There's something we need to tell you
Who: Noriko, Rand, and Izumi Where: Noriko’s apartment What: Confessions When: 10.11.11 - Tuesday evening Warnings: None
Noriko and Rand had had Monday to themselves - after sharing her dream, Nori had awoken and gotten on with her work, leaving him to sleep for most of the day. She’d woken him for food and painkillers, and little else. Tuesday hadn’t been quite as bad - she’d managed to coax him onto the couch, the tv on quietly, some magazines and books to hopefully stop him from being too bored. She’d had a couple of articles to edit, but was done with them by early afternoon. That meant more time for cooking, and more time to fuss over Rand. Neither was a bad thing. She’d invited Izumi over for dinner that night, wanting to tell Izumi that Nori and her father were not only no longer fighting, but were now attempting some kind of relationship. She still wasn’t sure what they were doing, whether she trusted Rand, but she’d let down her walls enough to let him in, to know that he was what she wanted.
Forcing her mind back to what she was doing, she finished chopping the vegetables she’d been preparing, checking on the duck breasts she had cooking in the oven. She wasn’t making anything particularly complicated, but she still wanted everything to be perfect. Which meant that she was rushing about like a madwoman, trying not to panic too much at how Izumi might react to finding out about her and Rand.
Rand was too tired and sore to be bored yet. Especially considering he was still feeling their dreamtime sexscapade on Tuesday. He'd probably gone a little overboard, forgetting that while he was fully capable in the dream, his body experienced what happened to him in dreams. Even the good fun parts. He'd gotten carried away, almost trying to make up for 25 years apart in one dream encounter. Rand didn't want to explain it to Nori, because she'd probably get upset and ban him from her dreams until he was physically capable of the act in the real world again. Which wasn't happening.
He was a little nervous how Izumi would react, mainly because Nori was absolutely freaking out. Part of that was just her nature, the rest made him worry their daughter wouldn't be happy about it. Even if she'd been pushing Rand to talk to her mother and come to some sort of truce. She'd even told him to admit his feelings to Nori. Of course, he was pretty sure she hadn't meant 'jump into a relationship (and bed) right away'. Yeah, Nori had every reason to be nervous. Rand sighed and carefully hauled himself off the couch, heading for the kitchen.
"It'll be fine, Nori," he told her as he caught her mid-pace and pulled her close. "Izumi already knows I never stopped loving you. She confronted me about it when she figured it out. And practically demanded I tell you." She was a lot like her mother that way. It was kind of sweet in an annoying way. "She's probably not going to be that surprised or upset. Relax."
Noriko sighed, wrapping her arms carefully around Rand’s waist, leaning her cheek against his chest. One hand rested on the small of his back, the other sliding up to between his shoulderblades, each touch careful and hesitant. She didn’t want him to hurt any worse, but the hug was just what she needed.
“I’ll try,” she promised. “I’m just worried she’ll say I’m rushing into things. We’re rushing into things.” They were, a little. If Rand had been a stranger, she wouldn’t have welcomed him into her home like this. But then, if Rand were a stranger, they wouldn’t be in this position in the first place. Things were what they were, and she was a firm believer that everything happened for a reason. She just hoped that her daughter was as understanding.
Rand leaned down as far as his ribs would let him and kiss the top of Nori's head. "We are rushing things a little," he admitted. "She has every right to say that. It's better we tell her now and are completely honest with her. I don't think she'll even be upset. If anything, she'll be worried about you more than anything." He'd abandoned Nori and broken her heart once. It wasn't a surprise if she was more concerned about him hurting her mother again. He couldn't blame Izumi for that.
Nodding, Noriko stood for a moment in his arms before reluctantly letting go. She still had to finish getting dinner ready, so that they could eat once Izumi had arrived. She wouldn’t be long, now. “I suppose it’ll make a nice change,” she murmured, “Izumi worrying about me for a change.” She was teasing - she knew her daughter worried about her, but Nori was so used to focusing on everyone else’s problems, and not on her own, that it didn’t register most of the time.
