Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Snow ❯ Coming Home ( Chapter 1 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Serenitychan13 
A young wife waits and worries as her beloved struggles to get back to her.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.04.2004 | Updated On: 01.20.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
A young wife waits and worries as her beloved struggles to get back to her.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.04.2004 | Updated On: 01.20.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.0K | Visits: 1.1K | Status: Completed
"Snow"
By: Serenity-chan and Lilghost (A collaborative effort)
It was a pretty night that night. The clouds had cleared out, so every star was visible in the clear sky. Snow, pure and unmarked, coated the ground from the blizzard earlier. The white blanket glistened under the starlight. There was only one thing that night that would have made someone nervous: there was no moon tonight.
Soon the thick clouds began to move back in again, bringing with them a new layer of fresh snow. As they began to get thicker and the snow fell faster, the light of the stars faded and within minutes everything was pitch dark. Though the night was icily beautiful still, it was bitterly cold. It was definitely not the kind of night to be traveling and certainly not traveling alone.
But it didn't matter. He had to get home. The way was familiar, so the darkness had no effect. He would have been able to find his way blindfolded. For a moment an icy wind picked up, spraying him with the soft white powder. The snow itself he could handle, but the wind was another matter altogether. He shifted the collar of his coat, trying to keep the cutting blast off his face.
'Soon...' he thought. 'I'll be home soon...'
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Though it was nearly midnight, the young woman was wide awake. Her skin, usually a beautifully fair tone, was deathly pale and her deep violet eyes were wild in panic. For too long, she had been waiting. She had to know what had happened. Was he safe, wherever he was? Was he even alive? She fiddled with her pretty powder-blue yukata as she crossed the room again. There was no way she could be still right now. As soon as she sat down, some other thought would come to her and she would get up and try to do something else.
'I must have rearranged the kitchen fifty times in the last two weeks...' she thought, her mind slowly becoming numb.
'No...' she corrected herself mentally, knowing full well that she was exaggerating. 'Make that fifty times in the last two hours...'
She sat down on a cushion and picked up a book. Of course she knew she had no chance of actually reading it, but at least it was something to keep her from going out of her mind. She turned the pages absent-mindedly, not really looking at them. Every few seconds, her gaze would shift to the door, still waiting anxiously for news. He had promised that a telegram would come when it was over, with good news or bad.
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The harsh winter wind seemed to have no intention of doing anything like letting up, at least not anytime soon. The trees on either side of the snow-blanketed road didn't help to slow it down. Even with his heavy coat, every gust felt like it was somehow piercing his skin. In fact, the coat was more of a hindrance than a help. As more snow hit him, seeming to come at him in sheets, it soaked into the thick fabric. He felt like he was about to freeze.
Squaring his shoulders resolutely, he continued pushing through the snow. It was now knee-deep. He couldn't see anything on the road in front of him. As a matter of fact, he couldn't really even see the road. After a few steps, he tripped over what was probably a fairly-sized rock and fell down in the snow. The white powder felt like it was burning his face because he wasn't yet numbed by the cold. Soaked to to the skin, battered by the wind and exhausted, he closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate.
Then a thought came to him. He thought of how warm his house would feel when he got there. Somehow, he could almost see it. He was almost home. There was no way he could possibly give up now. A faint golden glow shining through the darkness and swirling snow told him that Midori was still awake.
'She must be worried sick...' he thought sadly. 'I hate this. The last thing I want is to see her hurt...'
Slowly, painfully, he gathered his strength and somehow managed to push himself up off the snowy ground. The wind was coming at him harder than ever, as though determined not to let him get home. Shuddering and pulling his coat tighter around him, he continued towards that soft gold light. Anyway, the cold no longer seemed so bad. He was far beyond numb now.
As he got closer and closer to his destination, he began growing frantic. He felt as if he couldn't get there fast enough. But with his redoubled efforts and an unplanned trip down a snowy hill, he was almost there. He could see quite clearly now. The house was only about ten feet in front of him. His shoulders relaxed and he slowed down, knowing that in about two minutes he would be home with his family again.
He was only two feet away from the door...
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Midori had given up on reading and was sitting on the same cushion, just staring anxiously at the front door. The wind was blowing tree limbs down and she jumped a little every time she heard the *crack* that sounded like a gunshot and the following crash. She was starting to panic, her heart racing and every muscle in her body tensed.
