*EDIT: changed the Thread title by suggestion. (Me and my proper grammer...
)*This particular Hisao/Hanako story came to me in one of my lucid dreams, where I wanted to describe some sort of fluffy actions in bed between the two of them; except I was in Hisao's place in the dream. Where the rest of the story came from, I sort of made it up as I went along, because it didn't feel right writing only wabout the juicy stuff. (Then this would've only been a page long.) I seemed to have had some trouble keeping the tense consistent, although it should be coherent as is. In regards to not writing about sex, I may have balls, but I'm not ready to use them. (Not yet anyway
)------------------
WARM EMBRACE
“Ugh… I can’t get to sleep. Or at least it doesn’t feel like it.”
I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling. The room is pitch black, aside from the cone of moonlight passing over my bed.
“I remember when that light was on the door; now it’s right next to my bed.” My mind says, as one’s usually does when they can’t sleep. I check the clock on my desk; the display tells me it’s almost one in the morning.
I had realized that summer at Yamaku Academy was… difficult. The school had a summer uniform, just like normal schools. It was basically the winter uniform, but the short-sleeved version for both boys and girls. The boys had the option of wearing shorts, which seemed odd to me, as most schools have the boys wear long pants the entire year. I realized the need for shorts when the first heat wave rolled in. I quickly grew accustomed to seeing the disabilities of some fellow students that weren’t as obvious as others in winter. I was also rather surprised when I saw Muto arrive for homeroom in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, but not surprised when he continued to drone on in that uninterested voice of his as if nothing was amiss. If Shizune suddenly broke out in song, I doubt he’d even bat an eyelash.
No, school life was more-or-less the same; it’s just that the heat became my mortal enemy. Maybe it was due to the location of the school; maybe it was some sort of tweak my body went through after this heart decided to crap out on me; or maybe some anonymous sadist out there gets their rocks off by watching me suffer. The humidity was so bad, Shizune and Misha “acquired” several fans and placed them in the student council room in such a way that we had our own vortex of cool in there. It was a nice slice of paradise, so I didn’t scold them on that abuse of power.
It was so bad, that Misha and Lily lost their curls and waves, respectively. Not that it was a bad sight to see, mind you.
It was so bad, that Rin was beginning to act normal.
It was so bad…
How bad was it, Hisao?
“Don’t you start with that,” I say to that voice in my head.
It got so bad, that Emi reduced my (now) usual morning mile jog to a two-lap walk; as thanks for being so considerate, I treated her to a fruit smoothie, and she didn’t even have to flash those puppy-eyes at me to get it. However, that toothless, dying hag known to all but Kenji, and now myself, as “Mother Nature,” refused to let up, even at night.
“I opened the window a sliver to get some breeze in here, but I think it’s adding to the humidity. I’ve even stripped down to my boxers! This place is able to suit the needs of any disability, so why can’t they spring for an air conditioner in all these rooms!” My mind spoke, continuing its insomnia-driven tangent.
One part of my brain rationalized that perhaps it wasn’t feasible to supply A/Cs to all the dorm rooms, what with labor, electrical bills, noise pollution, possible interference with other student’s needs, and so on. Another part of my brain started to inadvertently think of all things hot: the sun, burning your feet on hot beach sand, Shizune and Lily making out, and so on. When yet another part of my heat-stroked brain realized that that last thought would only occur when Hell froze over, I felt some relief, however minor.
This sort of thing went on for about an hour, and after my brain started wailing on the Roman Senate for adding July to the calendar, I came to the conclusion that my mind was beginning to go Rin on me. I decide to go to the bathroom to relieve myself (both literally and figuratively), and to also get rid of the sweat that was beginning to soak me. I flipped the sheets over to the right and head straight towards the door.
As I step outside, I’m struck by the most horrid smell I’ve experienced in my life thus far.
“My God, I really hope Kenji hasn’t died in there; he still owes me for that pizza.”
I hastily, but silently, make my way past the heat-enhanced, rum-soaked (climate appropriate beverage of choice) room of Kenji. I swear I could see the vapor seeping out through the cracks in his door. After reaching the facilities, I make good on what I decided earlier, and make a bee-line for my room. I was mere nanoseconds away from slamming the door shut to avoid Kenji’s potential biohazard when I remembered I wasn’t alone.
Shutting the door, enshrouded by darkness and embraced by oppressive humidity, my eyes are basically blind from adjusting to the outside light, but I notice that moonlight was now illuminating the most important and precious person in my entire world.
