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Post by coldflame on Dec 15, 2008 22:55:13 GMT -5
Kiran’s smile only grew warmer at her words, but he also enjoyed the way her fingers felt against his skin. Indeed it felt nice to be rid of all that mud caked on his face – guess it was a nice facial at the time, he jokingly thought.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips and he reached up to take her hand that was continuously stroking his face. He could tell she liked to touch his face now, especially since she wasn’t afraid to anymore; he was beginning to grow on it more and more. Firmly, he took her hand into his and held it still against his cheek. His voice was soft-spoken and happy:
“I love you too.” He curled her palm back slightly and kissed the inside of her hand with gentle ease. He kept his lips there and closed his golden eyes and thought of how silly it was to ask in the first place – of course she loved him.
He only opened his eyes again when he soon heard Katsu’s voice grow louder for a moment before fading away again into a dull murmur. Kiku’s father must obviously know who he really is now, or where he’s from anyways. His tone wasn’t happy, but Kiran’s eyes merely glanced to the side and he kissed Kiku’s hand again, as if not caring what would happen to him once he actually recovered.
“I guess your father knows…” he murmured against her hand. In one way, Kiran simply knew that Kiku would say the same thing to her father as she did to Daichi, but what really mattered was if Katsu would listen.
But he didn’t seem as worried at the moment. The only thing he wanted to do was recover and spend time with the woman sitting in front of him.
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Post by kiku on Dec 20, 2008 23:33:10 GMT -5
Soft brown eyes downcast and half-lidded, pale peach lips inching into that slow, tranquil smile, Kiku hummed deeply – her voice warm and effortlessly content. Her long, slender fingers rippled, pleased, under the pressure of Kiran’s gentle lips, as her stress calmly melted into the unconscious recesses of her mind. Her arms teemed with nebulous warmth while her pale cheeks flushed with a faint, powdery pink.
It was astonishing how delightful every slight, calm movement he gave truly was. Now especially, there seemed to be more to his touch than met the eye; he did not just kiss her hand, he comforted her soul, expressed unleveled devotion. Every movement was carried out with such perfection, she was positive another would have had to pre-calculate such a satisfying romance. But, no, such a gesture was casual to Kiran; in fact, it seemed to be growing more typical within each passing hour.
He now approached her with a certain tenderness, a genuine concern, a breathtaking love that could not be matched by any other. It hit her heart, filling it with a heavy desire – to love and be loved in return.
Even his next words, words she knew would hold ominous significance in their near future, bounced off of her, leaving her content unaffected.
“Yes, he knows,” she spoke, her voice soft, nearly a whisper. “But don’t worry about it right now…”
It seemed unimportant in this one moment. What was important was Kiran, his wellbeing and his very presence with her. Silence and peace such as this should be cherished. And with this thought, her fingertips naturally brushed against his full lips, as if to both shush and soothe him, if that was even necessary.
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Post by coldflame on Dec 24, 2008 13:33:20 GMT -5
He wouldn’t worry about it, even though he knew it was going to pose a problem later. However, for now, Kiran continued to sit in the quiet atmosphere with Kiku, wondering what the time was, wondering how long he would be stuck in bed…He remembered just how much he hated being stuck in bed, even though sleeping was something he loved to do. It when he was awake that he would start to become fidgety.
His eyes were looking up at Kiku, knowing that she was going to hate his attitude when he would start complaining about being in bed for too long. However, now he was glad to notice that she seemed much calmer. Perhaps the kisses helped; she was growing comfortable with it, for now her fingertips were brushing against his lips, easily encouraging him to be silent and come forward. Well…he couldn’t exactly move in his condition, but he had other ways. He took her fingers into his hand, slid his palm up her wrist and then to her arm. He gently pulled her closer to him until he could reach her face. Placing his palm against her cheek, he moved her forward until his lips touched hers in what was deeply expressed as love and gratefulness. She being safe and still having a home – a life – was something to be grateful for. And for what he did, well, he thought he deserved a good kiss for it.
