Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Snow ❯ More Trouble ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Midori woke up the next morning feeling strong arms around her, still holding her close. Souzou had turned on his back at some point during the night. Now Midori rested comfortably settled on his body instead of beside him. As she became more aware of her surroundings - as in, thinking about something other than laying there in her beloved's arms - she found that it was just barely dawn.

'I'd better get up and see about Toshio,' she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. 'If I know him, he'll most likely sleep till noon.'

Still, when she got a look at the early-morning sunbeams lighting up his face, she figured Toshio was probably still asleep anyway. The soft sunlight made his unruly black hair, once again in his face, shine like a raven's wing. His mouth still curved into a peaceful smile.

'He looks just like he did when he was waking up after our wedding night.' she thought, smiling at the memories and at her husband's blissful expression.

However, Souzou was indeed not asleep. He had woken a few minutes before his wife, for once. When he felt her shifting a little, he threw out the idea of getting up and surprising her with breakfast. There was no way he was leaving this kind of comfort so soon. She probably wouldn't move anyway, so he settled on their futon, perfectly content.

When she started moving a little more, as she always did when trying to stay in bed after she was awake, he turned on his side. Her movement ceased, as though afraid she had woken him. She really was hopeless at faking sleep. He should know, he had done it to her often enough. He smiled gently at her, stroking her back softly. She relaxed and settled against him once more, nuzzling into the hollow of his throat. Now he had his chance.

Slowly, his hand slipped inside her yukata, brushing her bare side ever so softly. Every muscle in her body tensed. He did it again, fluttering his fingers lightly over her soft skin. Her arms tightened around him and she tried to stifle a small giggle. He pulled back from her just a little, but his hand remained at her side.

She made a small sound as she was drawn away from his skin. This was more perfect than he had thought it would be. As he pulled her close again, he nestled his head into the curve of her throat, his mouth almost touching her smooth skin. Tenderly, he started placing soft kisses along the line of her jugular vein, feeling her heartbeat quickening at the caress of his mouth. When he came to the pulse point of her throat, he started suckling gently on the creamy pale flesh. Her breathing became more erratic by the second.

It seemed that by now she had forgotten that his hand was still inside her yukata. As he swirled his tongue over the sensitive skin of her throat, he started stroking her side again. She tensed as the warmth of his hand raised chill bumps over her whole body. Slowly, he pulled his mouth away from her her smooth, creamy pale skin. His hand began moving faster and faster along her side. Soon he was holding her against his chest, muffling her uncontrollable laughter.

As she stopped shaking and relaxed into his hold, still giggling softly, he pressed soft kisses along her jawline. He got so occupied with his attentions that he didn't notice when her movement and laughter ceased completely. He froze as he heard her give a soft false cough.

'Oh boy,' he thought wearily. 'I've done it now...'

He figured he had better think of something fast. If he didn't, it was going to be an all-out war. As he felt her hand move down his bare chest, her fingernails trailing lightly on his skin, he reconsidered. This was one battle he might not mind losing.

"Good morning sweetheart," he said softly. "Sleep well?"

"I was," she said quietly, mischief evident in her voice. "At least until a few minutes ago."

He smiled at her, the kind that he knew could melt her heart in an instant. Her expression was torn for a second, trying to decide whether to continue her side of the battle or to surrender now. Souzou smiled inwardly, knowing he had won... for the moment...

"Unfair," she whispered, resting a hand on his cheek. "You know what that does to me..."

He looked into her eyes for a second, smiling at her before pulling her close for a soft, quick kiss.

"I think that's the point," he whispered back, winking at her.

She pouted at him for a second, then gave up, wrapping her arms around her husband's neck and letting him hold her.

"You didn't put up much of a fight this time," he muttered into her hair. "Don't tell me you've lost that fiery spirit..."

She didn't answer, just slid a hand slowly down his bare back. He moaned softly and froze. She grinned evilly against his throat and began running her fingernails lightly up and down the sensitive skin. Every muscle in his body tensed and he arched his back like a cat. His eyelids fluttered and he tightened his hold on her. Midori smiled again, her revenge almost complete. But not quite...

She stopped the movement of her hand and he relaxed in her arms, his breathing heavy. Slowly, she began running the point of her tongue up and down the curve of his throat. Souzou threw his head back with a deep groan, his eyes half-closed and his lips barely parted. As Midori started again with her fingernails, this time using both hands, she increased the speed of her tongue against his skin. Her husband arched against her once more, his heartbeat fluttering wildly under each maddeningly light, wickedly fast stroke on his throat.

As Souzou continued to moan with pleasure and writhe against his wife's body, she began to draw back. Midori watched his eyes close completely, his chest heaving as the rest of his body relaxed. When he had enough control over himself to look her in the face, she smiled up at him, her expression sweet, gentle and absolutely evil.