Lying before me, fast asleep, is my girlfriend of two months, Hanako Ikezawa. I watch in content silence for a moment at how peaceful she looks. The covers had apparently slid off of her after I inadvertently flipped them onto her. Hanako was clad in a light, white tank-top and panties. She was on her left side, rolled into a slight fetal position with her back against the wall, arms out in front of her at a V-angle, her hands bordering on the outline I made where I had been lying. Her bust-length purple hair was in slight disarray, although some strands were draped across her face, with a few long strands moving slightly with each breath she took while she dreamed.
As I head back towards the bed, I notice that Hanako has a fine sheen of sweat forming on her, except on her arm, thigh, spots on her back; all where the burns had been the worst. I gently get back into bed and pull the covers back up to my chest. After settling, I roll on my right and continue to stare at Hanako. I slowly bring my free hand toward her face, and gently roll back the wayward strands of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers graze her lips and skin. Resting my head on my pillow, continuing to stare at me girlfriend, my mind begins to think back…
-------------------
Two Months Earlier…
Beyond that violet veil was the most beautiful girl I had ever met, and I mean that in the most sincere possible manner. The way she used to hide her self, in general, made most think she had been horribly, horribly burned on the right side of her body: that she didn’t have an eye or ear under all that hair, that she had to wear a false breast because her real one had basically burned off, and other such rumors. I never really thought much on that subject, but as I spent more and more time with Hanako, and as she began to open up more towards me, I realized that those were the ignorant musings of biased and vain fools. Hanako had been burned as a child, but the worst of it was from her shoulder blade to her hand, spotted along that side of her back, and down just above her knee.
And yes, that does include a “sizeable” chunk of her rather voluptuous posterior, although only on that right side. I found that out after a series of “unfortunate” events that entailed my flailing hands, a drunken Kenji, a changing Hanako, pantyhose that manages to catch on panties, a tinfoil hat, and a rubber chicken. Don’t ask. I tried to apologize to her for the better part of that afternoon, and when I found her, I explained what had happened, how Kenji had managed to “pass out inside a garbage can,” and that I would make it up to her by any means necessary. She couldn’t think of anything, so I offered to take her out to dinner to a place of her choice, and she accepted.
Anyway… It happened to be that same night I found what she was really hiding under that purple shroud. We were walking back to the dorms when I had another heart-related “incident.” It wasn’t a real heart attack; I guess the stress from earlier and the prodigious hike back to the school caught up with me. Maybe the food I ate didn’t agree with me. Either way, I keeled over. The last thing I heard was I soft voice calling out my name.
When I came to, my eyes refused to open, at least for the time being. From what I could guess, I was lying on a bench in the courtyard. All I could hear was the faint rustle of leaves blowing on tree branches, my heart had long since calmed and returned to its steady beat. What I could feel, however, was not the hard surface of the bench, but something soft and warm. When I finally opened my eyes, I was staring right up at Hanako. She asked me how I was doing now, I told her better, and gave her that same excuse that I used to give everyone when my heart decided to act up. By some turn of fate, a rather strong wind went through the courtyard. Hanako was caught off guard, and her mask was finally removed.
What I saw were rather normal burns, if burns could be called that. They were not to the extent as her other ones, but she had two eyes, two ears, and soft features that matched her visible side; in fact, the scars never even reached her ear or hairline. It was at that moment that I decided to tempt fate. She had noticed me staring at her face and attempted to hide it again, but my hand immediately went up to her uncovered face and began to gently caress it. Those scars did not have the same type of roughness to them like on her hand, but it felt like they were soft and weren’t really there. Also, they weren’t as deeply colored like the other scars, almost as if the deep color was an illusion caused by the reflection of her dark hair. My fingers grazed her lips, slid around the side of her face, through part of her hair, and around her ear; all the while gazing up from her lap. I was entranced by what I saw, but was brought back to reality when I felt something warm and wet stream down her check.
After I sat back up, Hanako’s tears began to flow freely. I immediately cursed my very existence for violating such a personal space for her, and attempted, albeit hesitantly, to comfort her. When I embraced her, she curled into my chest and let the floodgates open. After a few minutes of rubbing her back (being mindful to as to where I rubbed) and allowing her to let it all out, she calmed down. I apologized, or at least attempted to, when Hanako stopped me. She explained through her sniffles:
“Y-you probably n-noticed that my f-face isn’t as bad as the r-rest of my body.”
I gave a slight nod, being careful with her choice of words.
“T-there’s a reason f-for that.”
I waited for her to compose herself and continue.
“Y-you know that the f-fire happened when I was a child, and that my d-dad died because of it.”
Another nod. Lily had once mentioned that Hanako had lived with her mother before coming to Yamaku, although only in passing; Lily respected Hanako’s wishes in regards to her past. Hanako’s soft voice begins to waver.
