Once more, I beat the alarm clock. Or shall I call it a safety net? That was more of its function. It hasn’t woken me up in about two months now, ever since I started my daily five am wake up. I hate waking up this early, but I have to make breakfast and lunch for my two loves.
With Rinako on bed rest, I got to experiment a little more in the kitchen. I know she hates it, feeling like she’s not useful, but I have finally learned to make a perfect patty melt. It’s the little things that make me happy. My lips go into a grin with last night’s dinner still fresh in my memory.
My friends are regularly calling me a race traitor because I don’t eat Lycan food much anymore. Really don’t care, I’ll take a nice big juicy club over teriyaki or curry anytime. Maybe I am a little loopy, or perhaps I’m just burned out on the stuff. It could just be that Los Mitichas has some of the best seafood and sandwiches in the world.
The coffee pot does its chime to let me know it performed its task. Good job, you. That means I have all of about ten minutes before Rinako comes down for her morning cup. She would find her meds right next to her favorite cup, along with her favorite creamer. It’s more like syrup, but she will never admit it—none for me. I’ll take mine black. If I buy coffee, I want to taste coffee.
Maybe that’s just all the Army training, by my ancestor’s breath, I know that I picked up a lot of habits from that time in my life. Both good and bad. My ears perk up as I scan past the kitchen windows, always keeping my head on a swivel. Yeah, habits like that.
I put my eyes back to the fancy non-stick cookware I was working with and kill the heat. Food is done and smelling divine. I walk around to the antique elvish cabinets that were all the rage and a pain to install and grab out three plates.
I grab the various pans and start to plate the food while checking a while, checking the news a little. It’s a lot of the same, the Dark Elf Queen is still trying to bridge the nations together after we fell apart when King Arthur died. Pity, all his work to unite the nations passed with him. At least we’re getting good weather today. I mean it’s Los Mitichas, we always have good weather.
Plating is done, I grab our every so fancy heirloom cutlery, handed down from Rinako’s parents. I know they were trying to be helpful when they found out we were moving, but who still used these ancient utensils? They were a little hard to keep clean, and I just wanted to use the ones from the supermarket, but Rinako insists.
What my queen wants, my queen gets. The princess has to go through an approval process.
Speaking of my queen, I hear her footsteps come down the stairs. Done setting the table, I do my best impression of a servent when she comes in the kitchen.
“What have I done to deserve a husband like you?” She says, looking as beautiful as ever wearing a tank top and pajama shorts with cartoon print, morning bed hair, and a smile. Taking the hair tie off her wrist to pull her hair out of her face, she gulps down the meds and works on fixing her coffee.
“You gave me love, life, a purpose, and a beautiful daughter. Your body isn’t bad, either.” I chuckle.
“Oh, shut up. I’m nothing like those model girls you’re used to. I’m just a fat nerdy girl you settled for.”
“Careful now, you’re talking about my wife. Those are fighting words.” Try as I might, I never understood women’s obsession with their weight. Rinako is as slim as they get. Yeah, she gained a little with Hako, but it made her sexier to me.
“It’s only going to get worse, dear. Without being able to work and sitting at the house, I’ll be a plump wife in no time. Then you’ll leave me?”
“Still your tongue, my love. You are perfect to me. You always will be.” I make my way over to her and start kissing her neck.
“You have to say that. You’re my husband, but you know the truth… put me down!” I pick her up and press her against the wall. She grabs tight around my neck. Her tail tucked under her and her ears bent down, she burrows her face in my shoulder.
“If you were as big as you say, would you be so easy to pick up?” She leans back a little and faces me and places her hands on my chest.
“Well, you have always been strong, dear. Put me down before Hako-chan come and sees us.”
“Not without a kiss.” she pecks me. “A real one, dear.”
“You spoil me, you know?”
“I’m your husband, isn’t that what I’m supposed to do?”
Wrapping her arms around me again, she leans into a kiss. Putting her whole self into it. I feel the passion as her tongue meets mine. Her legs move to my waist, her hands pull into my fur, her pelvis grinding into my… whoa, Hako-chan will be awake soon. Have to put that thing away.
“I told you to put me down. Did I not?” I let her down, but now she is starting with me. I go to turn away, and she puts my waist right back to hers, nibbling at my neck. For her to be the small petite woman that she was, her hold proved difficult to break. Or was it the feel of her mouth to my neck and her fur against mine?
