THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!
We made it!
I didn't expect such a warm response! I sincerely thank all of you who reviewed up to this point. This is a little gift...longest chapter yet. :)
A new arc is beginning...
Disclaimer: I own none of the Naruto characters. Even though I really want to.
I realized something extremely important the next day.
Vi was a bitch.
Oh, trust me: I'm really not exaggerating. After finding out Hyuuga-sensei had taken my blood ("I can smell her disgusting human scent all over you!") she had taken extreme pleasure in humiliating me.
How? Simple, really. She gave Hyuuga-sensei a day off after discovering him in the infirmary, and took over his class.
Tyrannical rule? You could say that.
Oh sure, the guys had no problem with it. They were googly-eyed the entire lesson. I could sense them undressing her with their minds, which Vi totally had nothing against. She would purposely drop things on the floor, just so she could pick them up in seductive ways.
Sakura and I both gagged.
"She's really creepy," she whispered to me in the middle of the lesson. Vi was bending down so her cleavage was in full view. If possible, most of the guys leaned in even further than before.
"I know," I muttered back, keeping my eyes on my laptop the entire time. I knew that if I stared into her eyes, she would have me doing something to either humiliate me or endanger my life. The green apple seemed to smile at me from the table.
Great. Even technology was mocking me.
"I can hear you, you know," Vi said in a sweet tone, purposely looking in our direction. All her minions looked at us too, wondering who in the world could've deserved her attention.
"Sorry," we mumbled.
Needless to say, it was the worst class ever.
I was packing up my things, getting ready to leave the prison, when Vi called out: "Ms. Kurenai? Could you stay back for a bit, sweetheart? There's something I'd love for us to discuss together."
I had realized a while ago that when teachers called me back for something, it usually meant trouble.
"Go on without me," I said to Sakura, who was waiting for me by the doorway.
She looked worried. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay? It'll only take a minute, right?"
This time, Vi turned to her. "Oh, don't worry honey bun," she smiled, beginning to fix the strands of hair on her face. Her nails glinted red in the light of the classroom. "This is a bit of a…private conversation."
"Sakura, I'll be fine. Just…wait for me by the usual place."
"Alright, if you say so…" Still, she cast a suspicious look at us.
Sakura was smart. But this was one secret I meant to keep away from her.
The second she left, Vi closed the door in an eerily calm matter, then faced me with a scowl on her face. "I'm not fond of your relationship with Neji," she hissed.
I shrugged. "In case you haven't noticed, neither am I."
"That's the thing, you see. You are utterly useless in every which way. He doesn't need you, you know…someone that doesn't appreciate his existence like I do."
She trailed her fingers across his desk, and sat in his chair. For some reason, I really didn't like it.
"This is what I'm here to talk to you about, dearest."
Dearest? That was some serious sarcasm.
"Neji…well, he's on a bit of a vacation right now. He's got a while left, about a mortal year or so. Then he's got to go back to his family…back in his own world. But you see, we need him to go back immediately, for more…pressing matters."
And she was telling me this, why?
"The reason," she hissed, as if she read my mind, "Is that your measly existence is the only thing keeping him tethered to this world."
"So what do you want to do?" I bit back. "Kill me or something?"
She sighed longingly. "If only. If I kill you, I'll be in his bad books, which is not good for me."
"So then what do you want?" I asked, growing impatient.
Vi scowled. "I really want to make you walk repeatedly into that wall right now. But I won't, simply because Neji likes you."
"Great," I said sarcastically. "He's finally done me a favor, even though he's not aware of it."
"You are really an ungrateful wretch. I don't know what he sees in you. Hm, sure, you probably won't last long. But oh well, what's done must be done. The worst that could happen is that you'll die…splendid. I'll drag you along."
I immediately began backing away from instinct. "Hold on here. I didn't agree to anything."
"Oh dearie, you don't need to agree to anything. I'm forcing you, in case you haven't noticed. In fact, I only told you what I did so you would die of shock when we got there."
I had a bad feeling about what was going to happen next.
Vi grabbed my shoulder and snapped her fingers. "Time to take a trip, sweetie pie."
Ever been squished into a tunnel of never-ending darkness that smelled like dirt and rain? Ever have your molecules scrambled up and put back together again? Well, if you answered "yes" to both these questions, you'll understand what I went through.
Long story short: it was terrible.
And Vi's grip wasn't making it any better.
When the spinning and lurching and twisting and turning finally stopped, I collapsed on the ground, nearly passing out again. My head hurt like anvils were repeatedly beating into it.
