Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Azumanga Daioh Fan Fiction ❯ Love Reincarnate ❯ Get Closer, Baby ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Love Reincarnate
A Rurouni Kenshin Alternate Universe Fic
By: Serenity-chan

Chapter 7:
Get Closer, Baby

Souzou got almost no sleep that night. He couldn't stop thinking about having Midori's warm, lithe body pressed against his. That combined with dreams more sensual than ever kept his mind firmly planted where it was not supposed to be. He couldn't help it, being a man after all. Finally, he crawled into his pullout bed and curled up.

'Let the dreams come,' he decided. 'I'm sleepy...'

"That's the spirit," yawned Self-Preservation.

Before long, Souzou was deeply asleep and having the best dream of his life.
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He was in a traditional Japanese-style house - in a bedroom to be exact - that he vaguely recognized from dreams past and he wasn't alone. Midori was with him, and not the one from his dreams, in the powder-blue yukata. This one seemed so much more real, dressed in the short pink bathrobe he had seen her in when they first met. It was coming dangerously close to falling open at the top and he wondered if she wore anything underneath.

"Midori-san?" he asked.

He wasn't sure when she came to curl up by his side, but he was aware of a gentle finger pressing down upon his lips.

"Not Midori-san," she told him, smiling suggestively. "Just Midori..."

One slender hand slid across his chest, drawing a sharp gasp from him as long fingernails tenderly raked over his skin. Something in his mind wanted to be the one in control of the situation, but something else told him to lay back and let her have her way with him. He certainly wasn't complaining about the sensations she brought to his body.

"What's going on?" he asked, his voice trailing off as Midori pressed hot kisses to the side of his throat.

"Whatever you want," she whispered sensually.

"I mean, why are we here?" he persisted, gasping between phrases due to Midori suckling gently on his pulse point.

Midori didn't answer, just moved up to shower his face with kisses. He closed his eyes and relaxed at the sensation of her lips touching him all over his lips, cheeks, temples and forehead. If she wanted to wait a little while before telling him, then he was fine with that. He writhed a little as her hands traveled down the sides of his body.

"I could tell you," she purred in his ear, nipping at the outer shell with her teeth. "But do you really want to know?"

Souzou froze. He wasn't sure. What this woman in his dreams might tell him could change his entire life. What if it turned out to be just as his loony old grandfather had suspected? What if he WAS the reincarnation of the real Souzou Sagara? Could he handle that? If he knew about his past life, would that mean the dreams would come more frequently? Would he eventually... see himself die as a criminal on the stand? He gulped.

"I don't know," he said finally.

Midori smiled.

"Not tonight anyway," she said. "But I'll always be here if you want to know."

"But what about now?" asked Souzou.

Midori smiled again and slipped one hand farther down his body.

"Now... I just want to love you, Souzou," she said softly, her voice and touch sending shivers up and down his spine. "It's been so long..."

She leaned up and pressed a deep kiss to his lips, her tongue slipping in to taste that warm, moist cavern. Souzou groaned aloud and let his tongue slide forward to dance around hers, engaging her in a playful battle for dominance as he wrapped his arms around this woman. Somewhere in him, he knew that he had loved her in ages past and would continue to love her in every age to come.

When the two of them pulled apart and Souzou's eyes fluttered open, he saw her: the woman who had haunted his dreams since he was sixteen. And now he knew without a doubt who she really was. She was the original Midori, the one who had loved him in the past. Over a hundred years had passed, and their two souls remained together.

"Is it true?" he asked weakly, reaching up to touch her face.

Her slim hand covered his and she nodded.

"I've found you again," she told him. "But the past doesn't dictate the present. Just because I remain in your mind doesn't mean Midori will automatically fall in love with you."

"What should I do?" asked Souzou, his voice turning on the side of begging now.

"Exactly what you would normally do," answered the woman who seemed to hover just above him. "Win her love again. Just please, don't do it the way you did back then..."

Another dream seemed to whack Souzou in the head. He saw himself up an old, old tree, staring down at a beautiful girl who happened to be taking a bath in a spring. It was as if a fast forward button had been hit, because all of a sudden he heard the branch crack. He saw himself fall into the water and the outraged girl telling him off. He wanted to sink into that pond and drown himself right there for doing something so stupid.

"Yes... That wasn't exactly the brightest thing you've ever done," sighed Midori.

"Or was it?" growled Souzou, quickly switching their positions and pinning the woman he had loved forever beneath his body.

"How?" asked Midori in a breathy voice, throwing her head back as Souzou nuzzled into her throat.

"I got you in the end, didn't I?" he purred, nibbling her ear then trailing his tongue over the outer shell.

