Kaori fidgeted nervously. "I don't think I can do this, Takashi."
"You'll be fine." His breath tickled ear.
"But what if it hurts?"
He chuckled, dismissing her fears. "It won't."
"But you're too big," she whined.
A slight impatience crept into his voice. "Just relax."
"Can't we just do this later? When I'm ready?"
"Kaori, you're ready now," he said firmly, "Stop stalling."
"Fine," she huffed.
Shifting her weight to her left leg, she bent her right knee and slammed her shoe-and-metal covered foot towards his knee cap as hard as she could. The second it connected with his padding-covered knee she snapped her head back towards his face. His grip around her shoulders instinctively lessened and, when she was still unable to pull free, she bent her legs in an attempt to duck under his broad arms.
Without warning, Mori dropped his arms and nudged her right foot, causing her to lose balance and tumble towards the mat. She landed in a heap with an over-exaggerated grunt of pain. Turning over to her back, she looked up to find her beloved gazing down at her sternly. "Hasn't Yasuchika-kun taught you how to fall properly yet?"
"We've worked on it," Chika said coming up to join them. "She's having trouble getting them to be instinctive." Mori's shook his head in disapproval but his expression relaxed slightly at the answer. "Do you see what I was talking about?" continued Chika. "Her right leg isn't strong enough to keep her grounded when she lowers her center of gravity like that."
"Hn." Mori nodded sagely.
Knowing there would be no helping hand to assist her, Kaori began the process of leveraging herself upright while the two men started in on breaking down what alternate moves she could use to defend herself if grabbed from behind. It was mostly over her head and involved a lot of demonstration.
Her attention wandered to the bare handful of other sparing pairs in the Haninozuka main family's private dojo. Only they and some of their top students were allowed its use. As Chika's private student, that number now included her.
"…but if she does that then the next logical move is this." Chika whirled around in a move to fast for her to follow. "You see how that wouldn't work?"
The day after the 'incident' (as her friends had started calling it), Honey and his father paid a visit to her papa. The three men closeted themselves in the study for what seemed like a very long time. She tried to listen in but Subaro pulled her away when she went to press her ear to the wall. All she knew about their discussion was that from then on she was expected at the dojo every day after school and most Sunday mornings.
The excitement she felt on hearing the news vanished the minute she exited the changing room and was greeted by six pairs of curious eyes. Feeling awkward wearing only her skimpy gym uniform and pink mat shoes, she turned around and fled. Honey bounded in front of her to block her path, turned her back around, and shoved her forward by her shoulders. "It's okay, Kaori-chan," he sing-songed, "It's just family." He didn't stop pushing until she reached the group containing her father, Chika, the Haninozuka head, Mori, and a Haninozuka cousin she didn't know very well but who was one of the senior trainers.
It was impossible not to feel intimidated by them, but after fifteen minutes she realized they were far more interested in her brace than in her. Over and over they made her demonstrate the mechanics and the muscles she used to lock and unlock it as needed. Each demonstration was followed by a lively debate-bordering-on-argument about techniques. It was painfully boring and she soon learned to tune them out.
Three hours later, there seemed to be some consensus about how to adapt the Haninozuka style to her abilities and Chika volunteered to be her primary instructor. Kaori thought he did it just so she would have to call him 'sensei,' but he actually turned out to be pretty good. As a teacher he was patient and incredibly interested in how to adjust standard beginner training to the limitations of her leg.
He also didn't let her get away with anything.
For the most part she loved every minute of her training. Except for times like today when Chika would ask another expert to come in so they could work out a move she could do. Then it was all talk, talk, talk.
"Are we boring you Kaori-chan?" Her attention was jerked back to the two men in front of her by Chika's sarcastic drawl.
"Um… no. Sorry Chika-chan." She flinched the minute the words left her mouth. "I mean, sorry Yasuchika-sensei."
Mori's eyes glittered with laughter behind Chika's back. Traitor. Secretly, she was glad that Mori's offer to train her had been turned down. Inside the dojo he was like a different person – strict, demanding, and too darn sexy in his gi for her comfort. She was having a very hard time keeping her eyes off his collarbone. He knew it too - every time she came back from dazing off while staring at it she saw his lips twitching in amusement.
"Since you seem to need something to keep your mind focused, go to the mats and practice your falls while we discuss the tedious subject of your training."
Kaori knew it could have been worse and bowed gratefully. "Yes, Yasuchika-sensei."
When she was halfway across the dojo on the way to the mats he called out in a voice loud enough to echo off the walls. "And twenty push-ups for the 'chan'."
She grimaced but made sure to wipe it off her face before turning back to him and bowing yet again. "Yes, Yasuchika-sensei."
If they hadn't been in the sacred dojo she would have sworn she heard the sound of Mori chuckle.
