Selkie

by MiBo

A child adopts her foster mother's Ataxophobia, it affects her home, classes, and eventually the work place but there is someone watching out for her. They meet for his final year in high school before they disappear from one another's lives only to be reunited by becoming work colleagues. A set of siblings are out to help them realize their feelings for one another by any means.

10. A Snake's Nightmare

Disclaimer: I do not own Free! Iwatobi Swim Club or any of the characters portrayed in it, they belong to Koji Oji, I simply own the character named Kiana Hagano, some others thrown in, and that is all. This was inspired by a a spur of the moment idea (don't judge me XD ) so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do writing it. (LEMON kind of expect them every so often but I'll warn you.)

Chapter 10 - A Snake's Nightmare

More items were picked up and placed into evidence bags, gloves were worn at all times as she went about cleaning the apartment for the return of her mother but she only did a little bit at a time every morning because she had to work and she still wanted to get as much evidence as possible. The bags were placed in her satchel, she exited the apartment, locked it up, and headed down the stairs to her scooter. She tossed her gloves in the trash, started it, and headed over to the station; her mind turned with thoughts of staying with Sousuke. After Rin and Koari left, he set up the spare room for her, she kept her clothes in there as well as other necessities she wanted out of sight, and he was very accommodating for her. A smile slid on her face as the Vespa was parked in the front of the building, she got off, grabbed her beach bag that held all of her important items, and headed inside. Gou had not arrived yet but she went straight to the break room to prep the coffee.

Delicate, freckled finger pushed the start button, she backed away, leaned against the wall, and stared at the coffee as it dripped slowly. Blue eyes held all the anger in the world at what had happened to her mother, even if she was adopted, and the rage would not be quelled until she caught the culprit. Kiana sighed, "Morning." She looked at Michiro and nodded, "I've been hearing about the case that you're working on. If you need anything then don't hesitate to ask, we're a team you and I."

She chuckled, "We're the only forensics here so it would be bad if we didn't help each other."

"Yep but there's a part-timer so we get our days off."

"True."

"How's it coming along anyway?"

"So far I'm still collecting as much as I can, anything that even looks like it could help, I've been collecting."

"Why are you so diligent on this one?" She stared at him, "I mean, you're always a hard worker and diligent but this case...it's different. It's as if you're out to get this person. Is it because your mother was involved?"

"It's because she's someone from my past and is hellbent on destroying my life now. I won't have her harm anyone else close to me."

"I see. Usually Chief won't put someone close to the case on it but I think this is an exception."

"It is. I know this woman, I can try to guess how she thinks, and she only has her sights set on me so if I can prevent this from happening to someone else then I'll do what I can. I'll put my heart and soul into finding the evidence."

"I see." They were silent for a bit, "Hagano." Blue rings looked into those black pools, "If you need anything and I mean anything then don't hesitate to ask me. I know some guys who owe me favors so if you need something then you let me know."

Her face softened, "Thanks Ito, I appreciate it but I'm going to try and keep as many people involved to a minimum. Helps to narrow down the targets." He nodded and stated that the offer was on the table, "Thank you, I really do appreciate it though, I hope you understand."

"I do. Now go get to work. If you want, I can analyze them at night too, when I have some free time to see if something else comes up."

"Yeah, that'd be helpful, thank you."

"No problem. I still owe you one huge ass favor!" he called out to her as she left the break room and he heard her laugh echo down the hall. He grinned, "We'll get her Hagano, don't worry."

Kiana set up her station, removed the evidence she collected that morning then made her way towards the locker so she could get the prior box. Once it was in her hands, her feet took her back to her office but she paused outside of it, she felt the moisture at the corners of her eyes, something she thought she'd never feel. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks because she feared for those she cared about, a few shaky breaths, and she entered her office. Sousuke stepped inside the station, he stared at her windows, the blinds were closed, and he knew something was wrong.

"She looked upset after getting her evidence," said Gou.

"Thanks."

"She's worried about things."

"I know."

"Has she spoken to you about any of it?"

"Like what?"

"Her feelings." He stared at her, she sighed, "She needs to talk to someone about what's going on, she called me last night." Sousuke continued to stare at her, "We didn't talk much but she seemed a bit distraught, go and talk to her...please. She'll feel better once she has a shoulder to cry on."

"How do you know this?"

"Kiana's never had friends before, she doesn't know how to portray her worries, and she probably doesn't want us to think that she's a burden to us so go and talk to her."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Gou smiled brightly, "Because that's what girlfriends are for! We tell our worries to each other and then we relay those worries to their boyfriends."

"Thanks Gou. I owe you."

"Don't worry about it Sousuke." He nodded and left it at that as he headed into the forensic office, he tapped on the door jamb, and noticed that she didn't look at him. Sousuke entered, closed the door, and locked it. He took a seat then rolled towards her, she kept her face hidden from him, he reached out, and spun her in the chair.

The look of shock on her face made him smirk but that soon disappeared as he noticed her watery eyes, "Come here." She obediently got up, straddled his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her for comfort. "What's wrong Kiana?" He felt her reciprocate the embrace, he tightened it just slightly as her voice was barely above a whisper, meant only for him to hear.

"I'm worried I won't be able to find anything to link her. I'm worried that someone else might get hurt and I won't be there to help them."

"It's okay, I'm here now, we'll find something." Kiana buried her face into the crook of his neck and let her tears flow, making sure to keep them silent. Sousuke wasn't sure how to deal with the situation so he just kept quiet, usually the tears he dealt with were simple fake ones because he wouldn't buy them something nice but emotional waterworks were something he wasn't accustomed to. Suddenly his strong Selkie felt like the shy Freckles he met all those years ago, the shy easily flustered Freckles that his heart had initially increased in pace for. When he felt her calm down, he whispered, "No one else is going to get hurt."

