Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ L'Amoreux (My Kitsunep4) ❯ L'Amoreux ( Chapter 5 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

L'Amoreux 5 (NYC 11-22-02)
by: Baby Nyx

"...The impotant thing is not to think much but to
love much; and so do that which best stirs you to
love..."

-Interior Castle : St. Therese of Avila


Of course I realized Hiei is testing himself this
time. He actually let me go with Tom and Gio, when Tom
blatantly declared that he loved me. I expected him to
look in every now and then and he did. I could feel
his eyes on me, in the car watching me, looking around
me, and then he was gone.

Then again he could be planning something... he
agreed too readily. But his alibis are pretty good.

It makes sense to draw Yoshira here before we destroy
her or loose her. Yusuke and the others know we are
going to the US. I told them so myself and even asked
them what kind of souvenirs they wanted.

I have Kuwabara's Giants Jersey, but not the classic
All Stars. The cowboy hats I saw didn't look authentic
enough...

But yeah, I had to agree with Hiei, New York will
have to be the place where they last knew we were at.
We can dissapear from here.

Besides, my baby wants to brag to the whole world
that I am his. That thought made me all giggly inside.
Dammit...

Sure I had other lovers, I loved and lost many times
over these past 200 hundred years. But never this
completely, I swore never to fall this deeply in love
again because it hurts too much when the inevitable
comes.

Everything that has a beggining has an end.
EVERYTHING.

We are all going to die, humans, demons, gods, true
love, dinosaurs, empires, stars, and thats alright
because it's part of being alive. How will you know
your alive if you've never seen death face to face?
If you do not acknowledge her prescence? My battles
have taken me to see her many times so I'm not afraid
of her, many battles and 1 love.

I had almost taken my own life for him... I have
failed to protect him. I lost him because I was
careless and this is the lesson he taught me, never
fall that deeply in love ever again.

Two hundred years later Hiei came, I had forgotten
how sweet it is to be this madly and completely in
love, what had made it all worthwhile.

Yes I meant what I said.

I'm not pessimistic, just realistic. And you know
what? It helps me appreciate every minuite I live and
breathe. Well ... now that Hiei's come into my life at
least, I wasn't like this when we first met again. I
had given up on life and contemplated the respite
death offered, (yeah, that's when I thought up all
that stuff I said earlier) but now? I want to live! I
want to be alive! I want to be in love again and I
don't care how much it will hurt me.

I want this! So I can say I lived to the fullest and
I have no regrets.

I'm standing with my arms held out, different strips
of cloth hung on my shoulder and pieces of it were
pinned to my shirt. They made me wear a long sleeved
white T-shirt and a pair of jeans so they can pin
pieces of cloth and parts of clothes on me. I
stretched out further, loving the way I look like a
raggedy scarecrow. Enjoying the smile I have deep in
my heart.

I've gained a reason to live for another hundred
years.

Don't get me started on how it's like to be this long
lived. I'll bore you to death. Ha! That was funny!

"When you smile like that, you glow."

"Hm?" I looked down at Fredo who sighed and smiled
back. "I do?"

"What were you thinking back then? Or is it a who?"
He asked, a minuite ago he was frowning at his notes
but now he was smiling not because he wanted to but
because he saw me. Gio looked up at me and his
harassed expression changed, I saw a half smile tug a
corner of his lips before he bent down to his work
again.

"Alibis, exorcising a demon, gifts for my friends,
loving my Hiei, being alive, contemplating death,
losing someone, smiling, moments of despair, reasons
to go on, uhm... that's about it I think." I said
looking at the ceiling, I think I got that in order.

"Fox I am this close to not believing anything you
say." Gio muttered sparing a hand to show me a less
than 1 centimeter distance between his thumb and index
finger.

Alfredo sighed, shook his head, said "True love." and
returned to his notes.

