Conceptions of Love (part 8 of 11)

a Angelic Layer fanfiction by Munkii

Back to Part 7
Imprisonment Day (Bunny Style)

The rain poured down that night, soaking the ground with cold. The tree, 
laying fallen admist its splintery remains turned black from the water 
and the dirt. The lightning had stopped, yet its effects would remain 
for many days to come.

Hatoko had clung to Misaki that night. The fear created by the fallen 
tree had passed and she now slept silently on top of Misaki.

Morning came, and a light drizzle fell upon the city. Misaki woke first 
and found Hatoko still in her arms since last night. Hatoko. Misaki 
couldn't help but smile. Hatoko had changed her life just days before. 
She had probably changed her life in a way that you can't go back to 
where you originally came from because the horizon in the future is 
always better then the last. You step forward and a gate that you can't 
see closes behind you. Fear and doubt crept into Misaki's thoughts. She 
wondered what would happen if Hatoko disappeared. The thought alone 
caused her to tear.

"Misaki-chan," whispered Hatoko, "why do you cry?"

Misaki noticed Hatoko looking at her. A look of concern appeared on 
Hatoko's face. Misaki forgot her wild thoughts.

"Nothing, Hatoko-chan... Your cute even when your concerned about me." 
replied Misaki. She kissed Hatoko ever so lightly on the cheek. Hatoko 
wasn't used to such a well wrapped gift at this time in the morning, and 
grew red fairly quickly as she slumped against Misaki. The rain seemed 
to come harder now as the drizzle faded to sound of larger droplets.

"Remember the rain during the last day of the competitions? I ran away 
and you came looking for me, Hatoko-chan..." whispered Misaki in 
Hatoko's ear.

"I was worried about you... I couldn't stop myself," replied Hatoko. She 
closed her eyes. That day was special to her, a treasure unlike that of 
gold, but instead one that can't be stolen or traded. One that would 
last a thousand years. She couldn't help herself as she wrapped her arms 
around Misaki and held onto her like it was their last moments on Earth.

A few minutes passed as Hatoko and Misaki remained silent. They wanted a 
few more minutes, just a few, before the chaotic school day. That's 
right: school. The week long break from school was over. Today was the 
day they had to return.

"Hatoko-chan, lets get ready for school." advised Misaki. Hatoko nodded 
sullenly. They crawled out of the bed into the cold morning air and 
quickly changed into their school clothes. Misaki was still wrapped in a 
blanket from last night, and she nearly froze has she quickly dropped 
the blanket to put on her uniform. The two girls picked up their 
backpacks in the corner, alogn with their umbrellas, and walked quietly 
to the kitchen to get a bit of breakfast.

Kotarou watched Misaki and Hatoko walk in, setting their umbrella's near 
the door. They walked over to the kitchen table to find breakfast ready 
for them... still warm.

"Trying to get on our good side, eh?" probed Misaki. Hatoko grinned as 
Kotarou looked down, still a bit ashamed. They ate in silence until they 
were all finished and Misaki and Hatoko came around the table.

"Its ok, we forgive you, for a second time." said Misaki and she pecked 
Kotarou on the cheek ever so lightly. Hatoko caught Misaki's intentions 
and did the same. Kotarou turned cherry-red.

"Wha? *stutter stutter* Ahhh! My sister kissed me! I've been poisoned! 
Ack! Call the medic! Save me!" Kotarou bounced around trying to find the 
kitchen sink in his self-invoked agony. By the time he was finished 
'cleansing' himself, Misaki and Hatoko had already laughed their way 
through brushing their teeth and were outside the door walking to 
school. Kotarou figured they might as well have their time alone since 
soon they would be split apart.

---

The time came. They had reach Hatoko's school grounds. Without a word, 
but instead a hug goodbye, they parted. Hatoko left for her classroom as 
Misaki went on. Hatoko entered the classroom as if it was any other 
rainy day, but the warm air from the vents didn't thaw her as they 
normally did. Her world was cold without Misaki now. Hushed whispers 
pervaded the room, but Hatoko stared off into the ceaseless rain that 
fell beyond the windows. It must have been the slowest day in Hatoko's 
life

Hatoko's teacher seemed to talk slowly, but words that came from her 
mouth were incomprehensible. She couldn't focus at all. She felt the 
solitude comparable to that of those spirits which have lost their way.

The day wore on. Misaki felt similar to Hatoko. Tamayo nor Kotarou could 
cheer her. They watched hopeless as Misaki's face became contorted every 
once in awhile as thoughts of Hatoko passed through her mind. She wanted 
to be next to Hatoko. Next to that warm being that breathed life and 
love into her lungs.

---

The bell for Hatoko's school rang. Hatoko was the first one out of that 
room. She raced down the hall stuffing papers into her backpack as 
Misaki stepped into the doorway at the end of the hall. Hatoko flung her 
pack over her shoulders and met Misaki with an abrupt halt as she ran 
straight into her. There was only the quiet sound of rain in the 
background as the two embraced. Kids began to catchup to Hatoko shortly 
after, and the two held hands as they escaped from the school that many 
children might refer to as prison.

