Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever own Full Metal Panic or anything affiliated with said show.

"Speaking"

'Thoughts'

Kaname wasn't sure why she thought that this trip to the beach would be any different from the one they'd taken with their fellow classmates a while back, but really she should've known better. Anytime she plans anything, Sousuke always manages to somehow royally screw it up. The man knew how to infiltrate terrorist hideouts, disarm nearly all types of explosives, and could even pilot an AS with ease, but put him in a normal situation and he was like a fish out of water. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say; a fish in the middle of the Sahara.

Even knowing this, Kaname still couldn't resist trying to bring about some normalcy in their…well, relationship wasn't exactly the right word, but she doubted there was a word in any language that could describe what they had between them. In truth, she wasn't even sure what was going on. Sometimes she'd get the feeling that all he cared about was the mission, but then he'd go and do something almost sweet and she'd find herself wondering if just maybe there was something else under the surface.

Of course being as this is Sousuke we're talking about it was impossible to tell. He was military to the core and always acted like he was on some kind of dangerous mission, even when they were doing something mundane like grocery shopping. Now granted, she was the mission, so being on guard all the time was to be expected, but he always took things way too far. Like blowing up the tomato soup display because it could've hidden an assassin, or tackling the old lady from across the street because she was carrying what appeared to be a weapon…but in reality was only an umbrella.

This was precisely why she'd suggested they go on the beach vacation with their classmates. She'd thought that if there was only a few of them around, and they were all wearing far too little clothing to hide any weapons, that maybe he'd relax a little and have a bit of fun. The trip had not turned out quite like she'd hoped. Backfired would be a better word really. She'd obviously expected far too much from the Mithril soldier and in the end he reacted as he'd been trained and several people had wound up in the hospital.

After that she'd decided that any further attempts to help Sousuke acclimate himself with society would be an utter waste of time. And for awhile, she let things stay exactly as they were. Until that fateful day when she realized that she'd fallen in love with him. In hindsight, she had to admit it really wasn't all that surprising. They'd spent so much time together, and despite his constant need to carry weapons and pick fights with everyone who even looked remotely dangerous, she supposed it was only natural to develop feelings for the person protecting her.

So in an attempt to show Sousuke that she cared for him, Kaname had invited him to the beach once again. This time, however, she'd planned everything out for just the two of them. There would be no distractions, like noisy classmates and crazy kidnapping children, only clear blue water and warm sand for miles around. It would be the perfect opportunity to tell him exactly how she felt about him…and find out if he felt the same way.

That was the idea anyway. Unfortunately, Sousuke had told Kurz about the trip and that was where the trouble began. Kurz, of course, decided he simply must join them. The chance to see Kaname in a skimpy bathing suit was too much for the older soldier to resist. This led to Melissa tagging along, to keep Kurz out of trouble, and then Tessa had somehow heard about the trip and chosen to come as well.

In the end Kaname found herself on the beautiful beach with not just Sousuke, but also his fellow Mithril soldiers and young Captain. Things only went downhill from there. No more than a minute after they'd arrived, Kurz attempted to feel up Kaname's backside and wound up with two large lumps on his head courtesy of both Kaname and Melissa. This of course did not deter the man from his mission and instead of backing off; he accepted the challenge wholeheartedly and began chasing after Kaname with vigor.

"I swear to god Kurz, if you don't back off right now I won't be held responsible for my actions!" Kaname growled angrily with her hands on her hips. She was regretting her choice of swimwear immensely, but then she hadn't known the pervert was coming until she'd been picked up and by then it was too late to go back and change into something a little less revealing. Since she'd been planning on spending the day with Sousuke she'd chosen to wear the white bikini she'd picked up for their last beach trip, but instead of Sousuke paying attention to her, she got Kurz's eyes glued to her bare midriff. Needless to say, she wasn't in a very good mood.

"Seriously Weber, how many times do I have to beat some sense into you?" Melissa asked exasperatedly as she grabbed a hold of Kurz from behind and put him into a head lock. "Keep your hands to yourself or I'll be forced to cut them off." Squeezing tighter for emphasis, she shoved him aside and sat back down next to Tessa on the large blue blanket they'd spread across the sand. "Now what were you saying Captain?"

