Shinji had not intended this to be a guided sightseeing tour but since Kaname offered he was not going to turn him down. It was shocking how well the man maneuvered and got around. For him to have never been blessed with sight, he could describe things in perfect detail. He said that was due to Esmerie describing them to him when they would walk around the city during their childhood. Then Kaname began to tell him about his short but exciting military career during which he belonged to one of those secret groups that no one knows about then if they do the government does they know about it.

"What were you? The look out?" Shinji joked, noticing the man's face turn rigid. "Oh, shit, you were the lookout weren't you?"

"My specialty was night missions. Needless to say, in the dark sight is useless. Even night vision goggles can be a disadvantage. I could hear or smell a hostile before anyone else had any idea they were there," he explained.

"That makes sense," the blonde returned, thinking how that explained so much.

"But when Mom and Dad died, I came home to take care of Esmerie and Granny. I didn't want to leave her by herself,"he added wistfully, thinking how he had been terrified of the prospect of something happening to her since his parents were dead. He had been the one afraid of being left alone, but masculine pride would never permit him to admit that to himself and definitely not to her. Clearing his throat quickly before getting misty eyed in front of a fellow male, he launched into a story about one of his more dangerous missions.

Shinji concentrated on keeping the smile off of his face. It had been interesting to see a softer side of Kaname even for a second. No wonder he was so protective of his sister; he had given up his life and career elsewhere to come home and take care of her. She had literally become everything he had left of his life with his parents and then she had become his life and mission: to keep her safe.

Kaname kept him busy until far after lunch and they finally arrived at the diner near three which was the end of Esmerie's shift. Once her shift was complete, she changed out of her waitress uniform to eat with them. After they finished their lunch of shrimp po-boys and fries, Kaname told them to continue the tour of the city without him. He smiled when she assured him they would be home for dinner which she would cook. The time he had spent with Shinji had been to get to know the man better. This man continued to surprise him with his honesty and he found himself liking him more and more for his sister. The corners of his mouth turned up into a mirthless smile when he remembered Shinji saying he had a little sister. Suddenly he had an idea. Although Shinji might be winning him over, he doubted it would be so easy for Esmerie to gain the confidence or even tolerance of Shinji's little sister. Nothing stirred avarice and jealousy within a woman like the threat of competition from another woman for the affections of a man she was attached to, even her own brother. He had witnessed it on a few occasions from Esmerie. His smile broadened when he thought of the shocking little monster his sister had become when he had gotten a little too close emotionally for her comfort to a woman he was dating. Since Shinji seemed intent on having a relationship with her, then Esmerie should meet his sibling as soon as possible. He would allow her time off from her part-time job at his training academy as his administrative assistant to go on a vacation. Shuddering slightly, he dreaded the daunting task of convincing his Aunt Desiree to give her a week off from the diner. He would discuss the specifics with lover boy tomorrow.

~...~

Esmerie slid a sidelong glance at the man sitting beside her as they sat on a bench in the plaza of the mall that bordered the Mississippi River. They were watching the sunset while savoring ice cream cones. It had been a great afternoon. Esmerie had taken him to a museum about the history of jazz. She had never seen a man so ecstatic in her life. With Kaname for a brother, she was accustomed to stoicism and complete emotional constipation. Not so from the blonde sitting beside her. He had no problem expressing his joy and absolute ecstasy with the music and everything about it as they walked around the dusty and not often visited museum. The older gentleman on duty as the curator had been kind enough to lead them on a guided tour since they were not only the only ones there but because of the enthusiasm exhibited by Shinji. The man had a strong Cajun accent which Shinji sometimes had trouble understanding but their genteel tour guide had no problem with repeating himself and was actually quite knowledgable, giving them so much information Esmerie even learned a few things.

"Are we going home now?" Shinji asked her when they watched the remnants of the sun sink into the wide dirty river.

