Spirited Away Fan Fiction ❯ Without You ❯ New Guests ( Chapter 12 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
Sitting alone in an office filled with everything one could imagine, everything except the one thing Haku couldn't get out of his head, Chihiro. She was still asleep in her room while he was up here, trying to concentrate on work that couldn't hold his attention. As he sat there thinking about the afternoon the door to his office opened in came a tall dark man led by a frog, who kept looking anxiously over his shoulder at the man. He was an unusually tall man with shoulder length black hair pulled neatly into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His clothes were just as unusual as he was which only added to his outlandish appearance. Seeing him standing there, a slightly malicious smirk on his lips, made him seem vaguely familiar, as though from a distant memory that one cannot quite grasp.
“Haku san, this man has requested a room for an exceptional amount of time so I thought you should be consulted first.” said the frog who had brought him into the room. Even now the he couldn't seem to keep his eyes from straying back to the man.
“Yes, of course, we have two rooms open right now and you are welcome to either for as long as you require.” Haku said directly to the man.
“Thank you, I am Kusiro and it is a pleasure to finally meet you.” The man said just before he turned and strode out of the room, leaving both Haku and the frog to stare after him.
Haku knew somebody had to show him to his room, and since he was curious about him, he hurried out of the room after him. Finding Kusiro not far from the elevator, Haku noticed that he acted as if had been here before and knew his way around. Ignoring the unpleasant sensation that flooded his senses as he drew nearer, Haku stepped into the elevator with him just in time for him to pull the lever sending the elevator on its way. He even seemed to know what floor contained the guest rooms.
As the elevator stopped and the doors opened, they stepped out just as some a few of the other guests, while staring at this strange, new man, flooded into the elevator. Haku smiled up at Kusiro before starting off in the direction of the empty guest rooms. The thought came to him that both of the empty rooms were near Chihiro's room, and the thought of this man, who's presence troubled him, would be this close to the one person that really mattered to him and it made him even more uneasy. Choosing to show him the room furthest away from Chihiro's first, in hope that he would choose it, it was after all a much more convenient room than the other. Kusiro agreed to the room with a smiling look in his eyes, as if he knew exactly why Haku had shown him to this room rather than the other.
Haku, who was now truly becoming nauseous due to the man's presence, walked back down the hall, back towards Chihiro's room. He stopped as he reached her door and listened for any sign she was awake. Nothing but the soft, steady sound of her breathing could be heard through the door. Since she was still asleep and sounded peaceful he began to walk off, but he had taken no more that a step before he heard her breathing change into soft, but frightened, whimpers. Softly opening the door, he crept in, knowing that to wake her from the terrors of her dream could only make things worse. Gently he sat on the bed and pulled her into the comforting circle of his arms. As her dreams still haunted her and she stirred restlessly, he began to hum an old lullaby someone used to sing to him as he lightly stroked her cheek.
Chihiro felt as the nightmares fled into the depths of her dreams and slowly awoke to the soft sound of a man humming. As she regained her senses, she noticed that not only was this man humming to soothe her but she was also cradled in his arms. Shyly she looked up at him with her sleepy eyes and saw the face of her love. Surely this meant she was still asleep, but what a wonderful dream it was. Cradled in his arms, his voice soothing her, as his hand gently continued its trek across her cheek, she smiled up at him with all the love she felt for him shining in her eyes.
As Chihiro finally noticed that she was really awake, and that this was far more wonderful than any dream could possibly be, she became slightly embarrassed that her feelings were written so plainly on her face. And she knew he had noticed because his hand had frozen and his voice had grown silent. Thinking it best to pull out of his arms before she grew any redder she began to pull away, but to his arms didn't release her. Instead his lips lowered to hers and all her thoughts of leaving the warmth of his arms vanished.