With all the noise outside, she almost didn't hear the knock on the door.
She shook her head, almost not believing what she just heard. For a second, her whole spirit floated up in happiness... Then it came crashing back down in hard defeat as they, whoever they were, knocked again. The young woman's shoulders relaxed and she slumped forward. It was probably just bad news. Just the same, she couldn't leave whoever it was standing out there. They knocked a third time, this time sounding not insistent or brisk, but almost desperate.
"Just a second," she called rather warily - even on a night like this it was definitely good to be careful - as she pushed herself to her feet and straightening out her yukata.
She took a deep breath, gathering all her courage and strength, and stood up at her full height - a petite 5'2. He wouldn't have wanted her to cry over him. In fact, he had told her not to on the day he had to leave. She was just going to have to accept the news, however bad it was, calmly and honorably...
Slowly, dreading what she would find on the other side, she went down the two steps that led to the doorway and reached to slide the door open. Whoever was out there had obviously come a hard way through this night's conditions, so they deserved decent hospitality. The young woman knew she couldn't hold her emotions much longer, so she did the best she could. She looked down so they wouldn't see the tears she was trying so hard to suppress.
"Hello... Sorry to keep you waiting..." she said softly as she slid the specially thickened shoji aside, looking up at them slowly, not caring about her tears anymore. "Can I help y---"
Her voice cut off sharply as she finally saw who had been at the door, who it was standing in front of her. The man's face was shadowed by the eave of the roof, but the young woman couldn't help but recognize him instantly. For a long and terrible moment, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Deathly afraid that she might be dreaming, she took a step back, her eyes wide.
The man held his hand out to the woman in front of him without a word - barely managing to hold it steady as his body shivered involuntarily. The woman's short, ragged breath caught in her throat and for a moment, she couldn't breathe at all. Silently, she placed her shaking hand in his, chewing her lip and trying so hard not to cry. His skin was cold as ice. As he stepped out of the shadow and into the house, she finally saw the face she had waited so long to see again.
Souzou was home...
"I'm back," he said softly, pulling her close to him.
A tear escaped from her eye as she fell against him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck like she had needed to do for so long.
"Souzou..." she whispered, her voice scarcely more than a breath.
Without a word, he tightened his arms around her, pressing her warm body as close as he could to his own half-frozen one. She clung to him desperately, her head nestled comfortably in the curve of his shoulder. His dropped forward on his chest, tears in his eyes as well.
"Midori..." he sighed, his deep voice a gentle breath on her ear.
It was so good to be home.
His wife stepped back to take a good look at him.
"Before you come in the house, you should notice you're soaked..." she said quietly. "Just drop the coat where you are and get those boots off."
"But shouldn't I see---" he started out, but she cut him off.
"Now," she said firmly, her voice making it clear as crystal that she would hear no arguments.
Somehow, the stern look she had been going for wasn't quite as convincing as it usually was - could it have been the combination of laughter and tears in her eyes?
Silently, he slipped his arms out of the heavy wool coat, noticing that it was partially frozen. He shuddered as icy water dripped down the back of his neck, feeling the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. When Midori saw him twitch, she reached up and pushed the ice-covered coat off his shoulders, letting it drop in a wet heap in the stairwell. The jacket he had worn under it, along with his shirt and undershirt, were all soaking as well.
Midori smiled at her husband suggestively, her violet eyes speaking volumes to him though she didn't say a word. He was starting to get a little nervous... When she got that look in her eyes, things tended to become rather difficult for him. Still, he stood there completely motionless as she slid his jacket off, dropping it down in the stairwell with the coat. He caught her hands as they moved to the buttons of his shirt.
"Hold on," he said softly, his eyes shining. "I think I should see Toshio first... It's been so long since I've seen her..."
"She's been asking for you every day since you've been gone," she said, still smiling, though her eyes were sad. "She really is her father's child..."
Souzou kissed his wife's forehead tenderly and looked down into her eyes, smiling gently.
"But she has her mother's eyes," he said quietly.
Midori smiled at him again, her eyes still the slightest bit sad as she turned and led him to Toshio's room. She walked as close to him as she could, thinking of how wonderful it was just to feel his presence near her and smell his unique, spicy scent again. As they slid the shoji aside and looked in on their sleeping daughter, Souzou's expression became one of sadness.