She sniffled, "Dad's looking into another apartment, we're not going back to that one because it's too dangerous." He kept silent, "But.." she sniffled again, he watched as she leaned back, keeping her face averted from his, "I'm worried that she'll do something to you. Something that I can't help with." Tears threatened to spill down her face again so he placed one palm on her lower back, the other cupped her cheek. Pink colored blue eyes stared into those teal depths, she felt safe there, as if she was back in high school, her safety net was right there, and she was glad to have been caught by it. Kiana just stared into those lagoons, she couldn't break away, she didn't have the strength, and Sousuke leaned closer to her, pressing his palm on her back more firmly, his thumb rubbed the small spot just underneath her eye. "Sou-"

Lips met hers causing her to be cut off, the gesture was unexpected that her mind blanked, Sousuke ran his tongue across her lower lip but she still couldn't think. Teeth nipped it, drew her out of the trance, eyes fluttered closed, and she parted her lips for him. The wet muscle wove its way into her mouth, delicately dancing against hers, he pushed her closer to him, her fingers found their way into his short hair, and gripped small locks of it. He didn't mind, he was only focused on making her understand what it was that he wanted to convey without the use of words. After several minutes, they broke for air, he was breathing lightly, hers was heavy, those lagoons were dark with lust but he ignored it. Her confusion made him smirk as he moved his hands to her back, he brought her in for a tighter embrace than before, and she reciprocated instantly.

"No one is going to take you away from me and vice versa. Don't worry Kiana, whatever happens now, we'll deal with it together," his voice was low. "You're not alone anymore." Her eyes went wide at the words that she had known for awhile now but didn't believe. Lids closed, she sighed, and gave a slight nod of acknowledgement, "Good." Kiana leaned back but he kept his hands where they were, they stared at one another, and he whispered, "You can talk to me, I'll listen." She gave a small smile, nodded, and he kissed her cheek. "Good, you can still stay at my place if you want..."

"I'd like that." Kiana got up, Sousuke followed suit, he patted her head, and she chuckled while cleaning up her face a little with the back of her sleeves. "Thank you Sousuke." He nodded with a soft expression, "I'll get to work on the evidence from this morning and see what I come up with then I'll bring it to you."

"Sure Freckles." She smiled warmly at him, he left the office, and she pulled on gloves to get started on the day. However he paused as he saw his Chief enter his office, Sousuke followed after him, he knocked on the door, and Akira told him to enter. "Sir do you have a minute?"

"Yeah, I've got some time. What is it Yamazaki?" Akira noticed that he closed the door which made a single dark eyebrow raise in question at his subordinate. "Kiana alright?"

"Yes sir. I spoke to her this morning and she seemed distraught about the case," he nodded, "but she's better now."

"That's a relief, I've never seen her strong exterior break before so it's good that you were there." Sousuke nodded, "You couldn't have wanted to tell me that in private so what is it?"

"She told me that you're looking into other apartments." He nodded, "If it's alright with you, sir, then I'd prefer if she stayed with me for the time being...possibly longer."

Akira blinked a few times, digesting the words, and Sousuke never strayed his eyes from his superior, "You've always been direct with your questions which is one of the reasons why I like you." A small smile appeared on the older man's face, it confused the detective but he kept quiet as his Chief replied, "It'll probably be better for her anyway, the less people she's around, then the less they're likely to get involved with this. She's a grown woman, why are you asking me for permission?"

"Courtesy since you are her father."

"Aoi was right about you." Sousuke stared at him, "She said you were a good man and would protect our little Selkie. Even when she was in high school, Kiana only talked good things about you."

"She spoke about me?"

"Oh yes, quite a lot in fact."

"She never mentioned it."

"She won't, she's that kind of person, she liked you a lot. Said that you were her most important person outside of her family and the only one that was able to put a crack in her shell." There was surprise evident on his face even if Akira couldn't see it so he grinned, "Kiana's the type of person to protect people and things she holds dear to her. She won't back down from this and will probably take the case files home with her to look over." Sousuke kept silent and Akira couldn't help it when his grin broadened, "Perhaps you should tell her what you told me about her staying with you, 'possibly longer.'" Still the taller male was silent, "Anything else Detective?"

"No sir."

"Run along then, we've work to do!"

"Of course sir." Sousuke headed for the door, his hand grabbed the knob, and Akira told him to wait, he glanced over his shoulder at him, "Sir?"

"Spring break is coming, expect her to strike then." He stared at him, "I'm counting on you Yamazaki to keep my little girl safe and, should something happen to her, you had better be the first one on overtime trying to solve it."

"If something happens to her, I'll be the first to do double time." Akira nodded, Sousuke left the office, closed the door, and headed for his own just as Rin met him at the hall. He asked him what was going on, "I had to ask Chief something that's all."

"Riiiight."

"Shut up Rin." He snickered as they began to go through cases that were completed, so focused that Rin only realized it was midday when the alarm on Sousuke's phone chimed, and that made the magenta haired male smirk. "Just shut up." Those red eyes gleamed with mischief as the two coffee mugs were removed from his swimming bag, he headed into the break room, prepared them, then knocked on the threshold of the office. "Kiana?" She looked up at him, nodded, moved everything aside, tossed her gloves, and watched as he took a seat; cups placed on the far end of the counter. "How's it going so far?"

She sighed, "So far I've got bits and pieces of things, it's taking some time to analyze but I'm hopeful. I've been looking over the photographs more carefully and it seems that the more I look at them the more I'm beginning to think that she had an accomplice."

"That can make it easier or more difficult."

"I know."

"As soon as you know something, Rin and I can look into it."

"I know."

"I spoke to your Dad this morning." She sipped her coffee, looked up at him, and waited for an answer, "He said it's alright for you to stay with me." Kiana smiled warmly, he toyed with the loose strands of her hair, "You are more than welcome to stay a lot longer if you'd like."

At this her blue eyes sparkled, "How long is longer?"

"However long you want."

Kiana felt an idea pop into her head, she leaned into his hand when he cupped her cheek, and the motion made his heart hammer in his chest. "Are you asking me to move in with you Sousuke?" She took it a step further by nuzzling his hand then placing a kiss on the underside of his wrist. The butterfly swimmer was stunned into silence, others would have thought he didn't want it but she knew better, she could read him, and her blue eyes looked into his teal irises. "Are you Sousuke?" It was silent for a few more minutes, she chuckled, "I'm teasing." She was about to turn back to her coffee until he moved his hand to the back of her neck, gripped it then brought her towards him, and she felt him press his lips to hers. He didn't even ask permission, he forced his tongue into her mouth, toyed with hers, then released her.

