now at least let me do this for you." He spewed angrily at Shiho, determined to make her see that she could do things properly and efficiently when he put his mind to it. He didn't want to see her fall like that a second time. He should be ashamed right now but it seems his face was wearing his angry mask.
Shiho was dumbstruck with his tirade. He looked really frustrated and it made her feel a little better. She wondered if she acquiring the characteristics of a masochistic being. Was she supposed to laugh, cry, slap him or embrace this silver haired beseeching man in front of her? She was at a loss of words and her fever was making her shed hot tears again. It was always like that when she was sick. It was her most effective indicator that she was sick. Hot, hot, tears streams down her face and her head heavy as a boulder.
"It's not like that Yzak." She closed her eyes to keep the image of his worried face at bay. She hated being a nuisance to others as well as imposing. She grew up being independent and it simply didn't sit well with her when someone tries to do her work for her. "I'll sleep for an hour and drink my medicine then I'll gather the flowers and finish my sewing then I'll rest and stay put for the rest of the week." She offered with a feeble smile however Yzak didn't budge his worried face still ensued added with a frown.
"Why are you so stubborn? What am I going to tell your father or your brothers if you get injured? 'She planned to prepare her death bed at the flower beds in the greenhouse' or 'She wanted to become sleeping beauty by continuously pricking herself shameless!" Yzak angrily shouted at Shiho.
At that moment, Shiho let out a laugh but it made her sides and head hurt. At the same time, it filled her heart with happiness because he was the first person who ever subdued her. Maybe he really did care for her.
That sounded so nice to hear, he cares for me too.
Yzak coloured at his outburst, realizing how childish and unrealistic the situations of how she would die. It should be added to the song 'Dumb ways to die' which he watched on the internet when Dearka posted it in his wall.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you liked fairy tales." She looked softly at him and instructed him on the chores she had to finish, the time they should be finished and to whom he should give it to when he was done.
Yzak sighed but he was happy, really happy even with an unforgettable blunder he would carry to his grave. At least he made her laugh. Adjusting the covers so that she was snugly warm and tucked in, he also drew the curtain closed to dim the room and help her mind and body to rest.
*A*
The twins helped Yzak in collecting the tulips. He was surprised that they were knowledgeable in the correct way of picking flowers. He had learned gardening because it was a hobby of his mother. It was her pastime in the weekends to make her relax. They had vast gardens and after breakfast, lunch and dinner, they had tea together in the ever-blooming grounds. Usually he would pick flowers to decorate their table and it would cheer her up and pat his hands lovingly. She usually had a tired expression but her eyes would light up and kiss his cheek whenever he did something she appreciated. Yzak always wanted to please his mother at the very least but when Ezaria got busier the more she forgot about Yzak's efforts. It was then he turned juvenile. It worked, he got his mother's attention again but mostly she nagged him and once she even slapped him. At least he got noticed.
Wiping a sweat on his brow, he watched the twins in counting the flowers. Skipping numbers here and there at first then they got tired of counting up to 50 and forgetting the rest they just concluded it was a hundred and forty-four pieces.
"Yzak –nii! We're done! Can we see nee-chan now?" The usually bubbly and irritating twins were worried and frantic. Their father was away and now their sister was sick, of course they're hysterical.
He huffed and nodded, taking into consideration their predicament. Without wasting a second, the two dashed off and left him to finish the chore alone. He had to complete twelve dozen tulips to set off for a delivery. He looked at his dirty hands and got back to work.
Whoever ordered these tulips… I'll make them pick these themselves the next time they order…
*A*
"I'm home!" Leon yelled the moment he set foot in the house. The only person, or better yet, pet that greeted him was Isis who slinked back and forth between his pant legs. He wondered if the kids went shopping. Noticing a key in the holder near the door means they were home. He went upstairs to check in their rooms. Opening, Shiho's room he saw the twins cuddled on each side of Shiho who had a towel on her forehead while their silver haired border was sucking his finger.
"'Yzak, are you sewing?" Leon asked incredulously, making Yzak jump in surprise.
"You're back, uncle." Yzak greeted, putting the sewing aside. "Shiho caught a cold. I had to… finish the sewing for her." He added, unconsciously covering his mouth with the back of his hand while the other he stuck in his pocket.
Leon raised a brow at him and wondered how he got Shiho to rest. Even he had to back down when his daughter demanded her right to do her work when she was sick.
"Yzak! Shiho! We're back! Here's the medicine!" Miriallia happily announced as she opened the door. Her eyes focused on Leon and ran to him for a big hug.
"Uncle Leon! You're back! I missed you!" The brunette happily buried her face in the man's chest like when she was younger. He still smelled the same. Warm and calming.
Leon ruffled the girl's head and returned the embrace a little softer than her tight hug. "Miri, it's been such a long time! You've grown. I didn't know you were going to visit if I did I could have stayed and welcomed you." A light and warm atmosphere emanated from the two showing that he also treated Miriallia as his own daughter.
"I wanted to surprise you but I got surprised instead!" She exclaimed her bubbly disposition frothing over.
"How did that happen?" He placed his arm around her shoulders as a comforting gesture.
"Did you know that Yzak is a friend of mine? And my boyfriend is his childhood friend! I was so surprised that he was here!" Just then Dearka entered the room and was pulled by Miriallia in a good spirit.
"Uncle, this is Dearka Elsman, my boyfriend." She said to Leon and vice versa.
