The sun had set hours before the couple arrived at the event that evening. A light breeze swayed branches of nearby palm trees, but it wasn't strong enough to deter the attendants from showing up at the soiree.
The evening had been quite busy being introduced to many members of the higher echelons of academia, public office and private corporations. He could have sworn he saw a few of his favorite Hollywood celebrities, but he was glad that neither they, nor Himawari met up to chat; else he would have broken his quiet demeanor, which currently came off as formal if not stoic, compared to the social butterfly that he was escorting that evening.
Whenever someone came up to the Kanzaki heiress and her companion, she would present him as a long time friend and confidant. While the title was not completely off base, he would sometimes act a little more zealous toward her, particularly around other men that seemed to linger about her a little too long. 'Stella-san wasn't off one bit with her comments about Himawari's popularity.'
"All Hail the Conquering Hero!" rang a dramatic soprano voice with a slightly teasing lilt, which immediately garnered the couple's attention. The voice belonging to a mature blonde woman with curls in ringlets draping over her shoulders and framing her face. A healthy and elegant dame, very much what one would expect Himawari would look in a couple of decades or so.
"Mo-ther!" Himawari responded, both sounding embarrassed and proud at the statement that was lobbed in her general direction.
"Oh hush dear!, I'm just giving credit where credit is due." The lady in question, touched an expensive looking fan to her lips before directing her gaze at her daughter's date. "Ohohohohoà If it isn't young Keitaro Urashima, I am politely surprised to see my daughter's childhood friend make such a triumphant return to high society."
"Ka-Karin-sama, it's a pleasure to see you again after so many years." He greeted the Kanzaki mother, remembering their last meeting years ago at his 'breakup' with her daughter. Hoping she would not make a scene about his attendance that evening. 'I'm doomed! There went what little social standing I had.'
"Let me take a good look at you young manà I did not expect you to grow up so handsome." She eyed him carefully, seemingly taking in not just the cut of his suit, but the overall image he presented, "or to be so successful. I hear congratulations are in orderà Mister TouDai student."
"Ah! Th-thank you, Karin-sama. I guess I finally made good on that promise." He blushed but couldn't think of anything else to say, hoping she would be mollified with what he had become.
"Still ever the shy one, huh?" A purposeful and almost evil grin spread across her lips as she walked over to the nervous and linked arms with him. "I believe I will borrow your date for a bit sweetie, for tonight Karin Kanzaki shall dance."
"Mouuuà don't hog him all night Mother, Papa might get jealous!" fumed the heiress, feeling gypped as her mother walked away with her friend and date for the evening.
"But sweetie, you KNOW that is EXACTLY why I do it!" shot back the elder Kanzaki with a jubilant laugh.
Once on the dance floor, they danced arm in arm in silence while Keitaro gathered his courage and thoughts, as to what to talk about with the elder Kanzaki woman.
As the current song slowed down, he started, "Um, Karin-sa--"
"Okaa-sama," she quickly cut off before he properly began, "you are almost part of the family, Keitaro-kun. Don't be so formal and stuffy!"
Keitaro couldn't help but groan at her response, but waited until she allowed him to speak as they continued to dance to a slow waltz played by the musicians. 'I'm definitely not going to get a word in edgewise, might as well face the musicà'
"The fact that you are here with her, only means you two decided to working your issues,"á her serious tone calmed his doubts about Himawari's family, "and for that I'm thankful you let her back into your life."
He was expecting to get an earful, about how he had let her little princess down or how he had ran away from the heiress. The cordial and frank words were refreshing and very welcome to him.
"She took the separation very hard back then, but it was a bitter pill that needed to be swallowed," she kept his attention with her admissions as the band continued with another song, "but, now you're back and she seems happier than ever."
As Keitaro was about to reply, he felt a tap at his shoulder. He stopped dancing as they looked to a gentleman older than him, Himawari's father if memory served right. After a few pleasantries and an almost extorted promise to visit the Kanzaki family home, he presented the young Archaeologist with his daughter and took his wife back to continue dancing.
"Make sure to have our princess back at her tower before to late, Keitaro-kun!" admonished the elder Kanzaki woman, eliciting the groan from the young couple.á Just before her husband whisked her away she followed up with a parting shot, "But know that you have our blessing if you intend to steal her away to your castle."
"Mo-ther!" cried the younger Kanzaki woman, embarrassed at the public teasing by her mother.
Her date on the other hand, smiled and decided to go with the flow and return volley at the elegant Kanzaki elder, "We'll get back to you on that last one, Okaa-sama!"
"Kei-Keitaro!" her shocked response was all she was allowed to comment before her date for the evening decided to give his good friend a night she wouldnÆt soon forget.
