S**t, it's been a month since I last posted. Wow, I'm SO sorry. If you want to know what's been happening lately, check out my author note after the end of this chapter.
But you know… don't just skip the damn thing. Enjoy reading Chapter 22!
Chapter 22: Commitment
Kabuto's POV:
I cocked an eyebrow in suspicion as I watched Katsumi talked to the unknown male. I had no clue who this guy was yet the ravenette seemed to know exactly who he was by the way she was talking and she even gave him a friendly hug and smile. In fact, I had never seen her this happy to see someone unlike this guy which begged the question if these two had had a past that I didn't know of. Or, it was the alcohol doing all of her talking and moving but it still sort of bothered me. I had never pegged myself as the jealous time and I wasn't. This guy was good-looking, charismatic, mysterious and charming. I was worried that he would sweep her off her feet in a second; how could I compete with that?
"Kabuto!" My partner's cheery voice called, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I looked up and saw her scrambling over my way with said boy. I resisted the urge to glare at the brunette, not wanting to look like a defensive, jealous boy. Katsumi dismissed my dead silent self as she smiled brightly at me.
"This is Rai-Rai, Kabuto!" She beamed in glee. "He's one of my oldest friends ever! Lucky for us to bump into each other at a time like this!"
I secretly glared at Katsumi's hand gripping tightly on the brunette's hand, fuming within me. I couldn't believe that I was jealous of this punk. I was confident and had faith in my relationship with the girl, but the sight in front of me made me want to throw up and then break something.
This guy shyly scratched the back of his head as he looked aside, embarrassed by the ravenette's friendliness.
"Back at it again with that nickname of yours…" He sighed with a grin then hastily hugging her with one arm around her neck as he laughed. "You know how I feel about you calling me 'Rai-Rai'."
"Aw, but I like that nickname!" She whined as she playfully pouted, awkwardly hugging the boy back.
"Okay, Kitten." He smirked mockingly as he earned a displeased look from myself.
"S**t! Don't tell me you remembered that f**kin' nickname!" She cried complainingly.
"But you were so cute when you were just a baby, Kitten!" He playfully pouted, lightly pitching her cheek. "You were as cute as a baby kitten!"
Katsumi slapped his hand away from her face. "I was six, dumbass!" She snapped.
As they took turns, mocking each other, I literally lost my patience. I was getting tired of them pretending that I didn't existed so I decided to put a stop to it. I cleared my throat obnoxiously loud to gain their attention. Once I was satisfied with their eyes and ears on me, I glanced at Katsumi.
"Katsumi… care to explain what's going on?" I prompted encouragingly, sounding a bit annoyed with what was in front of me.
"Oh, my bad, bro…" The brunette smiled in guilt, combing his hair with his fingers. "The name's Raiden. But Kitten refers to me as Rai-Rai since we were kids."
I gave a dull look at Raiden as he felt the heaviness of my glare, feeling more awkward by every passing second. I could tell he had no clue how to handle this moment of silence, which resulted a microscopic smirk on my face. Suddenly, I felt a familiar figure making herself comfortable on my lap to which I blushed and wrapped my arms around her waist, keeping her from slipping. She threw one arm around my neck, pulling me closer to her.
"This is Kabuto." She introduced contently. "He's my boyfriend."
I immediately choked on my introduction. Did she just called me her… boyfriend? And did she said that without hesitation nor a care in the world. After she told me she didn't see me more than an intimate partner yet she went out on a limb and said that I was her boyfriend. It made me a bit uncomfortable but all the more glad since I considered her as my girlfriend since the beginning.
"You've got to be f**kin' kidding me!" Raiden scoffed. "The hell are you thinking, hanging out with a f**kboy like him! Plus, you're still just a kid, Kitten!"
"What do you mean by that?" I spoke up, unpleased with the boy's tone when he referred to me.
"Don't give me that s**t! I can do whatever the f**k I want!" Katsumi snapped irritably. "And you're a f**kin' hypocrite for calling Kabuto a f**kboy!"
"Listen, don't take it the wrong way." He huffed deeply. "I'm just looking out for you, 'kay? I still see you as a kid…"
I blinked in realization: they were more like close friends, if not, siblings. Raiden was acting like a big brother to Katsumi. That thought was a bit heartwarming since I now don't have to worry about anything. I was pulled from my train of thought by the sight of the ravenette's dismissive hand.
"It's the age difference… so it's cool…" She shrugged then placed a smile on her face. "But I'm still so happy to see you!"
"Me too! I missed you so much, man. I was wondering the next time I get to see you since it's been years since we've last spoken." Raiden grinned in glee.
"Because my whole family got killed and a lot of other s**t happened." She cut in bluntly, then beckoning the brunette to take a seat to which he happily did.
