Divided Attentions
A Love Hina fanfic
By Exar
Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu, not me. I'm just playing around with his characters a bit. I promise I'll take care of them and put them back when I'm done.
Chapter Two
Keitaro's heart shattered like glass. Tears burst from his eyes as he stared at his teacher and his former love.

"I don't understand," the Todai student whispered. He fell to his knees, the broom clattering to the ground beside him. He felt the little pebbles and twigs he'd been sweeping off the path stabbing into his knees. The physical pain was nothing compared to his emotional state

"Naru, why? I thought you gave up on Seta a long time ago. I thought you liked me!"

Naru looked ready to start crying herself, and Seta slipped an arm around her waist in silent support. She drew comfort from his closeness and answered Keitaro.

"I thought I did, Keitaro. For a while, I might have for real. But it was just a shadow of what I felt for Seta. He's the measure I've been judging men by since middle school. You..."

The brunette paused, her throat thick with emotion, then continued. "You were just the man who came closest to being my Seta. I'm so sorry, Keitaro."

Su and Sara stood off to the side, completely overwhelmed by the drama playing out before them. Uncharacteristically, they stood silent, watching.

Keitaro sniffled quietly and Naru stepped out of Seta's embrace. She walked forward and wrapped her arms around Keitaro's shoulders. He clutched handfuls of her dress like a drowning man at a lifeline and started sobbing loudly. She held him close, draping her hair over his back and stroking his head softly. He could smell her lavender soap as he cried.

The other residents came outside, drawn by the strange noises and Sara's cry. They stood shocked at the sight of Keitaro's breakdown and Naru comforting him physically. Motoko's grip on her sword loosened, and the end of the scabbard hit the ground with an audible clack.

Kitsune yelled, "What the hell is going on, Seta?"

The Todai teacher scratched the back of his head and looked sheepish.

"We'll explain more in time, but the short version is that Naru and I found we had more in common than we thought, and we're kind of dating now. The part-timer, no, Keitaro is taking it a little harder than we were expecting."

Kitsune's face fell at the word 'dating'. She'd never even told Seta how she felt! Even though she held her peace for Naru's sake, it was still hard to swallow. Feeling guilty for her selfishness, Kitsune looked at Keitaro He was sitting on the hard ground, crying. He seemed to be winding down, having downgraded from his deep, guttural sobs to a more refined sniffling. Her heart went out to the poor young man. She had only lost a crush. She knew he loved Naru deeply.

Shinobu ran up and shoved Naru off of Keitaro roughly, hate evident in her eyes. She threw her arms around the manager and held on for dear life, stroking his hair and whispering soothing words. Naru recovered her balance and started to lash out, the first beginnings of anger on her face. Before she got very far, she seemed to remember herself and her features drooped with grief. She walked back to Seta and leaned into his shoulder. He wrapped one arm around her, his hand resting on the belt buckle sewn into the front of her dress. She leaned into him, seeking strength.

Motoko strode towards Seta and Naru, clearly pretending not to notice the display of weakness going on beside her. Her expression carefully schooled to one of neutrality. "Would you like to come in and have some tea. Perhaps we could talk more openly in more comfortable environs. I'm sure all of us have questions."

Seta frowned at the hostility he was sensing in the kendoka's stance. "Actually, Motoko, I'm not so sure that's a good idea. I think it would be better if we gave Keitaro a little space and some time to come to grips with things. He might have a hard time doing so with us here. We'll head to my apartment in the city, and come back tomorrow. Sara, do you want to stay here, or come home with Naru and I?"

Sara piped up, "I wanna go with you Poppa, I've missed you!"

Su could tell that the other girl's voice was a bit subdued. She did like Keitaro, after all, and it was hard seeing him hurt this bad.

Sara bounced over to her father, then looked back. "Su, you wanna come stay at my house? I have a lot of toys there we've never played with."

Su favored her friend with a thin smile while Kitsune groaned and thought to herself, 'Yep, definitely Seta's kid.'

"I don't think so, Sara. I feel like staying here now. Keitaro's my friend. I should be here." With that, she vaulted over the other girls and joined Shinobu in holding the weeping manager, though in her case, she did so while sitting on his shoulders.

Motoko cleared her throat and said, "You may be right, Seta. In that case, be safe in your travels. You too, Narusegawa."

Naru's eyes narrowed. Motoko only called her that when she was EXTREMELY displeased with her. Why did the Kendo girl care so much about Keitaro?

Keitaro finally stopped crying and climbed to his feet, flashing a sickly but still grateful smile at Shinobu and Su. He brushed the dirt and twigs off of his pants, glad to have something to do while he composed himself.

"Naru, I still don't understand how this happened, but I suppose if you are certain you want this, I can try to be happy for you."