"Careful what you say Freckles." She nodded, flustered, "Good."

"But, are you?"

"Take it however you want." She smiled, sipped her coffee, he drank his as well, and the silence was always comfortable with her. Suddenly he sighed, Kiana glanced at him, "Why couldn't I have just asked you out in high school?" The woman chuckled, "Rin knew I left to see someone, he thought it was a girl but he wasn't curious enough to follow me."

"That's a shame."

"Yes it is." More silence, "How much longer until you can get the rest of your things from the apartment?"

"Well if you come with me after the swim club then just today and I'll still stop by in the morning to look for more evidence."

"I'm off tomorrow."

"Me too."

"We'll spend all night there if we have to." She looked at him, smiled gratefully, and he kissed her forehead, "Don't worry. I'll always be there for you." Kiana nodded, "So long as you understand."

"I do Sousuke, I really do. But do you understand it the same way?"

A soft smile, "I have an idea." She smiled at him as they finished their coffee, he grabbed them, placed a kiss on her forehead, and left the forensic office to return to his own. Kiana's smile never faltered as she persevered through the rest of the day and sighed when she had to pack up all the evidence once more. She carried the box through the hall to the other end where the officer was waiting for her, he nodded to her, and they spoke briefly about it.

"You'll find what you need, no worries Hagano."

"I hope so."

"Hey," she looked at him and he smiled, "I've been here a long time, didn't want to retire but I couldn't continue out in the field so here I am in the evidence box." She chuckled, "I've seen many forensics and officers come and go through here and you're the best one because you're persistent. You won't submit anything to the detectives or officers unless you are absolutely certain that you have what you need to find the culprit and not some innocent person." She stayed silent while he continued to smile, "That's what makes you the best. You are here to help Iwatobi be a better place, you're here to help the townspeople, you're here to put the right people behind bars, and that alone is the reason why you'll find what you need for this."

"Thank you."

"I'm here to soothe your worry although, I think, there's someone else that is better suited." He winked at her, she stared, and burst into laughter. He grinned, "Go on! Go swim and get that evidence!"

"I will, thank you again."

"You are most welcome." She took a few more steps, "Oh I have a question." She looked at him, "Will you leave him?"

Kiana smiled gently, shook her head, "Not in a million years."

"If he breaks up with you?"

"I'll deal with it if the time comes." He grinned brightly, nodded, and they parted ways; she grabbed her beach bag and felt extra weight on her back. "Gou!" She laughed, "Do you want to ride with me?"

"Of course!" She nodded, they grabbed their things, and headed out of the station with Rin and Sousuke not far behind. "Thank you Kiana." She looked at her friend, "For what you told me." She gave a few nods, Gou nudged her, and she chuckled, "I mean it! It's like he worships my feet or something!"

"He couldn't have liked it that much! Could he?"

"He did! He asked me if you'd like to share more." When they exited the station, Kiana laughed, and Gou grinned, "Will you?"

"If you're sharing with my sister then share with Koari too." The two women paused by her Vespa, they looked at Rin, a faint blush on his cheeks as he averted his eyes from her, and Kiana leaned over to Gou, whispered about the pictures that she and Koari had talked about. Gou agreed to it as well and Rin turned back to them, "Well?"

Kiana grinned, it made her eyes twinkle, "Sure! I don't mind sharing that kind of information with my girl friends." Sousuke stared at her, when their eyes met, she averted hers immediately which made Gou and Rin laugh; she coughed. "Umm..we should get going, the others are waiting." The Matsuoka sister grinned, they both climbed on, and Kiana started the scooter.

As they were changing in the locker rooms, Koari gasped, "What's that on your shoulder?!" Gou examined the morning bite mark from a few days ago, "What happened?"

"Sousuke bit me in the morning a few days ago because I kissed him while he was still asleep or, apparently, half-asleep."

"It hasn't healed?"

"It takes longer for me to heal from things like that than other people." She shrugged, "I'm used to it." The other two women chuckled, "Although I thought whale sharks didn't have teeth." This was said as they exited the locker room which caused both women to burst into uncontrollable laughter. Her things were placed on the bench and Koari began to show them how to do new warm up stretches, "These are a bit sexual in nature."

She laughed, "Your mind has forever been altered!"

"I know."

Gou added, "We wouldn't have it any other way." Kiana smiled at her two friends, there was chuckling from the women, once they finished their stretches, the males exited the locker room, and Kiana took her customary seat on the diving block. When Sousuke sat down, her fingers immediately went to work, loosening up those muscles that were knotted throughout the day, and she began to wonder if there was something out there that could help; massage oil perhaps. Although that route made her face turn deep red, a single teal eye looked at her but her eyes were focused on his shoulder, and she didn't see him watching her.

"Something lewd on your mind?" Eyes snapped to those lagoons, "You're beet red."

She coughed, "Nothing."

"Mhm." It was left at that, once she finished, she mounted the diving block, pulled up her goggles, and let her body relax. Her dive was gentle, no force behind it, and Sousuke knew that she was thinking about something so he let her perform the Front Crawl with leisure. He simply sat there, watching her flip from side to side, listening to her move through the water, and he couldn't help the thoughts that trailed through his mind. What is she thinking about? Will she be more at ease if she stays with me? I want to know everything, what she likes, what she hates, what her favorite perfume is, what her favorite food is...why am I thinking about these things? Despite the thoughts running through his mind, he never showed any of it on his visage, always stoic, and a single thought coiled its way into his mind; it planted itself there. I don't want to lose her, not to another man and not to that Snake. He asked himself why he was so possessive and it was answered immediately, Because she's mine.

Kiana placed her hands on the edge of the pool, her breathing came out in quiet gasps as she tried to catch her breath, one hand pulled the goggles down, and her mind was still running rampant with incoherent thoughts. A body slid into the water, she ignored it, a hand was on top of her head, she felt the heat radiating from the palm even through her swim cap, and hair. Quickly she glanced to the side, teal eyes stared at her, she gave a small smile that reached her eyes, still he kept his hand there. Eventually he patted the top of her head, she stared at him, and watched as he pulled himself out of the water. He was standing in front of her, held out his left hand, and helped her out the pool. She stood there with her hand in his, staring up at him, he continued to look down at her, a gentle squeeze from him, and the spectators were all curious as to what was going on between the silent exchange.

