Journey to Insanity and Romance
Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.
Author's Note: Since I got several good reviews for 'Specialist and the Schoolgirl', I figure a pair of prequels might be in order. I'll try to make this first one a bit longer than the oneshot. Please, bear with me on this. There will be some out of character behavior and a strong lemon scene. Along with some very strange twists and appearances by characters from other series. Thank you kindly.
Questions of the Heart and Travel Plans
In Tokyo, Japan, in the district of Tamagawa, Kaname Chidori is pacing her apartment, picking petals off of a flower. Right now, she's asking the biggest question of her life. Whether or not she has feelings for her bodyguard, friend and constant headache, Sousuke Sagara, Sergeant of Mithril. Being 'Whispered' certainly hadn't been a picnic for her, let alone having a gung-ho, combat-ready warrior around her.
But, somehow, someway, he's always made her feel safe. Perhaps safer than she had ever thought possible. Of course, there were some close calls in the past. But Sousuke had always made them all turn out for the best. She then sighs as she recalls her first feelings about him.
At first, he seemed like a freak to her, but then he revealed his actual reason for being nearby. As time went by, they had some comical adventures and even more absurd misadventures. Then came the greatest time for the both of them. When Sousuke took her to his secret fishing spot at Mithril's Pacific Base, she found the whole scene to be beautiful. When he invited her to fish with him, she readily accepted and promptly hooked a massive fish.
She giggles as she recalls what she told Sousuke that day.
"I wanna catch and take this thing home, Sousuke!"
"Roger!"
She comes out of the memory in time to say, "He may be a moody military maniac, but at least he's kind. It's just too bad that he's had a hard life, otherwise he'd fit in just perfectly. He's just like a diamond in the rough. With a lot of rough edges and artillery pieces around him." At that, she laughs at the truth of the statement.
Not one to lose track of where she was, she resumes the questioning of her heart. "I love Sousuke. I love him not. I love him." She alternates the remarks with each pull on the petal. For a girl unsure of her feelings, given her current circumstances, it's as logical as she can decide.
When she gets to the last petal, she pulls it off, smiles and says, very softly, "I am in love with him." At the realization, she goes into the bathroom and vomits, trying to get the images in her mind out. When she's done, she looks up incredulously.
"A wedding? Kids? They'll turn out to be just like Sousuke and/or me." She gets up from the toilet, goes to the sink and washes out her mouth. Now unsure of her comment at the moment, she ponders it and shrugs.
"Then again, there is no such thing as too many military maniacs running around here. Sousuke's more than enough. However, I now know I do have warm feelings for him. Does he feel the same way about me?" She looks over at Sousuke's adjacent apartment building and sees him working out.
She sighs wistfully as she observes him doing chin-ups, wondering what he's doing up this time of night. She then catches sight of the scar at his left flank and cringes as she recalls how he had gotten it.
It was during their time in Khanka that Sousuke revealed himself to be more than meets the eye. From piloting an RK-92 Savage to surviving a grenade attack by the skin on his teeth. He was very lucky that no arteries or organs were shredded by the flak from the explosions against the massive robot.
When Kaname heard that he was going to carry out his duty even with the injury, it stunned her. A guy she had a slight crush on was only concerned with his duty to protect her, at all costs. Even his own life if need be. He convinced her to trust in him, a battle-hardened young man. It was the best move she ever made, in her opinion anyway.
She looks up at the sky and says, "Mom, if you can hear me, please, don't let any Savages run loose around here. I don't want to lose Sousuke. Not when I am just now realizing how I feel about him."
She then turns her attention back to Sousuke's building and sees him looking at her. She shyly waves and closes her curtains, sighing as she does so. Once they're closed, she giggles and says, "He's still an odd bird. But at least he's my odd bird." She then walks away from the window and wonders if he feels the same way about her.
Suddenly, she hears a gunshot. Worried, she goes back to her window and peeks out the curtain. She then sighs in relief as she sees Sousuke standing with a still-smoking .38 snub-nosed revolver in his hand, pointed at a wall. Seeing he's still alive, she closes the curtain right back and heads for her bed.
