Chapter III – To tell each other –
Disclaimer: I don't own X, the characters, the plot, etc.
A.N.: As I mentioned in the A.N. of chapter 2, this one will be about how Yuzuriha and Kusanagi handle there problems. This chapter will probably be the last one for the next three weeks, because of youth hostels and stuff like that, but maybe I will be able to sneak some of my poems up here, when I've translated them into English. (Anyone who finds spelling mistakes can keep them!)
P.S.: Sorry for updating so late, but this one is a longer chapter!
Small hands covered his dark eyes. "Who am I?" He laughed lightly at the beautiful voice that made him much happier whenever he heard it, then took her hands away from his eyes and turned around slowly. She really was an eye-catcher with her incredible body and the prettiest face he had ever seen. "I didn't wait long!" He said quickly, as he saw her mouth opening. She always apologized for being late, although he was too early actually, but he somehow liked her rueful apologies. It just was so cute...
She smiled happily at his dreamy look. "So how was your day, Missy?" Kusanagi asked, as he put his arms around her and they started walking, then noticed Yuzuriha blushing and leaning against him. His eyes reflected a mix of confusion and happiness, while she giggled, focusing those wonderful dark eyes. "It's okay, really!" She cuddled closer to him imagining his puzzled face, if she kissed him all of a sudden. "That would be an idea..." Yuzuriha giggled. "What?"
"Oh, nothing!" She stared at the ground, her face turning red as the words came out of her mouth reflexively. She noticed a strange grin on his face. "You don't want to tell me?" She returned the grin with a giggle. "Shall I show you?"
He let her lean over and kiss him for a few seconds. Seconds that ripped him out of reality, drowning his mind in a sea of delight and pleasant giddiness. For those seconds the time seemed to have stopped. None of the earth's cries reached him, none of Kakyou's warnings bothered his soul. For a few moments he didn't think of his fate and hers. "Missy..." He pulled her away quickly, trying to ignore the voice inside his heart and head that told him to go on. "I really think we shouldn't be doing this." To his surprise she hugged him briefly, before giving him a sheepish smile. "Due to my age, or because we're on opposite sides in the end of the world?"
Kusanagi blinked once, then blinked again, his mouth wide open. "Missy..." She focused his sad eyes. A normal human wouldn't have seen anything, but Yuzuriha, as a priestess of Mitsumine Shrine, knew far to well, that there was more than just some sadness. It was fear. Pure fear and guilty conscience, that almost tore him apart and in her mind, she could hear his heart crying.
"It's okay." Yuzu whispered, as she hugged him again. "I don't mind." He felt her grip tighten, while he put his arms around her, but then pulled away again. She gave him a disappointed look, her eyes slowly filling up with tears. "But you do, don't you?"
She felt a warm hand under her chin gently forcing her to look up at him. "As long as you don't..." Her face lit up. "But that's not the point, Missy. It's just... too dangerous."
"Oh, c'mon!" Yuzuriha frowned. "I already had this discussion with Arashi- san! Why can't you all just leave out that "too"? I'm a Seal – I'm always in danger!" He noticed Inuki barking in agreement, but shook his head. "You know I'm no danger for you, but KAMUI..."
"That's it!" She interrupted him, his face pale with shock. Plenty of ideas what that words could have meant ran through his head. Yuzuriha smiled up at him. "I don't want to her anything about KAMUI, Seals, Angels or danger from now on! This is your day off and our date! Beat me, torture me or kill me – but please tomorrow! Today I wanna have fun!" She grabbed his hand and started walking, Kusanagi stumbling behind her. What the hell had that been?
Kusanagi sighed a bit, as he ambled through the park, carefully listening to the voices of the trees around him. It seemed to be the only way for him to relax from such a hard day of work, if he didn't have Yuzuriha around him like the day before.
Sunday... He focused the moon above the skyscrapers of Tokyo, but in his mind it turned into the sun. He had always found it kind of funny: Whenever he day-dreamed about Yuzuriha, he could see the sun in his mind's eye, with all it's warmth and shine. But now it was Monday. She wasn't there at his side and he knew she wouldn't come either. She probably was too busy with her own life: Her destiny, her school work... he was always amazed she even managed to date him, in the precious time, which was left for herself.
He looked at the rustling leaves again. As well as he could feel their pain, they realized the fight inside him. „Don't worry!"He told them. „I will be okay."He turned around to walk back to the base, a slight smile on his face. „Yuzuriha... you're so convincing... I already start talking like you."
