"Are you sure about this, Kakushin?"
"Of course I am. Move a little bit, Yuukiko. You're on my... That's
it. Thanks. That's better. Woah!"
"Kakushin?"
"Don't worry. I have it."
"Are you sure? You got it? It's not too-"
"Yeah. Oh! Wait. Don't move! Yuukiko!" Kakushin grabbed her before she
fell back. Smoothly, he shifted the heavy futon in his arms.
"Kakushin. Gomen!" She steadied herself. She reached up to help
him steady his load. The futon was very heavy. "Here. Let me help you."
"Thanks."
"I can't believe that mom and dad are letting me stay over."
"Obaachan can be really persuasive." Kakushin's grandmother was tiny
and sweet, but she totally knew how to get her way. She was a sight to
see in action.
"Sugoi ne. She's amazing. When I talk to them, they practically
ordered me to stay over. They even said something about maybe moving in."
She couldn't believe it. Her parents had been really protective of her
all her life. Suddenly, they were literally throwing her at Kakushin. Gladly.
"Hmmm. I guess everyone seems to want us to be together." Kakushin opened
the door to the guest room and led Yuukiko in. "Here we go. My room is
right next door if you need me."
"Thanks...."
"Well.... Goodnight." Actually, it was closer to dawn than anything.
"Goodnight." She turned to set up her bedding as he began to walk out.
"Ano... Kakushin. Wait."
"Hm?"
"I-I... Could we.... I mean.... I really want to...." Kakushin walked
towards her and sat next down.
"Talk?"
"Yeah. It's just...."
"Yuukiko, it's okay. I understand. We just found each other again today."
He reached out to touch her face. "I really didn't want to go away either.
I was thinking that if I left, I would wake up and it would have been a
dream. All of this would have been a dream."
"Kakushin."
"So. Tell me what you've been up to these past 17 years," he asked with
a grin.
"Me? Nothing much. I'm descended from Megumi and Sanosuke. They were
my great-great-great-grandparents. Apparently, they liked having kids."
"Eh? Why do you say that?"
Yuukiko blushed. "They had ten."
"Oro~"
"We have huge family reunions. But I guess back then having a lot of
children was common."
"Ten kids? I don't remember all the details from the past, but I guess
they were very-"
"Fertile?" Yuukiko grinned wickedly. "Anyway, my parents are both doctors.
They met in medical school and totally clicked. They own their own practice
near here.
"I'm an only child, though. Mom and dad couldn't have any more after
me. I wasn't lonely, though. I've always had Aya. We've been friends all
our lives. I guess, we just gravitated to one another."
"I'm an only child, too. My parents died last year."
"Kakushin."
"They died in a plane crash. That's why I moved here to the dojo. I
had been studying abroad."
"I'm sorry...."
"Yeah." He laid back on the futon next to her. "But at least they died
together. They were so in love. They met here. Mom was a student for a
very long time. Both her parents were half Japanese. But she was born and
raised here.
"My grandfather, her father, was in the US military and they were stationed
here. Grandmother knew obaachan, so she sent mom here when she was ready
to learn kenjitsu. Dad had his heart set on her since she was a kid. They
just knew they were going to be together. I don't think they would have
been happy apart...."
Kakushin reached out for her hand, bringing it up to his lips. He needed
to feel her close to him. "Yuukiko.... I don't think I could keep living
if I lost you again."
"Baka," Yuukiko whispered in his ear. "Don't say such stupid
things. Don't say that ever." Her eyes glittered with tears as she remembered
those last moments.
"Kakushin. Our love is forever. Remember that. Look." She threaded their
fingers together. "We've overcome death before. Kakushin, death is nothing
against our love."
"Yuukiko. I love you so much." He buried his face in her hair. She smelled
of jasmine. She smelled the same.
"I love you, too." Yuukiko wrapped her arms around him, holding him
close. Their hearts beat against each other.
"Kakushin." Yuukiko nuzzled closer to him, breathing in his essence.
Just being near him comforted her like nothing else. But she needed more.
Especially tonight.
"Yeah?"
"Make love with me."
"Yu-Yuukiko, I-"
"I know you. I love you. Kakushin. Please...." She kissed him softly.
"We should wait until-" Her lips cut short his protests. Kakushin wrapped
his arms around her, running his fingers through her long, black hair.
"Kakushin. Please. We've found each other again. I want-"
"You don't want to wait."
"Kakushin, I've waited over a hundred years," she said between kisses.
"I don't want to wait any longer."
He rolled over so that he was above her, looking down at her beloved
face. "Are you sure?" he asked worriedly.
"Kakushin. I'm more sure of this than of anything ever in my life. I'm
very, very sure." She pulled him forward and kissed him passionately. "I
love you so much."
"Yuukiko... If we're going to do this, we have to do it right. We aren't
going to be stupid about it."
"No. We're not going to be stupid about it." Kakushin left and came
back with a box of protection.
"Where did you get that?" Yuukiko asked, her eyes big.
"Ojiisan gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday," he said sheepishly.
"He said he didn't want me to be caught unprepared."