"I won," she purred, placing a light kiss on the pulse point at his throat.

The slight touch made him gasp a little and tighten his arms around her. Trying to collect himself enough to speak, he looked deeply into his wife's violet eyes.

"Damn right you did," he breathed, closing his dark brown eyes and pressing a kiss to her lips. "I can't believe you got me with that one again..."

Midori stroked her beloved's flushed cheek, smiling gently. The mischief in her eyes was gone, replaced by love. She rested her head on his shoulder, her warm breath tickling his still-heated skin.

"We should get up now," she whispered in his ear. "I think Toshio is awake..."

She lay back on the futon as Souzou sat up and stretched, watching his muscles ripple under lightly suntanned skin. When he got up, she scooted into the warm spot left by his body. She closed her eyes, not going back to sleep, just thinking about how wonderful it was. Her beloved was home and they were a family once again.

When she opened her eyes again, he was almost fully dressed and was currently fishing through drawers looking for a clean shirt. As usual, he couldn't find one. Before he could ask her where his shirts were (again) Midori silently pushed herself up off the futon and sneaked up behind him without a sound. She wrapped her arms around him from behind, nuzzling her cheek against his back. His brown undershirt was soft against her skin.

"Don't bother," she said softly. "You look better just in that."

Souzou tried to smile, but he was in too much pain.

"Midori, honey," he panted through clenched teeth. "Please sweetheart... let go..."

Midori quickly released her hold on his waist and jumped back. Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Souzou was doubled over, one arm wrapped around his abdomen, obviously in pain. His breathing was ragged and his face had turned deathly pale. She remembered the bandaged wound she had seen last night. Gently, she laid a hand on her husband's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"Souzou, what's wrong!?" she asked, trying not to sound frantic and failing miserably. "Is it whatever you have under that bandage?"

He nodded, his eyes fluttering as though he was struggling to remain conscious. Midori quickly took hold of his arm and led him back to their futon and eased him down on it. His other arm was still clamped firmly around his waist, not wanting to take the pressure off the wound.

"Come on," she said gently, trying to coax him to release his grip. "Let me see it."

Finally, after a short struggle and mild swearing from both of them, his arm was pinned at his side. Slowly, telling herself not to faint at what she might see, Midori started pulling Souzou's shirt up. The bandages that had been at least decently clean last night were now soaked through with blood. Just how bad was it?

"Honey, please," he whimpered. "Don't touch it... I'll be alright once it closes back up."

"WHAT!?" she almost yelled at him. "You could bleed to death before that happens! Enough nonsense! Let me get those things off you!"

Before he could say or do anything, she reached under her side of the futon and came up with something in her hand. It was the knife he had given her in case there was any trouble while he was away. Souzou tried one more time to convince his wife that this was no problem.

"Midori, I'm going to be fine," he said softly, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "Just let me rest for a little while... It should close up shortly."

She didn't say anything, just slid the knife out of its sheath and started trying to figure out how to get the tightly-wrapped cloth off of him without hurting either of them. Finally, she gingerly pulled up the edge of one of the bloody strips of cloth and placed the tip of the blade under it. To her surprise (and his relief) it worked. Before long, she had managed to at least cut through all of it. However, not all of them were coming off that easily.

Taking a closer look, she saw that some of the bandages were stuck to his skin with dried blood. Midori bit her lip. She could think of only one way to get them off and she knew it would hurt him. She placed a gentle hand over his eyes, making sure he at least wouldn't see it.

"Grit your teeth, Souzou," she said grimly, trying to keep her voice soft and calm. "This is going to hurt... Hold my hand; you'll be alright in a minute..."

His hand found hers and held it tightly. She took hold of one of the ends and closed her eyes. One quick, sharp tug tore the cloth from his skin. He threw his head back, crying out in pain. Before he could register a second sensation, she took care of the rest quickly then looked at his face. His eyes were closed, his lips parted and his forehead shining with perspiration. She kissed his cheek tenderly.

"You did just fine," she whispered. "I'll have it taken care of in about two minutes."

Then she got a look at the full extent of his injuries. Barely stifling a gasp, she adjusted her eyes to the grim sight. An open slash ran diagonally from just under the left side of his rib cage to the center of his lower belly. His stomach was covered in blood. Taking deep breaths to keep from being sick, she bit her lip again.

"Oh, darling..." she breathed. "What happened to you!?"

He opened his eyes about halfway, looking up at her with pain still too obvious in his face. His lips shuddered as he tried to speak but gave up. Midori was trying hard not to panic. Had he come home just so he could die near his family?

"Nevermind what happened," she said firmly. "You can tell me about it later. Right now, we just need to get that closed."