"When did she start sleeping in her own room?" he whispered, his heart hurting because he missed such an important milestone in his only daughter's life.
"About three months ago," she answered quietly, not meeting his dark brown eyes for a moment. "The first time she slept through the whole night in here, she looked up at me when she woke up and asked 'Will Daddy be proud of me?'"
Souzou felt his heart clench painfully in his chest and it was all he could do to remain silent and not wake the girl up. Without another word, he gently brushed past his wife to the side of Toshio's little futon. Making no sound at all, he knelt down beside her. The little girl, four years old and small for her age, turned a little in her sleep. Slowly and carefully, making sure not to wake her, he eased her into his arms. He drew in a deep, shuddering breath as he held her warm little body close to his chest. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that his clothes were still wet and cold.
The tiny girl shifted in his arms, making a soft sleepy noise as she felt soggy fabric against her cheek and began to wake up a little. Souzou looked down to find two big, deep violet eyes blinking up at him sleepily. She really did have her mother's eyes. Souzou lifted her up so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. She nuzzled her face into the curve of his throat, her silky black bangs tickling his skin.
"Toshio..." he whispered, shifting her slight weight to one arm so that he could rub her back.
The little girl lifted her head from his throat and looked up at him, smiling and rubbing her eyes with one hand. Souzou kissed his daughter's forehead and leaned down towards her.
"Daddy's home," he said quietly, holding her tight.
He looked like a man who had found something precious to him, like a pearl. Now he was going to make sure he wasn't going to lose her again. Souzou closed his eyes for a moment and said a silent prayer of thanks for letting him get back to his family.
"I missed you, Daddy," she said, her soft little voice almost melting his heart. "I missed you this much."
The little girl spread her arms as wide as she could to indicate just how much she had missed her father. He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. Midori sat down with her husband and daughter.
"We're so happy you're home, darling," she said quietly, resting her head on his unoccupied shoulder and closing her eyes contentedly. "I missed you too."
"And I missed both of you..." he said softly. "I missed you so much it hurt."
Toshio was falling asleep again, feeling safe and secure as she snuggled in against her father's chest. She shifted up with a yawn and placed a small kiss on his cheek before settling back down. Souzou smiled at his daughter.
"'Night Daddy," Toshio mumbled sleepily, cuddling closer to him.
Midori sat up for a moment so that Souzou could lay Toshio back down on her little futon and tuck her in. He pulled the blankets up to her chin just the way she liked them and she turned a little, curling up on her side. A soft, quick kiss on her forehead eased her back into sleep with a smile on her face.
“Good night, my dear, sweet little Toshio," he whispered to his sleeping daughter.
Souzou and Midori tiptoed out of Toshio's room and slid the shoji closed with hardly a sound. They slowly made their way to their own bedroom, where Souzou intended to crash for at least twelve hours, most likely more. He was about to fall back on their futon, his exhaustion finally catching up with him. But Midori laid a hand on his shoulder. His shirt and undershirt were still cold and damp. His pants, while no longer completely soaked, had been in the snow longest.
"No you don't," she chided gently.
He groaned a little and turned to his wife, wondering what it was this time.
"What's wrong sweetheart?" he asked, attempting to stifle a yawn, but not quite succeeding.
'The two of them are exactly alike,' thought Midori. 'Both sweet as can be, but they could sleep through an earthquake.'
"Your clothes are still wet," she reminded him quietly. "And you are NOT sleeping in wet clothes. First of all, you'll get sick, that is if you haven't already got something just from being out there tonight. And second, they're cold and I won't have them in bed with me!"
Souzou laughed a little, grinning lopsidedly at her in exhaustion and began unbuttoning his shirt. With that done, he shrugged out of the damp black garment that suddenly seemed uncomfortable and restrictive. Midori was about to say something about him leaving it on the floor, but she figured just a little water wouldn't make the tatami rot. She let it go.
'Just this once,' she thought, smiling at him.
She stayed up just long enough to see him stretching like a cat as he pulled off the clingy wet undershirt. Seeing new wounds and old scars on his chest and arms tugged at her heart. One of them, an abdominal wound, was still bandaged. And from the look of it, he had done it himself instead of going to a doctor. As she lay down, Midori rolled her eyes, sighed and turned on her side under the two thick blankets.