"Yeah, I heard rumors about it. I also heard that your bro, Itachi, was the killer…" He replied in a gruff.
Katsumi nodded, confirming to all the rumors Raiden listed. He lowered his head as he clenched his fist on the table.
"That's f**ked up. After everything you've been through, him being your protector and only guardian…" He gritted angrily, preventing himself from throwing something across the room. "You don't deserve it one bit. I'm sorry, Kat. I wish I was there by your side…"
"It's not your fault, Rai-Rai. I've learned to move on from it." She assured with a small smile then entwined her fingers with mine. "Besides, I have Kabuto and that redeems it a bit."
Hearing that made me feel lighter inside and I lifted our joined hands to kiss hers. She glanced at my gesture and smiled brightly at me as I smiled back.
"Well I'm happy that you're in a good place in your life for once. Now I don't have to worry about you since brosky has your back, right?" The brunette turned to be expectedly.
"I'll always be there for her anytime she needs me. She means a lot to me and I want nothing more than her feeling comfortable and safe." I responded determinedly, tightening my grip on her hand.
"Good answer, bro." He nodded approvingly then he turned to the ravenette. "He's a catch, Kat. I approve!"
"F**k yeah, he is!" She proclaimed proudly, turning to me with a smile. "He's the coolest person ever and he always takes good care of me. My days are better when I'm with him!"
I couldn't help but blush at her words. I was sort of aware that she was more loose and brighter when she was induced in alcohol, but I was taken off guard when I realized her inner feelings and thoughts pour out of her mouth. I wondered if she would regret saying any of this when she sobered up. I smiled softly to myself as I gazed deeply at Katsumi. Her face lit up and smiled back at me.
"I'm happy that I found this amazing human being!" She concluded beamingly, hastily giving me a kiss on the lips.
"My thoughts exactly…" I replied to myself lowly as the two didn't catch what I just said.
"So Rai-Rai, what brings you here?" Katsumi then asked casually, offering a conversation.
Raiden exhaled as he laid back a bit. "Y'know me, Kitten. Going around, place-to-place, travelling until something catches my eye and explore." He answered simply, running his fingers through his dark hair.
"Same old, same old, huh?" She commented vaguely.
Raiden nodded. I decided to remain quiet and listen to their conversation; I want to get some sort of backstory of this man out of curiosity. It would've been awkward and uncomfortable for him to answer bombarding questions when this route was easier.
"Yeah. I thought it would be sweet taking my girlfriend out to town, since there's this hyped club and this is our last night here until we head back home." He briefly explained, grinning charmingly.
I aimlessly glanced over to Katsumi, who had a look that someone made when they saw a demon. This cocked my eyebrow because at the state she was in, there was no telling what made her this surprised.
"You… have a girlfriend…?" She repeated surprisingly. "No f**kin' way!"
"Yeah way!" He snapped in annoyance, offended by the girl's disbelief. "And guess who it is…?"
Katsumi and I waited anxiously to find out who was the "lucky" girl with the brunette. After a moment later of nothing, I lost hope into finding out who this girlfriend was. Until I felt another, unfamiliar presence coming towards us and I looked up to see the identity. I raised an eyebrow in question to see a young, beautiful woman standing in front of our table. She couldn't be one of the waitresses because she had no uniform on. Along with the lack of work attire, she had indigo, shoulder-length, wavy hair with blunt bangs, soft pale skin, and wore fitted leggings and a fashionable beige coat. She had a friendly smile and her icy blue eyes shinned as bright as sapphires.
I was about to part my lips to speak but a certain Uchiha beat me to it.
"No way…" She cut in incredulously, her eyes widened in realization. "Is that you, Miyuki?"
So—supposedly—the unknown female was named Miyuki. Such a fitting name for someone like her. Speaking of which, she seemed a bit confused for a second until she too widened her eyes, recognizing Katsumi too.
"Katsumi?" She guessed, receiving a nod from said female and she slapped on a happy grin. "Oh my god, I can't believe it's really you! It's been ages since I last saw you! You look so good!"
Katsumi squeezed past me, trying her best not to hurt me, and stood in front of her old friend a she pulled her in for a hug.
"Holy s**t, I missed you so much! You look amazing yourself!" She exclaimed happily, pulling away to get a good look at the girl.
"Oh, thank you." She blushed lightly, looking aside.
"Still flustered, huh?" Katsumi giggled. "You haven't changed…"
"I hope the same for you, Katsumi." She replied with a small smile.
I watched with a smile at the scene I was witnessing: Katsumi catching up with an old, close friend of hers, smiling blissfully. It made me happy when I saw her enjoying herself with others; it showed me a different, amazing side of her I wouldn't be able to see after this.
"What are you doing here this late, anyway?" The ravenette asked her friend curiously.
