As it says in the description, this is a random idea that popped into my head a while back and I've been trying to get rid of. So what best way to get rid of it? letting the keyboard strokes do the talking.
I'm not quite sure just how far this rabbit hole goes and I apologize in advance for the bad grammar... I studied maths and sciences, not literary arts
<hr>
Dreaming out Loud
Disclaimer: Borrowing the characters, setting and scenery from the owners, any Original Characters that spawn from here are mine, tho probably inspired by others from other fandoms. I'm not making a red cent off this belligerent attempt at writing, so donÆt bother getting the lawyers. Constructive Criticism will be accepted to help make this more a more tolerable read, flames will be considered troll bait and thusly ignored. If you donÆt like it, lump it, take it down the road and dump it!
= = = = = = =
Prologue
Waking up à never felt so real.
= = = = = = =
æWhere... where am I?Æ these were my first thoughts as I woke up on what felt like a soft bed in a quiet hospital room, a sudden memory reminds me why. æWait, my first day at TouDaià the roof ornamentà the girls!!!Æ
I tried to get up in a hurry to see if they were okay, only to reel back in pain while I noticed it was having difficulty opening my eyes. "Ouch... did anyone get the number of that Mecha Tama that hit me?" My first words since I woke up, I bet it sounded weird thanks to a parched throat and the lingering pains.
"Kei??? You're awake? Oh, thank God!" responded a soft feminine voice approaching me.
ôNaàö I stopped myself, something just a little off about his current situation æthatà that doesnÆt sound like NarusegawaÆ
ôIÆm sorryà howà how long have I been out forö I responded to the voice as I mentally cataloged the aches and pains my body was reporting as I tried to move æyep, that definitely feels like a cast on my left leg, bandages on my head, and pain everywhere elseÆ
ôYouÆve been in a coma a little over eleven weeks.ö The woman in my room responded; her voice next to my bed, as she placed a glass with water is placed in my hands.
As I started taking sips, my mind started to try to make sense of the situation. æShe doesnÆt sound like Mutsumi-san either, or any of the other girls from the Inn for that matter.Æ
After finishing up the water, I was finally starting to feel a little more alive, although still tired. I tried opening my eyes slowly; thanking my lucky starts it was a dark evening.
As my eyesight slowly improved, the only thing I could see was the feminine silhouette belonging to the voice IÆve been hearing. Feeling a little confident, I went ahead and cracked my usual wining smile æmaybe sheÆs the nurse in charge of this shift?Æ
ôWell, there went that triumphant entrance to TouDai that IÆve been parroting about for years now, huh?ö I asked myself rhetorically as I scratched my head with my left hand, my usual nervous tick when IÆm ashamed of something I did wrong or failed to do.
ôItÆs alright Keià youÆre awake and thatÆs all that mattersö Her gentle response stopping my thought processes while she took the glass away, then returning to hold my right hand between her two soft warm hands.
My eyesight finally cleared completely at that moment, so I looked at her intent on recognizing her. She graced me with a beautiful smile, and I couldnÆt help but look at her more attentively as she squeezed my hand softly æOkay, this is a little awkward, but I could get used to thisà she does seem to be on a on nick-name basis with me.Æ
Her smile faltered at my lack of response, sobering up a little more before she continued to talk. ôThe Doctors said your cast may take a couple more weeks to come offö. That gave me a little hope to get out of here soon. ôBut due to the blunt force trauma to your head, there may be a bit of memory loss, but they couldnÆt confirm from the tests they ran.ö
That last comment got me thinking out loud about my current situation ôIÆve been in a coma for eleven weeks? And thereÆs possible memory loss? Am I going to be alright?ö I was about to give in to despair, but the warm hands holding mine were very comforting. ôUmàö
ôNatsukoà my nameö she replied to the unsaid question as a couple of tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. ôI guess weÆre going to have a lot to catch up on, huh Kei?ö
æCatch up?Æ Any further questions I may have had at that moment were silenced as she pulled away from me. ôIÆll contact the rest of the family now.ö
I was left completely dumbfounded, ærest of the family?Æ I could only nod back to her in response, as she wiped away her tears before pulling out a cell phone to make a call.