Lips curled into a smile, eyes happily closed, she nodded, when they opened again, Kiana could see the barest hint of a smirk on his lips. Sousuke relinquished his hand on hers, mounted the block, and dove in while she sauntered back to the bench for a reprieve.

"What was that?" asked Gou.

"Hm?"

"You two didn't say anything and yet you knew something!"

She grinned, "I can read Sousuke so he doesn't need to potray any emotion."

"But HOW?!" The half-Irish woman laughed while Koari took a seat on her other side, "Okay, fine. Then give us some advice!" Kiana chuckled, the two women leaned over, and she began to tell them of other things they could do behind closed doors. Koari's face still turned red as did Gou's but Kiana only shrugged at them; little did she know that Sousuke was watching her. She put on a happy face but he knew that she was worried about the vile woman who had attacked her mother.

Farewells were said to their friends, Kiana hopped on her Vespa, Sousuke in his car, and he followed her through the streets to the apartment complex. Once there, he watched as she marched up the stairs, he wasn't far behind her with an empty bag, and watched as the door was pushed open. "I brought your overnight bag. We can get the rest of your clothes and other necessities after we're finished."

"Thank you Sousuke." He nodded, watched as she pulled on gloves, and began to systematically clean up the apartment as well as take anything that could lead to evidence. He leaned against the closed door so that he wouldn't bother her as she did her job, the way she moved around, how her eyes flitted from one item to another, or stayed on something longer if there was merit, fascinated him. It was the same with his shoulder, she always analyzed it, always watched his expression to make sure she wasn't hurting him only this was focused on finding something that could link Madame Snake, something the vile woman had possibly overlooked.

Very little items were placed in bags, mainly anything that seemed to be too far from its proper place, once that was finished, she sighed, removed her gloves, and tossed them in the bin. "Finished?"

She gave the area one last sweep, "Yeah...I think so. I've dusted everything before and only taken things that had prints on them, same as this time. Except there are a few items that have prints on them that shouldn't."

"Like what?"

She looked up at him, "Mom would always polish her crystal wine glasses with special gloves and cloth, they were never used but she always polished them just like those glass animal paper weights, and they were out of place. Not in their proper spot so I dusted them and found some prints." Others would have suggested her father but Sousuke knew that Chief Yamamoto would never disrupt his wife's collection for fear of her panic attacks due to her phobia. "I'm hoping it's a set of prints that we can use."

"What if it's not in our database?"

Ocean pools twinkled, "That's where my Dad's friends come into play." Sousuke smirked, "Well I'll clean up now then we can pack my belongings." He nodded and still waited by the door while she wiped everything down with lemon scented cleaner, the floors became spotless, and it was as if nothing had ever happened save for the blood stain on the floor from her mother's open wound. "I can't do anything about that. Dad will have to hire someone." Sousuke nodded, watched as she texted him, and motioned for him to follow her.

"Your mother said I was off probation but it seems this is only the second time I've been here and the last." Kiana chuckled, he liked it when she chuckled, and he watched as they entered her room. It was neat, bare of any decorations, and painted a color he was all too familiar with. "Teal?"

He stole a glance at her to see that her face was blushing, "Like your eyes." He blinked a few times still not able to comprehend the fact that she had painted her room the same color as his eyes as a reminder of her time with him. Sousuke watched as she took the empty bag from him then began to removed her clothes, he realized it wasn't much, but he simply gazed as she packed her things. He even noticed she tossed in all of her toiletries as well, making sure that the entire room was devoid of her presence except the bed.

Suddenly an idea sparked in his mind, he smirked, sauntered up behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She paused, was about to say something but he nudged her collar aside with his nose, and lightly sank his teeth into her flesh. Kiana gasped, the strap of the bag fell from her weak grasp, and Sousuke muttered hotly, "Why not have some fun in your bed? It'll be the last time you lay on it." Kiana's mind blanked again, she felt his hands slide down her sides, she shivered in response, and he hummed his approval, "Hmm, I like the way you squirm." Suddenly those hands slipped under her shirt to cup her breasts through the fabric of her bra, she gasped, and he licked the outer edge of her ear. A moan escaped her lips as she leaned back into him, slowly gyrating her hips against him. He groaned and realized that she had removed herself from his grasp, he stared at her with confusion.

"It's still my parent's home." He sighed in defeat, she wrapped her arms around his waist, teal eyes looked at her, "But when we get to your house, I'll be relentless." He embraced her tightly while crashing his lips against hers in heated passion, just the thought of her being relentless made his blood run hot.

"You better keep your promise."

"I always keep my promises." He nodded, "Will you be okay?" Another nod, "We can go now, I have everything." Kiana slung the bag over her shoulder, the couple headed out of her bedroom, and through the apartment once more. One last longing look, she picked up her beach bag that held all of her important items for work, and then locked up the apartment. "I'll give the key to my Dad tomorrow." Sousuke nodded, they headed down the stairs, parted at their respective vehicles except her bags were placed in his trunk, and the Detective followed after Kiana towards his home.

Inside was a different story, the moment that the two bags had been placed on the floor, the door shut, and locked; Kiana swiftly removed her shoes. Sousuke had just stepped out of his when he was pushed against the door, he stared down at his Selkie, blue irises laced with hunger, and she slipped her hands beneath his shirt. Nails ran lightly up his muscled stomach, he groaned at the contact, and leaned down so that she could remove his shirt, it was tossed on the floor, and he grabbed her roughly. "I thought you didn't like any messes?" he whispered.

"I don't but this is different. I'll clean it up later." His masculine chuckle reverberated through her smaller frame, and he picked her up so that he cupped her buttocks. Legs wrapped around his waist, "Are you alright for this?" He nodded, without a moments hesitation they locked lips together, slanting over one another multiple times before breaking for air; all the while she didn't realize he had carried her through the house to his bedroom. Her back hit the mattress, breathing irratic, large hands slipped under her shirt to cup those breasts he so loved, and she gasped at his touch. One hand traced the scales along her side, it made her shiver, and he promptly began to unbutton the shirt that shrouded her skin from him; it was tossed aside somewhere.

