Different Seasons: Fall: Chapter 10: Snapshots of Times Past

A/N

Sorry for the delay. I had a bit of writer's block, but I finally had a breakthrough and this is the result. That seems to be how it goes for me. Feast or famine. (I may have also written most of another story in another fandom that is almost ready to post on another platform) But we're back. Tori and Mayu are recovering from their respective trials and are coming to terms with a few interesting things. The end of September is approaching, and the couple is beginning to seriously think about what life will be like together. And moving back to the compound is brought back as a possibility due to the influence of a very interesting figure. There are a few sweet moments between the couple as well as between Tori and Gure. And finally, Mayu's parents are prepared to see the compound, as is Mayu, who up until this moment was quite averse to the idea of living there.

As always I do not own Fruits Basket or the Characters Therein.

The Morning After

Mayu

I woke up to a feeling I hadn't felt in a very long time. My feet and thighs were absolutely killing me. It was if someone had dipped my lower half into the fires of Hell and left me to soak. I could pinpoint the very day that I had last felt this miserable: The morning after I had gone to the spring dance with Gure when we were in college. Not only was I reeling from the fight we had after he said "I think I might love you," my feet and legs were killing me from the shoes Aya gave me to wear with my off-the-rack dress, a dress hated as it made me look like a stick figure. I had cursed Gure out for complicating things, for taking me to the dance in the first place, and for suggesting that I wear those shoes. But most of all I cursed Aya. We had gone full circle. Aya was the provider of oh so much pain in my life. Those damn shoes. I started cursing Aya's name under my breath while inspecting my feet for blisters. There weren't any, as the thick socks Aya gave me protected my feet but it still didn't make them feel any better. So I almost was surprised when Tori shifted beside me and looked at me. I almost thought that I was back in college with a "boyfriend" who suddenly wanted to be my boyfriend and a Tori who was untouchable. However, this was definitely not the case.

Tori, who had been pretending to be asleep to continue his charade that he got up when I did (although I knew for a fact he had likely been up for hours) saw my distress and sat up and took one of my feet in my hands.

I grumbled,

"Your cousin is a sadist. As is the inventor of those shoes."

He began massaging my feet and kissing the nape of my neck while saying,

"Yes I'm afraid when Aya has a vision he gets carried away. There was one New Years when he made Gure dance with fire batons. Of course he had it coming as he had convinced the guy Aya was interested in that he wanted to model for him and not Aya. This led of course to Gure sleeping with him and dumping him soon after."

"Wow, I had forgotten what an awful letch he was. He's so damn cute with Chris. I was incredibly surprised when they started dating."

"Well from what I understand, so was Gure. And going back to Aya. He does have a point."

"In what way? Other than the knives that he is jabbing into my feet in the shape of shoes. I feel like one of Cinderella's Step-Sisters being trapped into steel shoes to dance at her wedding. But it's my wedding! And I did nothing to deserve such punishment!"

He looked askance for a bit but then he said,

"Well, if you pull this off you will gain all the confidence you need to get through the day. If you thought the Star Festival was huge, our wedding will bring the entire family home, including those overseas."

"How big is your family?"

"Well you saw most of our immediate family, except those overseas. (and a lot of them will likely come as well) But there are also "family" members, the Sohma zaibatsu associates. We have business interests in almost any field you can consider."

"They need to come as well?"

"The reception is mostly a time for everyone to pay their respects to the family. The ceremony is for us and our closest family only, but the reception is open. Anyone who is associated with the family will come. It is a time for them to reestablish their loyalty to the family They will celebrate our union, offer us money in envelopes decorated with symbols for good luck and items for our house. Chopsticks, sake cups,"

"But we have….."

He smiled at me and said,

"Well, we don't actually, as far as most of the family would like to think. Or has decided to think."

"And," he, said quietly while holding me close,

"I've been thinking. While this apartment has been cozy for us,"

"I'd hardly call it cozy."

"Alright, it's perfect for us. But I was thinking that perhaps we'd like to make a home at the compound when we start a family."

I was utterly surprised. I would never have thought he'd think about returning to his family who abused him so.

So I asked,

"Really, are you serious?"

"Let me explain."

Tori Calls for Help

I could see her confusion. And I fully understood. The thoughts that were going through my head made little sense to me at all. I had wanted to buck the system for so long that my apartment, which became our apartment, was a hard won oasis from all things Sohma. But ever since The Dog had had his little chat about tradition and honor with me, I had been rethinking things.

My new way of thinking had started that morning, before Mayu rose. After I completed my kata for the morning I let my mind wander back to the conversation from the afternoon before. The Dog had been a paternal spirit at a time I had needed one. He had brought me up short and clarified several things in my mind. While I wasn't happy, I could see that he was right. I was being ridiculous really. Talking about tradition while shutting out the very elements that that tradition honored. The wedding was bringing about conflicting feelings about my family in me. And I felt that going to my father at this time would jeopardize the inroads I had made with him at a time I so wanted to maintain that connection. It would only remind him of our past fights. I could have gone to Kureno, but as he had his own misgivings about the system he'd likely end up saying go with my gut. I needed another opinion.

