"You aren't worried?" Yoshi asked. I looked back at him after I inserted the key into the slot.
"Why should I be? I have six strong individuals who can protect me. I can also protect myself, so that makes seven." I winked. "And we have Urufu who can bite the balls off of any man. I think I'm pretty safe right now," I reassured him.
He smiled, nodding in agreement. "True. Shall we enter?"
"Yes," I replied, opening the door to enter the completely dark apartment. Even though I'd been here a few hours earlier, I was still absorbing the idea I’d had as I was dying of never seeing this place again. I guess sometimes we take for granted what we have until we face a situation where we may never see it again.
"Why is it so dark? Where did everyone g-" I began, reaching out for the light when Yoshi turned it on.
"SURPRISE!"
I stood frozen in place, my eyes wide at the newly decorated living room filled with people, confetti, and strings of different colors raining down on me as balloons floated along the ceiling.
I slowly looked around to see all the guys in fancier attire than they had been in earlier, holding balloons and presents. Mother and Father were standing next to Aki and were also holding streamers and balloons.
Urufu was anxiously waiting in between the two groups. The moment I lowered my gaze to her, she couldn't sit still, charging toward me and lifting her paws up to pat my legs.
"What...is this?" I asked in disbelief as I lowered to ruffle Urufu’s fur. She wore a little pink party hat on her head and had some strings all over her.
My Kitsune felt just as shocked. She was in her spot in my mind, cautiously watching what was going on, both in confusion and curiosity.
Malachi grinned as he glanced at the others before he answered. "I did say we'd have a huge celebration for your birthday, didn't I?" He hummed in excitement.
"We're kinda late due to everything that went on," Haru said with a shrug.
"But better late than never, right?" Itsuki smiled brightly.
"And since we know how much you adore this place," Quil continued.
"We wanted to do a nice celebration of your 23rd birthday and a little congratulations for inheriting your powers party," Aki revealed.
Yoshi walked over to where I knelt, Urufu still happily jumping and rubbing her paws on my knees. "Normally on your 18th birthday, a huge celebration is held with family and friends to present the individual with their weapon and confirm that they've received all their remaining powers," he revealed. Yoshi offered his hand, and I placed mine in his. He helped me stand again before releasing me. Then he walked over to where the other guys stood in line, most of them wearing jeans or dress pants and dress shirts.
My mother made her way to me, a big smile on her face. "I know your birthday has never been celebrated properly all these years. Even though it hurt you, not once did you express your sadness about not getting what other shifters got on theirs. I wanted you to be able to have something you'd remember, and well, we thought this would be the perfect chance to celebrate, even though we are a few days late,” she explained, holding out her arms for a hug.
I let out a nervous giggle and blinked rapidly, trying my best to stay composed, even though my heart swelled with overwhelming joy. I stepped into her embrace, and she hugged me tightly. "I'm so proud of you, Crimson. So very proud of my baby girl who proved to the world she wouldn't be broken down. You showed that no matter how little confidence anyone had in you, it wouldn’t stop you from achieving what you wanted." She pulled back to give me a kiss on the forehead.
She then looked to Father, who had a soft, prideful expression on his face. He was holding something in his hands, and it took me a few seconds to realize they were the twin swords that I'd retrieved from Konashi's office that held my power. He stepped forward until we were face to face. A radiant smile formed on his lips while his pink eyes glittered in delight.
"Crimson. My sweet, strong, compassionate daughter. Words cannot express how proud I am of you. When all the odds weren't in your favor, you never let it stop you from pushing yourself and reaching your goals. When people thought you'd do nothing to support yourself, you proved them wrong by using your talent and creating artwork for the masses," Father explained.
"I apologize that I couldn't be the father I should have been, and there's no excuse for it. However, the least I could do was support you from afar. Because of that, I have walls full of your art that would always make me smile when I woke up in the morning and brightened my mood whenever I had a bad day. You went against all odds to show that you can be successful and achieve many things without being what society wants you to be."