"I was looking for Raiden." Miyuki huffed, glancing at him with a soft look. "He has the tendency to run off on his own when he sees something interesting."
"You're talking as if I'm a dog, Miyuki!" The brunette cut in, offended.
The indigo haired female chuckled softly, sitting closely beside Raiden. "Don't take it the wrong way, hon…" She assured sweetly, placing a peck on his cheek.
"You're lucky you're so kind and gentle, dammit…" He grunted with a smile, wrapping an arm around her to pull her closer to him.
So far nothing really fazed me until my eyes caught on Katsumi shocked face again.
"Wait a second!" She commanded urgently, gaining everyone's attention. "You guys are a couple now!?" She summarized in shock.
I glanced at the couple across from me. Miyuki didn't seemed to want to say anything as she blushed with her eyes glued to the ground. This left Raiden to explain everything and he knew this as he prepared himself to give an answer.
"Yeah, we are. She's the girlfriend I just mentioned." He confirmed lowly, adjusting his position. "We went out a while back and… we really hit it off…"
"Well s**t, I would've never pegged you to as a couple; you guys are so different." Katsumi commented dryly, dropping her shoulders.
"Opposites attract, I guess." Miyuki responded meekly, still refusing to look up.
"Bulls**t." She bluntly stated.
"How's that 'bulls**t' when you're dating someone who's a polar opposite of you too?" Raiden gawked.
The brunette had a point.
"Kabuto and I aren't as different from one another as you and Miyuki are!" The ravenette countered hardly. "We actually share some similarities."
That statement was understandable to some degree.
Raiden rolled his eyes at her, dropping the topic before this got unnecessarily out of hand. I kindly beckoned my partner to sit back down with me, and she accepted graciously as she clung onto my arm firmly. I rested my hand on her thigh for comfort on my end.
"So, how long have you guys… been together?" Katsumi asked, trying to have some degree of maturity.
"Almost two years." Miyuki answered simply.
"Wow. Didn't know Rai-Rai can be with someone longer than a week…" I dissed lowly, smirking smugly at him.
"Go f**k yourself, pussycat!" Raiden spat. Miyuki caressed his cheek, trying to calm the male down.
Katsumi held her hands up, surrendering her jokes to the side as I smirked to myself. The girl's witty side was always entertaining to watch.
"So, Katsumi. If you don't mind me asking…" Miyuki spoke politely, earning said girl's attention. "How've you been doing? I heard that your whole family has been killed by your eldest sibling, right?"
Katsumi puffed, taking her seat next to me. "I don't particularly care about that since my family never gave a s**t about me, as you two are already aware. The things Itachi did after was personal because I had a close bond with him; he was my protector and guardian. Now, he can simply go f**k himself in hell because that bastard belongs with our clan…" She seethed lividly, gritting her teeth to hold back any further cursing.
"So heartbreaking…" Miyuki breathed sadly, lowering her gaze. "He was the first person to ever see you in a different light and raised you to become a powerful woman. Yet he went ahead and screwed everything up…"
I scanned the body language and face of the dark haired female across from us. If I was correct, Miyuki was already aware of Katsumi's situation since childhood, so was Raiden by the look of sadness and empathy on his face.
"I don't give a damn, anymore." The ravenette claimed solidly, folding her arms. "My family's dead, I no longer live in the Leaf, lost all of my friends, and my older brother is a d**k. All of that doesn't matter anymore; I've moved on to better things."
I had the feeling that I was one of the "better things" because she slipped her hand on mine, holding it tightly as I squeezed lovingly. The thought that I was something that made her life bearable made me feel lighter within especially since now I knew how she felt about me a part of her life.
"W-Well, I'll take your word for it since you seem okay…" Miyuki commented unsurely, skeptical about the girl's real state of mind. "I'm glad you forgot your horrible past and focus on making your future amazing."
"Let's pray on that." She sarcastically replied, doubting her friend's words of encouragement.
"Speaking of brother, how's Sasuke been doing lately?" Raiden inquired casually, moving on to a different topic.
"How would I know when he's being a complete douche?" The Uchiha girl questioned rhetorically, adding saltiness to her tone.
"The hell did he do this time?" The brunette asked in bore, slumping on the soft seat.
"Simply put, he can't handle the f**kin' truth and pretended that I don't matter to him anymore." She hissed in frustration; I could hear the hurt in her words too. "You'd think he'd mature and deal with honesty from his sister, but no, he'd rather be an ass and pay no attention to reality."
"Damn… what a d**khead…" He muttered bluntly.
"You're only saying that because Sasuke doesn't like you…" Miyuki remarked with a small smile.
"He said that I was a 'bad influence' for Kat when he doesn't even know me!" He snapped exasperatedly. "Besides, he's mainly the reason why she doesn't hang out with us anymore. He literally tried to cut off contact with most of her friends."