So I lit some incense, opened up my mind and welcomed The Dog in for a chat. I wasn't used to the way of the Kami so I was confused when I saw a handsome middle aged man sitting across from me in a peaceful tea house.

He smiled at me and said,

"You thought I always have dog ears?"

"Well I've only ever seen you that way."

"Well that's generally because I'm actually projecting through Gure's mind. That's how he chooses to see me of late for reasons I'd rather not go into. But as you don't have an attachment to me in that form I'm just as happy to lose the dog ears. That's not actually my true form as you must know."

"Yes, I know you and your brothers and sisters are actually children of a water spirit and one of my ancestors. I'm glad you chose a humanoid shape. It's easier to relate with you this way."

"I thought you would prefer it so I chose the form I wore during the time of your great grandmother during the 1920s."

I made the connection instantly.

"She was the one who first wore Mayu's ring."

"Yes. Beautiful Katsuko. And before you ask I haven't brought you back in time in my Wayback Machine. This is just a bit of stage setting in your mind to make our conversation less impersonal. I find the disembodied voice some of my siblings employ so standoffish. I don't have the energy to actually bring you there so this will suffice. But anyway, what did you want to ask me about?"

"I was thinking about our conversation about wanting a traditional wedding without following traditions. I have been feeling badly about paying lip service to traditions I have generally pushed away. I felt smothered and trapped and needed to get away but I still wanted to be seen as the loyal son. I now see that this was the height of hypocrisy on my part."

I continued with the thoughts that really confused me.

"But now that I have lived in the city for several months, I wonder if I have been hasty to reject life at the compound. Now that I am facing the possibility of being a father, I am considering if the compound would be a better place to raise a child. They likely would have a different experience than I did as the family has embraced us now that the curse has broken. They could grow up surrounded by loving uncles and aunts and could grow up with their children. And they'd have the benefit of getting to know their extended family. It could be a great existence, one I always dreamed of."

He smiled at me and said,

"Well I'm glad you are finally considering what it would be like to raise a child in the city. Certainly there are municipal parks. But the compound has vast fields where your little one could run free. Surely your time on the compound wasn't all bad?"

I cast my mind back to my childhood with Gure and Aya. We were isolated yes, but we found pockets of comfort while living at the compound. There were endless miles of green to run around on. During the spring and summer the fields were always in bloom and in the fall and winter we had the green houses. There were ponds to swim in and fish in, boat on, skate on, and throw your best friend into after he had just gotten his hair dry.

There were private spaces you could hide from your parents and talk about girls and boys and sex for hours without fear of being discovered and reprimanded. I remembered the day after Gure lost his virginity and finally came out to me, although I had always known he was attracted to both boys and girls. He had been so scared to tell me but he couldn't tell his parents so he brought me out into the cherry tree grove one spring day to tell me. He was hesitant to tell me what was on his mind so I finally said,

"You know you can tell me anything."

He was silent for a while, but then began to cry and I held him tightly. He had sat weeping in my arms until he asked,

"Am I a freak for finding the touch of another man so good? I likely will never know what it would be like to be with a girl and I've always had feelings for boys. I never told you this as I didn't want to admit it, but I'm Bisexual. So I've been curious but scared to find out what it would be like to be with a man. And I was so lonely last night."

I sensed that he had more to say, so I let him catch his breath and quietly held his hand. And after a few minutes he got to the crux of his commentary.

"I met a beautiful man who modeled nude for me for a class assignment. I only meant to draw him, but as I was drawing him he became aroused. He told me that I turned him on because I was the most beautiful man he had ever seen. Well I drew him that way and then we kissed. I had only meant to kiss him but his hands went lower and lower until I was hard too. He was so beautiful and I was so lonely so when he started taking my shirt off and kissing down my body, I went along. And then we had sex. And I felt so guilty afterwards as I remember how mad and dad got when I kissed a boy at that onsen. They said I was already sinful on the inside and was now showing the world my sin. When he left my studio this morning, he asked if he could see me again, I said I had made a terrible mistake and that he should go."

He buried his face in my shoulder and sobbed and as I held him close I whispered,

"For the record I didn't think it was weird that you kissed that boy back then. I also don't think you're a freak. Nature doesn't make distinctions between right and wrong Gure. I've read case studies in my zoology textbooks about same sex coupling in penguins. They can be devoted fathers. Just stay safe as you would if you were to have sex with a girl."

He had smiled at me then and hugged me back saying,

"You will be a wonderful father Haa San."