"I guess he had a hostile party come barge in on him. His reflexes saved his life, like they have all those other times. No wonder he said he'd rather watch rookie soldiers dance. Killers these days are a joke."
Snickering, she smiles in approval of his action and says, "That'll teach anyone not to mess with my Sousuke. He's a very good shot." Her eyes then light up as she realizes what she had just said.
"My Sousuke. I kinda like the sound of that." With that, she smiles softly as she turns in for the night.
However, that was not the reason for the gunshot from Sousuke's apartment.
Sousuke had finished with his chin-ups and was looking around when he saw Kaname looking right at him. She had then smiled at him and closed her curtains. Confused about his feelings, he decided to do a test of 'Russian Roulette' with his revolver. Only he'd aim it at a target of his most hated enemy, Gauron. The man had proven to be harder to kill than a ninja cockroach. He even told Kaname that one time and she even agreed on the harder to kill part.
For the past ¾ year, ever since the incident on the Tuatha de Danaan, he has been having strange thoughts and feelings. At least strange to him, having seen so much war in his life. From being on a battlefield to going to a civilian setting had him flustered at times. So he would cope the only way he knew how. In the course of his duties of protecting Kaname, he would destroy just about anything. As long as she was kept safe, it's not a problem for him.
However, she and the others around him never really understood all that he does. At least not until he revealed his actual purpose to Kaname that night in Khanka. She didn't even believe him until he had gotten into an RK-92 Savage and powered it up. He then proceeded to decimate his enemies. Kaname stared up at the massive Arm Slave in awe as she processed the information.
He even thinks about the time they spent together at his fishing spot. The feel of her torso within his arms as he was trying to keep her from going swimming in a most peculiar fashion. He found himself having a peculiar feeling down in his gut and found that feeling to be most delightful, yet curious at the same time.
Sousuke snaps back to present time and proceeds with his questioning, eager to get an answer. One way or another. Every time he'd pull the hammer back and pull the trigger, he would ask, alternating each time, "Do I love Kaname? Do I love her not?" Every time the hammer would click, it would be a maybe. If it went of, the answer would be a definite yes. Meticulous as usual, he kept exact track of the questions.
Pulling the hammer back one more time, he asks, "Do I love Kaname?" He pulls the trigger and BAM! The gun went off, giving Sousuke his answer.
With sweat dripping from his face, he says, "Oh dear. Not good.The Lieutenant Commander's not going to like this, let alone the Captain. At least I nailed the target in the head." He then ponders even further and adds, "Then again, the answer just might be good for me. The bigger question is, does Kaname feel the same way?"
He looks over at her building and sees that her lights are out. He quietly says, "I don't know if I'll ever be suitable for romance, but I'm willing to learn. Under the right circumstances."
Giving himself a derisive chuckle, he then softly asks, "Since when are circumstances ever right?" Turning off his light, he goes underneath his cot and falls asleep.
The next morning, Kaname is waiting for Sousuke to show up at their usual meeting spot. She had slept rather well, considering that she was up until early in the morning before she woke up. She figures that since her question was answered, she might sleep a little bit better. When she woke up, she had her daily routine and added something new.
"Mom, I realized my feelings for Sousuke. I just hope he feels the same way about me. Wish us luck, okay. See you later, Mom."
Kaname snaps back to the present, not noticing Sousuke walking up to her position. He then quietly comes up behind her and says, "Ready when you are, Kaname."
Kaname jumps in fright and whips out her halisen, hitting him as she comes back down, laughing and snarling at the same time.
She then asks him, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Sousuke? Because if you are, you nearly succeeded! You moody, military maniac!"
Calming herself down, she puts the halisen away and asks, "How'd the disposal go, Sousuke?"
"Disposal, Kaname?"
"Yeah, you know. The intruder you shot last night. How'd it go?"
"Oh that. No intruder, Kaname. Just asking myself a couple of questions with 'Russian Roulette', only I aimed my revolver at the target of Gauron."
"Really? And what was the answer you came up with, Sousuke?"
"Yes."