"At least that showed that he sort of cared about me." Katsumi pointed out in a frown. "But, he's right about you though: you were kind of a bad influence."
"Hmph." He huffed as he crossed his arms stubbornly.
"Mind if I ask how you two know Katsumi?" I blurted the question out of curiosity.
"We've been friends since we were kids." Miyuki told me graciously. "We all had family issues and we had the tendency to run away from home, far, far away. Our issues were what brought us together as close friends. Since then, we'd run away from our homes just to meet up and hang out."
"I was basically the one who led the gang since I was the oldest—around eleven at the time. We used to act all rebellious and do stuff that our parents would go ballistic if they saw us." Raiden added with a confident grin. "Kitten was the youngest out of all of us, so we considered her as the 'baby' of the group, no pun intended."
"I see…" I mused softly.
That must meant Raiden was around twenty years old.
"On a similar note, how's the others doing?" Katsumi then asked.
"The last time I checked: Akira and Daisuke finally started going out, Goro mended his relationship with his father, the twins—Hotaka and Hisako—lost their mother by an unknown illness, Takara finally met her real parents, Kuro opened an herb shop—"
"What about Yoko? What's her update?" Katsumi interrupted concernedly, feeling as though something was off.
Both the faces of Raiden and Miyuki fell when they heard one of their friend's names that wasn't mentioned by the brunette. This raised both Katsumi's eyebrow and my own. We turned to the dark haired girl who breathed heavily, preparing herself to explain the sudden silence.
"You know how she was dealing with chronic depression like you, right?" She remarked weakly, avoiding any sort of eye contact.
The ravenette nodded in confirmation as I remained still, waiting to hear her say more. I noticed that Raiden was squeezing her shoulder in comfort, encouraging her to tell us.
"Well… she took her own life a few months ago…" She quickly added, hoping that it was enough to get the message through our ears. "She couldn't handle the pain anymore…"
It was and I simply sat where I was with a blank look on my face; I had no relations with "Yoko" whatsoever so I didn't really react to this detail, despite it being such a tragic that she or even anyone resorted to suicide. I knew that this was heartbreaking for Katsumi since she knew the girl and was one of her close friends as kids. She knew what the poor girl was dealing with since she went through depression herself. Difference was that the ravenette overcame her inner demons while Yoko gave up on life and herself. Now that I thought about it, it really was upsetting to hear that someone actually succeeded in taking their own life; I couldn't imagine how it would feel when it was someone I knew and was fond of. Poor Katsumi…
"Yoko is… dead…?" Said female repeated appallingly, tears were welling up in her eyes but refused to fall.
"Katsumi… I'm so sorry…" I soothed lightly, gripping her knee with sympathy.
"I know it sounds f**ked up, especially for you Kat…" Raiden murmured disappointedly. "I know how close you guys were; you were going through similar hardships and battled yourselves inside until you're battered up, bruised."
Katsumi kept her mouth shut as her head hung lifelessly as her dark bangs covered her eyes. We all waited patiently for her reaction and we were caught off guard when she hastily stood up and slipped out of the table.
"I'm getting us drinks." She notified dully. "I'll be back…"
With that, Katsumi treaded away from us, leaving us confused.
"Sorry 'bout her…" I heard Raiden's voice and glanced at him as he had an apologetic look on his face. "Kabuto, right?"
I nodded.
"Look, I'm not sure how long you've been with Kat. But I just wanna give you the heads up…" The brunette explained softly. "Though Kat is one of the coolest people I've met, there are times when she's either an a**whole or a b***h. Regardless of this, she is not a cruel person; she's actually very caring, loving, and generous if you just give her time. Just please be patient with her…"
I blinked at the boy's request, slightly surprised that something that like came out of his mouth since my first impression of him was a jerk-faced player. But now that he was being serious with me, he really wasn't as big of a jackass as I originally thought—at least that was what Katsumi had been implying.
"You probably know what she's been through a lot." Miyuki cut in softly, turning my attention to her. "She and Yoko were close out of all of us; they weren't like sisters but they connected in a unique way. However Yoko keeps everything on the down-low and acts as if she were a ghost whereas Katsumi acts out. They promised each other that they'll be each other's treatment to their sadness and depression…"
My face fell dramatically; I already knew Katsumi and her mental battles with herself but hearing from people who had second-hand experiences with her made even more unbearable to not feel depressed myself.
"We both love Katsumi, and we were concerned that she would end up doing what Yoko did. We haven't seen her in years and we were prepared to hear that she killed hersel." Raiden added. "Now that I know she's in good hands, we have nothing to worry about…"
"Really now…?" I inquired.