Esmerie's stomach clenched and she was unable to speak momentarily. She really liked the way that sounded. Inhaling deeply, she smiled before saying, "Yeah, let's go home."

~...~

Shinji stayed with her in the kitchen while she cooked dinner. Not only was he curious as to what culinary delight she would stir up, but he also did not want to leave her side. Four more nights. He did not intend to keep counting but he could not help himself.

"What's that?" he asked with childlike excitement, resting his chin on her shoulder.

Esmerie smiled as she stirred the pot of jambalaya with the big wooden spoon. Offering him a taste, she bit her lower lip as she watched his eyes close and he released the most sensual sigh she had ever heard. Pride filled her as he expressed his approval of her cooking. She gasped when he turned her around to kiss her. The taste of the spices lingered on his lips and she could not help but lick it away as he lifted his lips from hers slightly. She issued a sound of muffled surprise when he smashed his lips back against hers and pressed her against the stove.

"Ewww! God, you two! Don't do that so close to the food," Kaname griped as he passed through the kitchen.

The astonished couple watched as he strolled on through the kitchen without saying another word or snatching Shinji away from the grip of his sister.

"I think he likes you," Esmerie whispered, giving him a peck on the lips.

"I do and stop that!" Kaname yelled from the dining room. "Don't make me lose my appetite, Ezzie!"

~...~

"Not going to the club tonight?" Shinji inquired as she led him outside after dinner to the big white porch swing extended from the ceiling on the back porch.

"Nope. Tonight I'm all yours," Esmerie said, sitting down on the wooden slat seat.

"Are you?" he asked, putting his arm around her as she made herself comfortable against his chest.

"Do you want me to be?" Her heart beat faster, thumping against her ribs so hard she was sure he could hear the sound. Her eyes held his brown ones and she lost her breath as he leaned toward her.

"Yes." He brought her lips to his with his fingertips against the back of her head.

Nothing like a kiss to seal the deal. After the brief yet meaningful kiss, Esmerie snuggled against him, tucking her head on his chin. Not another word was spoken as the swing softly swayed back and forth in the warm air of the summer night. The stars twinkled above and they stared at them, both lost in their own thoughts for the possibilities of the future.

~...~

"Did you sleep out there all night?" Kaname questioned them as they stumbled in the back door rubbing their sore backs and necks.

"Unfortunately we did," Esmerie answered, drawn to the kitchen by the smell of coffee.

"Hirako I need to talk to you," he told the half asleep man who came to sudden wakefulness after the spoken demand.

Esmerie and Shinji both could tell this was not a request. Squeezing his hand gently to reassure him, she went to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee before deciding to make herself scarce by hiding in the music room. Things were going too well for her to be stubborn and rebellious to her brother. She hoped that for once in her life she had met a man her brother approved of. Feeling soft fur grazing against her arm as she sat in the window, she looked down at Mittens who had joined her on the windowsill. Maybe she was not doomed to be a crazy cat lady after all. Smiling to herself, she scratched the cat behind the ears, and he began grinding out a purr of gratefulness.

~...~

"I have something important to discuss with you," Kaname stated, waiting for Shinji to take a seat after getting a cup of coffee before he continued. Folding his hands in front of him, he hoped he would not regret the offer he was about to make.

Shinji could not even begin to wonder where this conversation might be leading. The horrifying thought that the man could be about to tell him to leave and never attempt to contact his sister again entered his brain and made him begin to sweat. Taking a sip of the steaming hot liquid from the cup, he attempted to calm himself and chided himself silently for jumping to such a negative conclusion.

"If you buy her a round trip plane ticket I will allow her to return home with you for a week," Kaname announced suddenly, hearing the man choke on his drink.