He looked down at the swords in his hands that lay sheathed in their scabbards. "Twin swords are hard weapons to use because they require each to be in sync and balance one another in strength. Having an individual bestowed with two swords in our culture tells the world that big trials are ahead for this individual and thus, they need two swords to fight and conqueror whatever challenges they must face."
His eyes lifted to meet mine. "With that being said, you've proven yourself worthy to carry these swords, and their magic and strength are at your disposal. Your mother and I have also blessed them with a bit of our power and offer these back to you as you step into the shifter world and work towards change. We are both so proud of you and hope that you will continue to make us proud as you become the woman our ancestors wanted you to blossom into. We love you. Happy 23rd birthday, with many more to come."
I smiled and lifted my hands to receive the two swords. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I could feel my Kitsune’s sadness and urge to comfort me.
"Thank...you," I choked out as my vision blurred because of my tears.
I sobbed quietly, and Father pulled me into a hug, patting my back. "Thank you, Crimson, for being such a wonderful daughter and making our family proud. I could never be more honored and excited to be in your life. I love you so much, and even though many years have passed, I pray to our ancestors we’ll have plenty more years to enjoy our time together as a family."
I felt Mother hug me from behind as I cried, unable to fight the tears that rolled down my flushed cheeks and the sobs that escaped my lips. All this time, I'd craved my family’s love. To be able to experience how it felt to be cared for, accepted, and to hear the words, ‘I'm proud of you.’
Now that I received it, I didn't know how to feel. It was like my heart couldn't handle how amazing it felt. How satisfied and cherished I felt to receive such love. My ears tingled upon hearing those words after so many years of longing for them. I was so happy that all I could do was cry because it felt like my struggle was finally over.
I was a shifter. I was a part of something. I was no longer an outcast or a lone wolf in this world that made me feel so lonely. I was here, and now people would see me and not pretend I was invisible. People will finally acknowledge me.
"Shh, Crimson, my sweetie. Don't cry," Mother consoled. I could tell she was also crying as she tried to comfort me. We'd had our differences, and though she couldn't be there for me as she would have liked while I was growing up, she at least gave me life and tried her best to provide me with a few of the memories I cherished and held dearly.
Now that the truth was revealed and we got a chance to restart as a family, it thrilled me to start from scratch and work on making new memories. My real family.
"No more tears, you two. We're supposed to be celebrating," Father pointed out as he pulled away and rubbed our backs.
I noticed his eyes were just as glossy and grinned. "You're about to cry too."
He blinked his eyes a few times to stop his own tears. "You're seeing things,” he insisted, which only made my mother and I laugh.
They both gave me one more hug before finally stepping back to let the guys each come and give me warm hugs and kisses. It wasn't until I finished hugging Haru, who placed a kiss on my cheek, that something dawned on me.
I looked at my parents a
nd blushed. "Um...so...are you guys okay with me...you know...um...six guys...thing…?" I trailed off, only blushing harder after trying to bring up the fact I was dating all six of the guys. Even though they were still my guards till we went to see the Emperor and figured out what was going on, I knew our relationship would deepen because that was what I wanted. Yet, I hadn't even asked my parents if they accepted that or if they even liked the guys.
Father and Mother exchanged looks before they smiled and nodded in approval. "We are both aware that the men standing here love you dearly, Crimson. Though I never expected my daughter to be dating six men, nor think I'd be as accepting of the idea, I see the love they have for you. They've proven that to me without your mother and I interfering, and we realize you are an adult and can make your own decisions. As long as they don't hurt you, I'm perfectly fine with you dating them. Just know I carry my katana at all times and will be more than willing to cut any precious areas if any of them dare to hurt your heart," Father declared as Mother shrugged.
I gawked at him and turned to look at the guys, who all had shocked expressions and seemed terrified. "He'd slice my weenie," Malachi whispered to Itsuki, who nodded slowly.
"I guess if anyone fucks up, we can sacrifice Malachi first."
"Yup." The others nodded.
Malachi gasped. "Why is my cock always the sacrifice?" he whined before blushing, remembering my parents were still there. "AH! THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING. I ruined my first impression with Crimson's parents," he cried.
