Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, then you should not read this.
Chapter 314
The meeting place was not the kind of place anybody would expect either of the women to visit. One was the spitting image of professional power and poise. The other was seduction and trouble in a low cut blouse and tight fitting jeans. The place was a little ramen counter in a modest neighborhood.
"Thank you for meeting with me, Moka," Kurumu said politely with a warm smile. "You're looking good. How have you been?"
"I have been doing very well, thank you," Moka returned. "I hear your career is going well also."
"Yes," Kurumu nodded. "And my new project is proving to be an interesting challenge."
"Well good for you," Moka's smile faded. "That should be enough polite small talk for use to be honest when Tuskune asks either of us about our meeting. Now it is time for you to tell me what you are up to?"
"Moka," Kurumu gave a theatrical gasp and put on an exaggerated expression of surprise. "You sound like you think I am trying to deceive you."
"Kurumu, you are one of my closest friends, and I love you like a sister," Moka said in a low voice. "But when it comes to Tsukune, I know I can only trust you as long as he is in danger, or you are nowhere near him."
"Awwww," Kurumu grinned. "I love you too, Moka. But you are right, I am up to something. More specifically, I want to be up to something."
"Out with it," Moka said.
"I know that you and Tsukune are going to get married soon," Kurumu explained. "And we are both smart enough to know that your relationship with Tsukune is going to change after that."
"That is a part of how marriage usually works," Moka agred with a nod.
"That is why I want my wedding to happen before yours," Kurumu went on.
"What wedding?" Moka demanded.
"Why, my big day with Tsukune of course," Kurumu replied with a grin.
"What!?" Moka's voice shot up in tone and volume. "Tsukune is not going to marry anybody but me!" Her eyes turned red as she spoke.
"Of course he isn't," Kurumu snapped. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to marry him. Or at least go through the motions."
"What are you talking about?" Moka questioned her friend and rival.
"Just hear me out," Kurumu began. "I have a plan, and I want to make a deal with you."
"Go on," Moka said, calming down a little.
"When you marry Tsukune, he is going to have less freedom to be spending time with Mizore or myself," Kurumu explained. "It doesn't seem fair that you are the only one who is going to get to have a wedding ceremony. What I would like to ask is that you allow Mizore and I to have our own weddings with Tsukune. They will be all show," Kurumu hurried a little as she saw Moka starting to tense up again. "We won't have him sign any wedding contracts. The ceremonies won't be legally binding in any way, and we will make sure Tsukune knows this up front."
"Continue," Moka directed.
"And of course, if we are going to have our own weddings," Kurumu went on. "We should have a little honeymoon as well."
"That may be..." Moka began.
"It's only fair," Kurumu cut her off. "You are going to be living with Tsukune after your wedding."
Moka actually paused at that thought. Yes, once she and Tsukune were legally wed, there would be no reason to not live together. She would be with him nearly every night. They would see each other and share all the little daily things that happen in a normal life. Moka's mind could not help spending energy thinking of all the benefits of being with Tsukune as his wife.
"There will be no way for the rest of us to compete with you, once you are the only woman legally married to Tsukune," Kurumu went on as she watched her friend start to daydream about her life with Tsukune. "So everybody wins. Mizore and I will get our own weddings, and a week apiece with Tsukune. You get to have a full, real and legally binding marriage ceremony, and two months, baring emergencies, without us trying to get his attention."
"Once we are married, Tsukune is not going to be free to be your plaything anymore," Moka said with an arched brow.
"Now don't be that way," Kurumu chided.
"Be what way?" Moka challenged.
"Mizore is already expecting her fifth baby," Kurumu replied. "And someday I will want Tsukune's baby... Babies as well."
Moka started to growl quietly.
"I am just being honest," Kurumu said stubbornly. "You may be the one that gets to marry Tsukune, but you cannot keep him all to yourself."
"Why not?" Moka demanded.
"Because it would hurt him," Kurumu shot back.
That sent a chill into Moka's heart.
"Unless you are ready to keep Tsukune away from everybody he loves," Kurumu explained. "And accept the responsibility of what that would do to him, you are going to have to share him, at least part of the time."