Kaname is now curious as to what the questions might have been. She then asks, "Would you mind telling me the questions you asked yourself, Sousuke?"
Sweating, Sousuke replies, "Later on, Kaname. We better get to school. Come on!" He then starts walking away from a perplexed Kaname, ensuring a clear path for her. She starts snickering as she thinks about his behavior so far this morning.
"At least he's being consistent. Sweating and vague, evasive answers. I wouldn't have him any other way." Running after him, she catches up to him and says, "I've been asking myself some questions as well, Sousuke. The answer is yes. Would you like to know what the questions were?"
"I think I can guess, Kaname."
Both teens keep on walking until they reach the train station and ride together in silence. When the train reaches the Sengawa district, they get off the train and make their way to their school. When they get there, they stop in front of Jindai High School.
Sousuke then turns to face her, sighs and says, "It's later on, Kaname. The questions I was asking myself was whether or not I was in love with you. It's the affirmative. I'm in love with you, Kaname Chidori."
Stunned, Kaname blushes as she says, "My questions were whether or not I felt the same way. Sousuke Sagara, I'm in love with you too."
Stepping closer to him, she softly says, "Sousuke."
"Kaname."
Both teens wrap each other in an embrace and are about to kiss when Shinji Kazama and Kyoko Tokiwa run up to greet them. Their friends are wearing their greeting smiles as they get closer to them.
"Kaname. Hurry or you'll be late. Good morning, Sousuke." Kyoko looks at her friends and smiles on the inside, knowing they'd just realized their feelings for each other. She then thinks, 'They're perfect for each other.'
"Come on, Sousuke. Miss Kagurazaka's on the warpath today because of your detonation of the rock garden yesterday. It's not a good idea to make her mood any worse. Hello, Kaname." Shinji noticed the mood between them as well, but he didn't want them to be humiliated in public. 'Every time I see them, they smile on the inside when they're together. I hope they start smiling in public soon.'
"Hello Kyoko." Sousuke nods his head at his other friends and shivers slightly on the inside from the look on Kyoko's face. 'Does Tokiwa know about myself and Kaname? I must tread lightly here.'
"Hello Shinji." Kaname has the same reaction on the inside, only she thinks, 'If only they didn't interrupt us. I could have handled the taunting. Or at least Sousuke could have." Their two friends then rush into the school building as the two teens separate from the potential kiss.
Kaname sighs as she says, "Leave it to Shinji and Kyoko to ruin what might have been a heavenly kiss." She disengages her arms from around Sousuke and sighs miserably.
Sousuke nods as he replies, "Affirmative. It could have been worse, however. It could have been Mizuki Inaba that interrupted us. If word had spread, I would shudder to think what could happen." He unwraps his arms as well and gives her a faint smile.
"I agree. Let's take things slowly and easy. Okay, Sousuke?" Seeing him smile lights her up inside, even if it is faint.
"Affirmative. It will not be a problem." Sousuke gives her a nod as they both turn toward the school.
'I hope' is the thought that both teens have in their minds before they go inside. Just before they get too further, the P.A. makes an announcement.
"Will Kaname Chidori of Class 2-4 come to the office? Kaname Chidori to the office. You have a phone call." As Kaname heads to the office, she gives Sousuke's hand a squeeze and heads for the office.
Five minutes after she heads for the office, Sousuke's communicator goes off.
"Sagara. Yes, sir. I see. Yes, some rest would be a good idea. But what about Miss Chidori, sir? Understood. Urzu 7 out." He then makes his way to the office when he sees Kaname walk out, with a downcast look on her face.
Worried, he asks, "Kaname, is something wrong?"
Kaname shakes her head no and then bobs it yes, saying, "My Father wants me to come visit him and Ayame in the States. He doesn't know about my situation, Sousuke."
She turns her head, tears in her eyes and she adds, "He told me I can bring a companion with me. But, you're needed at all times. You're always on call, Sousuke." She starts sobbing and sinks onto the floor.
Sousuke then says, "I don't know if it'll help, but I have accrued enough leave time to be off duty for three months. I've been placed on forced vacation, as per Captain Testarossa's orders. She feels I may burn myself out without relaxation. Of course, I'll have to transport my standard weapons cache with me, just in case." He bends down to give her a hand up, with her accepting it.