He slept surprisingly well that night. He had only woken up a few times to the sounds coming from outside – perhaps he just simply thought there was more to come, even when he knew it was all over. The next morning was seemingly quiet and enjoyable; however, he had a horrible crick in his neck from sleeping on it wrong (there were only so many ways he could sleep with a broken collarbone). He groaned softly and brushed his hair out of his face. Ugh. He remembered that he hadn’t taken a bath before he went to sleep last night. Well, a bath was definitely something he was going to take once he ate something. He only yawned and wondered when Kiku was going to be awake if she wasn’t already. In the meantime, Kiran busied himself by waking up and scratching at the bandages wrapped all over his shoulders.
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Post by kiku on Dec 26, 2008 20:46:47 GMT -5
A simple kiss from Kiran was enough to make her entire evening infinitely pleasant. It was a grand, fulfilling end to the stressful day; a reward for enduring such pain – for both of them, she supposed. After gracing him with a lovely smile and wishing him a warm goodnight, she fluttered from his room to hers, a dazzling sparkle in her eyes and a contented sigh escaping her lips – lips the same hue as her flushing cheeks.
She plopped onto her bed, mind blank of all thoughts negative and unappealing; instead it flooded with fond memories of her and Kiran. From the very first moment they met, to their very first kiss… until that very night. She smiled, and so peaceful were those memories that she was swiftly lulled into a very deep sleep.
So deep she slept that Kiku woke up at a very late hour (for her anyway). The sun was well up in the sky, though not so high up that it hinted toward it being anywhere close to noon. Kiku blinked in this dazing sunlight, before shifting to her side and wrinkling her brow, dark eyes squeezing shut once again. She huffed then, and struggled to sit, to stand. She wobbled, but eventually managed to feel her way to the closet, to dress, and comb through her ashy brown locks. She looked at her face in the nearby mirror, frowning at the tiredness that was apparent in her eyes. Using a small basin of water, she splashed a handful of water on her cheeks; she gasped and, alas, emerged immensely livelier.
It was after this that she scurried down into the kitchen and put on a pot of tea. While it was brewing, she began her routine chores, one which involved strolling out into the garden. While she was out, she picked out a careful selection of herbs to create breakfast, and returned to the kitchen, neatly creating a fresh batch of eggs over toast. On top she sprinkled fresh herbs that, were not only scrumptious, but would help keep up Kiran’s strength. The tea was ginseng – to calm him. She knew he could get restless…
Placing all this on a tray, Kiku glided into the next room and to Kiran’s door. As she pressed her ear gently against the door, she heard little movement, so entered cautiously and with a light smile. After elbowing the door open, Kiku saw that Kiran was sitting up, and she chuckled softly, strolling in the room, tray in hand, calling softly.
“Breakfast…”
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Post by coldflame on Dec 28, 2008 20:45:37 GMT -5
He felt so hungry, that Kiran almost smelt the food wafting into the room before Kiku even stepped inside. He could only manage a sleepy half-smile to her; it was still early….well, for him at least.
“’Morning,” he said, his voice a little husky from sleep. He cleared his throat and spoke again, this time with more of a smile as he glanced at the food on the tray, “Looks great. Thanks…”
As soon as the food was in close proximity, Kiran began to eagerly dig into it, nearly inhaling it at times. Everything was delicious, it seemed; Kiku was an amazing cook. That was another thing he must have always loved about her – food was a quick way to get to his heart. And it had been a while since he’s actually had a decent meal so many times in a row. Sometimes while traveling or at the military, the food was less than appetizing. He was just reminded of how nice it was to be a Kiku’s house every time he would eat some of her cooking.
This reflection was obvious, because it took less than five minutes before half the tray was gone – a few minutes later, the plate was swiped clean of food. Now, he simply sat there, drinking the warm tea contently.
“I love your cooking…” he said, chuckling. That was also obvious.
He sat there silently, drinking his tea rather patiently until the cup was completely gone. He scratched his head and then remembered something else.
“Ugh…I need a bath.” He even cringed as he said this, feeling as if he slept in his own dirt last night (which, in fact, he did). No, not even a peeping Hana could stop him from a good bath this time.