The ground never felt so wonderful.
"You done kissing the ground beneath my feet, doll? You are so weak. Can't handle a bit of dimension travel, can you?" Vi sighed, and tossed her silver tresses over her shoulder. "Such a complete wimp."
"I get it, you hate me. Gonna kill me here so it won't weigh on your conscious?" I spat, noticing the bleak surroundings. It was like a dry savannah, with no life to be seen save for a charred, leafless tree.
The witch rolled her eyes. "It's against our law to kill mortals on purpose. The police would have my hide if I did that. No, I'm not going to kill you, though the idea is very appealing. I'm using you as…what's the human way to say it? Ah, yes. Bait."
"Bait for what?" I asked, crossing my arms and getting ready to run. Just in case she summoned a monster or something to devour my guts.
She chose to ignore me, and instead, stuck her arm through the space in front of her. She pulled apart the space, revealing a completely different world.
It was like she had ripped the air apart.
"Go on. Shoo."
I eyed the new world apprehensively. "You want me to step into that creepy looking place?"
From what I could see, it was just like a normal city. Kind-of-ish. A normal city, with the creep-factor multiplied by three.
It was relatively shady, but nothing too menacing. Knowing Vi though, it would be the perfect place to torture me.
"Just get in there, cherry sundae." With that, she pushed me through the space, and I landed on the cement with a painful THUD.
She stepped through elegantly, "accidentally" stepping on my calves.
I really wanted to punch her.
"Ok, you got me. Now what? Should I just wait to be eaten?" I yelled, picking myself off the ground. My knees were scraped, and they stung in the cool air.
"Oh please. You are so dense. Haven't you caught on by now? We're luring Neji here. This is our world."
She smiled eerily.
"Welcome to Dearth, Miss Kurenai."
The creatures looked human enough. But judging by the things they were selling by the street side, they were far from it.
One guy bought a raw chicken, and just ate it like that, gnawing at the bones and then carelessly spitting them on the streets.
His companion bought a live chicken and ate it like that.
I was so disgusted I couldn't tear my eyes away.
"Barbarians, those half-animal fiends," said Vi, examining her fingernails as we walked. "No etiquette. Like beasts."
"You don't say," I murmured in response.
The red spots on the ground looked suspiciously like blood.
The fashion was not too far off from normal. Albeit a bit darker, but nothing too drastic. I even eyed a few pieces that I liked.
Vi scowled. "Hey, I'm not your attendant. Get a move on, we've got places to go."
"And would you mind telling me where that is?" I answered, purposely disobeying her and lingering at the store window.
"Get moving," she hissed, and my feet started walking against my will. I tried to drag them, but to no avail. She kept me at a brisk pace, stopping at a flashy building with white lights and pristine glass doors. She pushed them open with a huff, not bothering to hold them open for me to get through. I was mercilessly whapped in the face.
With a snap of her red fingernails, my feet stopped. She eyed the man at the front desk with harsh apprehension. From the looks of it, the building was a hotel.
A sparkly, white, extremely shiny and well-kept hotel.
"I'm Vi, head of the Witches Association. Let me talk to Jargus."
"So babe," drawled the relatively nice looking man, "You wanna talk to the boss? How about you and I spend a little alone time together?"
"An Incubus like you?" she snarled. "You've got no chance. Bring Jargus right away, or I'll burn a hole through your perverted face."
"Playing hard-to-get I see," he continued, not looking a bit fazed.
Then his eyes fell on me, and he leaned forward, eyes wide. He let out a wolf whistle, and I rolled my eyes.
Even in this weird world, the male species didn't change.
"A mortal? Seriously, she's going to whither soon if she doesn't get back to Earth." He winked. "I'd be happy to share some of my energy with you to sustain your stay…in payment for your body—"
He was cut off by an unfortunate hit to the head.
"Ah, there you are Jargus," said Vi, waving her fingers seductively.
Jargus was the prime example of what a good looking, middle-aged man should be. His hair was cut short, and he was dressed in a casual dress shirt and slacks. There were slight wrinkles under his eyes, but they were filled with warmth. Kind-of-ish. "Hello, Vi," he said, voice rumbling deep in his chest. "What brings you here? On business?"
"One of your best rooms, please. For…her." She eyed me with obvious distaste before continuing. "She has special needs, if you catch my drift."
Jargus's eyebrows went up. "I see…never thought you were the type."
She scowled, and I heard her mutter under her breath: "This is all for Neji. All for him."
