The Price of This Love~*
By: Anime Angel ^0^
~~~ Three weeks from last chapter ~~~
Jim watched as Gene made his way up the front steps. It was what he did every night now, but this time his partner wasn't alone...he was with his girlfriend.
Jim studied the girl carefully. She was about as tall as her boyfriend, slim, had black, straight hair, and seemed to cling to Gene like some sort of fungi. Jim couldn't say that he exactly liked the girl. In fact, this was the first time in three weeks that he had actually seen her. He had begun to believe that she was all in his partner's head, but no, there she was. As real as ever. He slowly left the window as Gene and her neared the door.
"And this is it!" Jim could hear Gene telling her outside. The door in front of him swung open, and nearly knocked the boy over.
"Hey!" Jim yelled, backing up. "Ya gotta be more careful ANIKI!" He smiled playfully and looked from Gene, to the girl, and back again.
"Oh, sorry buddy." Jim waited expectantly for Gene to introduce him, but instead Gene said, "Jim...um...you're blocking the door..."
"AHEM!" Jim cleared his throat loudly and glared at his older partner.
"Wha....OH! That's right um....Naomi? This is Jim, my partner. Jim, this is Naomi." Gene pulled away from the girl and strolled lazily towards the kitchen. "I'll let you two get aquainted while I fix us some coffeee," he called over his shoulder.
After a moment of silence, the girl, Naomi, spoke. "Y....you're Gene's partner?"
What a stupid question, Jim thought. Hadn't Gene just told her that? "Yes...." he said.
"But...but you're just a little boy!" she laughed, as if it were all one big joke.
"I am not!" Jim shot back indignantly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Apparently his partner had forgotten to mention a few things when dating.
"Let me get his straight: you're JIM? The one who has been ordering my Gene around all week? You...a little boy?"
"Ordering? SHEESH! Is that what he said?" Jim looked up at the girl that had been keeping Gene out so much that week, and let out a small chuckle. "Look, those jobs were his chores. I didn't order him to do them!"
"Well, why does he have to have so many? You aren't his father or anything, why should he listen to you?"
Jim couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I didn't order him to do anything! As it is, he didn't do half as much as he should! He was spending all his time with you!" For a moment, Jim thought he saw something, an emotion, change in her grey eyes. But when he looked again, they remained the same. He shook his head, and headed after his partner. "You can go sit down in the living room, if you want," he muttered.
~*~*~*~
Naomi just stood there in front of the door, even after the little boy had told her to sit down. She was bewildered, confused, and most of all....furious. She watched as the short blond followed her Gene into the kitchen. How could he, such a puny little boy, be able to tell her outlaw what to do? And worst of all, how could Gene obey him?!
She shuddered. This boy, he had made her feel stupid, and he had made her Gene look like a child... an insignifigant being that listened to pathetic little boys. But no, she knew he wasn't like that. Her Gene was strong, handsome, and most of all independent. Naomi couldn't let this boy go and take those things away from him by making him do stupid chores. She wouldn't let this boy deprive her of what she wanted.
"Naomi! Coffee's ready! Dinner, too! You want some?"
Naomi snapped back into reality at the sound of Gene's voice coming from the kitchen.
"Coming, Gene!" she said, following the path he had taken into the small room. She looked around in disgust as she entered what was supposed to be a kitchen/dining area. What a rat's hole! She grimaced as a spider ran past her, and up a wall. I will have to fix this, she thought, while sitting herself down in a chair. Naomi just couldn't let her Gene live in such a filthy place.
"And on tonight's menu..." Gene placed a plate down in front of her, and then sat down himself. "Spaghetti!"
"How...wonderful! Did you cook it yourself, Gene?" she asked, as the boy came and sat inbetween her and Gene. She glared at him for a moment before returning her focus to her boyfriend.
"GENE?! COOK?!" The annoying Jim burst out laughing. "Ooooh..." he said, wiping his eyes. "That's a good one!" Gene glared at him, along with Naomi. Was this boy laughing at her? Well, he was certainly laughing at her Gene. NO ONE laughed at her Gene.
"I don't think it's very funny little boy!" she said defensively, looking into the boy's eyes. He immediately stopped laughing.
"I...I was just joking!" He slapped Gene on the back. "See? Joke....?"
Naomi's face was growing warm again. She could feel the anger knotting in her stomach, and then rising to her throat.
"Hey Naomi! Don't let this little brat bother you!"
Breathe in, breathe out, Naomi told herself. When she felt the red leave her face, her eyes returned to Gene. She forced a smile. "So...you didn't cook the food?"
"No...I did."
Naomi whirled around at the sound of another female voice. It was a girl who had spoken. What is he doing with another woman in his house?!
"Hello, Gene has told me so much about you! It's nice to finally meet you." The dark haired girl outstretched her hand, and Naomi forced herself to take it and shake.