Tessa looked from Kurz to Melissa and shook her head before continuing. "I was just asking if you wanted to join me for a swim. The water looks very inviting."

"Nah, I think I'll just relax here for awhile and soak up the sun." Melissa replied, laying back and resting her head on her arms. Her black tank-top rose up slightly to show some of her toned stomach and she absently pulled it down so it touched her dark green shorts. "It's not every day that I get to sunbathe on an un-crowded beach. Besides, someone needs to keep an eye on the pervert here or he'll cause even more trouble."

Chuckling behind her hand, Tessa smiled. "Alright then, I'll leave you to it." Standing up, she dusted a few grains of sand off her light blue swimsuit and glanced over at Sousuke who'd been standing a few feet away from them since they'd arrived scanning the horizon. He'd chosen to wear a pair of grey board shorts that hung low on his hips and she assumed she had Kaname to thank for convincing him to buy them. The man had no fashion sense whatsoever and it was nice to see him in something other than his uniforms. "Sousuke, would you like to come swimming with me?" She asked softly, a small blush forming on her face as she looked to the ground shyly.

Sousuke shook his head curtly. "Negative Captain, I haven't secured the area yet." He said, eyes still surveying the surroundings.

With a sigh, Tessa made her way to the water. "Very well then. Perhaps you could join me when you're finished." If she'd been expecting a reply, she never got one. Standing at the edge of the water, she looked up in time to see Kaname dart past her.

"Last one in is the rotten egg!" Kaname shouted with a smile.

Grinning back, Tessa followed after her and soon the two of them were splashing around together, laughing and having a good time.

On the beach, Kurz sat next to Melissa with a pout on his face, tossing rocks towards the waves that were lapping at the shore. "It's not fair." He whined, tugging at the string of his red swim shorts. "How come I have to sit here while those two get to go out and play? I want to play with them too."

Popping an eye open long enough to glare and the man next to her, Melissa snorted. "That's precisely why you're not leaving my side. Your definition of playing is very different from theirs and I'd hate to have to shoot you for sexually harassing the Captain."

"So does that mean it's okay for me to harass Kaname?" He asked with a glint in his eye.

Melissa turned to face Kurz and grinned evilly. "No, that just means that I'll let Sousuke deal with you if you do anything to her."

Glancing over at Sousuke, Kurz's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously. "Come on now, that's taking it a bit too far don't you think. I mean I'm only messing around. I wouldn't really do anything to them, you know that. It's just for fun, that's all, no need to involve Sousuke in it."

Laughing, Melissa closed her eyes. "I'm glad to hear that. Now be a good boy and grab me a drink from the cooler."

"What do I look like, your servant?" Kurz asked with a huff, but he stood up anyway and walked over to the large cooler they brought.

"Of course not, my servant would be way better looking than you." Melissa quipped back.

Kurz clutched at his heart dramatically. "You wound me. How could you say something so cruel?" He cried in mock sadness. "You don't love me anymore, whatever shall I do?"

Ignoring the ridiculous display behind him, Sousuke took one last look around and nodded his head in satisfaction. The area was indeed secure and there appeared to be no enemy forces nearby. Turning to look out at the water, he spotted the Captain and Kaname dunking and splashing each other and couldn't help but smile. It was good to see the two of them so laid back and relaxed. Even Mao and Weber were joking around without their usual hostility. Kaname had been right; this trip was a good idea.

Standing at ease with his hands clasped behind his back, Sousuke kept his focus trained on the two in the water. If something were to happen, they would be the ones needing assistance since Mao and Weber could take care of themselves. It was imperative that he stay alert and pay close attention to them.

Just then Tessa came running from the water screaming. "There's a snake in there! It tried to bite me!" She cried, slipping several times in her haste to reach dry land.

Kaname, who'd been right next to her before she'd run off, glanced around herself fearfully before turning to the beach as well. She'd only made it a few feet when an explosion sounded behind her and a powerful wave washed over her. Coughing and sputtering, she wiped the water from her eyes and nearly screamed when she heard Sousuke speak.

"The snake has been terminated Captain."