"You may be right..." Moka said slowly with a frown.
"Unlike you," Kurumu said. "Mizore and I have to think about how to share Tsukune's attention. He used to quip about there being two of you..."
"There are still two of us," Moka interjected. "We just get along better now."
"Fine," Kurumu nodded. "So there are two of you. Mizore and I are two more. So it is only fair that you get Tsukune half of the time, and we will share him the other..."
"No," Moka shook her head.
"Look," Kurumu argued. "Fifty-Fifty is fair. Especially when it will be fifty—twenty five – twenty five."
"You may see it as being fair," Moka countered. "But I don't have to be fair. I may have to share Tsukune with you, but there is no reason for me to hobble myself over it."
"How about sixty-forty?" Kurumu offered.
"I like the idea of ninety eight – two," Moka said with a hard smile.
"You are not being reasonable about this," Kurumu observed.
"Why should I be?" Moka asked.
"Because if you cannot be reasonable, we are going to progress to where we start making threats," Kurumu answered. "And that would upset Tsukune."
"Is it your attention to fight dirty?" Moka accused.
"Hell yes," Kurumu answered with a steady eye. "So let's get everything out in the open. You don't dare try to kill me or Mizore, because you are afraid of what would happen. You have Mizore over a barrel because of a stupid oath, and because she cannot do anything to risk her children. What really makes things hard for you is that Tsukune has a piece of my soul inside of him." Kurumu gave her friend and rival a dark smile.
"That piece of my soul is what changes everything for us," Kurumu continued.
"What do you mean?" Moka demanded in a low voice.
"I mean, that no matter where Tsukune is, or what he is doing, I can find him," Kurumu answered. "And if you won't be reasonable, I will take advantage of that. I will call him when you are alone. I will visit him when he is at his office. And when he goes to sleep, I will find him in his dreams."
"If you make a pest of yourself, it won't be long before Tsukune starts to ignore you," Moka smirked.
"Oh I will be careful with the phone calls and visits," Kurumu replied. "I have my own career to manage after all, so I understand exposure versus over exposure. His dreams on the other hand, those will be a different matter."
"Oh really?" Moka challenged.
"Did I ever tell you that my connection with Tsukune goes both ways?" Kurumu asked in a sweet tone. "It's not the same for both of us. He can feel my emotions, but I am aware of his body. I can tell when he is working hard, or when he is resting. All I have to do is wait until he is at rest, and then enter his dreams. Once there, I can have my way with him."
"I don't believe you," Moka gave a small shake of her head.
"You called me, didn't you?" Kurumu reminded the vampire. "And I can do the same every time he sleeps. It doesn't matter where in the world he is, or who he is with."
Moka's expression hardened as she understood what Kurumu was threatening. She could invade Tsukunes dreams on their wedding night if he fell asleep. She could literally become Tsukune's dream wife, practically waiting for him in his dreams. Every time Tsukune went to sleep he would be in the arms of the 'other woman.'
"That's right," Kurumu said with a slow smile. "Every time Tsukune goes to sleep, he could be coming to see me. For all you know, he might even be telling you he is too tired after a long day to go out, or to stay up with you, just so he can hurry to see me."
"Tsukune would never lie to me," Moka sniffed.
"Of course not," Kurumu gave another twist. "He has never held anything from you, or kept from telling you when he is on edge." She reminded Moka of the times when Tsukune had nearly lost control of his power because he had not wanted to bother her, or make himself appear weak. To the best of her knowledge, Tsukune had not had an episode like that in years, but Kurumu wanted to make sure Moka remembered those times that he had.
Moka did remember those episodes. She remembered feeling angry at Tsukune for not telling her, and angry at herself for not noticing. She remembered feeling like a bad girlfriend for not being there when he needed her. Kurumu saw that doubt in her companion's eyes and knew it was time to bring out the carrot.
"I want us to be reasonable," Kurumu said in a calm voice. "I want us all to be able to respect each other, and our times with Tsukune. When Tsukune is with you, he should only be with you."
"That's right," Moka nodded.
"So, just like we used to do with his weekends," Kurumu went on. "Let's work out how Tsukune should share his time with us."