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He had been awake for the past thirty minutes or so, taking stock of the unfamiliar ceiling and trying to make heads and/or tails of his alcohol laced fragmented memories of the night prior... and the very healthy young lady holding him not unlike a child would an over-sized teddy bear.
"Could someone please turn off that light?" inquired a voice belonging to the head of blonde curls nuzzling against his chest. "People are trying to sleep here."
"Can't turn off the sun, 'Mawari," replied his slightly parched voice.á That earned him a sweet snicker followed by a languid hug from his bed mate. ''Remind me to buy black out drapes next time, Sunshine.
"Part of me is already regretting saying this but... why aren't I on the floor, another room or my frat house porch?"
"Because you're comfy!" She snuggled into him a little more. "Besides, Stella will be bringing in a hangover remedy once she notices we're not snoring."
"I'm pretty sure we both have some questions racing through our minds right now so, ladies first."
"Knowing Mother, she probably ordered Stella to keep us locked in here while we were mostly drunk.á She's probably expecting us to need a priest by now... disappointed we didn't go at each other like rabbits?"
"Glad we didn't--" he aborted his response as he noticed her slightly hurt reaction. "It would have been a shame to have been too drunk to remember my first time, especially with a beautiful young woman."
"Flattery will get you everywhere with me Keitaro... speaking of which," she smirked at him saucily, "are you really this healthy or are you just that happy to see me first thing in the morning?"
"Healthy, although that 'Property of UCLA Athletic Department' t-shirt isn't helping one bit..." he responded with a blush normally seen on a cherry tomato.
She beamed proudly at getting a rise out of him, then sighing as she went back to a more serious tone, "Might as well get the obvious one out of the way... are we married?"
"Unless this isn't your room, I don't remember anyone saying anything about going to Vegas last night, so I'll hazard it and sayà no." He snickered at a barely audible jeer he got from her. "Should I be worrying about and/or preparing myself for a shotgun wedding?"
She took her time to respond, "As much as I loathe to admit it, Yes; I'm still a maiden, and you ensured that my chastity was well guarded all nightà even from myself." She snickered and poked him in the chest teasingly, "I thought you hated fighting, where did you learn how to fight?"
"Seta-sensei's been drilling me on some Jeet-Kune-Do during our down time at dig sites the past year or so... he says it's good to know a little self defense." As memories from the past night started filtering in, he remembered drinks. Lots of them. "Just how much alcohol did we put away?"
"We barely touched the wine at the soiree, but we really cut loose with the hard liquor at the after party, although we stopped by the time we got to that bar on the Sunset Boulevard..." She trailed off as she fondly remembered how doting and zealous her 'boyfriend' acted all night. "Where did you learn to hold your liquor?"
"I have a friend that's been educating/drinking me under the table the past couple of years." A few stray memories of wild parties at the Hinata Dorm came up, with a certain platinum haired vixen waking up next to him in similar situations to his current.
"What about using that broken pool cue like a makeshift Katana? I didn't know you took up Kendo." Her memory of bar room brawl and how he made sure she came out unharmed became very present and very meaningful.
"I'm not really a student, but I've picked up a few moves." His fond reminiscing led him to remembering a duel or two with a raven haired swords-woman, then he caught himself from proceeding. "Hey! it was my turn to ask a question!"
"Oh, Come on!" she whined cutely as she nuzzled into his shoulder. "You make your time away from me sound so much more interesting and exciting, Archaeologist-san!"
"I'm not gonna give ALL my secrets away, you know..." he said with a wink back at her before deciding addressing one concern he had been nursing since their meet-up with her mother the previous night. "Did you mind me acting like a jealous boyfriend last night?"
"Mind? Silly... I LOVED it!" She snuggled into his chest a little more hiding a deep blush on her cheeks 'It's things like this that make me wish you really wanted to be my boyfriend.'
An hour later and after various questions had been answered, the unresolved-slash-ambiguous couple decided to go out on a picnic and enjoy each other's company for what was left of the weekend.á
<hr>
Toward the early evening, as she drove him to his Frat house, she made small talk and waited patiently for the right moment to ensure most of his frat brothers had seen them. At the moment he was about to head in for the night, she decided to send her beloved off with a searing kiss good night before driving away, leaving him dumbstruck.
Once the shock wore off, he was assailed by his rowdy frat brothers, pestering him for all juicy gossip about his ælegendary weekend rendezvous with his girlfriendÆ. Being the gentleman he was he would, halfheartedly, contest that claim until the end of semester and day he left for his homeland.
All in all it had been a good weekend to be Keitaro Urashima.
Editor's Note: It's good to be the king!