She nuzzles at my neck and shines those azure eyes at me. “Want to let me drink my coffee in peace now? I could always do worse.”
“No, dear. I’ll leave you to your coffee. Besides, I hear Hako-chan’s footsteps.” I take my seat at the oaken round table, and here comes her cute little shuffle.
“Morning, Touchan. Morning Kaachan.”
“Morning, sweetheart. Go ahead and get seated. Your food is on the table, I’ll bring you juice in a second.” I replay, how could I forget her juice.
“Yes, Touchan,” her voice carrying drowsiness with it. Her mother and I have always been morning people. Well, as long as I’ve known. It doesn’t seem like it carried to her. I mean, she is only ten. I guess she still has time.
“How is the new school, sweetheart?” Rinako asks, taking her seat next to her.
“Good, the teacher, is really nice, and I’ve made a lot of friends.”
“Have you now? Didn’t know you were so popular.”
“Yeah, I’m kind of a big deal. All the kids listen to me because I’m the smartest.”
“Really? Didn’t we teach you to be humble?” I throw out getting her favorite princess glass.
“But Touchan, it’s true. It’s not my fault that the other kids are dummies. They don’t even know geometry and square roots.”
“Sweetheart, most kids don’t learn it for a couple more years.”
“Well, that’s not my fault.”
“Sweetie, It’s not fair to call them dummies for not knowing something they weren’t supposed to know yet. And you shouldn’t brag about being the smartest either. It could make them feel bad.” Rinako explains.
“Okay, Kaachan, I just won’t tell them,” she says, grabbing her juice just to have it taken away immediately.
“Eat some of your food first, young lady.” I scold. Her pout is so cute I nearly give into it every time. Only with Rinako’s training have I been able to resist its charms. “Now.”
She gets started on the eggs first, no surprise there. She loves cheese eggs. She’ll go for her toast next, then the bacon. She never mixes any of them and saves the best for last. As she tells it.
Once she takes a few bites, I return her juice and join the table in breakfast.
We share food, news of our daily lives, and laughter.
Rinako has been taking it easy on the ward making. The doctors warned her to stay away from all magic use. Until the disease starts receding, she can’t risk it. And it is killing her. She loves making wards. So in the meantime, she’s been writing blogs to walk people through the basics. I guess that’s one way to enjoy it.
Hako-chan was adjusting to the new school and city. We moved here through her summer vacation. What she initially thought was a trip turned into a move. Surprise. With only a month in the school year, she has a BFF. I’m sure Maki won’t be happy to hear that if they ever visit.
“So, will my dear husband be taking the day off today?” Rinako smiles slyly.
“No, I’m going to have to go out and mentor young monster slayers again.” I return her grin.
“I still don’t like it, you’re out there risking your life to help some kid fresh out of college live some video game fantasy.”
“Don’t forget that ‘video game fantasy’ life is how we met.”
“Yes, but you’re a skilled warrior with years of training. These kids today are just trying to fill the shoes of legends that died in the war.”
“And someone has to teach them to be better, who better than me, babe.”
“Any of the other mentors will do just fine, they don’t have loving wives as you do.”
“Well, no one has a wife like me period, my love.” she turns her head to hide a smile. “What would you have me do?” I say, turning her face back to mine.
“Work for the LMPD.” She smiles.
“And how is that safer?”
“The benefits are better, you have more back up, you’ll have steady work. Need I go on?”
“Are you guys going to kiss?” Hako-chan says, lifting her hands to cover her eyes.
“You know, I think I just might,” I say, pressing my lips to Rinako.
“Eww, not while I’m eating,” she says, sticking her tongue out, pretending to gag.
“Oh, whatever, Hako-chan,” Rinako says, still looking at me lovingly.
“Well, if I have any say so, I think it’s the coolest to have a Monster Slayer Touchan.”
“Thank you, Hako-chan, nice to see someone appreciates my work.
“I appreciate it, it just worries me.” I start to rebuttal, but she holds her hand to my lips. “Don’t you tell me not to worry.” That has me going back to my food and smiling at her. After a few bites, I grab my coffee, and she starts up.
“Dear, I love you?” I stop mid sip.
“What did I do?”
“Be the most amazing husband in the whole world.”
“Okay what do you want?”
