Chapter 25: 25
If audio player doesn't work, press Stop then Play button again
They were woken by Hikaru's phone. When she reluctantly extricated herself from their warm tangle and stood up to go answer it, she fell back into the bed with a gasp.
Kiri was holding her an instant later. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.
Hikaru pulled away from him and stood more slowly. She winced, but remained standing. "It didn't hurt last night," she said reluctantly, "but today it feels kind of like a skinned knee, only inside. Which makes sense I guess?"
Kiri placed his hand against her belly and asked, "Would a bath help?"
Hikaru's phone had stopped ringing, but it rang again and she shrugged and stepped away from him to pick it up. "I'm late," she said unhappily.
Kiri looked at her blankly and she answered the phone.
Ryuske demanded, "Where are you? Is everything alright."
Hikaru blinked and told him,"I'm fine, but I'll be a bit longer. Sorry I'm late."
Ryuske said, "Rin wants to know if he should come pick you up?"
Hikaru replied, "No. I decided to move out and I'm," she hesitated. "I'm not at my mother's house."
When Ryuske tried to ask more, she said she'd explain the rest when she got there.
Kiri had gotten up and started pulling out clean clothes while she talked. When she hung up he asked, "Rehearsal?"
She nodded.
"Hikaru," he asked uncertainly, "are you up to it? I'm sorry, I didn't think ahead to today, or think that it might cause pain after the fact."
"I'll manage," she said. Kiri was still naked and she looked away with embarrassment.
He winced. "I'll start a shower, faster than a bath?"
Hikaru nodded and he handed her a T-shirt and a pair of stretchy exercise pants.
"Will these work?" He asked, and when she nodded again he added, "And I'll drive you."
"OK," she agreed.
They showered and dressed quickly. Kiri offered her an anti inflammatory with the quick breakfast he assembled for her to eat on the way.
When she asked what about his breakfast, he said, "I'll eat after I've dropped you off. I've got a lot of work to catch up on, but call me if you need me, or when you're ready to be picked up?"
She gave him the address and they drove to it without mishap. She clung to him for a minute before getting out. He kissed her, and kissed her again.
"Are you sure you'll be OK?" he asked.
Hikaru nodded and said, "Yeah, it doesn't hurt if I'm not moving, so if it gets too bad, I can just sit awhile."
Kiri sighed and reluctantly let her go.
--
"What do you mean you moved out?" Ryuske demanded as soon as he let her in.
Hikaru replied with a quick confusing summary, "Izumi had Kiri arrested. It was the last straw, I was so freaking angry with him this time. I moved out, but my mom didn't want me to live alone, so she allowed me to move in with Kiri, after we set up a prenuptial agreement."
"Kiri?" echoed Rin.
Hikaru couldn't remember if she'd told them her boyfriend's name. She opened her mouth and Ryuske grabbed her shoulders and said, "You can't!"
"What?" Hikaru asked, confused.
Rin said calmly, "I warned you."
"Shut up," Ryuske told him, "this has nothing to do with that."
Hikaru stared at both of them in confusion.
"You can't get married, after putting so much work into Mirage!" Ryuske protested.
She stared at him in shock. "Ryuske, even if I get married, I don't have to quit Mirage," she said uncertainly.
Rin added, "There's plenty of bands that last longer than marriages."
Ryuske said unhappily, "There're plenty of marriages that last longer than bands too."
Hatsuharu said practically, "If you want Mirage to last more than 20 years, you need a younger drummer."
Hikaru laughed and asked Hatsuharu, "What? You're not planning to live to a hundred and keep playing?"
Hatsuharu grinned back at her and said, "Maybe."
Ryuske drew a deep shuddering breath and said, "It has to be you, Mirage doesn't work, I can't be in a band unless it's you guys." He sank onto one of the stools.
They stared at him uncertainly.
Ryuske said, looking at Hikaru, "You know I was in a band before?"
She nodded.
"My... friend... died," he said.
Rin and Hatsuharu nodded. Hikaru said, "I knew something bad happened, but I didn't try to find out, because I thought you'd tell me someday if you wanted to?" Uncertainly she asked, "Was it your lover?"
Ryuske shook his head and tried to explain. "He wasn't, he liked women, but I loved him anyway. He tried kissing me once though, because he knew, but it was no good. He told me he couldn't love me like I loved him, but that he loved my music more than anything."
He stopped speaking and sat with his hand over his mouth for a minute. No one spoke.
Eventually he continued, "It was so stupid, he got into drugs with this guy the company insisted on adding. That jerk was already into them. I couldn't stop Aisha from doing it, I didn't know how, didn't say the right things, I don't know. And then, this kid, a barely teenage girl, said he'd knocked her up. And he said he couldn't remember. He thought maybe he had done it. I told him he didn't, but he didn't believe me."
Ryuske stopped again for a bit, then said bitterly, "The company published an apology on his behalf and there was this huge scandal. Aisha committed suicide. He couldn't handle it, the drugs tipped him over the edge, I don't know. When the paternity tests came back, proving it was never him, the company tried to apologize to Edge. Tried to get us to take a new guitarist. But I just screamed at them. It was because they made us add that stupid addict who got Aisha into drugs that the whole mess started. I made them promise not to publish the results of the paternity test. Aisha wouldn't have wanted a kid who was so desperate to be humiliated like that. And I swore I'd never have another band."
He looked at Hikaru and she reached out and took his hand. "But you needed a band," he said, clinging to her hand. Hikaru looked at him in confusion, but Rin nodded.
"When we chose the name I called Kirin, our drummer, and told him. Told him I was making a new band even though I'd sworn I never would." He swallowed painfully and said, "He laughed and told me I was the only person who ever thought I shouldn't. He reminded me that Aisha loved my music best, and said it was about time, but that he couldn't join me because he's already got a band. But I told him we've already got a drummer."
Ryuske looked at Hatsuharu who nodded back at him. "It has to be you," Ryuske said looking at Hikaru again.
She nodded and said reassuringly, "Even if I do marry Kiri, I won't quit playing. But we have to have the contract to protect him from Izumi-san," she added bitterly.