Kitsune's eyes just about popped out of her head. The former ronin was always incredibly forgiving, but this? And so soon? 'Naru, you idiot,' she thought. 'Keitaro is such a good guy, how could you do this to him?

Naru was silent for a long moment. Unchecked tears ran down her face. She looked at Keitaro, making direct eye contact for the first time since they'd returned.

"Keitaro, I'm so very, very sorry. But yes, this is what I want. What I have wanted for years. I didn't want to hurt you like this, but I had to follow my heart. I had to..."

She trailed off, sobbing quietly, then tore herself free from Seta's arm and ran down the stairs. Keitaro stretched an arm out in the direction she had run, vainly trying to make her come back.

Seta reached down and scooped Sara into his arms, making certain she got a good hold of his neck. He looked Keitaro dead in the eye and said, "Sorry isn't a big enough word, part-timer. I just hope you can forgive me someday. I give you my word, though. I will take care of her and love her."

Keitaro and Kitsune both snapped at him, "You better!"

Seta rushed down the steps, carrying his daughter, their angry remark nipping at his heels.


Seta and Naru piled out of Seta's van, blood dripping slowly down the teacher's forehead. Sara leaped out, catching Naru's head with her shoe on the way. Naru cried out at the sudden pain. Blood began running down Naru's forehead as well, making the couple sanguine twins. Naru took Seta's hand and they walked together into the building and up half a dozen flights of stairs. Every step felt like a mountain climb to Naru. When they finally reached the apartment, she felt completely drained.

Inside was a desk covered in papers, a small couch, a kotatsu and a tiny television. There was a bookshelf full of archeology books and speculative histories of the Turtle Empire. A goodly amount of cupboards adorned the walls. All in all, it was a fairly average Tokyo apartment.

They walked in and Naru collapsed onto the couch. She ran her hand over the plush surface, pondering if it could be comfortable to sleep on. Sara dashed past and ran to a small closet where she pulled out a set of brightly colored building blocks which she promptly began playing with. Seta walked into the small kitchen and turned the fridge back on, a gentle hum filling the silence of the apartment. It gurgled a few times as the pump started up, then quieted down.

He took off his coat and hung it up. "There's no food here. I clean out the cupboards when I'm going out on a dig. We'll have to eat out or order in tonight."

Naru grunted noncommittally and Seta set about puttering, dusting various objects, tidying up his desk and putting a pot of tea on.

After about 10 minutes of quiet, Naru said in a near whisper, "How could we have screwed that up so bad, Seta?" She felt her throat constricting with emotion as she contemplated the hell she had put her friend through. Hot tears welled up in her eyes. "There must have been a thousand ways we could have told him that would have been less painful. We didn't even try to soften the blow, we just ripped his heart out."

Seta sat down beside her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Like a cliff surrendering to the pounding surf, she crumpled into his body, molding herself to him and burying her face in his shoulder. Her body shook with the strength of her anguish.

"We couldn't have known he was standing out front like that. Naru, Princess. If we had, we could have stopped holding hands and tried to break it to him gently in private, like we meant to. But once he saw us together like that, we didn't have a lot of choice."

Naru's voice was muffled by his shirt, and her tears were soaking through, getting his chest wet. "I know, but I still didn't want to hurt him like that."

Seta stroked her back soothingly. She listened to the sound of his hand sliding down the silk of her dress, enjoying the soft whisking it made, as well as the warmth it generated inside her. "I know, Love. And he will realize that in time. What's done is done. We can't change the way things happened, no matter how much we may wish to. We just have to do what we can in the future to minimize the hurt we do to him."

He wrapped his arms around her middle and held her close, cradling his chin into her collarbone. His scraggly beard scratched her cheek. "Honestly, there's some benefit to the way it went. If nothing else, it was quick and decisive. He won't spend days wondering if you might change your mind, or uncertain how you feel. He knows the truth, and can only grow from accepting it."

"I don't know. He looked so... so broken."

Seta lightly grasped Naru's chin in his hand, and lifted her head so she was looking him in the eye. "You know Keitaro, sweetie. He's tough. Bends but never breaks. He'll be fine."

He leaned down and gave her a brief kiss. She put her head back on his shoulder, seeking comfort and strength, but inside, she was slightly worried by Seta's cavalier attitude toward Keitaro's feelings.


The residents of Hinata house attempted to continue their normal patterns, but it was hard. They all felt varying degrees of betrayal and hurt, and they all wanted very badly to comfort their beleaguered manager. But after the initial ministrations of Shinobu and Su, he ceased being receptive to it, or even really cognizant that it was being offered. He simply sat on the couch in the main hall with a terribly blank look on his face. Kitsune worried that the young man was catatonic.

