“You really think you can?” I ask, laughing.
“You said it yourself. I’m beautiful, kind, and talented,” she says with a mock-pompous flip of her hair. “I’m sure I could give you a run for your money.”
“Go ahead and try it, if you think you’re up for the challenge,” I tell her, throwing an arm around her shoulder as we walk toward the pilots’ dorms to turn in for the night.
Chapter 21
Lt. Col. Orion Tachibana
March 28, 2113, 08:30
I run a hand across my desk and lean back in the chair. For the first time in longer than I can remember, the surface of my desk is completely clean. A single document adorned with my signature sits atop it, but otherwise everything has been removed. Guess there’s no point wasting any more time here.
Reluctantly, I stand up and walk across the room to the exit. I turn around and take one last look at the interior before turning off the lights and shutting the door. On the way out of the dorms, I stop by my room to grab my bag before continuing my walk across the base to Colonel Feng’s office.
“Come in,” he calls when I knock on the door. I walk inside and stand in front of his desk. “Ah, Tachibana, I was expecting you soon.”
“Morning, Colonel. I brought the last of the papers signed and ready to go,” I say, handing them over to him.
“Good.” He places them on his desk atop a pile filled with more papers. His desk looks as bad as mine did last week. “It’s been one hell of an amazing run working with you. I wasn’t sure how well having a rookie captain on board would work out, but you passed everyone’s expectations brilliantly. Keep it up and you might be the most decorated officer coming out of this war.”
“Thanks, sir. It’s been a pleasure working with you as well. I appreciate the guidance you’ve given at times I wasn’t sure on what path to take.”
“Any time,” he says, standing and walking around his desk to stand right in front of me. “This may be the last time we see each other, at least for a while. You take care of yourself and your squad.” He offers me a handshake.
“Take care of yourself too, Colonel.” I accept the handshake and he grips my hand tightly.
“Your ride is ready on the tarmac whenever you are.”
“I’d better be going then. Don’t want to keep anyone waiting any longer.” I salute him and exit the office.
The rest of the squadron headed home yesterday, so I don’t have to worry about saying goodbye to them. I’ve already shared words with the other squadron leaders, so all that’s left is for me to get out of here and start my vacation. I can’t help but think it’s about time as I climb onto the small transport plane.
“Welcome aboard, Lieutenant Colonel,” the pilot says as I take my seat. “All ready to go?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Let’s get out of here.”
He returns his attention to the cockpit and begins takeoff procedures. As the plane soars into the air, I lean my head back and let my mind wander, thoughts of home finally able to take center stage in my brain.
***
A smooth melody plays through the radio of the rental car as I drive away from the airport, headed toward home. The plane ride was a short one, but impatience and excitement at finally being able to see my loved ones again made the time seem to drag on forever.
I look down at my watch for the time. Kanade will still be at school at this hour. Dad’s probably at work. My grandparents are rarely home during the day. It’ll be a little unannounced, but I guess I’ll stop by Hitomi’s and check on her. Is she even awake this early?
The fastest path to the Saruyamas’ new residence is displayed on the navigator after I enter the address and I follow the path down several busy highways and main roads. Late morning traffic isn’t too unbearably thick, however, so it doesn’t take long for me to reach my destination.
I pull up in front of the house, a nice, two-floor building, and park in an open space. For a few moments, I sit in the car wondering just what I’m going to say to her. She’s my best friend and all, but we didn’t exactly leave off on the best note last time we saw each other. No use in worrying now. I turn off the car and walk up to the front door, ringing the bell.
“Rion! I wasn’t expecting you,” Mrs. Saruyama says after opening the door. “Finally got a break from the madness?”
“Yeah, a much needed one. I’m going to enjoy it to the fullest.”
“Glad to hear it. It’s good to see you home safe again. Hitomi’s up in her room, so you can go on up. Second door on the right.”
I thank her and climb the stairs slowly. At the top, I can see that the second door on the right is open, allowing bright sunlight to reflect off the opposite wall. I walk down the hall and stop just before reaching the open door. Finally, I take a deep breath and come around the corner.
The sunlight filtering through the curtains causes me to squint a little as my eyes readjust to the bright light. When they finally adjust, I see Hitomi standing shirtless by her bed, a selection of tops strewn across it. She seems to be caught trying to decide among them. Her hair hangs over her shoulders, the tips dyed with fresh highlights.
I knock on the open door to get her attention. The sudden sound causes her to jump and I can hear a sharp intake of breath. She turns her head around to face the door, a hand raised to her chest in surprise.
“Oh, Rion, it’s you. You scared me.”
“Hey. Sorry, I didn’t think you were that focused. How are you?”
“Been better. Been worse. A bit happy now that I’ve seen your face.”
Her arm falls to her side and the motion causes me to notice the marks etched into her back. I cross the room and put my hand on her back, gently tracing the scars with my finger. It brings back memories of the terrible circumstances that put them there.
“They look hideous, don’t they?” she says.