Shinji detested how this family had a talent for making him do that. He coughed with body racking intensity to eject the liquid he had inhaled from his lungs. His chest hurt now from so much coughing. Finally gaining his breath and his wits about him, he stared at the man sitting in front of him with many misgivings flooding his mind. Now why in the hell would he do something like that? Why would he allow him to take her to God only knows where without him being close by to pop in at the worst possible times? He would barely allow them to be alone in the same room together for more than ten minutes. There were ulterior motives here and the man had a plan. But what? When thoughts began to creep into his consciousness that he would be taking Esmerie home with him, spending another week with her, he forgot all about the possible insidious reasons why her brother might be allowing it.

"Okay fine. I'll do that," he agreed, grasping the man's outstretched hand for a handshake. It was as if he had just made a business deal to date Esmerie.

"Don't tell her. Let it be a surprise," he said, standing up to walk away seconds before Esmerie appeared at the table. He kissed his sister on the cheek and left the room.

"What was that all about?" she queried, staring at him as if the answer was written on his forehead.

"I'm not sure yet," he responded, sipping his coffee and ignoring the expression of annoyance and incredulity on her face. He had given her an honest answer.

~\0/~


Shinji watched with rapt interest as the students sparred on the wide open floor covered in light pine wood. No soft cushy mats for these students. If you took a dive you paid for and did your best not to do it again. The scowls Kaname and the other teachers wore on their faces as they observed the students could also be great motivators. Occasionally one of the teachers would move forward to attack a student who was winning against an opponent and getting cocky. One guy with orange spiky hair, one of the older and more experienced students apparently, countered nicely, slamming Ikkaku down onto his back after jumping over the leg sweep that was meant to put him on the floor.

"Hey, Shinji! Why don't you join us out here?" Kaname yelled across the hangar like building.

Before Shinji could offer the excuse that he was not dressed properly, his dear, sweet Esmerie came to the rescue by handing him a uniform from their stock on hand.

"Thanks, sweetheart," he mumbled, snatching the white student's uniform out of her hand.

"The locker room is back there," she said, pointing across from the desk where she was typing on a computer. She had strictly selfish reasons for being so helpful in providing him the proper attire for joining in. Her curiosity about his abilities had been stirred after he had stopped the attack from her brother on that first night. She wanted to see exactly what he was capable of and hoped Kaname had finally met his match.

Leaving her desk, she took a seat on one of the benches where the students had gathered to watch. She sat beside the guy who had knocked Ikkaku flat on his ass, patting him on the shoulder.

"That was incredible, Ichigo. You have no idea how gratifying that was for me," she said, not noticing the shy smile he gave her as he dried sweat from his face with a towel.

"I have an idea. Is he still stalking you?" he inquired, watching the stranger walk out onto the training floor.

"Yeah. Thick headed fool. He's one of the thankfully dying breed of man who still thinks no means yes and 'leave me the hell alone' means 'take me, I'm yours,'" she stated quite seriously, biting her lower lip as her brother dressed in black hakama pants joined him on the floor.

All the students wore white gis with different colored belts and the teachers wore hakama pants and shirts in different colors to signify their ranks. Kaname was the only one wearing black and no shirt. He displayed a strict aversion to shirts while dressed in uniform. The female students did not mind at all while the male students found it somewhat intimidating.

"Weapon?" Kaname asked.

"Katana," Shinji answered, seeing Ikkaku move to retrieve the requested weapon.

He was disturbed to see the man also grab a weapon that looked something like a machete attached to a long pole. The smirk of sadistic glee was hard to miss as the chrome dome strode toward him. It was obvious that revenge was on his mind as he threw the katana at his opponent. He had thought Kaname would be his combatant not the man who had an apparent reason to bear a grudge against him. This would be more than a simple sparring match; this would be a battle for pride. Glancing at Esmerie, he realized it would be about many things.

"Tatakai!*" Kaname yelled, backing away to stand near Esmerie.

"Why didn't you fight him?" she hissed accusingly as Ikkaku charged toward Shinji, intent on unleashing his fury and vengeance.

"Because I don't want to kill him," he answer matter of factly.