Everyone stared at her and she explained the situation in more detail.
"Christ," said Rin, "I knew you'd stopped inviting us for dinner, but I thought it was because you were embarrassed about Miri-chan being all love-love with her new husband."
Ryuske said quietly, "Sorry, I knew you were unhappy, and I've tried to accommodate all the new rules you had without complaint."
Hikaru assured him he had.
--
When they actually started the practice, Ryuske stopped them immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked Hikaru anxiously.
She blushed.
Rin looked at her and started laughing.
Ryuske stared at him.
Rin said, "She moved in with her boyfriend."
Ryuske gave him a blank uncomprehending look.
Hikaru explained, painfully embarrassed, "It was our first time."
Hatsuharu laughed and said cheerfully, "She'll be fine in a couple days." Everyone stared at him in surprise. Hatsuharu shrugged and said, "I've got three grown daughters." He grinned.
Ryuske ran his hands through his hair and said, "Fine, today we'll just run through the music. Sit," he ordered, pushing a stool at her.
--
When they finished, Hikaru called Kiri, but he was too busy to answer right away. Rin asked, "Should I take you home?"
Hikaru said, "I don't know, I was thinking maybe I'd work on packing if we're done this early."
Rin said, "I've got a couple hours to kill, let's go, I'll give you a hand for a few and visit with your mom."
She agreed and sent a message to Kiri. She received an immediate, "OK," message in return.
Ryuske asked hesitantly, "Will you need a seat tonight?"
Hikaru looked at him blankly.
Rin elbowed her and Hatsuharu snickered as he pulled on his jacket.
"Can you stand comfortably for four hours tonight, do you think?" Ryuske asked.
She nodded. "I'll manage," she said and then she followed Rin out.
--
When they entered the house, Miri greeted them with surprise. "I thought you said Sunday?" she asked Hikaru. "Rin!" she exclaimed.
Rin said, "Miri! You're as cute as ever," and swooped her up to spin around.
Miri giggled happily, though she protested, "No, I'm getting fat!"
Rin laughed. "Pregnant isn't fat," he scolded as he set her gently on her feet again. "How are you Miri-chan?" he asked. "I haven't seen you since your wedding.
Miri grinned up at him and said, "I'm well. But it's not my fault you haven't seen me, you haven't visited in ages!"
He nodded and said cautiously, "Hikaru hasn't invited us since you got married. She said she's moving in with her boyfriend?"
Miri nodded and sighed. "I didn't realize," she explained unhappily, "I was so busy being happy, I didn't realize she'd stopped inviting anyone home and hadn't been playing at home. And I let Izumi make rules for her because I thought he'd realize they weren't needed when they got to know each other better."
Hikaru opened her mouth but closed it again without saying anything.
Rin looked down at Miri and patted her head softly. "If you've been that happy, I'm glad," he said gently.
Hikaru nodded.
Miri looked at her daughter and said, "But I didn't want you to be unhappy so that I could be happy."
Hikaru hugged her and said, "I know."
Miri asked them, "Why are the two of you here?"
Rin grinned down at her and said, "We finished practice early and when Hikaru said she was thinking of coming to work on packing, I decided I wanted to see you."
Hikaru said, "Kiri is working, so I thought I might as well start while Izumi isn't here."
Miri sighed and nodded.
Rin helped for about an hour, though Hikaru thought he spent most of the time teasing her mother. Then he headed home and Miri went downstairs to work on something in the kitchen.
Kiri called while Hikaru was packing her closet. They talked for a little while, and Kiri asked how much stuff she had.
Hikaru told him she didn't think they'd need more than one or two trips.
Kiri asked, "I'll come get you in a couple hours, if that's alright?"
She asked, "Do you have time to stay and help for awhile?"
He agreed that he could, and Hikaru waited happily.
--
When Kiri arrived he came up to her room and Hikaru shut the door behind him.
He raised an eyebrow at her and scooped her up and carried her to her bed.
After they'd kissed a little Kiri nuzzled her and said quietly, "I'm not carrying a condom, I'll fix that in the future."
Hikaru confessed, "I didn't shut the door so we could do that."
"Oh?" he asked curiously.
"But I like kissing you so much I got distracted," she admitted.
He grinned and kissed her again.
She laughed and hugged him tightly. "I want you to help me assemble some things," she explained.
He sighed and said sadly, "I suppose that means you want me to get off you." He bit her ear lightly.
She shivered and said, "No, but I do want to have it done."
"OK," he agreed and stood up, pulling her to her feet. He hugged her again and asked, "How are you feeling by the way?"
She shrugged, "Maybe a little better, but pretty much the same."
He winced. "OK, show me what you want to do, I'll try to do most of it so you don't have to move much?" he said.
Hikaru pulled a large box out of her closet, it had been taking up most of the space.
Kiri examined it curiously.
"It's supposed to give an ordinary bed a crib side, for babies and elderly people," she explained.
When Kiri looked at her and arched a brow she said, "When he came home for Christmas, Yuki-ni helped me paint my room in preparation for turning it into a nursery. Because it's at the top of the stairs, and you can hear kids in this room from downstairs if the door is open."
"Ah," he said.
Over an hour later they had it mostly assembled and were fighting with getting all the attachments lined up at once. Finally it clicked in. They tested it, and the bed which was built into a nook below the small window, now had a functional crib style edge. It could be raised or lowered, or the center 3/4 of it could fold down, giving a long shallow step about halfway up to the bed. Luckily, in the raised position, it didn't even interfere with the drawers below the bed.
"That's pretty cool, once it's assembled," Kiri said laughingly.
Hikaru hugged him. "Thank you," she said, leaning on his shoulder.
He hugged her against him and asked, "Is there more?"
She cupped his jaw in her fingers and kissed him gently. She said quietly, "Being willing to ask that after assembling that torture device, feels like you're saying I love you."
"I do love you," Kiri replied.
They kissed awhile more and then he laughed and asked, "So, there is more isn't there?"
Hikaru sighed and nodded. "But only small things?"
