RECAP: "Well, we should be heading out." said Cameron, "Come visit us at the hotel later, okay? Bring some of your family." "Can do!" you grinned, "Oh, Frey, we have an extra room. You're welcome to stay with us." "For real!?" he exclaimed, "Aw, sweet, I'll go get my stuff from the car! Thanks, sis!" You smiled as he ran out the door, right past the rest of your retreating relatives.
"Sis..." you smiled, leaning against Ayame, his arms around you, "I could get used to that..."
Yay! Now continue!
It had been three days since Frey had come to live with you, and your relationship with him had done nothing but grow. He was more like a puppy than an older brother, always asking questions about how you grew up without parents around, when you met Ayame, how you got the scar on your back... It would have become annoying for any other person, but you welcomed his curiosity. You wanted to be close to your family from across the sea.
"Frey, we're going out for a while!" you called from the front door one night, pulling on your shoes, "Hold down the fort for us while we're gone, okay?" "Alright." he said, rising from his place on the couch, the wireless Playstation controller in his hand, "Where are you two lovebirds off to?" "We're going out for dinner." said Ayame, "Just the two of us, like when we were dating." "Yup!" you smiled, squeezing his hand, "We'll be back in a few hours." "Okay, have fun!" said Frey, waving goodbye.
A short break...
"Aaya..." you say, gazing out the window of the car, "Where are we going?" "Out to eat, silly, I told you that already." said Ayame, smiling over at you. You smirked. "Liar. It's been twenty minutes, and we've gone the exact opposite direction of where we were supposed to go. Just tell me the truth." "Can't get anything past you." he sighed, "Back home." "Home wh--? Ayame!" you groanes, "No you are not! I refuse!" "Mother and father just want to see you again before we get married." said Aaya, trying to reason with you, "It's just dinner and coffee." "Your mother hates me!" you say, slapping a hand over your eyes, "I swear, if you were a girl, she wouldn't let this wedding happen." "Well, that's probably true." said Ayame, beginning to laugh, "So, I guess it's a good thing I was born with a penis, now, wasn't it?"
You give him your 'what the...?' look, before bursting into laughter, leaning on the dashboard for support. "Wow, Aaya." you giggle, "That was wonderful." "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed that." he smiled, "And just for the record, mother was the one who organized this dinner." "Oh joy, this changed everything." you laugh, rolling your eyes. "We're here..." says Ayame, pulling up in front of his old home. He looked over and gave you a reassuring smile, before stepping out of the car and helping you out. "You ready?" he asked, escorting you to the front porch. "Yeah." you say, taking a steadying breath, moving to hold your fiance's hand, "I'm ready."
Before Ayame could even knock, the door opened and Ayame's father stood in the doorway. Yup. He definitely took after his mother. His hair was white, no longer the silver you remembered from the few times you had met him in your childhood. He was a short guy, probably only a few inches taller than his wife, but he seemed alot warmer than he used to be. "Hello, father." said Ayame, pulling you into the house with him, "You remember Alita, right?" "How could I forget?" he asked, smiling kindly and approaching you, "The cute little Takkun I remember is all grown up." "It's nice seeing you again, Mr. Sohma." you say, shking his hand. "Don't be so formal!" he laughed, pulling you into a hug, "Call me 'Dad', we're family!" "Okay..." you smile, patting him on the back, "...Dad..." "Well, you two have been doing well, right?" he asked, releasing you and looking you and Ayame over, "You look very happy together. I don't think I've ever seen the two of you so happy." "Of course we are!" grinned Ayame, "Alita is very special to me." "Aaya!" you smile, blushing madly, "Speaking of happy, you look rather jovial." "Retirement has worked wonders." said Ayame's father, "Well, come on into the living room, Yuki and your mother are waiting." "Yuki's here?" you ask, slipping off your spring coat and hanging it in the closet, kicking your shoes off in the entryway. "Mother said that she wanted all of us here." said Aaya, removing his own coat and shoes, "She sees this as an opportunity to get the family together. Don't worry about it." "I'm not..." you say, taking a steadying breath, "Let's go see your mum."