"Hello sir! I'm Dearka and I'm happy to have been your acquaintance." Dearka nervously said as he was faced with a serious face from Leon when he heard that he was his little Miri's boyfriend.
If he was this scrutinising towards Miri's boyfriend, what about Shiho's? Will he shoot the bastard moment he introduces himself?
Leon shook his thoughts away and saw Shiho awaken. "Father, you're back and… healthy… That's good"
"But you're sick. That's not good." He gave her a kiss on the cheek while she embraced him. The twins then followed suite in waking up. They grabbed unto their father and asked about their fish. He smiled and started telling them stories but bade goodbye for a while to the other occupants of the room for the obvious reason that he was being dragged by the excitable twins to their new acquired pet.
*A*
"What should we name him?" Rin estatically asked his brother as they watched their fish intently swimming.
"How do you get to know its gender anyway?" Ren pondered, making his brother clutch his head.
"Ahh… This is hard." The younger twin muttered.
"I know!" Rin exclaimed as if he had an eureka moment. "We have to think of a name that can be used by a girl and a boy." The older raven haired twin concluded, earning a bright smile from his enlightened brother.
Children. How do they come up with such problems of their own?
Leon wondered. Even he wouldn't have made naming the fish a problem, but how will they know if it was a boy or girl? He, too, was pulled into the vortex of thinking about fish genders.
*A*
Shiho continued to stare silently at Yzak. They were left in the room when Miriallia offered to cook lunch for everyone and Dearka followed her like a dog with a leash. The silver haired man was concentrating on his sewing. It was amusing to watch while he intently tried to sew a straight line. Shiho acknowledge that he was good with his hands and just needed to concentrate to achieve results. Currently, she was entertaining her sick self by watching Yzak sew. His face was serene but he would frown and throw some curses here and there when he pricks himself.
"Do you want me to help?" She couldn't stop herself from asking the question, she was getting bored lying on the bed.
Yzak just ignored her and went on sewing his next piece. He only had a few left and he was determined to finish it before other people recognize his sewing prowess. Shiho sat up from the bed, feeling a lot better but still warm. She noticed that a tick appeared in Yzak's jaw and he abruptly threw the cloth on the floor and approach her, pushing her harshly down the bed and back to his sewing.
After that stunt, she learned to quietly peer over her blanket, not wanting to get the brunt of Yzak's silent and scary treatment. It was far more daunting that his usual vocal self especially when his eyes were so turbulent. He really hated manual labour.
Five more pieces...
And he was done!
He heard a small thank you from Shiho and headed to the side of the bed where she was laying. Touching her forehead, he noted that her fever had gone down and her eyes weren't glassy as before. He had to say something. Anything. The silence and his presence in her room was making everything feel suffocating and awkward. He stayed still beside her and decided to show her his hand. "Do you see my finger? It's thoroughly pricked and it keeps on bleeding. If I die from blood loss or tetanus, you have to take responsibility for that."
Shiho gazed at him and laughed. She was in such a happy mode and ironically she was sick, her body felt sick but her heart was beaming and beating strongly, stronger than ever. The supposed ill brunette took off the blanket from her torso, freeing her hands. She then pulled his hand towards her, examining it first and not-so-expectantly popped the shamelessly stabbed finger in her mouth. At that very moment, Yzak's brain decided to shut down everything except the burning nerve endings on his neck and face. His boiling blood waxed and waned then progressed down.
And then shit happens...
-to be continued-
Thyme Notes: Hiiya there! So my school is back on track again, unfortunately… I would try my best to update and make you, readers out there happy! :3 And I hope you liked this chapter! I would also like to thank the following truly encouraging people out there supporting me with their reviews, moving on! *clears throat and hope you imagine me saying this to you inside your mind, I guess, nevermind*
TCoatJackal: Thank you very much for your kind words and appreciation for my writing! *A* It makes me so happy as a story writer to hear/read this kind of comment from someone! You made me feel so fulfilled and inspired to go on writing and I know you too in the future will be able to do so! So keep writing and practicing control since we all know it's not always easy to make characters act normal especially if they aren't from us! I must admit that I have a really hard time portraying Yzak and Shiho, so I'm really glad that you think they are in character! From the bottom of my hypothalamus, I thank you! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and hope the butterflies in your stomach did not leave and become cocoons! So sorry about my rants! I like typing them! :3
Fireminer: Thank you for your encouragement, I shall continue writing as you have propositioned! I'm happy that you think the two are progressing! I promise to include Ezaria's thoughts soon in a chapter, hopefully also that scene you told me so stay tuned okay? :D
TheRedSin: I hope I have done justice to your favourite scene in a fanfic! Can I hear/read your thoughts about this chapter then? Yes, I'm squealing in happiness too and wished there was an episode like this in the anime… Do look forward to the next chapter okay? Knew it! It was you all along! :3
DarkZero1718: Thank you for favoriting and following Buttercups! I hope you read along and hope to hear/read from you! Please read and review, okay? Wishing you liked this update!:D
Sandyx5: Mimou, even if you didn't review here, I know you loved the last update because you PM-ed me! So you're forgiven! I hope you loved this chapter as well! I don't have anything left to say! Just keep in touch okay!
That's all folks and I hope you, current readers liked this chapter! Comments and reviews are really really welcome, okay? Wanna hear your thoughts about it and give me ideas too for scenes okay? Love you guys! A big big bear hug and warm kisses for everyone! It's June and it's rainy again! Yes to cold weather! Boo to being wet! Over and out yah guys!