Reunited: The Rabbit and the Hound
It had been a day since Alastor’s little heart to heart with Josie. He’d made the rounds, reintroduced himself to those whom he’d missed the night before, had a small powwow with Browning, Wildcat, and BP about ideas he had, and Tech he could disclose to them. BP had then won the game of lots the three pulled and Alastor spent the day with her, going over armor tech, mainly a new laminant that had been developed to increase heat dissipation and insulation on outer layers.
He placed a his hand on the door’s frame, memories of all the time he’d spent beyond its confines, or her in his. All the conversations, the jokes, the stories. All the fondness that had spurred from two people begrudgingly agreeing to do a mission together, and the bonds that followed. And of course the hurt, from having lost her, having thought he’d lost her, failed to save her, and knowing that she’d been alive, if not well, all this time.
He pushed down the feelings, and the knot forming in his stomach and swallowed the lump in his throat before curling his hand into a loose fist and knocking against the doors metal frame.
Her voice was quick to reply. “O hairi kudasai,” She called, offering him to enter.
He reached for the door handle and paused, reconsidering for a moment before steeling himself and pushing the door open. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, finding himself in very familiar surroundings. The room was tidy, as she always kept it, and so little of her personal belongings were present. He took a moment to glance around, and his eyes immediately fell upon the picture on her desk. An old photo of him and her, taken the one time they’d both visited Kyoto, taken in the Gion district. He stepped over to the desk and picked the frame up, smiling at it. “I still can’t believe you got me to dress in a kimono for that tea ceremony…”
“You may be gaijin, but you at least did the ceremony right. Your honor was at stake.” Tsano’s voice teased lightly from the restroom. The sound of running water started and then ended, before the tapping of her cane presaged her arrival. She leaned against the doorframe tiredly, dressed in a red silk bathrobe: one of her very few frivolous purchases, also from the time they were in Kyoto. It had an sleeping orange dragon pattern going up one side and down the other, and gave her significant modesty, hanging down to below her knees. However the scar at her throat was uncovered. A smaller scar than what had been a terrible wound, but a scar nonetheless. A small smile quirked her lips as she brushed damp hair back over an ear. “I wondered how long it would take before you would pay a one-on-one visit, without everyone else observing. Let me guess...you were with Tia-chan, right?”
He nodded solemnly, eyes falling on the scar, and a frown forming just slightly on his face as he placed the picture back down on her desk. “She’s been picking my brain for SHIELD armor tech all day.” He let out a sigh, and stepped over to where she stood and wrapped both his arms around her. “Sonnani anata wo minogashi te i masu.”
She returned it with a free arm, sighing softly. “And I you. Good friends, especially those willing to stake their honor on the line to do a tea ceremony properly, are extremely hard to find.”
He held on to her for a good minute before finally letting go and stepping back so she could find a place to sit. “You were worth the tea ceremony,” he smiled and put his hands behind his back. “You’re worth a lot of things actually.”
She slowly walked her way over to her desk and gingerly sat down before slipping her glasses on her nose, adjusting them once out of habit before looking to him. “Would this be the subtle persuasion to talk me into doing that procedure?” Her voice held no vitrol; as usual, she was neutrally curious.
“No,” He shook his head, “Because there are a lot of things to consider on your end for that, even if it’s possible. Like the fact that if it works. Well…” He sighed, “Lets just say baring being killed, I’m likely to live a very, very, very long life.”
“Was that before, or after, the change to a supernatural creature once thought to be pure myth?” She leaned back in her chair, sighing with some relief.
“The potential was there before, the incident that caused me to become a werewolf was what happened to awaken it. Along with what comes with being a werewolf.” He leaned up against the wall and simply kept his eyes on her. “The two in tandem make me extremely durable, but, there are obviously downsides.”
She gave a small snort, and a little nod. “I suppose so. Outliving those you knew...friends and family, colleagues. That would be a significant burden. Even if you are nearly invincible, the victories aren’t as sweet without one to share who will have as long a life.”
“No it’s not, and I know what it is like to lose the person you used to share in victories with.” He closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the wall, letting it make a thud. “I was lost, for so long, without my little rabbit beside me. I’ve found others, I filled the hole, but that vacuum where you once were remained. There is no Zingari without Kasuga, you were and remain my other half.”
She closed her eyes, and turned her head away. It was a few moments before she finally spoke. “The Kasuga I was before is not quite back yet. I’m afraid that vacuum will have to remain for awhile longer. Gomen nasai.”
“You are who you are regardless of your abilities Usagi.” He opened one eye and tilted his head enough to look at her. “It doesn’t matter to me that you’re walking with a cane, or scared. Do I want you to be better? To be able to kick my ass like you used to? Yes. Do I think less of you that you can’t? Are you any less my partner now? No.”
“I appreciate the sentiment. It’s very comforting to know that, even after I left you in the dark, you feel that way.” She gave a little chuckle, and looked back at him, adjusting her glasses as she did so. “Though I will have to take a raincheck for awhile on being an active partner. The spirit is pleased, but the body…” She shrugged. “...not quite ready. Eventually.”
She went quiet, sighing slightly as she leaned back in her seat. “There was more than one time that I slipped back into a coma. I came crawling back, even though it takes a major toll. Even so, I couldn’t allow myself to give in. One thing kept me going, over and over in my head when I felt that razors edge of giving up.”
A familiar, teasing smirk creased her lips. “That thing being that I couldn’t let a Browncoat keep fighting alone. Even if that is their general fate. Still, couldn’t give up. Besides. I’m way too pretty to die.”
