Chapter 10: Together

Maya woke with a mingled sense of disappointment and happiness. Disappointment because the trip was over and they would be on their way home before long. Happiness because her dreams had been filled with the memory of Simon holding her close as they watched the fireworks, and her sleep was a sound one, if disrupted by other, stranger dreams.

Her pillow was so soft and fluffy. Strange, really. She had a vague memory of it being thinner, a little more difficult to find a comfortable spot for her head. Oddly shaped, too. Like maybe—

Oh no. Her eyes snapped open.

Like maybe she'd been sleeping on a samurai instead of a pillow.

She groaned. And then there was that weird moment where she dreamed Pearly was trying to wake her—but Pearly was back in Kurain Village and her voice was too deep. One thing her sleep-fogged memories did not contain was any point where she woke up and became cooperative.

Poor Simon. Not only did she fail to tell him she needed to go back to the hotel to sleep, but she fell asleep against him and didn't wake up.

She sat up and stretched, and then her gaze fell on the clock.

10:00. 10:00 in the morning.

She jumped out of bed. They didn't exactly have a time set for when they would go home, but it probably would have been earlier than that. On top of everything else, she'd overslept. Simon had to be so annoyed.

It wasn't fair he didn't wake her, though. He couldn't be that irritated just because he had to drag her back to the hotel at night, could he? Not after how close they were the night before.

She grabbed the phone and dialed the number for his room.

"Hello?"

"Simon?"

"I see you've finally rejoined the waking world."

"I'm so sorry!"

"What are you apologizing for?"

"I fell asleep and didn't wake up when you tried to wake me up, and then I overslept and you had to wait here all this time. I'm sorry…"

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

She felt like she might cry. "I hope I wasn't too much of a burden…"

"Wait there." Click.

"Huh?" She stared at the dead receiver, until there was a knock at the door. She ran to it, paused only long enough to make sure it was him and not someone from the hotel staff or a stranger, and flung it open. "Simon!"

He closed the door behind him and put his hands on her shoulders. "What in tarnation were you jabbering about?"

"I…" She lowered her gaze.

"Believe it or not, I doubt you fell asleep just to spite me." He gathered her close into a warm embrace. "In fact, I was quite honored that you trusted me so much."

Something else surfaced from her memories. A vague awareness of him, even if her conscious mind was too deep in sleep to understand, and with it, a sense of security. Sort of like what his latest hug promoted. She relaxed and smiled up at him.

He smirked. "I admit to being amused when you slept through my tickling."

The bottoms of her feet tingled. "That was you! I thought it was a dream."

"You also thought I was Fey-dono, at one point." He chuckled. "And I never meant to cause you so much distress this morning. There is no rush. I assumed it was better to let you sleep as long as you wanted."

Oh. He'd done it to be nice. She blushed. "I'm sorry I got so upset. I just…"

"Yes?" His gaze was very intent.

"I just don't want to lose you."

He squeezed her even tighter. "You will have to try very hard to lose me, Maya, I assure you."

She hugged him back as hard as she could. "Are we going to leave now, then?"

"Before breakfast?"

"You haven't eaten?"

"You haven't eaten." He ran his fingers through her hair, which sent shivers down her spine. "Allow me to treat you to a feast, in exchange for taking me on such a wonderful trip."

That wasn't quite a fair exchange, since he'd been doing things for her all trip long. On the other hand, every word rang with sincerity, and it would just be silly to turn down breakfast for no reason.

She grinned. "In that case, how about some breakfast burgers?"

#

For the ride home, Maya ended up in the back, as the only way they could fit her Steel Samurai statue in the car was to lower the passenger seat so the statue could lie from the front of the car to the back. Her precious VHS tape was safely in the glove compartment with her trading cards and Simon's photo, and all the other items and gifts they bought were in the trunk.

The back seat had two major downsides. First, the window controls were the only buttons within her reach. Second, all she could see of Simon was the back of his head and glimpses of his eyes in the rearview mirror.

But even if she didn't have a good view, it was pleasant just to be near him. So it wasn't all bad.

They drove in comfortable silence until they reached the halfway point of the trip and the same fast food restaurant they'd used as a rest stop on the way there came into view. In all the excitement of the festival, she'd forgotten about the incident. From the low growl Simon uttered, he'd forgotten to find a different place to stop, too.