For a few seconds, Kusanagi felt a heavy shiver running down his spine. There was a cold wind rushing through the leaves that night, so he decided not to mind, but then the feeling returned. He stopped, carefully searching through his surroundings and finally concentrated on the skyscrapers beside the park, where a cylinder-like kekkai had risen into the air. Thoughts of the disaster in Shinjuku immediately crowded his mind. Pictures of buildings shattering, pictures of people dying, pictures of her scratched body. „Missy!"
Cold blood ran through her fingers as she tried to stand up again. She tried to focus the spot behind him, where Inuki had fallen and now laid defeated, whimpering, desperately trying to stand up again and protect his mistress, but his strength faded. „I can't follow your logic."Yuzuriha frowned. „Why don't you just kill me? You know I can't defeat a KAMUI."An evil grin crept across Fuuma's face. „Because it was your wish... yesterday."
She gave him a puzzled look, but then stared at the ground, her lips trembling from shock, while he kept on grinning. „You know what I mean. Today is „tomorrow". Your date is over."Yuzuriha felt some cold tears running down to her hands and mixing up with the blood. The salt burned inside her wounds. He was right – today was the „tomorrow"she had been speaking about, when she told Kusanagi to stop talking about that whole „end of the world"-thing. Now her conscience reminded her. Guilty conscience, for not having listened to him.
She felt a rough hand under her chin forcing her to look up, but in contrast to the day before she didn't feel save this time. His dark eyes glared at her scratched face, while he moved his hand in the right position to plunge it through her heart. He knew she was too exhausted to evade. „What a waste..."
She couldn't remember much of what happened next. She had closed her eyes to avoid the contact with his ones. Tears had fallen down from her pale face and in her mind's eye she had seen her whole life rushing past herself. Her lonesome childhood, her trip to Tokyo, the day she met Kusanagi... The next thing she had noticed was a rough, but warm hand, which gently ran across her scratched cheeks. Her eyes widened. „Kusanagi-san?"
„Missy..."he felt her fragile frame in his arms and the cold mix of blood and tears on his chest, while his mind lingered in a state of strange emptiness. He was incredibly furious with Fuuma for having hurt his girl, but at the same time relieved that she was still alive; furious with himself for being so late, but still relieved that he hadn't come too late.
He searched through his surroundings, although he wasn't sure what he was looking for, then gave Yuzuriha an uncertain look. She nodded absently and watched him jumping over to the spot, where Fuuma had stood, to catch Inuki. On the way back, Kusanagi realized her kekkai was already crumbling. He was sure her fellow Seals would be at the scene soon.
Some storeys deeper, Fuuma opened his eyes slowly, immediately noticing the blood that poured from the left side of his head and the ceiling decaying above him. How the hell had this traitor been able to hit him like that? Why hadn't he realized Kusanagi approaching the scene? He rubbed his aching head, then made his way through the debris back to the roof to find Yuzuriha lying exhausted in Kusanagi's arms, who turned around quickly, as he noticed him. "It's time to end that Romeo-and-Juliet-thing. Or should I rather say traitor-and-amateur?"
"Call it what you want!" Kusanagi returned, gently shoving Yuzuriha behind himself. "But if you want her, you've got to kill me first." He watched for a reaction, but only realized Yuzuriha's grip on his jacket tighten, while Fuuma stared in another direction, one of his vile grins on his face. "I guess it's enough for today. I've got a lot of time to deal with you later on."
Kusanagi watched him flying away, surprised, but still relieved and turned around to Yuzuriha again. His face went shocked, as he realized how badly she was hurt. "I guess I'd better take you to hospital now." He said, taking her into his strong arms, while she held Inuki. "Home." "Huh?" "I want to go home." Yuzuriha repeated, her voice sounding as exhausted as her face looked. "He'll show you." His eyes widened a bit as she fainted, but then returned normal as he noticed her breathing constantly.
He turned around slowly, then froze, watching the black-haired boy in front of him coming closer. He seemed to be one of the Seals – by the way he looked when he caught sight of Yuzuriha's numerous wounds. "She wanted me to take her home." Kusanagi explained in a sad tone. "She said you would show me."
He risked a look at the clock next to the bed, grimaced and focused her hand again. It seemed so pale beside his tanned skin. So pale and small... But he wouldn't go now – not before he was totally sure that she was going to be okay. Sighing slightly, he glanced at the clock again. "You know..." He started, smiling at her beautiful face. "I should be back at the base within the next 30 minutes, but I guess I owe you waiting. I wasn't there when you needed me. Please forgive me, Missy."