æMaybe I did get hit in the head a little too hard if I forgot someone like her was in my family.Æ I decided to keep my thoughts quiet and pay more attention to Natsuko.
As she stepped into the moonlight by the window, I couldnÆt help but notice her blue eyes and how her almost waist long dark red hair was shining. At that moment the loudest thought crossing my mind was æSheÆs way too pretty to be shedding tears for me.Æ I could clearly see her trying not to fidget as I all but stared at her.
I couldnÆt help but look back her previous actions and attitude, which often gave me small flashbacks of my dear friends at the Hinata Sou. æAlthough IÆm glad that neither Naru nor Motoko-chan are here right now, the way this girl responds to me, they would think I was shamelessly flirting her or something.Æ
ôKana-chan?à No, I just didnÆt expect you to be at Haruka-sanÆs this late at nightàö
æWait, Kanako-chan???... at HarukaÆs?... since when are they on friendly terms?Æ I tried to get my mind off the conversation by looking around the private hospital room. I noticed a clock on the wall in front of me reading 11:50 PM, a couple of tasteful paintings were hung on the wall by the door and the Hinata skyline outside the window on the far wall. æAt least IÆm not far from home.Æ
ôSorry calling this lateà actually, I called because he finally woke upàö I looked back at her and caught a light blush coloring her cheeks while she continued her call, glancing back at me with a playful smile every so often ôyeah, IÆm glad tooàö
æShe does have a nice smileà arrgh! Naru and Motoko might be right, maybe I am a pervert.Æ
ôDo you want to speak with him?... okay, tomorrow during your visit then?à thanks again, for being thereö she hung up and put away the phone, then walked back over to my bed.
I try to think of something to say, although IÆm drawn back to the phone call. ôWas that Kanako on the phone?ö Natsuko nods back at me, then sitting right next to me on the bed as if she always belonged there. ôI havenÆt seen her for quite a while; she must have grown up by now.ö
Shaking her head at me, she gets this sad smile for a second then takes a mockingly formal tone. ôWell, IÆm glad you took such a good nap Kei, because WeÆre going to have a long talkö
I gulp nervously at her stern words, ôUmà Natsuko-san?ö I get a giggle out of her in response to my nervous body language.
ôDonÆt worry, I wonÆt biteö her comment letting me relax for a moment as she leans in and whispers in my ear. ôI like to nibble.ö Which only serves to make me more nervous, I bet IÆm visibly blushing. æShe must really know me well if she can rile me up as easily Kitsune usually doesÆ.
ôGuess Your Hime still has it!ö she sits up posing proudly, then make a gun hand gesture at me and winking as she makes a shooting motion.
Enjoying the relaxed air we have now, I decide to ham it up in response as I fall back dying like a bad actor on a second rate TV drama ôUguuuu!! You got me!ö The honest laugh from Natsuko-san made me feel better, although now IÆm curious why ôum, waità My Hime?ö
ôYeah, youÆve called me that ever sinceà foreverö she sighs tiredly for a second as she arranges her thoughts. ôGeez, I never thought IÆd ever have to explain that one to you! YouÆre the one with the attention for detail and the passion for remembering thingsö
ôMy memoryÆs not THAT goodö I grin sheepishly. æOkayà so maybe we ARE closer than I originally thought.Æ
ôSays the guy that serenaded his girlfriend on their first date with the Liddo-kun and Friends theme songà over ten years after the show endedö she replied with a bit of a snicker.
ôUgh!ö I hang my head in shame, knowing that IÆd probably do that. ôI bet that must have been embarrassing for her!ö pausing after catching myself hum the first few bars of that old song. I couldnÆt help myself; the old tune was an ear worm and always got me in a good mood. æWait, I never serenaded Naruà or Mutsumi on our dates.Æ
ôYou could be surprised what some girls consider romanticàö she replied with a playful wink, which stopped my thought process ôalso, you gave your Hime a good birthday present this yearö
ôWait, I did? What was it?ö Making me hopeful, if she can help me remember stuff, I shouldnÆt stop her.
