A/N: Hey guys, I have recently become obsessed with Full metal panic or well the relationship between Kaname and Sousuke. I tried to keep them in character as much as possible, so please let me know how I did. Reviews make us all happy, so please feel free to leave any comment, even if it's just a quick two word thing. Thanks for reading and please enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
He was coming home.
It was the only thought passing through Kaname's head, despite her best efforts at ignoring it. Sousuke had once again left on some mission impossible adventure; leaving her behind to pick up the pieces. He had been gone for two weeks this time, and she had heard nothing from him till the brief conversation this morning, letting her know he was coming back. Two weeks out of her mind with worry had left Kaname stressed, tired, and unsurprisingly mad as hell. If Sousuke thought he was getting off scot free this time, he would be sadly mistaken.
Looking down at her notes for class, Kaname sighed angrily as it revealed a paper filled with doodles of the object of her frustration. Not only was he messing with her sleeping schedule, but now his absence was taking a toll on her schoolwork. Crumbling the paper, she tossed it into the wastebasket and gathered her books. Her best friend, Kyoko, pounced on her as soon as Kaname arrived at her locker.
"Kaname! You're looking kind of tired, still no word from Sousuke?"
Shoving her books in her locker, Kaname snorted, "As if, I would be worried about that moron. He is coming back home today, not like I care though."
"I am so excited for you, Kaname," beamed Kyoko. Taking a picture, to make sure she captured the moment, Kyoko asked, "So did you get him a welcome-home present?"
"Like I care enough to give him a present. He is the most insensitive, pathetic, military loser ever! He just goes off and doesn't even care to tell me why or for how long he will be gone. It is so typical of Sousuke, and I want nothing more to do with him." Kaname slammed her locker shut after her passionate monologue and walked her with her head held high. Kyoko sighed and rubbed her forehead muttering, "Oh, she has it so bad."
It was a quiet afternoon on her walk home from school, but Kaname was feeling none of the peace. Her heart fluttered nervously, and her stomach was twisted in a myriad of knots.
"Ugh, come on girl, get a grip!" Running a hand through her hair, though the action did nothing to calm her down, Kaname reasoned there was no reason to get so freaked out.
"He is coming back, and everything is fine. Now all I need to do is chill and take a nice, relaxing bath," laughing said Kaname. It came out nervous and fake though because deep down; she knew it was not fine.
Watching children and adults hurry along down the street, innocent and happy, only made her inner turmoil worse. She and Sousuke would never be that lucky anymore. Perhaps Sousuke had never been that lucky. Regardless of how well this mission went, there would always be other, and one day, Sousuke would not come home. In reality, this wasn't even his home, if he had ever had one, this was just a temporary assignment. She was just a temporary assignment.
It hurt more than she cared to admit. That one day, he was not going to come back, because his duty lay elsewhere.
Soon she was shuffling through her apartment's entrance, as she flipped on the light, it looked so empty. Dropping her bag and kicking off her shoes, Kaname made her way to the window and looked across the expanse to the window across from hers. It was dark but the curtains had been left open. Even, though, she knew the apartment was currently occupied, it looked empty and cold as if it had never been rented out. It was enough to reiterate her earlier thoughts on being temporary. Even his place held no real sentimental value.
Turning away from the window, she turned off the lights and headed to her bedroom. Maybe it was silly, but at least if the lights were off, she could pretend the tears running down her cheeks were just imaginary.
"Wake up Kaname, wake up Kaname…"
Tapping the top her alarm clock, Kaname sat up a little dazed. Her head was pounding, and her eyes felt swollen from a restless night. Climbing out of bed, she completed her morning routine without incident, though she spent a little extra time in the shower.
Running late, she tossed her school stuff in her bag and pulled her damp hair back in its customary style. It would dry on the way to school. Kaname grabbed an apple and hurried out the door only to run directly into someone. Glancing up with her mouth ready to spit out curses, she was taken back by the unusual sight of Sousuke. He usually followed her at a less than discreet stalking distance until she lost her temper and made him walk with her. For him to be here, was unnerving and instantly set off warning bells in her mind.
"Sousuke, what's wrong? What happened?" Kaname frantically looked around for signs of danger but he just stood there silently looking at her.
"Sousuke? Sousuke!"
"Good morning, Kaname."
Crossing her arms over her chest, Kaname angrily spat, "What do you mean good morning? What are you even doing here?"
Sousuke still standing in true military fashion, blinked confused at his female classmate. "Chidori, I am afraid I do not understand your hostility."