'Another way he and his daughter are alike,' she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. 'They're so stubborn... Won't admit it when something hurts... They think they can take care of themselves... At least they accept it when someone cares enough to step in and care for them...'
The rustle of movement, the muttered cursing and finally the sound of wet clothing being tossed on the floor told her that he indeed had done that bandaging himself. When he bent to get his pants the rest of the way off, he must have disturbed it. She was going to sit up and demand to have a look at it, but decided against it.
'He's just so tired, the poor man,' she thought, feeling her heart tighten. 'I'll just ask about it in the morning...'
As he slipped under the blankets with her, she finally got a good look at his face. He wasn't just tired. He was exhausted. His hair was still wet, his bangs falling over his sweet, handsome face in strings. He was so exhausted that he had forgotten to take off his red bandanna. Sighing tiredly, Souzou turned over to look at his wife's face.
Slowly, she reached to wrap her arms around him. As he held her and pulled her close, her hand slid up to the back of his head. Skilled fingers untied the knot one-handed. Gently, she removed the strip of fabric from his hair. A few strands stuck to his forehead, still being wet enough to make him feel awfully cold. A shudder ran through his body.
Midori brushed those few strands away from Souzou's face, stroking his forehead gently with her fingertips. A gentle kiss there earned a soft, contented sigh from the man who lay half-asleep in her arms. She let him hold her impossibly close to his bare torso, feeling his body shiver again. More than anything, he needed warmth tonight. At last, both their needs would be fulfilled. He needed warmth from her body while she needed to be loved and held. She scooted down a little, so that her head rested in the curve of his shoulder, and closed her eyes.
Souzou slid his hand up Midori's side, making her shiver pleasantly. He slipped that same hand under her chin, tilting her head back gently. Her face was only inches from his. She opened her eyes slowly, afraid this whole thing might have been a dream.
'Am I just going to wake up tomorrow cold and alone as usual?' she thought miserably. 'Is this some kind of cosmic joke?'
Soft dark brown eyes shone in happiness as he smiled at her. Those beautiful eyes were half-closed, his breathing even and his body relaxed.
"Midori..." he sighed again, letting his eyes shut completely. “I missed you so much... My sweetheart... My love... My wife..." he whispered softly, kissing all over her face between phrases.
"Souzou, I'm so glad you're home," she whispered.
Slowly, he pulled her closer to him, closing the distance between them. Their breathing was synchronized, two beings breathing as one. Their breathing quickened slightly as they inched closer together. Their hearts were united, becoming one heart in two bodies. Their joined heartbeats raced.
When he could stand it no longer, and neither could she, Souzou gently pressed his mouth against Midori's. She gasped as she found that his kisses could still freeze her soul and heat her body just as they had when the two of them were first married. He parted her lips easily, tracing the soft skin at the inside of them with his tongue. Midori moaned softly, the sound coming from deep in her throat. Slowly, his tongue twined its way into her mouth, teasing hers to life.
It was Souzou's turn to moan as Midori curled her tongue around his in that way she knew could drive him crazy. The two of them engaged each other in tender combat, each trying to send the other reeling back in pleasure. He wasn't one to give up easily, indeed he was not. His tongue spiraled around hers, finally touching the tips together. But it didn't end there.
He retreated to his own mouth and when her tongue followed, he captured it tenderly between his lips. She gasped a little in both surprise and pleasure. Gasps turned to soft whimpers as he stroked the underside of her tongue with the tip of his own. Soft whimpers became deep groans of bliss as he pulled back just enough so that the tip of her tongue was still gently caught between his lips. But that wasn't what did it. Midori's whimpers became groans as Souzou began to suckle tenderly on the very tip of her tongue, himself moaning deeply.
Finally, the need for air pushed its way into both of their pleasure-hazed minds. Reluctantly, Souzou pulled away from Midori's soft, sweet mouth. He made her body shake a little as he gave her tongue a final, teasing flick with his own then nipped it very lightly with his front teeth.
As husband and wife gazed at each other through half-closed eyes, both breathing heavily, exhaustion caught up with both of them. Midori was first to close her eyes, giving a shuddering sigh of contentment. Souzou watched her fall asleep, then followed, sighing a little himself. On his face was an expression of purest ecstasy.