"It's okay," she said. "We can stop here, I don't mind."

He nodded and pulled into the parking lot, but the moment the car was stopped, he turned to her.

Oh boy, it was going to be one of those don't touch anything speeches.

"If you feel the need to break something, kindly wait until I am out of line." He got out of the car and opened her door.

A grin spread across her face. Not only didn't he criticize her behavior like she expected, his words implied that he was going to buy more food—and it was probably for her, since he didn't seem overly thrilled with fast food. "You're the best."

When she stepped out of the car, she held out her hand. Most likely he wouldn't notice, or if he did, he wouldn't understand or agree with what she—

His fingers interlocked with hers, and he set off toward the building.

They entered hand-in-hand, and it was almost painful to separate from him to enter the restroom. Maybe it was a trick. After all, it was much more effective than a lecture would have been—when she finished, she had little desire to waste any time, because that would make a longer gap before she got to hold his hand again.

He was in line, and she shifted from foot to foot as she waited. The room was oddly quiet, and she had the distinct feeling people were watching her. Maybe they were waiting for another disaster.

"Hey."

She jumped. From the line, Simon looked over sharply.

But she'd never seen the gray-haired man standing in front of her before. "I recognize you from the other day. I'm the manager here."

"O-oh?"

"I just wanted to apologize for the behavior of my former employee."

"Oh, thank—wait, former?"

"Some of the patrons told me what happened." He folded his hands. "Maybe what you did was wrong, but it was just a mistake, and even if it wasn't, he shouldn't have hurt you over it."

She stared at him in shock. "Wow, thanks…"

A warm presence by her side marked the return of Simon.

"And you," the manager said, "have become a hero to some of our regular patrons, for coming to the young lady's aid. Can we put your picture on the wall?"

Simon reeled backward. "W-whaaat?"

"Oh, yeah!" Maya clapped her hands together and nodded. "Simon Blackquill, guardian of the burgers. When you need a hero, the Twisted Samurai is there!"

"Twisted Samurai?" The manager blinked several times. "We've been looking for a theme to set us apart from the rest of the chain. A samurai theme… now that sounds very interesting. And I don't think anyone's ever done a twisted samurai theme before."

"He's the best samurai you'll ever meet, too."

"Maya—"

"He hunts down spies and sacrifices himself for the people he loves, taking on a new ident—"

"Silence." Simon put his hand over her mouth and muffled the rest of her excited description. "I would prefer not to have my picture on your wall." He narrowed his eyes. "If you don't like that, it might be you hanging on the wall."

"Oh, that's perfect."

"…I beg your pardon?"

The man lifted his eyes toward the ceiling and raised his hands. "The perfect motto for our new Twisted Samurai Burgers: 'If you don't like them, it might be you hanging on the wall.'"

"Perhaps you should re-hire your old employee and try an asylum theme. It shouldn't take much effort." Simon released Maya. "I think we had best be on our way."

"I know!" He snapped his fingers. "Okay, you don't want your picture on the wall, but maybe we could interview you to get some catchy lines."

"Oooh…" Maya jumped up and down. "Apollo was right, we are going to be on the news!"

Simon turned around and walked toward the exit at an alarming pace.

"Sorry." She shrugged to the crestfallen manager. "I guess he's not ready to be a star just yet." She winked. "I'll bring him back sometime, and maybe he'll be more agreeable."

Then she ran out into the parking lot after him and caught him in time for a quick hug before they got back into the car.

#

Pearly met them the moment they drove up to Kurain Village. "Mystic Maya!"

Maya waved through the window, but her heart sank at the same time. She was happy to be home, but… once they got everything unloaded, Simon would leave. If Pearly saw her with a frown, though, she'd probably think something bad happened between the two of them, so she focused on the memories of the trip and put a bright smile on her face.

As usual, Simon got out of the car first and opened her door before she could. Her smile was a little less forced when she took his arm and stepped close to his side. It was worth it just to see the wide-eyed delight on Pearly's face.

"Mystic Maya, Mr. Simon… did you have a good time?"

"We certainly did." Either he also wanted to make her smile, or he was feeling cuddly, because he slipped his arm around Maya's waist. "We shall tell you all about it in due time, and I believe Mystic Maya has a souvenir for you, as well."