~oOoOo~
The doorbell rang and Mori had reached the door and started opening it before the sound finished reverberating off the walls.
Kaori's face lit up in a warm smile the minute she walked through the door. "Ojamashimasu."
"Please, come in," Mori replied and stepped back so she could enter. He could feel a matching grin on his face and hoped it didn't make him look goofy.
Kaori's heart fluttered at his smile. Tonight he seemed even more handsome than normal in black jeans and royal blue raglan top which hugged his torso and set off his beautiful dark skin. But then, it was probably just because it was such a special day.
Putting down the red and white polka-dotted gift bag she carried and began unbuttoning her coat. "I was surprised the driver didn't bring me to the main house."
The Morinozuka estate was shaped like a giant square 'U' with a short right side. The main house occupied the center with two semi-detached branches heading back from it at a right angle. Kaori knew the shorter right side of the 'U' was for guests, live-in servants, and a few of the single retainers. The left side, however, had been closed off the last few times she visited.
"This side is the residence of the heir," Mori explained while helping her off with her coat. Underneath it she wore a fuzzy pink sweater with an open neck over a ruffled skirt. The outfit, plus the scent of vanilla wafting off her hair, made him think of a cupcake. He turned to hang up her coat and hide the slight flush he felt on his cheeks. "I moved in last week."
Kaori began to fumble with her brace but he stopped her. Stepping up into the hallway, he opened a cupboard and pulled out a pair of pink slip-on shoes that resembled her mat shoes without the laces. Wordlessly, he held them out to her.
"What about the Tatami mats?" Whenever she visited the main house she needed to remove her brace and be assisted from room to room.
He shrugged in reply, but Kaori detected an excited gleam in his eyes that didn't register on his impassive faced. Before stepping up to the hallway, she picked up the gift bag and held it out to him. "Happy Valentine's Day."
Taking the bag, he peeked inside the bag and saw a box just large enough for a two-person cake. He'd told her he would take care of everything for dinner tonight but, given what day it was, he'd suspected she'd bring dessert. He was sure it would go well with the lasagna the chefs had setup for him to bake. The salad, bread, and wine to accompany it were within his meager cooking skills.
Reaching out he grabbed her hand and pulled her up into the hallway. He leaned down and brushed his mouth against hers. "And Happy Birthday," he murmured against her lips.
Kaori brought her hands up and splayed them against his chest. She could feel the warmth of his body through the tight cotton shirt that showed way too much muscle for her peace of mind. Sighing contentedly, she started to sway into him but he stepped back before either one of them could deepen the kiss.
"I want to give you a tour." He pulled her around to the right and gestured to his home office, the door that connected the residence to the main house (via the engawa), and the hall leading to the bedrooms. All the doors were closed and they didn't enter any of the rooms.
Turning her around, he led her through a large archway flanked by two sliding doors. As she entered the large living room, Kaori's mouth gaped open and she slowly turned to take it all in. It was both completely different from the traditional Japanese décor of the main house yet also the same. Tatami mats had been replaced by a light-beige Berber carpet with similar texture. All the furniture was western in type, but traditionally Japanese in style.
"Do you like it?" he asked softly and, when she turned to face him, Kaori could see faint traces of anxiety lining his face.
Looking around the room once more she realized that it had flooring she could wear shoes on and furniture the right height for her to rest on and easily get up from. All of this had been designed with her in mind. She wrapped her arms around his waist tightly. "It's beautiful, Takashi. It's absolutely perfect for us."
He smiled and pulled her around showing off the rest of the common areas, ending his tour in the kitchen. The minute she saw the large fully furnished space, Kaori squealed in delight and raced around excitedly checking it all out. Every appliance she could think of was there, including a huge refrigerator and not one but two ovens! She ignored every etiquette lesson she'd ever had and opened every drawer and cupboard, poked around every appliance, and pulled out to examine anything that caught her eye.
Mori dropped the gift bag on the kitchen table, one large enough to accommodate up to ten people, and then leaned against the wall to watch her explorations. This was the room he'd worked hardest on, consulting both his family's chefs and Haruhi on the design. Her excited exclamations each time she found a new feature or gadget made the month of near-round-the-clock renovations worth it.
Contentment washed over him. It wasn't hard to picture her a few years into the future happily making dinner while children played in the garden outside. Not right away, they had plenty of time, but it felt good to know she wanted that as much as him. Although, he wasn't sure about her desire to have four. He had a hard enough time picturing two.
When the automatic lights kicked on he realized the late-winter light was beginning to fade outside and he needed to hurry. "Kaori, come here." He motioned her over to stand next to him. "I want to give you your present."
Kaori looked around but didn't see anything resembling a gift. Perhaps it was something small? Mori took her by the shoulders and turned her to face the solid wood sliding doors she guessed led out to the backyard. "Close your eyes," he ordered.