She pulled out a mobile, which they mounted over the bed, and a light switch cover, which Kiri put on while she affixed large wall stickers of pandas and butterflies to the walls and closet.
She gave Kiri the fish to attach to the stylized blue waves that ran around the bottom of the room so that she didn't have to bend so far.
When those were done she said, "That's it."
Kiri grinned and stretched and said, "OK then, give me stuff to carry down the stairs and out to the car."
Hikaru suggested, "If you stand below the rail, I can hand stuff down and you can stack it by the door, then we can both carry stuff out after?"
He agreed and she handed all the boxes and bags she'd assembled in her room down to him.
"Is that all you have?" he asked when she brought out the last one.
"No, I've got some more boxes still packed in Yuki-ni's room, from when we painted," she said, and brought those out too. "That's everything now." She asked, "Do you think it will all fit?"
Kiri looked at her in surprise and said, "Yeah, you don't have much."
Hikaru shrugged and said, "I got rid of everything that was too old or didn't fit when we moved everything out to paint."
Hikaru grinned at her. "When Izumi-san gets home, I'll show you something," she told her mother.
"OK?" Miri agreed uncertainly.
Kiri told Hikaru to sit and rest with her mother while he loaded the car. She tried to protest, but he asked quietly, "Walking hurts you still doesn't it?"
She nodded reluctantly.
While he was outside, Miri asked, "Are you injured?"
Hikaru blushed deeply and shook her head.
Miri laughed and patted her daughter's shoulder. "He's right, take it easy for a couple days," she advised.
Kiri had finished loading the car before Izumi got home, but they waited the few remaining minutes. Miri fed them tea and cookies while they waited, since they refused to stay for dinner.
When Izumi finally arrived, Hikaru led them all up to her room. "Yuki-ni helped me with it and Kiri helped me finish setting it up," she said before leading them in.
"Oh Hikaru!" exclaimed Miri when she entered.
"Wow," Izumi commented.
"You were planning to leave since Christmas?" Miri asked sadly, looking at the way the new paint combined with the animal stickers to create scenes.
Hikaru shrugged and said, "Or to move into Yuki-ni's room at least, but yeah, when I graduated, I'd figured."
"It's lovely, thank you," her mother sniffled.
Hikaru grinned and said, "I'll hold a blanket over the window, you turn off the light and close the door."
The ceiling lit up with hundreds of glow in the dark stars painted onto it.
Miri squealed with delight.
Hikaru dropped the blanket and grinned at her mother.
She demonstrated how the bed edge worked. Then she said, "I'll go with Kiri now."
Miri nodded reluctantly.
Izumi frowned but didn't say anything.
Kiri hugged her when they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Ready to go home?" he asked.
Hikaru nodded.
--
When they reached Kiri's, Kazuha was waiting on the porch. Kiri had messaged him for assistance. Hikaru looked at Kiri in surprise. He grinned at her.
Kazuha came out to the car, said, "Hey," and took the box Kiri handed him.
"Go open the door for us?" Kiri asked Hikaru.
Hikaru used her key for the first time, and had the door open before the two men came up the porch.
Kiri stood in the entry for a moment and then asked, "Hikaru, where do you think we should put things?"
Hikaru shrugged and suggested, "Maybe just set the boxes in your office for now?"
Kiri nodded and he and Kazuha carried everything in. Hikaru started tea, also for the first time, but it wasn't too awkward as she'd watched Kiri do it several times. Then she went into the office and tried to separate the incoming boxes into clothes and other stuff.
When they were done they sat at Kiri's table with a collective sigh.
"Thanks," Hikaru said.
"No problem," Kazuha replied.
Kiri scooted closer and hugged her.
Kazuha looked at the two of them and shook his head.
Hikaru blushed.
Kiri asked, "Should we order food or should I cook? If I'm cooking we need to go to the store."
"Pizza?" suggested Kazuha.
Hikaru shrugged and looked at the time. "I've still got over an hour."
"I'd rather get noodles than pizza?" Kiri said.
"Sure," Kazuha agreed.
Hikaru nodded when Kiri looked at her and said, "I'm kind of hungry so everything sounds good?"
"OK," he agreed and placed an order. It arrived quickly, so Hikaru assumed it was from somewhere close.
After they'd eaten Kazuha went home and Hikaru checked the time. She still had a little while before Mirage's performance.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
They were woken by Hikaru's phone. When she reluctantly extricated herself from their warm tangle and stood up to go answer it, she fell back into the bed with a gasp.
Kiri was holding her an instant later. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.
Hikaru pulled away from him and stood more slowly. She winced, but remained standing. "It didn't hurt last night," she said reluctantly, "but today it feels kind of like a skinned knee, only inside. Which makes sense I guess?"
Kiri placed his hand against her belly and asked, "Would a bath help?"
Hikaru's phone had stopped ringing, but it rang again and she shrugged and stepped away from him to pick it up. "I'm late," she said unhappily.
Kiri looked at her blankly and she answered the phone.
Ryuske demanded, "Where are you? Is everything alright."
Hikaru blinked and told him,"I'm fine, but I'll be a bit longer. Sorry I'm late."
Ryuske said, "Rin wants to know if he should come pick you up?"
Hikaru replied, "No. I decided to move out and I'm," she hesitated. "I'm not at my mother's house."
When Ryuske tried to ask more, she said she'd explain the rest when she got there.
Kiri had gotten up and started pulling out clean clothes while she talked. When she hung up he asked, "Rehearsal?"
She nodded.
"Hikaru," he asked uncertainly, "are you up to it? I'm sorry, I didn't think ahead to today, or think that it might cause pain after the fact."
"I'll manage," she said. Kiri was still naked and she looked away with embarrassment.
He winced. "I'll start a shower, faster than a bath?"
Hikaru nodded and he handed her a T-shirt and a pair of stretchy exercise pants.
"Will these work?" He asked, and when she nodded again he added, "And I'll drive you."
"OK," she agreed.
They showered and dressed quickly. Kiri offered her an anti inflammatory with the quick breakfast he assembled for her to eat on the way.