When I first got here, Marie took me aside to sign a
free lance contract while Gio went to the room behind
their boutique where the alterations are done. I
learned from Marie that what Gio did was unorthodox,
he's not an agent and they will have to alter some of
the clothes to fit me just 8 hours before showtime.

The tension in the air is so thick a normal human can
smell it.

The conversations passing around me were in 3
languages, mostly English but every now and then Gio
would snap something in Italian and Marie would answer
in rapid fire french that left me guessing at some of
the words.

I guess they're getting pretty stressed because of
the deadline and Gio being demanding. He wanted
something done from scratch and he and Marie were
having a heated discussion over it. Alfredo De Moyne,
who was introduced to me earlier, is one of those
people who turn sketches into something we wear. He
was taking notes and had pinned pieces of a vest on me
to try an idea of his.

Marie who is in charge of the people who put the
clothes together believes in Gio but dosen't believe
they have time for his plans right now.

She slapped the sketch pad she was holding and pushed
it at Gio then she draped a pale blue piece of cloth
on me. I saw Fredo jump a little at the sound and he
gave me an apologetic smile. I rolled my eyes, it's
only been a few minuites and already these people
treat me like I've been with them for months.

"Look Gio, bleu ciel, see how he looks colder, I know
this is a winter collection and I tell you silk or
satin of this shade will turn him into a frost giant."

"But that's the point! I want him cold, white,
removed from this reality, it's a Baroque set!"

"Alright, your the designer." She raised her hands "I
have a bolt of embroidered silk this shade. Here." She
threw another scrap of cloth on me. "If this is what
you want for this I better make Manolo start sewing or
we are not going to be done in time."

"Oh that's perfect! Your a blessing Marie, go do it!"
Gio looked up at me "Sorry for our behavior Fox but we
are a bit rushed, I have only 15 or so minuites. Tom
will be here with his Gucci team and he has less than
20, we have to get you back to your amore Hiei at
least 30 minuites before 2. It's going to be close but
I think you can make it on time." He stood away from
me and began sketching again. "We are actually done
you know all mesurement are taken and the clothes are
being altered I just want to make a last minuite
addition you inspired in me."

I blushed slightly "Oooh? I was wondering why you
were still sketching."

"I was having a cup of coffee worrying about the
replacements, when I heard this lady next to me say
breathlessly 'O my God.' She was... ah mouth hanging
open? Eyes bulging?" he gestured for the word.

"Gaping? Making goldfish faces?" Marie said with a
smile, taking scraps of cloth off me.

"Si, gaping, and I looked at where she was looking
and there you were and the first words I said was
'Deus Mio' and did as she was doing." she chuckled. "I
ran out of the cafe like my seat was on fire." I
snorted Tom said the same thing. I am not God, but
that seems to be the general reaction.

"Quit complimenting me like that, I'll get a
permanent blush." I said ducking my head a little.

"But it's true cherie, if you were another person I
won't do this last minuite thing Gio is asking me to
make." She frowned "And I better go. I'll have to
divide this work so it can be done faster." She smiled
adoringly up at me before she left, her heels made
rapid clicking noises as she made her way to an
adjoining room.

They had fussed over me measured me over and over,
made me try on shoes, gloves, hats...

I wonder how Hiei is doing. I miss him already. I
miss smelling him close to me. I miss that warm
envelope he always surround me with. I miss his
prescence right here by my left side, where I can look
down on his shiny black spikes and meet his eyes every
now and then.

"Oi, Ark-anghel, now we hear what you want for your
dark paramour." Gio stood there with his fists on his
hips, pulling me out of my reverie.

"Ahhhh, dark paramour, a demon seduced him? Is that
why you fell Fox?" Alfredo looked up at me as he took
more pins and pieces of cloth off me. He became afraid
because he realized what he just said.

Well I can't take offense at that. Hiei IS a demon...
so am I for that matter, I chuckled. "Yes, he seduced
me, and now I am a demon too, I have fallen from
grace." I saw him smile with relief.

