Disclaimer I don't' own Love Hina…Ken Akamatsu does and that's it end of discussion.

A Different Start

Chapter 41

"Here let me help."

"Really, I got this"

"Come on it's the least I could do for your help."

"Seriously, Lara it's only a few broken vases, I can put it in inventory easy." Keitaro sighed and held the box of antiquities with both hands.

"If you say so, then I'll just tag along, I really I have nothing to do and the meetings not until later." Lara stated matter-factly and walked besides the bespectacled man.

Keitaro didn't mind Lara tagging along with him on his errand, the company was nice. There's only one problem, the stares he keeps getting are really getting on his nerves and the whispers, oh the whispers. The glare he was receiving from the male populace was at an all time high and seems like a bit of the female where glaring at him too.

"Hey! KEITARO!" a loud voice called out to the man and people who heard saw Nanami waving at him while coming up close to him with a slow jog. Keitaro turned towards Nanami who was wearing a pink tracksuit with white trims and had the top portion open showing her white tank top underneath. Her hair was in a neat ponytail that swayed as she ran towards them.

"Nanami, you're early today" Keitaro commented and greeted her.

"I attended a meeting earlier but most of my classes are in the afternoon so I decided to do some exercise." She replied as a few strand of her hair stuck to her face.

"I see, so what did you need?" Keitaro asked

"Well I was thinking that..." She was hesitant which was unusual for her especially towards Keitaro.

She was very comfortable with him and she would ask him favors in a heartbeat before, but now, she uncharacteristically held herself from requesting a little evening out with Keitaro. Even though she knows Keitaro liked someone else, after the kidnapping fiasco her hearts been more of a flutter ever since.

With a moment of passing and Lara feeling awkward and left out as the two seemed to be lost in their own world staring at each other, the British beauty made a sound which snapped Nanami out of her little timid trance.

Facing the other woman Nanami was genuinely surprised to see her with Keitaro, she really had not noticed the brown haired woman and was verily focused on Keitaro. She then shifted her attention to the brit and politely greeted her.

Lara then suddenly grabbed Nanami on her arm and suddenly dragged the redhead to a nearby restroom. Keitaro was confused by this action and tried to ask what the matter was but Lara pre-empted his query.

"We'll just go freshen up a bit, and I need a little girl-on-girl talk with Nanami if you don't mind dear." Croft said as she lightly pulled on Nanami.

Nanami who was surprised by her action was not able to make a verbal or physical resistance and had followed the woman towards the nearby comfort room. When they did arrive the redhead had finally composed herself and looked indignant at her abductor.

"Croft-san, what is the meaning of hauling me away like that, I was in a very important conversation with Keitaro-kun." Exasperated the woman glared at Lara and the western woman only smirked that seemed to show understanding on where her little conversation was heading.

"Look I know you like him; It's clear as day showing on your face." Lara said and Nanami didn't know how to reply.

"He...he saved my life, I had a run in with a few kidnappers a few days back and well, we had always been good friends but now, with what had happened and with him leaving I think I just want to make it clear how I feel towards him and how he feels towards me." Nanami said deciding that she was willing to risk her friendship with Keitaro for a chance of something more with him.

"I see, but you better make it count then, because when we're all alone in that isolated island in the middle of the pacific, I'm pulling out all the stops to get the guy luv." Lara stated a small smile on her lips which surprised Nanami greatly.

"But you just met him!" Nanami said incredulous of the woman's admission of her attraction to her bestfriend.

"I know!" Lara exclaimed with a pained and confused look on her face. "And yet, I feel like I've known him for so long, I feel so comfortable with him and I get this little tingle in my chest that just keeps egging me to get to know him more." Lara clutched her chest and looked away from the woman. Nanami smiled a small smile and put a hand on the English woman's shoulder making her look at her.

(A/N:This is a harem fic of an anime, anyone say how stupid that suddenly Lara feels something for Keitaro clearly is reading this for the wrong reason).

"I know how you feel, that guy just really is an enemy of women." Nanami joked and Lara couldn't help smile a bit.

"Fine, I'm going for it tonight." She said and Lara looked at her a bit challenging.

"Remember to make it count because I'm going to be making memories with him of the exotic kind in the jungle." She finished and both walked back to where they left Keitaro who was still holding on the box of wares he needed to store.

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Seta towered over slides and datasheets of their planned expedition as Jackie planned their routes and checkpoints for the expedition. It was going to be a 3 month long excursion in a tropical jungle with little to no contact from civilization. They needed to be prepared for almost anything that could happen. Chan scanned over recent news on a tablet and came across about sighting of strange pirate activity near the islands they were going.

Both men had come across different types on the field, crazy fanatics, terrorist groups, dangerous treasure hunters, mercenaries and evil fauna and flora. So both needed to ensure that everything was covered.

"So Seta-san, how is Sara-chan?" Jackie asked as he placed down his tablet over a stack of paper with numerous weather graphs and maps.

"Great actually, she's made more friends here." Seta said leaning back taking a small break from work.