ôYou woke up, silly!ö she replies matter-of-factly, then poking at my ribs playfully. ôAnd here I thought I was going to spend a boring birthday at the hospital tomorrowö.
ôHuh? Your birthday is tomorrow?ö looking a little mind boggled ôand how did me waking up from a coma become a good birthday present?ö
ôYou always bake me a æDeath by Chocolate CakeÆ on my birthday! But it seems like this year, IÆm going to miss it.ö She pouts cutely at me for a second then looking at the clock on the wall strike midnight.
ôThe date is now June 21, 2000àö she leans over me on the bed and kisses my forehead and then proceeds to selfishly pull me into a warm hug.
ôWell umàö I blink confused for a moment, then proceeding to return the hug to the affectionate young woman in my arms, whispering back ôHappy Birthday Hime.ö
As I feel myself relax, she then pulls back and graces me with a saucy wink that wouldnÆt look out of place on Kitsune back at the Inn. ôumà Hime?ö My question was ignored and promptly followed up by her kissing me fully on the lips.
While it was innocent at first, I found myself responding to the kiss. As I we were took break for air, I could have sworn she had a look saying she enjoyed the goofy grin IÆm sure was on my face ôThanks hun!ö
Her happy response quickly turned into slight disappointment, noted by her pinching of my nose ôAww, I thought we had cured you of those nose bleeds on our Wedding dayö she huffed cutely as she wiped the trickle of blood on my upper lip with a kerchief.
ôYay! Wedding day!ö She smiled hapilly. I still grinned like a loon.
It took few moments for my brain to reboot and process her last words. ôWait! WeÆre Married? How long? When and where did we meet? How long have we known each other?ö Putting a dainty finger on my lips, she effectively shut me up and stopped my spazz out moment.
Taking a moment to collect herself and sit beside me on the bed, she smiled sadly at me before continuing. ôMy name is Natsuko Urashima, nÚe Natsuko Sunoharaà and you better get comfy mister, because IÆm going to tell you our storyö.
She had my full and undivided attention now, but there was still one comment left unvoiced and lingering in my back of my mind. æWhen the girls find out, theyÆre gonna kill me!Æ
I'm not quite sure just how far this rabbit hole goes and I apologize in advance for the bad grammar... I studied maths and sciences, not literary arts
<hr>
Dreaming out Loud
Disclaimer: Borrowing the characters, setting and scenery from the owners, any Original Characters that spawn from here are mine, tho probably inspired by others from other fandoms. I'm not making a red cent off this belligerent attempt at writing, so donÆt bother getting the lawyers. Constructive Criticism will be accepted to help make this more a more tolerable read, flames will be considered troll bait and thusly ignored. If you donÆt like it, lump it, take it down the road and dump it!
= = = = = = =
Prologue
Waking up à never felt so real.
= = = = = = =
æWhere... where am I?Æ these were my first thoughts as I woke up on what felt like a soft bed in a quiet hospital room, a sudden memory reminds me why. æWait, my first day at TouDaià the roof ornamentà the girls!!!Æ
I tried to get up in a hurry to see if they were okay, only to reel back in pain while I noticed it was having difficulty opening my eyes. "Ouch... did anyone get the number of that Mecha Tama that hit me?" My first words since I woke up, I bet it sounded weird thanks to a parched throat and the lingering pains.
"Kei??? You're awake? Oh, thank God!" responded a soft feminine voice approaching me.
ôNaàö I stopped myself, something just a little off about his current situation æthatà that doesnÆt sound like NarusegawaÆ
ôIÆm sorryà howà how long have I been out forö I responded to the voice as I mentally cataloged the aches and pains my body was reporting as I tried to move æyep, that definitely feels like a cast on my left leg, bandages on my head, and pain everywhere elseÆ
ôYouÆve been in a coma a little over eleven weeks.ö The woman in my room responded; her voice next to my bed, as she placed a glass with water is placed in my hands.
As I started taking sips, my mind started to try to make sense of the situation. æShe doesnÆt sound like Mutsumi-san either, or any of the other girls from the Inn for that matter.Æ
After finishing up the water, I was finally starting to feel a little more alive, although still tired. I tried opening my eyes slowly; thanking my lucky starts it was a dark evening.