"Arigatou, ojiichan!" Yuukiko said with a sigh of relief. Kakushin
chuckled. She was so cute. Yuukiko was full of innocence and energy. He
never knew that he could be this happy. He bent forward to kiss her smiling
face.
They didn't speak for a long time. They couldn't speak. They were totally
absorbed in each other. For tonight, they set about reassuring each other
that they were real, that they were together.
Yuukiko pulled away. "Kakushin? Do you know what to do?" she asked breathlessly.
They both were breathing hard.
He grinned down at her. "If that's your way of asking if I've done this
before, the answer is no. Have you?"
"N-No. I...."
"Are you scared? Do you want to stop?" he asked her, his voice strained.
She pulled him down to her again. "Uh-uh. Nothing you do would scare
me."
She kissed him and began to unbutton his shirt. His hands moved down
to loosen her obi. Her yukata fell open. He stopped moving. He couldn't
tear his eyes away from her.
"Yuukiko. You are so beautiful." She smiled mysteriously and shrugged
out of the yukata. She pulled at his shirt, pushing it off him.
"You're not so bad yourself." He smiled at that. He threw the shirt
aside. She helped him finish undressing. "I can't believe I'm doing this,"
she said, fighting off laughter.
"Me either." He chuckled as she planted kisses on his face and shoulders.
Then his face grew serious. "Actually, I can't believe that you're here."
Kakushin kissed her tenderly on her forehead. "I can't believe I'm holding
you in my arms." He gently pushed her hair away from her face and kissed
her parted lips. "If this is a dream. I never want to wake up."
He moved down to touch her, but he hesitated. She smiled up at him,
took his hand and brought it to her breast.
"Please," she whispered, blushing. "It's all right. I want this."
"I just want everything to be perfect. I don't want to hurt you."
"I know. But it will be worth it," she sighed. Kakushin's hands felt
wonderful on her body. His lips. Gods. He felt so good against her. She
rubbed her body against him, unsure what to do. He moaned softly, pulling
her close to him, his lips returning to hers.
Her hands were busy against him. The different textures of his flesh
facinated her. He seemed so solid, strong. He touched her gently, as if
afraid of going too far, too fast.
The night was silent but for the sounds of their sighs and moans. They
explored each other with a sense of wonder. Every touch, every taste amazing
because they had been given a miracle.
Kakushin felt hot against her skin. She needed that heat. She needed
to feel it warm her all over. She needed him to be inside her.
"Ka-Kakushin.... Please. Please. Help me." She was trying to reach something.
She was almost there. Almost there. Almost....
"Are you ready?" he asked unevenly. He reached down to touch her gently.
She arched up against him, moaning. That last touch was all it took for
her.
"I-I...Kakushin!" she breathed out his name.
"Yuukiko." Kakushin prepared himself and moved over her. He kissed her
softly on her lips, then deeply.
Yuukiko pulled back. "Beautiful.... That was beautiful," she breathed
raggedly. "Please," she whispered softly, pulling him towards her.
Kakushin still hesitated. He didn't want to hurt her. He never wanted
to hurt her. "Yuukiko, it will hurt," he whispered in her ear.
She kissed softly. Her lips trailed to his. She whispered against them,
"I want this to happen. I want to be with you." She reached down to guide
him to her. "Please. Kakushin. I love you."
He slowly moved forward, their eyes locked as they became one. When
he saw her wince with the pain, he stopped moving. She smiled up at him,
her hand trailed from his hair, down his body to touch where they were
joined.
"Kakushin, I love you," she whispered rawly as she pulled herself up
to complete the joining. Tears streamed from her eyes from the pain. Kakushin
kissed them away, shaking with the effort to say still.
"It feels better now," Yuukiko said softly. She wiggled her hips, testing
to be sure. Kakushin moaned, his control broken. He began to move. He couldn't
stop himself. She moaned as the ache within her burned brighter. It wasn't
pain. She urged him to move harder, straining to meet him halfway.
"I'm sorry," Kakushin moaned, "I can't wait,"
"Huh? Kakushin. I-" Yuukiko gasped. She moaned his name and pulled him
tighter against her. "Gods."
Kakushin moaned and collapsed against her. His eyes were closed, his
breath was ragged. He opened his eyes, balancing his weight on his forearms.
"Yuukiko?" he whispered to her. Tears streamed from her closed eyes.
"Are you okay?"
She began to giggle. She opened her eyes and grabbed him, kissing him
soundly on the lips. "Oh. Wow.... That was so very nice. Thank you," she
said politely.
"You are very welcome," he replied, bending forward to kiss her once
again. "And thank you."
"I think that was almost worth waiting all this time for."
"Almost?" he asked warily.
"I'd rather we did it back then. Then we could have those memories to
sustain us until this time," Yuukiko mused.
Kakushin kissed her shoulder lovingly and pulled her close to him. Her
head found the niche his shoulder to snuggle in. "I love you," she whispered
to him as darkness took hold.
"I love you, too," he whispered back. "More than anything." Then the
night was softly silent. The rythmic sounds of their breathing soothed
the night into dawn. Their dreams.... The past. Happiness and love. Loss
and regret. Rebirth and renewal. They dreamed of each other.