I was forced to follow them up the staircases and into a room. It was white and spacious, and had a decent bed.
I turned around to face them. "Hey, this is nice and all, but mind telling me—"
They weren't there. I quickly ran to the entrance and tried the door, which refused to open.
I was locked inside.
"My apologies," said Jargus from behind the door. "But you must stay here a while."
I was in a jail.
I pounded on the door with my fist until it hurt too much to continue. "No way in hell am I staying here! Let me out!" I screamed till my voice was hoarse, but they paid me no attention.
I slumped to the ground, energy drained, and frustrated.
"Toodles, pumpkin," said Vi's voice in a much too cheery tone. "It's a preservative room so you'll last a wee bit longer."
Her cackles died away as I was left alone.
…I was…alone.
The impact of that statement hit me.
I might never see my parents again. Or my friends. There would be no laughing times at S.S. trying to humiliate Karin, no studying in the library for some monstrosity of a test…
I couldn't even tell them where I was.
I would trade anything in that room—the bed, the lamp, the quarters—heck, I would live off the streets—in return for some company.
The space next to me had never felt more empty.
Sitting there, on the floor, for the first time in several years, I began to cry.
Time in Dearth seemed to pass differently. I found myself on the floor the next morning, having cried myself to sleep. My eyes were puffy, and my cheeks were sticky from the sweat and tears.
For the next few hours, I sat on the bed like a zombie. I didn't do anything.
Just, you know…sat there.
There were modes of entertainment available, I just didn't want to touch them. I tried to tell myself it would be okay, but chances were, Neji would come to Dearth to have a snack, and then get abducted by Vi for "special purposes." Most likely…I would be here for a while.
As for how long…it was still a mystery.
My eyes started welling up again, so I tilted my head up so they would go back in. I was a strong girl. It was going to be okay.
I took a deep, shaky breath.
I was going to be fine.
I didn't have my phone with me, and I wasn't smart enough to wear a watch. I didn't know how much time had elapsed, but I wasn't hungry for anything other than some company.
I was going to be fine…right?
My nose began running again, a sure sign I was about to have another breakdown. I bet Vi and Jargus were laughing at that moment—mocking me with their little hyena pitched giggles.
I didn't know how Jargus laughed, but I really hoped he sounded like a woman.
I pounded on the door some more for extra emphasis, hoping to catch the attention of someone—anyone, outside, but I knew it was useless. No one would be wiling to help a mortal girl like me in a high security prison.
Life really sucked.
A little click of heels echoed across the hallways, bringing welcome noise to the quiet room I was in. My hopes began rising, and then were promply dashed as I realized the source of the noise.
"Meal time," said Vi in a sing-song voice, unlocking the door. I glared the harshest glare I could muster.
"I hate you," I hissed.
"Oh I know," she said happily, red nails flashing under the fluorescent light. She pushed something in a bowl towards me. It looked like green octopus legs in brown porridge. "It has good nutrients," Vi smiled evilly.
"Thanks. I'll eat to my heart's content, I promise," I replied. At least I was still able to keep my sarcasm.
"Keep it up, Tenten," Vi said, voice turning harsh. "Worst comes to worst, he won't show up, and you'll be locked in here forever. Then I'll just go fetch him myself. It's a win-win for me either way—and I'm secretly hoping he won't come over here. I'd rather have you gone."
With that happy note, she slammed the door and left me by myself again.
The food looked and smelled revolting. Although my stomach was growling, I pushed the bowl of goop away. It would probably poison me anyways.
I lay on the bed, staring up at the blank white ceiling. It was like a weight had been placed on my shoulders: heavy and totally uncomfortable.
No one was going to come. Just like Vi said.
I curled up into a ball, as if it would make me feel better. I only had myself out here. I could only rely on myself, I could only escape by myself…
The irony of it was that the prison was keeping me alive in Dearth. But I would've liked nothing better than to escape from it.
I didn't stand a chance against Vi or Jargus. I wasn't a weakling by any means, but their powers had a high advantage over me. There were no windows, only hard walls and a single door, lamp, and side table.
I yelled in frustration until my throat burned.
The next day was just as bad, if not even worse, than the first. Vi didn't show up, but Jargus did. He gave me another bowl of the octopus goop, giving me a creepy smile. "Enjoy your meal."
Once again, I pushed it away.
By now I was starving, but I refused to eat what they gave me. My throat was parched too. I would only last four days without water. I would resist till the end—only on the fourth day captive would I lower myself so much as to take a slurp of that disgusting crap.
