June 21st, 1885 – Morning

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I wake slowly as the first light comes into the room…
And Hajime sleeps by my side, our fingers still entwined. I let go, propping myself up on my elbow, looking at him… A face so familiar and dear, and a man who is coming back to something he left behind. Last night we faced the highs and lows and still came back to each other. No matter how long the night drags out…
I lay my head on his arm… I should get up but right now it’s simply too delightful to wake by his side. It’s like the image I had… I awake from dreaming only to see that it’s come true because he’s here beside me. I snuggle a little closer, he’s warm and this summer morning is surprisingly cool on my bare skin. My eyelids close again against the sunlight… I could sleep longer, or just lay here, enjoying this quiet moment. But I promised to wake him this morning.
I shake his opposite shoulder slightly, and lean forward to kiss his eyelids… on that face that others call stern… do they know how soft the skin is there? “Anata…” I say, softly, using that most familiar form of address. “We should wake up…”

Hide

7 thoughts on “June 21st, 1885 – Morning”

  2. “Anata…”
    She stirs, I feel her lips on my eyelids. The act is so tender that I’m reminded of my own mother… I open my eyes slowly. I’m a bit surprised, it’s not too late into the morning yet.
    “A little early for you Hide.” I smile and pull her back down for quick kiss. It is a bit surreal to wake up here in her house, in her bed. We’ve done it before of course in Kyoto but this… I sit up and let my gaze scan the room, our clothes are a mess on the floor and the bed is a mess as well. I grin at that, something tells me this is the way it’s always been.
    “I’m hungry…” Ah… How that sounded so -childish-. “I’ll clean up here.” Like I used to… I think.

  3. A little early for you Hide.
    He pulls me close to kiss me, I respond, my lips lingering on his. “Mmm…” I murmur as I slowly break the kiss, my tongue darting out for one last taste of him before I sit up with him. “For -this- I’ll wake up early…” I laugh, low and quiet, stretching out my neck a little to try to wake my body up. I see his grin as his eyes go around the room… our clothes thrown here and there, the sheets tangled around us.
    “Hai… you made a -mess-,” I tease. “My yukata -there-, your shirt -there-…” Unable to resist I kiss him again. Mornings were always rare… Too often he would rise before me, or I would never ask for the night and never get the chance for a morning like this.
    I’m hungry…
    I smile, running my hand through my hair, a tumbled mess. I nod, yawning slightly, and remembering what I had offered the other night. “Still for tofu and rice pudding? Or something else?”

  4. I rise and grab my pants and shirt. Quickly dressing and thinking what a mess I must be just like this room. A bath is in order and I look at Hide, she needs one too. I grab her kimono from the floor and her undergarments folding and placing them at the corner. Opening the closet, I see to her yukata and toss it to her.
    “Still for tofu and rice pudding? Or something else?”
    “That’s good for the mornings… Soy sauce and vinegar…”
    I blabber and then something hits me, like a rush of cold water. Spinning around my neck almost breaking, I barely managed to utter…
    “Saya… Hide, I need to see her first.” I’ve been -careless-.

  5. I take the yuakta Hajime offers me, tieing it on as I think of how it’s still early enough to have a bath. Watching him tidy up my room… I’m touched at how carefully he treats my clothes.
    That’s good for the mornings… Soy sauce and vinegar…
    I’m about to agree as he speaks of Saya… the look of shock in his eyes… of course. She must be worried, him spending the night with me was never planned, and it -is- his job down here in Ito… I nod, “go see her. I’ll wait breakfast and the bath until you return.”

  6. “Sumanai.”
    I take a step towards her but quickly go for the door… Literally bolting out from her room. I’ve been so engrossed in my personal affairs that I’ve been negligent of my duties.
    As I open the gates, I chide myself. I can’t be in two places at once, just like back then in Tokyo… Only now, instead of Tokio it is -her- and my daughter. A rush of memories follow as I sprint down the hill, particularly of Kyoto and how I almost lost her back in the alley behind the Asuka-ya… because I was too busy inside the damned theater instead of taking extra pre-cautions.
    It is not like her to not inquire or come to Hide’s house, when I did not leave her word that I would be spending the night there… Damn it… I’m such an idiot!
    *exits Hajime*

  7. Hajime leaves suddenly, worried about Saya…
    I clean the kitchen and hold off breakfast until Makoto comes downstairs mid-morning, rubbing her eyes. I keep an eye on the door, waiting for his return as I get Makoto and I fed and dressed, and we start to see to chores.
    As time passes I worry more, and as we work on laundry in the back I listen for the sound of the front gate. With growing worry…

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