Rand was just as reluctant to let go of her, but he needed to sit down again. So he found a chair at the kitchen table. He scoffed at that. "I hope she doesn't worry too much," he said. "I'm not going anywhere. Really." He meant that in about every way possible. Unless he and Nori had a bad falling out, he probably was moving in with her. Yeah, they were rushing it. But their situation wasn't like everyone else's either.
Nori set a bowl of strawberries and a small knife in front of him. If he was going to sit there, he could make himself useful. She had a bowl of raspberries and blueberries already, but she wanted some strawberries to go with them, for dessert.
“Unfortunately,” she murmured, filling a pan with water and setting it on the stove. “She takes after her mother.” Which meant lots of worrying. Noriko herself wasn’t worried, not yet. When he was well enough to look after himself, she’d likely start to worry again. For now he was staying with her, and as long as she knew he was there, she was content. She’d wasted too many years on regret and suspicion to hold back now.
Izumi had left Noah with the babysitter, giving Rupert and Felicity both a break and keeping Noah from bounding over to his grandfather when he was in no shape or condition for his usual wrestling and 'superman' type games. She arrived at her mother's house expecting nothing more than a bit of family time. It wasn't as though she didn't get invited to dinner all of the time. She had noted her mother sounded worried, but that too was fairly normal. When she reached the house, she let herself in as she always did and hung up her coat by the door. "Mama, Daddy, I'm here," she called as she made her way into the living room.
"That's not a bad thing," he reminded Nori. There could be worst people for their daughter to take after. He heard the door open and Izumi come in and call out. "We're in the kitchen," he called back, wincing a bit because that had made his lungs expand more than they liked to. God, he hated this.
Noriko tossed the vegetables she’d been slicing into the pan of boiling water on the stove, wiping her hands on a dish towel and smiling as she saw her daughter.
“Hello, darling,” she said, holding her arms out for a hug. So far, so normal. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be the disaster she was afraid it would be. There were plates and cutlery already on the table, and just about everything was ready. “Dinner’s nearly ready,” she murmured, kissing her daughter’s cheek.
Izumi had made her way into the kitchen at her father's call, gently brushing her hand over his shoulder. "You shouldn't be yelling," she pointed out knowingly, eyes narrowing in warning at him though she didn't say more than that. Letting go of him, she returned her mother's hug and smiled a little. "Anything I can do to help?" she asked her. She still wasn't worrying overly much, save for her worries about her father and his wounds, but he seemed to be in better spirits and they were getting along. That was what she wanted after all.
Yes, just like her mother. Rand chuckled softly. "I'm fine," he told his daughter, reaching up to cover her hand with his. "Yes, let her help," he told Nori. "Since you glare at me everytime I get up out of the chair." He gave her a smirk so Izumi knew he was teasing her mother and didn't think they were still arguing. Quite the opposite really.
“If you can get out of the chair without wincing or staggering,” Noriko replied, eyebrow arched. “Then I shall stop glaring.” She smiles back, just as teasingly. “You could pour drinks?” She turned to her daughter. There was a bottle of red wine on the counter - it had been opened mostly to be used in the sauce she was preparing, though she’d already had a small glass to calm her nerves. “There’s water, or orange and pomegranate in the fridge, if you’d prefer.” If Noriko was the one driving, she might risk a very small glass of wine. It was up to her daughter, though.
Izumi had never been a big drinker, especially when she was driving, so she went for the fridge to get the orange and pomegranate. Pouring a glass for herself, she turned her attention to her father. "Water or this?" she asked him. "Or something else?" She aimed to make sure he was comfortable, even if she needed to put a pot of coffee on to do so.
Rand scoffed at Nori's teasing. "Yes, dear," he grumbled playfully, then realized that may inadvertently give them away. "Juice is fine," he added quickly. He didn't drink at all anymore, which Izumi knew.