By remembering these scenes, I realized that even if my connection to my family had been tenuous, the compound was the backdrop of so many memories. Some were good, most were bad, others were mundane. But the land was gorgeous and the land provided privacy and shelter from a harsh world that didn't accept us. It was our co-conspirator and kept our secrets. It was our friend and provided for us. And now I had the chance of giving someone the childhood I never had in a truly beautiful place. The Dog smiled as I remembered and he sat back and sipped his tea. I felt a slight chill and wrapped my kimono closer to me. The Dog looked at me shiver and said apologetically,

"Your devotion to Gure and Aya is so sweet that I can't help but take a few sips. It provides me with energy as it is familial love. You will excuse me for imbibing without your permission. I'll stop."

I looked at him askance and suddenly wondered if letting The Dog in was the wisest decision. I said, in a slightly perturbed voice,

"So basically you're saying that you're an emotional vampire. Sorry. That wasn't kind. I asked for your guidance after all. I'm just a bit gun shy. I'm not used to having pleasant talks with beings I regarded with contempt for so long."

"I don't take it personally Hatori. As I mentioned, The Dragon has never had a gentle touch. And it's always been his fault that the cycle began again. The Snake and I had preferred to take a bit of a more hands off approach, well, until recently. It never sat well with us to push our hosts towards someone in particular. But we were getting so old and starting to fade as the family's devotion to us began to wane or go towards other deities. So we got pushy with our hosts. You experienced that with the Dragon I'm afraid. I know it wasn't pleasant. I'm sorry. If I had been your guardian I would have eased you into it."

I shuddered, remembering what the day of my engagement had been like. He continued after he saw I had recovered.

"We had always thought it would be Aya who would break the curse as he seemed so open to relationships of any kind. So we were so surprised when it was Kyo who began the process. But one can never predict the ways of love. I also didn't anticipate falling in love with Gure when I got closer to him but I'm glad for it, as it helped finally bring things to end game. But, we're not here to talk about Gure. What can I do for you?"

I sat back and thought about what had caused me to call out to The Dog. Originally I thought I just needed a sounding board, someone to bounce my feelings off of while I considered if I was just feeling nostalgic for the compound or if I really wanted to return to my childhood home. But then I cast back to my remembered conversation with Gure. He had said I would make a wonderful father. He had told me on New Years that he had seen a possible future for me, but it wasn't clear because his connection to The Dog was no longer strong. But I was sitting in front of The Dog himself. The Dog smiled at me and a photo album appeared in his hands. It looked like one of the albums Aya kept that had New Year's photos going all the way back to the beginnings of photography. But this one was nowhere as thick. He handed it to me. And then a red thread appeared in his hands. He played cat's cradle with the strand as he spoke.

"As you know Gure's special talent was being able to see the future, just as yours was the ability to wipe memories and Aya's to possess people. Over the years I taught Gure how to read the very threads of time. He was an apt pupil, one of my finest. He had pin point accuracy and could isolate a single strand and watch as it flowed through his hands backwards and forwards. He could follow that strand as it branched off to possible futures or see when it broke off completely. He also had the extra talent of being able to shape time; To influence patterns; To weave ends together; and make connections. When I discovered that my influence had caused more of myself to manifest in him than in past hosts, I got even more involved for this was a dangerous talent to possess without a guide. At first I was his guardian. I watched him grow into his talent. My ability to teach him grew with his talent and he became an even greater seer. Although he had my strange sense of humor so only imparted a fraction of what he saw. And over time I came to love him and my connection with him grew even stronger."

He paused and looked at me seriously and said,

"I do not have that connection with you so I cannot show you how to see the threads for yourself. But I can give you a shortcut, if you really want to know how things could be. However, know that these are only possible futures. The slightest fluctuation in action could cause the future to branch off. And no, I will not spin time for you to make something happen. Although I could. The strands of time have been played with too much and I can see breaking points. This is why Gure and Chris needed to be bound together. It tethered time and kept it from breaking in two, causing all possibilities to happen at once. Which would have been utter chaos."

"Will me knowing a possible future be harmful?"

"No. It's just like looking at a painting. The pictures contained in this album are snapshots in time. Some of them just haven't happened yet. Or may never happen. And nothing is harmed if you view them for they are only possible futures. I won't let you touch them as that would anchor them to you and you would be set on a path not necessarily of your choosing."

"What if I like the path?"

"It isn't only your path. And I'm almost positive Mayuko would have your head if you let me influence your future, a future that belongs to her as much as you."

"That's certainly true. And I'm not sure I want to know. I've been completely surprised by the sweetness of the last few months and would hate to know what could be in store."

"Perhaps you'd prefer to go backwards in time then. To see how things have been. I can show you the happy times you had on the compound. Those you may touch as they belong to you already. That's how I returned Gure's Judo skills to him. It's a simple matter of being exposed to the moments in time that have already been spun into existence."