Shinobu tried to make tea for him, and later coerce him into coming to dinner, but he just ignored her, too caught up in his internal struggle. He belatedly drank the tea that was left in front of him, but it was nearly cold by then. He didn't really seem to notice. Su took up position on the couch opposite him, aiming a handful of scanners at him. She claimed she was gathering scientific data on Keitaros, but the other girls saw her totally ignoring her instruments frequently in favor of staring at Keitaro with a worried expression.

Kitsune was notably absent, and Motoko assumed that she was out seeking answers in the bottom of a glass. The kendoka thought disapproving thoughts until she remembered what she had done for the last hour. High speed kendo routines on the laundry deck. Everyone has their own way of coping.

Finally, late in the evening, Keitaro roused himself from his dark thoughts and went in search of company.

He found Shinobu in the kitchen, washing the last of the dishes. Her eyes widened in surprise when he walked in, and she rushed to him, enveloping him in a spine-crushing hug with a squealed "Sempai!"

"Thanks, Shinobu. I needed that."

She looked up at him adoringly with watery eyes and a big smile. "Anytime, sempai. I'm so glad you're okay."

He grimaced, moving her out to arms length, his hands on her shoulders. "Okay is probably too strong of a word right now, but I'm getting there, Shinobu. Thanks for caring."

His stomach growled. "You have any dinner left over?"

She grinned and said, "Of course! Just have a seat and I'll bring it out to you."

He tore through the reheated dinner she served him, thanked her and went to his room. He grabbed a coat and his wallet, then walked out to the foyer. Keitaro saw Su asleep on one of the couches, and threw a blanket around her shoulders, taking the time to tuck it under her chin so she would be comfy.

As he finished, he noticed Motoko standing on the level above, watching him tend to Su. He called out to her quietly, "I'm going out Motoko, in case anyone asks."

She smiled to see him up and around again. "Very well, Urashima. Please come back this time."

"Of course, Motoko. I may stay out a bit late, but I will be back. I'm not running this time."

The kendoka turned and walked down the hall with a parting, "Be safe," and Keitaro went out, shutting the door behind him.


Keitaro wasn't normally all that much of a drinker. Sure, he had his share at parties and holidays, but by and large he avoided fermented drink, as it made him even clumsier than usual. But damn it, the occasion seemed to merit it. No, demand it!

So he found himself at a reasonably nice bar in the hot springs district of Hinata. It wasn't as seedy as the places he'd gone with Kitsune when she was buying, or as nice as the places she'd taken him to when he was buying, but somewhere in the middle.

He was nursing his fourth gin and tonic, enjoying the deadening effect the alcohol had on his emotions. He was feeling pretty low and listening to the radio in the bar, for lack of anything better to do. He almost spit out his drink when he heard Naru's voice come over the radio. It was her single, from her brief career as an idol singer. He broke into tears, salty drops falling into his drink. Suddenly he heard a familiar voice shout out, "Turn that shit off!" He looked up to see Kitsune storming up to the bar and leaning over it, trying to reach the stereo controls.

The bartender came over and pushed Kitsune away from the controls, but switched the station anyway. Keitaro let out a relieved sigh and finished his drink.

He had only just put down the glass when the cocktail waitress came to his table.

"Can I get you a refill, sweetie? You look like you've had a rough day."

"Sakura, you have no idea. Good to see ya here, sugar."

Kitsune sat down and slapped a bill into the waitress' hand. "Give him another of whatever he's been drinking, and a Tokyo Tea for me."

Sakura smiled and wrote down their order. "Oh, a friend of yours Mitsune? I hope you feel better, you're too cute to wear that sad face all the time." With a wink and a swirl of ruffled miniskirt, she was off to fetch their drinks.

Kitsune smirked and prodded Keitaro's shoulder. "Man, Keitaro, you sure are a fast mover. Got her eating out of the palm of your hand already."

The manager of Hinata House raised his head and looked at Kitsune, a tiny smile twitching the corners of his mouth.

"I appreciate what you are trying to do, Kitsune, but I'm really not up for it tonight."

She stuck out her lower lip in a comically exaggerated pout, then mumbled, "I'll be good."

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

"Thanks, Kitsune," he said in a quiet voice. She had to strain to hear him over the hustle and bustle of the bar. "Whatever for, sugar?"

"Just being here. Caring a little." He smirked, "Getting them to turn off that song."

She gave him a big, heartfelt smile. "Anytime, Keitaro. I gotta look out for my friends, right? Don't have that many to go 'round."

Her smile wavered at the end of her statement, but she held it regardless.

Keitaro looked deep into her eyes, what little he could see of them through her slitted eyelids, anyway. He stared for a moment, then drew breath slowly, choosing his words with care.

"Are you very mad at Naru?" He asked, giving her hand a slight squeeze.

She flipped her hand over to lace her fingers among his. Keitaro's pulse raced at the intimacy of the gesture.

"Some. I had feelings for Seta too, even though I stepped aside for her. But I'm really mad about the ruthless way they told you. They didn't have to hurt you that bad, and right out in front of everyone? That's cold."

