Special Thanks:
Tallulah: I know what you mean; I talk about them like they are real sometimes too. As for the Tetsuo thing, you are right. He did come across as being really rational and patient. Sorry about that. In this chapter there will be fluff, but he will be more in character...I hope...
Codelyoko2004: Yes, there will be fluff in this chapter, and more in the next. I like your suggestion. The reason I haven't done it yet is because all of my other stories are like nothing but fluff. I thought people might get sick of it. If you ever read my Yue/Rubymoon fic (When I post it), you will understand what I mean. Thanks for the review.
Laila: Glad to here from you! And you are right about Tetsuo's brain, but I do think that he can think clearly in a confusing situation ONCE in a while...I think... Well, I am finally updating. It feels good to get back in the swing of things. Hope you review soon.
Neotokyo9: I know I left a cliffy. I didn't think the cliffy was all that bad. I thought most people would have guessed who was at the door. But...if you thought it was one of the other two people in the fic then you are wrong. Want to know whom? Then just scroll on down.
Dudu: I'm so glad you like it so far. Please review again.
Starr Bryte: Thanks for reviewing. I love Vegeta so much! I never really compared him to Tetsuo before, but now you've got me thinking. I really hope you like this chapter and I'm sorry if they are OOC. Imagine if Vegeta acted this way...
Mocha: I know cliffies are evil. Mwahahahahaha :cough cough: Well, I'm updating after almost 2 months. Sorry about that people. I'm really glad you like my story and I really hope you still read and review.
Kaori screamed through the hand clasped around her mouth and flailed her arms and legs, trying desperately to free herself from her attacker. Unable to hold her any longer, the man released Kaori, allowing her to run across the room.
'A clown!" She thought as she looked at the six foot tall man in red and yellow face paint in front of her.
He sneered before eying her body, and soon licked his lips with a grin. Kaori instinctively stepped back. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know what was on this guy's mind.
"Hey, little whore. You wanna tell me where your boyfriend is?" He asked her in a low whisper, his stride purposefully slow as he approached her.
"Who are you!" Her question was a desperate attempt to distract him and find a way to get out of the room, but she knew it was in vain when his stride quickened and he stopped directly in front of her. She had no chance to steel herself as he punched her in the stomach.
"I asked you a question! Where is the little bastard?"
He cupped her cheek, and she could smell the quantity of alcohol he had consumed, along with the obvious drugs in his system.
Forced to face him by his hand, she shook her head as best she could in reply to his question. Maybe if she cooperated, he would get pissed and leave without hurting her too badly.
"I don't know." His face twisted, and she knew she made a mistake, even if it was the truth.
"Stop lying!" The hand holding her face instantly lowered to her neck, holding it tightly.
"I'…m..." She could hardly get the sentence out. His hand was all the way around her neck, squeezing every time she tried to speak.
"This punishment must not be good enough for the little princess. Hmm, I should give you the royal treatment..." He lifted her from the ground with the hand holding her neck and threw her onto the bed. Kaori retched as she tried to fill her lungs with oxygen, hoping that he was finished with her. By the sound of clothing hitting the floor however, she knew he had no intention of leaving.
Alex turned the radio down as he neared Kaori's dorm, and a bad feeling settled in his stomach. He had been out for a drive to escape having to be at home with his family when he'd seen Tetsuo going about 130mph on his bike in the opposite direction of her building. Knowing something must have happened, he decided to drive by just to make sure nothing was wrong.
He knew he shouldn't be going back to her dorm; she and Tetsuo had made it perfectly clear that they were happy with one another and didn't need anyone interfering. Even with that knowledge, he couldn't help but be concerned.
He rounded the corner and stopped right next to the alley that her bedroom window overlooked. Turning off the engine, he once again contemplated why he was going through these lengths to look after her, and he knew it went beyond friendship. And as much as he kept telling himself that nothing could possibly work between them, his mind did not seem to hear him.
Tetsuo skid to a stop as he entered the parking lot to his dorm. Through the duration of his ride from her room to his, the initial confusion somehow turned to anger. All kinds of thoughts went through his head as he entered his room and collapsed on his bed.
'Damn it, Kaori! Why do you always have to make things so damn complicated? First you blurt out that you've been having dreams about me, and then you start crying like I did something to you! '
His thoughts were interrupted as he once again thought over the day's events and his feelings throughout all of it. He thought of how good the day started. The one thing he loved more than riding was waking up next to her and sharing the morning and night with her. He would rot in hell before he let her know that, so he acted as if he didn't care either way to her face.
So, he was in a great mood that morning. And then it all went down the shitter when he walked into the food court to see her eating with another guy. The big ego bruiser was that he was an attractive foreigner, at that.
Tetsuo wasn't oblivious to what girls wanted. Yeah, they wanted danger, which is what he and the gang clearly had. But the one other thing he heard from Kai, Yamagata and Kaneda's girlfriends, as well as Kaori's friends were that the unapproachable ones were the hardest catch, and therefore the ones most sought out by the female population. A tall handsome foreigner fit the bill perfectly.