"I can go back to any moment in my history?"

"You can. But choose wisely. Because it can be overwhelming to feel what you felt back then with crystalline clarity. I will be sending you back into your younger self. Please don't choose a memory from a thread that has been snipped off by the Fates. There is no profit in following those dead strands as the raw ends will rankle even more with the added burst of memories."

He had read my mind. While I so loved Mayu, I had been tempted to go back and relive the moment I fell in love with Kana. That would have been damaging indeed. I then thought I might like to experience my own virginity loss again as it had been an amazing experience…..In addition to learning how I felt about the compound during times past of course. But before I chose, I got distracted by The Dog's hands as he played with the bright red thread. I suddenly understood how foolish it had been for me to make demands of this being. I just knew he held my very existence in his hands. He could have made me disappear as if I never existed.

"Oh," he said, as he saw my growing concern as I watched him play with the red thread, a thread I had come to associate with the strands of my fate,

"this is just a piece of string, nothing more nothing less."

The strand disappeared and reappeared in my own hands. It was silky in my hands. But other than being a very high quality piece of silk thread there was nothing special about it. He smiled at me again and I wasn't sure he was telling me the truth. The Dog was a trickster after all. He could very well have been telling the truth, or he could have been holding my very lifeline in his hands. He had made his point regardless. I vowed to show him and all his siblings much more respect.

He simply smiled at me as if amused that it had taken me so long to grasp the futility of my rebellious actions of the day before. After a minute of fully letting things sink in he said,

"So what memory would you like to revisit?"

I thought back through all the memories growing up on the compound. Nights sitting on the porch talking with Gure and Aya (I wanted to avoid those as many of them involved cigarettes and I had finally quit); days playing tag on long summer days; Swishing through leaves on crisp fall afternoons; snowball fights in the winter. And then it hit me. There was one beautiful spring day that stood out to me. The three of us had laid under the cherry trees that were completely in bloom and Gure made up stories about who we would be when we were ancient. (I think we thought ancient was thirty or something equally as heart wrenching as that.) We didn't believe him of course but he swore on his life he was telling the truth. And he said something like, "let the cherry blossoms fall if I tell the truth about the next thing I say!"

I looked at The Dog and said, "I know the memory I'd like to see again."

He smiled and said,

"Don't worry about being seen, it will be like watching a movie but you'll feel and hear and smell everything you did that day."

He opened the album onto a page with a painting of three young boys lying under the cherry trees on the compound. I put my hand on the page and felt myself go heavy. It was like I was sinking into the ground. But once I had equalized, I found myself floating above the breathtaking cherry grove. The three of us were positioned in a circle with the tops of our heads touching and our arms linked. Gure had just told us to concentrate as he was about to tell us our future.

Gure turned to Aya and said,

"Aya, you will be a world class model and will strut the runways of Milan. The cameras will love you, as will all the women who will throw roses at your feet!"

Aya laughed and said,

"I don't know about wearing other people's designs. Maybe I'll model my own designs. But if the ladies want to throw roses at me I won't complain."

He turned to me and said,

"Haa-San, you will be a world class surgeon and you will save the life of a rich heiress and she will sweep you off your feet and ask you to marry her and you will have hundreds of children."

I snorted and said,

"You know as well as I do that I will be the next Dr. Sohma after I go to medical school. Plus, there's no way any of us will marry, let alone be with a woman. So there will be no children for us. The curse will keep us bound forever."

Aya complained,

"It's too lovely a day for reality Tori. Please play along!"

"Ok, what do I name my first child Gure?"

Apparently Gure hadn't gotten that far in his "prediction "so he said the first thing to come into his mind.

"Sakura."

I laughed and said,

"Well that's supposing if it's a girl. And what if I have twins?"

"No, I am definitely seeing Sakura. And if you have twins they will be Sakura and Ume."

"You have fruit on the brain Gure!"

"The future you must have been very hungry when you named your kids. I'm just telling you what I see."

His stomach growled and he said,

"And maybe I am hungry too!"

"Ok, how about you?" I asked,

"Me? I'm going to be a famous writer. People will read my books and idolize the ground I walk on. And my lover will have blue eyes. We'll marry in a private ceremony and love each other until the end of time."

He seemed a bit surprised at the statement. But Aya and I started laughing. We had read some of his early work and it was just as bad as the books before his latest book. But we were young and the idea of Gure being a famous writer was silly to us. And there weren't many people with blue eyes in Japan. Or at least as far as we knew as the compound was our world. So we didn't meet many people with blue eyes regardless if they were contacts or natural. Gure yelled,

"I swear it is true! May the cherry blossoms fall if I become a writer with a blue eyed lover; if you become a doctor with a beautiful daughter; and if Aya becomes a fashion designer!"