“On you? Nothing ever could,” I reply quietly.
“Thanks. But I’m still going to finish getting them healed when my next appointment comes up.”
She reaches down to the bed and plucks up a shirt, pulling it over her head. Apparently, she finally realized that she’s been holding a conversation naked from the waist up. Not that either of us minds. She turns to face me, and I can see a contemplative look on her face.
“Hey, Rion…” she begins hesitantly.
“What is it?”
“I’m sorry. I disobeyed your orders and sortied on a mission the day I was supposed to go home.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry for going against you, but there wasn’t much choice at the time. We had to find some way to get you guys help in time and that was the only method we had available. I know why you grounded me and I’m sorry for being so belligerent about it at first, but I don’t regret coming to save you.”
I wrap my arms around her and pull her close to me. “It’s okay. I’m actually really glad you came. You saved me from having to make a hard decision and kept our team safe. There’s no way I’d be mad about that.”
“You’re not mad?”
“Not in the least.”
“Oh, thank god,” she sighs with relief, turning around so that her back is against me. “I’ve been worried for the last two months that you were gonna come home pissed about it.”
“Damn, Hitomi, what kind of hostile monster do you take me for?” I laugh. “Even if I had been mad initially, I doubt I still would be.”
“That’s true,” she says, leaning her head against me.
I allow myself to enjoy the moment, the familiar feel and warmth of her body against mine making me feel better than I have in months. It comforts me, and I definitely need comfort these days. Her hand absently brushes my arm wrapped around her waist.
“Did you miss me?” she asks.
“More than you can imagine. I could definitely feel the absence of my other half. In the air, I found myself almost giving mission commands to you. Even worse, on the ground I felt like I was miss
ing something important that I couldn’t live without.”
“You really didn’t want to send me home did you?”
“Of course not. I told you I never want to leave your side. On a personal level, the decision to send you home was one of the hardest of my career.”
“Well, aren’t you cute. I’m flattered, really. I’ve missed you, too. A lot. Kanade has kept in touch when she’s not in school so I haven’t been too overly bored, but I’ve been craving your presence.”
I kiss her on the forehead and squeeze her tightly. Here, in this moment, we have a chance to satisfy the craving we’ve had for each other for the last several months; The feeling of safety and peace that neither of us really gets anymore when we’re separated has returned. I think too much has happened to us both and now we’re paranoid about being apart.
‘’Hey, let’s go on a date,” I tell her, the idea suddenly popping into my head.
“Now?”
“Right now.”
“Uh. I gotta find something to wear first. I don’t even know if I still own date-worthy clothes.”
“Go for casual. You’ll look good in anything. Besides, my entire wardrobe fits in a duffel bag right now, so you’ve got some time to choose while I go pick something up.”
“Okay, okay. Ugh, I’m so excited. How am I nervous?”
“Because you’re adorable,” I say, laughing. “I’m going to take a run to the store to pick up some clothes and then stop by home to change. I’ll be back to pick you up in about an hour.”
“Okay. I’ll be waiting,”
***
I adjust my seatbelt as I drive back to Hitomi’s in my swanky new clothes. The store I visited had a really nice selection, so I wound up buying quite a few outfits. I’m going to need more than just my military uniforms anyway. My rapidly increasing officer’s salary that I hardly ever touch can certainly afford it. Briefly, I’d considered buying some colognes too, but ultimately decided against it.
Just a few minutes after leaving home, I arrive at Hitomi’s place again. I send her a message letting her know I’m outside before turning off the car and walking to the door to meet her. Less than a minute later, the door opens and she appears before me.
The sight leaves me speechless. She’s dressed in a short, one-piece dress with lace embroidery. It hangs just above her knees, leaving her beautiful, strong legs still visible. A light gloss makes her lips pop and I have to resist a strong urge to kiss them. Her hazel eyes sparkle brightly in the light as she smiles.
“Well, how do I look?” she asks.
“Magnificent. Stunningly beautiful.”
“Well, gee, thanks,” she says, actually blushing a little. “You look pretty handsome, yourself.”
“Thanks. Shall we get going?” I ask, offering her my arm.
She links her arm with mine and we walk toward the car. I open the door for her with a gentlemanly bow and she makes an exaggerated show of taking her seat in elegance. After closing the door, I get in on the driver’s side and we’re off.
“So where are we off to?” she asks.
“Who says I planned that far ahead? I was thinking that, for once in my recent life, I’ll just wing it. No pun intended.”
“Sounds like a plan to me.”
We drive off toward the busy downtown area with nothing but time on our hands. After a while of driving around, we decide to park and walk around, enjoying the warm early spring weather. I link my hand with hers and we stroll happily through the streets.
The midday lunch rush seems to be in full effect and people in business attire hurry around us, coming in and out of diners and fast food restaurants. Men and women carry bags of groceries in their arms and dogs walk gleefully beside their owners. Hitomi points to a street vendor selling ice cream and tugs me over. We reach the stand and she orders a chocolate scoop. I opt for vanilla with caramel swirls. The vendor hands us our cones and she smiles contently.