"Oh." he clasped the cloth samples to his chest "Do
tell signiore, what happened? How did you meet? How
did he capture your heart? What kind of man could make
something impossiblely beautiful like you fall in love
and forsake heaven?" I smiled and shook my head, he's
been doing that for the past 15 minuites, reffering to
me like I was a fallen angel. Gio took it up since he
started it when we first met, he keeps calling me
archangel in his beautiful Italian.

But it's fitting isn't it? What are demons but angels
fallen from grace?

Gio cleared his throat "Fredo! That is none of your
business, those are personal matters." he looked up at
me "What DID you see in signiore Hiei? He is exotic,
he makes me fear for my soul, he is very intimidating
even if he's... diminuitive."

I chuckled, Gio wasn't taking his own advice, "Well
you weren't so intimidated as I recall. And don't you
say that word in front of him, he'll burn your
eyebrows off."

"Oh my!" he chuckled as he laid a hand over his
forehead. "Thank you for the advice, and for the
record I was intimidated! Only your smile gave me the
courage to go on, if you had greeted me coldly I would
have left. But he is a good man isn't he?" he asked as
Marie returned with a bottle of cool Evian for me.

"Are we interrogating poor Fox on his feet? He's been
standing patiently for us while we puttered all over
him."

"You can tell Marie is a bad golfer." Alfredo rolled
his eyes and recieved a playful punch on the arm from
her. I saw Tom coming in with more folios and more
cloth samples, he has his own team in tow. I took a
long draft of the cool water and smiled.

"Thank you Marie." I said as I recapped the bottle,
she took it from me to free my hand.

"Hi Fox, I hope your still alright and willing to
play pincushion for us?" He dumped his pile on a table
and grinned at me.

"I do not bloody think so." I answered wryly, he
laughed. "If for any reason I don't get any tonight
from my lover because I have little pin holes all over
me, I will come back here and smash your kisser in.
Understood?" I said in mock anger.

Tom raised his hands "Clear as day! I found the man
of my dreams and I think I need my lips to keep him."

"Ugh, too much information." Marie whined as some of
then snickered.

"Marie here is straight but we've managed to bring
her over to the fold." Gio said with a mischiviouse
wink at her. She crossed her ams over her breasts.

"You people have corrupted me. Now I scream along
when you guys talk about your lovelife." She said with
a smile and a wry shake of her head.

"We do not scream." Tom protested.

"Guys do not interrupt! Fox was about to tell us how
he and his lover met." Alfredo said he had managed to
clean me up for the bext batch of clothes pieces. All
eyes looked at me and waited for me to begin. "Go on
Fox, if anybody interrupts you 'I' will smash their
kissers in." He added.

I'm in a fix. I smiled and started weaving a yarn for
them "Well, I met him when I was still in high school
I was minding my own business when he suddenly barged
in and challenged me to a fight. He's a master of the
sword arts and he was looking for a challenge."

"I told you-umphhh." Fredo covered Gio's mouth.

"Shhhhh! Who won?" Tom asked, he began whispering
instructions to his people as he began pinning pieces
of a suit on me, while one of the ladies he brought
along measured me. She's blushing... wonder why.

"Neither, he had an old injury and he couldn't fight
well, so we forfeited and I took care of him."

"Where'd you meet?" Fredo asked

"In Tokyo I was an exchange student."

"Ah that explains your fluent Japanese." Tom said
nodding "Make sure you add an inch and a half
allowance for the shoes." he whispered.

"And after?" Fredo asked

"Well, we competed on the same team in many
tournaments and that brought us closer. It took him
longer to realize he loved me though. I had to make
him realize that what he was feeling wasn't just care
or like anymore. That he loves me more than just a
team mate or even a friend. Before that I was
languishing in neglect because I didn't know how to
tell him that I loved him. I was afraid of losing him,
he's my friend, my partner, my confidant. But I could
loose him if he didn't want what I had to give. How I
ached to love him the way I wanted too, but I
couldn't-"

An audible sniff made me stop, then me and everyone
else looked at Fredo who was feeling in his pockets
for something. "Please go on." he said in a choked
voice.