Kaname, blushing furiously, giggles as she gets up off the floor and says, "Knowing you, Sousuke, you'd probably bring a Howitzer with you."
Curious, Sousuke asks, "Are we really allowed to do so? I'll go see about a Howitzer to transport with us." Before Sousuke can walk away, Kaname traps him in her arms and kisses him on the lips.
She then says, "I need to do some serious work on you, Sousuke Sagara. Starting with a sense of humor and jokes at times." She laughs as she wraps her arms around him much further and is pleasantly surprised when she feels his arms around her. She luxuriates in the embrace in time for Mizuki and the others to come up to them.
Including Dotaro Onodera, otherwise known as Ono-D, another friend of theirs. Also with them is Saturo Shirai, who has his eyes aflame. His temper rises as he thinks about how badly Sousuke had humiliated him in front of his date when he scared Shirai with his gun.
He then angrily charges Sousuke, saying, "You crazy loser! You're not charming. I am! What do you have that I don't? Other than all that otaku nonsense."
Sousuke turns to Shirai, grins and says, "Get lost, eh." He then pulls out his Glock 17 and starts shooting at him with rubber bullets. Shirai takes off, running in panicked fear.
Sousuke slides his Glock back into place and casually asks, "Shall we make travel plans, Kaname?"
Kaname giggles and replies, "I'll let you handle that portion, Sousuke. You did a wonderful job last time we went somewhere alone. Just no skydiving, all right? At least not over the ocean. Although, it was kinda fun. My sweet, rugged Prince Sousuke from the Land of Enemy Destruction."
Sousuke nods and says, "Just leave it to me. My fair, lovely damsel, Lady Kaname from the Land of Happiness."
Sousuke then walks away, a smile on his face. He then realizes that it was the first time that he feels truly happy. For the first time in a long time, he feels happiness in an unexpected manner after seeing so much war and death all around him.
The others look at Kaname and see that she is blushing and smiling warmly. Thinking something is very wrong with her, they all back away and head for class. Miss Eri Kagurazaka then comes out of the classroom and sees Kaname in a daze.
She snaps her fingers under Kaname's nose and says, "Your Prince Charming is gone, Miss Chidori. So, where's Mr. Sagara at? Destroying more school property? He rung up quite a bill from his last blast yesterday."
"I certainly hope he is, Teacher. I certainly hope he is. He makes this place lively, with the explosions and all."
Still in a daze, Kaname leaves Miss Kagurazaka with her mouth wide open in shock, walks into the classroom and takes a seat at her desk. Once seated, she dreamily smiles at the word that Sousuke and she had both arrived at.
'Yes'.
Meanwhile, Sousuke's working on the travel plans for their trip to New York in America. Kaname had told him all about her time there and he's curious about the whole New York experience. He gets on his communicator and informs Lt. Commander Andrei Kalinin of their intentions and also his most recent discovery.
He, in turn, replies, "I'm proud of you, Sergeant. However, Mithril doesn't really approve of romantic entanglements. Especially when our members fall for their charges. However, in your case, it just might be a good thing. Just be careful not to overdo it. Tell 'Angel' SRT Lead sends regards."
"Urzu 7, roger."
Sousuke closes communication with a smile on his face, a truly and very rare thing for him. He starts feeling like he's on a smart minefield in a peaceful setting, yet strangely at peace with the knowledge of said minefield.
'This must be what Cloud 9 feels like' Sousuke mused as he walks toward the classroom.
Suddenly, he finds himself confronted by Issei Tsubaki, the school's martial arts expert. Tsubaki puts on his glasses and starts moving his arms around, gathering his strength.
"Sagara, you'll pay for what you've done to Kaname! You made her fall in love with you! Prepare for pain, you lunatic!" Tsubaki throws a punch, but Sousuke's able to block it and shove him back.