As my eyesight slowly improved, the only thing I could see was the feminine silhouette belonging to the voice IÆve been hearing. Feeling a little confident, I went ahead and cracked my usual wining smile æmaybe sheÆs the nurse in charge of this shift?Æ
ôWell, there went that triumphant entrance to TouDai that IÆve been parroting about for years now, huh?ö I asked myself rhetorically as I scratched my head with my left hand, my usual nervous tick when IÆm ashamed of something I did wrong or failed to do.
ôItÆs alright Keià youÆre awake and thatÆs all that mattersö Her gentle response stopping my thought processes while she took the glass away, then returning to hold my right hand between her two soft warm hands.
My eyesight finally cleared completely at that moment, so I looked at her intent on recognizing her. She graced me with a beautiful smile, and I couldnÆt help but look at her more attentively as she squeezed my hand softly æOkay, this is a little awkward, but I could get used to thisà she does seem to be on a on nick-name basis with me.Æ
Her smile faltered at my lack of response, sobering up a little more before she continued to talk. ôThe Doctors said your cast may take a couple more weeks to come offö. That gave me a little hope to get out of here soon. ôBut due to the blunt force trauma to your head, there may be a bit of memory loss, but they couldnÆt confirm from the tests they ran.ö
That last comment got me thinking out loud about my current situation ôIÆve been in a coma for eleven weeks? And thereÆs possible memory loss? Am I going to be alright?ö I was about to give in to despair, but the warm hands holding mine were very comforting. ôUmàö
ôNatsukoà my nameö she replied to the unsaid question as a couple of tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. ôI guess weÆre going to have a lot to catch up on, huh Kei?ö
æCatch up?Æ Any further questions I may have had at that moment were silenced as she pulled away from me. ôIÆll contact the rest of the family now.ö
I was left completely dumbfounded, ærest of the family?Æ I could only nod back to her in response, as she wiped away her tears before pulling out a cell phone to make a call.
æMaybe I did get hit in the head a little too hard if I forgot someone like her was in my family.Æ I decided to keep my thoughts quiet and pay more attention to Natsuko.
As she stepped into the moonlight by the window, I couldnÆt help but notice her blue eyes and how her almost waist long dark red hair was shining. At that moment the loudest thought crossing my mind was æSheÆs way too pretty to be shedding tears for me.Æ I could clearly see her trying not to fidget as I all but stared at her.
I couldnÆt help but look back her previous actions and attitude, which often gave me small flashbacks of my dear friends at the Hinata Sou. æAlthough IÆm glad that neither Naru nor Motoko-chan are here right now, the way this girl responds to me, they would think I was shamelessly flirting her or something.Æ
ôKana-chan?à No, I just didnÆt expect you to be at Haruka-sanÆs this late at nightàö
æWait, Kanako-chan???... at HarukaÆs?... since when are they on friendly terms?Æ I tried to get my mind off the conversation by looking around the private hospital room. I noticed a clock on the wall in front of me reading 11:50 PM, a couple of tasteful paintings were hung on the wall by the door and the Hinata skyline outside the window on the far wall. æAt least IÆm not far from home.Æ
ôSorry calling this lateà actually, I called because he finally woke upàö I looked back at her and caught a light blush coloring her cheeks while she continued her call, glancing back at me with a playful smile every so often ôyeah, IÆm glad tooàö
æShe does have a nice smileà arrgh! Naru and Motoko might be right, maybe I am a pervert.Æ
ôDo you want to speak with him?... okay, tomorrow during your visit then?à thanks again, for being thereö she hung up and put away the phone, then walked back over to my bed.
I try to think of something to say, although IÆm drawn back to the phone call. ôWas that Kanako on the phone?ö Natsuko nods back at me, then sitting right next to me on the bed as if she always belonged there. ôI havenÆt seen her for quite a while; she must have grown up by now.ö
Shaking her head at me, she gets this sad smile for a second then takes a mockingly formal tone. ôWell, IÆm glad you took such a good nap Kei, because WeÆre going to have a long talkö
I gulp nervously at her stern words, ôUmà Natsuko-san?ö I get a giggle out of her in response to my nervous body language.