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Post by kiku on Dec 29, 2008 21:35:26 GMT -5
Kiku could not help but chuckle lightly as Kiran began to devour his early morning meal, and, while her eyes sparkled with kind amusement, her expression also held a tint of pride; it was pleasing to see her hard work appreciated so vibrantly, and it was lovely that Kiran was the man enjoying her work so enthusiastically. She really did yearn to comfort and care for him, and not just as a patient. No – those days were over. There was new sincerity in her services now.
With a gentle smile still apparent on her pink lips, Kiku relaxed into the cushioned chair next to the bed, eyes watchful, should Kiran require any assistance; an injury such as his could be a terrible pain, both figuratively and literally. However, the promise of a delicious breakfast seemed to grant him a sort of second wind, and he polished off much of his breakfast with little difficulty.
Her eyes flashed modestly downcast when Kiran complemented her, and her cheeks felt warm, but she smiled, savoring those kind words spoken in his voice. With his next few words, however, her cheeks flushed more obviously and a soft chuckle slipped from her lips.
“That could be a nice challenge for you,” She murmured in her soft, kind voice; though, a hint of amusement rang there also. Her cheeks remained warm as automatic words sprang to her lips, but were suppressed. Considering their recent relationship, any assistance he might require would not be appropriate. Surely he was creative enough to manage a bath on his own, and he could figure out how to slip into his pants, at least.
Slowly, she stood, that lightly amused smile on her lips as she brushed his dark bangs back from his forehead with an affectionate touch. Her light, amber eyes, however, softened.
“Do you need help getting up?” She murmured, as those soft eyes of hers added what was too embarrassing to say: if he did need help with something, he shouldn’t have to suffer too much through it – she would help with what she could.
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Post by coldflame on Jan 1, 2009 21:05:10 GMT -5
“That’s alright…” Kiran said as he slowly lifted his back off the pillows. He winced and immediately felt the sore pain move down from his collar to his spine. His voice was hoarse all of a sudden, “I’ve got it.”
Very carefully, he straightened his back and moved his mud-stained legs off the bed until his feet rested firmly on the floor. Slowly he stood up, cringing as his back gave an audible crack, but he tried his best to not move his shoulders; that would be even more painful. He glanced at a mirror and could see the nasty bruise on his back start to turn a deep purple.
He muttered all his way toward the bathroom, cursing softly at the pain coursing through his collar (though, inwardly, he was cursing Daichi for being the cause of this). He made his way to the bath and – with his foot atop the lever – pumped water into the tub until it was full; of course he was going to have to be creative with this. The next challenge was getting off his pants, which didn’t appear too difficult to remove. He merely unbuttoned them, pushed them gently off with his hands, and then kicked them to the side. He looked at himself in the mirror and could see a few cuts going up his legs, probably from crawling under the tanks so quickly. He then looked to his protectively bandaged knee and saw how dirty the fabric had gotten; so, slowly lifting his leg to prop it against the tub, he removed the bandage and looked down at his terribly scarred and impaired knee with slight dissatisfaction. He never liked looking at it, but he was glad that it was feeling alright nonetheless.
When he threw the bandages aside, he carefully stepped into the tub and sunk deep into the warm water. It probably was the greatest feeling in the world to just let the water soak over his skin. Soon, however, he realized there was a problem. How to bathe himself when he could barely move his shoulders?
He sat there with a puzzled look on his face. There was no way he would want to call Kiku in here to help him; he could just imagine her blushing and embarrassed face. However, she was a healer; Kiran thought it would be typical for her to see a naked person, then. But he nearly scoffed at the thought, a small blush creeping to his cheeks. No, he was going to have to do this himself.
He slowly reached over and grabbed the soap, then started to scrub (if you could call it scrubbing) away all the dirt he could reach. He was careful around the bandages on his chest and he winced often when he moved his shoulders too quickly. Getting his hair clean was the next challenge. Kiran sunk into the water as far as he could go without drowning himself and his hands only lifted as far as he would let them before pain would hit his collar. It was decent enough after a while of scrubbing and he sat back up, letting the water drip down his bandaged chest and face. The water was murky now, he noticed, and he cringed.