"What about the night -" Her brother abruptly cut her off.

"He caught me off guard! I didn't expect him to know anything like that," he defended himself hotly. "Besides, it could turn into an ongoing source of spite between the both of us if I fight him."

'For who?' Esmerie pondered, turning her attention back to the fight just as Ikkaku stabbed forward with his weapon to have Shinji knock it away with the katana. Chewing on her lower lip nervously, she clutched the bench she was sitting on to hold herself still before she ran from the room. Feeling a cool hand on her shoulder, she glanced at the man sitting next to her. In her agitated state she had not even noticed that her friend Yumichika had sat down beside her. She could not return the soft smile he had on his face that was meant to comfort her. After his arm went around her waist, she relaxed into him.

Yumichika Ayasegawa was the only man Kaname had ever let near his sister because he mistakenly assumed the man was gay. Although Yumichika did have a distinct feminine beauty about him from his perfectly styled black hair to the long black lashes lining his dark gray eyes, he was straight as an arrow and loved women - he was just incredibly picky and had not found a worthy female yet. A conceited and self-centered narcissist at heart, he was overly concerned with hair and clothes and he did not care about the assumptions other people made as long as they thought he was gorgeous. He would not say he had never been interested in Esmerie sexually but had contented himself with being her best friend. She was lovely and sensual but her words and actions sometimes were base and unbecoming for a lady and would set his teeth on edge. She also had a distinct nonchalance about her skin care regimen and went without make up or even brushing her head full of curls which drove him crazy. Then there was the tragic case of her being terminally fashion challenged. Because of these problems with her, he got to enjoy perks none of the other guys did. He was allowed to be alone with her and go into her bedroom without Kaname being suspicious at all because when he was there he would do her hair or give her a beauty treatment of some sort just like any good girlfriend would. On more than one occasion he had touched her breasts when helping her try on clothes during shopping trips. If he told any of the small-minded morons, that got most of their exercise jumping to conclusions that he was gay, about that they would be beside themselves with envy.

"Calm down," he whispered to her when she jumped and clutched his hand so tightly it hurt. He wondered what had happened to prompt Ikkaku to go after the unknown man with such passion. Of course with the short-tempered bald man it did not take a whole lot to set him off. "Who is he?"

"I just met him and he's my boyfriend," she answered distractedly, wincing when Shinji swung the katana and made contact with the wooden handle of his adversary's weapon.

"Oh...wait, what?" he asked, turning her to face him. "That makes no sense! And why haven't you told me?"

"I've been busy," she muttered, shaking out of his grip to turn back to the fight.

"How busy?"

"Don't be a creep. Not that busy. As if Kaname would let that happen."

Yumichika smiled. She was right. Her brother would never let that happen. Not until she's fifty and been married at least fifteen years the man might allow her husband to consummate the marriage. Although he understood Kaname's drive to protect her since she was all he had left of his immediate family, he also thought he took his protectiveness too far. She was too sheltered and quite ignorant. The swiftness of the progress of her relationship did not sit well with him.

"Isn't it a little soon to call him a boyfriend?" he inquired, holding her with an arm around her shoulders as the sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the room with a teeth jarring volume and clarity.

"What else should I call him? Besides, I think Kaname likes him," she returned without taking her eyes off of the men fighting.

"What?!" he shouted, interrupting the combatants. Although he liked having all the attention on him, at this moment he found it unsettling because everyone was glaring at him for stopping the battle. "Carry on!" he yelled with a wave of his hand before turning his attention back to Esmerie. "All right you, spill it. Tell me everything."

"Not here!" she hissed, elbowing him in the ribs. "Yumi, shut up please."

Yumichika pouted. He loved good gossip especially when it involved his best friend and his boss. For now he would leave her alone. Besides, it sounded like he was missing a good fight as the students cheered. He was surprised to see they were cheering for the blonde who had Ikkaku on the ground with the katana point held at his throat.