Souzou moaned in pain, his breathing still harsh. Midori stroked his chest softly.

"Don't you dare move until I get back," she warned him gently as tears started to cloud her vision. "You can't die now, Souzou. I won't let you. Hold on for me... and for Toshio..."

Midori jumped to her feet and tore down the hall to Toshio's room, knowing she couldn't run the risk of her daughter waking up while she was gone. The condition Souzou was in would probably send her into shock. In a flash, the little girl was awake, instantly alert. Midori picked up her little daughter and flew for the door, grabbing some kind of coat and vaguely hoping that she looked decent. Toshio sensed her mother's urgency and settled quietly in her arms.

The young woman wearing only a powder-blue yukata and a wet wool coat along with her sandals sprinted down the road into town as fast as she could. People stared at her as she came pelting into a major marketplace. She ran to the first person she recognized, her friend Nanaka.

"Nanaka! You have to help me!" she yelled, almost in hysterics at this point. "It's Souzou! He's---"

"Hold on," said Nanaka firmly. "Let me watch Toshio while you go to the doctor. Don't even tell me why you're covered in blood, just go! He lives down that way; it's the house right next to the clinic."

Midori placed her daughter in her best friend's arms and took off at top speed in the indicated direction. She pulled the still-wet coat closer around her as she realized for the first time that there was snow on the ground. Within seconds, she was banging on the door of the clinic as hard as she could, almost in tears. The doctor, a kindly old man who acted as the unofficial "grandfather" for the town, answered the door with a slightly puzzled look on his face.

"May I help you, young lady?" he asked gently, seeing the panic in the woman's eyes. "What's the trouble?"

"It's my husband!" she yelled, making the old man wince for the sake of his already-fading hearing. "He's been wounded and it wasn't taken care of properly! He could be dying and ---"

"Calm down, madam," he said firmly. "Hysterics do no one any good at a time like this. Come on; Missy can get there faster than an old man like me."

He led her around the side of a building where an old, rather tired-looking donkey was hanging around the alley near a cart that looked like it had seen better days. Midori groaned inwardly. Could today get any worse for her family?

"Here, let me help you," said the doctor. "Hold on tight! Missy can really toss you around when she gets going!"

Midori took the old man's advice and clung to the seat with all the strength she had. In seconds that tired-looking donkey had become, in Midori's eyes, a champion racehorse. The little jennet pelted through the town at full gallop. It was as if she already knew the way; the doctor only had to touch the reins once and that was to get her started.

'Hold on, Souzou,' she thought, her mind and heart racing. 'Toshio needs her daddy...'

She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the cart stopping. The doctor gently touched the young woman's arm. Startled, she jumped off the seat and yelped.

"Madam," said the doctor quietly, gesturing towards the house. "Is this the right house?"

She looked around, disoriented, for a second before following his gesture. The house was indeed hers. Nodding mutely, she slid down from the cart and took off like a shot for the door. The old doctor did the same, only at a more sedate pace.

"Souzou!" cried Midori, tearing down the hall as fast as she could. "Souzou, you're going to be alright now..."

She slowed down as she got to the bedroom door. In her haste, she had left it open, so she padded in quietly. When the doctor reached the bedroom, he found the young woman kneeling by her husband's side. She was breathing hard and her face was flushed from all that running, but she was relaxing now that she was here, holding his hand. The next thing the doctor saw was the slash across Souzou's stomach.

'She was right,' he noted mentally. 'He's in pretty bad shape.'

"I'm Dr. Shimada," he said quietly. "You're going to be fine, sir."

Slowly, he knelt beside the barely-conscious young man. It was probably going to be easier on everyone this way. It would be fairly easy to get the stitches in, because he wouldn't be able to struggle. Since his heart rate was considerably slow, there would be less blood loss. Most of all, it would be for the most part painless.

"He's going to make it?" asked Midori, her voice trembling.

"He certainly is," replied the doctor with a smile. "However, you might want to leave the room during this part. Some people find it... somewhat disturbing..."

She looked the doctor in the eyes, her face determined.

"No thank you, Dr. Shimada," she said firmly. "I'm staying. If... If anything... goes wrong and... and he doesn't make it... then he won't die without me here beside him."

The doctor's old heart clenched, touched by this woman's devotion to her husband. At the moment, one of her hands was laced tightly with his, while the other stroked his hair softly.

"Madam, would you see if there is a clean cotton towel readily available?" asked the doctor, his voice becoming businesslike. "And I'll need you to boil some water."

Midori jumped up and ran from the bedroom. In seconds, the doctor heard closets and drawers being flung open and slammed shut. Another few seconds and he heard pots and pans banging and clattering around the kitchen. After about a minute, some more banging and shouted swear words (he assumed she had burned herself), she came rushing back into the bedroom, sucking on her finger, as quickly as she had left.