"We'll be the first ones to say that she's a lot happier than she was when she was a child. Though it's probably the alcohol doing the talking, she smiles a lot more than she did in the past." Miyuki smiled happily. "And you're most likely the reason why. She always struggled trusting others and letting people into her life because she always gets burned in the end. The fact that you two seem to have a healthy relationship assures us that you're something important and special to her. You may be her road to happiness."
I couldn't help but smile gently at the two who sat across from me, smiling back. Katsumi's life may be a living hell, but one thing was for sure though: she was blessed to have friends like them. They were concerned of her wellbeing and they wanted what was best for her.
"I'm completely aware of the situation I placed myself in our relationship, but every moment was worth it; I know what I'm up against but I couldn't care less. I care about her and accept all of her flaws because those flaws she has what makes her even more beautiful." I told them genuinely, letting my heart do the talking. "It's a tragic that her life is what it is, and I want to be a part of it just to make her see the wonderful sides of it and show her it's worth living. She may be complicated and difficult, but I will never let her go…"
Miyuki smiled in satisfaction. "Well said, Kabuto. I trust that you'll take good care of her…"
"Yeah, watch over our little Kitten for us." Raiden grinned.
"I will." I nodded determinedly. "Thank you for your blessings…"
"If it makes you feel better, I can tell she really has a thing for you." The brunette hinted smugly as he winked. "You know it when you see her at her worst; she acts like she wanna f**kin' murder a hoe. If she's comfortable with you seeing her ugliest sides, you're a keeper."
I could see some truth to what Raiden said. One flaw though, she had always been difficult and complicated for as long as I'd known her. Did that mean she always had a thing for me?
"Thank you?" I was unsure what he said was a compliment or he was trying to be funny.
"Hey guys!" We heard Katsumi's voice from afar and we all turned to see the ravenette pacing towards us quickly.
I looked closer to see that she was carrying something in her arms. That was when I noticed she was holding a tray that carried small glasses. She must be insane, purposing the idea of taking more shots. I knew she was already tipsy from her previous gulps, so I knew this was a bad idea.
Unfortunately, I was the only one who was thinking logically.
"Ah, sweet!" Raiden cheered brightly as the ravenette placed the tray of shots down. "Thanks a ton, Kitten!"
"No prob!" Katsumi beamed happily, plopping down on her seat. "Drink up guys!"
Both Miyuki and Raiden picked up a shot glass and waited for us to pick up ours. The Uchiha girl reached her hand to take hers, until I snatched her wrist instantly, preventing her to reach any further. She turned to me and threw me an annoyed, confused look to which I responded with a dull look.
"What the f**k, Kabuto?" She grunted, trying to remove herself from my grip but couldn't be helped.
"I really don't think it's a good idea…" I told her truthfully, showing a glint of concern in my eyes.
"Why not?" She asked innocently but still kept her firm look.
"You've already had your fix, Katsumi." I answered concernedly, tightening my grip on her fist. "I'm worried you'll push your boundaries…"
Surprisingly, Katsumi wasn't defensive nor annoyed at me reason. She instead slipped out of my grip and placed her hand on my cheek. My eyes widened slightly as her lips were graced with a smile.
"Your concern for me is so cute, I wanna kiss those soft lips of yours…" She mused softly as she used the hand on my cheek to caress it.
I blinked blankly at her, trying to process her words in my head.
"I know what I'm doing; I've taken shots before and I know my limits…" She assured me genuinely. "So don't worry about me, my love…"
I almost choked on myself when I heard her say "my love" to me. My heart skipped a beat because never in my wildest dreams would Katsumi Uchiha would say "love" to me and barely anyone for that matter. I knew she was a bit off after a drink or two, but despite this, hearing her say that to me with admiration made me feel overwhelmed and anxious. I could feel my head beating along to my heartbeat, making me slight lightheaded. To top it all off, she gave me a quick but firm kiss to make me so lost, I would simply allow her to drink as much as she wanted. She hastily pulled me away as she threw me a sweet smile to which I was instantly drawn into. I subconsciously placed a small smile on my face and nodded in approval to drink with freedom. She immediately picked up her shot glass as I did the same.
"Here's to Kat for not slitting her wrists!" Raiden announced playfully, grinning humorously as he lifted his shot glass.
I watched said female throwing a fake smile at the brunette. She then cleared her throat as everyone waited.
"And here's to Rai-Rai still being a big d**k when he's actually short at the same time!" She countered mockingly, earning gaped looks from all of us and those who overheard her.
Especially Raiden, who was gawked at what the ravenette said about him. Instead of using his words, he let his middle finger to express his feelings about that insult. Katsumi didn't bat an eye on the rude gesture as she stuck out her tongue at him. After a moment of glaring at one another, they sat back down and we all wasted no time in chugging the burning liquid all at once. We slammed our cups in unison with our faces scrunched up. The previous drinks didn't helped at all as my sense of judgement started to crack.
