I apologize for the belated update. Yesterday was a very busy day for me and I just didn't have the time to get editing.
The drive back to the tower was tense like a war room discussing an active conflict. Geese was accustomed to tense atmospheres, and he handled them accordingly. That being not letting them get to him at all. But now, he sat with the strong feeling of a tense situation exactly getting to him during the entire drive back to base. An hour after he left Mai alone, following the discussion of revelations, Hopper arrived with a car to take everyone back to the tower.
During the entire ride, Mai had not looked at him once, let alone spoken to him. Geese was usually solid when it came to reading people's moods, but he would have to admit that Mai's particular emotions had been difficult to discern. She had calmed down but that didn't necessarily mean she accepted who he was. Maybe Geese had miscalculated when he revealed everything in broad terms to her. He had thought, she was beginning to put two and two together.
And thus, he had been nothing but honest with her. He thought she'd understand; they understood each other on an emotional level, corny as that sounded. To admit a mistake had been made was quite the bitter pill to swallow. And it left Geese with the feeling that he just might have made quite the fuck up, singlehandedly ruining his chance to keep a Shiranui ninja within his employ.
No wonder Billy was so against it.
Oh well, Geese could lick his wound when the car finally reached the tower by evening and everyone headed inside, tired, and exhausted. Maybe things would change once they got some rest. The elevator felt somewhat cramped with four people standing in it while also not trying to get too close to one another. As Mai's floor was below everyone else's, she was the first to leave. Without a word or a look for that matter, she stepped off and marched down the hallway, the door closing behind her immediately after.
The rest of the elevator ride was a little less choking when they reached the upper floors and Geese dismissed his bodyguards, so they could get some rest. When within the tower, he didn't feel so on edge, thus he rode the elevator alone to his estate. First thing first, Geese found his way to the Zen garden and sat down.
Today's events were beginning to creep up on him, making his body heavy with exhaustion, yet through sheer stubbornness, he proceeded to meditate, just to keep himself relaxed. For all his disgruntlement with religion, meditation was like a force of magic that managed to keep him grounded.
When he felt moderately calm, he stood up, contemplating if he should call it a night or just go against his body's urges and bury himself in his study, intercepted by an approaching Hein, who bowed upon standing face to face with his employer. "Sir, I regret to inform you that Mai has left the building. She left moments ago with all of her belongings".
Fantastic. Just wonderful.
"Did she hand in the keys to the room?" Geese asked in a controlled growl, his jaw tightening to the point of a faint ache. It was that or a snarl that could verbally tear the head off Hein until he answered with; "Actually, she did not."
That softened the blow somewhat. It implied one thing; one very good, fortuitous thing. Mai wasn't entirely disgusted with the entirety of Geese Tower after all. So, her decision to completely leave forever was still in the air. Not final was the most important part. There were no gods but just for tonight, Geese would like to pretend that there were so he could pray that she'd return to him.
He felt a modicum of joy during a day that had been but a dearth of such. Geese had to remind himself that there was an equal chance of her never returning. As much as he wished to use his recourses to tie the tide in his favor, he knew he had to be patient.
He drew a silent, deep breath. "I see. We'll let her room stay as is then."
It was a basic suite anyway though he thought of moving her to one of the apartments if she came back – and stayed. A fleeting thought about courtship passed his mind but it was gone before he could really mull over it, probably for the better. Geese quietly dismissed Hein for the evening and decided to head straight back to bed instead of staying in his study.
Once alone and under the covers, he found himself staring at the ceiling, frustrated at how long it took for him to finally sleep. Just for a moment, Geese let his internal guards down and imagined what it would be like if Mai lay here in bed with him. Warm and soft in that pleasant way, women's bodies tended to be. She'd look good wrapped up in the satin sheets. She'd look even better with his hands planted all over her body.
The fading image of a sleeping ninja girl covered in soft silk was the last thing Geese saw before he fell into a deep slumber.
The very next day, Geese avoided his office entirely. He usually did during the weekends. Before anything else, he got busy checking the emails, as was required of him for his position, usually in his study while breaking his fast. The issue of the gang wars still lingered but he had sent Hopper and Ripper to investigate while Billy picked himself up – and had that hangout or whatever he called it with that loudmouth idiot in the trunks.
After finishing his breakfast and answering the final emails of the week, Geese left his study with the whole day ahead of him. Normally he found a way to keep himself occupied, but today, he was particularly restless and bored. It would be a good idea to get some training done as well, just so he could keep himself distracted.
When Terry had left South Town completely, Geese felt a notch of something that resembled loss. That Bogard boy was a strong warrior; he had to be if he managed to defeat Geese. Suffice it to say, Terry did surpass Jeff in almost every way. But he was here no longer; God knew where he went. Perhaps when the coalition had been eradicated, Geese could keep an eye out on the Terry – and Rock. Maybe. The thought just brought a bitter taste to Geese's mouth, and he let the matter be.
There were other urgent events needing to be taken care of – later until he had recharged. For most of that morning, Geese submerged himself in intense training, finding some ease in maintaining his prowess as a fighter and relief in thinking of something else other than the problems in his life. Thus he was covered in sweat when he was done, with the top half of his kimono hanging around his waist.
Outside the sky was clad in a bland gray, not dark enough to carry the threat of rain at least. In summer, Geese liked to go out on one of the many balconies of the estate and gaze over the city with the occasional breeze cooling him down. It got him accustomed to the cold shower he'd take next.
It reminded him of the time he went to the mountains, training in preparation for a rematch with Terry which never came. There, the air was thin but crisp, helping him clear his mind. Geese would still need that shower now lest he stank to high heaven of man but for a minute or so, he'd postpone it.