Kiana watched as he leaned back to remove his pants, she did the same, kicked off her jeans, his were pushed down to the ground, he stepped out of them, and he was surprised at what she did. Kiana roamed her eyes over his body for the first time, taking in all she could see, the first time they coupled, the lust was too great but now, she wanted to admire him. Her legs involuntarily rubbed together, he smirked, "Like what you see Selkie?"

She gave a muffled moan while he leaned over, his weight pressing her into the mattress, one hand slipped behind her back, unclasped her bra, and she slipped out of it; the cloth tossed elsewhere. She felt his bare chest against hers, just the feeling of him being there made her exponentially happy, the thought that he would never leave, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Teeth grazed his ear, he groaned at the contact, her peaks rubbing against his chest as she teased her clothed apex over his boxers. He growled while pushing her further into the mattress, she gasped, and saw that he pinned both of her hands above her head with one of his. The idea of being bound by him made her breath quicken, he smirked, lowered himself to her rosebud, and rubbed the tip of his nose on it. After a few seconds he engulfed it with his warm mouth, she felt his tongue draw circles around it, making it stiffen, and she squirmed underneath his touch. A low chuckle resounded from him as he switched to the other one, her breath came out in gasps, and she knew her panties were done for. Sousuke's free hand trailed down her side, it made her shiver, he hooked a finger around her panties, and drew them down past her knees. His foot took care of the rest, fingers trailed inside her thigh, caressing random spots, and he gently prodded her opening with a single finger.

"Sousuke!"

He hummed approval as he moved his lips up to her collarbone, finally connecting with her lips, all the while he inserted a finger inside followed by a second, and he looked into her blue irises. "You drive me crazy." Those blue orbs flickered down as she bit her lower lip before flicking back up to meet his, "Things like that will get you punished Selkie." Kiana was going to play coy with him but she didn't have a chance as he removed his fingers, pushed his boxers down, and shoved himself inside. Her body quivered which forced her eyes to close as she felt herself encapsulate him, just the sheer contact made her almost climax, and she risked opening them again. "You are mine." As if to prove his point he attacked her shoulder, wanting to mark it, to brand it, to show others that she was his.

He leaned back slightly to look at her, curly orange hair frazzled from being rubbed all over the cotton comforter, eyes half-lidded, lips plump from the rough kissing, and he waited for her to catch some of her breath. "If I'm yours then you're mine. I'll fight whomever to prove my point."

"Fight with what?" He hadn't realized but their voices were hushed, as if they didn't want others to hear them even though there was no one else in the house.

She smirked, "My satchel." He chuckled darkly while pulling out and ramming back into her, she moaned in pleasure, her brow knit, and those eyes squeezed shut. Her chest heaved with effort, "Sousuke!"

"Hmm, I really like it when you scream." To prove his point he pulled out and slammed back in once more which caused her voice to get louder. Sousuke held her close to him as kept a strong, rhythmic motion, and she could do nothing but feel him inside. She felt him everywhere, smelled his masculine musky scent, heard his grunts and groans, felt his lips all over her body, and she felt herself tighten up with her climax. Squeezing him so hard that he nearly orgasmed as well but he held out until she relaxed a little bit before continuing his rough pace. After a few moments, he felt his orgasm tear through him, he panted with the effort, sweat rolled down his body and hers, he nestled himself next to her, and rolled so that she was on top. He was gasping for breath but not as much as Kiana, she couldn't speak, and her legs trembled. He smirked at her, "You need more practice."

She chuckled, "I thought this was practice just of a different kind." Teal eyes stared at her, he chuckled, and she flushed at the sound of it. "Even after all this, I still can't get over how your chuckle makes my insides flip."

He squeezed her tighter to him, "Good."

"Why is that your response to everything I say?"

"It's simple." Kiana laughed, "Laugh more often."

"If I'm around you then I probably will."

"Good." She laughed again, he squeezed her, she gave a low snicker, nuzzled him, and soon drifted off from the ordeal of cleaning, examining, packing, rough coupling, and just the thought of staying with Sousuke made her immeasurably happy. He listened to her drift off, a light kiss on her head, "I'll protect you."

-::::::-

Morning approached, Kiana's eyes fluttered open, she found that she was being clamped by two strong arms, she looked down at them, and smiled. She tried to get out of his grasp without waking him up, she tried to separate his arms, and failed. She tried to wiggle her way towards the end of the bed, hoping to slip out of his grasp, and failed. Kiana tried to pull herself out of his grasp and failed again. She huffed, tried to move so that she could face him since she rolled around during the night so that her back was against his chest when she awoke, and failed. "Sousuke," she whispered. Nothing, his deep even breaths letting her know that he wasn't awake. "Sousuke," she said a bit louder. Still no response, she huffed, "Sousuke," she stated in her normal tone. "Sousuke," she said even louder and the same. Kiana huffed, "SOUSUKE!" He stirred mildly, cracked one eye open at her, and waited for her to say something. "I need to shower and use the bathroom."

He pulled her closer to him, inhaled her perfume and sweat mixed scent, then tightened his grip on her, "You smell nice now."

She flushed, "I still need to use the bathroom."

"Come right back." She gave a nod, he relinquished his arms on her, half-lidded eyes watched as she picked up her shirt from the floor, put it on quickly then headed out of the bedroom towards the bathroom. He continued to watch the door, when she returned she was wearing his discarded t-shirt from the living room. Kiana slipped in next to him however she found herself with Sousuke on top of her, and she stared up at him. His voice low with that husky tone that made her lower region turn wet, "That shirt looks good on you." Hands slipped underneath her shirt, she moaned at his hot touch, he caressed her, leaned down, and began to kiss her roughly. He shoved himself inside, Kiana moaned in response, and it only urged him forward.

After some time, he collapsed next to her to catch his breath, and she looked over at him trying to catch hers as well; teal eyes watching her. She smiled, leaned over, and kissed him on the forehead while still trying to catch her breath. "Can you handle my demands?"