Kusanagi paused briefly, wondering if she could even hear what he was saying. "Probably not." He thought, but then realized Inuki rubbing his head against the soldier's rough hands in disagreement. He smiled sadly. "But what shall I tell her?"
As to give him an answer, he felt her hand move suddenly. "Kusanagi-san?" He stared at her barely open eyes and squeezed her hand gently. "How are you Missy?" He asked with a grimace. Damn, she was badly hurt, she probably still felt unbearable pain and he asked her THAT! "I'm sorry, Missy. What a silly question..." For a few seconds he felt her soft hand linger on his flushed cheeks, before it slowly ran through his hair. "Kusanagi-san..." "Missy?" "Thank you!"
He looked at her, puzzled. "For what? For letting him beat you up like that and asking stupid questions?" She smiled at him, stifling a giggle that wanted to come out of her mouth. "No. For pounding that annoying little smirking face of his (A.N.: not my words, thank you, omasu! ) into that building and staying with me all the time." She glanced at the clock next to her. "Aren't you supposed to be back at the base already?" He sighed a bit, then looked at her eyes again. "Actually... yes. But... what about you?" She gave him a weak, but approving smile. "I'll be okay. The others will watch over me. But you've got a job, Kusanagi-san. I don't want to ruin your reputation or even more. It's better for you to go now, but please..." She suddenly looked worried herself. "Please be careful."
Smiling lightly, he patted her head a little, before letting his hand run across her cheeks in an affectionate caress, trying not to touch one of the scratches. "I promise." He whispered. "If you promise me to stay in bed until you've totally recovered." She returned the smile and tried to answer, but her voice decreased to a slight, barely audible sigh. Kusanagi smiled sadly. He didn't need to be supernatural talented to tell she was badly hurt and almost sleeping again. He knew it took her all of her willpower not to fall back asleep in the middle of their conversation. "I'll take that as a "yes", Missy." He glanced at the clock and grimaced again. "I know you're tired and besides I've got to get back to the base now. Good night, Missy... and sleep well! I'll come visit you tomorrow again."
She felt him lean down and kiss her – a brief, but affectionate kiss. When she finally opened her eyes to the sound of a closing door, she could still feel his taste on her lips. Patting Inuki, who was already curled up next to her, she closed her eyes and quickly fell back asleep, not minding the conversation that was going on outside her room.
"I still think it's too dangerous." Arashi mentioned with that cold and calm voice of hers. "Well, you can't tell them not to love each other anymore!" "None of us can!" Seiichiro agreed putting one hand on Karen's shoulder. "At least they won't let you."
"I don't think it really is love what she is feeling for him." They turned at Subaru quickly. Even Arashi seemed to be somewhat shocked. "I mean..." Subaru added. "Look, she's only 14 years old. I don't think she really knows what it means to love somebody."
"Of course she can't..." Sorata added, his voice full of sarcasm. ""Seems like you're totally missing the tiny little age difference between her and us!" He pointed at Kamui, Arashi and himself, then turned to Subaru again. "What are does one, two or three years anyway? Yuzuriha-chan isn't much more of a child as we are!" Arashi shook her head ruefully, while Karen and Seiichiro nodded in agreement.
For what seemed like ages everything was silent. No footsteps from the soldier anymore, no whimpering from Yuzuriha, no talking from the Seals. Kamui let out a little sigh, then focused the others who were curiously looking at him. Seemed like they were interested in his opinion.
He sighed again. "Don't you all just think that destiny isn't foreordained?" They watched him, faces puzzled, with an expression as if to say "Huh?". He started to walk away, but then stopped to turn around briefly. "He's a Dragon of Earth, that's right, but I don't think he' going to do anything to us. To be honest: I'm glad Yuzuriha met him, because that means she has a boyfriend and we have one enemy less. If she had been able to choose who to fall in love with, I would still have thanked her for choosing him." He turned around and continued walking. "Destiny isn't foreordained! Give them a chance to prove it."
Fin
Additional: This was one long chapter –hopefully long enough for you, Takako-san! Thanks to Takako-san and omasuoniwabanshi for reviewing my stories – I hope you liked that chapter (and the story at all). If you want me to write about a specific X/1999-Character: Please tell me! I owe you something.