Souzou Sagara had never felt more at home in his life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By: Serenity-chan and Lilghost (A collaborative effort)
It was a pretty night that night. The clouds had cleared out, so every star was visible in the clear sky. Snow, pure and unmarked, coated the ground from the blizzard earlier. The white blanket glistened under the starlight. There was only one thing that night that would have made someone nervous: there was no moon tonight.
Soon the thick clouds began to move back in again, bringing with them a new layer of fresh snow. As they began to get thicker and the snow fell faster, the light of the stars faded and within minutes everything was pitch dark. Though the night was icily beautiful still, it was bitterly cold. It was definitely not the kind of night to be traveling and certainly not traveling alone.
But it didn't matter. He had to get home. The way was familiar, so the darkness had no effect. He would have been able to find his way blindfolded. For a moment an icy wind picked up, spraying him with the soft white powder. The snow itself he could handle, but the wind was another matter altogether. He shifted the collar of his coat, trying to keep the cutting blast off his face.
'Soon...' he thought. 'I'll be home soon...'
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Though it was nearly midnight, the young woman was wide awake. Her skin, usually a beautifully fair tone, was deathly pale and her deep violet eyes were wild in panic. For too long, she had been waiting. She had to know what had happened. Was he safe, wherever he was? Was he even alive? She fiddled with her pretty powder-blue yukata as she crossed the room again. There was no way she could be still right now. As soon as she sat down, some other thought would come to her and she would get up and try to do something else.
'I must have rearranged the kitchen fifty times in the last two weeks...' she thought, her mind slowly becoming numb.
'No...' she corrected herself mentally, knowing full well that she was exaggerating. 'Make that fifty times in the last two hours...'
She sat down on a cushion and picked up a book. Of course she knew she had no chance of actually reading it, but at least it was something to keep her from going out of her mind. She turned the pages absent-mindedly, not really looking at them. Every few seconds, her gaze would shift to the door, still waiting anxiously for news. He had promised that a telegram would come when it was over, with good news or bad.
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The harsh winter wind seemed to have no intention of doing anything like letting up, at least not anytime soon. The trees on either side of the snow-blanketed road didn't help to slow it down. Even with his heavy coat, every gust felt like it was somehow piercing his skin. In fact, the coat was more of a hindrance than a help. As more snow hit him, seeming to come at him in sheets, it soaked into the thick fabric. He felt like he was about to freeze.
Squaring his shoulders resolutely, he continued pushing through the snow. It was now knee-deep. He couldn't see anything on the road in front of him. As a matter of fact, he couldn't really even see the road. After a few steps, he tripped over what was probably a fairly-sized rock and fell down in the snow. The white powder felt like it was burning his face because he wasn't yet numbed by the cold. Soaked to to the skin, battered by the wind and exhausted, he closed his eyes and resigned himself to his fate.
Then a thought came to him. He thought of how warm his house would feel when he got there. Somehow, he could almost see it. He was almost home. There was no way he could possibly give up now. A faint golden glow shining through the darkness and swirling snow told him that Midori was still awake.
'She must be worried sick...' he thought sadly. 'I hate this. The last thing I want is to see her hurt...'
Slowly, painfully, he gathered his strength and somehow managed to push himself up off the snowy ground. The wind was coming at him harder than ever, as though determined not to let him get home. Shuddering and pulling his coat tighter around him, he continued towards that soft gold light. Anyway, the cold no longer seemed so bad. He was far beyond numb now.
As he got closer and closer to his destination, he began growing frantic. He felt as if he couldn't get there fast enough. But with his redoubled efforts and an unplanned trip down a snowy hill, he was almost there. He could see quite clearly now. The house was only about ten feet in front of him. His shoulders relaxed and he slowed down, knowing that in about two minutes he would be home with his family again.
He was only two feet away from the door...
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Midori had given up on reading and was sitting on the same cushion, just staring anxiously at the front door. The wind was blowing tree limbs down and she jumped a little every time she heard the *crack* that sounded like a gunshot and the following crash. She was starting to panic, her heart racing and every muscle in her body tensed.
With all the noise outside, she almost didn't hear the knock on the door.