Quil sighed. "You really are something else, Malachi. Now go get the ice cream,” he directed.
"Ice cream?! Green tea?!" I asked excitedly, and Quil nodded.
"We bought a whole freezer full. Dessert first before dinner,” he declared.
"Then present time!" Haru said cheerfully as he clapped his hands.
"WOOF!" Urufu jumped up and down before she moved to the pile of presents near my little art studio.
"You guys didn't have to buy me presents," I whispered in awe, trying not to cry all over again.
"A birthday without presents is not a celebration at all," Yoshi stated sweetly.
"Exactly. We got you the best gifts. I think you'll like them." Aki grinned proudly.
"He's just pleased because he got her exclusive tickets to one of the famous art museums in Homatomashi," Malachi whispered to Itsuki.
"You know what?" Aki started. Yoshi sighed, placing his hand on Aki to stop him from walking over to Malachi.
"Just take a deep breath and get your revenge when he's sleeping," Yoshi encouraged him.
"If Malachi wakes up with a shaved head, no one worry. It was Aki," Quil teased.
Malachi slowly turned to Quil while he pressed his hands on his cornrows as if to protect them. "Don't you dare," he whispered.
"Why you looking at me? Aki’s the one who’s gonna get his revenge. Better make sure you don't sleep tonight." Quil winked and moved to the freezer. "Seeing as you're so shocked, I'll get the ice cream."
"I think Akihiro and Malachi should stay behind with Crimson just so when we come back we can see if the deed has been done," Haru teased.
"Haru?! You shouldn't be promoting such acts of violence," Malachi complained.
Haru rolled his eyes. "You're just dramatic as fuck. Oh, and Crimson, he got you a bunch of clothing so you can look even hotter and be at his level of sizzling."
"Why did you tell her?!" Malachi exclaimed.
"Now he knows how it feels." Yoshi sighed as he shook his head from side to side.
Aki exhaled. "I don't even know what to do with him. I think we should consider ourselves lucky he's at least good at combat."
"You know what? You are all HATERS. H.A.T.E.R.S! Except for you, Hottie. Oh...and your parents are nice too," Malachi announced.
"WOOF!" Uru ran over to Malachi and began nudging her head into his leg.
"Ah, okay, okay. Urufu, you aren't a hater either. You want some treats as compensation?" Malachi offered. Uru began jumping again, her tail wagging wildly from side to side, her pink eyes wide with the anticipation of getting a treat.
We all laughed at her antics, and Quil began placing tubs of green tea ice cream on the counter. Haru walked over and helped gather little white bowls and spoons.
Aki came up to me. "Let's eat?" he suggested, offering his hand to me. I nodded quickly and placed my hand in his before I leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Did you really get me tickets?"
Aki blushed and slowly nodded. "Yes. When we get some free time in Homatomashi, we'll go,” he reassured me.
"Hai," I replied, then looked to everyone else and smiled. "Let's eat!"
"Before we go, one more present," Yoshi announced. I sat comfortably between Aki and Malachi on the sofa while Haru, Urufu, and Itsuki sat at our feet. Father and Mother were together on the two-seater sofa, and Yoshi and Quil were standing next to the tower of gifts I'd received.
Many items were art related, which excited me the most because I could bring them along with us to Homatomashi as they were already packaged up and ready to go. Other presents included high brand clothing, many from western countries like America and even a few pieces from Canada. There was also jewelry, books on magic, and even some about Kitsunes and their history.
Each gift had its own sentimental value, and it made me feel so grateful to have people in my life who knew me enough to get items that matched my personality and taste.
Quil grinned, exchanging glances with the other guys. Then he walked over to where my parents sat and retrieved a little pink bag from behind the sofa, the gift decorated with little gold petals.
"More presents? You guys spoiled me enough," I stated. I was beyond grateful to celebrate my birthday with them, and I didn't need anything else beyond their love and support.
"We thought you needed one more thing from us," Quil admitted.