"Let's go for another!" I heard the Raiden prompted daringly.
Without hesitation, we all took another shot. And another. And another. And another. We kept on chugging one shot after another until they were no shots in sight; just empty mini glasses scattered all around the table. I started to feel a bit woozy and unstable; the alcohol was kicking in a lot faster than I hoped. Even though I was using my medical skills to neutralize the high concentration of alcohol in my system, I wasn't able to keep it in remission for very long. I side-glanced at Katsumi who seemed to be in a similar situation because she was just as drunk as I was. If not, more. Her cheeks were brilliant red, her eyes were glossy and blank, and her movements were heavy for her but seemed to be just as graceful. It was no surprised to me if I realized my cheeks were just as red and my movements were just as sloppy.
"Damn…" I heard the brunette grunted lowly, swaying left and right. "Is the world spinning or am I just f**kin' lost?"
Both Miyuki's and Raiden's cheeks were red by the shots taken, but were a slighter shade than mine and Katsumi's.
"Round two?" The boy offered challengingly, smirking cockily at himself.
"Bring it on!" Katsumi nodded in acceptance.
"How about we call it a night?" I cut in simply, earning disappointed looks from the two.
"Aw, why?" The ravenette whined, pouting cutely at me.
I sighed heavily at the image in front of me because I knew if I gazed at her precious face, I would've cave immediately with my current state of mind.
"Yeah, the party is just getting started!" Raiden chimed in, annoyed that I ruined the fun.
"Though having another round is tempting, Katsumi and I should head back to our inn." I told them simply. I then turned my eyes over to said female. "You see, we have to wake up very early tomorrow morning…"
"We do?" Katsumi questioned curiously as her eyes sparkled.
I smiled sweetly at her and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Yes we do, love. Something special, you can say…" I whispered softly.
"Like a surprise!?" She chirped excitedly.
I nodded slowly to which she squealed.
"I can't wait!" She cheered brightly then she grabbed my hand. "Let's go now!"
Katsumi used her incredible strength to pull me out of me seat, heading towards the exit.
"Wait up, Kat!" Raiden called out as he pulled Miyuki out of her seat too.
It wasn't until we were outside of the club when I rooted my feet on the ground, preventing the ravenette from pulling me any further.
"Slow down, love!" I laughed pleadingly, wanting her to stop being hyper.
"But I want my surprise now!" She whined as she gave me her cute, pleading eyes.
A smile stretched my lips as I hastily wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her in for a hug from behind. Katsumi let out a laugh since she was apparently ticklish when she was drunk. We turned around to see Raiden and Miyuki behind us, smiling in entertainment.
"Didn't I tell ya, Miyuki?" The brunette chuckled, slinging his arm over her shoulder.
Miyuki nodded. "You're right! They're really perfect for each other! Such cuties they are!" She complimented sweetly.
I blushed lightly as I scratched the back of my head nervously. I then felt a pair of arms wrapped firmly around my neck. I turned my attention to it only to see Katsumi smiling up at me while she positioned my face close to hers which made me blush even more.
"Let's go already, Kabuto!" She complained eagerly.
"Okay, okay." I sighed tiredly with a smile.
Suddenly I felt an unknown weight on my back, causing me to lose my balance. Luckily I was able to stay on my feet, wondering what was clinging on my back. It wasn't until then I noticed arms around my neck, realizing immediately who it was. I glanced over my shoulder to see the ravenette holding herself up on my back with her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. I sighed deeply to myself; she was literally acting as if she were a child.
"I assume you want a piggyback ride?" I guessed dully.
Katsumi nodded. "Until we make it back to our hotel!" She proclaimed proudly.
I sighed again but I begrudgingly agreed to carry her all the way back.
"Looks like your hands are full, my friend." I heard the brunette commented matter-of-factly with a confident grin. "So we'll leave it to you to take care of things from here."
Without warning, Katsumi hopped out of my back and ran towards her friends. She jumped into Raiden's arms, clinging onto him like a monkey clinging onto the trunk of a tree. He happily welcomed this gesture by hugging her back tightly.
"Bye Rai-Rai! I'm gonna miss you so much!" She chirped. "You better miss me, you jerk!"
Said male laughed at her words. "Of course I'm gonna miss you, Kitten! No doubt about it!" He reassured genuinely, continuing to hug her.
Katsumi then removed herself from Raiden and turned her attention towards Miyuki. She gave her a firm, friendly hug as the indigo haired female did the same.
"I hope to see you again, Katsumi!" She wished sweetly. "It was unbearable not seeing you for years!"
"Of course you will!" The ravenette promised beamingly.
