I have not had a single moment to write in over a week due to back-to-back daily night/day shifts. I'm not sure if I will have time to write this week either, but luckily this job madness will be coming to an end soon. The good news is that I have a heavily detailed plot arc finished and am chomping at the bit to write the ending to this arc. However, I'm concerned I haven't developed enough character depth/relationship to make the ensuing events believable. I'm somewhat torn between writing it to get it out of my system and then going back to edit it/fluff up depth before writing the second arc and dragging out the next 4-8 chapters trying to figure out more depth before getting on with it. Do you guys have any preference as the readers? I'd like to hear your feedback before moving forward. Thanks again for your continued support, patience, and general awesomeness.
Next chapter will probably drop on June 6th.
Chapter 15:
Chihiro ate dinner with Lin down in the main break room by the kitchen surrounded by most of the staff. The room was loud with the bubbling cacophony of conversations and the sound of dishware clattering. Slurping her ramen, Chihiro thought back to the slow morning meditating with Yui. While Yui seemed to become a stone statue, Chihiro found herself fidgeting after only a few moments of the supposed exercised breathing. It felt like they had sat there forever as Yui began to quietly hum and lit a chunk of incense. They had focused on breathing as the smoke filled their lungs and Chihiro had finally found herself relaxing enough to sit still and balance. When she had returned to the bathhouse, the infirmary had been roiling after another set of pranks by Okita. Yui had went off to handle that and after a quick wave to Hikaru, Chihiro had slipped back upstairs. She hadn't made it far before being captured by Lin, who was leaving the kitchen to head to the big tubs. Though Lin had seemed abnormally quiet, she didn't think much of it and before long they had heard the bell for dinner. Silently eating her ramen, Lin tried not to frown at her. Why hadn't Chihiro told her where she had been going all this time? Had she seen through her attempts to get her closer to Haku? Both girls startled at a loud "excuse me" from beside their table.
The loud thump of the bathhouse master's knees hitting the wooden floor silenced the entire room in an instant. Squeezing his fists tight on their place on his thighs, he bowed his head and apologized loudly for wronging Chihiro. It was apparent that he was prepared to drop into a dogeza should she refuse his apology. The girl in question shot straight up out of her seat and began waving her hands frantically telling him to get up.
"It's ok Haku. Just please get up."
"Not until you say you forgive me."
"I forgive you. There's no need to make a scene. Come on," Chihiro tried to yank him off the floor, "Let's talk outside." Slowly getting up, the noise resumed in the room as everyone stared at them. With a quick bow to Lin excusing herself, Chihiro dragged Haku out of the room and straight out of the bathhouse. Watching them leave, Lin shook her head and smacked the palm of her hand to her forehead. Why in all of kami's green meadows would Haku do that? What an uproar they left behind! People were no longer trying to be shy about the discussion and were loudly asking if anyone knew what that was about. Yelling at them to mind their own business, Lin ditched her own dinner to seek the refuge of the boiler room. Surely Kamaji would have an idea of what was going on.
Chihiro pulled Haku through the maze of the bathhouse out into the empty side garden she had sat beside on a rainy day. Releasing his arm, she moved a few steps away and caught her breath for a moment before turning back to him.
"There was no need to go that far. The whole bathhouse will be gossiping for days," Chihiro exclaimed with a sigh. She didn't really mind talking to Lin or Kamaji about her problems, but getting everyone involved was too much.
"I wanted you to know how serious my apology is. Please come home Chihiro. There's no need for you to hide away any longer." The sincere expression on Haku's face made Chihiro all the more exasperated. Surely as functional adults they could talk this out and compromise, right? Turning her back on him, Chihiro sighed and avoided the request.
"Yui is teaching me the purification dance for the matsuri. She thinks it isn't a waste of time or space to teach me something that I'm clearly at a disadvantage for when I can't summon magic. I want to learn self-defense, Haku, even if I am at a disadvantage." Haku's brow furrowed at the word self-defense and suddenly it all made sense in his mind. He had misinterpreted her vague words earlier as a desire to join the cause and fight. Feeling truly guilty now, he wrung his hands together behind his back. There was only one real way of fixing this and he wasn't even sure if he was truly capable of doing it.