Nori shot a Look at Rand behind her daughter’s back, turning her attention to dinner preparations and hoping that Izumi wouldn’t notice. Or would think it was sarcastic. “How was Noah?” She asked, glancing over her shoulder at her daughter. “Did you manage to find a babysitter to look after him while you were at work?” She felt slightly guilty, leaving Izumi in the lurch. But Rand really wasn’t up to coping with an excitable two year old, even now.
Not really thinking too much of the term of endearment, Izumi poured him a glass of juice and put the container back into the refrigerator. "I did," she told her mother. "A girl I know watches him whenever I can't find someone and she didn't have anything to do today. I made sure not to mention Grandpa because he would have never let me leave him," she laughed. "He'll have to wait for wrestling and play time with Grandpa til after he's healed enough to withstand the trauma of a two-year-old."
Rand waited until their daughter turned away to shrug and send Nori an apologetic look. Obviously, he hadn't slipped up badly. He smiled softly as Nori explained that she'd kept Noah away or else he'd climb all over the injured man. "Give him a kiss for me," he told her. "I should be able to handle in another week or so."
Sipping at her wine, Nori watched the two of them together. Now she wasn’t so hurt, and angry, she could enjoy it a little better. She was glad Izumi held no ill will towards Rand; this would have been impossible if both her and her daughter had held onto so much hate, so much hurt and anger. She drained the vegetables, leaving them in the pan as she starting filling the plates with food - duck breast, still a little tender and pink in the middle, fresh greens, and potatoes roasted with garlic and sea salt, with a rich gravy sauce on the side.
“I hope you’re both hungry,” she told them, placing plates down in front of them. She ate simply when she was alone - with company, she tended to make a little more fuss. She loved cooking, and it just wasn’t as much fun cooking for one. Besides, Izumi needed the energy to run around after Noah, and Rand needed the energy to heal. Fetching her glass and a plate of her own, she sat down at the table with them both.
Izumi settled into her chair and glanced between her mother and her father. She had to admit that it was nice to have them both in a room with no arguing, but the realization that they weren't at each other's throats, or running away from each other for that matter had her brows arching slightly in thought. "This looks lovely, Mama," she said, eyes moving to her mother briefly. "Thank you for inviting me," she added, then glanced at her father again. "You two seem to be getting along better."
"I swear you're trying to fatten me up so I can't move around until I'm healed," he accused Nori lightly. "It does," he said. "Smells great, too." Everything Nori cooked was great. That was a given. He was already getting spoiled by her cooking and he'd hardly been living under her roof two days. Which made Izumi's observation sound much less innocent than it was. Rand managed not to choke on his juice. "Yeah," he agreed, setting down his glass. "Actually, we need to talk to you about that." Now that they were at that point, it was hard to figure out how to explain. "You were right about your mother not hating me," he admitted quietly. Yeah, that was probably not the way to go about it. But at least he'd made a start.
Nori took a deep breath as Rand spoke. She smiled softly, reassuringly, at Rand. And then reached out to place her hand over his, squeezing gently. Turning to face her daughter, she was still smiling, though she did look a little nervous.
“And you were right about Rand and I needing to talk,” she admitted. “We did, and...well,” she looked back at Randall. “It’s still very early, but our feelings for each other haven’t changed...”
Her eyes settled on her mother's hand over her father's, swallowing down a lump in her throat. She wasn't sure whether to be happy or worried and at the moment she was a bit of both. There had always been a part of her that ached for her parents to get back together, like any child from a home that had been broken. But that didn't change the fact that she was worried for her mother because Randall had indeed left her once before. And she was worried for her father because she wasn't sure her mother could ever truly, entirely forgive him for the past. It made her stomach lurch a little to think of how awful this could turn out, but she forced a little smile.
"Oh," she said simply. "I'm happy for you."