“W-well… h-he d-died because of-f m-me…”
More tears. More comforting holding while I try to process what Hanako just said. She continued, her head still in my chest:
“I t-think I was sleeping, so I don’t r-really remember m-much of how it started, j-just the horrible h-heat and w-whoosh of air…” Hanako slowly described what she remembered of that horrible event.
“T-then I remember seeing most of the rooms r-roaring with fire, and then r-running to D-Daddy. That’s w-when it h-happened. T-The doctors explained that a fuel l-line in the k-kitchen one room over r-ruptured and s-sprayed liquid f-fire on both of us.”
My mind visualizes each moment as Hanako describes it.
“I was knocked t-to the floor by the f-force of the explosion, and m-most of my right s-side was engulfed. I r-remember screaming f-from the pain as the f-flames began to c-consume my b-body. T-that was when I s-saw Daddy.”
Hanako pauses as she recalls that terrible image.
“I-I didn’t know until I g-got to the h-hospital, b-but Daddy had p-protected me from m-most of the blast. B-because of that, he was m-much worse off than m-myself. H-his entire back was engulfed in f-flames. He was l-limping a bit b-because a chunk of m-metal had pierced h-his leg and shoulder. The f-flames had instantly scorched his h-hair off and m-melted his ears. I c-could see him g-grimacing f-from the pain, but h-he didn’t scream or c-cry. He was m-making his way t-towards me. O-once he r-reached me, he fell to the f-floor and tried to put my f-fire out, before h-his own. M-most of my flames had s-stopped because my c-clothes had b-burned off, or had grafted t-to my skin. He was t-try to put out the f-flames on my f-face. I was p-pleading with h-him to make it s-stop.”
“When I opened m-my eyes, I could only look out of one of them; the house was still b-burning and the pain on my f-face had stopped, but was c-covered with a different w-warmth. Daddy had c-crawled next to me and covered my burned face with his g-good hand to keep the f-fire from hurting it more, like this.”
Still buried in my chest, Hanako indicated by covering her face like she usually did, just more slowly. She continued:
“I saw that his fire had b-burned out; m-most of his body was a horrible c-combination of pitch-b-black, brown, and w-white skin, some blackened b-bones, b-blood caked on to his skin, and an indescribable s-smell… but he was smiling. I was f-frozen in place by that smile. K-Keeping his h-hand on my f-face, he l-lowered his head to the floor, and s-shut his eyes. I t-think my cries for D-Daddy h-hurt more than the b-burns ever did.”
Warm silent tears flowed as she kept talking.
“The n-next thing I r-remember was w-waking in the h-hospital r-room. D-Doctors where all around me, and M-Mommy was at my side, g-gripping my left h-hand. She h-had been cut off from the two of us w-when the ceiling in the front r-room collapsed. I a-asked for Daddy, b-but I already knew…”
Hanako fell silent. The clock in the courtyard indicated it was eleven at night, and I didn’t really care. My heart was hurting, but not in that typical “dying” type of way. It hurt more for Hanako; having to endure the pain of fire, and then the pain of watching her father die. I felt that any lesser girl would have broken; Hanako got off lucky with her social phobia. She spoke, half-yelling:
“That is why I don’t w-want people to l-look at my f-face! It always reminds m-me that Daddy died because of m-me! I should have died instead of him!”
It was with that statement that something in my heart snapped. I then did something that could have ended the friendship I had with Hanako up to that point. With swift and tender forcefulness, I place both hands at the base of Hanako’s face, forced her uncovered face up toward mine, and kiss her. I taste salt from the tears she’s been shedding most of the night. When I broke the kiss off, with her less than ten inches away from my face, I spoke, in slightly hard tone:
“Don’t you ever think that again! If your father was still alive today, I would be down on my knees thanking him for keeping you in this world! I like being with you, Hanako, and I certainly do not think you killed him. He chose to save and protect you, because he loved you! If I were in that situation I would have done the same thing, because I love you…”
Hanako’s face is a mixture of open-mouthed stunned silence, red teary eyes, and a blush so bright I can feel the warmth under my hands. After she closes her mouth, I began to gently rub the scarred side of Hanako’s face, partly out of hope that it would soothe her, and partly in the hope that it hammers the fact into her that I don’t have the same negative thoughts she has about her face. After a moment, she places her hand over mine:
“Do you m-mean it? Do you… l-love me? Even with a f-face like…”
I cut her off.
“I mean every word I have said, both about you, and loving you.”
“…”
Hanako tries to say something, but words fail to leave her lips. After a moment, I interject:
“You don’t have to give me an answer tonight. After all that happened today, it may be best if we give it some time.”