"If you truly mean self-defense," Haku started hesitantly. Chihiro turned around and looked hard at him. He was hesitant and from his expression it was obvious that he was torn. Starting again he seemed to steady out his voice, "If you truly mean self-defense and you aren't planning on running out to save the town, then I think we can make some sort of agreement. You already know the odds and why I think it would be impractical, however there could come a time when such a knowledge could benefit you. If you agree to come home, then I will make the time to show you a thing or two before bed each night."
Offering her hand out, Chihiro waited for him to take it in a firm handshake before replying. "I would greatly appreciate it," she said with a small smile. His lips were drawn in a firm line and he nodded his head. Releasing her small fragile hand from his own, he wondered if he could even do it. Teaching required some physical practice and for that he would have to be the one to attack her. It's not like he could ask someone else to do it and sit on the sidelines. He would leap in to save her in a moment's instant, but now he had to play the culprit. The dragon within him preened in expectation as it thought about the chase, but the more logical part of him was worrying about all of the things that could go wrong. Haku excused himself with the excuse that they would start tomorrow since he needed time to finish up some last errands and bowed to her. Changing to his dragon form, he flew away into the sky as she watched him from below.
Chihiro sat in the garden for a while before slowly making her way upstairs to Haku's flat. Pushing the door open, the large desk was still covered in papers, though granted it seemed to be a different stack than what was there a few days back. Peeking into the living area, she saw the door to Haku's room closed and the balcony door open to the evening breeze. Making herself a cup of tea, she saw the town below beginning to shut down for the night as sunrise was near upon them. Bringing the tea with her, Chihiro opened the door to her room and nearly dropped the tea cup in surprise. Inside the room, all of the vases of flowers had been replaced with fresh flowers and her bed was neatly made with rose petals over top. A piece of notebook paper was folded on top of her pillow and its message made a small smile form on her lips as she blushed prettily. Tucking the note into the nightstand with great consideration, she got ready for bed.
Chihiro had managed better at meditation the following morning, but was reprimanded several times by Lin for her lack of concentration in the afternoon. The weasel spirit seemed to be in a piss poor mood and she was relieved when dinner was over and it was time for her to head upstairs. However as she entered the flat, the same sort of tension hung overhead. Haku sat at his desk nearly growling at the stacks of paper surrounding him. Chihiro considered walking along the edge of the room to her room without disturbing him, but he stared at her the moment she closed the door behind her.
"Give me a moment to get prepared and I'll be right with you," Haku said with a sigh as he stood up from his chair, "In the meantime, I would suggest you change into the clothes I left out on your bed." Nodding her head, Chihiro excused herself to her room and looked over the tight black shorts and tank top folded neatly on her desk. Wondering why he thought these clothes necessary, she got changed and tightened her pony tail before stepping out. The desk and its papers had disappeared from the room along with the carpet, chairs, bookshelves, and odd knick-knacks lying about that had defined the room as a well-used office. The hardwood floor had been covered in a firm mat that Chihiro gingerly tested with one foot. The door from the living room slid open and Haku walked confidently in with his usual stride. For the first time, she could see the sleek definition of his muscular body as he was in a state of dress that was near identical to what she was wearing. Heading straight for the door to the flat, he locked it before addressing Chihiro with a small frown.
"I will not go easy on you. I will push you to the limits of your physical form and try to break your will with my own. Are you sure you still want me as your teacher," Haku asked as he openly examined her. Stopping in the center of the room, he pulled up to his full height and tried to let the seriousness of the situation settle in. Rolling off her socks, Chihiro walked across the open mat to stand in front of him. She wasn't going to back down from a challenge.
"I wouldn't want it any other way."
"It will take a lot more than self-defense lessons to make you somewhat proficient. We need to build strength into your muscles. It will be rough." Chihiro snorted at his comment, but held her laughter.
"I like it rough," Chihiro drawled back with a cocky smile. Haku could try to scare her out of this all he wanted, but she wasn't going to back down. He had agreed to teach her and she was going to wring everything out of him that she could get. An eyebrow shot up at her response and he tried to stifle the saucy smile that came with it.