Esmerie had just breathed a sigh of relief when Ikkaku thrust up his weapon and disarmed Shinji. She screamed his name when the weapon clattered to the floor. The man was up and on his feet with amazing speed, furiously going at Shinji who dodged every thrust of the deadly weapon aimed at him. Jumping to her feet, she could not take it anymore.

"Esmerie, no," Kaname whispered to her, holding her around the waist to keep her from running onto the floor to stop the fight. "If you do that, he will never forgive you. Let it be."

"Kaname, please," she begged, struggling to be released.

"No. Trust him," he said not letting her go.

Shinji tried to ignore the screams of Esmerie from the sidelines as he avoided getting impaled by the massive blade. He knew the man intended to kill him. Concentrating fully on his enemy, he waited for just the right moment to strike. Carefully watching the thrusts, he noticed there was no pattern to the man's method of operation; just wild thrusts made in anger. But they were all in a forward direction with all of his weight and power behind them. Sidestepping the next shove of the weapon, he jumped toward the man, landing beside him. Seizing him by the back of the neck, he used Ikkaku's own momentum and forward motion to push him down the floor. He held him face down with a foot on the back of his neck before disarming him.

"I'm done," Shinji growled at the man, throwing the weapon out of reach. Looking across the room at Kaname holding Esmerie who hung limply in his arms like a doll, he bellowed, "Satisfied? Am I worthy now? Or will I ever be? I'm tired of these games!"

"Shinji," she gasped, taking advantage of her brother's loose grip. Breaking free, she ran after the irate blonde stomping to the locker room.

"ON THE FLOOR!" Kaname hollered so loudly it echoed through the room that had been deathly quiet moments before.

The slapping sound of bare feet on the wood floor filled the air as the students rushed to take their positions. Their teacher barked the command to fight and they resumed their training. Fun and games were more than over since he was angry.

"Ikkaku!" Kaname barked, pausing before continuing. "In my office. NOW!"

Shūhei Hisagi took over without having to be asked as his boss headed to his office. He shuddered the think what kind of reprimand awaited his fellow teacher and defeated Ikkaku. Running his hand through his spiky black hair, he contemplated going to the office to make sure things did not get out of hand. However he did not want to unwittingly make himself his irate boss's next victim. Esmerie annoyed him because she managed to always be a troublemaker. Many times he had requested that his boss just fire her but he was promptly told to shut up and mind his own business. Pressing his lips together with aggravation, he focused his attention on salvaging the rest of the training session.

~...~

"Are you crazy?" Shinji huffed impatiently as she stood in the locker room in front of him in his half-dressed state. "Get out of here!"

"No! I want to be sure you're okay," she argued petulantly, pouting like a two-year old not getting her way.

Shinji was just great. He was hot, dirty, and sweaty in addition to being more enraged than he could remember being in a very long time. Glaring at the woman standing in front of him he was beginning to debate if she was worth all of this. He had never had to fight, and literally this time, for a woman so hard in his life. After only knowing her for four days he had endured more crap than he had experienced from any relationship he had so far in his life. His anger flared and threatened to unleash on her so he continued to get undressed whether she was standing there or not. He had to get out of here before he did something they all regretted.

"Shinji, I'm so - "

"Stop right there! You're not the one who needs to apologize and I don't want to hear it from anyone right now!" he yelled, guilt washing over him as her dark eyes brimmed with tears. Hurriedly pulling on his other clothes, he mumbled, "I - I have to go, Esmerie."

"Where?" she asked, swiping at the huge tear that rolled down her face.

"I don't know." Sweeping past her, he headed for the door as quickly as he could.

"Will you come back?" She ran behind him, sliding to a stop when he paused at the door unexpectedly.

"I have to come back. All of my stuff is at your house," he muttered before opening the door and leaving.

"Wait! Please!" Lurching forward, she felt another arm go around her waist. This arm was smaller but nearly as strong as her brother's.