"Fredo you are hopeless." Marie said as she handed
him a pocket pack of Kleenex.

"Gracie Marie." He said as he pulled out his own
pocket pack and waved it at her. "How did you tell
him? What happened?"

"Well, he's very cold and aloof back then, and I
thought he detested physical contact because he always
kept himself away from everybody else. So I had to
know first if he will tolerate my touching him. It was
all business those initial touches you know, cleaning
his wounds, patting his back etc., he didn't flinch or
stop me so I grew bolder, it's been years... and it's
only been a week ago that I was able hold him in my
arms and he did not push me away or get mad at me.

"I declared my love for him just 2 days ago and I
thought I was going to die if he denied me. But he
didn't. He proposed to marry me instead."

"Oh! That is great news!!" Gio grabbed my hand and
began pumping it "Congratulations!" they clapped my
shoulder and took turns congratulating and shaking my
hands. Fredo was crying as he hugged me, I barely knew
the man but he's harmless and his tears of joy were
genuine.

It touched me, a man I barely knew was so happy for
me he's crying.

I guess that's why I added on impulse, "I've been
wanting to find out where such a ceremony could be
performed here."

"Oh you are so lucky." Tom said as he grinned. Gio's
face lit up, Fredo became starry eyed and Marie rolled
her eyes heaven wards with a long suffering sigh.

I think I stepped on something here...

"St. Michael's there's a pastor there who does this
kind of marriages." Fredo choked out.

"You can have the ceremony and reception at the New
York Botanical gardens they have a green house full of
roses during fall and a 40 acre tropical greenhouse."
the one adjusting the folds of my pants added. "I know
Chelsea she'll set us up."

"The additional suit I created for tonight is a
wedding suit it will be perfect for you." Gio said.

"White?" Tom grinned wider, while I tried to
understand the nature of this quick exchange. "Great,
my winter collection is Goth in nature. How about
black silk and leather for the groom?" he said as he
began taking the suit pieces off me, the others gave
him space. "Or would he preffer a traditional kimono?
How are we going to get one on such short notice? I
have to ask Ken."

"I thought Kimonos are for women? Don't they have a
different name for it in Japanese? Fox?" Marie asked.

"I will not allow a fabricated costume right next to
my creation. It will have to be authentic and
authentic means weeks of shipping." Gio protested.
"Ahh, black, that's his amore's color." Gio said. As
he looked over Tom's design sketch. He passed his own
sketch at Tom whose hands were full.

They we're free about showing their designs to each
other because, as I understood, the fall-winter
collection is already out. It's the Spring-Summer
collection that are top secret. And these additional
ones are just that, additions.

"Fox?" Marie tugged at my shirt.

"Oh, habutae, men's kimono then over it a pair of
Hakama and a Haori for formal occasions and Odori tabi
with either a pair of Geta or Zori sandals." I replied
automatically, are these people doing what I think
they're doing?

"What's this? A white silk Justaucorps? Oh my God!
And waist coat in ice blue silk? On him?" he whistled
" Fox is the bride! And your right, damn, we need an
authentic 100% Japanese handcrafted silk kimono with
all the accesories to stand up to this." he shook his
head. "How long will you be staying in New York Fox?"
he asked me.

"Whaaa-?" Marie asked me. While I blushed fit to
burn, me the bride?

"We... we have urgent business we have to attend to,
but I guess we can stay for another week." I replied
hoping we don't have to stay that long. But, wait a
minuite-

"No way are we going to get that kimono in time,
shipping takes a week and they'll have to tailor fit
it. But I'm positive there are shops here that sell
those, do you know Ken Masanori?" He asked no one and
everyone while he pinned the suit pieces together
"I'll ask him but just incase would he consider a
suit?" Tom asked me.