Sometime later, Kiran managed to dry himself after getting out of the tub. However, he realized that he had been so eager to get clean that he forgot to bring clothes with him inside the washroom. He merely shrugged and opened the door to the washroom, peeking out to make sure no one was there. When Kiran didn’t see anyone, he stepped out and nakedly walked over to the dresser where he put his clothes, not even noticing that the door to his room wasn’t closed all the way. All the while, he was trying his best to get his hair dry with the towel he brought from the washroom. Having a broken collarbone was incredibly troublesome, he thought as he walked over and put the towel on the bed after finding a clean shirt and pants to wear. It took him a minute to find his balance, but he managed to slip his pants on rather swiftly. It felt like a victory to Kiran, really; a challenge complete.
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Post by kiku on Jan 2, 2009 16:27:45 GMT -5
Though her eyes flashed with obvious concern, Kiku did her best to simply watch Kiran struggle to his feet, cringe, and struggle toward the bathroom door. However, during a few moments, Kiku’s old habits returned to her, and she would suddenly flinch, as if ready to reach out to him and assist. Simultaneously, her pale lips would twitch, and occasionally a desperate first syllable of some worried phrase would slip between them and burst into the open air. With this her cheeks would flush, and her lips would cease to tremble; she knew he yearned to be independent, and she didn’t want to completely violate this desire. With others it was less difficult to intrude – it was for their own good, really – but she was more desperate for Kiran’s approval; what if he thought she was more of a bother than anything?
Yet, as Kiran’s figure vanished into the other room, Kiku felt her anxiety increase tenfold. He was on his own now, forced to endure the pain in there… alone. Alone in the bathroom where he could slip or stretch to the breaking point… Oh, this was a bad idea from the start. Why couldn’t she go in there and help him? She would have with any other patient. Forget any awkwardness; he needed help so he wouldn’t damage what was already broken…
Timidly, Kiku approached the bathroom door and leaned, ear toward the door. She listened as the water pumped, as Kiran’s feet scuffed against the floor, and, finally, as a gentle splash revealed he had managed to get into the tub successfully. After this, she eventually wandered away from the door and out of his room, where she still paced, her ear aimed toward the bathroom door. If he was to hurt himself… she was confident that she would hear.
Several minutes passed, and, due to a faint boredom, Kiku wandered away from the bedroom door several more paces to a small desk near a window, where a discarded book lay, open. Idly, she riffled through its thin pages, silently reviewing certain passages that had long ago been committed to memory. After several moments, she stumbled on a certain passage; while reading about a series of rather terrible complications, she suddenly gasped, remembering that she really should be listening for Kiran to make sure he wasn’t terribly injured somehow.
With quick but graceful strides, Kiku strode back to Kiran’s bedroom door, which remained slightly ajar; just as she had left it. Without thinking he could possibly be out of the bathroom by now, she inserted her slender hand into the empty space, pressing open the door more widely, and took a hurried step, her eyes just glancing into Kiran’s room. And there, she realized with a startled gasp, stood Kiran – and much more of him than she had ever intended to see.
With the swift, panicky motions only adrenaline could produce, Kiku rushed out of the doorway and out of its line of sight, smashing her back against the nearby wall. Gasping, she pressed her hand to her heart and tilted her head up, eyes closing and lips murmuring a silent prayer. Oh, spirits, please let him have not seen her.
Still, after moments of silence, her heart continued to throb, breaths coming in ragged huffs. Try as she might to suppress it, she could not wipe the image from her mind. Cheeks burning, Kiku silently reviewed that instant where her eyes had drifted down his well-toned back and further down still… Frustrated, she buried her face into her hands. Oh, she would take this secret to the grave.
Kiku decided it was safer to try and calm herself as much as possible before offering to help him. She could still feel the redness splashed across her cheeks, and it felt as if her heart was thumping loud enough to wake the dead. She was not at stable; meeting his stare seemed utterly impossible right now. If he really needed her help, he could call for her.