“Why must I want something to tell you that you’re the most handsome, caring, understanding, loving husband in the world?”
“Okay, you’re overselling just a little bit.”
“That was too much?” she giggles. She takes a deep breath and grabs my hand. She kisses my hand and throws me her saddest puppy dog eyes.
“So Hako-chan and I were talking… and she would love for her mommy to take her to school today.”
“Dearest…”
“Hear me out, I will make sure to keep you on the phone the whole way. You’ll know if I feel any weakness. I’ll be careful. I’ve been taking my meds every day. You see me, I feel better. Let me start back on some of the chores. Dearest, you can’t do them all. Not all the time.”
“The doctor said he would tell you when you could come off of bed rest.”
“But this is my body, and I know it better than him.”
“Yeah, Touchan, Kaachan can do it.” Hako-chan chimes in.
“Did you rehearse this?”
“Maybe a little,” Rinako says quickly, “but let’s not lose focus. Besides. Hako-chan said you are kind of cramping her style.”
“Yeah, Big time.” Her biggest, cheesiest smile on display.
“So, you are going to use our daughter to get your way?”
“I am not using her, we formed an alliance. There is a major difference.”
“Yeah, equal partnership.”
“Okay, enough, little one.” I can’t take her cuteness anymore. Once my smile comes down to a level that doesn’t hurt my cheeks. I turn back to Rinako. “Just this once.”
“Yess!” They exclaim then break out into a goofy dance. They really rehearsed this and set me up. I’m proud of them.
“But we stay on the phone until you are back at the house. And a status report of how you feel.”
“Of course,” she says, and I stop Hako-chan just as she prepared another – Yeah.
“I’ve prepared all the little one’s clothes and her backpack is by the door.”
“Thank you, dearest.” She leans over and kisses me. I can see Hako-chan getting out of her chair to not be left out. She makes it around the table, I give her a nuzzle and a kiss on the nose.
“Go, get her ready, I’ll take care of the dishes.”
“Could you leave that for me too? Pretty please?”
“Love, really?”
“You don’t leave me anything to do. The house is spotless, can I at least take care of the dishes?”
“But your bedrest?”
“Now, who’s the one worrying?” She raises an eyebrow at me.
“Fine, I’ll take them to the sink.”
“Deal. Love you, Yasuhiro.”
“I love you too, Yabe-san.” She blushes and runs off with Hako-chan.
I guess with chores out of the way. I can go get dressed for today. Can’t fight monsters in basketball shorts and too many years old gym shirts. I would feel more guilty about not going to the gym so often if my job didn’t continuously push me harder than most gyms can. With all the dishes in the sink, I make my way back upstairs and go to my chest.
It had been Rinako’s idea to keep my work clothes and civilian clothes apart. No matter how many times you wash out ogre blood, it still stunk of rot and bile. Luckily we were able to find one of those enchanted chest that locked all the smells in. So when it was time for new armor, I was the only one who knew about it.
Armor equipped and caffeine buzz kicking, I head to the living room to see how the girls are doing. Perfect, just perfect, is how they are doing. Hako-chan is primed and ready to go with her light up shoes, flowery capris pants, super heroine shirt tucked under her matching hoodie. She’s helping her mother with the pre-check before they walk out the door.
Her mother is wearing a good reminder of why I fell in love with her. She looks good in tight jeans, V-cut sweater, and her heels every time. That cute face is sporting her geek glasses as she likes to call them. She notices me checking her out, and she does a once over on me too. Though she hated the job, she loved the armor.
Modern though it may be, it kept the classic look of plate. It was not. It was so much better. It is lightweight, capable of shrugging off blades, non-heavy ammunition, and magic resistant. Her seeing the damage this thing could take was a good argument point that I was safe whenever the conversation took place.
“Going to see your girls off?” she says
“Of course. After you, ladies.” I gesture, and we make our way outside.
The news wasn’t lying. The sea breeze feels good on my face. The sunrise is peaking just over the horizon, painting the sky the most magnificent shades of red and orange. This is one of those views you write home about.
“Dear, do be careful and have a good day.” She blows me a kiss, which I catch and put to my chest. She smiles and gets in the car, and I hear my phone startup. Freeing the headphone on my neck guard, I start the call and wish her a good day. Then teleport to the precinct to start my day.
- Yaoguai 1
- Yaoguai 2
IJC Writing 