Homecoming [powered_otaku]

[sweetsalome]

    He had silently entered his own house the night before, when no one was there to greet him, to make a fuss over him.  Standing in the front foyer, he looked around slowly, not a thing out of place, the great walls and ceiling as silent as a tomb.  Like a giant cat he had stalked through the house, making sure everything was as it should be.  A massive shadow, gliding over chairs and carpets, all seeing, all knowing.  The shadow beast settled himself in one of the massive high back chairs in the living room, glass of scotch in hand he listened, he waited.  He waited a long time before this, there was nothing wrong with waiting a little more.

   

    Salome thought she had been wrong.  Maybe he wasn't coming home that day, or maybe he had just decided that it wasn't worth it and just left town.  Maybe Santa was real and this year she would finally get that pony she always wanted for Christmas. 

There's nothing wrong with being wrong, just expect the consequences of not being right.

He called her into his office, summoned her, as if some sort of employee, if she was nothing but a serf on his estate.  She sat in one of the big high backed chairs across from his desk, the one with the slippery leather that squeaked every time she moved or shifted.  Palms wet, heart racing, two works away from a panic attack as he fixed her with those eyes of his, eyes she had only seen from behind the safety of bullet proof glass.  There was a high likelihood that she was going to either die or throw up on his Persian rug.

She did neither.

He spoke to her softly, asking how she had been, how Jonba was and how her summer had gone at her grandparents.  The more they talked, the more she relaxed, until she was left only slightly weary, her palms now dry.  Maybe she had made a mistake, there was no threat here, just a man she had missed while he had been gone.  Someone who had changed when no one thought he could.

He asked her for a hug.

Standing up, she walked to him and lent forward to give him a gentle hug around his shoulders.  For a moment that was enough, but when she started to pull away, he grabbed her by the hips and yanked her down into his lap.  Despite the struggle, despite the fight she didn't do any damage, except smack her foot against the desk drawers.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me two hundred times. . . Maybe I might be asking for it.

    "I heard you've been bad," he whispers into her ear, hand at the back of her neck, holding her still like some wild animal.

    "I heard that you've been telling lies about me," his fingers tightened, applying more pressure.

    "I even heard you found a play thing, and he believes you.  How long do you think that's going to last?"  With his free hand, he reaches for the ring on her left hand and twirls the band around slowly.

    "How long before he gets tired of you?  Before you come crying back to me because he doesn't love you any more. . ."  He stands up with her and starts to move to the door, dragging her along as she struggles in his grip.

She doesn't fight as hard as she could have, she knows that if she did it would hurt, a lot.  She doesn't want to get hurt, she doesn't have the defenses for it any more.  This needs to be over, this pain, this humiliation, this feeling of being so filthy and disgusting that she can't even look at herself in the mirror.  Somewhere, between the study and the bedroom, she takes over, and mercifully, Salome doesn't feel a thing.

She picks up the phone and she sends the text message after a shower.  There is no need to delay the inevitable any longer.

Comments

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro gets under the covers with her, but he's not touching her quite yet. His hand gently covers hers, gauging her reaction. "That will never happen."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

She doesn't move, just sighs and closes her eyes. At least her breath is minty fresh in the enclosed space. "It doesn't matter, that's what it felt like in the dream." Turning her hand over she finally entwines her fingers with his.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

He kisses her hand. "I know. Dreams are not rational." He knows about them. He hasn't had his bad dreams lately, which makes him very happy.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"You are the first person I've ever thrown up in front of, so, you know, feel special." Smiling slightly she moves back into his arms, and presses up againt his chest, she feels calm enough to do that now.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Just wait until I return the favor," he smirks. He moves to her and holds her close. He knows that she's still fragile at this point, so he's taking all his cues from her.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"I'm actually waiting for you to get sick, so I can take care of you. So I can pay you back for everything. I will hold you and clean up after you, and make you soup." Her grip tightens around him suddenly and she gives a little crying laugh.

"I'll be good to you, I promise."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

He folds her closer, gently caressing her hair. "I know you will be and you will take care of me. You will be the best mother in the world and dazzle the art world. I will love you and we will grow old together, see our grandchildren and our great grandchildren."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Sighing softly against his neck she nods slowly and then kisses up to his ear. "That sounds wonderful, Hiro. I can picture us walking in the park together, old and gray, and you chasing after the grandkids." She actually smiles at the picture, she always does when she thinks about their future, it truly calms her.

Pulling back slowly, she kisses him sweetly.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"A very pretty park in the spring, with all the flowers blooming. A very full life. And we will still have the time leashes to keep the grandkids under control." He feels her starting to calm and continues to stroke her hair. "Our family. We will love them all."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"We will need to figure out how to make time leashes, Hiro-kun." She pulls back a little so she can watch him, touch his face and his hair. "How many children do you want, darling? You'll be such an amazing father. So tender and loving."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"We have Jonba and I would like to give him at least one brother or sister." He wants a couple more, but that's her decision, since she's the one who will carry them for 9 months.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"I'm glad you think so because there's something I need to tell you. . ." She sits up and takes a deep breath, as if she is going to tell him something important.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Yes?" He leans closer.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

She leans in and puts her forehead against his. "I want to have lots of babies."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

He smiles hugely. "Then we will have lots. And we will love them all and they will love us."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Cupping his face, she kisses him hard and pushes him down on to the bed, grinning. Nodding slightly even in the kiss, she speaks against his mouth, "yes, that's perfect, and wonderful. I almost want to start now."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Best would be for you to finish school first. Then we will have a 2 big weddings and a beautiful honeymoon." He kisses her gently. "We have time, sun goddess. More than anyone."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"Yes, I know, I'm not one of those people to just rush into things. We have lots of time, I just got a little over excited." Curling up next to him, she puts her head on his chest. Picking up his hand she plays with his fingers idly.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro smiles. "Americans seem to always be in a hurry. Some time soon we should go to Kaneyama, so you can see the house and we can pick some apples with Jonba."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"That's because we're always afraid that we are missing something." Her eyes close and she starts to nibble on his fingers. "That sounds really good, I would like that, a lot, so would Jonba."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Do you want to go next weekend?" He'll have to air it out on Thursday, but it's been pretty nice there the last few days.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"Yes, that would be very nice, but I have just one request." She stretches out, her head on his belly, her feet under the pillow by his head. "I want a narwhal."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Where would I get a narwhal and where would I keep it?" He can't think of any pool big enough for one.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"We can get a small one and keep it in the bathtub," she explains, because this is a perfectly logical solution. Lifting her head she kisses his stomach lightly. "Please? I'll take care of it."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Well, if we can get one and it is not illegal, we will give it its own tub." He grins a bit. "Of course, you will have to give it its daily swims and feed it the narwhal chow."