She shook her head, almost not believing what she just heard. For a second, her whole spirit floated up in happiness... Then it came crashing back down in hard defeat as they, whoever they were, knocked again. The young woman's shoulders relaxed and she slumped forward. It was probably just bad news. Just the same, she couldn't leave whoever it was standing out there. They knocked a third time, this time sounding not insistent or brisk, but almost desperate.
"Just a second," she called rather warily - even on a night like this it was definitely good to be careful - as she pushed herself to her feet and straightening out her yukata.
She took a deep breath, gathering all her courage and strength, and stood up at her full height - a petite 5'2. He wouldn't have wanted her to cry over him. In fact, he had told her not to on the day he had to leave. She was just going to have to accept the news, however bad it was, calmly and honorably...
Slowly, dreading what she would find on the other side, she went down the two steps that led to the doorway and reached to slide the door open. Whoever was out there had obviously come a hard way through this night's conditions, so they deserved decent hospitality. The young woman knew she couldn't hold her emotions much longer, so she did the best she could. She looked down so they wouldn't see the tears she was trying so hard to suppress.
"Hello... Sorry to keep you waiting..." she said softly as she slid the specially thickened shoji aside, looking up at them slowly, not caring about her tears anymore. "Can I help y---"
Her voice cut off sharply as she finally saw who had been at the door, who it was standing in front of her. The man's face was shadowed by the eave of the roof, but the young woman couldn't help but recognize him instantly. For a long and terrible moment, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Deathly afraid that she might be dreaming, she took a step back, her eyes wide.
The man held his hand out to the woman in front of him without a word - barely managing to hold it steady as his body shivered involuntarily. The woman's short, ragged breath caught in her throat and for a moment, she couldn't breathe at all. Silently, she placed her shaking hand in his, chewing her lip and trying so hard not to cry. His skin was cold as ice. As he stepped out of the shadow and into the house, she finally saw the face she had waited so long to see again.
Souzou was home...
"I'm back," he said softly, pulling her close to him.
A tear escaped from her eye as she fell against him, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck like she had needed to do for so long.
"Souzou..." she whispered, her voice scarcely more than a breath.
Without a word, he tightened his arms around her, pressing her warm body as close as he could to his own half-frozen one. She clung to him desperately, her head nestled comfortably in the curve of his shoulder. His dropped forward on his chest, tears in his eyes as well.
"Midori..." he sighed, his deep voice a gentle breath on her ear.
It was so good to be home.
His wife stepped back to take a good look at him.
"Before you come in the house, you should notice you're soaked..." she said quietly. "Just drop the coat where you are and get those boots off."
"But shouldn't I see---" he started out, but she cut him off.
"Now," she said firmly, her voice making it clear as crystal that she would hear no arguments.
Somehow, the stern look she had been going for wasn't quite as convincing as it usually was - could it have been the combination of laughter and tears in her eyes?
Silently, he slipped his arms out of the heavy wool coat, noticing that it was partially frozen. He shuddered as icy water dripped down the back of his neck, feeling the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. When Midori saw him twitch, she reached up and pushed the ice-covered coat off his shoulders, letting it drop in a wet heap in the stairwell. The jacket he had worn under it, along with his shirt and undershirt, were all soaking as well.
Midori smiled at her husband suggestively, her violet eyes speaking volumes to him though she didn't say a word. He was starting to get a little nervous... When she got that look in her eyes, things tended to become rather difficult for him. Still, he stood there completely motionless as she slid his jacket off, dropping it down in the stairwell with the coat. He caught her hands as they moved to the buttons of his shirt.
"Hold on," he said softly, his eyes shining. "I think I should see Toshio first... It's been so long since I've seen her..."
"She's been asking for you every day since you've been gone," she said, still smiling, though her eyes were sad. "She really is her father's child..."
Souzou kissed his wife's forehead tenderly and looked down into her eyes, smiling gently.
"But she has her mother's eyes," he said quietly.
Midori smiled at him again, her eyes still the slightest bit sad as she turned and led him to Toshio's room. She walked as close to him as she could, thinking of how wonderful it was just to feel his presence near her and smell his unique, spicy scent again. As they slid the shoji aside and looked in on their sleeping daughter, Souzou's expression became one of sadness.