Kaori closed her lids, but couldn't resist trying to look out from under his lashes. She could see the dark shape of him move to stand in front of her.
"Are you peeking?" His voice was laced with amusement.
She squeezed her eyelids tight. "No?" she squeaked.
The odor of cedar and cinnamon filled her nostrils and she could feel the warmth of his skin as he leaned in. "Are you sure?" he murmured. His breath tickled her ear and did strange things to her stomach.
Giggling nervously, she nodded. The warmth faded and she could hear him step backwards and then the sound of doors sliding open. His hands grasped hers and he led her forward. The sound echoing off the floor changed, letting her know they'd moved onto the engawa.
"Open them."
At first, she wasn't sure what she was looking for. The backyard was a large square running just a bit longer than the length of the house and enclosed with a high gray stone wall. From previous visits she knew that the door in the wall to the right led into the formal Japanese garden that occupied the interior courtyard of the estate. The rest of the area was a typical family backyard with plants and enough grass for children to play.
In the low light she almost didn't see it, but over towards the left wall four square raised boxes had been laid out. They were each just tall enough to reach about mid-thigh and filled to the brim with dark, loamy soil. "A garden!" Behind them was a small shed made of glass and wood. "And a greenhouse!" She loved cooking with fresh vegetables, but her home didn't have enough light for more than a tiny patch. This one was more than big enough to grow whatever she wanted and more.
She threw herself at him in joy. "Thank you, thank you thank you." She punctuated each one with a kiss on his cheek. "Best birthday present ever!"
Mori could feel himself practically beaming. He'd tell her later, but the greenhouse he had built himself with a little help from his father and brother.
The timer in the kitchen chimed and he extracted himself to go take the food out of the oven. Kaori followed him inside, babbling about how soon this year she'd be able to put in some bok choy and how the greenhouse would be perfect for starting an early crop of onions.
Kaori, he mused while slicing up the toasted garlic bread, was definitely a woman who would center her life around home and hearth. Secretly he admitted that this was one of the things he liked most about her. Someday she might choose to have a career in addition to all the duties she'd have as 'Lady' Morinozuka, but he knew she'd always put their family first.
Her chatter died off and he looked up. She was standing at the table with a piece of paper in her hands and his heart dropped. He'd meant to put it out of sight but had forgotten in the midst of getting dinner ready.
"Takashi," she said slowly, "why do you have a marriage registration form?"
He'd meant to work up to the subject over dinner, take the time to find the right words. Silently, he washed the garlic off his hands and moved over to her. Removing the paper from her hands, he set it back on the table and then leaned his hips against it, splaying out his legs. Without prompting, she stepped between them and he loosely clasped his hands together behind her back.
Placing her hands on his biceps, Kaori leaned back to look at his face and simply waited while he reached to pull together the words he wanted to say. She found the slight pink dusting his cheeks absolutely adorable, but she'd never tell him that. Maybe. Sometimes it was fun to tease him just a bit.
"You're graduating soon." It wasn't an answer, so she only nodded and stayed quiet until he was willing to say more. "When I… when I embrace you, I want you to be my wife." Kaori felt her eyes widen in surprise. He hesitated a bit and his blush deepened. "I… I don't want to take things further without being committed to each other. Without fully belonging to each other in every way first."
The rest of his words tumbled out almost rushed. "But, only if you're ready. We can wait. We can even push back the ceremony to later than October, if you want."
Kaori's heart swelled so much it hurt. Even now, he was still offering to let her walk away and he'd somehow find a way to make the blame fall on him. For someone so strong, both physically and in character, he could be surprisingly sensitive and just a little awkward and uncertain. She yearned to wrap her arms around that part of him and protect him as much as he did her.
Biting her lip to keep the instinctive 'yes' from bursting out, she forced herself to think it through. She had no questions about whether she was ready to make love with him. Only the promise he'd made had held her back. His honor was so much a part of him she could never try to undermine it.
But was she ready to be a wife?
She thought she'd changed from the girl she'd been in August, and that had everything to do with the man in front of her. But she wasn't really and adult yet. It might be years before she fully grew up, years before she felt confident taking a place at his side.
But, Honey had said that growing up was about picking the person you wanted to become. More than anything, she wanted to become the strong, brave, and beautiful person Mori seemed to see whenever he looked at her. Maybe nobody was ever a hundred percent ready to get married. All she knew was that she liked the person she was when she was around him and she loved the woman he thought she could be.
Her lips curved up in a slow smile, in love you had to trust your instincts. "Idiot," she murmured fondly curling her hands in his hair and pulling his lips down to hers. "I'd marry you tonight if I could."
~oOoOo~
Mori's attention kept drifting from the contract in front of him to the ring on his left hand. The Buddhist ceremony would still be in October as planned, but this morning they had filed all the paperwork necessary to make them husband and wife in the eyes of the law.
