Chapitre 23 :: Midnight rendezvous II

Publiée: 17-03-07 - Mise à jour: 17-03-07

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A few hours later, Kaori lay wide awake in bed, staring at her ceiling. It figured she couldn’t sleep a wink, constantly waiting for any sounds that would betray Ryo’s return. Damn the man! Couldn’t he leave her alone even when he wasn’t there to plague her?! Jesus! What has become of her?! She turned into one of those sappy, cry-baby, air headed women that inhabited the soap-opera world. She’s become the very epitome of the woman she loathed and despised. And all because of an insensitive, obnoxious, selfish, egocentric, jerk of a man named Saeba Ryo.  

When was she going to learn?! When will she finally be able to rid herself of the love she felt for him? When will she finally get the fact that he didn’t care for her?! At least not in the way she cared for him! When will she finally realize that all the time she spent pining for him was good time wasted in vain?! When will she realize all that?!  

With a heavy sigh, she deduced that will happen when hell would freeze over and cows would fly freely across the sky cheerfully mooing the Star Spangled Banner.  

»Shoot,« she grumbled, throwing the covers off her body. »Shoot, shoot, shoot, and double shoot. First, I can’t sleep because of his porno dream, now I can’t sleep because he isn’t here dreaming his porno dream. Shoot!«  

Scowling mightily, she stomped down the hallway, intent on heating some milk and getting right back into the sleeping business.  

Opening the door to the living room, she froze in place. She completely forgot that Umibozu was camping in their living room. But what struck her, was his pose. He was sitting, back straight, in a wooden chair by the window. How could he sleep in such a position? But then, he was probably used to sleeping in all kinds of weird places.  

Umibozu sat unmoving, staring at the girl tiptoeing over the living room floor toward the kitchen. A shadow of a smile crossed his granite-like features while watching her. She probably thought he was sleeping and tried not to wake him. He also had to give her credit, she did indeed move without making any sound, which was probably all due to Ryo and the years she spent with him. But while she moved silently, her slender frame was so crooked and she looked so uncomfortable in her pose, that he had to do something.  

»Trouble sleeping, Kaori?«  

Freezing, half bent over and one leg in midair, Kaori almost had a heart attack then and there. Then, her precarious position having the best of her, she emitted a slight squeak, before plopping down onto the floorboards on her belly.  

For such a big, burly guy, Umibozu moved with an almost inhuman speed, reaching her side in a mere second. »Are you okay?« he asked quietly.  

»Fine,« she breathed, unable to find her voice.  

»I didn’t mean to startle you,« he muttered apologetically, grabbing the back of her pajamas in one big fist and lifting her like a kitten.  

He didn’t mean to startle her?! Kaori stared at the man as if he’d grown wings. She thought he was sleeping and was creeping toward the kitchen in order not to wake him and he goes and speaks to her?! Of course she almost peed herself! Why wasn’t he sleeping as he was supposed to?!  

Umibozu stared at the woman in front of him, his hand still fisted in her pajamas. The color was slowly returning to her cheeks and her eyes were definitely getting irritated. What was her problem? He apologized! Women were truly Mother Nature’s biggest mystery.  

Kaori narrowed her eyes. Her problem was, she was still suspended in midair, thank you very much! She wasn’t a five-year old. She could stand on her own two feet!  

»Could you, please, let me down?« she hissed.  

Blushing furiously, he slowly lowered her to her feet.  

»Sorry,« he mumbled. Then, seeing her pajama was still bunched up under her armpits, he blushed even more, tugging it down around her waist.  

You moron! You stupid, stupid idiot! Look what you’ve done, you brute. God, let me die. How can I be such a dolt? Ground open up and enjoy your meal! I’m not a people’s person! I should have remained in the jungle with the monkeys!  

»Sorry,« he mumbled again, desperately wanting to bolt.  

Kaori’s anger evaporated in a heartbeat. For such a huge man, he sure had some pretty low thoughts about himself. So he wasn’t such a people’s person, so he didn’t know how to act when women were around… No one should think such things about themselves. To hell with monkeys, she will make sure at least for tonight, he didn’t feel inadequate.  

Flashing him her most brilliant smile, she gently placed her fingers on his arm.  

»No, I’m the one who should apologize, Umibozu-san. You’re here solely on your good will and I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. I’m sorry for snapping at you, it’s just that I get cranky if I don’t get enough sleep.«  

He gulped. Okay, Hayato, focus here! This is Kaori. She’s Miki’s friend. You know her, she’s nice. So what if her hand’s on your arm. You don’t have to start hyperventilating for such a small thing. It’s not a big deal. Just breathe and DON’T FAINT!  

Suppressing a laugh, Kaori quickly removed her hand. The guy was practically glowing in the darkness.  

Finally being able to breathe normally, Umibozu took a slow, almost careful step back. »Uhm…« God, it’s hot in here. »I…«  

»Would you care for a cup of hot chocolate?« Kaori asked quickly. »I usually drink warm milk when I can’t sleep, but this time I’m in the mood for something with more kick. But I hate to drink alone. Would you mind keeping me company?«  

»Uhm…« He was starting to choke. But he loved hot chocolate as much as he …feared! … hated cats, and if there were some little marshmallows in it…  

»Would it help sweeten the pot, if I managed to find a few little marshmallows to put in the chocolate?« Kaori coyly asked. Sometimes her mind-reading ability was a real hoot.  

»I think I can manage a cup of chocolate,« he groused, thankful beyond words. The chit seemed to know him well.  

Kaori smiled, leading the way into the kitchen.  

They’ve been sitting in pleasant silence, each with a steaming cup of chocolate in front, for what seemed to be hours. Staring at the marshmallows frothing on top of her cup, Kaori listened to Umibozu humming the Superman Theme in his head. When he started to hum, well, think-hum, she had a hard time keeping herself from laughing out loud. Who would have thought he was a movie fan. She always imagined him sitting in a dark corner, polishing his bazooka, but now she had a quite clear image of him in the middle of a theater with a full carton of popcorn, staring intently at the screen.  

She smiled. At least his humming prevented her from thinking too much about her predicament. Ryo still hasn’t returned and she was slowly starting to worry. It wasn’t like him to stay out this late, but the events of the previous morning were pretty much out of the ordinary. But she still couldn’t understand his odd reaction and his staying out late.  

And here she went thinking about him once again. Shoot! Shoot! Double shoot!  

Umibozu stared through the darkness at the girl in front of him. He knew she was trying hard not to think about Ryo and his disappearance, and she was failing miserably. If only she’d refrain from starting to ask questions. Because he sure as hell didn’t know what to tell her.  

»Umibozu-san?« she asked softly.  

Oh, God. Here we go. He knew she wouldn’t be able to resist. Damn Ryo and his stupidity. Couldn’t the bastard stayed at Mick’s long enough to learn the truth?! Oh, God!  

Clearing his throat, he peered at her intently. »Yes, Kaori?«  

There were so many questions warring inside her head, she didn’t know where to start. Why did she even speak in the first place? Couldn’t she just have stayed there in silence, listening to him hum softly in his head? No, she had to open her bloody mouth!  

Fisting her fingers in her pajama pants, she took a deep breath. »Do you think he’ll come home tonight?«  

»No.«  

There was such finality in that quietly spoken word, it made chills run up her spine. »How can you tell?«  

He was silent, staring in bewilderment at the tears spilling out of her eyes.  

His unspoken words rang in her ears, echoing inside her mind…  

I wouldn’t. 

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