Sentimental Moments

This fic was originally the first sequel I wrote to Noh Mask. But plans changed and I ended up writing things out of order. I'm still writing stuff in this series out of order for this series. The most important thing is that they are getting written though.

text in italics = Shinsuke's thoughts
text in or quotes in bold = emphasis on words.
Quotes in regular text = Spoken Japanese
Quotes in Italics = Spoken English.

Kappa - Translates as "River child". A Japanese folkloric creature or demon that appears half human and half turtle. Like Kitsune they are seen as trickers (engaging in behavior such as innocent pranks to more nefarious acts).

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Shinsuke stood on the shore of Cocoa Beach, eyes closed and a smile on his face as he relished the cool waves of the Atlantic breaking against his legs.

The smell of salt water on the breeze, sand between his toes, seafoam misting his sun-kissed skin. No matter how far away from Kyoto he was, as long as he had access to the sensations of the ocean, he felt at ease. The great expanse of blue water was like a second home to him. If he didn't get to visit it at least once a week, he became mildly despondent.

On his time off from work, Shinsuke had to surf. The urge to ride the waves summoned him from deep within his bones like a siren's beckoning song.

He was quite surprised that Asuka hadn't started calling him a kappa. She already accused him of being a kitsune in disguise.

Thinking of her brought a broader smile to his face.

Asuka was also quickly becoming a constant in his life that he felt he could not quite function properly without.

He fell for her hard and fast the moment she boldly entered his personal space to steal the Kobe beef they had been fighting over. That night felt like years ago despite the passage of only a few months.

That only spoke volumes of the strength of their connection. They both understood each other in many ways that few others could.

"What are you smiling about, Shin?" The voice of his good friend and fellow surfing enthusiast, Sin Cara, interrupted his thoughts.

Shinsuke opened his eyes, his head turning to look at Sin Cara. "Hmm? Oh nothing really," he faced the ocean again. "Just enjoying the beauty of nature. It never fails to move me."

"You're quite right, amigo," Sin Cara replied, also gazing out over the water to some point where the ocean and the sky met.

Only two days had passed since he and Asuka had finally stopped dancing around one another. Still, they were being as discreet as ever about their relationship.

In their culture, couples often did not go to great lengths to show public displays of affection – especially so for new couples – and that particular societal norm had followed them both over to America.

Neither of them had discussed when or how they would reveal their status to their friends and co-workers, but Shinsuke was content to be patient and wait a bit longer for her to broach the subject with him.

The more he thought about his spitfire of a woman, the more Shinsuke wondered why she had not yet joined him and his friend at the shore.

He had hoped to teach her to boogie board as opposed to surfing after taking into consideration what had happened last time she had tried to learn it.