I too respectfully gave my parting words to the couple to which they responded awfully friendly to me. I had gotten their approval, no doubt about it. Without warning a familiar weight dropped on my back once again. I figured it was Katsumi so I didn't bother looking behind as I started moving slowly towards our desired destination while the ravenette waved and chirped farewell to her friends as they did the same too. Once she was no longer able to be see their figures from afar, she fastened herself up on my back as she smiled joyfully at my head. On one hand, her acting happy and cheery was tiring but on the other hand, she was so cute. There were times where I forgot she was still a child in my eyes.
Though I walked at a slower pace than I was used to, we made it to our inn in less time than I estimated. I attempted to remove Katsumi off of my back, but she tightened her grip on me in refusal.
"Take me up to our room!" She demanded stubbornly, pouting over my shoulder.
I huffed tiredly, but eventually agreed. Ignoring all stares and looks from strangers around us, I treaded my tired feet all the way to our assigned room. I locked the door behind me and with the Uchiha girl on my back, I moved myself into the master bedroom. Once I shut the door behind me once again, I turned my head to look over at the girl clinging onto me as I gave her a soft but stern look.
"We're in the room now." I remarked flatly, then half-smiled. "May I please put you down now?"
Katsumi nodded. "Okay, my bad." She said cheerily as she granted my wish and released her grip on me.
Now that the weight was lifted off of my shoulders, I used this advantage to quickly stretch out my arms and back, releasing any knots and any sore spots. It wasn't that the ravenette was heavy; it was just that in the state I was in and how roughly the girl jumped on me, it wasn't something my body was used to just yet.
"So…" I heard said female trailing off purposely to gain my attention. I glanced at her as I raised an eyebrow, wondering what she wanted now. "Where's that surprise you promised earlier?"
Damn it, I'd thought she would forget that because I figured she was too drunk to remember such a detail. Alas I was wrong because it didn't entirely hit me that she was capable in breaking down the concentration of the alcohol consumed. However, it seemed she allowed this chemical to seep throughout her body to numb any sort of pain or thought. This resorted her to act hyper, energetic and peppy. Apparently it didn't affect her memory nor intelligence in the slightest.
Not to mention she was an Uchiha. I doubted they would act remotely unbalanced if they were hammered.
"You will get your surprise…" I slowly answered as I watched her eyebrows expectedly. "Tomorrow."
"What? Tomorrow?!" She whined disappointedly. "I want it now! You promised, Kabuto!"
I smiled sadly as I pulled the girl into my arms. She gazed up at me unhappily which made my eyes turn glossy from the sparkle she gave off of her shiny, onyx eyes. I returned the gaze apologetically, knowing how much she wanted this surprise I hinted and telling her she had to wait made me feel guilty. The last thing I wanted was to upset Katsumi in anyway because her happiness was very important to me.
"I know I did, Katsumi. I'm sorry…" I smiled sweetly, coating my words with every bit of guilt I carried. "But I promise you'll get your surprise early tomorrow morning…"
The ravenette said nothing or did anything. She eyed me in frustration with red cheeks as her lips pursed adorably. Out of temptation, I leaned in and kissed her sweetly on her lustrous lips. I used my grip around her to hold her against my body as I continued to shower her with kisses. It wasn't even a moment later when she gave into them as she let out a giggle in between kisses. I pulled away to let the girl catch her breath. Katsumi no longer looked upset at all; she was smiling brightly at me to which I smiled back. Our comfortable stare was interrupted by a yawn, courtesy of the Uchiha girl.
"Tired?" I implied with a smirk.
Katsumi nodded slowly as she covered another yawn with her hand.
"I wanna sleep." She informed in a mutter as she stretched.
I nodded, also feeling tired myself.
"Can I wear that shirt to sleep in, please?" She suddenly asked cutely as her hand entwined each other pleadingly.
I rolled my eyes with a smile at her off-pudding question. But I willingly stripped off my shirt, leaving myself topless. After interpreting it as a yes, what Katsumi did next almost felt like I had been slapped in the face. She literally grabbed the hem of her hoodie dress and lifted it over her head. As the ravenette's eyes were occupied and covered by her top, my eyes were glued firmly at the mesmerizing sight of her bare, flawless figure in front of me. I was already aware that she had a perfect form based on touch; I never took that fact in through my eyes. I could see it all: her firm, flat stomach, her light, lustrous skin… my mouth started to water as I listed these beautiful factors of the girl. The only thing covering her feminine torso was a black mesh bra covering her perky, perfectly-round breasts; the cherry on top of a delicious sundae.