Silence filled the wake of the love birds as the young classmates of 
Hatoko's saw Hatoko and Misaki leave hand in hand. Whispers erupted 
among them as Misaki dragged Hatoko into the mists beyond the the sight 
of the children.

---

Misaki and Hatoko arrived home at last. The books they lay heavily on 
thier shoulders dropped to the floor in the corner. Their cold, tired 
limbs felt like iron bars at their sides.

Both had gotten off easy for the day as both of their teachers had 
assigned no homework, save for an essay about their vacation, oddly 
enough. Misaki and Hatoko both thought that it would be interesting, to 
say the least. Already interesting enough was the fact that they had 
both recieved the same instructions, save Hatoko's was only supposed to 
be a paragraph and Misaki's had to be a page. On their way home Hatoko 
promised to help with Misaki's.

Deciding that they were both more closely related to frozen dinners then 
living humans, they headed off for a bath to thaw out a bit. Kotarou 
just watched them as they bounded off for the bathroom.

"Wish Tamayo-chan was here more often," thought Kotarou as he wandered 
off to his room.

---

The bubbles floated freely around Misaki and Hatoko as they softly spoke 
to one another about various things, but mostly about how much they 
missed each other. They soon got into one of those 'who missed the 
other' more arguments. Neither of them won however and they both 
squirmed as they struggled for bathtub supremacy instead. Eventually 
they settled down and lay quietly... they were both relaxed now, and had 
nothing but a desire to be close.

The water in the tub became cold soon enough, and both lifted themselves 
out of the tub. Misaki dried Hatoko without Hatoko speaking a word in 
request of this heavenly service. Misaki ted the towel around Hatoko 
when she was dry and procceeded to reach for her own towel and began to 
dry herself. Hatoko looked at her with cute eyes as she tried to pull 
the towel away from Misaki.

"I'll have to dry myself Hatoko, you are smaller then me," whispered 
Misaki as she reeled Hatoko in next to her. Hatoko agreed sullenly, 
vowing to do something for Misaki before the day was up.

They plopped their nightgowns over themselves and scurried off to do 
their homework in Misaki's guest room. Hatoko grabbed two pieces of 
lined papar and a couple books to write on and both of them layed down 
on the soft covers of Misaki's bed. Misaki helped Hatoko to write her 
essay first, and being as it was only one paragraph long, took 10 
minutes. It read:

----
My Vacation
by Hatoko

This was the best vacation ever. My best friend Misaki-chan won the 
Angelic Layer championships. I got to be her second. It was fun. During 
the week Misaki came over many times and played 'Bunnies and Witches'. 
That was fun too. Misaki-chan got me many times. She's squishy though so 
it didn't hurt.
----

"It's perfect Misaki-chan!" exclaimed Hatoko as she wrote the last few 
letters. She carefully put it in her binder and bounced back to Misaki's 
side as Misaki began to write her essay. She wasn't very good in 
language skills, but she did her best and usually got off with a decent 
grade. For the next hour Misaki and Hatoko made sure to include as many 
details as possible in Misaki's considerably longer essay. Hatoko was 
practically on top of Misaki the whole time as she pointed over Misaki's 
shoulder at an empty space on the page where she wanted Misaki to 
mention a moment or such.

Misaki finished the essay and put it away. They left for the kitchen as 
it was now dinner time.

Upon arriving at the table Kotarou was already eating, alone for the 
second time today. Tonight dinner was a cold dinner, so Hatoko made two 
cups of hot chocolate as Misaki talked to Kotarou.

"You should have Tamayo-chan come over, I'm sure she'd love to," 
suggested Misaki. Kotarou looked up at Misaki, but gave no reply. He 
seemed a bit nervious.

"Come on... what are you waiting for? Are you chicken? Call!" exclaimed 
Misaki. Kotarou grew scared and went for the phone, as if he was calling 
for Tamayo to protect him from Misaki.

"Ok! I'm calling! I'm calling already!" yelped Kotarou as he dialed the 
number as fast as he possibly could while Hatoko creeped closer to him 
as the hot chocolate heated up in the microwave.

Kotarou blushed considerably as Misaki and Hatoko shared small pieces of 
ethnic foods, mainly fish based. Kotarou just eyed them suspiciously, as 
if they were going to do something evil to him should he turn his back. 
Luckily, they seemed content in their dinner, and soon to be, hot 
chocolate.

Dinner was soon over and the bunnies escaped to their den leaving 
nothing more then crumbs on their plates in the sink. They carried their 
hot chocolate back with them however, sipping along the way.

"Misaki-chan, I like these moments with you..." confessed Hatoko as they 
reach the room.

"I know, I like them very much aswell, Hatoko-chan, my love," replied 
Misaki with one of those mysterious smiles that were so rarely seen 
before Hatoko came along.

-----------------------

* Yay! Chapter 8 done! Can't beleive I actually finished anothor 
chapter, but I did, so enjoy ^_^

Onwards to Part 9


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