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Post by coldflame on Jan 4, 2009 16:49:18 GMT -5
At one moment – as Kiran was pulling up his trousers – he thought he had heard something. It sounded like a breath of air, but when he turned around, he saw nothing. He paused, but inwardly shrugged off what he had heard and reached out to put his shirt on.
Dammit, he thought. He knew it was going to be impossible to put his shirt back on his own, try as he might to come up with a clever way of doing it. This was another thing he hated about being wounded; he depended on everyone to do things for him. The bath was a challenge in itself, but he couldn't put a mere shirt over his head. Memories of him lying in bed all day and not being able to lift his leg off the floor flew by his mind; it was a tragedy in itself knowing that he couldn’t do anything about it. Kiran wouldn’t deny what he knew about himself: he hated having to depend on others for the simplest of things. He always enjoyed doing things on his own. That’s just how it was.
But the thought of him lifting his shirt over his head and hearing that crack in his collar, then the pain…It was enough to make Kiran shudder.
So, sighing to himself, he took the shirt and started heading out the door.
“Kiku?” he called softly, walking out of his bedroom door. He thought she would be in the kitchen, but he was surprised when he saw her standing against the wall next to his room. He smiled at her, though a little sheepishly. He probably looked even more sheepish with his messy, uncombed hair.
“I, uh…need some help,” he said, grinning a little more as he held the shirt up for her.
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Post by kiku on Jan 6, 2009 22:30:30 GMT -5
As Kiku rested against the wall just outside of Kiran’s doorway, she became quite absorbed in steadying her pulse and remembering how to breathe in a deep, consistent manner. However, as soon as a voice called out, Kiku’s eyes flashed open and her heart raced in sudden panic; and, alas, as she recognized the voice as Kiran’s, her stomach began to twist, and she felt a full, warm flush bloom up from her collar. So much for composure, she thought grimly.
Yet, Kiku found a genuine smile spreading through her lips as her gaze fell upon Kiran, and a soft chuckle slipped out when she witnessed that adorable expression of his. It was almost childish – that shy, inquisitive look of his was very much like that of a coy toddler; and, indeed, this analogy matched up with Kiran well in many situations – not the coy, but the child. He was often fun-loving, and could be, like now, sheepish and sweet.
However, the rest of him, Kiku realized, was not at all boyish. The bare skin that drifted down his torso formed into the firm muscles of a man. That hair – almost comically whipped around his head in a chaotic manner – had a very appealing effect on her. Its sensation was not something that could be manufactured by a mere child… only a desirable equal.
But Kiku brushed off all these thoughts in less than a second, and, instead of enamor, kind concern coated her features. Swiftly she reached out for him, a light, amused grin still apparent on her lips.
“Of course,” she replied gently. “I thought you might.”
With this, her hands gently pried the shirt from his own, and, murmuring some soft words of encouragement, Kiku began to expertly assist Kiran with his shirt, pulling it over his head with care and guiding him through the arm positions with soft, direct words. It was a slow process, but this insured less pain and prevented further injury. She tried to ignore the sensations that consumed her as she shifted closer to him, but it was a bit difficult when she could almost feel the fresh warmth radiating from his body.
When she was finished, Kiku looked up, gracing him with a shy, kind smile.
“Feel better?”
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Post by coldflame on Jan 10, 2009 23:51:00 GMT -5
It took some difficult maneuvering, but after a few moments, Kiku managed to slip the shirt around his torso. During the middle of it, Kiran thought he could have simply lived going around without a shirt on, but he felt no pain as Kiku helped him. That, at least, eased things.
Once his shirt was on, however, he was grateful for her assistance. Not like he wasn’t anyways, but without Kiku, Kiran seemed to think he would have been in terrible shape in the past (probably even dead). It was easy to admire her for all of this, but it was also getting difficult to repay her. He thought for a moment, but suddenly he remembered that, no, repaying her wasn’t difficult at all anymore.
“Much better,” he replied with a contented sigh. He grinned down at her (looking even more ridiculous with his hair being messier and all) and as a thank you, he leaned in and pecked her lips gently. Of course, he still couldn’t seem to get over the heart-jumping sensation it gave him. He loved it. He loved the kisses. He loved her.
