This one took a bit of a strange direction but I didn't try to fight it. Too much. Honestly, what's really surprising is that I made it through this long of a story without at least hinting at my OT3 ^_^ Please bear with me.
I tried to do better at replying to everyone who was so kind to review! But if I missed anyone, please know I cherish every one - so thank you!!
Also, finals are rapidly approaching so there might be another semi-long wait after this :( But I'll try to keep it up!
Chapter 9
o.O.o.O.o
Once home, Mifune sank into the unfamiliar and entirely too-soft couch cushions with a heartfelt sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair, only to find they were tangled in an assortment of stems and petals. Kami, he'd actually made it all the way to their apartment without even thinking about the brightly-hued "crown" he still wore. Shaking his head, hoping to dislodge any stray foliage, he laid the arrangement gently on the nearby end table.
As if that were the worst of his problems. Operation 'avoid the alluring ninja' was rapidly turning into a spectacular failure, especially if his earlier display was any indication.
She truly was both angel and demon; her pure kindness tugged at his heart at the same time her devastatingly sweet figure called to his body, making him contemplate doing things for which he should cut his own hands off.
Even though she would be 18 next month, somehow that knowledge only served to make him feel like a creepy stalker; as if he were merely biding his time. Sure, she'd be of-age but it didn't change the thoughts he was having right now.
Each additional night he managed to sleep without allowing his subconscious to pick up where he refused to allow his conscious mind to go was like tempting fate. And that was a very dangerous game.
He definitely needed a distraction; there was no sense brooding, it was only making him more irritable and he wasn't getting any closer to a solution.
"Angela," he called, "what would you like for lunch?"
"Curry!" came the immediate response.
Well she was certainly more cheerful than she had been this morning. Too bad solving that problem had only served to exasperate the other. At least cooking would occupy his mind for a short time; for the moment that would have to be enough.
o.O.o.O.o
On the entirely opposite side of campus, a pair of pistol weapons and their junior Shinigami Meister sat around their immense dining room table; in of itself an entirely ordinary occurrence. Patty was attempting to build... something out of playing cards, while Kidd scrutinized the precise alignment of a newly-placed floral arrangement.
Liz was meticulously putting the finishing touches on her french manicure, which also met the standard for normalcy - except for one thing.
She was humming.
Badly.
And it was completely throwing off his symmetrical analysis. At that moment she hit another note painfully off-key and Kidd nearly jumped out of his seat.
Oblivious, Liz kept right on butchering whatever tune she was currently so intent on murdering.
Glancing sideways at her, Kidd tugged sharply on the hem of his jacket, reassuring himself of its balanced position, "You seem awfully pleased with yourself," he remarked, glancing down at her extraordinarily shiny nails. "Even more than you normally are when grooming."
"Maybe I've decided it feels nice to do a good deed once in awhile..." she replied cryptically without pausing in her delicate painting.
"Oh?"
In response, she merely smiled secretly and twisted the nail polish lid tightly shut.
He shook his head, somehow he doubted that even given a thousand years time he would never understand women.
Still grinning, Liz grabbed the tiny bottle of clear top-coat. Could she help it if she'd just happened to go into the records system and while there came across the list of student siblings? And was it her fault that the one witch in their school had a sister exactly Angela's age?
Besides, it wasn't as if she had a love life to speak of - she should at least be allowed to live vicariously through someone else's, right?
Although... if she had any luck left at all, in a couple more years things would hopefully start to improve in that department.
She glanced back over at Kidd, giving him a sudden, rather heated appraisal through her lashes. Judging from his brightly flushed face, he definitely got the gist of it. She pursed her lips thoughtfully; maybe only a year...
Patty glanced up just in time to witness Kidd's obvious blush and Liz's self-satisfied grin. "Nee-chan, you aren't sexually harassing Kidd-kun are you?"
Liz merely shrugged and began gathering up her beauty supplies.
After staring intently at a still-flushed Kidd for a moment, Patty turned back to her sister and nodded, "He's not bad," she pronounced as if Kidd wasn't still sitting directly in front of her, "But not nearly as yummy as Mifune-sensei!"
Ah shit.
"The samurai?" Kidd's face was as confused as she'd ever seen it, considering he was raising his right eyebrow in complete asymmetry.
With a sigh, she dropped her makeup bag on the table, officially abandoning her escape attempt and leaned back in her chair to explain the whole story.
At least three co-conspirators should prove more effective than two.
o.O.o.O.o
The following morning Tsubaki woke feeling more refreshed than she had in quite awhile. And for good reason, it seemed. For the first time in weeks she had slept the entire night through, undisturbed by confusing dreams or noisy late-night homecomings.
Pausing, she stopped to listen for any sign that Black*Star had come back last night. No matter how exhausted she was, it was extremely unlike her not to wake up upon his return. The primary telltale sign of snoring was absent, and sure enough, when she padded softly to his room, his bed was as empty and unkempt as ever.
Figuring he must have found somewhere to crash for the night, she turned and headed downstairs to start the coffee. It was a little surprising that she wasn't more perturbed by his absence, but lately he'd been slipping so far into his own world that Tsubaki had grown accustomed to her solitary life.
Though she wasn't entirely certain she wanted to keep it that way. Naturally introverted, it normally wasn't a strain for her to pursue independent activities, she even found the quiet enjoyable, a way to recover the energy she spent during the day on social interaction.
But oddly enough, she had thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent with Angela today, and was very much looking forward to taking her to the park on Saturday - with Mifune's approval of course.
Which only led to another difficult problem to figure out. For some reason, every encounter with the samurai only served to make her feel more nervous to approach him the next. Usually once she'd spoken with someone a few times her inherent shyness gradually receded and she grew increasingly comfortable with them.
So why was the opposite happening?
It didn't make any sense.
Unless...
There was one possibility.
She'd been firmly quashing it.
It kept coming back.
Clenching her eyes shut as if it would stop the thoughts in her head, she fought desperately to smother the notion that had been teasing the edges of her mind for some time now.
Nearly in tears and exhausted from the effort, she sank to her knees in defeat, letting it fully wash over her.
Liz had been right.
What in the world was she going to do?
o.O.o.O.o