Getting everything into the house was an adventure of its own, and getting the Steel Samurai statue out of the car proved more difficult than putting it in.

But at last, Maya found herself standing alone with Simon as he lifted the statue into the corner of the room. It was hard to believe it wasn't that long ago he'd sat right there eating a square omelet.

That was about it, then. Rather than drive around all day long, they'd agreed to meet up the next day to take souvenirs to the Wright Anything Agency, although Simon would take care of the Prosecutor's Office without her. A lump formed in her throat.

"There you have it." He turned to face her. "It fits the décor nicely. You—" He frowned, and then closed the door to the outside before taking a step closer. "I can tell by your face that something is wrong."

"I'll miss you!"

He folded his arms. "We are seeing each other tomorrow, are we not?" He smirked. "And I expect to be graced with a visit by you and that VHS you now own."

"Yeah…" She shrugged. "But after three days of you being right there… and now we'll be so far apart except when I visit Nick…"

"Kurain Village is not so far away that I am incapable of coming here."

"Really?"

"Unless my presence is not desired…"

"No, no, I want you to visit!"

He grinned. It enticed her just as much as it had the other morning. Not just the result of sleep deprivation, then. She swallowed.

"I suppose I should be on my way," he said. "I daresay you were right about one thing—I have missed Taka." He shifted from foot to foot, more awkward then she'd ever seen him, and took a step toward the door.

"Simon."

He spun to face her. "Yes?"

"Before you go… I bought a gift for you at the festival."

His eyes widened. "For me?"

"Yeah." She retrieved the book from the T-shirt bag, but hesitated when she saw his stricken expression. "Hey, gifts are good things, you know."

"But I…failed to buy anything for you."

"Oh, don't start. You bought me lots of stuff while we were there. Too much."

"Nothing is too much for you." The deep rumble of his voice caressed her, and the adoration in his eyes sent fire coursing to both her stomach and cheeks.

"Uh, here." Not the best delivery ever, but she was lucky she didn't fall down as she handed the samurai book to him. She wet her lips, suddenly afraid that, for whatever reason, he wouldn't like it.

"Thank you." He smiled as he read the title, and her worries vanished. "Perhaps I'll save it to read out loud to you, since you have such a love of samurai."

"I-I'd like that! Which reminds me…" She swallowed. Her knees were wobbly, but it was too late to stop. She might never get such a good opportunity again if she didn't take it. "I… uh…"

"Yes?"

"I have a question. About samurai."

"Consider me your expert." He bowed. "What is it?"

All she had to do was say it. Once it was said, the situation would be in his hands. Nothing to it. She took a deep breath. "How does a samurai kiss?"

His eyes widened, but before her nervousness could explode into panic, he smirked. It was a slow, wicked smirk. He set down the book and moved toward her, and when he spoke, his voice was low. "With great intensity"—each step further closed the distance between them, until he could reach up and run his thumb along her cheek—"based on the worth of the one being kissed."

Shivers ran through her even as heat blossomed beneath his touch and spread across her body. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. And that was bad, because he remained just inches away, as if waiting for some sort of cue from her. What did he expect her to do?

Well she had to do something, or he wouldn't do anything. "I… I can see it in your eyes, Simon. I know you've been just too shy to ask what it's like to kiss a spirit medium!"

She stood on her tiptoes and placed a quick kiss on his lips, then yanked her head back. No, no, the plan was for him to make the first move. The back of her head hit his palm, and he cradled her head as he leaned forward to return her kiss. It was as fleeting as hers had been, if open-mouthed and bit more demanding, and when he pulled back, there was a question in his eyes.

Think before you talk, Maya. Don't say anything stupid.

But her mouth was a few steps ahead of her brain, and to her horror, she heard herself blurt, "Hey Simon, you taste better than burgers!"

He cracked up.

She groaned. There she went and ruined it, right when she finally got a kiss. Of all the stupid—

"Maya… That has to be one of the least romantic things you could possibly have said." He pulled her against him. "And I wouldn't have you any other way."

Then he kissed her again.

And apparently he found her very worthy indeed.

#

For a moment, Simon worried he'd misread her—and that he was too aggressive as a result. Before his concern could cool his passion, however, Maya shoved her tongue into his mouth with all the finesse of someone who wasn't sure if she was involved in a kiss or a duel.