"No! I want a kimono on him," Gio said adamantly as
he returned the sketch "I'll make the calls myself,
you agree Tom? You saw him, tell me what you think."

"I'm thinking black leather skintight pants, riding
boots, front-laced corset waistcoat in deepest crimson
silk and a black poets shirt with puffy sleeves." he
chuckled wickedly "Sorry Fox, can't help it, your
boyfriend looks so dangerously delicious."

That's how I decribe him! I shook my head trying to
clear the image of my beloved in leather and corset,
something is going on here, I have to pay attention.
"Wait, wait hold it, stop." I raised my hands to try
and physically stop the flow of conversation. "Are you
guys planning my wedding?"

"Oui moi cherie, if you really want it we can make it
come true." Marie said with a wide grin of her own.

"I think it was fate you met Gio." Tom said as he
returned with his hands full of the next scraps of
clothing.

"We're still lobbying to legalize same sex marriage,
and we're not having as much success as the guys in
Canada, but by doing this, by bringing together two
people who love each other, we are making more people
aware that love knows no boundaries." Gio said with
an steely glint in his eyes. Tom nodded and began
draping pieces of a coat on me.

"Gio is married, but it's not legal, your wedding,
should you decide to have one, won't be too, because
state law won't allow it. But we do this to celebrate
who we are. We do this to make people aware of our
community, we have to help each other out and make our
prescence known so they can't shove us under the
carpet again." Tom said emphatically.

I fell quiet, I DID step into something. These are
members of an active gay community.

"And it's really no problem. We have done this many
times for our friends and our friends friends." Fredo
added.

"There's only one catch." Gio said with a grin. "Once
you've been helped you have to help out too. Not a big
deal since it dosen't happen very often and like in my
case, they would call me and I'd help by finding the
right suit or use my connections to get a good
discount on designer labels."

"I help out because there's nothing more beautiful
than two hearts being joined together in front of
everbody." Fredo sighed and looked dreamily at Gio "I
remmeber your wedding."

"Gio's wedding was simple but full of memories, we
have photos here I think, that was 2 years ago right?
We had to do it someplace private or we'll get
arrested or shit bombed or something." Tony, the guy
who was measuring my leg length said. "But nowadays
people are more aware and it's okay to hold it in
public. Remember Carl and Justin? They had it this
June in Central park, we helped them out too."

"That wedding was a zoo! There were people watching
and news reporters, and police officers." Marie said
with a shake of her head "But nothing bad happened,
there was some cussing from the sidelines but that was
to be expected."

"But is it really-" I began.

"Just confirm it, foot the bills and we'll take care
of the details." Tom said "It's really simple just a
few phone calls. We have so much experience in it I
think we should put up a gay wedding service." He said
with a smirk at Gio.

"Thank you guys." I said softly.

"For what?" Gio asked "If you are having that wedding
we are invited right? So we help plan yes?" He said
with a wink. "Besides, you are doing me a favor right
now, I have to pay you back somehow." I sighed and
shook my head at them. These people are unbelievable.

I'm a total stranger, they know nothing about me and
Hiei and they want to make us a part of their lives. I
sense no duplicity in them and I'm sure Hiei would not
have let me go with them if he knew they had bad
intentions. He can read hearts and minds deeper than I
can and he trusted them.

"You know what I like about you Fox?" Gio said as he
laid a hand on my arm "You know your beautiful, you
know your sexy, but you think everybody is so you have
no airs." Marie laughed.

"Well put." she said.

"Yeah, you don't have a primadonna complex. You belly
laugh, you grin, we can't get a straight answer out of
you, you flirt like hell, and somehow... I dunno, I
feel at ease with you." Tom said pausing to look
squarely at me.

"You get that feeling too?" Fredo asked.

"Not me, I think I hate you." Marie drawled up at me,
but her half smile belied her words.

"Hm? Wonder what I did? I haven't broken your heart
yet have I?" I asked her.