"Don't," Yumichika said, pulling her back against him when he felt her trembling.

"But Yumi..."

"Leave him alone. He needs to think and calm down. The worst thing you can do is run after him," he told her, turning her to look at him. He could see she was about to dissolve into a sad, crying mess. Brushing her hair back from her face, he tried not to let his face show the disgust he felt as she began crying. Now her face was going to get all red and puffy and unattractive. "I'll take you home."

~...~

Shinji returned to the house around seven and was surprised to see that Kaname was gone, but there was a car he did not recognize sitting in the driveway. Ignoring the nagging negativity that was causing a hard heavy feeling to form in the pit of his stomach, he opened the front door and ran up the stairs toward his room. He had walked around the downtown area of New Orleans for hours, occasionally ducking into a bar to listen to a few snippets of jazz while having a drink. It had taken several hours but he was able to sort through his thoughts and feelings. Would Kaname back out on his deal to allow her to return home with him? He had not even bought the ticket yet after the melee that ensued today. Not that any of it mattered anymore because he was done. At the moment he desperately needed a shower and a change of clothes. Opening the door to his room, he froze when he heard music wafting from her room like a scent on the breeze. Moving silently toward her door, he pressed his ear against it to listen. A smile touched his lips when he heard her singing softly but then changed into a frown when he heard it was a sad blues song about lost love.

"Awww, baby don't," a voice piped up - a man's voice. It was low and breathy but definitely the voice of a man.

Shinji resisted the impulse to knock down the door and demand what was going on when he heard her moan.

"That feels so good, Yumi. Don't stop...please," she begged, moaning again.

Jealousy made him seethe and forced rational thought from his mind. Backing away from the door, Shinji raised his foot to kick forward. His foot met the door which did not budge but sent a jolt of pain up his leg.

"What the hell is that?" he heard Esmerie gasp.

"Stay here," he heard the man say before he tried for a second time to open the door.

This time he heard wood crack and he never felt the discomfort in his leg because anger had taken over his mind again. That was twice in one day. This woman was going to drive him insane. Preparing for the third kick, he was caught unawares when the door opened and his foot was caught and he was sent flying across the room onto her bed.

"What are you doing?" Esmerie asked, leaning over him as he lay sprawled on her bed blinking stupidly and trying to fathom what the hell just happened.

"Me!" he yelled accusingly, rolling off the bed to get to his feet. "What were you doing?"

"What do you think?"

Shinji looked at her to see that she was fully clothed in yet another pair of sleep pants and tank top. They were black with white sheep and blue z's all over them. Her tank top was the same shade of baby blue as the z's. Her usually hopelessly tangled hair hung long and straight down to her waist. Glancing at the man standing at the half-broken door, he saw he was holding a brush.

"Oh, you were getting your hair brushed?' he inquired, confusion drawing his eyebrows together. "But I thought..."

"Yeah, I know what you thought, you jerk," she snapped, unplugging the straightening iron that was laying on her make up table that was surrounded by lights and looked like an old-fashioned one from a classic Hollywood dressing room.

It immediately struck Shinji that he had never been in her room so he glanced around quickly. The walls were painted the faintest shade of teal and were covered with three-dimensional cut outs of butterflies in a darker teal, brown, and lime green colors. The comforter on her double bed matched the butterflies. The make up table and a small nightstand completed her furnishings. He had expected her room to be more fussy, more girly - maybe all in hot pink and zebra patterns. Why he had pictured that he did not know, but it could not be more different - she could not be more different. Swinging his gaze back to her, he took a long exploratory look at her and made the stunning realization he really did not know her at all. He had made certain assumptions based on what little he did know. He had returned here with every intention of buying an early plane ticket home, leaving this hot as hell Southern city, and forgetting all about the beautiful jazz singer. His curiosity had been stirred up and his interest renewed, especially when he realized the other man in the room was giving him a quizzical stare as if sizing him up.

