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tiptoe39"Why we were reborn and able to meet in this way is truly a great mystery.” –Daisuke
Eleven Reasons We Were Reborn
a Please Save My Earth fanfic set by Jennifer Wand
“I wish...I'd been born on earth. And then...you know what? For dinner tonight...I would make you some ‘oden.’ “ --Mokuren
Alice wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She knew she didn’t need to be hanging around the kitchen all these hours -- the stew just had to simmer -- but somehow she was very nervous. Would the vegetables get soggy if they were in too long? Would it boil over? Was it possible to set the kitchen on fire by leaving a simmering pot unwatched? Somehow, the scenarios in her mind had become increasingly nightmarish as the hours went on. So she paced around the kitchen, breathing in the steam from the pot and trying desperately not to sing. Even while boiling, the vegetables would try their best to grow -- and that would be the worst outcome of all.
Rin would be home any minute now. She should have put the pot on the stove sooner. How could she have done this? It wouldn’t be ready in time. “You silly girl!” she admonished herself aloud, shaking her finger at the shimmery Alice reflected in the terrace doors. She’d been looking forward to this for almost three years, since her very first dream. And here she was about to ruin it all!
Perhaps it needed more spices. Perhaps that would mask the flavor if it were too far burned -- or undercooked -- or --
“Smells great!”
Alice froze. Oh god, it’s too late, he’s here already, and I haven’t . . .
Rin dumped his backpack on a chair and strolled over. “What’s wrong, Alice? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He pushed a stray strand of her hair back behind her ears, peering over her shoulder at the bubbling pot. “Let me see. Wow!” There was genuine enthusiasm in his voice. “Looks done to me. And I’m starving!”
“You’re going to be taller than me any day now,” Alice heard herself say. Inside, she was berating herself again. You silly girl, what are you doing being so nervous? It’s Rin-kun, not the boogeyman! “Yes, it should be done by now. Let me drain the pot.”
As Rin babbled about soccer practice and memorizing kanji, Alice bathed in the warm coils of steam that rose from the strainer and took a deep breath. The heat and moisture filled her lungs, slowing down her pulse and her anxious thoughts. What was she afraid of? That Rin would tease her the way he used to before his awakening?
The way Shion-san used to when Mokuren-san used to offer him cake and tea?
Then arms encircled her waist and Rin was whispering in her ear. “This is a nice height. Maybe I’ll stop growing right here.”
Alice felt affection welling up. Rin had become so much gentler now that everything was settled between them. And these days, as his transformation from boy to man was finally beginning, she found she was able to move beyond the benign, comfortable feeling of being around a confidant and dear friend. These days, his eyes would catch hers and she’d stammer. His hand in hers would fill her with warmth. And although he was not yet quite old enough, Rin was not far, Alice knew, from the age where she could consider him a lover.
But when he sat down to the dinner she’d prepared, his face lit up and his eyes glittered in such a pure, boyish way that Alice had to laugh at his childishness. “Delish!” he grinned through a mouthful of oden, sighing happily. Alice had to offer up a quick prayer.
Oh, Mokuren-san… I do hope you can see this moment. This is exactly what you dreamed of.
In response, the plants on the veranda murmured happily. And that was all the answer Alice needed.
-End Chapter 2-
Author’s note: Manga continuity; the Daisuke quote from the manga is my original translation from the Japanese; the Mokuren quote is from the existing English translation.
This fanfic set is inspired by the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
11_reasons community.
Eleven Reasons We Were Reborn
a Please Save My Earth fanfic set by Jennifer Wand
“I wish...I'd been born on earth. And then...you know what? For dinner tonight...I would make you some ‘oden.’ “ --Mokuren
Alice wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She knew she didn’t need to be hanging around the kitchen all these hours -- the stew just had to simmer -- but somehow she was very nervous. Would the vegetables get soggy if they were in too long? Would it boil over? Was it possible to set the kitchen on fire by leaving a simmering pot unwatched? Somehow, the scenarios in her mind had become increasingly nightmarish as the hours went on. So she paced around the kitchen, breathing in the steam from the pot and trying desperately not to sing. Even while boiling, the vegetables would try their best to grow -- and that would be the worst outcome of all.
Rin would be home any minute now. She should have put the pot on the stove sooner. How could she have done this? It wouldn’t be ready in time. “You silly girl!” she admonished herself aloud, shaking her finger at the shimmery Alice reflected in the terrace doors. She’d been looking forward to this for almost three years, since her very first dream. And here she was about to ruin it all!
Perhaps it needed more spices. Perhaps that would mask the flavor if it were too far burned -- or undercooked -- or --
“Smells great!”
Alice froze. Oh god, it’s too late, he’s here already, and I haven’t . . .
Rin dumped his backpack on a chair and strolled over. “What’s wrong, Alice? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He pushed a stray strand of her hair back behind her ears, peering over her shoulder at the bubbling pot. “Let me see. Wow!” There was genuine enthusiasm in his voice. “Looks done to me. And I’m starving!”
“You’re going to be taller than me any day now,” Alice heard herself say. Inside, she was berating herself again. You silly girl, what are you doing being so nervous? It’s Rin-kun, not the boogeyman! “Yes, it should be done by now. Let me drain the pot.”
As Rin babbled about soccer practice and memorizing kanji, Alice bathed in the warm coils of steam that rose from the strainer and took a deep breath. The heat and moisture filled her lungs, slowing down her pulse and her anxious thoughts. What was she afraid of? That Rin would tease her the way he used to before his awakening?
The way Shion-san used to when Mokuren-san used to offer him cake and tea?
Then arms encircled her waist and Rin was whispering in her ear. “This is a nice height. Maybe I’ll stop growing right here.”
Alice felt affection welling up. Rin had become so much gentler now that everything was settled between them. And these days, as his transformation from boy to man was finally beginning, she found she was able to move beyond the benign, comfortable feeling of being around a confidant and dear friend. These days, his eyes would catch hers and she’d stammer. His hand in hers would fill her with warmth. And although he was not yet quite old enough, Rin was not far, Alice knew, from the age where she could consider him a lover.
But when he sat down to the dinner she’d prepared, his face lit up and his eyes glittered in such a pure, boyish way that Alice had to laugh at his childishness. “Delish!” he grinned through a mouthful of oden, sighing happily. Alice had to offer up a quick prayer.
Oh, Mokuren-san… I do hope you can see this moment. This is exactly what you dreamed of.
In response, the plants on the veranda murmured happily. And that was all the answer Alice needed.
-End Chapter 2-
Author’s note: Manga continuity; the Daisuke quote from the manga is my original translation from the Japanese; the Mokuren quote is from the existing English translation.
This fanfic set is inspired by the
11_reasons community.![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 08:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-10-11 12:25 pm (UTC)I love stories that fill in the gap between PSME and Boku o Tsutsumu Tsuki no Hikari and this fits perfectly. You've got a wonderful grasp on their relationship - this sounds just like them. :)