Rand smiled at Nori, squeezing her hand back. Yeah, it was very early, but the fact was their feelings for each other hadn't changed. He hadn't left because he wasn't in love with Nori or hadn't wanted Izumi. He'd left because he was a mess and frightened. They had a long way to go before he fully expected either Nori or their daughter to trust him completely though.
Yeah, he wasn't buying that. "Izumi, you don't have to pretend," he said quietly. "We know this could end really badly and it's rushing things a bit. Don't put on a brave face for us. Okay?" He didn't want Izumi to start keeping her feelings from him or her mother to try and spare their feelings. They were adults.
Noriko reached out to her daughter with her other hand, cupping her cheek gently. She knew this was sudden, and there was a part of her that still feared the worst, that still assumed that Rand would leave them again. “Talk to me, darling,” she murmured softly. She wanted Izumi to be happy for them, yes. But more than that, she wanted to know that she was doing the right thing. That Izumi didn’t think her mother had lost all reason.
"I'm not pretending," Izumi told them both. "I am happy for you." Which was true. As for her mother's words, she shook her head. "It's sudden, I'll admit. And I'm worried, for the both of you, but I'm happy for you too." There were a lot of things running through her head, but she could barely sort them all out herself and didn't really want to try to put them all into words at that moment.
"Sorry," he amended. "I'm- well, we're really concerned about how you'd take it." Rand took as deep of a breath as he dared. "We're trying not to rush into anything." Which wasn't easy, because at least on his part, those feelings had never gone away. He knew that was probably hard for Nori and Izumi to believe. But they hadn't. "We just didn't want to keep it from you either." That wasn't fair and there was enough tension. Not to mention how Noriko had reacted when she'd had his return kept from her. He was trying not to make the same mistake twice here.
Noriko nodded agreement, looking at her daughter, though her hand was still over Rand’s, their fingers linked. “We know it’s sudden,” she murmured. “And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried.” She sighed, smiling a little nervously. “But your father and I talked, and...” Noriko wasn’t normally lost for words. She normally had no trouble saying how she felt. “We love each other. That hasn’t changed.”
Izumi listened to what they had to say. She was glad her mother was worried for the first time in a long time. If she was worried, she'd be cautious. Caution was what she needed. Not because she didn't trust her father, because she did, but because Noriko's heart was still healing even all these years later. Even if he didn't leave and they didn't work out, it would be hard for her mother, she was sure. She couldn't blame her. But she knew how much her father loved her mother. The way he looked at her and now the way that her mother was looking at him, she couldn't be very upset at either of them.
"Well I'm glad you didn't keep it from me," she said as she picked up her glass, taking a drink as she tried to calm the worries she still had. "I won't lie either and pretend I'm not worrying, because I am, but I can see how happy you two are when you stop fighting for ten seconds," she smiled. "I am happy for you. Happy that you've stopped being stubborn. It's a bit fast. And a bit of a surprise because no girl thinks that her parents will actually end up back together," she admitted, biting her lower lip. "I hope it works out, for the both of you."
"We have to see it through," Rand said. "However it ends. Or the tension will never go away." If it didn't work out this time, they could end it in a civilized way that wouldn't cause a rift in the family. "I couldn't take another party like Noah's birthday." However this turned out, it needed to be seen through. "You were right, Izumi," he said wryly. "I needed to tell her." He smiled at his daughter, then over at Noriko.
Noriko looked a little sheepish. Most of the tension at Noah’s birthday party had been her fault, and she knew it. “I’m sorry we made things so difficult for you,” she murmured apologetically, reaching out to squeeze Izumi’s arm. “I promise, however things turn out between myself and your father, it won’t be like that again.” If their relationship failed, it would be because they didn’t work as a couple. They could still be parents to Izumi, even if they weren’t together. Of course, Noriko hoped that wouldn’t be a problem. She loved Rand deeply, and she wanted to make up for the time they’d spent apart. Wanted to spend all the time with him that she could.