The doctor nodded his head in thanks and began his work. Once or twice, the young man groaned softly in pain and tried to move, but his wife gently held him still. A couple of times, she looked fairly pale herself, as if she were about to faint. But she shook it away before he could say anything. Except for those few times when she had to hold him still, she never let go of her beloved's hand.

A little over two hours later, all the stitches were firmly in place. As he finished bandaging the young man's stomach, the doctor shook his head in amazement. He had chosen an incredible woman as his wife.

"You're a very lucky man, sir," he said quietly before turning to the young woman. "Madam, if you hadn't come to me when you did, your husband would not be alive right now."

Her deep violet eyes widened.

"He was that close?" she asked softly, disbelief evident in the expression on her face.

"Indeed he was," said the doctor matter-of-factly. "Now you need to listen carefully."

She nodded, her eyes suspiciously light.

"First, he'll need to stay in bed while the wound itself heals a little more," he said firmly. "And don't let him pull his stitches. That means no strenuous activity for a while. You'll have to be firm with him, but it doesn't seem like you'll have much trouble with that."

Midori laughed softly and squeezed her husband's hand.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Shimada," she said quietly, brushing a happy tear away. "Toshio would never forgive him if he left her now..."

"Your daughter?" asked the doctor, smiling fondly as he remembered when his own children were small.

"Yes," said Midori, running her hand through Souzou's hair. "She's her daddy's girl... always has been..."

Dr. Shimada smiled again and pushed himself slowly to his feet. He bade farewell to Midori, reminding her to keep Souzou in bed for a while, and headed out to take Missy home. Midori nodded, staying by her husband's side. She stroked his chest gently until he started coming around.

As pain-glazed brown eyes fluttered open and looked up tiredly, the first thing Souzou saw was Midori's smiling face.

"You're alright now," she said softly, leaning down to kiss his cheek lightly. "I got it taken care of."

Souzou tried to say his wife's name, but she placed a finger gently on his lips.

"Shh... it's alright," she whispered. "Just rest now..."

He closed his eyes and relaxed as Midori brushed back his bangs, running her fingers tenderly through his silky black hair. Vaguely, he noticed that his wound no longer hurt as much. A slim hand came to rest over his heart and he covered it with his own. Tears of joy streamed slowly out of Midori's eyes as she felt his heartbeat under her hand. Only an hour ago, she was afraid she would never feel it or hear it again...

'I'm so glad you're alive, my darling,' she thought as she placed a gentle kiss on his mouth, eliciting a soft sigh from him. 'I don't know what I would do without you...'

When she saw that he was asleep again, she silently got up and padded out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her this time. Toshio would be wondering what was going on by now. Finding a decent-looking robe and tossing it on over her yukata, she slipped her feet into her sandals and headed back up the road to town.

She didn't attract nearly as much attention when she approached Nanaka's door as when she had been there that morning. Knocking quietly on her friend's door, she closed her eyes and thanked God that her family could stay together. She only hoped it would last...

"--- Hey! Are you still awake in there!?" scolded Nanaka, knocking on her friend's head as if knocking on a door. "Toshio's in Kaede's room, I'd imagine. She seemed to be alright after a few minutes. She just said 'Something isn't good' then went to play with Kaede. So how is he?"

"He'll be fine," replied Midori, grinning embarrassedly and rubbing her abused skull. "He has to stay in bed for a few days, but he'll be alright... But it was pretty close..."

"You mean---?" asked Nanaka, letting her voice trail off.

Midori nodded.

"If I hadn't gone for help when I did," she said softly. "I would have lost him."

Nanaka hugged the young woman who had been her best friend since both of them were Toshio's age.

"I'll go get Toshio and Kaede," she said brightly. "Be back in a second!"

In seconds Nanaka emerged from Kaede's room with one small, violet-eyed girl with lightly suntanned skin and long, silky black hair and one with bright green eyes, fair skin and a mane of dark red waves that hung to the middle of her back. The little redhead was about a foot and a half taller than Toshio, but the two of them were best friends from the start.

"Thank you so much for taking care of Toshio for me," said a greatly relieved Midori as she picked up her smiling daughter. "Kaede needs to come stay with us sometime when the girls are a little older!"

"Sure!" chirped Nanaka.

"I'll see you later, 'Naka," said Midori, waving at her best friend, who stood in her doorway with her little daughter in her arms, both of them waving. "And thanks again!"

"No problem!" called Nanaka. "Bye for now Ri-chan!"

Midori smiled at the nickname her best friend had given her when they were four. She had only done it because she couldn't say "Midori". A best friend was one of the most precious treasures in the world. That day, there was no way Midori could have known how much she would need the support of her best friend in the months to come.

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