After a short while, the hairs on his arms began to stand on end and he headed inside, ready to wash the scent of sweat off him. He pulled the kimono over his shoulder to shield himself from the cold. The training hall was quiet, echoing even whenever he was alone. It wasn't that big either, just spacious with how bare it was. There was ventilation by the door which lead to the balcony, hence the clean air inside.
All was as it used to be so he didn't think much of it, once he stepped into the empty hallway. At times like these, Geese would like to be alone. It helped that the estate was so quiet today. Almost considering the sound of footsteps somewhere, that didn't match his own and he thought none of it, thinking that it was likely Billy or Hein or one of the maids. Geese was almost at the bathroom when the footsteps came closer, behind him and he turned around.
Staring into a pair of warm brown eyes. Staring at the mirage of Mai. Staring at her actual presence.
She stood there, dressed in wooly clothing as if she had just come back from the calm autumn weather. Her cheeks were colored a soft red, probably from the cold. She looked as surprised as he was. Like a shocked little angel, who had no idea if she should be here or not.
"Mai…you've returned," Geese said, wide-eyed at the obvious. Then immediately, something unpleasant struck him; maybe she had come here to quit in person.
"I needed to think things through. I…I'm…I'll admit that maybe I'm not better at all. When I thought about it, there was part of me that maybe figured things weren't so black and white."
The look she gave him now was a little less uncertain but more indecisive like she didn't know to which side of the fence, she should be standing. In light of this uncertainty, Geese decided to throw her a bone.
"Well if it makes you feel any better, Howard Connection is a legitimate business," And it was. Its unlawful underbelly was a different story but still a business regardless. "…And I do apologize for the shootings."
Mai shifted on her feet for a bit, musing on the apology. After a long and brutal pause, she finally looked at him. "…Apology accepted. As weird as it is, I suppose I should feel honored? I mean, that you'd go about and beyond for me and tell me stuff that could land you in jail for a long time. I mean, what's stopping me from leaking this?"
It was almost cute how she brought that up. She sounded completely oblivious to the potential suggestion of blackmail, which spoke far clearer of her objective than she probably imagined it did. Mai didn't seem like the type of person to do blackmail after all.
"If that was what you intended, you would have played your card differently. Second, you would have gone to the police – which, by the way, my company works with, so I'd know if you did. Third, you have no evidence other than hearsay. Fourth, decades of building my syndicate have made me very good at avoiding prison," Geese folded his arms over his chest, self-assured with his explanation.
"Hmm…" Mai hummed, putting her hands behind her back. She swayed a bit as she thought, the length of her ponytail moving in rhythm with her.
"I won't say I'm a sweet little angel but I'm not an unredeemable piece of shit either. Just a human who needed to do whatever it took to survive. It's not good or bad. Just a hot pot of gray. That is the essence of power. People are all like that, but it sounds to me like you knew already," Geese continued, taking a single step closer to her. "Which makes me curious, Mai. Have you thought of it? The power to do whatever you wanted? Gain whatever you needed to get ahead in life."
The hallway fell silent then, and Geese with his offer became quite aware of the young man he used to be. It was back then he learned that there was something seductive about power and the ability to do whatever one needed to gain results. At first, he felt shame at its lack of ethics but as the years and desperation grew, it passed. Geese wondered if Mai felt something similar – or would. Hell, maybe she was seeing him as the snake of Eve.
"I can't suddenly go out and-and bribe policemen," she smiled ruefully, and he couldn't help but laugh at that.
"No need to worry about that. You'll be clean as a whistle."
"What if I leave and never ever come back?"
For the love of everything, no. Geese's emotional sentinels hid his displeasure efficiently enough to not let bitterness slip through his words as he answered her. "Then all would be as it was before you came. Although I'd miss your company."
He may have been a sinister bastard, but he wasn't a complete troglodyte. Mai was, above all else, not a pet he could tame and put in a cage until she loved him. He could only endear himself to her and hope she'd make the choice to stay. And if she left, that was just how those things went.
"…How much?" Mai asked. She blinked once, longer than normal as she stepped closer, curiosity darkening her eyes. Momentarily, Geese thought of stepping back when Mai stepped closer, eventually standing right in front of him. If he reeked of sweat, she didn't notice or care. She shuddered a bit when he put his hand on her shoulder, feeling the warmth of her through her clothes.
"More than words can describe," he said as he tested the waters, sliding his hand from her shoulder to her face, resting against her soft cheek. Warm and feathery to the touch. Geese swallowed, trying to curb his wants for a moment lest he stole a kiss. She didn't resist the touches, however, shockingly enough.
And then she smiled. He almost gave in at the sight of it. Whatever was happening however was probably also felt by Mai but not for reasons Geese imagined. As if struck by a lightning bolt of bad moods, her expression cracked. Her eyes stared at the floor with tears beginning to gather in their corners. Hastily, she wiped her eyes and looked at him as if she had never felt a thing at all.
The sudden urge to conquer her lips vanished in seconds and Geese gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. It was enough to make her press herself against his bare chest. Her cheek was warm, almost searing against his sternum. It was effective in making his gut tighten and the small thought of man's scent faded from his mind for a moment. But she had done this out of her own volition because…why exactly?
Andy, was it not? She must have felt a spark as Geese did and in turn, it reminded her of lost love – fueling guilt. Geese could relate to that feeling, unfortunately. It was the same for everyone with dead lovers; they feared the weight of an imagined betrayal because they had the so-called gall to love someone new.
"I wouldn't recommend getting so close to me for too long, Miss Mai. I really do need a fucking shower," Geese said once the woman in his arms had calmed down a bit. The melancholic air melted a bit with a light giggle from Mai.
Hopefully, surely, she'd stay. There were still some wounds for the sanctuary to heal.