Up in Flames (Fire Force fanfic)

Chapter Fourteen: Those Who Wander

For once I didn't wake up from a nightmare...instead I wake up to a beautiful dream. Benimaru is soundly asleep next to me.

I straddle his hips, "Oh Beni~ are you gonna get up?"

He opens his eyes slowly, "Well something is up."

I blush at feeling his morning wood, "You perv."

His hand brushes my hair behind my ear, "You're beautiful."

I get off him and curl up next to him, "So when do you wanna go on the trails?"

He wraps his arms tightly around me, "Hmm...later. I wanna have you to myself for a bit longer."

I smile, "And you said I was incorrigible."

He bites my neck softly, "You are."

I take his face in my hands and turn him to look at me. I kiss his forehead, then his lips. He kisses me back sleepily; his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me closer to him. I can still feel his morning wood poking my leg. The back of my thighs are squeezed by his rough hands. I gasp in surprise as he sits up and pull me into his lap.

"Fine. You managed to wake me up. What now?" He pinches my butt.

"We're going to get breakfast at the tea house and then we're going to the National Park. And..." I look away, "I want to visit where my house used to be."

"Yeah we can do that. We'll pick up some dango and sit by the lake tonight to watch the moon."

"That sounds perfect." I say as I wrap my arms around his neck. 

🍵🍚🍵🍚🍵🍚🍵

Benimaru sits across from me in the tea house, we're enjoying egg rolls, salt broiled salmon, and miso soup. He has been staring at my cheek intensely.

"What?" I ask him suddenly.

He reaches over wipes off a bit of egg roll from my cheek. "You're a messy eater, I swear."

I blush and flick his forehead with my chopsticks, "Jerk."

His phone went off, Konro's name is flashing on the screen. He picks up, "What's going on Konro? Is it an emergency?...What do you mean she's coming home tomorrow morning?...What do you mean your sister finished her job in Russia?...fuck. Just get the guardhouse straightened out today. We'll be back tomorrow...alright, ok. See you tomorrow."

"Konro has a sister?" I ask after he hung up.

"Yeah, she's a scientist and fire soldier. She's been working on contract for the Japanese government to exchange information and research other country's experiments and progress on the spontaneous human combustions. But..." he grimaces, "she's super militant and intense. She runs everything like a tight ship. Very meticulous."

I laugh a little, "How bad could she be?"

"One time she came home at 3:00 am and woke everyone up to scrub the floors and clean the dishes. She's like a fucking drill sergeant."

"Damn that's rough."

I wonder what she looks like? She sounds terrifying.

Benimaru stands up, "Wanna head over to the park?"

I loop my arm through his, "Let's go." 

🌳🌳🌳⛩🌳🌳🌳

I breathe the fresh air in, "God I miss this."

I look back at Benimaru trailing behind me. "So this Hakone's wetlands? It's nice."

"Yeah it's even prettier in the spring." I reply as I walk back to him.

His fingers lace with mine as we walk through the autumn trees.

"I'd like to come here with you again...and I'd like to help clean your family's tombstones."

His cheeks were turning red despite the chilly autumn air.

Cupping his cheeks, I direct his eyes to me, "Thank you."

He places his hand on top of mine, "So when was the last time you've been to the park?"

I hold his hand in mine as we continue our walk through the botanical gardens, "I think...eleven years ago, I was seven years old at the time. I'm glad that somehow this garden hasn't burned down like everything else in my life." 

"Where do you wanna go next after this?"

"Hmmm....we should stop by Lake Ashi's torii and then I want to stop by where my childhood home used to be."

🍂🍂🍂⛩🍂🍂🍂

After walking the trails in Hakone's Wetlands, we walk down to Lake Ashi. We stood at the base of the torii gate.

"Did you know that Lake Ashi's shrine was burnt down once?" I ask Benimaru without really thinking.

"No." He answers as his gaze falls on the water.

"It was burned during the Battle of Odawara. But someone still remembered to rebuild it. I wonder if I can rebuild what I lost to the flames." 

His fingers trace over the scars on my hand, "You can. I will rebuild it with you."

I look at him to see that he was dead serious. I smile at him.

"Well let's go to where I used to live."

🔥🔥🔥🌱🔥🔥🔥

We use the matoi to fly over the clearing where my house used to be. We land on the barren earth where there were once tall trees, a home and a family without problems.

I walk across the charred earth, "This was where I lived until I was eight years old. Ten years ago my parents and brother became victims of spontaneous human combustion. My grandfather and I were the only ones alive...but even that didn't last long..." I walk over to the closest tree and pick up the rope that was still at the foot of the tree. "My grandfather came back here to end it all where he had lost everything. I'm just so tired of people losing and burning. The fires just keep taking ever-"

Two arms wrap around me from behind as tears stream down my face. "I'm so sorry...I swear to you that the fire ends with us. We will stop this, we will live in a world where people don't have to fear that their life will go up in flames. I promise you."

I turn around and hold onto him; suddenly I notice something under the ash and rubble. A single green sprout stood proud amongst the ruins.

Benimaru follows my gaze to the bit of life that is under our feet, "Everything can heal, even us."

I wipe away my tears, "Yeah...you're right."

He walks me over to the matoi, "Lets head back and celebrate our last night here."

I wrap my arms around him from behind as we take off.