“Don’t worry about it,” the man says when I go to pay for our treats. “It’s on me. Good to see a young couple out having fun in the midst of all these gray businesspeople.”
I thank him and walk away with Hitomi, linking our fingers again and savoring the cool treat with my spare hand. We find a little park with benches and decide to sit for a while as we eat our ice cream. My heart couldn’t be happier as we sit side by side, our hands clasped on the bench between us.
“You’ve got some on your face,” she tells me.
“Where?”
She leans over and licks my cheek just beside my mouth. “Right there,” she says with a wink.
“Looks like I’m not the only one,” I tell her.
I lean forward and kiss her on the lips. I can taste the cool flavor of the ice cream along with the faint sweetness of her lip gloss. Our lips separate from the quick peck and she gasps quietly.
“I would say I’ll eat more carefully, but I kind of want that to happen again.”
“Do you?”
I move in and kiss her again, holding it for longer this time. Our eyes close and I can practically feel the sparks dancing between our lips. She squeezes my hand more tightly and, for a second, I have to remember not to drop the ice cream I’m holding with my other hand. A blissful eternity later, we break apart and look into each other’s eyes for a moment before returning to our frozen treats.
“So, that happened,” she breathes.
“Mhmm.”
We finish our ice cream quietly before getting up and resuming our walk. The lunch goers have started to thin out a little, leaving the streets a little less crowded. I lead the way into a technology exhibit at the convention center and we browse around all of the gadgets and devices on display.
After experimenting to our hearts’ content—and realizing that we collectively might drop a small fortune on new tech soon—we leave the center and decide to stop by the theater for a movie. I let her pick the film and we settle into our seats for the sci-fi action-romance movie that she’s apparently been wanting to see.
A little over two hours later, we exit the theater excitedly talking about the movie, which turned out to be great. I was taken in by the two main characters falling in love even as things were getting out of control and dangerous around them. Kind of sounds like a familiar situation.
“It’s getting a bit late. Shall we grab something to eat?” I ask.
“Yes, let’s. I’m starving right about now.”
We wander around for a little while before finding a little café with outdoor seating and a pleasant view. The waitress comes to take our order after we’re seated, then disappears for a moment before returning with our drinks. By the time the food arrives, we’re so hungry that we dive straight into it, hardly finding time to stop for breath, let alone words.
Minutes later, our plates are empty and our stomachs are full. The food was plentiful and very delicious. I wipe my mouth and sit back in my chair, feeling completely satisfied. The serene scenery adds to the sense of fulfillment.
“Hey, Hitomi.”
“Yeah?”
“You know I love you, right?”
“Of course. Without a doubt.”
“Will you go out with me? It’ll have to be only when we’re home, and things will go back to mostly professional whenever we’re deployed, but I want to enjoy being your boyfriend when I can.”
There’s a long silence and I look at her again to see a look of shock on her face. Her hands are half covering her mouth, which is slightly ajar. A few moments later, she finally seems to unfreeze and find words again.
“Yes! Yes, definitely yes!”
She gets up and walks around the table, leaning down and pulling me into a deep, passionate kiss. All the feelings and emotions between us pour out in a rush of ethereal bliss as our lips meet and our tongues dance. She pulls away all too soon and returns to her seat. I wish that kiss could have lasted forever, but we should probably behave since we’re in public.
“I’ve been waiting so long fo
r you to ask me that,” she says.
“Well, you always say I like to take my time.”
“Ah! I’m so happy I can’t even respond sarcastically to your sarcasm.”
I laugh and grasp her hand in mine atop the table. I’m unimaginably happy, too. This might just be the best day of my life. Things are finally official with the woman I’ve been in love with for as long as I can remember. I don’t think I’m even capable of finding words to describe my feelings right now.
Hitomi smiles brightly as we exchange loving looks and I can feel my own cheeks burning from the big stupid grin I know I have on my face. We continue to sit and talk, enjoying the beautiful scenery and each other.
Chapter 22
2nd Lt. Akane Miyamoto
April 2, 2113, 17:50
I shift in the chair at my desk to get more comfortable as I turn the page of my book. Light music plays in the background to add a little bit of ambience to the setting. The lights in the room are dimmed, with the desk light providing the majority of the light to read. There’s a sudden knock on the door and I stop mid-sentence to answer it.
“Akane, it’s almost time for dinner,” my mother says through the door. “Don’t be late.”
I respond to let her know that I heard her, then return to my book. At the end of the page, I insert my bookmark and close the book. A quick check in the mirror reveals my appearance to be presentable and I walk out the door headed for the dining room.
My father returned home early this afternoon, so my mother has been in a rush trying to make sure everything is in order for the evening meal. She’s been up to remind me about dinner easily five times before now. It’s understandable. My father demands perfection in everything.
Beyond the Clouds_Retaliation Page 13