"Naru's always been pretty cold to me. Maybe it's what I deserve, being such a loser."

Kitsune's hand clenched Keitaro's tightly, her fingernails digging into the back of his hand.

"Don't you say that. Keitaro! Don't you ever say you deserve to be treated like that, or call yourself a loser. You got me, Urashima?"

"But why not? I've never had a real girlfriend, I'm a 22 year old virgin, I failed the Todai entrance exams for 3 years, and I have pretty minimal skills. No redeeming qualities at all."

Kitsune's eyebrow arched and her lip pulled back in a sneer. Her voice was level, but more intense than Keitaro could ever remember hearing from her.

"Keitaro, if you don't stop saying such mean things about yourself, I'm going to hit you harder than Naru and Motoko combined. No one gets to say bad things about my friends. Not even them, sugar."

She reached out with her other hand and stroked his cheek. Her face softened until she was looking at him tenderly.

"You're the nicest man I've ever met, Keitaro. You help people who need it without complaint or even asking what's in it for you. You're kind, and support us when we need it. You've made all of our lives better at Hinata House. And as far as girls go, you're cute. That waitress wasn't just trying for a better tip. You're a Todai student, and what's more you had to work harder at it than most, but you did it. There's a lot of girls out there for you, trust me, okay?"

Fresh tears welled up from the corner of his eyes, and he took Kitsune's hand in both of his.

"You, you really think that of me?"

"Yes, Keitaro. I do, and so do the rest of the residents at Hinata House. Trust me."

The waitress chose that moment to return with their drinks. Keitaro silently mouthed 'Thank you.' to Kitsune. She just grinned and yelled, "Kanpai!"


Keitaro stumbled up the stairs to Hinata House, weighed down by more than a few kilograms of ash blonde woman. The foxy girl's arm was draped over his shoulders as she was too blitzed to walk under her own power. They had stayed out pretty late, and had a lot to drink.

Kitsune was singing something off-key which seemed to only have a few words, but she was belting those words out with volume and panache.

"Relax, JUST DO IT, Relax, JUST DO IT!"

Keitaro thought he recognized the phrase from a shoe commercial, but wasn't certain he'd ever heard that jingle before. He managed to get to the top step with only minor wobbling and backpedaling. He could feel her considerable assets rubbing against his back and side, but was too drunk and tired to get really flustered about it.

He levered the door open and slipped inside. He grinned when he saw Su still asleep on the couch and did his best to shush Kitsune. She continued singing in a stage whisper that, while quieter, made Keitaro glad that Su was a sound sleeper.

He wrestled her up the stairs and to her room. He mostly got her arranged on her futon and had decided to leave her totally clothed. Any minor discomfort she may experience from sleeping in clothes would be preferable to the merciless teasing he would get for disrobing her.

He was just reaching down to pull her blanket over her when Kitsune whipped her arm out, grabbing his shoulder. In a very smoky voice while her eyes were locked with his, she sang out, "When you wanna come..." Roughly, she pulled him close and mashed her lips into his. Keitaro hadn't had too many kisses to compare it to, but he was fairly sure this wasn't Kitsune at her best. It was sloppy, and she was slobbering on him a bit. She tried to poke her tongue into his mouth, but he kept his lips pressed together. He reciprocated the kiss, but only just.

Finally, she broke the kiss and glared at him. "Whass the matter, Keitarooo? Don't you like me? Ain't I pretty enough?" The hand that held his shoulder gripped it tightly, almost painfully.

He smiled sadly at her. "I like you just fine, Kitsune. And you are very pretty. And I'm flattered. But you are also drunk. Very drunk. And even if you were sober, I don't think I could do this tonight. I still love Naru. It wouldn't be fair to you."

He leaned down and wiped off Kitsune's lips and chin, then gently touched his lips to hers. Her hand abandoned his shoulder and moved to the back of his head, tangling itself in his hair. The kiss was sweet and light and made her toes tingle. They held the kiss for a good 45 seconds before coming up for air.

She bobbed her head drunkenly at him, trapping him with her gaze. "Why are you so nice to me Keitaro?" She said in a small voice.

Without hesitation, he answered, "Because you're my friend. I gotta look out for my friends, right?"

She gave him a fierce hug and her eyes watered a little, not quite enough to tear up. After a moment, she let go and laid down. "Good night, Kei? Can I call you that?"

He stroked her shoulder calmly, moving down her arm till he was holding her hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze and said, "Sure, but only if I can call you Kit."

Sleepily, she said, "I liiike iiiitt, Keeei. I liiiike."

Her head drooped and came to rest on her pillow. Very shortly, she was letting out tiny snores.

The manager got up and let himself out, went to his room and wasted no time in passing out himself.


To Be Continued!