"Well duh! Look Sousuke, normally I have to drag you by your ear to stop stalking me, and act like a regular person. Now out of nowhere, you show up at my door and act like I am the one with the problem." Kaname emphasized her point by poking him in the chest repeatedly.
"I simply wanted to walk you to school, Chidori."
That statement was enough to make Kaname surprisingly speechless. Sousuke always shocked her when she least expected it.
Raising a questionable brow and still a bit defensive, Kaname said, "Ok…why?"
Sousuke's posture relaxed the tiniest bit, and a small smile appeared on his lips as he answered her, "Because I want to."
Once again, Sousuke had managed to shock the hell out of her. Not trusting herself to speak, Kaname nodded and quickly brushed past him, trying to prevent him from seeing the blush on her cheeks.
Walking quickly to make the train, neither Kaname nor Sousuke spoke. She kept glancing at him, but his military trained stance and features never faltered. Typical of Sousuke to act like nothing had happen and leave her a confused roiling mess of anxiety. Glaring around angrily, she refused to be the first to crack. That sentiment last until they approached school and Kyoto ran up to them, her camera poised to take a picture.
"Hey Kaname! Nice to see ya, Sousuke, you sure have been gone awhile, where did you go?"
Kaname's temper finally reached a boiling point.
"Who cares where he has been, all he cares about is himself. He will just leave again like always so what is the point of even bothering with him. I for one am done with it. Come on, Kyoto lets get to class." Kaname stormed off leaving a thoroughly confused Sousuke and a sympathetic Kyoto behind.
"I am afraid…I don't understand," began Sousuke looking so uncharacteristically sad that Kyoto felt it was her duty to help him.
"Um Sousuke, you know Kaname has been really worried about you. Did you even tell her what happened?" "It was not necessary to concern her with matters of my mission. I was trying to avoid upsetting her."
Kyoto slapped her hand against her forehead at his moronic answer. "Sousuke! No wonder Kaname is mad at you. You left without given her an explanation, and then you won't tell her anything about it. She was really upset and worried because of you."
"I thought it was better to keep it from her, so she would not be angry with me. I never realized it would make it worse."
Kyoto smiled at him, "Oh Sousuke, you have so much to learn." Walking toward the school, Kyoto made sure to call back toward the stationary Sousuke, "Don't worry too much about it Sousuke, just apologies. Kaname never can stay mad at you for long."
Kyoto ran inside leaving Sousuke to contemplate which course of action would be the most efficient one to avoid pain.
The day had gone by smoothly compared to most, when Sousuke Sagara was present. Kaname was too busy trying to ignore him to care about his lack of mayhem, while Sousuke was intent on devising battle strategies. He hadn't come up with really anything sound, because, in reality, there was no predicting Kaname Chidori. With her, it always seemed like he was taking unnecessary risks but it was impossible to make himself stop.
They were walking home in silence. Kaname hadn't acknowledged him, but he refused to leave her side. Not only was his duty to protect her but something about her made him want to protect her. She mattered, whether she knew it or not.
"Kaname…" Sousuke started to say but was interrupted by Kaname turning around to face him with a determined look.
"Look Sousuke, I am not going to sit around here and worry about you all the time. I have my own life and school to care about, and I don't have time to be concerned over you. So you have to promise me you are always going to come back."
Taken aback, Sousuke nearly stammered, "K-Kaname, I am a solider. It is not possible for me to promise that."
"If you don't make that promise, Sousuke then I want nothing to do with you."
It should have made him angry to be given such a ridiculous ultimatum. He should have felt annoyed with her actions, and should have wanted to distance himself from her. Instead, all he felt was his heart clench at the sight of her tear filled brown eyes. Pain was exactly the thing he had wanted to avoid, but he seemed to cause it in both of them.
"Kaname, I promise that I will always come back."
It seemed the dam had finally broken, and tears ran down her cheeks as she screamed angrily, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Sousuke!"
Surprisingly, he knew what she meant. The urge to grab her in his arms was strong, and Sousuke did not bother to resist it. Standing on some random street corner, Sousuke held Kaname in his arms, while she tried to get her emotions under control. Bending down he whispered in her ear, "Kaname, I promise that no matter where I am or what I have to do, I will always come back, to you."
Hearing those words, Kaname could find no lie. She clutched tighter to his shirt, and though he had not made a confession of love, she understood his meaning all the same. He was here with her, and that is where he planned to stay.