Ch 10 Hass (hate)

The sun shone brightly through the partially open window. The light reflected directly on Kouta's face which caused to slowly wake up. That was some dream, Kouta thought as he lay there on his side, something was lying across his left arm while his right was resting on something soft and smooth, was way too real. But am I still dreaming? With his right hand he followed to contours of the figure next to him. What ever was next to him was slightly warm to the touch. He caressed all the way down past what he noted felt like hip bones. He was getting slightly aroused by the thought of this being as a lovely girl as the curves and soft smooth features tried to explain.

"This has to still be a dream," He spoke softly under his breath. He realized the figure next to him was another person; he opened his eyes slightly and examined the person next to him. At first glance he didn't recognize her as she lay on her back, but saw she had shoulder length black hair. He watched the girl next to him trying to figure out who it was. With a sigh she rolled over on her side and was face to face with Kouta. When she rolled over to face him he instantly knew who it was.

"Yuka," Kouta shouted as he launched himself out of bed, startling the sleeping girl, "What the hell are you doing in my bed!" Kouta pushed him self against the far wall as much as he could, wished that it would cave in so he could run for it. The wrath of Yuka was something not to want to stick around to deal with. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, the blanket that covered her slid off revealing her lush and ample breasts to Kouta who held up his arm in a defensive stance.

"Why are you naked?" He shouted as his face turned red and he suddenly felt hot.

"Good morning to you to Kouta," Yuka said sarcastically, "you'd think after last night it would not be an issue seeing me naked." Kouta was confused what she meant, than when he saw that she was pointing to his legs he looked down. The blood rushed from his face; his boxers were missing and his semi-erect member was exposed to Yuka. He tried his best to cover it with anything close by. Sadly, the only thing next to him that was easily movable was a lamp. He quickly covered his manhood from view.

"There is no need to hide that from me," Yuka said with a seductive smile. Kouta turned a bright red.

"This is so wrong Yuka," Kouta said in frustration and discomfort.

"What is wrong Kouta," she asked her smile turning to scold, "it was amazing and you should be happy!" Kouta shook his head in disagreement.

"No, what you did was wrong," Kouta's voice raised slightly, "First I was sleeping! And second, I don't know what the hell has gotten into you in the past few weeks because this Yuka sitting in front of me is not the Yuka I know." He had pointed a disapproving finger at her and in return she stood up and was clenching her fists. Kouta blushed even harder when he couldn't help himself with examining Yuka's completely naked and curvy body.

"You wanna know what has gotten into me?" Yuka asked harshly, "Ever since Lucy has been back it has been all about HER, what about me, Kouta? What about my feelings and why do you love her knowing that she MURDERED your family in front of you?" Kouta opened his mouth to speak but Yuka cut him off.

"I can't stand anything about that monster, hell, I hate her!" Yuka was shouting. Kouta knew that Mayu and Nana were probably listening in but he was furious so he did not care to defuse the situation.

"Why I love her is something I can't explain," Kouta said, "that is like asking you what causes you to breathe, you don't know cause you just do. THAT is what I feel like about Lucy, regardless of what she has done because I know she is trying her hardest to change for the better. So if you hate her, don't take it out on me!"

"No matter how much she changes, she will always be a murderer and some day she will have to confront what she has done and deal with the consequences," Yuka pointed out shouting as she did.

"If that day comes, than I am sure she will take what ever punishment she will be given," Kouta added harshly, "If that is so hard to believe than so be it!"

*SMACK*

Yuka stepped forward and punched Kouta as hard as she could in the cheek. He was sent flying backwards into the wall. Propping himself up, he massaged his sore jaw while looking at Yuka in disbelief.

"YOU never once have considered how I feel about you, that I love you, that I am always here and she is not," Yuka shouted, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I have been competing with a phantom, a murderer, and I that is why I gave myself to you. Because I would do anything to make you mine, this was the only thing I am sure that you have not done with HER!" Kouta watched her wide eyed. He figured she was right though, he never really considered her feelings and how she felt about all this. Knowing he dare not tell her about his and Lucy's intimate moment in the woods when they met up; it would only make the situation worse. Yuka stood over him and the fury in her eyes was not diminished by the tears.

"I…" Kouta began, looking down at the floor, "I'm sorry Yuka, didn't mean to hurt you in any way."

"Better be," Yuka said sharply, "and you did." She turned and walked over to her robe, putting her arms through the sleeves. She tied the string around her waist and than proceeded to walk over to the door. She placed her hand on the handle but froze before she opened it. Footsteps were heard darting from outside the door.

"You didn't mess around with Lucy," Yuka asked not turning to face Kouta, "didn't you?" Kouta looked up but was lost for words.

"Erm, about that," Kouta said under his breath. He saw her flinch and she threw the door open, nearly ripping it off the wall and disappeared down the hallway. Kouta sat there; hand on his cheek as he gazed at where Yuka was just moments before, wishing he would not have said anything. Though, de could not help but think that she was right about him not considering how she felt, so he understood why she was always angry when it came to anything Lucy. Still, her jealousy always seemed to be too hard for her to contain which he could not blame Yuka for how she felt; if he was in her place, he would have felt the same way.

"Just doesn't give her the right to do what she did," Kouta whispered to himself, "Sleeping with me just to try and win me over was wrong for her to do." He sat in silence thinking about what was the real reason why he loved Kaede.