And just at that moment the wind picked up and the blossoms danced around us. We weren't sure if it was a sign or a coincidence but Gure crowed about being right. It was such a wonderful moment between brothers that I was so glad to relive it. The three of us danced in the falling petals and then ran off to get something to eat as we were all quite hungry.

I let myself float back to my body and opened my eyes. The Dog was smiling at me and I said,

"Well it looks like I might have a daughter named Sakura or Ume. Or perhaps twins. At least in one possible future it seems I have. I'm wondering what Mayu would think be about that."

"Well there's only one way to find out."

I stood up and bowed to him saying,

"I thank you for this, I realize now that the compound is still very much a part of me and I will at least place it on the table for consideration as our future home."

"I'm glad to have been helpful."

"Well I should go as Mayu will be waking soon."

So when Mayu looked at me with a confused look I said,

"Sometimes places become part of you. You carry pictures of home with you wherever you go even if you travel to far away places or if it's been a long time since you lived there. And sometimes even when there were bad memories there, you can't but hope to be able to go back home and find the few moments you had there that were good and extend them into a lifetime. I recently was reminded that life at the compound wasn't all terrible. There were definitely also some wonderful times there as well."

Mayu is Late To School (Lemon)

He had been massaging my feet while he told me about a memory that had come back to him while meditating early that morning. When he told me that Gure had predicted that we would have twin girls named Sakura and Umi I looked at him with a bit of concern and asked,

"Twins don't run in your family do they?"

"No not really."

"They don't run in mine either."

"I think he was just playing around. It was always impossible to know when he was telling the truth or not."

"But you're serious about wanting to go back?"

"I'm seriously saying we should think about it. It would be a wonderful place to raise a family. There's plenty of space to run around in and our child could grow up with Aya's and Min's children, should they have them, and Gure's and Chris' if they adopt."

"But," he said, as he moved me to the end of the bed,

"I want to have a honeymoon period when we enjoy being married before we settled down."

He then proceeded to kneel on the floor and bury his face between my legs and suddenly my feet didn't hurt as much. Or I simply didn't care. He was so good at it. As I was getting closer I asked,

"Mmmm. So what can expect from our honeymoon period that I'm not getting now?"

He brought me over and I screamed his name.

He kissed me, and said,

"More of this, but with the addition of a beautiful gold band on your finger, a tangible reminder of the promise that I'll love you forever and always."

And my beautiful husband-to-be helped me up and walked me to the bath and got in with me. I thought, I will miss that tub if we left as it was big enough to hold us both.

So I said emphatically,

"We're taking this tub with us if we go to the compound."

"We can have a tub like this. We'd have our house built for us. Did you think I was suggesting we'd move in with Gure? Or into my old rooms which are currently a storage room off of the old clinic in Kureno's house? I think both of them would have something to say about that."

"Yeah. That would be close quarters. No, I was wondering about people dropping in unannounced. Like Gure."

"Gure's mellowed so much since he married Chris. I don't think we have to worry about that. And the rest would likely never drop in unannounced. And if any of them did we could pretend we're not home and they'd go away. My dad perfected the art of not being at home even though he was at home. And I'm sure with practice we could master the talent."

"You're right."

"How are your feet?"

"I think I can make it through the day. I just wonder if I can make it up those stairs."

"We'll work on that. I plan on going to see Aya before we go to your parents and getting a pair of those myself. Then we'll see."

I relaxed against his chest and I found him resting his hand on my stomach as if anticipating what it would be like to have my body grow to accommodate our little life. I turned to him and he had such a serene look on his face that I just couldn't help thinking that I couldn't wait to be a mom. He was going to be such a wonderful dad. All too soon it was time to get out and get ready for the day.

I asked, as I wrapped up in a towel,

"Were you thinking about what my body would look like when I'm pregnant?

"Yes, I must confess I was. I of course can conceptualize it as I did a rotation in OBGYN in med school and saw patients with your approximate build while they were pregnant but everyone carries their baby differently. But I know you'll be beautiful."

He held me close, and I could feel him getting hard behind me. He said in a husky voice,

"How close are you to being late to work?"

I looked at the clock on the bedside table and said,

"If traffic cooperates I'll be on time."

"Do you want to risk it?"

I felt another aching feeling between my thighs. Because of Aya we had missed our morning sex. I grumbled again.

He whispered,

"I can make it quick,"

I needed him so much, so I answered by pulling him towards the bed. He guided me gently onto my back and put my legs over his shoulders and made sure I was ready for him. And then he drove into me. I was coming in minutes. We crested violently and he fell onto his elbows enveloping my body in his own. He looked at me with his gorgeous green eyes and said,

I'd say we should play hooky but I know we both have the first exams of the semester for our classes."

"I know, adulting is hard and we have my parent's dinner tonight. I'll have to grade my exams after dinner. You're so lucky to have a TA to do that."