When she asked what about his breakfast, he said, "I'll eat after I've dropped you off. I've got a lot of work to catch up on, but call me if you need me, or when you're ready to be picked up?"
She gave him the address and they drove to it without mishap. She clung to him for a minute before getting out. He kissed her, and kissed her again.
"Are you sure you'll be OK?" he asked.
Hikaru nodded and said, "Yeah, it doesn't hurt if I'm not moving, so if it gets too bad, I can just sit awhile."
Kiri sighed and reluctantly let her go.
--
"What do you mean you moved out?" Ryuske demanded as soon as he let her in.
Hikaru replied with a quick confusing summary, "Izumi had Kiri arrested. It was the last straw, I was so freaking angry with him this time. I moved out, but my mom didn't want me to live alone, so she allowed me to move in with Kiri, after we set up a prenuptial agreement."
"Kiri?" echoed Rin.
Hikaru couldn't remember if she'd told them her boyfriend's name. She opened her mouth and Ryuske grabbed her shoulders and said, "You can't!"
"What?" Hikaru asked, confused.
Rin said calmly, "I warned you."
"Shut up," Ryuske told him, "this has nothing to do with that."
Hikaru stared at both of them in confusion.
"You can't get married, after putting so much work into Mirage!" Ryuske protested.
She stared at him in shock. "Ryuske, even if I get married, I don't have to quit Mirage," she said uncertainly.
Rin added, "There's plenty of bands that last longer than marriages."
Ryuske said unhappily, "There're plenty of marriages that last longer than bands too."
Hatsuharu said practically, "If you want Mirage to last more than 20 years, you need a younger drummer."
Hikaru laughed and asked Hatsuharu, "What? You're not planning to live to a hundred and keep playing?"
Hatsuharu grinned back at her and said, "Maybe."
Ryuske drew a deep shuddering breath and said, "It has to be you, Mirage doesn't work, I can't be in a band unless it's you guys." He sank onto one of the stools.
They stared at him uncertainly.
Ryuske said, looking at Hikaru, "You know I was in a band before?"
She nodded.
"My... friend... died," he said.
Rin and Hatsuharu nodded. Hikaru said, "I knew something bad happened, but I didn't try to find out, because I thought you'd tell me someday if you wanted to?" Uncertainly she asked, "Was it your lover?"
Ryuske shook his head and tried to explain. "He wasn't, he liked women, but I loved him anyway. He tried kissing me once though, because he knew, but it was no good. He told me he couldn't love me like I loved him, but that he loved my music more than anything."
He stopped speaking and sat with his hand over his mouth for a minute. No one spoke.
Eventually he continued, "It was so stupid, he got into drugs with this guy the company insisted on adding. That jerk was already into them. I couldn't stop Aisha from doing it, I didn't know how, didn't say the right things, I don't know. And then, this kid, a barely teenage girl, said he'd knocked her up. And he said he couldn't remember. He thought maybe he had done it. I told him he didn't, but he didn't believe me."
Ryuske stopped again for a bit, then said bitterly, "The company published an apology on his behalf and there was this huge scandal. Aisha committed suicide. He couldn't handle it, the drugs tipped him over the edge, I don't know. When the paternity tests came back, proving it was never him, the company tried to apologize to Edge. Tried to get us to take a new guitarist. But I just screamed at them. It was because they made us add that stupid addict who got Aisha into drugs that the whole mess started. I made them promise not to publish the results of the paternity test. Aisha wouldn't have wanted a kid who was so desperate to be humiliated like that. And I swore I'd never have another band."
He looked at Hikaru and she reached out and took his hand. "But you needed a band," he said, clinging to her hand. Hikaru looked at him in confusion, but Rin nodded.
"When we chose the name I called Kirin, our drummer, and told him. Told him I was making a new band even though I'd sworn I never would." He swallowed painfully and said, "He laughed and told me I was the only person who ever thought I shouldn't. He reminded me that Aisha loved my music best, and said it was about time, but that he couldn't join me because he's already got a band. But I told him we've already got a drummer."
Ryuske looked at Hatsuharu who nodded back at him. "It has to be you," Ryuske said looking at Hikaru again.
She nodded and said reassuringly, "Even if I do marry Kiri, I won't quit playing. But we have to have the contract to protect him from Izumi-san," she added bitterly.
Everyone stared at her and she explained the situation in more detail.
"Christ," said Rin, "I knew you'd stopped inviting us for dinner, but I thought it was because you were embarrassed about Miri-chan being all love-love with her new husband."
Ryuske said quietly, "Sorry, I knew you were unhappy, and I've tried to accommodate all the new rules you had without complaint."
Hikaru assured him he had.
--
When they actually started the practice, Ryuske stopped them immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked Hikaru anxiously.
She blushed.
Rin looked at her and started laughing.
Ryuske stared at him.
Rin said, "She moved in with her boyfriend."
Ryuske gave him a blank uncomprehending look.
Hikaru explained, painfully embarrassed, "It was our first time."
Hatsuharu laughed and said cheerfully, "She'll be fine in a couple days." Everyone stared at him in surprise. Hatsuharu shrugged and said, "I've got three grown daughters." He grinned.
Ryuske ran his hands through his hair and said, "Fine, today we'll just run through the music. Sit," he ordered, pushing a stool at her.
--
When they finished, Hikaru called Kiri, but he was too busy to answer right away. Rin asked, "Should I take you home?"
Hikaru said, "I don't know, I was thinking maybe I'd work on packing if we're done this early."
Rin said, "I've got a couple hours to kill, let's go, I'll give you a hand for a few and visit with your mom."
She agreed and sent a message to Kiri. She received an immediate, "OK," message in return.
Ryuske asked hesitantly, "Will you need a seat tonight?"
Hikaru looked at him blankly.
Rin elbowed her and Hatsuharu snickered as he pulled on his jacket.
"Can you stand comfortably for four hours tonight, do you think?" Ryuske asked.
She nodded. "I'll manage," she said and then she followed Rin out.
--
When they entered the house, Miri greeted them with surprise. "I thought you said Sunday?" she asked Hikaru. "Rin!" she exclaimed.