Turning a fierce glare at the Mithril soldier, Kaname clenched her fists and took a calming breath. Then she let him have it. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" She screamed. "YOU COULD'VE KILLED ME!"

"Negative. That grenade was not close enough to cause any damage to you and the timing insured an underwater explosion. You were perfectly safe." Sousuke replied, slightly taken aback at the anger being sent his way.

"That's not the point!" Kaname yelled, and then to everyone's surprise her shoulders drooped and she became quiet. Pulling a piece of seaweed from her hair, she shook her head and slowly walked out of the water. Without so much as a glance at the three staring at her from the blanket, she marched right up to Sousuke and stared him straight in the eye. "I've had it. I don't ever want to see you again." Not allowing him a chance to speak, she grabbed her bag and made her way back towards the parking lot.

Sousuke watched her leave with a confused look on his face and probably would've continued to stand there if Melissa hadn't spoke up. "Yo, moron. Get your ass in gear and go after her. It's your job to protect her is it not?"

"…affirmative, but she does not wish to see me." Sousuke said slowly, as if the words didn't quite make sense to him.

Kurz shook his head. "Man, you really don't understand anything do you?" When Sousuke raised an eyebrow in question, he continued. "It's obvious to anyone with a brain that she likes you, and what do you do, you toss a grenade at her. You'll never get laid that way."

Whacking him upside the head, Melissa took over. "She thinks you don't care about her now." She said, hoping to get through his thick head and make him understand exactly what he'd done.

He still looked thoroughly confused when Tessa joined in the conversation. "Why don't you go apologize; that might make things better." She offered.

"Affirmative Captain, I shall go at once." And just like that he was gone.

"So…" Kurz began a few seconds later. "Do you think he actually got any of that?"

"No way. That kid's about as dense as the Amazon forest." Melissa replied with a snort. Sitting up completely, she pulled the cooler closer and dug through it in search of a sandwich. Finding what she was looking for, she pulled it out and took a bite.

"Maybe we should go after him, you know, in case she decides to go all crazy on his ass." Kurz said, scratching the back of his head as he stared off in the direction they'd both disappeared.

Tessa's eyes widened. "You don't think she'd hurt him do you?" She asked worriedly, moving to stand.

Grabbing her arm, Melissa pulled her back down and tossed her a sandwich. "I wouldn't worry about it. He deserves whatever he's got coming for that little stunt of his." Taking a sip of her soda, she offered a can to Kurz. "I say we let them work things out themselves and enjoy the rest of our day off. Now, who wants some chips?"

o o o o o

Kaname furiously wiped the tears from her eyes as she stormed up the pathway that led to the car. "I can't believe how stupid he is." She complained out loud. "Tossing a grenade towards me and acting like it's no big deal. Well maybe it's not to him, but I could've died! Doesn't that matter to him at all?" Dropping her bag, she collapsed to the ground and wrapped her arms around her legs as the tears kept flowing. "I guess he really doesn't care about me. I'm just some stupid mission to him."

"That's not true."

Jumping up, Kaname nearly screamed in fright until she realized who it was that had spoken. Narrowing her eyes, she turned her back on Sousuke, grabbed her bag and continued on her way without so much as a word.

Sousuke ran a hand through his hair and sighed in frustration before following after her once again. Moving to block her path, he attempted to get her to stop, but she simply pushed around him and kept going. "Kaname, wait." He called out only to be ignored.

Finally his patience had worn thin and he grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him. Blocking the fist that was aimed at his face with ease, and making a mental note to work on her fighting skills more, he pulled her arms to her sides and kept them there. "Will you please stop?"

Refusing to speak or even meet his eye, Kaname turned her head to the side and tried to pull herself free. She knew it wouldn't work, but it made her feel better all the same.

"I'm not letting go until you promise to listen to me." He said firmly.

"I don't care what you have to say, I don't want to hear it. Now let me go! I told you I never wanted to see you again!" Kaname cried, struggling harder to get loose.

Sousuke released her arms and frowned. "Affirmative." Dropping his hands to his sides, he turned to leave and then paused. "I only came to apologize for my actions. I know now that it was wrong of me to handle the situation like that. I'm sorry."

The last part was so soft Kaname had to strain to hear it, but as he moved to leave, she placed a hand on his arm. "Wait." She said with a sigh.