He brushed my hair out of my face and kissed my forehead.

"Just think what it will be like when we have a baby. Or two."

"Ohh, I know but, I so want to experience that with you. And if you want to consider moving back to the compound I'm definitely willing to consider it. When we go to tea is Kureno going to give a tour?"

"Yes. He promised to do that. Which reminds me I need to call him about his availability."

"When we see Kureno, would it be possible to ask him if there's a space we could build a house?"

"Darling, you've barely seen the compound. You've seen where most everyone lives. But Sohma land goes for miles. I think there might be a plot map in the great hall I can show you. So don't worry, there's space."

He then looked at the clock and said,

"Oh god you're going to be late! I'm sorry, I'm being such a bad influence on you."

I froze instead of moving so Tori took the lead and got me up and dressed and out the door. As I drove I thought,

"It was soooo worth it."

My feet were better but they objected to my unaccustomed running. My shoes were flats, built for comfort but I didn't even think slippers would be comfortable as I careened down the halls. When I skidded past a colleague who had a later class than I did she asked,

"What the hell happened to you!"

I yelled,

"Ummmmm…"

And she yelled back,

"Say no more. I've seen pictures of your fiancé and I would love to be in your shoes!"

I muttered,

"No you wouldn't. They hurt like torture devices."

I skidded into my classroom fifteen minutes late, and said,

"I'm so sorry!"

Kyo took one look at me and gave me a smug smile. He knew exactly why I was late. I turned from him and busied myself with passing out the exams. That wiped the smile off his face. And then I had an hour of blissful silence while I thought about my wild morning.

Tori Talks to Gure

My morning was a lot less hectic than Mayu's as my classes were in the afternoon. So I was proactive and made several calls. I called Kureno and got his availability for taking tea with Mayu's parents, told Aya I would be in later, and then I called Gure and asked if he was busy.

He said,

"Well that depends."

"On what?"

"On if you you'd like a rematch. Because if the answer is yes, I'd like to take a rain check. I think most everything hurts at the moment and Chris is on a short tour, the first he's been on since we started dating. So I'm feeling a bit out of sorts. You're welcome to come over now, and you can come for dinner as well."

"Well I have dinner with Mayu's parents, but I'm free now if you'd like me to come to see if I can give you a hand."

"Please. I think I must have pulled something yesterday."

"Of course Gure."

I drove to the compound being sure to take in the gorgeous red maples that were on fire in the autumn sunlight. I felt welcomed to my old home.

I found Gure lying flat on his back on the deck and I rolled him over and started to massage his back.

"Ahhh Haa-San. It's wonderful to see you."

"I'm sorry that you're in such a bad way Gure."

"So, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to bounce an idea off you. What would you think if I said I was thinking about moving back here?"

He tried to bend to look at me but I gently pushed his shoulders back down to keep him from twisting too much.

I said, after awkwardly trying to crane my neck to make conversation easier,

"Do you want to go into the sauna? The heat would be good for your back and it would be easier to talk to you if you were upright."

"You're right."

I helped him up and we made our way to the bath house that included a sauna. Stripping down, we wrapped in towels and sat in the healing steam. He rested for a bit and then he turned to me and asked,

"Did I really hear you say you were thinking of moving back here?"

"Yes. I had a lovely discussion with your furry friend this morning and he reminded me of a few things that I forgot about, including a certain day when you predicted my wife and I would have twins named Sakura and Umi and that you would have a lover with blue eyes."

He looked up at me and asked,

"I did?"

"Yes, you were handing out predictions and you saw yourself as a celebrated writer who gained the respect of millions. And that you'd have a blue eyed lover. We thought you were crazy, but it seems that some of your predictions were true."

He smiled and said,

"So I predicted I'd fall in love with Chris. We were always meant to be together. Wait until I tell him tonight when he calls."

He spun the golden ring on his hand and smiled. He looked so happy. He looked up at me sweetly and said,

"Well that's wonderful. And now that you mention it I do remember that day. It was so beautiful and I felt so close to you both. Incidentally, I've read your fortune several times and I've never seen twins. I think I was screwing with you. So relax or mourn however that makes you feel. There will likely be only one baby for you. So Inu took you back in time? I bet it took lots of self-control not to visit your time with Kana."

"Yes I avoided that. I also didn't go back to the day you came out to me officially, although I've always known you were Bi."

"I'm glad. As I recall it wasn't a very good day. I had just gotten into a terrible fight with Mayu the night before so I decided I didn't care what anyone thought. But of course I did. And I still do in some respects, although I've mostly come to terms with it."

"Things seem to have worked out just fine."

He smiled at me again with the goofy grin he got in his face when thinking of Chris and said,

"They certainly have."