Rin said, "Miri! You're as cute as ever," and swooped her up to spin around.
Miri giggled happily, though she protested, "No, I'm getting fat!"
Rin laughed. "Pregnant isn't fat," he scolded as he set her gently on her feet again. "How are you Miri-chan?" he asked. "I haven't seen you since your wedding.
Miri grinned up at him and said, "I'm well. But it's not my fault you haven't seen me, you haven't visited in ages!"
He nodded and said cautiously, "Hikaru hasn't invited us since you got married. She said she's moving in with her boyfriend?"
Miri nodded and sighed. "I didn't realize," she explained unhappily, "I was so busy being happy, I didn't realize she'd stopped inviting anyone home and hadn't been playing at home. And I let Izumi make rules for her because I thought he'd realize they weren't needed when they got to know each other better."
Hikaru opened her mouth but closed it again without saying anything.
Rin looked down at Miri and patted her head softly. "If you've been that happy, I'm glad," he said gently.
Hikaru nodded.
Miri looked at her daughter and said, "But I didn't want you to be unhappy so that I could be happy."
Hikaru hugged her and said, "I know."
Miri asked them, "Why are the two of you here?"
Rin grinned down at her and said, "We finished practice early and when Hikaru said she was thinking of coming to work on packing, I decided I wanted to see you."
Hikaru said, "Kiri is working, so I thought I might as well start while Izumi isn't here."
Miri sighed and nodded.
Rin helped for about an hour, though Hikaru thought he spent most of the time teasing her mother. Then he headed home and Miri went downstairs to work on something in the kitchen.
Kiri called while Hikaru was packing her closet. They talked for a little while, and Kiri asked how much stuff she had.
Hikaru told him she didn't think they'd need more than one or two trips.
Kiri asked, "I'll come get you in a couple hours, if that's alright?"
She asked, "Do you have time to stay and help for awhile?"
He agreed that he could, and Hikaru waited happily.
--
When Kiri arrived he came up to her room and Hikaru shut the door behind him.
He raised an eyebrow at her and scooped her up and carried her to her bed.
After they'd kissed a little Kiri nuzzled her and said quietly, "I'm not carrying a condom, I'll fix that in the future."
Hikaru confessed, "I didn't shut the door so we could do that."
"Oh?" he asked curiously.
"But I like kissing you so much I got distracted," she admitted.
He grinned and kissed her again.
She laughed and hugged him tightly. "I want you to help me assemble some things," she explained.
He sighed and said sadly, "I suppose that means you want me to get off you." He bit her ear lightly.
She shivered and said, "No, but I do want to have it done."
"OK," he agreed and stood up, pulling her to her feet. He hugged her again and asked, "How are you feeling by the way?"
She shrugged, "Maybe a little better, but pretty much the same."
He winced. "OK, show me what you want to do, I'll try to do most of it so you don't have to move much?" he said.
Hikaru pulled a large box out of her closet, it had been taking up most of the space.
Kiri examined it curiously.
"It's supposed to give an ordinary bed a crib side, for babies and elderly people," she explained.
When Kiri looked at her and arched a brow she said, "When he came home for Christmas, Yuki-ni helped me paint my room in preparation for turning it into a nursery. Because it's at the top of the stairs, and you can hear kids in this room from downstairs if the door is open."
"Ah," he said.
Over an hour later they had it mostly assembled and were fighting with getting all the attachments lined up at once. Finally it clicked in. They tested it, and the bed which was built into a nook below the small window, now had a functional crib style edge. It could be raised or lowered, or the center 3/4 of it could fold down, giving a long shallow step about halfway up to the bed. Luckily, in the raised position, it didn't even interfere with the drawers below the bed.
"That's pretty cool, once it's assembled," Kiri said laughingly.
Hikaru hugged him. "Thank you," she said, leaning on his shoulder.
He hugged her against him and asked, "Is there more?"
She cupped his jaw in her fingers and kissed him gently. She said quietly, "Being willing to ask that after assembling that torture device, feels like you're saying I love you."
"I do love you," Kiri replied.
They kissed awhile more and then he laughed and asked, "So, there is more isn't there?"
Hikaru sighed and nodded. "But only small things?"
She pulled out a mobile, which they mounted over the bed, and a light switch cover, which Kiri put on while she affixed large wall stickers of pandas and butterflies to the walls and closet.
She gave Kiri the fish to attach to the stylized blue waves that ran around the bottom of the room so that she didn't have to bend so far.
When those were done she said, "That's it."
Kiri grinned and stretched and said, "OK then, give me stuff to carry down the stairs and out to the car."
Hikaru suggested, "If you stand below the rail, I can hand stuff down and you can stack it by the door, then we can both carry stuff out after?"
He agreed and she handed all the boxes and bags she'd assembled in her room down to him.
"Is that all you have?" he asked when she brought out the last one.
"No, I've got some more boxes still packed in Yuki-ni's room, from when we painted," she said, and brought those out too. "That's everything now." She asked, "Do you think it will all fit?"
Kiri looked at her in surprise and said, "Yeah, you don't have much."
Hikaru shrugged and said, "I got rid of everything that was too old or didn't fit when we moved everything out to paint."
Hikaru grinned at her. "When Izumi-san gets home, I'll show you something," she told her mother.
"OK?" Miri agreed uncertainly.
Kiri told Hikaru to sit and rest with her mother while he loaded the car. She tried to protest, but he asked quietly, "Walking hurts you still doesn't it?"
She nodded reluctantly.
While he was outside, Miri asked, "Are you injured?"
Hikaru blushed deeply and shook her head.
Miri laughed and patted her daughter's shoulder. "He's right, take it easy for a couple days," she advised.
Kiri had finished loading the car before Izumi got home, but they waited the few remaining minutes. Miri fed them tea and cookies while they waited, since they refused to stay for dinner.
When Izumi finally arrived, Hikaru led them all up to her room. "Yuki-ni helped me with it and Kiri helped me finish setting it up," she said before leading them in.
"Oh Hikaru!" exclaimed Miri when she entered.
"Wow," Izumi commented.