Kiran chuckled softly, finding that he seemed to be in a good mood this morning. Kiran wasn’t a morning person, but for some reason, he felt accomplished; he felt as if he had done beyond what was expected of him, especially with what happened the other night. Even though he had countless bruises and scratches all over him, along with a broken collar bone to boost his spirits, Kiran felt quite happy with himself. He only hoped he wouldn’t pay for it later, but with Kiku’s father lurking around, he was sure there was trouble ahead. But that was expected, really.
The only thing that made Kiran’s spirits sink was the thought of having to stay in bed the rest of the day. He looked to her with an almost pleading stare and spoke with a hint of disappointment in his voice:
“I’m not gonna have to stay in bed all day, am I?” If there was one thing he wasn’t grateful for, it was Kiku’s stinginess about getting rest.
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Post by kiku on Jan 13, 2009 20:39:50 GMT -5
Even the most casual of gestures had always been infinitely pleasing when they came from Kiran. Especially of late, as these actions had matured and increased in frequency, Kiku found herself appreciating them more and more; his every move made her feel as if she belonged. And instead of satisfied, she was getting more thirsty. Instead of loving him less, she was loving, craving, him more. His simple peck sent her heart on a brief frenzy, and that sweet, slightly enamored smile curled into her warmed lips. No, she would never tire of this; if he were to kiss her consistently for a whole day, well, she didn’t see a problem with that at all.
With Kiran’s next comment, Kiku laughed. And it wasn’t a dainty, coy laugh one would often associate with Kiku; no, this was full and warm, ringing with genuine amusement. Her head was thrown back, and her eyes squeezed shut for a brief moment, and as her chin returned to its previous position, a grin was plastered on her lips, soft, echoing chuckles still ringing, and affection sparkling in her eyes. She didn’t quite know why it was so funny – it was probably a large mix of things. Perhaps it was because, with Kiran’s wet hair askew, and his large bottom lip protruded, he resembled a child who was using every bit of his wits to avoid eating some sort of unappetizing vegetable. And it was just so typical of him; she should have expected it.
A pretty, amused smile on her lips, Kiku spoke softly, her voice a chuckle: “No… I think you can get out and walk a bit.” There was a significant pause. “Of course, you should take it easy and relax when you’re tired or sore…”
She looked at him meaningfully then, her brown eyes those same, concerned eyes. But then she smiled.
“Well, who wants breakfast?”
And without waiting for an answer, Kiku graced Kiran with a rare, coy-little wink and led him to the kitchen.
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Post by coldflame on Jan 18, 2009 17:16:05 GMT -5
He merely smirked in a kind of grateful and coy way, just as she had done before turning her back and walking into the kitchen. He happily followed, knowing that things were going to seem brighter now that he didn’t have to stay in bed all day.
The kitchen, from anyone’s personal judgment, seemed messier than usual. Things left over from last night’s small and quickly prepared dinner were left sitting on counters and in washbins. Kiran figured after having such an exciting and fitful evening the other night, much of the family hardly had the mindset to clean everything up. However, the counters seemed to be spot clean, but only in one area. It didn’t take long to imagine Kiku standing in that one spot, scrubbing the same counter right in front of the kitchen window as she watched nervously for her man to return home. He watched that spotless area of the counter shimmer in the sun for a moment longer until he turned his gaze back to Kiku who had already begun to prepare breakfast. He merely smiled at her and watched from the kitchen table.
Before long, food was in front of his eyes. Instead of giving his eyes something to stare at, he dug right into the food, just as always. And just as always, he loved every morsel of it. Kiran thanked her, unable to stop stuffing his mouth until all of it was gone. He even asked for seconds.
As he sat at the table and watched Kiku nibble at her food, he turned his head slightly to one side where he could see a part of the road from the kitchen windows. He tilted himself back in the chair a little more, making it stand on two legs as he noticed some men near that road, doing what appeared to be cleaning. Well, Kiran definitely knew there was some cleaning to be done after last night; there had to be at least five or six tanks out there, standing cold and dead in the crusted mud.