Once the Uchiha girl fully removed her shirt, it was already too late for me; she knew I was drooling over her and my hot red cheeks didn't help to cover up the situation one bit. But I couldn't help myself because Katsumi never allowed herself to strip in front of me… at least when she was sober. Normally she would turn herself around and let me get a view of her backside of her body, never her front side. In fact, it was rare seeing her topless or anything along the lines. However I had never seen her fully naked before and vice versa because as sad as it sounded, we weren't at that stage of our relationship. We both agreed to take things slow because this was her first serious relationship and this was my first relationship with anyone, period.
As much as I respected our terms, there were definitely times where it was very difficult to keep that in mind constantly, especially when an opportunity presented itself like this. There were times where I just wanted to jump on top of the girl, remove everything that covered her, and show just how much love I could give her. There were times where I wanted to feel everything she offered if she could just understand my intentions. There were times where I wanted to prove to her that I was committed to her. It was assuring that she started opening up to me bit by bit per day, but I still hadn't earned her full trust yet. I was still getting there; I was so close yet so far from reaching my goal.
"Kabuto?" Said female called me curiously with an uncomfortable smile then held out her hand. "The shirt?"
I blinked at her words, then mentally face-palmed for being an idiot. I graciously gave her my shirt. Katsumi easily slipped through the shirt as I made sure my hormones weren't acting hyperactive by the gorgeous sight. This was why I tried to stay away from alcohol because it caused me to think the ambitious events that I wished could happen out of luck. I watched the ravenette as she removed her hair from its ponytail, letting it flow freely onto her back. She massaged her scalp to release the stress the hair put on her head as she slid over to the bed. She kicked off her shoes and slipped into the thick comforters, sighing happily. I stopped my train of thoughts and mimicked the girl until I placed myself into the soft sheets. Once I laid comfortably in bed and carefully removed the contact lenses, the raven haired girl moved herself closer to me until her body was snuggled against mine. I welcomed this gesture by embracing the girl in my arms as I lightly wrapped my legs around hers. I rubbed her upper arm soothingly, wanting her to get her rest as fast as possible. As I did so, I felt her breathing getting slower and slower until there were only short, soft breaths. Regardless, I knew she wasn't asleep just yet, especially after words started coming out of her mouth.
"Today was awesome, Kabuto." She commented genuinely with a tired tone. "I've never had this much fun with anyone for a long time."
By her words and change of attitude, it didn't look as if the alcohol finally passed through; she was still quite tipsy and maybe even drunk.
"Really now?" I questioned doubtfully.
Katsumi nodded. "No one has ever went out of their way like you did to give me a whole day to myself." She admitted softly, resting her head on my shoulder.
"Is there a point you're trying to tell me?" I asked her in confusion, understanding her feelings but the main point of it all.
She shrugged. "I guess I'm trying to say thank you… for everything…" She breathed shyly as she started to blush.
A smile stretched my lips blissfully, placing a kiss on her head.
"You know I'd do anything for you…" I remarked gently, nuzzling her head.
"True. But not everything all at once…" She pointed out.
That was true. People like me were very rare since us as humans believed giving too much was unnecessary. Her making that point was hard to get around because yes, partners were always there for each other but they wouldn't always stand by their words a hundred percent of the time. How could I counter something like this?
"Don't feel as though you have to repay me anything, Katsumi…" I spoke deeply, letting my heart do the talking. "I'm committed to this relationship and I'm committed to you. I really want to make this work because my feelings are too strong to let you go."
Katsumi giggled at my mini speech. "Well, don't worry… I'm not going anywhere…" She reassured calmly, sounding as if she was on the verge of slumber.
"I'll make sure that doesn't happen." I smirked lowly, resting my eyes.
Though my eyes were shut, I was wide awake as I thought deeply to myself. I was cut off by sounds of soft breathing and I opened my eyes only to realize that Katsumi fell asleep. I adjusted my position so that I made myself comfortable while not waking the girl up. As I slowly but surely drifted off to sleep, my eyes remained glued to the ravenette who slept peacefully in my arms.
'Just you wait. I'll prove to you just how faithful I am to you…' I thought to myself wishfully, feeling myself getting sleepier by the second. 'That way, I'll earn your trust and we could start anew…'
Well, hello again! I'll make this brief: I'm currently enrolling in post-secondary and I didn't take into consideration of how much time I have to dedicate it to just pure work, assignments, tests… basically hell written on paper. So yes, for school reasons, I haven't been able to produce and upload chapters to my fanfic.
If you're a long-time follower of mine, you may be aware that the last time this happened, I discontinued my fanfic because of lack of time and effort I put into my old stories. Since then, I've regretted making that decision because I was concerned about them not being good enough. But after thinking about it for a bit, I realize the only thing that mattered to me was story telling. And whether it's good or bad, as long as I'm telling my story to an audience, that's more than enough for me.
So don't worry if my absence made you—my lovely readers—nervous, I will NEVER take down this story, no matter how long I'll be gone for.
Because that's my nindo, my ninja WAY!