TITLE: Bughouse
AUTHOR MikeJaffa
SYNOPSIS: Kyo and Jo play Bughouse Chess, and Meg and Sei just go Bughouse
A/N: If you don't know what Bughouse is, look it up, then start reading this.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Burst Angel.
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"Jo?" Kyohei crept onto the roof of the trailer.
"Hey." Jo was lying on the deck to his right, propping her head up as she watched her TV.
Kyo crouched near her, but not too close. "Dinner will be ready in five minutes."
"Thanks."
Kyo got up, but she said, "Hey, Kyo? You might find this interesting."
Kyo winced. What could be interesting about one of Jo's super violent horror movies? "Ok." He sat down next to her and was surprised to see a man in military fatigues explaining some equipment and packages on a table. "What is this?" he asked.
"Little on-demand documentary I stumbled on," Jo explained. "It's about how militaries around the world feed their soldiers, and make sure they get nutritious meals, even in survival situations, and how they make those meals and preserve them. You cook for mercs, so I thought you would like to keep up."
"That does look interesting, Jo-" And he meant it. "-but-no offense-you guys are the last mercs I think I'm ever going to cook for."
"Maybe, Kyo, maybe not. Paris is an expensive town, I hear, and you may need extra cash again. You should play to your strengths. And even then, you obviously don't know who Sei blabs-"
A telephone ringing sound came from the TV, and a number appeared on the screen. Jo pressed a button and said, "Talk to me."
"Hey, Jo," a man's voice said. "Listen, something came up at the last minute and I can't make it tonight."
"Oh, crap! And this is the first time in months I could go."
"I know. But I should be free next week."
"Ok. 'Bye, Teuro."
"Later. Jo."
Jo pressed a button and cursed again.
"Jo…" Kyo stammered, "who was…Do you have a boyfriend behind Meg's back?"
"What? Oh, no, Kyo, it's nothing like that."
"Then what is it?"
"Keep a secret?"
"'Course. I don't want to be shot."
"I wouldn't, and it's not that big a deal. There's this merc hangout, the Firing Pin, and every Thursday night, this little chess club we have hangs out there. I went a bunch of times before we hired you, but I haven't gone since."
"Why's that a secret?"
"I don't want Meg to know. I love her, but she wants to spend every waking moment with me, and I need a little alone time. You have no idea what it took me to get her to go along with that. And she threw a fit when she first met Teuro. If I tell her what I'm doing and where, I won't get a moment's peace."
"But how does Teuro fit in?"
"He's my bughouse partner."
"You guys know Bughouse?"
"You know it?"
"Love and Happy had a chess club when I started, but the original advisor quit when his wife took early retirement, and the new advisor would leave if no one showed up after five minutes. I haven't played since before I met you guys."
"Want to come tonight, Kyo? We can leave when we've finished dinner, and the club runs until after closing time - the owner is on it - though we can leave when you're ready. Just don't tell Meg what we're doing."
"Well, ok, Jo, as long as it isn't a problem…"
"Kyo, don't worry about it. We're just going to play chess. What could possibly happen?"
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They had just started dinner - Kyo eating with the girls as always - when Jo announced that she and Kyo would be going out after dinner had been done.
Meg and Sei froze.
Meg said, "Um, Jo? You? Go out? With HIM?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"He's a guy, Jo."
"I noticed, that Meg."
"You're not into guys-"
"No, Meg, it's nothing like that. Kyo and I aren't going to do anything."
"What are you going to do?"
"It's Thursday night, Meg. You know I have alone time on Thursday."
"Yes-well-ok."
Sei cleared her throat. "Yes, I suppose. But Kyo, I thought we were going to be working on conversational French tonight?"
Amy grinned. "Oh, is that what you call it?"
Kyo said in French, "I've been practicing a lot, and I think I can skip a week. But thanks for helping, Mademoiselle Sei."
"My pleasure," Sei replied in French. "I want do everything I can to help you become a patissier." Back to Japanese: "But are you sure?"
"Sei, trust me. Jo may scare me, but I think it'll be all right."
"Well…all right, Kyo. You and Jo, have a good time."
Jo smiled. "We will."
Jo and Kyo bent over their plates, so only Amy noticed the angry glares that flashed on Meg and Sei's faces. 'Oh boy,' Amy thought.