"You were planning to leave since Christmas?" Miri asked sadly, looking at the way the new paint combined with the animal stickers to create scenes.
Hikaru shrugged and said, "Or to move into Yuki-ni's room at least, but yeah, when I graduated, I'd figured."
"It's lovely, thank you," her mother sniffled.
Hikaru grinned and said, "I'll hold a blanket over the window, you turn off the light and close the door."
The ceiling lit up with hundreds of glow in the dark stars painted onto it.
Miri squealed with delight.
Hikaru dropped the blanket and grinned at her mother.
She demonstrated how the bed edge worked. Then she said, "I'll go with Kiri now."
Miri nodded reluctantly.
Izumi frowned but didn't say anything.
Kiri hugged her when they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Ready to go home?" he asked.
Hikaru nodded.
--
When they reached Kiri's, Kazuha was waiting on the porch. Kiri had messaged him for assistance. Hikaru looked at Kiri in surprise. He grinned at her.
Kazuha came out to the car, said, "Hey," and took the box Kiri handed him.
"Go open the door for us?" Kiri asked Hikaru.
Hikaru used her key for the first time, and had the door open before the two men came up the porch.
Kiri stood in the entry for a moment and then asked, "Hikaru, where do you think we should put things?"
Hikaru shrugged and suggested, "Maybe just set the boxes in your office for now?"
Kiri nodded and he and Kazuha carried everything in. Hikaru started tea, also for the first time, but it wasn't too awkward as she'd watched Kiri do it several times. Then she went into the office and tried to separate the incoming boxes into clothes and other stuff.
When they were done they sat at Kiri's table with a collective sigh.
"Thanks," Hikaru said.
"No problem," Kazuha replied.
Kiri scooted closer and hugged her.
Kazuha looked at the two of them and shook his head.
Hikaru blushed.
Kiri asked, "Should we order food or should I cook? If I'm cooking we need to go to the store."
"Pizza?" suggested Kazuha.
Hikaru shrugged and looked at the time. "I've still got over an hour."
"I'd rather get noodles than pizza?" Kiri said.
"Sure," Kazuha agreed.
Hikaru nodded when Kiri looked at her and said, "I'm kind of hungry so everything sounds good?"
"OK," he agreed and placed an order. It arrived quickly, so Hikaru assumed it was from somewhere close.
After they'd eaten Kazuha went home and Hikaru checked the time. She still had a little while before Mirage's performance.
They were woken by Hikaru's phone. When she reluctantly extricated herself from their warm tangle and stood up to go answer it, she fell back into the bed with a gasp.Kiri was holding her an instant later. "What's wrong?" he asked worriedly.Hikaru pulled away from him and stood more slowly. She winced, but remained standing. "It didn't hurt last night," she said reluctantly, "but today it feels kind of like a skinned knee, only inside. Which makes sense I guess?"Kiri placed his hand against her belly and asked, "Would a bath help?"Hikaru's phone had stopped ringing, but it rang again and she shrugged and stepped away from him to pick it up. "I'm late," she said unhappily.Kiri looked at her blankly and she answered the phone.Ryuske demanded, "Where are you? Is everything alright."Hikaru blinked and told him,"I'm fine, but I'll be a bit longer. Sorry I'm late."Ryuske said, "Rin wants to know if he should come pick you up?"Hikaru replied, "No. I decided to move out and I'm," she hesitated. "I'm not at my mother's house."When Ryuske tried to ask more, she said she'd explain the rest when she got there.Kiri had gotten up and started pulling out clean clothes while she talked. When she hung up he asked, "Rehearsal?"She nodded."Hikaru," he asked uncertainly, "are you up to it? I'm sorry, I didn't think ahead to today, or think that it might cause pain after the fact.""I'll manage," she said. Kiri was still naked and she looked away with embarrassment.He winced. "I'll start a shower, faster than a bath?"Hikaru nodded and he handed her a T-shirt and a pair of stretchy exercise pants. "Will these work?" He asked, and when she nodded again he added, "And I'll drive you.""OK," she agreed.They showered and dressed quickly. Kiri offered her an anti inflammatory with the quick breakfast he assembled for her to eat on the way.When she asked what about his breakfast, he said, "I'll eat after I've dropped you off. I've got a lot of work to catch up on, but call me if you need me, or when you're ready to be picked up?"She gave him the address and they drove to it without mishap. She clung to him for a minute before getting out. He kissed her, and kissed her again."Are you sure you'll be OK?" he asked.Hikaru nodded and said, "Yeah, it doesn't hurt if I'm not moving, so if it gets too bad, I can just sit awhile."Kiri sighed and reluctantly let her go.--"What do you mean you moved out?" Ryuske demanded as soon as he let her in.Hikaru replied with a quick confusing summary, "Izumi had Kiri arrested. It was the last straw, I was so freaking angry with him this time. I moved out, but my mom didn't want me to live alone, so she allowed me to move in with Kiri, after we set up a prenuptial agreement.""Kiri?" echoed Rin. Hikaru couldn't remember if she'd told them her boyfriend's name. She opened her mouth and Ryuske grabbed her shoulders and said, "You can't!""What?" Hikaru asked, confused.Rin said calmly, "I warned you.""Shut up," Ryuske told him, "this has nothing to do with that."Hikaru stared at both of them in confusion."You can't get married, after putting so much work into Mirage!" Ryuske protested.She stared at him in shock. "Ryuske, even if I get married, I don't have to quit Mirage," she said uncertainly.Rin added, "There's plenty of bands that last longer than marriages."Ryuske said unhappily, "There're plenty of marriages that last longer than bands too."Hatsuharu said practically, "If you want Mirage to last more than 20 years, you need a younger drummer."Hikaru laughed and asked Hatsuharu, "What? You're not planning to live to a hundred and keep playing?"Hatsuharu grinned back at her and said, "Maybe."Ryuske drew a deep shuddering breath and said, "It has to be you, Mirage doesn't work, I can't be in a band unless it's you guys." He sank onto one of the stools.They stared at him uncertainly.Ryuske said, looking at Hikaru, "You know I was in a band before?"She nodded."My... friend... died," he said.Rin and Hatsuharu nodded. Hikaru said, "I knew something bad happened, but I didn't try to find out, because I thought you'd tell me someday if you wanted to?" Uncertainly she asked, "Was it your lover?"Ryuske shook his head and