Spinning around to face her Sousuke stood at attention, his body rigid as he waited for her to continue.

Staring up at him, Kaname suddenly found herself unable to speak. She'd rehearsed what she wanted to say to him so many times that she had it memorized, but after what had happened back at the water the words didn't seem right anymore. Nothing seemed right anymore and she didn't want things to end that way between them. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke. "Just so you know, I don't hate you. Sure I don't exactly like your methods, and your social skills leave much to be desired, but you really aren't such a bad guy. At first I couldn't stand having you following me around all the time, but now I've grown almost fond of it. It's nice to know that no matter what, you've always got my back."

Crossing her arms behind her back, she bit her lip as she tried to find the right words to say next. "But I can't do this anymore. I just…I don't know…" Trailing off, she looked into his eyes and came to a decision. Stepping closer, she leaned up on her toes, pressed her lips against his briefly and then backed away slowly. Watching his face for a sign of, anything, she was disappointed when he remained rooted to his spot without so much as a twitch of his lips.

Kaname shook her head and grabbed her bag off the ground. "Sorry, but I couldn't leave without doing something. Now go back to your teammates and enjoy your vacation. I'm going home."

She'd made it almost five feet when Sousuke came out of his shock and caught up. Grabbing her arms, he spun her around to face him for the second time in only a few minutes. "What was that?" He demanded.

Tired of dealing with him, and more than ready to burrow into her blankets and forget she'd ever met the soldier, Kaname snorted. "It's called a kiss, duh."

"I know what it was, I want to know why?" Sousuke asked, annoyed with her flippant remark.

Kaname thought about messing with him some more, but she really wasn't in the mood to play games right then so she decided to be honest. "You want to know why, fine I'll tell you. I like you, a lot. There, are you happy now?" She said, her tone rising with each word. "Now let me go!"

As she started struggling once more, Sousuke's brain began to finally piece things together and his eyes widened comically. "Y-you like me?" He stuttered, releasing her in surprise.

"Of course you idiot! Why do you think I invited you to spend the day at the beach with me, to compare battle tactics?" She snapped sarcastically. "But you just had to go and ruin everything by letting your soldier buddies tag along! This was supposed to be a romantic getaway for us, not a picnic with friends!" Taking a deep breath to calm herself she continued in a quieter tone. "Not that it matters now anyway, I'm done with trying to make this relationship into something it clearly will never become. Now I'm leaving and if you even think about following me I will hurt you." Turning her back on him, Kaname stomped away.

Watching her leave, Sousuke made a split second decision and hoped like hell it wouldn't backfire on him. Racing up the path after her, he pulled Kaname into his arms and kissed her harshly. One arm held her around the waist so she couldn't bolt and the other kept her head steady as his lips moved against hers.

Kaname struggled for a moment, but quickly gave in as this was what she'd wanted all along. When his tongue touched her lips she remembered that they'd been fighting only seconds ago and she forced him back with all her might. "Oh no you don't mister." She said, trying to remove his arms from her completely. "I'm still mad at you. You can't just kiss me an-."

Cutting her off with another kiss, Sousuke stared at the feisty woman he held against him. "And you can't tell me you like me and then try to run away."

"Well if you weren't so oblivious then I wouldn't have had to." Kaname said with a huff. "It's not like I've been hiding my feelings for you or anything, the whole world probably knows by now." Keeping her hands on his shoulders, she refused to allow herself to be pulled in for another kiss. "Kurz, Melissa and even Tessa know how I feel about you, but every time I tried to tell you you'd brush me off or ruin my plans. How's a girl supposed to tell you she loves you if you never pay attention?"

"She's not." Sousuke replied automatically and then winced when Kaname hit him upside the head and narrowed her eyes in anger. "T-that's not what I meant!" He said quickly. "I was referring to other women since I'm already taken."

Kaname went from pissed to giddy in no time flat and a silly grin spread across her face. "So does that mean you like me too?"

"Affirmative."

"Really?" She asked again.

Nodding his head, Sousuke smiled. "Affirmative. Now if you're done talking I would very much like to continue kissing you."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Kaname happily pulled him down for another kiss.