I poked the ground, at loss for what I was supposed to do next. There was no plan to run away.
I went to check my phone again out of habit, then realized I forgot to bring it. I had to start ignoring the pain in my stomach, which was pleading for something to eat. I had to use the bathroom too. Tentatively, I knocked on the door.
"If anyone's out there," I said in a strong, hopefully authoritarian voice, "you'd better let me out so I can use the restroom."
Someone grumbled behind the doorway, and I heard a click.
That was the lock.
I braced myself. The door creaked open, and some wolfish guy had a rapier out in front of my face. The point looked deadly sharp. He grinned, revealing fangs.
"Make one false move girly, and I'll skewer your arm."
I nodded and followed him to the restroom, where he complained the entire time.
When we got back, I was locked up again amid his high screeches of laughter. "You know," he said mockingly. "Hyuuga may be all high and mighty, but I bet he's starving without you. We really built this place to lure him over here. Basically," he snarled, "You ain't never gettin' out of here. And once we're tired of keeping you, we'll let you shrivel up and die. Sounds good, don't it?"
"Peachy," I answered. "Hope that's what'll happen to your mom too."
He bared his fangs. "Watch it little miss, I wouldn't want my hand to accidentally slip and cut your throat with this-here sword." He roughly shoved me back into my cell. "Sweet dreams, prisoner. No one gonna come for you. And if they do…" at this, he licked the sword's blade, "I'm gonna make 'em into a pincushion."
Time passed again. The goop was stinking up the room, and I almost threw up several times. The hallway lights had been turned on. I was too lazy to turn on my own lamp, and much preferred to mope in the darkness. I could hear Vi flirting with Jargus, and the guard outside making small talk with some other people.
That didn't stop me from feeling sorry for myself.
In fact, if possible, I felt even more alone.
But what irked me the most was that I was actually…hoping for someone to rescue me. I drew my knees close to my chest. And that someone was not Naruto. Or Sasuke, Shikamaru, Ino…none of my friends at school. That someone was a bothersome vampire who lived off my blood, whose name was unfortunately—
Suddenly, something caught my eye. There was a shadow outside my door—blocking the light of the hallway underneath the door crack. I half feared the guard had thought about it and decided my comment about his mother wasn't acceptable, and he was going to teach me a lesson. Either that, or Vi had decided to show up and taunt me some more like she always did.
There was a little shuffle of clothing outside, and I heard a loud thump. I could hear my breath: it was abnormally loud. I held it in, heart pounding furiously in my ribcage.
The door clicked open, letting light flood into my dark room.
"So you are here."
That voice. So familiar in my mind, but still unwilling to believe it. I thought I was hallucinating. There was no way, the security was tight, Vi had said. They would catch him if he ever set foot inside the building, so it was all a figment of my delusional mind.
I was clearly going crazy being locked up.
The drift of a warm breath of citrus air reached me. I took a hesitant breath. This was his scent, the one I had noticed from the first day we had met. It was constantly engrained in my mind. The shadow on the floor resembled him too, tall and lean. The hope that Vi had crushed a day prior revived again, surging over me and crashing around my shoulders. I scrunched up my face, trying not to cry again. I couldn't cry in front of him, anyways...it would ruin my image, and he would use it as blackmail or something later. The intruder...there was no doubt in my mind, that it really, truly was—
"Hyuuga Neji," I breathed, looking up. Never had I been so glad to see him. He looked spectacular: bathed in the warm glow of the lamplight, dressed not in his usual crisp shirt and slacks, but in casual clothing. A fitted black v-neck and dark washed jeans contrasted sharply against his pale skin.
"I was looking for you," he panted, looking pissed beyond belief. Only then did I realize he also appeared completely exhausted.
But I was too happy (for unknown reasons) to care. Without a moment of hesitation, and stupid tears brimming in my eyes, I got off the floor and tackled him to the ground. My arms immediately wrapped around him, and I buried my face in his shoulder. Everything I had suffered I left behind. Even the pain in my stomach was gone, the thirst gone from my throat.
Weird. Did he always have this effect on me?
"I thought you wouldn't come," I murmured through the fabric, trying to hide my tears. Surely he would feel the dampness of his shirt and make fun of me for being so weak.
But instead, to my surprise, he returned the hug in a warm embrace. "Of course," he said quietly. "Do you think I would just let my food source wither in Dearth?"
Somehow, by the way he said it, I could tell it wasn't only the fact I was a food source. He was hiding something by the way he said the phrase thoughtfully, as if he was trying to convince himself of it as well.