He would certainly tease her for it, if he cared enough to break away. He couldn't say that he did.

And he intended to win that duel.

She responded to his attempt to dominate her mouth by wrapping her arms around him and pressing herself closer. Her fingers dug into his back, almost hard enough to cause pain. Far from a deterrent, it made him hungrier for her. He tangled his hands in her hair and lost himself.

The snick of the door was just a mild annoyance, not worth his attention when Maya was in his arms, but the soft gasp from behind him cut through his haze of pleasure.

He broke off the kiss. Fey-dono stood at the door, her eyes wide and her mouth open. She looked torn between delight and embarrassment, but then she turned and fled with the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

"Pearly?"

She didn't return in response to Maya's call, and Simon exchanged a glance with her. "Perhaps while we were gone, she decided I was not good enough for you."

"What?" Maya clenched her hands into fists.

"That was only a guess on my part." He gave her a quick kiss—oh, it felt good to be able to do that—and started for the door. "I'll see what is bothering her."

It wasn't hard to find her. The young woman sat in the grass just a few yards away, her face in her hands. Although she was quiet about it, she was definitely crying.

"Fey-dono?"

She stiffened.

He crouched beside her. "Out with it."

She lifted her head and blinked up at him. "What?"

"In what way have I failed your test, to cause you such distress upon seeing me with Mystic Maya?"

"N-no, it's nothing like that…" Her shoulders sagged. "You two just looked so happy together… but… you're going to leave her someday, aren't you?"

Even the awkward marriage conversation was a preferable topic. And the anger she'd once displayed toward him would have been much easier to handle than the quiet despair in her voice.

Someday, when they were far from Kurain, he would ask Maya to explain what happened in Fey-dono's family.

"Fey-dono." He needed to be gentle with her. "I cannot see into the future. I cannot guarantee that this will work out. Sometimes, relationships just don't. But if you believe for one minute that I will simply abandon that wonderful woman on some sort of whim, you have taken leave of your senses."

Gentleness wasn't one of his strong suits.

Her eyes widened.

"I suppose you would prefer to say she is my special someone."

"Mr. Simon…? Do you love her?"

Trapped in Fey-dono's desperate stare, he couldn't escape without a real answer, both to her and to himself. She didn't realize what a difficult question it was. "I…"

Maya's laugh rang through his mind. He remembered her enthusiasm when she got her Steel Samurai DVDs. Her absurd bout of singing in the pizzeria. The "Twisted Samuraimobile." Dozens of red balls raining down from the broken machine. The auction. The Samurai Dogs. The fireworks. Her bright smile and unrelenting stream of peculiar comments. The way she fell asleep in his arms, and her warmth as he touched her, held her, kissed her.

Perhaps it wasn't such a difficult question after all.

"Yes."

Fey-dono squealed in delight and jumped to her feet. "I'm so happy for both of you!" She took off in the direction of Maya's house.

He waited a moment and then followed at a slower pace, in case she intended to have some private conversation he was not to interrupt. When he reached the house, he stopped and peered through the door.

She squealed again when she saw him, gave Maya a hug, and then hurried outside. "If you two want to be alone, I understand." She all but shoved him into the room and shut the door.

He chuckled. "Well, we dare not disappoint her."

Maya stared at the door. "What did you tell her? She might be out looking for a preacher right now!"

He swept her into his arms and kissed her. "I merely explained that I have no intention of abandoning you."

After a few moments of kissing, she murmured against his lips, "Hey, you know what?"

"Hmm?"

"You should stay a while."

He grinned and kissed her again. "I intend to."

"Great!" She wiggled free of his arms. "Then we can watch that tape!"

"Well, yes, I suppose we could…"

She bounced on her heels. "And you know what would go really well with the Steel Samurai?"

Kissing. But of course that wasn't the answer. He snorted. "Burgers?"

"Please?"

He gave her a gentle kiss. "Have I ever said no?"

She grinned and wrapped her arms around him. "Now that I think about it, you haven't."

And he never would.

Author's note: And so, we've reached the limit of my romance skills, and the end of the story. I had so much fun writing this one (although maybe I say that about all my stories). Enough people have hinted or outright said they want a sequel, or just suggested additional story elements, that I'm considering it, although I have no sequel plot in mind yet. Thanks for being a wonderful audience!