You Can't Win Against Ducati

Playing the Game

Author's Note: This is the sequel to Distracted from the Competition. You don't need to read the other one, but you might want to anyway ;) Thanks for the generous reviews for the one-shot. No Shizuru in this chapter (not counting the omake), but she'll make an appearance later.

BTW The game Natsuki is play is completely made up, though it's supposed to be a lot like Final Fantasy 7: Dirge of Cerberus.

Sunrise owns Shizuru and Natsuki. Shizuru and Natsuki own Ducati, although he thinks it's the other way around.

"YES! YOU'RE ASS IS MINE!" Natsuki yelled, her eyes wide with excitement as she pressed down hard with her thumb. She watched as the blow connected with man's face, sending him flying back to crash into the nearby wall before the cut-scene took over the screen. She screamed triumphantly and punched the air so violently that she nearly fell forwards off of the sofa.

She had been trying to defeat that boss for almost a week and her failures had driven her to almost obsessively play the game. It had irked her on the amount of times she had almost been successful to have victory snatched away from her at the last moment, causing her to start again more aggravated and determined to win.

But it wasn't just her that had become frustrated about her losses; Shizuru was becoming annoyed how Natsuki would stay in front of the console for hours instead of spending time with her. But what really got under her skin was how Natsuki wouldn't join her in bed until it was ridiculously late, so their sex life had been dramatically reduced. If it wasn't for that damned boss's scythe… and perhaps Natsuki's insistence to play every game on hard mode instead of normal on the first try.

But now she had finally beaten him it meant that she could finish the game, make Shizuru happy and save her console from being thrown out of the window. Feeling fairly content, she focused on the cut-scene.

"What? Aww, hell no!" she yelled as her opponent stood up and grinned evilly at her through the screen. She watched as two-bat like wings sprouted from his back and he launched off, flapping away with his newly acquired appendages.

Natsuki gritted her teeth and promised the troublesome boss a world of pain. First though, she had to get to a save point. She hoped that she could make it because her health was low and she had used up all of her potions. She nodded with determination and started forward, wary of any enemies that might suddenly appear.

Ducati, the silver Siberian husky puppy, lay on the floor as he watched his master shift through emotions like a schizophrenic on speed. If he had eyebrows, he knew he would have raised them, but since he didn't he settled for twitching his ears at every strange hand motion and scream instead.

He eyed the strange box that stood on the floor close by, examining the wire that stretched between it and the blue haired girl who was currently squirming in her seat, waving the smaller box in her hands in time to her movements.

He sat up with his ears laid flat against his head, teeth bared as a soft growl rumbled from his throat. The strange box was torturing his master! Her screams and odd behaviour confirmed it. For some reason, she couldn't stop it and had returned for more punishment everyday the past week. Perhaps she was feared it… or maybe it was brainwashing her!

Ducati knew what he had to do. He was going to save his master.

He glanced up at her, hoping she hadn't noticed his aggressive out burst. Luckily Natsuki was too fixated with the game. It was essential she didn't notice until he had done his job or else she may try to stop him. He briefly wondered if she'll reward him with some mayo once he saved her, his tail wagging at the thought before he decided to get on with his mission.

The puppy silently padded up to the evil box, sniffing it slightly but not too much, just in case he got brainwashed as well. He spied two more wires leading out the back. The puppy bared his teeth in a grin. He knew that these gave the box its power, so if he just did this…

Natsuki was leaning forward slightly, proud that she had gotten past her enemies with so little health. She was so close to the save point. Twenty steps, fifteen steps, ten…

She frowned as the picture on the screen began to flicker. She looked down at the console and saw Ducati's jaws wrapped around a wire, pulling frantically.

"Ducati! No!" She rushed forward and grabbed the puppy just as he yanked the wire free. Natsuki held the puppy out at arms length with a strange look on her face, staring into his proud blue eyes before hugging him close to her. Ducati snuggled into the embrace, happy with the prize he received for his heroic victory, though he would have preferred some mayo.

"Never do that again!" What? But he had just saved her from the evil box! Natsuki pulled back and cupped the puppy's chin in her hand to make sure he was looking at her, though she needn't have bothered as his confused mind demanded an explanation.

"That was so dangerous; you could have got electrocuted and got a one-way ticket to doggy heaven!" Her angry expression softened as she began to mumble, uncomfortable with how heart-felt her words were about to become. "I would have lost my puppy pal and I don't want that to happen. I know you and Shizuru haven't been happy with me recently because I've been spending more time playing on that thing than I have been with you, but that's going to change soon. So promise me you won't do that again."

Ducati pulled his head from her grasp and nodded, disturbed at how close to crying his master was. He didn't quite understand everything, but he knew that he would never try anything like that again. Natsuki smiled and patted his head.

"Good. That way Shizuru won't be kicking my ass because she's come home from work to find you all toasty. And I won't be playing the game as much anymore, I'll just save it and- oh crap!" Natsuki finally remembered that Ducati had pulled out one of the wires to the console. Thankfully, it was the scart cable so she just plugged the wire back in.

Ducati jumped on the sofa and lay down, wondering if his efforts had been in vain as he watched Natsuki pick up the controller and settle down next to him. He sighed as he closed his eyes, fully intending to ignore his master when she began yelling again. He felt the sofa shift underneath him a couple of minutes later and music of the game suddenly stopped.

"So Ducati, what do you want to do?" He looked up at his master who had a playful smile on her face and wagged his tail. What did he want to do? Oh, he had a few ideas.

Omake

Shizuru: Aww, my Natsuki and Ducati are so cute. (Happy expression becomes suspicious.) Natsuki?

Natsuki: Mmm?

Shizuru: Would you really rather spend more time on a game than with me?

Natsuki: No, of course not. (Pauses for a second, taking a shaky breath.) I love you more than mayo.

Shizuru: (Beams at the thought of being loved more than Natsuki's disgusting addiction.) So I'm number one in you heart?

Natsuki: (Looks down to hide her blush.) Erm, yeah.

Shizuru: (Screams and gives Natsuki a hug that forces Natsuki's face into her breasts.)

Natsuki: Can't… Breathe…

Ducati: (Raises his head to watch the couple and speaks in his telepathic voice that only happens in the omake.) Oi, how much do you love me?

Author: (Replies for Natsuki because it looks like Shizuru isn't going to let go anytime soon.) As much as mayonnaise.

Ducati: Well, that explains the crying. Master always gets sappy when it comes to mayo.

Natsuki: (Frees herself enough to speak.) Do not!

Ducati: Do too!

Natsuki: Do not!

Ducati: Do too!

Natsuki: Do- Mmph!

Author: (Puts away camera after taking multiple shots of Shizuru and Natsuki kissing.) Guys, I'll see you next omake, I'm off to write the next chapter.