He then draws his Glock and says, "Get lost, turkey." He opens fire, just like on Shirai earlier, only this time, the rubber bullets strike Tsubaki right in the groin. As the martial artist folds onto the ground, Sousuke steps around him and proceeds into the classroom. However, his action did not go unnoticed by Miss Kagurazaka.
Miss Kagurazaka comes into the classroom behind him and says, "Mr. Sagara, I don't how you pulled it off, but Miss Chidori has started to enjoy your dangerously twisted perception of the world around you." She then hands him the bill for the repairs and adds, "The repairs will cost about 80,000 yen. I hope you're pleased with yourself."
"As long as Kaname and the others are kept safe, it's not a problem. Unless you prefer snakes in the rock garden. Very poisonous snakes. Had I not done something, someone could have died from the venom. That's why I had placed land mines in the rock garden."
This causes Miss Kagurazaka's eyes to bulge out as Sousuke makes his way to his seat, right beside Kaname's. She then scowls as she recalls what Sousuke did to Tsubaki just before he went into the classroom. Muttering darkly, she goes to her desk and prepares to start the lesson.
Meanwhile, Sousuke takes his seat beside Kaname and nods that the arrangements had been made. Kaname nods back and smiles at his efficiency in making the arrangements. The rest of the class time is spent on their studies. As they work, they can't help but see Miss Kagurazaka's face darken every time they look up. On the way out after class, Sousuke pulls Kaname into a corner gently and whispers into her ear.
"SRT Lead sends regards, 'Angel'." Kaname smiles at the regard from the Special Response Team Commander and Father figure to Sousuke. She then strokes his cheek and the new coupling goes on to their remaining classes of the day.
As they walk away, Miss Kagurazaka makes a vow to find out exactly how much of an otaku Sousuke Sagara actually is and just how Kaname Chidori can stand having him around. Ever since he had transferred in, the school had become a war zone, complete with landmines and explosions.
The incident with the 'Full Monty Bacteria' had left her humiliated beyond belief. The tall redhead clenches her fist and affirms her intent to learn more about Sousuke and his past.
At the end of the day, as Sousuke and Kaname walk through the hallway, hand in hand, they see a familiar face. The face of Ena Saeki, the first girl to ever try to give Sousuke a love letter.
Ena sees them both and smiles a small, sad smile. Sousuke's heart goes out to her and he elects to clear the air between them to clear up any misunderstandings on his part.
"Hello, Miss Saeki. You look well."
"You do as well, Mr. Sagara. Just, out of curiosity, why did you detonate my love letter to you?"
Sighing, he replies, "I don't come from the same world you live in. My world is one of war, all around me. I was never allowed to even ponder relationships as I was growing up among the other children of Afghanistan. It took me quite a while to finally adjust to this kind of world, for the most part. But, when I saw my alert system, it set my defensive systems to condition red."
Curious, Ena asks, "What was your alert system, Sagara?"
"A piece of hair on my locker door. If it's ever out of place, it means someone had tampered with it."
He then turns back to Kaname and sees her grinning broadly, knowing she's promising some kind of admonishment as she laughs. Strangely enough, he finds himself looking forward to it, since he can handle being hit by her halisen.
"A piece of hair? On your locker door? Why not a concussive grenade on the inside of the locker or some other maddening method? You carry that kind of stuff all the time, I believe. You crazed otaku!"
Finding himself to be brazen now, he leans forward and whispers, "Since you know a few things about ordnance, I'll tell you something about myself. I've seen a lot of war and both good and bad people die. I am no otaku. I'm a soldier that just happens to be a teenager still. I'll leave you with that thought in mind." The revelation stuns her into silence.
He returns to Kaname's side and they both then head to the Student Council's office to speak with Atsunobu Hayashimizu, the Student Body President. Kaname, as Student Body Vice-President and Class Representative, is able to get them both in to see Atsunobu. Her intent? Telling him the news regarding her and Sousuke.
To her surprise, he chuckles and clicks his fan closed, saying, "I figured it would happen sooner or later. Mr. Sagara, how did you come across your feelings for our esteemed Vice-President?"
"'Russian Roulette', your Excellency. With the revolver aimed at my northern wall and a target in place."