“Wish I could go and help clean up a bit…” he murmured as he continued to stare out the window. He knew that he was the one who caused such a mess and he was sure that damage would be even worse in the village. But at the same time, Kiran knew that in his condition, he would be of little help at all.
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Post by kiku on Jan 20, 2009 22:47:22 GMT -5
Kiku’s eyes sparkled as she witnessed Kiran once again scarf down the meal placed in front of him; this scene – his eyes flashing at first in some bit of wonder, a grin spreading into those full lips, and then his warm, joyous expression after the first bite – was immensely satisfying to her. It always had been. Her cooking had never ceased to please him, and this filled her with a faint sensation of warmth; Kiku loved that she could bring him this simple joy, especially after all that had happened to him recently.
As she watched, they both sat in silence. Kiran was too busy shoveling food into his mouth to murmur more that an “mmmm,” “this is great,” or “thanks again” every few seconds, and Kiku was comfortable in the quiet and peaceful atmosphere she was being given. This quiet moment gave her the opportunity to simply stare and smile at the wondrous miracle that sat in front of her – a battered and bruised one, but a miracle nonetheless. As he asked for seconds, Kiku laughed; no, he never disappointed.
Happily, she had obliged (he needed his strength after all), and, as he continued to eat, Kiku simply nibbled at her first serving, not because she was nervous or experiencing some other ill effect, but because that’s how she always ate. She had never been one of those Kiran types who always had a grand appetite; she preferred food in moderation… or just not much food in general. Again, very unlike this young man in front of her…
Kiku smiled, once again amused, but with his first complete sentence, her eyes widened a bit. Then she sighed, a soft smile forming on her pale lips, her eyes glistening with that mix of exasperation and admiration. He never stopped being noble…
“I think you’ve done your part,” She murmured. He had been injured out there, protecting her, her family. Without him, the Fire Nation’s terrible destruction would have been much greater; though, Kiku allowed as her own eyes peered out the window, the sight was quite ominous. These tanks, bringers of destruction, she had only heard about in stories; but now, here they sat, in plain sight of her modest garden…
From behind her, Kiku witnessed a haughty and skeptic snort, followed by the harsh creak and patter of rolling wheels. Suddenly, the atmosphere felt tense; nervousness began to pool within her stomach, and her posture became much more erect. But, for Kiran’s sake, she tried to put a bright face on things.
“Morning, Dad,” Kiku murmured as she twisted her neck in order to catch a glimpse of her father. His expression did not make her any more optimistic however; he was in grim spirits, his eyes hard, lips twisted into the gravest kind of grimace. Katsu grumbled some unenthusiastic reply before he rolled up to the table, his eyes naturally snapping toward Kiran. There was no sympathy in his gaze.
“Well,” he nearly growled, addressing Kiran directly, not wasting any time beating around the bush, “sure as hell don’t know how you can expect me to let you stay in this house.”
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Post by coldflame on Jan 24, 2009 22:43:16 GMT -5
It was astonishing as to how fast the atmosphere could change with the presence of one person. And it was no surprise to Kiran that Katsu would be the one to do this.
Immediately, just as he should have expected, Katsu spent little time hiding what he knew. Kiran straightened in his seat (as best as he could anyway) and looked to Kiku’s father with determined, but respectful eyes. What was he to do now? The secret was out and Katsu was none too pleased, obviously. His heart jumped at the man’s words a little; did this mean that he wasn’t allowed to see Kiku anymore? Or did he just mean that he wasn’t allowed to stay in the house? There were few options, but he knew that he was going to have to be flexible with this in order to stay on Katsu’s good side (or whatever little of that side there was left).
He sighed and spoke calmly, despite the unpleasant entry:
“Please, just…let me stay. I haven’t done anything wrong. I…could pull my weight around the house more, if that would help things.”
Kiran was determined to at least have the opportunity to still see Kiku, but being near her was such a comfort to him that it was difficult to imagine the opposite otherwise. It was another complication having to silently battle her father off his shoulder and he had a feeling that Katsu wasn’t going to be an easy man to shake away.
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