Moka gave Kurumu a searching look. She knew her friend was being serious. When it came to Tsukune, they had always been serious. The may have been wrong, but that did not take away from the strength of their convictions.
Yes..." Moka nodded once, slowly. "We should take our time and talk this out carefully."
XxX
Kurumu was satisfied with how the negotiations turned out. It had taken some time, but Moka had seen reason in the end. To help smooth things along, Kurumu agreed to have their arrangement formalized in writing. Kurumu was confident that Moka would try to put herself in the best light when she explained the arrangement to Tsukune, but that was not important. Kurumu knew Tsukune would hear her out in turn as well.
The time sharing was an important matter for Kurumu and Mizore. While the snow woman had not been in attendance, or even aware of the meeting, Kurumu had been sure to stand up for the other half of the Black and White duet. Not only was she looking out for a friend, but it gave her more power in the negotiations than if she had been acting only for herself. She also thought Tsukune would be pleased that she was looking out for his other lover as well.
One of the most important things, more important than time managment even, had been getting Moka to agree to the wedding ceremonies. Kurumu knew what she was going to do to get her own wedding event with Tsukune, but first she had to make sure Moka would allow it to happen. Tsukune would always be willing to do whatever it took to make the women he loved happy, but if he thought that Moka would object to something one of the others wanted, he would get stubborn. Kurumu made sure to get that problem out of the way. With the negotiations complete, she was free to plan her wedding.
XxxxX
x
"Is this the final draft?" Tsukune asked as he set the contract down on the coffee table. He was sitting with Moka in her living room looking forward to a quite evening of cuddling, when she had surprised him with news of how her day had gone. "Or will there be an opportunity for me to have something to say?"
"It is just a draft," Moka tried to keep her voice light and soothing. She could feel the tension in Tsukune as he sat close beside her, and knew he was not as amused as he sounded right then. "Kurumu and I thought it would be best to avoid any fighting over who gets to spend time with you."
"I should call up Yukari," Tsukune said with a small smirk.
"Why?" Moka blinked, puzzled.
"I figure that she probably has notes from all the times you all sat around and discussed my schedule in school," Tsukune explained. "I could check for any history of anybody taking advantage of arrangements, or not honoring agreements."
"We did not have any written contracts back then," Moka pointed out. "And most of our decisions were made to keep us from pulling each others hair out every time you walked out of the room."
"Well if this is how things are going to be," Tsukune paused as he looked Moka in the eye. "I guess I just have to accept it."
"Tsukune," Moka cave him a searching look. "You do not have to hide your feelings from me. I can tell you are unhappy about this."
"I'm not really unhappy," Tsukune sighed. "Just frustrated."
"About?" Moka prodded.
"Why I was left out of the meeting," Tsukune explained. "In high school I would have insisted that I did not need looking after, and tried to say so many times. But I have grown up a little since then. I have come to accept that I do need certain people in my life to help things along. After all that we have shared over the last ten years, Moka, do you think it would be unreasonable of me to expect to be included in any important plans about my own damn life!" His voice had grown louder towards the end, rising to a near shout.
Moka was taken back by Tsukune's reaction. It was clear that he was beyond unhappy, and well on to being justifiably angry. He did have a valid point. She and Kurumu had sat down and divided up his future life as if he was a possession, or a child that could not make their own decisions. Moka realized she needed to do something to sooth the insult she had dealt him.
"The contract is still in negotiations," Moka said carefully. "There is no reason why you cannot contribute to it."
Tsukune gave her a long, steady look before he said anything. He picked up the contract again and made a show of looking it over. It was a ploy to stall as he calmed himself and ordered his thoughts.
"I will take some time to review my records," Tsukune said as he put the contract down again. "Once I have what I want included put together, I will let you know."
"Alright," Moka nodded.
"But there is something I should do first," Tsukune went on. He was still frustrated, but he wanted to sooth away the hurt he had seen in Moka's eyes when he had yelled at her.
"What is it?" Moka asked.
"I should kiss you," Tsukune said with a grin.
"Yes you should," Moka smiled back.