"When did she start sleeping in her own room?" he whispered, his heart hurting because he missed such an important milestone in his only daughter's life.
"About three months ago," she answered quietly, not meeting his dark brown eyes for a moment. "The first time she slept through the whole night in here, she looked up at me when she woke up and asked 'Will Daddy be proud of me?'"
Souzou felt his heart clench painfully in his chest and it was all he could do to remain silent and not wake the girl up. Without another word, he gently brushed past his wife to the side of Toshio's little futon. Making no sound at all, he knelt down beside her. The little girl, four years old and small for her age, turned a little in her sleep. Slowly and carefully, making sure not to wake her, he eased her into his arms. He drew in a deep, shuddering breath as he held her warm little body close to his chest. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that his clothes were still wet and cold.
The tiny girl shifted in his arms, making a soft sleepy noise as she felt soggy fabric against her cheek and began to wake up a little. Souzou looked down to find two big, deep violet eyes blinking up at him sleepily. She really did have her mother's eyes. Souzou lifted her up so that she could rest her head on his shoulder. She nuzzled her face into the curve of his throat, her silky black bangs tickling his skin.
"Toshio..." he whispered, shifting her slight weight to one arm so that he could rub her back.
The little girl lifted her head from his throat and looked up at him, smiling and rubbing her eyes with one hand. Souzou kissed his daughter's forehead and leaned down towards her.
"Daddy's home," he said quietly, holding her tight.
He looked like a man who had found something precious to him, like a pearl. Now he was going to make sure he wasn't going to lose her again. Souzou closed his eyes for a moment and said a silent prayer of thanks for letting him get back to his family.
"I missed you, Daddy," she said, her soft little voice almost melting his heart. "I missed you this much."
The little girl spread her arms as wide as she could to indicate just how much she had missed her father. He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. Midori sat down with her husband and daughter.
"We're so happy you're home, darling," she said quietly, resting her head on his unoccupied shoulder and closing her eyes contentedly. "I missed you too."
"And I missed both of you..." he said softly. "I missed you so much it hurt."
Toshio was falling asleep again, feeling safe and secure as she snuggled in against her father's chest. She shifted up with a yawn and placed a small kiss on his cheek before settling back down. Souzou smiled at his daughter.
"'Night Daddy," Toshio mumbled sleepily, cuddling closer to him.
Midori sat up for a moment so that Souzou could lay Toshio back down on her little futon and tuck her in. He pulled the blankets up to her chin just the way she liked them and she turned a little, curling up on her side. A soft, quick kiss on her forehead eased her back into sleep with a smile on her face.
“Good night, my dear, sweet little Toshio," he whispered to his sleeping daughter.
Souzou and Midori tiptoed out of Toshio's room and slid the shoji closed with hardly a sound. They slowly made their way to their own bedroom, where Souzou intended to crash for at least twelve hours, most likely more. He was about to fall back on their futon, his exhaustion finally catching up with him. But Midori laid a hand on his shoulder. His shirt and undershirt were still cold and damp. His pants, while no longer completely soaked, had been in the snow longest.
"No you don't," she chided gently.
He groaned a little and turned to his wife, wondering what it was this time.
"What's wrong sweetheart?" he asked, attempting to stifle a yawn, but not quite succeeding.
'The two of them are exactly alike,' thought Midori. 'Both sweet as can be, but they could sleep through an earthquake.'
"Your clothes are still wet," she reminded him quietly. "And you are NOT sleeping in wet clothes. First of all, you'll get sick, that is if you haven't already got something just from being out there tonight. And second, they're cold and I won't have them in bed with me!"
Souzou laughed a little, grinning lopsidedly at her in exhaustion and began unbuttoning his shirt. With that done, he shrugged out of the damp black garment that suddenly seemed uncomfortable and restrictive. Midori was about to say something about him leaving it on the floor, but she figured just a little water wouldn't make the tatami rot. She let it go.
'Just this once,' she thought, smiling at him.
She stayed up just long enough to see him stretching like a cat as he pulled off the clingy wet undershirt. Seeing new wounds and old scars on his chest and arms tugged at her heart. One of them, an abdominal wound, was still bandaged. And from the look of it, he had done it himself instead of going to a doctor. As she lay down, Midori rolled her eyes, sighed and turned on her side under the two thick blankets.