tried to explain. "He wasn't, he liked women, but I loved him anyway. He tried kissing me once though, because he knew, but it was no good. He told me he couldn't love me like I loved him, but that he loved my music more than anything."He stopped speaking and sat with his hand over his mouth for a minute. No one spoke. Eventually he continued, "It was so stupid, he got into drugs with this guy the company insisted on adding. That jerk was already into them. I couldn't stop Aisha from doing it, I didn't know how, didn't say the right things, I don't know. And then, this kid, a barely teenage girl, said he'd knocked her up. And he said he couldn't remember. He thought maybe he had done it. I told him he didn't, but he didn't believe me."Ryuske stopped again for a bit, then said bitterly, "The company published an apology on his behalf and there was this huge scandal. Aisha committed suicide. He couldn't handle it, the drugs tipped him over the edge, I don't know. When the paternity tests came back, proving it was never him, the company tried to apologize to Edge. Tried to get us to take a new guitarist. But I just screamed at them. It was because they made us add that stupid addict who got Aisha into drugs that the whole mess started. I made them promise not to publish the results of the paternity test. Aisha wouldn't have wanted a kid who was so desperate to be humiliated like that. And I swore I'd never have another band."He looked at Hikaru and she reached out and took his hand. "But you needed a band," he said, clinging to her hand. Hikaru looked at him in confusion, but Rin nodded. "When we chose the name I called Kirin, our drummer, and told him. Told him I was making a new band even though I'd sworn I never would." He swallowed painfully and said, "He laughed and told me I was the only person who ever thought I shouldn't. He reminded me that Aisha loved my music best, and said it was about time, but that he couldn't join me because he's already got a band. But I told him we've already got a drummer."Ryuske looked at Hatsuharu who nodded back at him. "It has to be you," Ryuske said looking at Hikaru again.She nodded and said reassuringly, "Even if I do marry Kiri, I won't quit playing. But we have to have the contract to protect him from Izumi-san," she added bitterly.Everyone stared at her and she explained the situation in more detail."Christ," said Rin, "I knew you'd stopped inviting us for dinner, but I thought it was because you were embarrassed about Miri-chan being all love-love with her new husband."Ryuske said quietly, "Sorry, I knew you were unhappy, and I've tried to accommodate all the new rules you had without complaint."Hikaru assured him he had.--When they actually started the practice, Ryuske stopped them immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked Hikaru anxiously.She blushed.Rin looked at her and started laughing.Ryuske stared at him.Rin said, "She moved in with her boyfriend."Ryuske gave him a blank uncomprehending look.Hikaru explained, painfully embarrassed, "It was our first time."Hatsuharu laughed and said cheerfully, "She'll be fine in a couple days." Everyone stared at him in surprise. Hatsuharu shrugged and said, "I've got three grown daughters." He grinned.Ryuske ran his hands through his hair and said, "Fine, today we'll just run through the music. Sit," he ordered, pushing a stool at her. --When they finished, Hikaru called Kiri, but he was too busy to answer right away. Rin asked, "Should I take you home?"Hikaru said, "I don't know, I was thinking maybe I'd work on packing if we're done this early."Rin said, "I've got a couple hours to kill, let's go, I'll give you a hand for a few and visit with your mom."She agreed and sent a message to Kiri. She received an immediate, "OK," message in return.Ryuske asked hesitantly, "Will you need a seat tonight?"Hikaru looked at him blankly. Rin elbowed her and Hatsuharu snickered as he pulled on his jacket. "Can you stand comfortably for four hours tonight, do you think?" Ryuske asked. She nodded. "I'll manage," she said and then she followed Rin out.--When they entered the house, Miri greeted them with surprise. "I thought you said Sunday?" she asked Hikaru. "Rin!" she exclaimed.Rin said, "Miri! You're as cute as ever," and swooped her up to spin around.Miri giggled happily, though she protested, "No, I'm getting fat!"Rin laughed. "Pregnant isn't fat," he scolded as he set her gently on her feet again. "How are you Miri-chan?" he asked. "I haven't seen you since your wedding.Miri grinned up at him and said, "I'm well. But it's not my fault you haven't seen me, you haven't visited in ages!"He nodded and said cautiously, "Hikaru hasn't invited us since you got married. She said she's moving in with her boyfriend?"Miri nodded and sighed. "I didn't realize," she explained unhappily, "I was so busy being happy, I didn't realize she'd stopped inviting anyone home and hadn't been playing at home. And I let Izumi make rules for her because I thought he'd realize they weren't needed when they got to know each other better."Hikaru opened her mouth but closed it again without saying anything.Rin looked down at Miri and patted her head softly. "If you've been that happy, I'm glad," he said gently.Hikaru nodded.Miri looked at her daughter and said, "But I didn't want you to be unhappy so that I could be happy."Hikaru hugged her and said, "I know."Miri asked them, "Why are the two of you here?"Rin grinned down at her and said, "We finished practice early and when Hikaru said she was thinking of coming to work on packing, I decided I wanted to see you."Hikaru said, "Kiri is working, so I thought I might as well start while Izumi isn't here."Miri sighed and nodded.Rin helped for about an hour, though Hikaru thought he spent most of the time teasing her mother. Then he headed home and Miri went downstairs to work on something in the kitchen.Kiri called while Hikaru was packing her closet. They talked for a little while, and Kiri asked how much stuff she had. Hikaru told him she didn't think they'd need more than one or two trips. Kiri asked, "I'll come get you in a couple hours, if that's alright?"She asked, "Do you have time to stay and help for awhile?"He agreed that he could, and Hikaru waited happily.