Categories > Anime/Manga > Yami no Matsuei > Nightly Rituals
Chapter Fourteen: Tana + Tatsumi III:
Somehow they ended up in bed together that night. Tana looked up as he held her in his arms.
"Well," she said. "This is a rather interesting turn of events."
"Yes," he agreed. A single candle burned on her dresser. Tana played back the events that led up to them both in bed together. They ended up on a strange trip tonight. He served her tea as soon as she invited him into her apartment. They talked like they normally did. As she drank, old memories filled her head.
"Seiichiro," she said.
"Yes?" he asked. Tana clutched her teacup.
"Do you have any big regrets?"
"A few. Why, what's the matter?" His question seemed too distant for her mind. The one she failed to save…
"Tana-san?" he asked. "Tana-san? Tana-san?" She quickly shook her head as she came back.
"Oh," she murmured. "I'm so sorry." Tatsumi lowered his cup. /Tana-san/, he thought.
She rested her head on his chest. "What happens now?"
"What do you mean?"
She turned her eyes upwards. "You know… after "this". What happens now?"
Tatsumi shrugged. "Not much."
Tana narrowed her eyes. "That's it?"
"Well, do you want anything else?"
"Not really." Tana settled back into place. Tatsumi really wasn't a romantic at heart. He didn't have time for those types of relationships. She wasn't really looking for that in him anyway. Tana wasn't attracted to him sexually. In fact, tonight just rather happened. Clearly, there was no future, but where did they go from here?
"Are you okay now?" Tatsumi asked.
"What?" Tana asked.
"You seemed upset earlier. How are you feeling now?"
"Ah. I'm fine now."
He didn't try and press her. Tana was like him when it came to bringing up the past. He already knew just like everyone else in Ju-Oh-Cho, she was lying.
"I'm not going to say anything about this," he said.
"Neither am I," Tana said. It was she who kissed him. She led him back to her room and he didn't try to stop her. Tatsumi took it with no emotion. The whole time, Tana couldn't read him. Once again, he hid himself from her.
"There is no reason to talk about this," he said.
"I agree," she said. Still, Tana had one more question for Tatsumi. "Seiichiro."
"Yes?"
"Are you staying the whole night?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Why would you ask me something like that?"
"I don't know… I just figured… I don't know what I figured."
"Of course I'm staying. It wouldn't be right to get up and leave now, would it?" Tana shook her head.
"You do have a point," she said.
"Anything else?"
"Can't think of anything else."
"Good night."
"Night." Tana lay in his arms with a peculiar sense of ease in her heart. She thought as she drew her eyes closed, maybe sleeping beside him wouldn't be so bad for a night.
Somehow they ended up in bed together that night. Tana looked up as he held her in his arms.
"Well," she said. "This is a rather interesting turn of events."
"Yes," he agreed. A single candle burned on her dresser. Tana played back the events that led up to them both in bed together. They ended up on a strange trip tonight. He served her tea as soon as she invited him into her apartment. They talked like they normally did. As she drank, old memories filled her head.
"Seiichiro," she said.
"Yes?" he asked. Tana clutched her teacup.
"Do you have any big regrets?"
"A few. Why, what's the matter?" His question seemed too distant for her mind. The one she failed to save…
"Tana-san?" he asked. "Tana-san? Tana-san?" She quickly shook her head as she came back.
"Oh," she murmured. "I'm so sorry." Tatsumi lowered his cup. /Tana-san/, he thought.
She rested her head on his chest. "What happens now?"
"What do you mean?"
She turned her eyes upwards. "You know… after "this". What happens now?"
Tatsumi shrugged. "Not much."
Tana narrowed her eyes. "That's it?"
"Well, do you want anything else?"
"Not really." Tana settled back into place. Tatsumi really wasn't a romantic at heart. He didn't have time for those types of relationships. She wasn't really looking for that in him anyway. Tana wasn't attracted to him sexually. In fact, tonight just rather happened. Clearly, there was no future, but where did they go from here?
"Are you okay now?" Tatsumi asked.
"What?" Tana asked.
"You seemed upset earlier. How are you feeling now?"
"Ah. I'm fine now."
He didn't try and press her. Tana was like him when it came to bringing up the past. He already knew just like everyone else in Ju-Oh-Cho, she was lying.
"I'm not going to say anything about this," he said.
"Neither am I," Tana said. It was she who kissed him. She led him back to her room and he didn't try to stop her. Tatsumi took it with no emotion. The whole time, Tana couldn't read him. Once again, he hid himself from her.
"There is no reason to talk about this," he said.
"I agree," she said. Still, Tana had one more question for Tatsumi. "Seiichiro."
"Yes?"
"Are you staying the whole night?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Why would you ask me something like that?"
"I don't know… I just figured… I don't know what I figured."
"Of course I'm staying. It wouldn't be right to get up and leave now, would it?" Tana shook her head.
"You do have a point," she said.
"Anything else?"
"Can't think of anything else."
"Good night."
"Night." Tana lay in his arms with a peculiar sense of ease in her heart. She thought as she drew her eyes closed, maybe sleeping beside him wouldn't be so bad for a night.
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