She sat up, pulled his shirt back on, and stated with a smile, "I'll handle you any time Sousuke but right now I'm going to make breakfast, assuming you have any food in your fridge." A deep chuckle resounded from him, she blushed at it, and he only smirked while pulling the blankets off so he could take a shower. They parted outside the bedroom, he went for the shower, and she went for the kitchen while braiding her hair; once there she immediately opened up the refrigerator. Blue eyes scanned quickly at the contents, eggs, cheese, leek, sliced turkey, and she sighed. "Alright, I'll make do with this!" She began to prep everything while first starting some rice so that they could have something to eat it with. "I know he has a strict diet but a little bit of rice won't hurt." Kiana plucked her apron from a hook, tied it loosely around her waist, and wrapped a bandanna on her head.

Sousuke emerged from the bathroom, his hair spiking up slightly, he wore gray sweatpants, and went shirtless as he made his way to the kitchen. He leaned against the wall to watch her, a small smirk present on his face as she flitted about wearing nothing but his t-shirt that many sizes too big for her and an apron. The scents wafting around made his stomach growl, he sighed, took a seat at the table, and watched her from a comfortable position. His mind turned with how things would be from now on, if she would like to stay with him in his house or if she wanted to return to her parents once Madame Snake was caught. He found that he didn't like the idea of her leaving the house, it would be too quiet without her, and Sousuke realized that he truly enjoyed her company.

The meal was finished, set on plates, and placed on the table followed by some coffee filled cups. There was no cream or sugar to be found so she had to make do with it being black. Kiana sat next to him, he took a bite, and nodded. She watched him, "That doesn't tell me anything."

"You can understand me, figure it out." Blue irises blinked many times before she started laughing, he returned to eating while she started hers, and a smirk was hid behind every mouthful of food. Once it was finished, he watched as she took the plates, cleaned them, set them aside to dry, and returned to sitting next to him. "You know that you don't have to stay in the guest bedroom. You can stay with me."

"You're willing to share that comfy bed of yours?"

"Only if you're willing to let me see those curls bounce." Her face turned vermilion, he chuckled, and noticed that she smiled happily. Nodded her response, "Now you'll have to transfer all of your things again."

"Not really, it'll be quick. Do you use the closet?" He shook his head, "Okay, I'll claim that as mine then." A nod in affirmation, "I'll do it soon so that it gets done and then we can go out and buy some food since you seem to forget to buy it." A small smirk appeared on his face as he drank from the cup, when he finished, he realized that it was his whale shark mug, and teal eyes looked down at her. She looked up, a happy smile on her face that made her eyes twinkle like moonlight reflecting on the ocean, and Sousuke leaned over to kiss her. She reciprocated the affection, when they parted, she finished her coffee, he finished his, and watched as she took the cups to clean them. Set aside with the dishes to air dry, she immediately went to move all of her things to his room, and he followed her.

"You're rather comfortable wearing nothing but a tee shirt."

"Because you're the only one here, it's your house, and you're here with me. I told you before that you make me feel safe. You're my safety net, ever since high school."

"Safety net?"

She nodded as she moved between the rooms, "Yes. Whenever I was feeling down from a bad day, you were there to cheer me up, and I was always caught by your eyes. You made me happy Sousuke, even back then because I considered you my only friend." She thought for a moment before chuckling, "You were my only friend." Kiana finished the transfer, "I'm going to shower." He nodded, when she passed by him, he gently grabbed her arm, and those sapphires gazed up at him.

Sousuke pulled her into a tight embrace, she returned the gesture, and he whispered, "I'll always be here for you, don't ever forget that." He felt her smile against his chest, when they relinquished, she nodded with sparkling eyes, and watched as she disappeared to grab some clothes. Her own undergarments were placed in an empty drawer along with her socks so it was easy work for her to grab what she needed, and head to the shower. "I'll get dressed too."

"Okay!" she called from the closed door. Kiana made sure that her toiletries were in a place that he wouldn't have to come across them too often, if ever. She had her beauty secrets which made her chuckle as she pulled off his shirt, held it to her face, inhaled his scent, and sighed happily. Kiana had collected the forgotten clothes earlier in the morning, so this shirt was added to the hamper. The water turned on, she waited one minute then stepped into it while unbraiding her hair, and began to the tedious task of washing it.

Kiana exited the bathroom fully clothed, Sousuke was sitting on the couch, he heard the door open, and glanced towards the hall to see Kiana entered the area, and he only stared. Reddish-orange curls hung in thin clumps, she sat down across from him, pulled her hair over one shoulder, and separated it into three sections. Teal eyes watched with interest as she braided her hair, it was fascinating to him how she did it so quickly, the end was tied off, and she tossed it behind her. Kiana noticed that he was staring, "What?"

"I've never seen you do that."

"That's because you're never around when I do it." He chuckled, she smiled, "Besides, it'll take some time for it to dry completely but I hate using any heat source on it."

"Because of what happened at Koari's party?" She nodded, "So you don't like it extra fluffy?"

"I don't mind it, what I dislike is it causes it to be unmanageable." He nodded in understanding, "Ready for the day?"

"Hm?"

"We're going to do some food shopping!"

"If I don't want to go?"

"Then we stay here and starve."

"I have some sustenance that I could give you." Her face turned red, he smirked, "You catch on quickly." Sousuke was silent for a bit, "I like that." Kiana's face turned even more red, another chuckle, "Alright. I'll finish getting ready." He got up, watched as she clapped her hands together lightly like a child, and he paused to stand near her. "Be ready when we return." He walked away, she smiled happily, and got up to check her field back to make sure it had everything she would need. Once everything was set, she headed over to Ares, and placed her knees on the floor.

"Hello Ares. We're going out for a while but we'll be back. You don't have to worry anymore, you're not alone, I'm here, and Sousuke's here. We're both here for you." He was standing on the other side of the room, watching her, and she smiled as the snake lifted his head before recoiling his body on the hot rock. "I'm glad you understand, okay. No one's going to hurt you here, you're safe, and in a few more days you'll be fed again. Sleep well Ares, tonight I'll give you another bath, and you can hang out with us." She got up, placed the sheet over the cage, and turned around to see Sousuke there. "Hm?"

"You're good with him."