--When Kiri arrived he came up to her room and Hikaru shut the door behind him.He raised an eyebrow at her and scooped her up and carried her to her bed.After they'd kissed a little Kiri nuzzled her and said quietly, "I'm not carrying a condom, I'll fix that in the future."Hikaru confessed, "I didn't shut the door so we could do that.""Oh?" he asked curiously."But I like kissing you so much I got distracted," she admitted.He grinned and kissed her again.She laughed and hugged him tightly. "I want you to help me assemble some things," she explained.He sighed and said sadly, "I suppose that means you want me to get off you." He bit her ear lightly.She shivered and said, "No, but I do want to have it done.""OK," he agreed and stood up, pulling her to her feet. He hugged her again and asked, "How are you feeling by the way?"She shrugged, "Maybe a little better, but pretty much the same."He winced. "OK, show me what you want to do, I'll try to do most of it so you don't have to move much?" he said.Hikaru pulled a large box out of her closet, it had been taking up most of the space.Kiri examined it curiously."It's supposed to give an ordinary bed a crib side, for babies and elderly people," she explained.When Kiri looked at her and arched a brow she said, "When he came home for Christmas, Yuki-ni helped me paint my room in preparation for turning it into a nursery. Because it's at the top of the stairs, and you can hear kids in this room from downstairs if the door is open.""Ah," he said.Over an hour later they had it mostly assembled and were fighting with getting all the attachments lined up at once. Finally it clicked in. They tested it, and the bed which was built into a nook below the small window, now had a functional crib style edge. It could be raised or lowered, or the center 3/4 of it could fold down, giving a long shallow step about halfway up to the bed. Luckily, in the raised position, it didn't even interfere with the drawers below the bed."That's pretty cool, once it's assembled," Kiri said laughingly.Hikaru hugged him. "Thank you," she said, leaning on his shoulder.He hugged her against him and asked, "Is there more?"She cupped his jaw in her fingers and kissed him gently. She said quietly, "Being willing to ask that after assembling that torture device, feels like you're saying I love you.""I do love you," Kiri replied.They kissed awhile more and then he laughed and asked, "So, there is more isn't there?"Hikaru sighed and nodded. "But only small things?" She pulled out a mobile, which they mounted over the bed, and a light switch cover, which Kiri put on while she affixed large wall stickers of pandas and butterflies to the walls and closet.She gave Kiri the fish to attach to the stylized blue waves that ran around the bottom of the room so that she didn't have to bend so far.When those were done she said, "That's it."Kiri grinned and stretched and said, "OK then, give me stuff to carry down the stairs and out to the car."Hikaru suggested, "If you stand below the rail, I can hand stuff down and you can stack it by the door, then we can both carry stuff out after?"He agreed and she handed all the boxes and bags she'd assembled in her room down to him."Is that all you have?" he asked when she brought out the last one."No, I've got some more boxes still packed in Yuki-ni's room, from when we painted," she said, and brought those out too. "That's everything now." She asked, "Do you think it will all fit?"Kiri looked at her in surprise and said, "Yeah, you don't have much."Hikaru shrugged and said, "I got rid of everything that was too old or didn't fit when we moved everything out to paint."Hikaru grinned at her. "When Izumi-san gets home, I'll show you something," she told her mother."OK?" Miri agreed uncertainly.Kiri told Hikaru to sit and rest with her mother while he loaded the car. She tried to protest, but he asked quietly, "Walking hurts you still doesn't it?"She nodded reluctantly.While he was outside, Miri asked, "Are you injured?"Hikaru blushed deeply and shook her head. Miri laughed and patted her daughter's shoulder. "He's right, take it easy for a couple days," she advised.Kiri had finished loading the car before Izumi got home, but they waited the few remaining minutes. Miri fed them tea and cookies while they waited, since they refused to stay for dinner.When Izumi finally arrived, Hikaru led them all up to her room. "Yuki-ni helped me with it and Kiri helped me finish setting it up," she said before leading them in."Oh Hikaru!" exclaimed Miri when she entered."Wow," Izumi commented."You were planning to leave since Christmas?" Miri asked sadly, looking at the way the new paint combined with the animal stickers to create scenes.Hikaru shrugged and said, "Or to move into Yuki-ni's room at least, but yeah, when I graduated, I'd figured.""It's lovely, thank you," her mother sniffled.Hikaru grinned and said, "I'll hold a blanket over the window, you turn off the light and close the door."The ceiling lit up with hundreds of glow in the dark stars painted onto it.Miri squealed with delight.Hikaru dropped the blanket and grinned at her mother.She demonstrated how the bed edge worked. Then she said, "I'll go with Kiri now."Miri nodded reluctantly.Izumi frowned but didn't say anything.Kiri hugged her when they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Ready to go home?" he asked.Hikaru nodded.--When they reached Kiri's, Kazuha was waiting on the porch. Kiri had messaged him for assistance. Hikaru looked at Kiri in surprise. He grinned at her.Kazuha came out to the car, said, "Hey," and took the box Kiri handed him."Go open the door for us?" Kiri asked Hikaru.Hikaru used her key for the first time, and had the door open before the two men came up the porch.Kiri stood in the entry for a moment and then asked, "Hikaru, where do you think we should put things?"Hikaru shrugged and suggested, "Maybe just set the boxes in your office for now?"Kiri nodded and he and Kazuha carried everything in. Hikaru started tea, also for the first time, but it wasn't too awkward as she'd watched Kiri do it several times. Then she went into the office and tried to separate the incoming boxes into clothes and other stuff.When they were done they sat at Kiri's table with a collective sigh."Thanks," Hikaru said."No problem," Kazuha replied.Kiri scooted closer and hugged her.Kazuha looked at the two of them and shook his head.Hikaru blushed.Kiri asked, "Should we order food or should I cook? If I'm cooking we need to go to the store.""Pizza?" suggested Kazuha.Hikaru shrugged and looked at the time. "I've still got over an hour.""I'd rather get noodles than pizza?" Kiri said."Sure," Kazuha agreed.Hikaru nodded when Kiri looked at her and said, "I'm kind of hungry so everything sounds good?""OK," he agreed and placed an order. It arrived quickly, so Hikaru assumed it was from somewhere close.After they'd eaten Kazuha went home and Hikaru checked the time. She still had a little while before Mirage's performance.