We were reaching the end of our session so we rose and Gure hugged me and said,

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For reminding me of that wonderful day. Hmm. I wonder if Inu had something to do with that. I was fairly young then and really hadn't come into my own as a fortune teller so things were usually so blurry and I made up most everything, which is why I was pretty close with Aya's prediction but not perfect. So I imagine Inu likely threw that tidbit about Chris in as a fun little bonus to remember later on. I wish I had remembered. But then again, perhaps he meant for you to remind me of it right at the exact moment I needed it the most."

There were other things I would have liked to ask but I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answers. And it was getting close to time for me to get going.

"Well," Gure said, "you can tell Mayu that if you did move to the compound you would have your own space. I have my own life now and would certainly not barge in on you."

"Did you ever predict that you'd be so happy?"

"Well Inu always told me to hold on through my teenage years and early twenties. He told me things were confusing but would eventually come clear. And he echoed everything you told me that day many times. And to answer your question, he only became physical with me on the first night I made love to Chris. He never touched me before then."

"You read my mind."

"I don't have to be a mind reader to read your mind. No, I think Inu had a plan for me from the beginning and spent most of his time throughout my life trying to keep me alive so I got to experience the love I do now. He has great taste in men I have to say. So even if he played more of a role in hitching me to Chris than he should have I can truly forgive him. I cannot describe what that night was like."

"Well I'm certainly thankful that he kept you alive. I tried my best but you always shrugged me off. You didn't like talking about it."

"I didn't like talking with Inu about it either. He just had a way of calming me when I was feeling the most lost. I also appreciate what you tried to do for me as well. You were always there for me, and sometimes that was all I needed."

"You're welcome."

We got dressed and I asked,

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Much better, thank you."

I hugged him, told him I loved him, I then drove to work and spent the rest of the afternoon playing on my phone as my students took their exams. I then handed them off to my TAs to grade and then it was a quick trip to see Aya.

He met me in his studio with a set of tall platform shoes of my own. He smiled at me and said,

"So you're going to walk in her shoes are you?"

"Well technically we're both walking in your shoes as this is your crazy idea. I will say that if I can't pull it off it isn't happening. I'll carry her up the stairs myself before I let her break an ankle or worse."

"Well that would be pretty impressive too. Can I at least see you walk before you leave? I want to make sure that the hem is the correct length for the shoes. Your ensemble is in the wardrobe, let me get it for you."

I went into the changing room and slipped the ensemble and shoes on and walked into the room. They were uncomfortable but not terrible. So I thought perhaps they'd work. I walked past Aya and took a turn around the room. Both Mine and Aya stood watching me. As I passed Mine breathed,

"You are so….."

Aya interrupted

"Almost married! You will look absolutely gorgeous together. I can't show you her kimono but you will be the picture of beauty itself."

"Thank you Aya. You've made that possible."

I caught the semi artificial tone but I was thankful for that.

As I turned to get ready to leave I caught Aya saying,

"Yes, he's beautiful. But so is she, and their children will be absolutely stunning and I can't wait to design their clothes. There will be no babies in Japan better dressed than my nieces or nephews. "

I smiled as I changed and hugged Aya.

"I've got to get going but I do appreciate it. Oh, before I go, can I ask if you've ever considered moving back to the compound?"

He looked at me and said,

"I really haven't spent much time considering my plans other than those that surround your wedding."

I knew he was waiting for Mayu and I to get married before moving on fully but I didn't want to pressure him into saying so. So I simply left it at,

"Well we're almost at the end of September. Another month and a half and it will be time. I just hope Mayu and I will be ready."

"You're a great lead. You'll get her through this."

"Thank you."

I then returned home to prepare for dinner with Mayu's parents.

Mayu Prepares

I got through the rest of the day unscathed and returned with my briefcase filled with paperwork. As I knew it would be a late night I went into the office and started correcting them. When I got to Kyo's I was surprised to find that it was really good. Although he did leave me a lovely note about Tori and I sitting in a tree and where such activities led. I couldn't be mad at him as his essay was quite well written. I was still smiling when I felt Tori's arms around me and I bent back in the chair so he could kiss me. He asked,

"What's so funny?"

I showed him the note and he smiled saying,

"Perhaps they all know something we don't."

"I think I'd at least know. And he did say marriage came first."

"Well it doesn't always of course but I'm imagining in our case it will."

"I hope so. I'd like some time with you before that happens. It's just that everyone seems to have babies on the brain. Including me. But I think that's my biological clock. I'm still scared that I'm on the older side."

He held my hand and pulled me to him and said,

"You'll get the best healthcare you can have."

And as if not wanting to think about the alternative he changed the subject he said,

"Hopefully we won't get back so late that you won't be able to finish your grading."

"My parents have a million questions for you. They've tried asking me and I haven't been able to answer."

"They really will be fine. We survived our meeting with Kureno and we were on his bad side."