'Another way he and his daughter are alike,' she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. 'They're so stubborn... Won't admit it when something hurts... They think they can take care of themselves... At least they accept it when someone cares enough to step in and care for them...'
The rustle of movement, the muttered cursing and finally the sound of wet clothing being tossed on the floor told her that he indeed had done that bandaging himself. When he bent to get his pants the rest of the way off, he must have disturbed it. She was going to sit up and demand to have a look at it, but decided against it.
'He's just so tired, the poor man,' she thought, feeling her heart tighten. 'I'll just ask about it in the morning...'
As he slipped under the blankets with her, she finally got a good look at his face. He wasn't just tired. He was exhausted. His hair was still wet, his bangs falling over his sweet, handsome face in strings. He was so exhausted that he had forgotten to take off his red bandanna. Sighing tiredly, Souzou turned over to look at his wife's face.
Slowly, she reached to wrap her arms around him. As he held her and pulled her close, her hand slid up to the back of his head. Skilled fingers untied the knot one-handed. Gently, she removed the strip of fabric from his hair. A few strands stuck to his forehead, still being wet enough to make him feel awfully cold. A shudder ran through his body.
Midori brushed those few strands away from Souzou's face, stroking his forehead gently with her fingertips. A gentle kiss there earned a soft, contented sigh from the man who lay half-asleep in her arms. She let him hold her impossibly close to his bare torso, feeling his body shiver again. More than anything, he needed warmth tonight. At last, both their needs would be fulfilled. He needed warmth from her body while she needed to be loved and held. She scooted down a little, so that her head rested in the curve of his shoulder, and closed her eyes.
Souzou slid his hand up Midori's side, making her shiver pleasantly. He slipped that same hand under her chin, tilting her head back gently. Her face was only inches from his. She opened her eyes slowly, afraid this whole thing might have been a dream.
'Am I just going to wake up tomorrow cold and alone as usual?' she thought miserably. 'Is this some kind of cosmic joke?'
Soft dark brown eyes shone in happiness as he smiled at her. Those beautiful eyes were half-closed, his breathing even and his body relaxed.
"Midori..." he sighed again, letting his eyes shut completely. “I missed you so much... My sweetheart... My love... My wife..." he whispered softly, kissing all over her face between phrases.
"Souzou, I'm so glad you're home," she whispered.
Slowly, he pulled her closer to him, closing the distance between them. Their breathing was synchronized, two beings breathing as one. Their breathing quickened slightly as they inched closer together. Their hearts were united, becoming one heart in two bodies. Their joined heartbeats raced.
When he could stand it no longer, and neither could she, Souzou gently pressed his mouth against Midori's. She gasped as she found that his kisses could still freeze her soul and heat her body just as they had when the two of them were first married. He parted her lips easily, tracing the soft skin at the inside of them with his tongue. Midori moaned softly, the sound coming from deep in her throat. Slowly, his tongue twined its way into her mouth, teasing hers to life.
It was Souzou's turn to moan as Midori curled her tongue around his in that way she knew could drive him crazy. The two of them engaged each other in tender combat, each trying to send the other reeling back in pleasure. He wasn't one to give up easily, indeed he was not. His tongue spiraled around hers, finally touching the tips together. But it didn't end there.
He retreated to his own mouth and when her tongue followed, he captured it tenderly between his lips. She gasped a little in both surprise and pleasure. Gasps turned to soft whimpers as he stroked the underside of her tongue with the tip of his own. Soft whimpers became deep groans of bliss as he pulled back just enough so that the tip of her tongue was still gently caught between his lips. But that wasn't what did it. Midori's whimpers became groans as Souzou began to suckle tenderly on the very tip of her tongue, himself moaning deeply.
Finally, the need for air pushed its way into both of their pleasure-hazed minds. Reluctantly, Souzou pulled away from Midori's soft, sweet mouth. He made her body shake a little as he gave her tongue a final, teasing flick with his own then nipped it very lightly with his front teeth.
As husband and wife gazed at each other through half-closed eyes, both breathing heavily, exhaustion caught up with both of them. Midori was first to close her eyes, giving a shuddering sigh of contentment. Souzou watched her fall asleep, then followed, sighing a little himself. On his face was an expression of purest ecstasy.
Souzou Sagara had never felt more at home in his life.
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