"No," I mumbled back, still hardly believing that he was here. From my position, I could see the guard completely knocked out and slumped against the wall. From the looks of it, Neji had punched him once and he was down.
If I could whistle, I would have. That was impressive.
"We have to get going," Neji said, looking around. "The enchantment on your door was terrible to break—it's drained most of my energy. I only have enough to get back. If we bump into Vi or anyone else, we'll probably be detained for quite a bit."
"How did you find me?" I asked, finally (reluctantly) pulling away.
That queer smile of his was on his face again. "I could follow the scent of your blood anywhere."
That was…slightly romantic.
"But less chit chat," he said urgently, eyebrows furrowing. "Since I've broken the enchantment, they know I'm here. Let's move."
With that, he took my hand and sprinted down the hallway.
There was never a break when he was around, a sensation I was slowly growing accustomed to.
We made it to a corner and took a left.
Unfortunately, Vi was there to meet us.
"Oh goodie," she said brightly. "I just knew you would show up to get her, Neji-kun. Well, now that you're here in Dearth, you should just stay here. Your family needs you."
"I gave up on that clan a long time ago. You know that," Neji said harshly. "I am no longer affiliated with them. Go back to your Witches Association, Vi. My clan should have never hired you to take me back."
"Unfortunately, it can't be done so easily," she purred. "I really do like you, you know. But I can't just let you go, and with that weak mortal girl either."
She glanced at me once, and thrust her hand at me. Even though she was from the other end of the hallway, I felt a punch so hard it crushed all the air out of my lungs. I was sent flying into a decorative vase. The porcelain shattered and littered the floor with shards.
My head hurt terribly, and I was for sure going to have bruises on my arms. I decided the best plan at the moment would be to lie on the floor. Moving took a little too much effort with my exhausted and malnourished body.
"You couldn't even hold back?" Neji asked.
"Controlling one's strength is so hard," trilled Vi. "Especially when you're in Dearth."
"I see."
From my position, I could only see the back of his figure. He raised a hand, and I instantly felt a rush of something powerful ripple the air. If I had been near Vi, I would've seen his pale eyes narrow and flicker into a web of stained glass shapes. "Then," he announced. "I won't hold back either."
Vi took a step back out of fear. Neji took advantage of her slight hesitation. In a flash, he turned around and sprinted towards me, lifting me up in one arm as if I was just a sack, leaving her alone in the dust. "Get ready," he said with a smirk. "We're going for a fly."
The wall at the end of the hallway crumbled with the impact of his free fist. Chunks of rock burst from the opening he made, seeming to hang suspended in the air for a few seconds. My eyes widened as I saw a nice picture of Dearth from a bird's eye view. And then I remembered I was afraid of heights. I quickly clung onto his shirt, unable to tear my eyes away.
"Relax," he assured me.
Something black and tattered emerged from his shoulder blades, like fabric angel wings. They fluttered in the air, rippling in the breeze. We were sent plummeting down the prison walls—images of windows, brick, and the ever-nearing ground flashed before my eyes. From above, Vi's scream of fury echoed around us.
Wind whipped through my hair, and my eyes were watering from the speed we were traveling. The ground was getting closer. It didn't take a genius to figure out that if we hit the asphalt, it would be all over. "Pull up, pull up!" I screeched, clinging even tighter.
"As you wish," Neji laughed. Really. Even in these situations, he found time to torment me.
A moment later, he had swerved up, in a corkscrew fashion, leading us farther and farther away from the enemy and the ground. His black wings pushed us through the gales of wind, allowing us to drift through the sky effortlessly. Luckily, Vi must have been unable to find her broom or something, because she wasn't on our tail.
The breeze was calmer now, gently pushing us along and seeping through our clothes. His body was warm, and actually slightly comforting. I absentmindedly hoped I wasn't too heavy for his arms to hold up. After a few minutes, I decided to break the silence. "I'm not going to thank you, you know."
"Why not, Kurenai-san? I just saved your life. Twice. Once from the prison, and the other from hitting the pavement. You should be quite grateful."
I was grateful. But letting him know...that was another story.
"It's your fault for getting me in this mess in the first place," I replied. "So I owe you nothing. Now if you please, take me home."
"Oh, about that…"
That tone of voice was not encouraging.
"We can't go back for a few days."
I almost kicked him right then and there. "And why not? I thought you said you had enough energy to get back!" I yelled, hoping to shatter his eardrums.