"He knows me." A single nod, they slipped their shoes on, he grabbed his keys, and they headed out into the late morning. Sousuke took directions from Kiana to arrive at the local market that she always bought her food from, he got out, as did she, and he locked the car. He followed behind her, watched as she bought canvas bags from one stand then headed into the produce section, and paused. She felt fingers entwine around her own, she glanced down to see that Sousuke had done it, her eyes trailed up, and he averted them from her but Kiana smiled. "Do you like any fruit?" He shook his head, "I kind of know your diet but it would help if you told me." Sousuke told her what his diet was and she nodded, "I can work with that but I'm going to omit anything fried. I know you like it but it's not healthy for you so I'll make it once a week."

He looked down at her, "Are you trying to punish me?"

"No, just keeping you extra healthy." She winked at him while he averted his eyes, and they wandered around the market. Kiana wanted to show him everything about the place, why she liked it so much, and to show how friendly all of the vendors were. Teal eyes watched how she interacted with everyone, almost as if she never had a shell in the first place but he knew that she had been coming here since she was a child with her mother, and the thought of her mother brought him to Ares which brought him to Madame Snake.

The tall male removed his cellular phone from his pocket, he tagged Rin and Chief, and typed out a text message for the both of them. It was short and to the point, he sent it, and replaced the phone in his pocket. Souske watched as she purchased a copious amount of rice, he raised an eyebrow at her when she looked at him, and her face blushed lightly as she turned away, muttering something about liking rice. He leaned down to whisper, "I remember you said the same thing at the party. I don't mind, I like rice too, especially when it keeps that softness on you that I so enjoy squeezing." Her face flushed many different shades of red, she would have hit him but it would have been inappropriate so she thought of something far more devilish.

"You wait until we get home." It was a flat statement but he saw the glint in her eye and he knew that she had something up her sleeve. As they moved around the vendors, he took some of the bags in his left arm, one glare from her, and he knew better than to use his right arm. She had already bought an assortment of vegetables ranging from carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, lotus root, leek, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, radishes, turnips, taro root, ginger, onion, tomato, cucumber, mushrooms, seaweed, and mustard spinach. When they were approaching the fish section, he watched as she purchased insulated bags, and began the same thing over again. Showing him which places she liked the most and she even waved to some of the vendors as they called out to her. He watched as she purhcased squid, mackerel, sea bream, sea bass, amberjack, skipjack, trout, and eel but very little cod. Sousuke was extremely curious as to what was going through her mind at the moment as she bought all of these items, she even bought some shrimp, and scallops.

The bags were placed on her shoulders, she held some in her hands, and she thought for a moment; her mind turning with what else she could need. As only one item came up, she looked over her shoulder at Sousuke, and smiled. He thought he had gotten used to her smiles but they still never failed to make him stop breathing for a moment, she turned around, and he followed after her. They returned to the car, he opened the trunk, the bags were set inside, he watched as she arranged them in a certain manner before looking it over once more, and decided that it was fine. "One more place to go and then we'll be done." He nodded, they climbed in, and he took the directions once more; he paused as they arrived at a wholesale market.

"Why are we here?"

"For three items, stay here." She got out, he waited, soon enough a text was received that told him to open the trunk, so he did, and he watched as she came out with three boxes. One was Kirin Lager, which he didn't mind since he liked it as well, the other was clearly eggs, but the third one was unmarked. It made him curious, she placed them in the trunk, closed it, and climbed in. "Okay. I'm done."

"Are you sure?" She nodded with a smile, "Alright." She gave him directions on how to return to his house, "How do you know that I don't know my own way back?"

"You couldn't find the hotel." He chuckled, she flushed, "Now there's food in the house that I can work with." Another chuckle, as he pulled into the parking spot, he shut it off, and they both got out. Of course the neighbors were out walking around, tending their gardens, their flowers, their plants, and many of them were happy to see Sousuke with Kiana. Ayato was sitting on his porch with a grin, "Good afternoon Grandpa!"

"Kiana! What a lovely surprise to see you here!" She smiled at him, "Oh? Did you go food shopping?!"

"We did." The elderly man watched as Souske only used his left arm for the heavier items while his right carried the lighter ones. Kiana placed many bags on her shoulders while grabbing some with her hands and Ayato asked her what she had procured. "Many things of the sea and land." He guffawed laughter as they headed inside to place their items down on the kitchen floor, when they returned, Sousuke took the remaining bags, and watched as she took the three boxes. He waved to them, she placed down the boxes, popped outside, and returned that wave as the butterfly swimmer closed the trunk.

"You take excellent care of our Sousuke!"

"She does so stop saying that," replied the stoic detective. Kiana looked up at him, he kissed her forehead before heading inside, and her face blushed which made Ayato grin as well as many of the others.

"Bye now Kiana!"

"Bye Grandpa!" As they returned inside, he watched as she put everything away in its place, leaving some things in the refrigerator for dinner preparation, and then came the mysterious unopened box. He watched as the freezer was opened, "I'm glad you have this kind of fridge." It was the long stainless steel ones that had two elongated doors next to one another rather than stacked on top of one another.

"Why?"

"It fits my bad habit."

"You have a bad habit?" She nodded, "What could that be little Selkie?" She sighed, placed the unmarked box on the table, and opened it. Teal eyes stared at the contents, it was packed with nothing but Snickers bars. "So, Selkies like to eat chocolate?"

"No..just me." She coughed while taking it to the freezer, he watched as she placed them in the bottom drawer, they were stacked neatly, and fit perfectly in it; every last one of them. He was going to ask about them but she replied, "When I was burned and in the hospital recovering, one of the nurses gave me a Snickers bar. It was actually the first time I'd ever had one and I liked it a lot; it gave me hope that things will get better. Dad visited me, he hid the wrapper for me, and told me that he was going to adopt me. After that Mom came to visit, she told me that they were her favorite too, and it just happened like that. Perhaps it's nostalgia since this little chocolate bar was the first thing that gave me hope but..." Her face softened as she trailed off, Sousuke was quiet, and she didn't continue.

"Pack some with you."

"Huh?"