"Good, good, how about Haruka-san?" Jackie asked and Seta stiffened for a moment and changed his position now leaning on his desk, a grave look on his face. Jackie noticed the changed in his friend's demeanour and stopped for a moment.

"She, ahh...she's fine." Seta managed to say and Jackie knew there was something up.

"You still haven't asked her have you?" Jackie asked and Seta made a face and Jackie understood. "You coward." the Hong Kong archaeologist stated and Seta sighed in resignation.

"I know, and what's worst, there's this other guy that seems to like her too." Seta said who now had his whole face on his desk.

"Does she like him too?" Jackie asked and Seta shrugged.

"I don't know, I guess, maybe. She wasn't giving him the annoyed look she usually has when talking to men." Seta said and understood that small gestured meant a lot. Haruka was very open with her feelings towards her suitors if she doesn't like them and if she wasn't already giving you the stink eye within the hour you had a pretty decent chance.

"ahhh..." Jackie said in understanding and continued "That's what you get for making her wait too long."

"But I'm really ready now. I did what I wanted to do, and although this is my last chance to actually make a breakthrough I'm prepared to hang up my lab coat to settle down with her." Seta said and opened a drawer at his desk and took a small black box and opened it.

"I've had this ring for so long, I intended to give it to her after everything, and now after waiting for so long I think I messed everything up." Seta said and put his face into his hands.

"Well there's only one thing you could do now, ask her before we go instead of waiting until all of this is over. The woman has waited for so long she doesn't deserve this." Jackie said and Seta looked at him and sighed.

"I hate how right you are..." Seta stared at the box in his hands and contemplated where he was going to try and propose. He had waited far too long and he needed to take a chance with Haruka.

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After classes and preparations Keitaro, Nanami and Lara who decided to tag along, were in a decent chicken shop enjoying some delicious skewers and alcohol. Lara doing her best as the cute foreigner kept asking Keitaro what are the etiquettes of drinking. She kept a very unnecessary close distance on him occasionally pressing herself on his person. Some guys in the bar were quite jealous.

Keitaro for his part actually had somewhat became comfortable with women and is not fumbling with his words or flinching from some intimate contacts made by Lara. Nanami on the other hand was quite annoyed and grumpily repositioned herself on Keitaro's free side and now both women are pouring him drinks and offering food.

"Is there something I should know about?" Keitaro asked as he picked up on both womens rather aggressive feeding of him, his lips smothered with sauce and both hands holding cups of alcohol. Both women looked to each other and answered flatly.

"Not really."

"Although, I had just told someone I needed to tell you something important and yet that someone decided to tag along." Nanami glared at the brunette a person apart from her.

"Oh my, are you talking about me, don't let me stop you from saying anything important, you can just ignore me" Lara deviously smiled and winked as she downed one of the cups Keitaro was holding.

"It's quite a sensitive subject and I don't feel comfortable asking it with an audience." Nanami said fixing her hair to the side, her earlier pink track suit now replaced with a loose fitting white t-shirt covering her sports bra and paired with a very form fitting black yoga pants.

Keitaro's focus on a piece of chicken breast on the table was not in any way related on how he saw Nanami's cleavage or how her bra very nicely squished them together. Keitaro grabbed the chicken and devoured it with gusto trying to focus and not let his alcohol addled brain wonder to certain fantasies.

"Alright I'll leave you alone for now; I did say earlier that you should go for it." Lara said straitening herself and grabbed her brown fur trimmed jacket. "I'll be seeing you later Kei" Lara leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

This gesture actually surprised all three of them, Keitaro played it off, that for foreigners a kiss on the cheek was just like a hello and goodbye. Nanami puffed her cheeks out thinking how aggressive Lara was being even though she knew her situation. Lara who did the action was the most surprised with herself, in truth her behaviour was just letting off steam from all the stress she was under with her family and school.

Keitaro seemed nice enough and harmless that she felt teasing him a bit and his friends would be fun, she picked up on the dynamic in the Inn quickly and it was a powder keg of feelings that for once in her life she felt like being the trouble maker rather than the one that fixes everything.

So even though it was just a kiss on the cheek, Lara caught herself being too loose and comfortable around Keitaro which was surprising for her.

"Well, uhmm, see you at the Inn" Lara hurriedly moved out the establishment a bit flushed which might not have been alcohol induced.

"What, she's also staying at Hinata?" Nanami sighed and gulped down the cup Keitaro was holding.

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"I'm stuffed..." the bespectacled young adult sighed as he and Nanami decided to stroll around campus for a bit on her invitation. Keitaro had mostly done his work for the day and tomorrow that he felt relaxing for the night would be alright.

"You really went crazy over those skewers, I didn't know you where that hungry." Nanami giggled as she walked beside Keitaro keeping a close distance, brushing up on his arm occasionally reminding him of her presence.

Keitaro looked away and laughed sheepishly he couldn't say he stuffed his face full of food so that he wouldn't be tempted to look down her loose shirt. "It was really tasty paired with the alcohol haha" it was a weak excuse, he couldn't concentrate, Nanami's constant body contact, her smell and general sex appeal was really assaulting him full force tonight and he was at a lost.