"I thought we were done having to deal with this shit," An officer said, massaging the bridge of his nose, trying to keep from loosing his temper. The Institute had informed only hours before that they were doing another drill and that thirty or so armed soldiers would be landing in a mock infiltration exercise. Four military dual rotor helicopters landed and offloaded the heavily armed soldiers in the middle of a major road. Worst of all, the man leading them seemed to not even be a soldier; he wore a brown triangular hat, sunglasses and his shoulder length black hair screamed civilian. Though the crossbow the man carried made the chief officer very nervous.

"If you don't like it," The man in the hat smirked, "I can end if fairly quickly for you." He brandished the loaded crossbow and the officer jumped up and gave him an uneasy look.

"Fine, do what you gotta do," The chief officer said waiving his had, "Just remember where ever you are actually going to do the exercise, and there will be unarmed civilians. So you better be using blanks. You ARE using blanks, am I correct?" The man in the hat grinned evilly, making the chief officer shift his weight uneasily.

"Oh, don't worry about that officer," The man said resting the crossbow on his shoulder and walked away.

"Sir, we have not heard from team Charlie," a soldier said as he ran up to the man and saluted, "they went in ahead to secure the area but are late reporting in."

"Well, it looks like she really is there," he said, "Lets get moving before they make a run for it." The soldier signaled to the rest of the teams to move out. Simultaneously they all checked their weapons and loaded them. There were four army transport trucks sitting along the curb. The trucks had just recently pulled up and were sitting idle, waiting for the order to go. After a few minutes all four trucks were loaded and headed up the street. Leading them was a humvee that had a large caliber machine gun on top. The man in the hat cocked it as he stood with a large grin on his face; he was expecting a fight, and the missing Charlie team proved his thoughts.

"Sir, Charlie team just reported back in," The radio headset crackled to life, "They said they were experiencing technical difficulties but got it working. They said they have the area secure and no sign of Lucy."

"Bitch, you better be right about Lucy being in that area," The man grumbled as he toed the large black bag that held Number 28 which sat at his feet, "Alright, we still got the element of surprise." The man grinned, he was hoping to go in alone, but with the Directors 'encouraging' words, he was talked into meeting up with armed soldiers that he viewed as a set back and slowed him down.

"Though, it is nice to have some body guards," the man thought aloud, "at least they will come in handy as a distraction." The trucks sped down the empty street heading towards the old, ancient temple filled part of Kamakura. He wore his grin as the trucks bounced anticipating having the time of his life with Lucy.

"He is getting closer," Nana said to Kouta as they sat in the living room of Maple house.

"Who is getting closer?" Kouta asked confused by who Nana meant.

"Someone horrible and we need to get out of the house," Nana said desperately, "and quick." Kouta wasn't paying attention, the events that happened this morning between him and Yuka were still fresh on his mind; as they were in Nana's as well, but this new dangerously and fast approaching danger pushed that aside.

"What are we gunna do?" Kouta asked; Yuka and Mayu left just after breakfast to go shopping around town. Kouta was glad Yuka was out doing something to help her feel better, but he knew hers and his relationship from this point on would be strained to the breaking point, "Are Yuka and Mayu going to be ok?"

"Yes, they are safe as long as they don't come back for a while longer," Nana reassured him, but she was distracted, "They are after me, so you should see if you can sneak out of here before they get here."

"No, I am not going to leave you hear alone to face him," Kouta's voice rose slightly as he placed his hand on her shoulder, "we are family no matter what, and I am not going to leave you." Nana smiled and blushed slightly; he was right, as stupid as he was being, they were family and he would do anything to protect her as well as Mayu and Yuka.

"But how are you going to do anything when you don't have a gun or anything else," Nana asked.

"I don't know," Kouta said slowly, "I guess I never really thought of the HOW, I just will do anything in my strength." Nana smiled again and knew that he really would do it too.

A knocking at the front door made both of them jump. They gave each other worried looks before Kouta slowly stood up and walked through the house. He looked over his shoulder and saw Nana following him so he motioned for her to go hide. She ignored him, knowing that who ever it was and if they were here to harm them, she would not hesitate to rip them apart with her vectors.

They reached the door and Kouta cautiously opened it but when he saw striped knee high socks and a black skirt he knew exactly who it was.

"Kaede!" He shouted as he threw the door open the rest of the way and wrapped his arms around her. She returned his embrace and buried her face in the crease of his neck.

"Kouta," She said as she held him as tight as she could, she lost all hold on reality as she took in the familiar warmth of his body.

"I have missed you so much," Kouta said as he stroked the ends of her long pink hair. He was surprised how in nearly five months it had grown so fast, but he did not care, he just was overwhelmed with joy to see her again.

"Thankfully it is only Lucy," Nana sighed, smiling as she watched the two hold each other tighly.

"Kouta, you have to leave," Kaede said, not daring to let him go, "He is here." Kouta gave her a confused look, but instantly knew what she meant when the front gate in front of him blew apart. The man he had seen limping from the beach where Mayu and Bando were a few days ago sat on top of a military truck and was grinning from ear to ear as he steadied the heavy machine gun.

"Let's have some fun!" The man shouted as he pulled the trigger.