“Even if I’m the one with chiseled jaw right?” He gave a small smile, but it quickly descended into a frown and he slid down the wall into a sitting position. “I won’t lie to you. I tried to end it. After I joined SHIELD I threw myself at SpecOps work, and hoped to die. In my mind I had failed, all the people who meant the most to me. The most important person in the world to me was gone, and I failed to save them. And even though they didn’t blame me I felt like, everyone here thought it was my fault that you were gone. I lost one family, after failing to save them. And then repeated it over.” He let out a long breath, “I felt that, if I was gone, others might not have to deal with my failures again. I was such an idiot.”
She gave a half-shrug. “Maybe. But after such a traumatic moment, can you really blame yourself for such a thought? I think, from conversations that I had, most everyone understood what you were doing. They certainly didn’t fault you for it. We’ve certainly had a few members retire because of such thoughts.”
“Doesn’t make it any better.” He closed his eyes and kept thumping his head against the wall for a few moments. “Do you remember, how against having you as a partner I was, for just that one mission? How I nearly backed out of the job because Josie insisted on us working together?”
“I remember. It was...interesting, to say the least.” She thought back, eyes unfocused, before a little giggle escaped. “Your reputation made you out to be a pretty big hard case. I wasn’t sure I wanted to be working with someone like you. The aura you put off at that meeting didn’t help matters.”
She looked at him wryly. “And then turns out you’re just a...what’s the phrase? ‘A big cuddle bear of love.’”
A pause, then, “...with a big gun.”
“I hope that’s not an innuendo.” A grin broke out on his face and he reopened his eyes. “My point is though, I tend to be an idiot. And I’m glad I was wrong.”
“At least you’ve caught on to this rather terrible habit you have.” She reached out with her cane and poked him, affecting a Yoda voice. “Idiot, you were. Always with the dumb. Yes, mmm!”
“You shouldn’t do that voice, ever again…” He slowly pulled himself up and leaned against the desk. “Now about that big cuddle bear of love thing. Mind if I stay here tonight? It’s been too long that we had a sleepover.”
“I suppose, but I’ll need to get my parents permission.” She tried to affect a look of innocence, even as her eyes twinkled with humor.
"I don't think you asked any of the other times. Though I suppose it is shameful, unmarried with a man staying over, and a gaijin no less." He gave a smirk, "Heaven forbid we had actually been something intimate."
“They would have been mortified beyond belief.” She giggled and shook her head lightly. “Would have put a different meaning to the tea ceremony.”
He raised an eyebrow, “I’m not exactly up to date on Japanese culture but there isn’t a tea ceremony involved in weddings is there? We’re not secretly betrothed through some ancient family rite are we?”
She laughed. “Hah, no, but they would have been watching it far more closely than they already were. Any minor infraction would have been grounds to have you considered dishonorable and a disgrace. And probably have you thrown out.” Her grin widened at that. “That would have been interesting to see. My father’s a formidable man, but he hasn’t been in the thick of patrols for a long time.”
She giggled again. “I’m imagining him trying to throw you out and somehow he ends up outside on his tail, confused as to what happened.”
“No no no, I’d have only politely sat him outside. After all if the decision had already been made for us to be married then who am I to let someone get between us and our undying love for each other?” He smiled though, and tilted his head a bit to the side. “Your family though was very nice, and really welcoming. I wish we had gone back again.”
Her smile dimmed somewhat, and she took on a wistful look. “It would have been nice. Disapproval and all. But that does not matter now. They did not respond well to Miss Acken’s arrival and notification. And as they have moved on, it would be a disservice to come back into their lives now. Perhaps though I will reach out to some others in the family.”
Looking back to him, her smile brightened again. “Though I think a trip to Kyoto would not be out of the question. When I’m fully healed, we should do that.”
“All the more reason for you to get better. I can practice more, we can do a proper ceremony again.” He closed his eyes and thought back, “And that one ramen shop, the one that also had sushi… we should get run out of there again.”
She snickered, putting a hand to her lips briefly. “I seem to recall you were the one being run out and I followed you out. Any rumors suggesting I had consumed more than twice my weight in ramen are completely unsubstantiated.”
Her lips pursed and quirked to the side as she recalled a memory of the restaurant. “Though that was really good sushi…”
“Well maybe now we know why you did that, Ms. Healing Factor.” He held out a hand to her, “So here, I promise, that once you’re well enough to travel for leisure, we’ll go to Kyoto. Just you, me, and a new set of fond memories.”
Giving his hand a glance, she chuckled and nodded before reaching out and taking it. “That, is indeed a deal, Zongse waiyi. And we really should get you a browncoat.”
“I own one. Well a brown duster, but same thing.” He looked around the room, “Now if I’m gonna stay over… you still keep a spare mat here, unless you really wanna use me as a big teddy bear.”
She nodded, gesturing with her foot towards the underside of the bed. “Under there. Sheets in the cabinet as usual.” Rising slowly, she moved towards the bed and sat on it, setting the cane beside the nightstand. Picking her feet up, she curled them under as she watched. “Should probably get a new one.”
“New what? New mat?” He kneeled down and pulled the matt out from under the bed and folded it out before going after the blankets and pillows. “Or something else?”
“New mat. Went cheap for that one, it’s probably not holding up as well as a good quality mat would.” She shrugged and yawned. “I’ll look into it in a few days.” Unbelting her robe, she slipped the garment off, revealing a pair of shorts and a tank top before she tossed it to the chair and slipped under the covers.
“Well it’ll suffice for now.” He dropped the pillow down on the mat and followed suit, pulling the covers around him and settling down. “Maybe tomorrow, if Lin says it’s ok, me and you can go out for dinner?”
She nodded, with a smile. “I would like that. I may not walk very fast, but a small walk to dinner would not be a bad thing.” Reaching over to the light switch by the bed, she flicked it down. “Good night, Alastor.”
“Goodnight, Akachan Usagi.”