"I said if Vi met us, we would probably be slowed down for a while. It was all nice and calculated, I wasn't supposed to 'bust out my wings and fly,'" he said dryly. "Now I've spent the energy we needed to get back. And I need the exact amount—if I tried dimension ripping now, I'd probably lands us on Mars. So now that we can't go back, I may as well stay here for a bit. I've got some business to take care of."
"Oh, I see. More important than me, huh? Stuff to do with your clan, maybe?"
The arm around me stiffened. "No. Nothing about my clan. They aren't going to take me back."
"Rebellious son, aren't we?" I answered. "Don't get your long johns up in a twist."
"Long johns? Why are you mentioning—"
We suddenly took a deep drop. I felt like my stomach was about to fall out. "What are you doing?" I said, punching him in the shoulder. "Don't do that!"
"Not my intentions," he panted. "But really. I'm almost out of fuel. We need a place to rest for the time being."
"Fine, just find a forest or something, and we'll play Survivor."
He raised an eyebrow as we slowly drifted towards the ground. "Do you really think that's wise? No, for your information. This is my domain; I know it quite better than you do. We'll simply rent a house for a while."
It was my turn to laugh. "Hyuuga-sensei! They're after your neck out here. People aren't just going to lend you a house! The moment they see you, they'll take you to your clan."
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," he said, a creepy smile lighting up his face.
I had a bad feeling about that smile. And seeing how it was Hyuuga-sensei…well, things could get a lot worse. We descended some more, and finally stopped in the middle of a small village. The street lamps were on now, lighting the night with a dull orange glow.
We touched ground (which by the way, is like the best feeling ever) and Hyuuga-sensei walked towards a modest looking cottage and rapped the door three times. "I know you're in there," he called. "You're going on vacation now, right? I'll be taking this house for a while. You promised to pay me back."
There was no answer.
"Fine," he sighed. "I guess I'll just have to tell the Witches who's been peeking at them during their bathing sessions…"
With sudden quickness, the door opened, and a man with spiky white hair and some odd armor on was standing in the entryway. "Don't you dare do that," he said with a warning voice. "That peephole is my life! I get it, you can stay. Yeah, I was just about to leave."
Then, he saw me. He grinned perversely and sidled up to me. "Hey there, pretty lady. Mind telling me your three sizes?"
I was debating whether to punch him in the nose or kick him in his family jewels when Hyuuga-sensei stopped me. "Jiraiya, you can't touch her. She's a mortal."
"Oho! Is she now? Well, she'll need to use this house, won't she? The radius barrier will hide her presence," he said, still glancing at me with shady eyes.
Neji sighed. "I know, that's why I chose this place. Now get going now, pervert. We promise not to mess up anything in your house."
"Fine, fine," Jiraiya grumbled. "You'd better watch out—having Jargus and Vi after you could mean trouble. Best get back to that girl's world before her energy runs out."
"You hear that?" I said. "We best get back to my world before my energy runs out. I don't want to die!"
"Don't worry," Hyuuga-sensei replied nonchalantly. "I can keep you alive with no problem."
"I'm not a pet fish or anything," I muttered. "I have standards, you know."
"Well then, goodbye!" yelled Jiraiya, lugging his suitcases out the door, shooting me a wink. "No sex on the bed, you hear?"
I flushed a bright pink. "There will be none of that stuff going on!"
"Or so you think," he answered with another wink, laughing loudly. Then, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
The smoke cleared away in a matter of seconds.
"Finally," Hyuuga-sensei said with relief. "He's gone. Hurry, get in the house."
It was a well furnished building: average and homely. There were two bathrooms and a decent kitchen. After inspecting the upstairs, I came to the conclusion that it was true: there was only one bed.
And I was not going to sleep with him in it.
"You take the armchair," I ordered.
"Or, I could take the bed. Since I saved your life and all."
"Then I'll take the armchair."
"I wouldn't want you to have a sore neck when you woke up."
"I'll sleep on the floor then."
"I couldn't possibly let a guest sleep on the floor."
"I'll put a few blankets there. It'll be fine."
"I won't allow it."
"Well then," I said exasperated, "What exactly do you want me to do? Share the bed with you?" Oh, what a joke.
The creepy grin was on his face again. "Precisely. You do catch on quick, Kurenai-san."
THANKS AGAIN! WOWWWW! Haha. Next mission for these two? You'll see :)
Got free time? Check out Managers and Other Side Jobs. You'll like it, promise :D
R&R! Thanks once more~