Slender arms wrapped around his neck as Midori attempted to pull the man who had been her husband down closer to her. Souzou let out a soft, sensual growl and pressed his clothed hips down on hers. Soon the two were acting like newlyweds again, hands trailing over each other's bodies and moans of passion filling the room.
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That was exactly how Reichi found his best friend when he got up to get himself a snack in the middle of the night. Souzou was sprawled out on the pullout, moaning as his head tossed back and forth. Reichi was both disgusted and curious.

"Man, I wish I could have the same dream," he commented to himself.

He never knew what felt like a slap in the face right then, but he nearly dropped his sandwich because of it. He shook his head, forcibly dragged his typical male mind out of the gutter and headed back to bed to finish his sandwich and watch some tv. He knew good and well that if Souzou ever found out about that, he would just as soon strangle his best friend as look at him.
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Souzou lay back with his eyes closed and his lips barely parted, panting. His dream self was stretched out on a comfortable futon with Midori, the original one, beside him. Her hand stroked his chest again, long fingernails once more raising goosebumps on on his skin. He heard her whisper something in his ear and turned his head towards her.

"Hm?" he mumbled sleepily, his mind still half-hazed.

"I have to go for now," Midori whispered, laying her hand flat and palm-down over his heart, feeling the throbbing pulse and sighing.

"Don't leave me," whimpered Souzou, laying his hand over hers then turning on his side to take her in his arms.

Midori leaned up to kiss her beloved's forehead.

"You have to get used to being without me," she told him. "Because in truth, I am a part of Midori's mind. Once time progresses the way it should and you and her are together, I'll have to go back to her. You'll see me in her."

"Do I still get to dream like this?" asked Souzou, wincing at the light that was creeping into his line of vision.

"Will you want to when you'll have the real thing in your arms?" the dream woman asked gently, her other hand coming up to caress Souzou's cheek.

"I'll miss you," Souzou whispered weakly, his dream self beginning to fade.

"Don't," she told him. "It doesn't do to dwell on the past. Men have wasted away falling into that trap. You'll begin to see me again as you and Midori get closer."

"But what if I...?" Souzou started, now deathly afraid. "If I blow this, I'll lose you forever, both of you..."

The dream woman smiled, her form becoming faint in the morning light.

"I think you'll figure it out..." she said enigmatically, her fingers brushing the underside of his chin teasingly. "Just take each day as it comes..."

Souzou didn't want to open his eyes just yet.

"But..." he whispered desperately, his eyes pleading with the woman to stay a little longer.

"Goodbye for now..." she breathed, her kiss feeling like nothing more than a breath of air on his lips.
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Souzou winced and his eyes reluctantly fluttered open as he felt something velvety brushing over his mouth.

"Mow," announced Kuroneko-sama, poking his face with a tiny paw again.

The small black cat was sitting on his chest, plainly demanding food.

"Ugh..." groaned Souzou.

"MOW," demanded the miniature feline, saying 'Feed me NOW!' as clearly as if he had been speaking human language.

Souzou covered his eyes with his hand, cursing Reichi's animal-loving nature for a moment.

"Go 'way, baka neko," he mumbled sleepily.

"MOW!" yowled the cat, poking Souzou's face with his paw once more.

"Go bother Reichi," Souzou grouched, turning on his side and pulling a pillow over his head.

The small black cat bounced when he hit the floor.

"Mowwww!" he meowed plaintively.

"Uh-uh," grumbled Souzou, turning on his stomach and throwing his arm up to hold the pillow over his head.

Kuroneko-sama growled and hopped up on Souzou's back. When he got no response, shining claws emerged from hidden sheaths. Purring and meowing at the same time, the small cat began kneading the exposed skin of Souzou's back. It felt like being pricked with little curved needles over and over. Souzou shifted a little, hoping the cat would get bored and go away.

It didn't work...

"OW!" yelped Souzou as ten claws that hadn't been clipped in a while drove into his back.

"Mrr..." purred Kuroneko-sama, pleased with himself.

Souzou gave in.

"Fine, fine," he grouched, pushing himself up out of the warmth of his bed and looking towards the makeshift dorm-room kitchen. "I'll feed ya, you little manipulative bastard..."

"MOW!" yowled the offended Kuroneko-sama.

*slice!*

"YOW! Damn it!" yelped Souzou as five claws ripped into his back, leaving five bleeding wounds.

Cursing the cat under his breath, Souzou pushed himself to a sitting position and swung his legs off the pullout. Feeling the grisly warmth of blood trailing down his back, he stood up, shook his head and hobbled off to find the cat food. Kuroneko-sama trotted behind him, lamplike green orbs glowing proudly as he smiled again. Souzou winced at the thought of those bear-trap teeth as he wrestled with the can opener.

"Mrrrreow," mewed Kuroneko-sama, offering his disdaining thanks to the human who fed him.