Atsunobu chuckles at that and says, "Well, that's one way of doing things, I guess. How about yourself, Miss Chidori?"
"I just picked petals off of a flower, President Hayashimizu. I think it's pretty safe to say we've been dancing around our feelings for one another long enough and decided to ask ourselves some very strong questions."
Atsunobu grins as he thinks about Ren Mikihara and nods, knowing what his two finest Officers with the Council are talking about.
With a proud and concerned look on his features, he then says, "Mr. Sagara, just because you have started realizing your feelings does not mean you are to start slouching on your Security responsibilities. I'm impressed with the reduction of damage to the school and grounds once you had gotten used to being with us here. Of course, if you feel the need to blow something up, there'll always be a place with your name on it on the shoe-lockers. We'll even throw in a simulation as a teaching tool for the other students. Say, perhaps once a month. I'll discuss it with the teachers. Any questions so far?"
"Negative, your Excellency."
"No, President Hayashimizu."
"Ah, very good. As you are both aware, school's about to let out for the summer. The school system has graciously given all schools within the district one extra month along with the usual three months. This starts tomorrow. Evidently, they feel that the students are starting to feel burnt out. Since you have done well on your end of year tests, it's safe to say you have earned it. Need I say more?"
At that, they both reply, "Negative, sir." Atsunobu chuckles and opens his fan, a signal indicating that the time for discussion has ended.
As both teens leave the office, Kaname whispers, "You don't suppose he knows anything about me, your purpose here or Mithril, do you Sousuke?"
Sousuke can only shrug in befuddlement as he replies, "For as long as I've observed him and his judgments, his Excellency has proven himself to be rather enigmatic. It's possible he knows or just strongly suspects something. Any possibilities should not be dismissed before we have sufficient information to go on. For now, we'll just play it by ear, Kaname." Kaname nods in agreement at the idea as the couple leaves the school and prepare for their trip.
Along the way home, they come across a face they hadn't wanted to see ever since the 'Pony Man' incident. Officer Yoko Wakana is walking a new beat when she sees Sousuke. Recognizing him, she grins maniacally and charges at him.
"Double Rider! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She brings out her P90 submachine guns and starts shooting at him. "Now you're mine, Mr. Double Rider!" As the rounds fly out, Sousuke manages to take cover, drawing his Glock.
To her shock, she sees a halisen coming her way and manages to duck it in time to avoid getting smacked silly by Kaname. "You? Miss Blue Hair? Why are you defending him?"
"He's my boyfriend. That's all you need to know, you loon. Aren't you supposed to be at home asleep? Or at least in a funny farm?"
"Why you!" Wakana is about to hit Kaname when she sees Sousuke pop up in front of her, with his Glock's barrel under her chin.
"You will not harm my girlfriend. Is that understood? Now, you can either calm down or we can shoot it out right here and now. It will not be a problem for me. Of course, Kaname and I are about to head to the States so we can visit her family. So, on that note, we don't have much time, Officer Wakana."
Wakana looks at the both of them, shrugs and says, "Off with the both of you, then. As long as you're not hanging out with that crazed Bonta-kun, you'll be all right. Oh, and the 'Pony Man' started his own hair salon upon release from Prison. I've got an appointment tomorrow to see about getting my hair tamed somewhat. Have fun on your trip. When you two return, we'll have our fight then."
Sousuke holsters the Glock, nods and replies, "I look forward to it, Officer Wakana." She returns the nod and resumes her beat. Sousuke and Kaname walk along the sidewalk and examine the cherry blossoms starting to bloom.
Kaname sighs and says, "That was so close, Sousuke. This time, she was somewhat subdued. She's either slipping or she has a crush on someone. If it's the latter, I can't help but worry about the person she has in mind. Oh, did you ever find out why your freelance projects didn't sell well?"
Shrugging, he replies, "Apparently, it was because of it's configuration. Evidently the Police Departments around the world felt it would not be an appropriate Uniform for their Officers."
Kaname shrugs, nods in understanding, starts giggling and says, "Sousuke, let no one tell you different. You are truly a piece of work."
"That's affirmative." That has them both laughing as they finish getting home.