"Pack some, we're going to see your mother." Kiana stared up at him as got up from the table, she smiled, her eyes watered but she wiped them away with the back of her sleeve, and grabbed four bars. Once all the bags had been folded neatly and stashed away in a drawer, the boxes were broken down, and placed in the recycling bin; that's when they left again. He drove to the hospital, they parked, and headed towards the room that they had become familiar with. He knocked on the door, "Misses Yamamoto?" She gave the go ahead to come in, he opened it, and allowed Kiana to enter first.

"Kiana!"

"Hi Mom."

"What are you two doing here? Don't you have work?"

"Day off." Blue eyes looked at her father, "Don't you have work?"

"It's fine, I want to be here with my wife." She smiled and nodded, "So what are you two doing here?"

The door was shut by Sousuke and he stated, "Bringing a present."

Aoi excitedly stated, "I'm getting grandchildren!" Both of them stopped in their tracks, Kiana's face flushed bright red while Sousuke averted his eyes, and Aoi snickered, "I'm teasing." Kiana coughed, approached her mother, and whipped out the four bars that were hidden in her bag. "Oh my gosh!" She hugged her daughter, "Thank you so much my little girl!"

"Thank Sousuke. It was his idea."

When those teal eyes locked with those gold ones, they softened towards him, "Thank you Sousuke." He nodded, she immediately opened one up while stuffing the others under her pillow, and she took a large bite that rendered half the bar gone. He stared at her, she grinned while chewing it up, and swallowing it, "Ah. That hit the spot. I assume she told you why she likes them?" He nodded, "Good. I can also assume that she took you to the market today as well." He nodded again, "Kiana, you're too sweet with him."

She shrugged, "You taught me to love the man that took my heart and in order to gain that love in return then I must reach him through his stomach." Aoi bellowed her laughter while Sousuke gave that imperceptible smirk, Akira got up, motioned for Kiana to have a seat, and she did so while he waved his detective to another corner of the room.

He whispered, "I got your text. Don't worry, I've already messaged my friends at Interpol including my old superior, they'll be sending a team this way in a day or two to help out with the case." Sousuke nodded and Akira recognized the darkness that lurked in his eyes, the rage that wanted to sear forward so the Chief of Police patted his shoulder. Sousuke stared at the hand then looked at Akira once more while he kept that low tone, "You're a snake's worst nightmare, you know that?"

"No, how so?"

He smirked, "Because you're as diligent as she is but with a helluva lot more force." Sousuke stared at the father of his beloved Selkie and rewarded the man with a small smirk.

Akira stared at him, "I told you that I would be the first to do double time and if it means working those hours early on then so be it. I won't have that woman come near Kiana ever again, not after what she did to her in the past and certainly not after what she did to your wife." He patted him again before removing his hand from his shoulder, "I meant it."

"I know you did."

"I also meant that I'd give Hasegawa traffic duty for the next year if he came near Kiana again."

"I know and that's what makes you dangerous. You don't bluff Yamazaki."

"I never have. I keep my threats."

"I know." The two males stood next to one another as they watched the mother and daughter converse about Snickers bars and the market, and food. "When we find an apartment then you two are invited for dinner."

"We'll help you move," replied Sousuke. The others looked at him, "I'll call a few friends to help out."

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

"Not a problem sir." There was a bit more silence until he said, "Once you're settled in your new home, you two are invited over as well." Kiana looked at Sousuke, her blue eyes bright with gratitude and love, Akira looked between the two, and scratched the back of his head. Sousuke averted his eyes, "Also," there was some silence, "Kiana's moved in with me...permanently." He heard a chair scraping then a body slammed into his but not with enough force to knock him over. He looked down to see that mess of curls in a long braid, she nuzzled his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her protectively. "It would get lonely without you."

She looked up at him, smiled, and it made her eyes twinkle, "Thank you Sousuke." He nodded, she squeezed him tightly as he returned it, and she relinquished her hold on him.

"So has he upset your balance yet?" Kiana chuckled as her mother was curious if Sousuke has been hit yet and they were surprised when she shook her head.

"No, he's very understanding."

"Have been ever since you told me that you got in trouble for hitting your classmates with a satchel." Everyone looked at him, he wore a small smile on his face, and she blushed at the memory, "It's one of my favorite memories because it as the first time that you spoke to me." Her face continued to darken but her eyes twinkled, "Unfortunately I couldn't get you to talk much after that." She smiled warmly at him, "So you're going to need to make up for lost time."

"I'm sure she will," replied Akira. Sousuke looked at him, "When you find a subject that she likes, don't expect her to stop talking about it." Some silence, "You'll just have to find out what that is."

"Why?"

"Her favorite subject to talk about in school was you," chimed in Aoi. Kiana's face turned dark red, he stared at her as she turned away from him, "So good luck."

He smirked, "I already know one subject that she likes to talk about." Kiana's face darkened which made Aoi bellow laughter while Akira looked around confused, the adopted daughter got up, hugged her mother, hugged her father, and grabbed Sousuke's hand. "It was nice to see you Misses Yamamoto, Chief. Get well soon and give me a call when you're ready to move."

"We will and it was so nice of you to come by," replied Aoi and the couple nodded. She was grinning, "Take care of him!" As the door closed behind them, she looked at Akira, and he smacked himself in the forehead, "You're so slow sometimes!" This made them laugh as he took a seat near his wife once more, "I still want grandchildren. That's the ultimate present." He nodded in agreement, "They'll be so cute with his green eyes and her curly orange hair! Oh oh! Maybe they'll have curly brown hair and blue eyes!"

"Aoi, you're getting excited."

"I know. You know, when I first met her, she asked me something funny."

"Oh?"

"She asked me if you liked me because my name began with 'A' as well."

Akira chuckled, "She's too smart."

"That she is and she's our little smart Selkie who's finally found her mate." He nodded, "They're so cute together! I love it!"

"I do too. I trust him."

"Good because that wench is going to get it once I'm out of here."

"I know she is. Everyone knows about me being in Interpol but no one knows how I met you my lovely wife."

Aoi smirked dangerously, "Maybe it's time your precinct know who I am."

"I think so besides, they're sending me my old team, and they even asked me if you'd like to come on."

"You know what I'll say."

"I know." They kissed one another while Aoi grinned at her husband, "Let's give her hell for our little girl."

"Yes, she's going to learn that she chose the wrong family to target."