"You came too late!! I am married!!" they laughed
"I'm old now, unattractive,-"

"Hey! Who said your unattractive." I touched her chin
very lightly with the tip of my finger her soulful
blue eyes told me she did regret her age, "With age
comes beauty, the kind you have to look deep within to
find. What you look like outside will fade, it's whats
inside that matters and that is what I look for in
people."

"I think I love you." Tom said.

"Stand in line." Marie elbowed him.

"How many times have you told him that already!" Gio
squeezed in between us "Signiore Hiei is going to kill
me! And if you don't get back to work, all of you, I'm
going to kill you."

"I am working get out of my way." Tom said as he bent
to see the figures his assistant had written down.

I think I made new friends...

"I want a simple wedding, nothing too fancy, just all
of you here, the ceremony and a dinner somewhere." I
said and smiled for them because they needed me to be
happy, when deep inside I was torn.

Torn because things like these should be celebrated
with friends and kin.

I wish Yusuke was here, he'd be our best man as well
as Koenma if he dosen't want to be the ring bearer.
The idea of the Junior lord of the underworld bearing
a heart shaped pillow with 2 rings in it made me smile
and made me sad at the same time.

My mother and her husband can give me away to Hiei,
Botan and Keiko will be our maids of honor or flower
girls. Kuwabara and Yukina can bear the candles...

I sighed heavily. What will they do if they find out
we did this without them? Yusuke will throttle me,
Kuwabara will refuse to talk to me and keep talking
anyway, Koenma will be grumbling about the food he
missed...

I hope they understand I'm doing this to make my
hunters follow me, to keep them safe. Oh they won't
hate us not by a long shot, they'll just demand we
have another celebration to make up for this one, but
this will make them sad and you don't do that to
friends. I hope they'll forgive us.

"Hey Fox what's with the long face?" Tom asked.

"Nothing just... nothing." I am being offered a life
here, friends. I did not intend on making more friends
but... I like these people, and now they are frowning
with concern because I can see in their eyes that I'm
so sad I'm about to cry. I bent and impulsively
gathered them into my embrace.

I miss Yusuke and the others, I miss my human mother,
I miss my brother, I hope word of this don't reach my
family. My mother would cry.

But I have to be strong, we left Japan to keep
them safe. But now we have to leave here as soon as
possible too. I will not endanger the fragile lives of
these humans, we need to leave as soon as we are able.


Their hands pat my back and surround my waist, one of
them laughed and I didn't know who, fingers touched my
hair which had been done up in a bun, warm cheeks and
soft bodies brushed against mine.

Hm. I will never be Kyubi...

I'm in love with humanity and their wonders. In love
with their wisdom, in love with their kind heart. Oh
they can be devilishly cruel and devastating but
moments like these redeem them in my sight. I gave
these humans a final gentle squeeze and let them go, I
had caught 4 people in my arms and their hands never
stopped touching me when I pulled away.

I smiled bravely at them and sniffed. "I don't know
how to thank you all."

"Don't thank me, I'm just returning a favor." Gio
patted my cheek then turned away to pick up something.

"Is no problem. " Marie said as she caressed my cheek
"What made you so sad back then?"

"Hands of woman, he's taken and your not his type."
Fredo said as he lightly slapped Marie's forearms. She
glared daggers at him.

"He's taken, he's getting married, I'm married, can't
a woman have a little fun around here?" I could tell
she was simply adoring me and she had to reach real
high to touch my cheeks. I smiled sadly down at her as
I put my hands over hers.

"Hey I promised Mr. Hiei that Fox will return to him
in one piece, if he doesn't our kissers will be the
least of our problems." Tom said.

I took her hands pressed them together and kissed her
fingertips before letting them go "Just the burden of
memories my dear, we all have them."

She nodded "Ennui, oui, j'ai comprends."

"One more thing." a small smile tugged at my lips "I
want to surprise my fiancee so don't say anything k?"
I winked at them and they resumed planning my wedding.