"Does he have a bad side?"

"That's the point. Even when he's angry he's generally just disappointed with a bit of an edge that says don't cross me. He'll walk them through everything and put them at ease."

"Could he do that for me too?"

"Well he can at least explain it better than I can. But we better go."

My parents welcomed us in with so much excitement.

"So," said my mother, "Mayuko says that we'll be getting the grand tour of your home! Will Gure be there?"

"He should be home."

"Well hopefully we'll get to see him and his lovely husband. We were so happy to hear he had married."

"Chris is out of town on business but Gure should be in. We will likely be going by his place anyway."

"So I hear that the wedding will be at an old shrine. Is there a Miko?"

"I believe that members of the family take turns to fill that role. Not many of the family still observe so there isn't anyone there all the time as in times gone by. The actual service will be presided over by my cousin Kureno who is the head of our family."

"Ooh I'm nervous to meet him. Is he really traditional?"

"Not really. You can treat him like you would the head of a company you make business deals with."

"Ok. That doesn't seem terrible. When do we meet him?"

"He's available this weekend if you're available."

"That would be perfect. We're usually busy with customers during the day and with readings during the evenings during the week. That's why we were hoping to talk to Gure. We'd love it if he did a reading at our store. It didn't work out last time. But we had a lovely dinner with the two of them. I could tell they liked each other then."

She turned to my father and asked,

"Didn't you think so too?"

"Yes they seemed to be very happy together."

They looked at us and said,

"You look happy too."

And then my mother asked,

"And soon you'll make us grandparents!"

More baby talk.

My dad said,

"You're embarrassing them. They're not even married yet."

I was waiting for my mom to say,

"But they're living together like they're married!"

But she simply smiled. I think she was just so thrilled I was finally getting married. And to a doctor no less.

They asked Tori a few more questions about the compound and about himself but as I was getting exhausted and I still had grading to do, we said our goodbyes and drove home. I leaned my head on his shoulder as he drove. He then carried me to our room and said,

"You're too exhausted now. I'll get you up in the morning when I do."

"Mmmmm." I said and held him close.

I dreamed of Tori and I as parents. We had a gorgeous little girl who spent her days running around in gorgeous landscapes. I was so excited to see her, as I was ready to be a mother. I was fully in love with Tori, and I was ready to fall in love with the compound. I knew I would raise my children there and be happier than I had ever been.

Tori Dreams

I held Mayu as I fell asleep. I found my way back to the teahouse I had sat in before and saw the same middle aged man sitting across from me. I offered him a cup of tea with thanks and he smiled as he took it into his hands. Holding it as if enjoying the warmth, he drank my offering, and while I felt a momentary chill, I felt confident that giving him power would be ultimately beneficial. After providing him my offering of my energy, I prayed,

"I know you cannot set things in stone but I am hoping you will protect my family, as you have protected Gure. I wanted to personally thank you for seeing over him in his time of need. I know now how fragile he was, even though he generally laughed it off. And if fate brings me one, or two, or a hundred children, as Gure once predicted, I hope you will protect them as well."

He smiled at me and said,

"It would be my pleasure to watch over your small family as I watched over Gure. And as I now know you both truly wish to bring a life into this world, I will give you a wedding present redeemable when you both feel it is time. It won't be so damaging to the strands of time to weave that possible future into existence as most timelines include you having at least one child. Therefore I'd really only be breaking off one or two strands where you remain childless. And I have a feeling the braid that will bind your three lives together when you bring your child into the world will be stronger than the existing strands would be if left to wind together naturally."

He handed me a cup of strong green tea and I sat with it, considering it.

"So," I asked, "This guarantees we will safely bring at least child into this world?"

"Yes. While the process is far more complicated than it seems, I can bind that future to you when you drink the tea. However, it is up to you when it comes to pass. At that time I will do the final weaving of your threads."

"Wow. Um. Wow. So how do we tell you when we're ready?"

" When you decide it's the right time, I will know."

I put the cup to my lips, felt the warmth fill me with such vitality and I moaned as the experience was intense. I woke when I orgasmed. Mayu shifted and mumbled,

"Don't run too far Kinu, it's almost time for lunch and daddy's prepared your favorite meal."

She hugged me then and murmured,

"Thank you Tori for this beautiful gift. I've never felt so blessed."

I didn't want to wake her but I held her close and said,

"You're welcome Mayu. She is certainly a precious gift."

She smiled in her sleep and held me closer. I finally nodded off smiling as I knew we would soon be parents.

A/N: Again with a longer chapter. There was a lot to say and I didn't want to break it up. As always I hope you enjoy this and I hope I can at least get closer to their wedding next chapter. I still have my notes that I wrote earlier on. It's just a matter of spinning them together so that it makes sense. Please R and R and as always I remain, Acta!