Yumichika was indeed measuring up the blonde. He was trying to determine if he was good enough for Esmerie. Although she had her quirks and irritations, he still wanted the best for her and he wondered if this man was it. The haircut was almost like his own and he was a natural blond so that was a good thing. Skinny and lanky, he looked to be all arms and legs; but apparently he had quite a bit of strength because he had taken Kaname by surprise and bested Ikkaku.

"Did you seriously think I was having sex with him?" Esmerie questioned him, her voice rising sharply with indignation.

"Don't sound so offended there, Ezzy," Yumichika snapped, glowering at her.

"Well, yeah, it sure sounded like it," Shinji returned a bit insecurely as he stared back at the dark headed man with curiosity. Now that he looked it him he wondered if the man even liked women.

"He's gay," she said, glaring at Yumichika when he began to laugh hysterically. "What?"

"No. I'm not," he laughed, unable to stop. In all the years they had been friends, he never imagined that she had made the same assumption about him. The subject had never been brought up by her and nothing was ever said about it between them. Apparently she had heard her brother and their so-called mutual 'friends' talk about him.

"You're not?" she and Shinji both inquired with shock widened eyes.

"No," he repeated, walking past the stunned blonde to get to his even more shell-shocked friend. Taking her hands in his, he sighed deeply before saying, "Sweetie, I love you but not like that. You're gorgeous when you want to be, but you're just not good enough for me."

Esmerie did not know whether to be offended or relieved and she was too hopelessly befuddled to even say anything in return at the moment. She closed her eyes when he leaned down to place a firm yet affectionate kiss to her lips. Her brain was having a difficult time grasping the truth of the matter that her gay boyfriend was actually straight. This man had seen her naked many times and touched her body, sometimes quite intimately, yet he had never once tried to have sex with her or let on that he wanted to. Her face transformed into an expression that was a mixture of bafflement and hurt.

"Don't worry, baby, it's not you - it's me," he assured her, patting her unmade cheek.

"Are you breaking up with her?" Shinji asked, snorting in amusement.

"Shut up! No one asked you," Esmerie barked, making him stare at her with irritation.

'She's too damn much like her brother sometimes,' he thought indignantly.

"You're just not good enough for me. No woman has been so far. I'm beginning to think no one ever will be. You're gorgeous when you want to be," Yumichika told her, tracing her lips with his forefinger. "But this...you seem to have no control over. I've heard words come out of that mouth that even men shouldn't say."

"Oh, really?" the blonde inquired, finding this situation getting funnier by the moment. It was a given that he would never have a dull moment with her in his life. He covered his mouth with his hand as Mr. Perfect turned his attention on him. He was next to get verbally reamed by the beauty queen who was no queen at all.

"You're too damn skinny. A few months of her cooking should fatten you up," he said, poking the other man in his almost concave belly. Giving the blonde a penetrating glare with his dark gray eyes, he decided it was time for him to leave with one last warning, "You better treat her right. If you don't, hell will be coming after you. There are lots of alligators and hidden places in these swamps. We have ways of making people disappear to never be found again."

This time it was Esmerie's turn to chortle from the astonished and slightly fearful expression on Shinji's face. They both watched the man walk away, each of them trying to let his words sink in to their muddled minds. She moved to Shinji to give him a hug. Her nose wrinkled as the overpowering stench of sweat mixed with alcohol assaulted her nasal passages.

"You need a shower," she mumbled, covering her nose and mouth with her hand.

"I was just about to when I heard...never mind," he muttered. They both knew what happened after that. "Want to join me?"

"As tempting as that offer is, I can't," she told him, kissing him briefly. "I'll be downstairs in the kitchen when you get out."

Shinji would rather have her waiting for him naked in the bed but some things must wait for the proper time and that was definitely one of them.


Translation: *Tatakai - fight

Thank you to my wonderful beta xfang-girlx!