To see her talking to him was one thing, but to see how he treated her was what really set Tetsuo off. As far back as he could remember, he was always the one making her laugh and smile. Seeing someone else do the same was too much, and the only way to get her attention back was to make sure Alex knew who the alpha dog was. Just thinking about the way Kaori acted made him fume.
'This day was totally fucked up, and it's mostly her fault! She had to meet the pansy pretty boy and practically flirt with him in front of me. THEN she let him talk to me like total crap and she DEFENDED him!'
He didn't realize he was punching his pillow until he saw feathers falling in front of his face. Kicking the now flattened pillow, he stood again with determination.
'Screw this! I'm going to go back there and give her a piece of my mind. What she pulled is total bullshit.'
"Ahhhhh!"
"Shut the hell up!" The clown said as he pulled her top up and started sliding his hand up her stomach.
"Help! Tetsuo!" She called out to him, praying that he decided to come back. He was her only hope.
"I thought you said he wasn't here, wench!" She was frustrating him, and it was making his job all the harder.
"He isn't, but I am." The voice sounded behind the clown, and he looked up to see Alex standing near the door in a fighting stance. Kaori looked up too, and relief washed over her before quickly being replaced by fear for his safety. Seeing the clown occupied by Alex allowed her to pull her shirt back down and flip to the opposite side of the bed, away from her attacker.
"Who the hell is this guy?" The clown asked no one in particular, making Alex even angrier.
"It's none of your business who I am." He hands balled into fists. "Leave right now!"
"Make me." The clown stood and took a fighting stance also. Alex listened with a small smile. He knew he could whoop this guy's ass, no problem. After all, he had studied martial arts ever since he could remember.
"Alex!" Hearing her voice brought reason back to his mind. She was the reason he was doing all of this. She was the one he needed to protect.
"Get out of here, Kaori. I don't want you to see this."
"But..." Alex walked over to the other side of the room, grabbed her arm and pushed her out, slamming the door with his foot behind her.
Kaori ran outside of the building and sat on the side of the curb, trying desperately to catch her breath and calm down enough to think of what to do. One thing she knew for sure: she had to get in touch with Tetsuo. The problem now was figuring out a way to get to him. It was dark, and the last thing she wanted to do was walk the many blocks to his building alone. Aside from walking, she had no idea what to do.
She was in shock at how much had happened to her in one day. She made a new friend, she fought with Tetsuo, she told him about her dreams, and all that just to end up fighting with him again. All these thoughts made Kaori's tears come back.
Tetsuo stopped his bike in an alley right across the street from Kaori's dorm. He was so pissed he could barely see straight, but all that changed once he saw her sitting on the curb. He didn't know what was coming over him, but he gradually began walking towards her. He had an intense need to protect her and to take care of her in that moment. He hadn't seen her that upset since their orphanage days.
Tetsuo pulled Kaori to her feet and held her in his arms. She began crying even harder, if that were possible. Just when she had run out of options, there he was, pulling her to her feet as he'd done for as long as she'd known him. Tetsuo just hugged her closer to him while whispering to her and kissing her. After a few minutes she let go of him and wiped her eyes. He looked her over for injuries, and his eyes instantly gravitated to the bruises forming on her neck and arms.
"Why are you out here?" His right hand traced her neck. "Who did this to you?"
"I... I." She heard his voice change to one of anger, and in the state of mind she was in, she didn't think she could take another angry word from him, even if it was not directed at her.
"Tetsuo, I love you!"
"Kaori..?"
"I'm sorry. I just don't know what else to say. Everything has gone so wrong. Now Alex is in there fighting a clown that was looking for you. And I...I'm happy about that...because you won't get hurt. But he will...and..."
Tetsuo stared at her, the current information registering in his head.
"Slow down! Alex is in your dorm fighting a clown? What is a clown doing in your dorm?"
"He was...he was looking for you… and he wouldn't leave me alone and…" Kaori was now hysterical. She couldn't believe how bad things had turned out for her, for both of them. She was hyperventilating to the point where he was getting scared, so he put his hand to her wildly beating heart in the hopes of helping her slow her breathing. After a few moments he removed his hand.
"Kaori, stay here until I get back."
Her eyes widened. "But I don't want you to—."
Kaori was cut off by Tetsuo kissing her passionately. He didn't know why he kissed her, but he felt like he needed to. Kaori kissed him back with equal force, enjoying the feel of his lips on hers. The really emotional kisses they shared were rare, so each time their lips met was a precious gift.
Tetsuo broke off the kiss and looked into her eyes before speaking. "Don't move until I get back. I'm about to teach this ass clown a lesson...I'll even help your pretty boy out too, okay?" His voice was so gentle that Kaori could only nod in response.
"Oh, and Kaori?"
"Huh?"
"I love you too." He winked at her before running into the building.