I would prefer an answer now, but this is Hanako. It would be best to take this sort of thing slow, seeing as how I did risk a lot pulling that stunt a few moments ago. I rise, and offer her my hand. She’s spaced-out, but eventually notices and accepts; however she keeps her eyes downcast. I slowly walk with her towards the girl’s dorms in silence, with nothing but the gentle breeze and rustling trees as company.
Before we reach the entrance, Hanako stops a few steps behind me. I turn to her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I h-have something else to t-tell you, Hiaso.”
She keeps her head down, her hair keeping her eyes from me.
“What is it?”
She swiftly closes the distance between us and places her lips against mine. With Hanako leading, her kiss feels much more tender and sweeter than the one I forced on her earlier. She steps back, and I see that her depressed face has been replaced with a bright blush, and a small, bur beautiful, smile.
“H-How does that count for an answer?”
------------
I bring myself back to reality. As I continue to gaze at the sleeping face of my girlfriend, I realize how much her stamina has improved… social stamina. SOCIAL. It took some time, but she gradually began to show her face around the school; she even began wearing her hair back with a clip or a ponytail. She has gotten to the point where she interacts with the others in our class, Shizune included, but she still has some trouble with larger crowds. She just may not like big crowds of people. She has also lost the stutter, although there are moments…
Apparently, I had begun to space out, because when I bring my focus back to Hanako, I find her lavender eyes staring right back at me.
“Why were you looking at me like that, Hisao?”
Hmm… Target acquired.
“I was wondering how a beautiful and wonderful girl like you wound up with a regular guy like me.”
“Oh… u-um… I don’t know w-what to say…”
Direct hit.
“I was also thinking back to the night you told me about your father. I still stand by every word I said.” I may be starting to lay it on a little thick, but I truly mean what I said.
“T-thank you, Hisao. Uhh…”
Hanako bites her lip.
“What is it?”
“Would you m-mind holding me tonight? I sleep better w-when I’m in your arms.”
Damn. Returned fire.
“S-Sure, Hanako.”
Hanako giggles a bit, rolls onto her right side, now facing the wall, and scoots into my uncovered chest. Having accepted her scars, I decided to “grow up,” and accept my own. In reality, I should have accepted it long ago; it’s not that bad, and I could have used it as an excuse to show my well-sculpted muscles to the ladies… yeah, right.
I prop my head up with my right hand, and use my left hand to slowly and lightly stroke Hanako’s exposed skin. I start by slowly dragging my fingers along her arm, letting the nails tickle her slightly as they pass over her skin, forming lines through her sweat. My hand makes its way toward her shoulder, tracing where her shoulder blade is visible, and slowly go down her side.
“Mmm…”
That’s the only thing Hanako says as she begins to drift back to sleep. She does twitch a bit as my caressing tickles her at he base of her ribs. I continue down, tracing every curve, from the indent of her svelte waist, rising with the swell of her shapely hip, and down her perfectly toned leg. I retrace my path along Hanako, and take a detour over her exposed, smooth stomach, pass over her navel, which causes Hanako to give off a slight moan, and I pull her in closer, letting my arm rest over her stomach.
As I place my right arm under Hanako, I brush along part of the scars on her lower back and stomach, and she seems to elicit a huskier moan than her previous one. I should keep that in mind the next time we decide to have a… “late-night chess match.” With my left arm over her waist, I have my right arm come up toward her neck and left shoulder. It ends up lodged between her breasts; the underside of her right, and slightly scarred, breast rubs against the smooth part of my arm, and her left breast pins my wrist in her cleavage. I feel all the curves present in her prodigious chest, as her shirt is moist with sweat; Hanako appears to be a bit aroused, as her nipples are visibly erect, even under her shirt.
With Hanako firmly inside my space, and sound asleep, my senses are bombarded as I drift towards my long-awaited slumber. I smell the faint hint of oranges, which is coming from Hanako’s hair directly under my nose. She seems to be slyer than she lets on, because one would have expected her to use lavender shampoo. I feel her moist curves, her smooth skin. I can feel her heartbeat, and mine begins to sync with hers; it has a calming effect. I can hear her soft breathing as she sleeps in my arms. I can taste her as I kiss her along her neck and shoulder. And finally, I see how much of a contradiction Hanako is: as she lays her in my arms, she seems so weak and vulnerable, but she is so much stronger than me; she’s strong for accepting her scarred body, strong for overcoming her fears and disability, and strong in her willingness to accept my love. She has shown me truths about myself that I chose to ignore; I owe her much for that, and I love her infinitely more for that.
As sleep finally comes to claim me, the horrible, wicked humidity vanishes, and I am surrounded by a much calmer and gentler warmth. This is our love, and I certainly don’t mind this warm embrace.
----------------
And there you have it. Most feedback will be welcome. The rest will be ignored. You know the kind.