"We have to spoil our girlfriend," Malachi stated proudly.
"Yup." Haru nodded.
"Hai," Itsuki replied.
"Of course," Aki agreed.
"You deserve it, Crimson," Yoshi insisted. Quil made his way to where we sat and presented me with the bag. I gleefully accepted it, unable to hide my burst of excitement at opening one last gift. I didn't think opening presents could be fun, but today I learned I really loved the process of it.
"Thank you for spoiling me." I looked up at them before putting my hand in the bag to retrieve a square box. Mother and Father slowly stood up and crept to the kitchen, but I was focused on the intricate pink box and enjoyed how it matched the bag.
"What is it?" I asked, my voice but a whisper.
"Open it, Crimson. I think you'll like it," Itsuki prompted. I nodded, lifting the lid of the box. I blinked a few times and gawked as I took in the mesmerizing silver charm bracelet inside.
There were ten charms in total. Each charm on the pure silver bracelet had a significant meaning attached to it. I realized the entire piece seemed to have some type of magic .
"Guys...this...this is so beautiful," I whispered, unsure how to adequately describe the lovely bracelet. It was absolutely stunning, and I struggled to find the right words to describe such beauty.
* * *
There was a pink rose with silver trimming around the edges of the petals, a red car outlined with silver that even had black tinted windows, a girl in a pink and gold kimono, a turquoise cupcake that had hints of pink with silver decorating the frosting, a silver key, and a silver crown with super tiny rhinestones.
* * *
I looked at the other four charms that I’d never seen before, trying to figure out where each came from. One was of two swords, one pink and the other gold, crossing each other. The charm had silver outlining that added detail. The second one was a Kitsune. That charm was silver, and the addition of a few rubies helped add detailing to the tails and eyes. The third one seemed like a circular pendant, but on closer inspection, I saw it was a replica of Storm Yuna's pocket watch, with super tiny jewels that match
ed the previous placement of the crystals.
The final charm made me smirk, and Urufu got up and jumped onto my lap as if she knew I was looking at her charm and she wanted to get my acknowledgment.
"Uru, this is your charm isn't it?" I asked, and she cuddled right next to me.
"WOOF!"
"I guess you can tell which charm is which?" Akihiro asked. He lifted his hand to reach out and move a few strands of my hair out of my face, tucking them behind my ear.
I turned my head to grin at him and nodded. "I think so." I looked back down to the bracelet. "The pink rose reminds me of cherry blossoms and since I love those, that represents me. The red car reminds me of Quil, since you told me once that you were interested in vehicles in America and wanted to do some business associated with cars. The girl wearing a pink and gold kimono makes me think of Itsuki because you appreciate our cultural clothing and secretly have a picture of me in the kimono I wore a few weeks ago for the festival after you bribed Yoshi," I explained.
Itsuki coughed, and Malachi raised an eyebrow at him. "Bribery, really? And where’s this picture? I want a copy."
"I worked for that picture so get your own. And Crim, how do you know about that?" Itsuki blushed.
I shrugged. "Don't worry about it." I giggled before continuing.
"The turquoise and pink cupcake is Haru because you love baking sweets and we had fun making pink and blue cupcakes. I know the key is Malachi because he'd say something cheesy like 'I'm the key to your heart' or something close to that,” I suggested.
Quil laughed. “That’s exactly what he said.”
“Because it's true, Quillian,” Malachi declared proudly.
Haru smiled. “We should bake cupcakes again, Crimson.” Even though his smile was genuine, I sensed a hint of mischief in his words. It made me wonder if his comment held a hidden meaning filled with cupcake frosting and the bedroom.
“I agree,” I replied and returned my gaze to the remaining charms. “Yoshi is represented by the crown because one day he’ll be Emperor, and Aki is the Kitsune. The swords I’m assuming represent my parents for presenting me my twin blades. The pocket watch represents Storm Yuna and the key item that united us. Finally, the wolf charm represents Urufu,” I concluded.
Calming the Storm (Crimson Storm Chronicles Book 2) Page 4