He'd been a married man for six hours.
Of course, they hadn't yet spent any time together. She had her graduation and he was trying to finish off work so as to take the remainder of the week off for a brief honeymoon. That thought triggered others and his gaze soon drifted to stare sightlessly out the window.
With a firm mental shake he pulled his focus back to the business at hand and reread the same paragraph for the third time. If he could only get through a few more things he could go meet Kaori and their families for dinner. It was more difficult than he'd thought.
"Morinozuka-san, just go home already." The amused voice of his supervisor and mentor cut through his attempts at concentration. He looked up to find the middle-aged man standing in the doorway with a broad grin on his face.
"I apologize for my distraction, Kacho." Pangs of guilt pierced his conscience over his lack of industriousness.
The man laughed at Mori's distraught expression. "This is one of the days lack of focus is acceptable." He made a shooing motion with his hands. "I'll finish things off. But," he continued with mock severity, "I expect you back in top form on Monday." Mori bowed gratefully and took his leave. As he headed towards the elevator he thought he could hear the man chuckling and saying something about 'youngsters.'
Later that evening, the private room at the kaiseki restaurant where they'd had their first date was filled to overflowing. The screens for all four rooms had been opened up to fit his, Kaori's, and Honey's immediate families plus wives, fiancées and girlfriends for a combined graduation and wedding celebration.
Kaori sat down at one end of the table, giggling with Mana who had come as Satoshi's date. Her elder two brothers' fiancées, Reiko, and Honey's mother surrounded her as well. From the bright red color of her face he could only guess they were teasing her as mercilessly as his cousins and new brothers-in-law were him. The elder three men stayed above the fray and were mostly concentrating on beating each other in a sake drinking contest.
He drifted off in the middle of something Satoshi was saying. She was so beautiful. He still wasn't sure how he got so lucky. If Honey hadn't gotten married, if she hadn't had the courage to confess… Sometimes life handed you something you never thought you'd get but when it did you had to reach out and grab it with both hands and fight to defend it against all comers.
"Takashi, are you feeling okay?" Honey's over-innocent eyes peered up at him. "You're all red. Do you have a fever?" he asked slyly.
His whole end of the table collapsed in a bout of masculine laughter at his expense. The last dish had ended an hour ago and it was starting to dawn on him that he was the target of a game to keep him there as long as possible. Gazing over at Kaori, who was sneaking peeks back at him out of the corner of her eye, he decided it was time to end the match with one final strike.
Mori stood abruptly, bringing the room to a silence punctuated by feminine giggles. In two strides he reached Kaori, grabbed her by the hand, and pulled her up to stand next to him. He bowed to the three elder men and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw her follow him. "Otou-san, Haninozuka-san, Haninozuka-sama. Thank you for celebrating with us." The three men all had broad smiles on their face, knowing what was coming. "Excuse our leaving." With that, he turned on his heel and dragged Kaori out the door.
Loud laughter followed them down the hall and out the restaurant. When they got to the side garden, he finally slowed down when he realized Kaori was trying futilely to pull her hand out of his grasp. "Takashi! Stop!" He halted and turned to face her. "Why did you do that? It was so embarrassing."
He moved toward her, inching into her space bit by bit and forcing her back up against the wooden fence. Placing his hand on either side of her head, he leaned in until his mouth was nearly touching her ear. "Your choice," he whispered, "back there or home."
Mori could feel the shudder pass through her body. She looked up at him, desire in her eyes. "Home," she said, "Definitely, definitely home." With a smug smile he stepped away and escorted her to the waiting car. The ride back to the estate was both short and very, very long. His hands shook just slightly as he unlocked the door to their house and he hoped he wouldn't accidently destroy the key.
Kaori stepped in first. "Ojamashi…" She stopped herself, then smiled and looked up at him with her chocolate brown eyes. "No," she corrected herself, "I'm home."
Mori's arms shot out and caged her against the wall. "Welcome back," he replied as happiness washed filled every fiber of his body. He leaned forward and tenderly kissed first her forehead and then her adorable button nose.
Stroking the sides of her face with his fingers, he met her eyes and finally let out the words which had filled his heart for six months. "I love you, Morinozuka Kaori. I've loved you since the moment we met." Slowly, he slanted his mouth over hers to claim the first kiss as husband and wife.
And it was… amazing.
A/N: This is it, the last chapter of the main story line. I hope I managed to close off all the dangling threads and bring their relationship to a satisfying conclusion. I do have an epilogue written that catches up with them about 15 years in the future. Just need to clean-up the writing before posting.
Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and/or followed. This was the very first fanfiction I ever wrote and each of you made it possible for me to keep going in some way. So, to quote my OC – you are all amazing.