ôDonÆt worry, I wonÆt biteö her comment letting me relax for a moment as she leans in and whispers in my ear. ôI like to nibble.ö Which only serves to make me more nervous, I bet IÆm visibly blushing. æShe must really know me well if she can rile me up as easily Kitsune usually doesÆ.
ôGuess Your Hime still has it!ö she sits up posing proudly, then make a gun hand gesture at me and winking as she makes a shooting motion.
Enjoying the relaxed air we have now, I decide to ham it up in response as I fall back dying like a bad actor on a second rate TV drama ôUguuuu!! You got me!ö The honest laugh from Natsuko-san made me feel better, although now IÆm curious why ôum, waità My Hime?ö
ôYeah, youÆve called me that ever sinceà foreverö she sighs tiredly for a second as she arranges her thoughts. ôGeez, I never thought IÆd ever have to explain that one to you! YouÆre the one with the attention for detail and the passion for remembering thingsö
ôMy memoryÆs not THAT goodö I grin sheepishly. æOkayà so maybe we ARE closer than I originally thought.Æ
ôSays the guy that serenaded his girlfriend on their first date with the Liddo-kun and Friends theme songà over ten years after the show endedö she replied with a bit of a snicker.
ôUgh!ö I hang my head in shame, knowing that IÆd probably do that. ôI bet that must have been embarrassing for her!ö pausing after catching myself hum the first few bars of that old song. I couldnÆt help myself; the old tune was an ear worm and always got me in a good mood. æWait, I never serenaded Naruà or Mutsumi on our dates.Æ
ôYou could be surprised what some girls consider romanticàö she replied with a playful wink, which stopped my thought process ôalso, you gave your Hime a good birthday present this yearö
ôWait, I did? What was it?ö Making me hopeful, if she can help me remember stuff, I shouldnÆt stop her.
ôYou woke up, silly!ö she replies matter-of-factly, then poking at my ribs playfully. ôAnd here I thought I was going to spend a boring birthday at the hospital tomorrowö.
ôHuh? Your birthday is tomorrow?ö looking a little mind boggled ôand how did me waking up from a coma become a good birthday present?ö
ôYou always bake me a æDeath by Chocolate CakeÆ on my birthday! But it seems like this year, IÆm going to miss it.ö She pouts cutely at me for a second then looking at the clock on the wall strike midnight.
ôThe date is now June 21, 2000àö she leans over me on the bed and kisses my forehead and then proceeds to selfishly pull me into a warm hug.
ôWell umàö I blink confused for a moment, then proceeding to return the hug to the affectionate young woman in my arms, whispering back ôHappy Birthday Hime.ö
As I feel myself relax, she then pulls back and graces me with a saucy wink that wouldnÆt look out of place on Kitsune back at the Inn. ôumà Hime?ö My question was ignored and promptly followed up by her kissing me fully on the lips.
While it was innocent at first, I found myself responding to the kiss. As I we were took break for air, I could have sworn she had a look saying she enjoyed the goofy grin IÆm sure was on my face ôThanks hun!ö
Her happy response quickly turned into slight disappointment, noted by her pinching of my nose ôAww, I thought we had cured you of those nose bleeds on our Wedding dayö she huffed cutely as she wiped the trickle of blood on my upper lip with a kerchief.
ôYay! Wedding day!ö She smiled hapilly. I still grinned like a loon.
It took few moments for my brain to reboot and process her last words. ôWait! WeÆre Married? How long? When and where did we meet? How long have we known each other?ö Putting a dainty finger on my lips, she effectively shut me up and stopped my spazz out moment.
Taking a moment to collect herself and sit beside me on the bed, she smiled sadly at me before continuing. ôMy name is Natsuko Urashima, nÚe Natsuko Sunoharaà and you better get comfy mister, because IÆm going to tell you our storyö.
She had my full and undivided attention now, but there was still one comment left unvoiced and lingering in my back of my mind. æWhen the girls find out, theyÆre gonna kill me!Æ