Keitaro always knew how beautiful Nanami was and that many in the campus would love to date her and yet she kept close to him for some reason and even though she would cling to him in the office or class it always felt that she was just being playful. But now, somehow he can feel that a bit of sensuality was added to her usual playfulness and he was totally lost on how to respond. The alcohol he had certainly did not help.

"So what was it that you needed to tell me was so important?" Keitaro asked Nanami. The woman then stopped in placed and Keitaro halted and turned to face her. The pair had managed to wander into a small park area lit up by colourful lamps imbedded on the ground, myriad of colours reflected on the night air and their faces flushed.

Taking a deep breath and mustering the resolve she needed, Nanami looked Keitaro in the eyes with such intensity that he was taken aback. Nanami's lips quivered, her hands shook feeling like she was holding on to some weights and her legs felt it was about to give away, in one courageous pushed she said in a clear voice her feelings for her dear friend.

"I know you have someone you already like, I don't know how it went down after you asked me about what you should do about your promised girl situation. But after what happened between us and the years we've been friends, I really just wanted to say... I Like you" Nanami confessed her face burning and her heart thumping in her chest like giant bass drums about to burst.

"Excuse me, you what..." Keitaro was dumbstruck and clearly not believing what he heard.

"You really making me say it again, I like you, I really really like you more than a friend." She repeated her confession looking him in the eyes expecting a reply of some sorts. Keitaro quickly sobered up and the redness on his face was now not because of the alcohol.

"Nanami I..." He started trying to pick out the words he needed to say and sucking in air he calmed himself and decided to give her an honest answer.

"I was rejected by my promised girl actually..." Nanami's face lit up a bit, joy was starting to blossom from her chest.

"But..."

Instantly that feeling of happiness was squashed with just one word.

"I'm sorta, kinda, maybe dating her bestfriend." Keitaro replied. Nanami picked up every word he said and quickly analyzed it, she was prepared for a rejection but his answer was not a straight no.

"What do you mean sorta..." Nanami said taking steps closer to him she was about just an inch shorter than him and yet the determination in her eyes froze Keitaro in place.

"Well Mitsune-san one of the residents comforted me after the rejection and one thing led to another and we're kinda in a relationship maybe?" Keitaro haphazardly explained. Nanami was not dissuaded by the flimsy explanation.

"Kinda in a relationship, do you mean it's an open thing like you can still see other people?" Nanami leaned in closer.

"No, maybe, I don't really know, she said she didn't want to put a label on what we have right now." Keitaro scratched his cheeks and shyly looked away not having the courage to look Nanami in the eyes.

Two warm hands gently touched Keitaro's face and he was pulled to look the redhead in the eyes.

"Have you two kissed?"

"Yes a few times" she leans in.

"Groped eachother?"

"Wha-" her eyes was half lidded.

"Seen eachother naked?" she breathed out her words on his lips.

"By accident..." Nanami captured Keitaro's lips and for a moment Keitaro lost any kind of thought and just focused on the soft warm lips on his and how sweet and tangy it tasted. A minute passed and both were panting.

"Have you slept together?" Nanami asked in a breathy voice her face fully flushed.

"No..." he replied and without realizing it he leaned back in for another kiss, this one he was taking the lead and Nanami felt her legs almost give, thankfully Keitaro placed his arms on her lower back.

"Do you... want to." Nanami was inviting him, she knew what she was asking and Keitaro for a minute tried to think.

"Nanami I..." Keitaro rasped but Mitsune's face flashed before his eyes and he just wrapped both his arms around her tightly and breathed in her scent.

"I'm sorry let me sort this out first, what Mitsune and I have are not clear but I don't want to make any rash decisions. I like her and I know this is really selfish but I really like you too and I don't know how to respond yet." Keitaro said keeping his face buried in her hair, Nanami pushed back a bit showing her face.

"Alright I'll wait for you answer." She said and again locked lips with the man she had fallen for.

END CHAPTER

A/N: Welp that happened I'm prepping up the harem boys and girls, also I have been reading too much romance manga/manwha. I don't really know if should jump the rating on this story because there would be suggested themes and actions but no real raunchy scenes as I'm not really well versed on that.

Don't know how to grow lemons or make lemonades.

Anyhoo, I mistakenly made Yuu's hair red also and instead of editing it, I'm just arbitrarily changing it back to blue because I can and that's the freedom given by writing fanfics.

Another clarification about Mizuho's situation, I mistakenly gave her a part time job with Mutsumi although she was already a part-timer as an assistant curator in a museum. So to explain she does not work with Mutsumi but they do live together to cut cost.

I forget certain details when writing because of the gaps in writing so when I re-read my work to get a flow of it again man I had a lot of mistakes.

So I really appreciate the audience I have that don't mind my bad grammar. English really isn't my native tongue and I'm only writing stories for fun.

Also with the people leaving reviews, even though I don't reply to them, I read them and try to pick up useful tips and maybe plot points I can use so feedback is really appreciated.

Anyway, boy I did not realize that it has been years since I put this on hold, but with quarantine going on I have more time and less excuses to ignore this story.

Anyway hoped you enjoyed and thanks for reading.