"Well, we will see about that," he said as he quickly rolled the kinks out of his neck, "When we are up here, we will always begin with stretching and a brief warmup. After that, we will work on basic movements and building up your body strength. Every time that you reach a milestone, I will hide a small object with the name of a location and a time written on it somewhere that you are likely to find it. Should you find it and meet me at the given destination at the correct time then we will spar and you will have a chance to use what you've learned in a safe setting. If you should fail, then the opportunity to practice will have passed and we will move onto the next thing." Nodding her head in understanding, Chihiro felt the gravity of the situation. Haku was going to teach her and for that, she was grateful.
That gratitude however died out somewhere between the five kilometer run around the bathhouse and the plank exercises. He was Spartan with his exercise and technique, even correcting the angle of Chihiro's punch as she slightly wobbled out of exhaustion. Letting her hold the stance with her arm outstretched, he walked slowly around her checking her form. It was easy to smell her exhaustion and sweat from the past two hours of activities. Honestly, he was surprised she had lasted so long without complaint when it was obvious that she was struggling to stay upright. The outfit he had chosen out for her enabled him to see every curve of her, which while exciting was also practical for fixing her every move. Chihiro was probably the fastest learner he had ever taught, but it would still be some time before her muscles caught up with the techniques they were covering. Giving her the cue to relax, he offered her a glass of cold water. Thanking him she gulped it down. Sitting down, Haku began stretching out and she soon joined him on the floor.
"Not bad for your first time. Don't look so beaten. I told you from the start that we were going to have to work on your stamina." Muttering her thanks, she began mimicking his stretching. He had been the demon instructor that she had guessed he might be, but if anything he was just brutally honest. Chihiro wasn't sure how much longer she could have lasted when he had finally offered her water. She had survived their first lesson it seemed and Haku hadn't even broken out a sweat! As they finished up stretching, Chihiro let out a sigh of relief as she laid out flat on the cool mat. "I would suggest showering before you fall asleep. Your muscles will thank you for it tomorrow."
Mumbling out something sarcastic, the sound was muffled by the mat. Smirking at her splayed out form, Haku considered his options. Their first lesson was finally over and he was in a surprisingly good mood after how well it had gone. Deciding to ease her into the pain that was to come, he stepped closer to her.
"Don't move I'm going to help you with the soreness." Chihiro mumbled her agreement, not that she could have moved an inch from that spot if she wanted to. Straddling her back, Haku felt her stiffen quickly beneath him, but she did not move away. Moving his slim fingers along her spine, he let them curl into the base of her neck. Massaging her head and neck gently, he subtly knit some magic into her. Trying not to get distracted by how soft her hair was, he slowly let his fingers wander over the tops of her shoulders and finally, down the center of her spine. Letting out a quiet moan into the floor, Chihiro felt the air in the room seemed to freeze around them. Somewhere caught between enjoying the massage and horrendously turned on by his wicked fingers on her body, Chihiro hoped that he didn't notice the sounds she was making. Unfortunately for her, Haku's dragon hearing had had no difficulties in picking up the sound that his imagination had been seeking. His fingers stilled on the small of her back, tempted to move lower and sink into the tender flesh of her backside that he hovered his weight over. Ignoring temptation, Haku leaned his chest into her back as he placed a hand on either side of her and whispered into her ear. "Does that feel better?"
Licking her lips, Chihiro considered telling him other areas that would love to feel his slender fingers at work. Returning his questioning gaze was a blushing smirk, she felt herself become all the more hot as her mind dipped south of the border. The room definitely did not have enough air in it she decided as he seemed to press just a little more firmly against her back. For a moment she considered all of the things she could do to him if she could just get herself out from underneath him. She had never been with a man before and though she had found other ways to relieve the frustration that built up over the years, that didn't mean she wasn't open to considering him. Chihiro's brain froze mid thought in wonderment. Had she been actually considering him? He was a river spirit in human form and a very serious one at that. He probably had no interest in her other than friendship, just like every other male in her life, and yet here she was considering offering herself up. The thought of being rejected yet again instantly cooled the heat that had started in her belly.
"Yeah actually, but I think you're right. A shower is exactly what I need," she replied with an exaggerated eye roll and huff. Getting off of her smoothly, Haku laid beside the spot she had previously occupied as she sat up. "You might want to hit the bath yourself, Haku. Just because you didn't sweat doesn't mean you don't stink."
