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Though the cold morning brought a chilling wind, Nu Wa was buzzing with warmth at the prospect of her and Susano being reunited that very day. She knew the docks would be even colder, being by the sea, so she had wrapped up herself up with a shawl but it didn’t seem to make much of a difference now that she was stood outside, no matter how tightly she pulled it around herself. Staring at the recently docked ship from Japan didn’t do much to warm her up either.
The boat stood still far too long for Nu Wa’s liking. How long must they take to let people off, she thought as she elevated herself onto her tip-toes to get a better look at the deck of the vessel to find out what was taking so long. It was to no avail; the vessel was too tall, and levitation was out of the question while she didn’t want to attract too much attention to herself. The waiting only made her feel more agitated (and the cold certainly didn’t help). She wanted him back on solid ground with her, not that she was worried when he travelled. She just missed him, as he missed her.
Susano emerged from the hold. As soon as he felt the breeze filter through his black locks, he took the largest breath in through his nose, clearing his nostrils. The relief was immense, but short lived as they soon clogged up again. He gave a groggy groan, his patience with his illness wearing thin. Influenza was not on his list of things to bring on his trip to see Nu Wa. He had a feeling she wouldn’t mind the fact that he wouldn’t let her near him, for fear of her also contracting his illness, but he did. All he wanted to do when he’d spotted her amongst the large crowd he could hear brewing on the shore was take her into his arms and hold her as close as he could. He knew he had to resist, but he couldn’t
Standing atop of the ramp, he could see her plainly, and she could see him. Though she was distant, her smile was broad and her energy was boundless as she weaved through the crowd. He tried to reflect the same energy walking down the ramp but he’d rather not keel over in exhaustion and topple into the cold waters below. He caught wind of her smile and tried to reflect her enthusiasm, but his exhaustion ran too deep for him not to reflect it. Nu Wa could see that but the day was young and she had so many nice things planned for their first day together. She thought that launching herself into his arms might perk him up a little.
It certainly shocked him. For a moment, he found the strength to haul her up and twirl her round. Her fine features drew him in, negating the mess of the crowd behind him (that if he did notice them, it probably would’ve made him nauseous). Their warmth filtered through one another. Their elation was a sight that would make anyone smile a little. No amount of happiness could help Susano keep Nu Wa in the air however. He let out a grunt, then had to set her down. She was immediately concerned, worried that she may have hurt him with her stunt. He recovered quickly. He couldn’t help himself; an urge too strong made him take both of her cheeks in his hands and kiss her on the forehead. The touch satisfied them both greatly. Nu Wa, close to his neck, could smell his cologne. He’s wearing the one I bought, she smiled. She took his hands and brought them away from her face, but still clasping them, so she could kiss him, properly.
She was somewhat shocked when he tore one of his hands from her grasp and put it to her face. She bit her lip to stop herself from shaking in anger. Susano didn’t see her expression, turning away, before sneezing loudly. Then, sniffling and groaning, he returned his free hand to hers, immediately calming her.
“Bless you,” She giggled; His sneeze was rather loud and unnecessary. She slipped her arm around him and led him away from the dock.
He couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her voice, “Thanks. Sorry about that.”
“Oh, stop.”
“No, really. I am so sorry. I come bearing gifts from my homeland and also germs.”
She frowned, finally noticing how pale he was, contrasting with the dark circles beneath his eyes, “Oh, sweetheart. Is that from the ship?”
“Nah, Raijin had the flu and did the really annoying thing that brothers and best friends do; He literally said to me ‘I have the flu’ and then breathed on me.” Susano laughed but it was lost on Nu Wa.
“Rude,” She spat. Her seriousness only added to his humour. He popped a kiss onto her head to ease her tension.
“So, no making-out for us,” She gasped quietly at his crude statement, “Unless you want the whole package, stuffy nose and all.”
“I don’t mind!”
“I do! This isn’t fun, you know? I’m exhausted.”
“Well, I did have things planned for today,” He knew she wasn’t saying this to guilt trip him, but to simply give him the option, “But if you’re tired,” Her tone became more and more soft, her words leaving he mouth much more slowly, “We can just go back to the temple and…canoodle?”
He couldn’t help but cringe at the word, “No one says ‘canoodle’ babe.”
He’d completely missed her intention, and she was trying so hard. She maintained her seductive composure (or what she believed to be so). She slid her fingers between his and sashayed in front of him, “Okay, why don’t we go back to the temple and chill?” She rested her arms on his shoulders. Now he knew what she meant. In all honesty, he was too aroused to care about how close she was to his face.
“What do you mean by ‘chill’, huh?” He smirked, placing his hands on her tiny waist.
She squirmed a little, also a little aroused, “Oh, lots of things.”
“Like what? What do you want me to do to you?” Now he was just teasing. She normally liked it but he hadn’t even acknowledged her efforts to flirt.
“You’re not going to do anything. You’re ill. You’re exhausted. You’re going to rest up while, I,” She paused, leaning into his ear and whispering, “While I put my mouth places where I’m definitely not going to catch your flu.”
He had to take a moment, “Wow. You are never crude,” He raised an eyebrow, and she chuckled, “You must have really missed me. Well,” He suddenly put his arm around her and they continued their walk to Nu Wa’s home at a brisk pace, “We’d better get back to your place, with all of this stuff we’re going to do,” He blurted out. She also put her arm round him, leaning into him with a smile. Things couldn’t get any better, at least, not until they arrived at her home.
So she thought, “Oh,” He suddenly stopped, quickly detaching himself from her and slipping his satchel off of his back. She gasped quietly. A gift, she assumed. Though he bought her a great many things, ranging from little, thoughtful trinkets to larger gifts, every time she was overcome by his generosity. True to what she believed, he lifted a bundle of material from his bag and placed it in her hands, “I picked up that kimono you were looking at when you last came over to see me.”
It was. She recognised the pattern almost instantly, and the material felt familiar, as soft as that day she first noticed it, but never bought it, too fazed by the stern man running the stall. “Oh Susano, I-.”
“You’re welcome,” He quipped, returning his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into him once more.
“Would you like me to wear this for you when we get back?” She said plainly.
He couldn’t tell whether she was joking or not, “Um, I mean, it could get messy,” He carried on through her laughter, “You don’t want to get it dirty, you know?” He ended up laughing as well. The two were beside themselves. Then, Susano snorted, a product of his blocked nose, and Nu Wa was gone while he was reeling from the embarrassment. As long as she could get some enjoyment out of his illness, even if he couldn’t.