His father then ushers the two of you into the living area of the house, where Yuki and his mother were sitting in silence. It was rather eerie, having two people of the same family sitting in a room together, not saying a word to each other. "Hello, Mother!" said Ayame, sweeping out ahead of you to embrace his mother, "You remember Alita, yes?" She gazed over at you with that blank 'Oh, It's You' expression, and nodded. "Yes. The outsider." "Mother, please." said Ayame, helping her to her feet and yanking you over, "She'll be a Sohma when we get married, so it's time you started treating her like one." She gave a reluctant nod, and you stuck out your hand for her to shake, forcing a smile for Aaya. "It's wonderful seeing you again, Mrs. Sohma. Have you been well?" "Yes, and you, Miss North?" she smiled, forcing a rather convincing smile and shaking your hand.
"Oh!" said Ayame, turning his attention to his brother, possibly the warmest individual in the room right now. You didn't blame him, even you wouldn't want to deal with yourself and his mother. "What a... wonderful reunion! Yuki, how have you been, little brother?" "Just fine, how are you, nii-san?" asked Yuki, not about to add to the iciness that was radiating from you and your future in-law. "Well, sit down, make yourself at home, Alita." said Mrs Sohma, "Dinner will be ready shortly. Well, how have you two been?" "Absolutely wonderful." you smiled, "Is retirement treating you well?" "Well, I've had a lot of free time to spend with family, it's been nice." she said. "Mistress." said one of the maids, entering the living area, "Dinner is served." She nodded her acknowledgement, and rose to her feet. "Let's continue this conversation at dinner."
Get me out of here...
"So, Ayame, I hear that Alita has moved in with you." said Ayame's father, gazing over at the two of you from the head of the table, "How has that been? Living together?" "It's nice." smiled Ayame, serving you a leg of crab, "Having her around all the time." "What, you don't work?" asked his mother. "Actually, I work out of home." you say, ignoring her hostility. "She's a manga-ka, mother." said Yuki, "She's quite good, actually." "So, what, you draw comic books all day?" she asked, raising a thin eyebrow. You grit your teeth, resisting an eye-roll. "Yes, precisely." you smiled, cracking the crab leg between your fingers, "Serialized in monthly Shoujo Beat, and it premieres in individual books in four months. We're really excited." "I'm sure." she said, "So, have you two slept together yet?" Cue the spit-take. Both Ayame and Yuki spit their spring water all over the place, and you choked on your crab in shock. "Excuse me!?" you exclaimed, trying to compose yourself. "Well, I'm just wondering if the marriage isn't just because you're pregnant and need child support." she said nonchalantly, "Because you're not milking this family dry." "Mother, please." said Ayame, "I love her. And to answer your question, yes, we have." "No details, please." said Yuki, still trying to compose himself. "Do you have any morals?" she asked, appalled, "You couldn't wait until after marriage?" "Well, I guess not." you say, rearing for a fight, "When did you lose your virginity, Missus S?" "On my wedding night, like a respectable young lady--!" "Yeah, you and about four other women in the country--" "Not like a Yankee prostitute!"
The whole room fell silent. That was out of line. You knew that you had said some things to get her to that point, but... "Mother, apologize to her." said Ayame, hands on your shoulders, trying to keep you calm. She glared over at you, giving you a look that would have killed a small rodent. You knew that she would never apologize, and you accepted it. But you could be the bigger person. "I'm sorry, Mrs Sohma, what I said was out of line." you apologize, sugary sweet, "Could you possibly forgive me for my rudeness?" She gave a swift nod, obviously shocked, and you smiled, picking up your chopsticks again.
"Send my compliments to the chef."
Wow...
Thanks to those who read, rate, and the like. This is being held hostage, thanks to lack of rates. I know I'm being a whore, but pressing a button isn't that hard. 10 rates and messages, folks. <3