"Keep up that attitude and you'll never make the first milestone," he joked back though quickly took a sniff of the area to check himself. He didn't smell anything different than his usual watery musk, except perhaps the annoyance that she was permeating over her general excitement.
"If I make the first milestone, will you give me something," Chihiro asked honestly. The handsome man that sat beside her was still making her heart race and though he had overstepped his bounds to teach her a lesson the other day, he had apologized. Surely she could capture the butterflies in her stomach long enough to say what was on the back of her mind.
"What could you possibly want," Haku laughed as he smiled at her. He would happily give her anything she wanted if she would but look at him again like that. The smell of her lust was clouding his own rationality, but his desire for her love and affection outweighed any choice of action. His blood burned steadily with the desire to complete the bonding ritual, but his human body simply wanted the joining their forms with or without the ties of making them whole. It was desperate for anything that she would give him, even if it was just a simple touch. Haku's mind wandered slightly off course as it became overwhelmed with taking in the smells surrounding them and watching her every move. He could see the sweat beginning to dry to her skin and he wondered how weirded out she would be if he offered to lick the salty substance from her. No doubt a bath of that sort would definitely lead to other things though…
"I'd like just a bit more of your time… You see, I've been wanting to visit the market again and our last outing had been interrupted…"
"I would love to take you out again," he quickly replied as his heart raced. Silently, he celebrated the opportunity of a second date, even though he wasn't quite sure if this was a date or if the first one counted at all. The market was a dangerous place and she really shouldn't be going there, but if he played his cards right... Haku's mind took off with the possibilities as it warred with the more logical tactics. Ignoring the stupid grin on his face, Chihiro got up and walked to the bathroom.
Chihiro gave him one last parting smile before moving quickly to the bathroom. As soon as the door was closed, Haku began pacing before finally giving up and walking quickly towards the balcony. Shifting forms in a heartbeat, Haku flew out into the brightening sky. Twisting this way and that, he danced with the winds and made sweeping arcs through the river, splashing water this way and that. The dragon was happy and the racing feeling in his heart came through as he inadvertently spiraled the water upward in a brilliant display as he flew. She had blushed and asked him to take her to the market! His mind raced with the possibilities of what she could be feeling and if he still had a chance with her after he screwed up the other night so badly. He would be a wonderful teacher, take her out on a great date, and surely find the right words to ask her to a formal courtship. She would fall in love with him all over again and they could be together. It was just a matter of time.
Leaning against the doorway of the bar, Taka watched the dragon make another death defying dive before stepping back inside. Lin was the last guest seated at the bar and she was finishing up her solitary drink as she continued on the rant that she had started the moment the other guests had left.
"And Chihiro has been disappearing to kami knows where! I was letting her leave early so she could go flirt it up with Haku, but no. She's got to go make this just as difficult as Haku, that dope. I just don't get him, Taka," she slurred as she traced a finger around the edge of her glass, "First he wants her gone and the next moment he is putting the moves on her. How's the girl supposed to know what he wants? How am I supposed to help her stay if I can't get him to like her again?"
"I don't think he ever truly wanted her gone," he replied as he wiped down some of the wet clean cups with a dry rag. His mind thought back to how Haku looked each morning as he watched the grass fill in with water in comparison to how he was now. Haku had stopped coming to the end of the town after the girl had arrived and though he was no expert in the complicated emotions of river spirits, Taka had a feeling that the current state of the dragon's emotions was also due to the same girl. Looking over at Lin, Taka smiled shyly. After all, what else makes a man feel such range and depth of emotions besides a woman?
"Don't you think it's weird too? Zeniba has never taken so long to find information and report back, but it's been well over a week. Something's not right with all of this…"
"Alright, come on. That's enough conspiracy theories for one night. It's time to go home." Lin hiccupped as she put back the remaining dregs of her glass before Taka could take it away from her. Wobbling off of her barstool, Lin waited patiently for Taka to clean the glass and put it away before coming to offer her an arm. Every time she came out to drink, he would always escort her back to the bathhouse if she waited until he had closed up for the night. Together they walked back to the bathhouse and he said his goodbye at the door. Watching her walk into the depths of the bathhouse, Taka let out a sigh and began his walk home. Spying the dragon now flying peacefully above the town, Taka wondered when he would take the chance to go after the girl of his dreams.