Chapter Twelve:
Old Beauty:
Around two in
the morning, Tsuzuki heard sobbing. Hm? What was that? The shinigami sat up for
a look. Airi stood naked in front of a full-length mirror. He could see tears
streaming down her face.
“Airi-chan?” the
shinigami asked with a puzzled look on his face. The kitsune turned to face him.
Tsuzuki got out of bed and walked over to her. Tears welled up in her eyes.
“What’s the
matter?” he asked. Airi shook her head. Tsuzuki had his own answer when he got a
better look at her. Her hair and tails had turned a light pink. Wrinkles formed
around her eyes and mouth. But another discovery caught him off guard.
“When did you
get a new tail?” the shinigami asked. Airi’s lower lips trembled.
“I hate it!” she
waited. “I am getting old. My children are draining my youth. I hate it!” Airi
started to tremble.
“You’re just
aging,” he said. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
“No!” Airi
wailed. “I have always kept myself young! I used spells for decades on myself.”
She touched her right arm. The skin turned young at first but started to age
again. Airi began to whimper. Tsuzuki blinked at first.
“What am I
looking at?” he asked.
“It doesn’t
work!” Airi shouted.
“Shhh,” Tsuzuki
whispered. He looked over at Anna in bed. His wife turned over in their futon
before settling back into place. Airi frowned.
“My magic is
failing me,” she said. “I don’t know what to do.” The kitsune broke down
trembling.
“Aw, come here,”
Tsuzuki whispered. He pulled his other wife into his arms in an embrace. She
rested against his chest.
“Feels nice,
doesn’t it?” he asked.
“Shut up,” Airi
muttered. Tsuzuki smiled to himself.
“You are still
beautiful,” he whispered. The kitsune froze.
“Huh?” she
asked. The Mother lifted her head. Tsuzuki’s smile could melt her heart. He took
her by the chin.
“You’re just
getting old like me,” he whispered. “But that is okay. I will always think you
are beautiful.” She opened her mouth to speak but he lightly shushed her.
“Don’t speak,”
Tsuzuki said. He kissed her on the lips. Airi froze. She slowly sank into his
warmth. The kitsune trembled as he pulled away.
“I love your
hair and your tails,” he said. Airi looked away, blushing.
“Stop it,” she
muttered.
“I mean it,”
Tsuzuki said. “I love you both and you are really beautiful. Nothing is going to
change that. Do you understand?” Airi dropped her shoulders sighed.
“Yeah, yeah,”
she muttered. Tsuzuki kissed her on the head.
“Love you,” he
whispered.
“Yeah, yeah,” Airi muttered. The kitsune couldn’t help but smile to herself.