Izumi shook her head a little. "It was understandable," she told her mother. "I'm sorry I kept him being here from you. I shouldn't have. I was just worried about how you would react and I didn't want to hurt you or make you think that you were a bad mother or that you left anything lacking as a parent because you didn't, I just wanted to know my father. It didn't really have anything to do with you, Mama," she promised her as she took a sip of her drink to try to calm the emotions welling up inside of her. "I hope things work out for the both of you," she told them honestly. "And even if they do not, I know that you both love me, so that's enough for me," she promised. "I'll still worry. I'm as much the daughter of each of you on that regard," she smiled. "But, Noah will be pleased. More time with Grandma and Grandpa. And if things work out, well that's all the better. He'll get the advantage of being able to enjoy the two of you together while he's little."
Rand shook his head. "I shouldn't have left the decision up to you, Izumi," he replied. "I wasn't ready to face your mother. I was certain she hated me and that knowing I was around would just hurt her more." He squeezed Nori's hand gently. "You were right and I should have talked to her sooner. About everything. This mess is as much my fault as either of yours." He nodded and smiled a bit. "I hope it works out as well," he admitted. Not that that needed to be said. "I'm not going anywhere, regardless." Rand was finally starting to feel like he belonged in this family. "More time as a family," he corrected. Izumi needed to remember that. "Which reminds me, we scheduled a dreamwalking lesson tomorrow." He gave Nori a look. "Which I am perfectly capable of handling right now." God, the woman would fuss over it if he didn't clarify that. "Did you want to come here or go to your place?" They had planned to use Noah's dreams again, because they were simple and safe. It was up to his daughter though.
Nori tangled her fingers with Rand’s, unable to help the soft smile that spread across her face. It was silly, really - she felt like a blushing schoolgirl around him. But she hadn’t felt like that in so long - it was a lovely change. It might be terrifying, and she might be worried it would all go wrong, but she was going to live in the moment.
“You might be perfectly capable of handling a dreamwalking lesson,” she pointed out, “but you’re not well enough to get in and out of a car and go anywhere.” She looked at him sternly. “You can have the lesson here.”
"Here is fine," she assured her father. Izumi was thinking like her mother, her father was in no condition to be traveling just yet for any reason. "I can come by when it's just about Noah's bedtime," she suggested. "Let him fall asleep here so that I can still use his dreams without him being all over you." She knew that Noah could be a handful, but she wasn't quite sure she was ready to branch out into anyone else's dreams just yet.
"All right," he said, shaking his head at Nori. He pulled her hand up to his lips to kiss her fingers, since he couldn't lean across to kiss her cheek. "If that's okay," he said. "He can stay here tomorrow. I'm sure Nori can find things for us to do together that don't involve using me for a jungle gym." It had only been a few days, but he knew Nori usually watched their grandson. She probably missed Noah. "Besides, I kind of miss seeing him already."
Nori’s soft smile widened as Rand kissed her fingers, and she tried hard not to blush. Really, it was ridiculous. She was too old, and too sensible, to be behaving like this. “We can have an art day,” she nodded. She had a big box of supplies - pens, fingerpaints, construction paper - that would keep Noah busy for hours, given the chance. She didn’t do it often because of the mess that inevitably resulted, but if Rand were keeping an eye on him, it should be alright. And he wasn’t the only one that missed Noah - distracting as Rand was, Nori was used to seeing her grandson every day. It had been far too quiet around the house without him.
Izumi smiled. "Wonderful then," she agreed. "He misses you both," she told them. "He's been asking for both of you and I feel a little bad for keeping him away as long as I have, but I've been trying to let you heal a little before I fling you back into your grandparent duties," she chuckled. "Tomorrow then. I'll bring him over in the morning and you can tire him out all day. Then we'll have a nice practice moment. But right now, I'm starved. And I intend to eat this deliciousness before it gets cold," she said as she picked up her fork.