"So..." she said, looking straight at Gene. "Who might this be?"
"Mel?" Gene laughed. "She's part of our crew, of course!"
Naomi sighed. Everything looked okay, but she would have to talk to Gene later.
~*~*~*~
"So, what's this new girl like, eh JIMMY?!" Jim pulled Aisha's hand out of his hair.
"Ah...she's a little uptight, but besides that I guess she's okay."
"It's never been like Gene to pick a normal girl," Suzuka said from the corner, rubbing her wooden sword with a cloth. "At least, not since I met him."
Jim, Aisha, and Suzuka were all sitting in Gene's apartment. He and his girlfriend were currently upstairs 'discussing thing' as Naomi had put it. The girl had totally flipped when Aisha and Suzuka came waltzing in for dinner. She had shrieked 'How many women do you have here?!' and then bounded up the staircase, Gene following close behind. 'We need to talk about this...' were her exact words.
"I don't know guys. She's really weird, and..." He thought for a moment. "I don't know...there's just something strange about her."
"Really?" Aisha said loudly, bouncing down on the couch next to Jim. "Wonder why?"
"Maybe it has something to do with the fact that there are three women living with him," Suzuka said, stating the obvious. She peered into the kitchen where Melfina was washing dishes. "I mean, one was a shock. But three?"
"Yeah I guess so," Jim said, but the truth was that he disagreed. He really doubted that the woman's strange behavior was because there were women living in Gene's apartment. Sure that was a part of her weird attitude, but Jim thought there ws something more.
"Well, at least Gene's found someone that's lasted more than just three days!" Aisha again began to ruffle Jim's hair, and once again he pulled her hands out of it. "Oh come on JIMMY!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him and pushing him over. "I just wanna PLAY WITCH YA!"
"Aisha! Hey!" He pushed her back over on the couch. Her whiskers scrunched together and in a high pitched voice she began to taunt him.
"That's it wittle baby! TAKE ON A CTARL CTARL---"
Before she could finish what she was saying, Jim had knocked her over the head with a pillow. "So much for the great Ctarl Ctarl race!" he laughed, forgetting for that moment about Gene and his girlfriend upstairs.
~*~*~*~
"Gene Starwind HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME?!" Naomi yelled. Her face was red with anger and frustration as she paced around the room. Her Gene was sitting on the bed against the opposite wall, obviously thinking. "How could you go and think it was all right that THREE women live with you?" Her face clouded over. "I thought...I thought you loved me..." Naomi knew that it was stupid of her to say that. Gene and her had only met three weeks weeks ago, but in that time she and him had grown close. More than 'friend' close, she and him were closer than that. Closer than him and that little boy...and closer than he was with those women. At least, she hoped.
"Look, Naomi, there's absolutely nothing between us! They're just the crew for our ship! They don't even live here!" Gene looked up into Naomi's teary eyes.
"Oh Gene," she whimpered, sitting down next to him on the bed. She took his hand. "I'm just so confused. Why didn't you tell me abou them? About your partner?"
"I...I really never thought of anything like that," he said, looking deep into her eyes. She could see his sorrow in them, sorrow for hurting her. The words he was saying to her just then, they were comforting. Maybe, just maybe, she could keep this relationship. She had to try.
"I should have asked, but...but some of this bothers me. Aren't you supposed to be the boss around here? Or is that little boy..." Don't bring the little brat into this. Stay on the subject of your relationship....
"Jim? Aw he's just my little partner. Sure he seems bossy but," He shrugged his shoulders. "I deal with it." He put a gentle hand over hers, and pulled her closer. "Look, if you want, he doesn't have to be around anymore. At least, not when you're here." He laughed. "Jim's sorta got a problem with me bringing home friends. He can be a little jerk sometimes, so if he bothers you, I can make him go stay with the girls next time."
Naomi smiled at him sweetly. "I'm sorry Gene," she whispered. "You see, I just want someone who will stay committed to me. someone who won't leave me alone." She looked longinly up into his dark eyes. "I've been hurt so many times. I want this time to work out, so that you will always be here to protect me....will you?"
Gene smiled at her. It was a genuine smile, she knew. "As long as I love you, and you love me, I will stay. I promise."
"I...I just get so lonely sometimes..." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I know you probably think that maybe I'm going a little too far..."
"Hey! If you're that lonely, why doncha move in here with me for now?" Naomi's eyes lit up.
"But, what about--"
"Jim? I'm sure he'll stay out of our way. He can move into the room downstairs, and you can stay next to me? That sound okay?" Naomi nodded. "All right then, I'll go and pick up your stuff."
And that's when she knew. That's when she knew that, no matter what the consequences, she had to make sure that no one would ever deprive her of his love. Naomi Kito had to eliminate all obstacles that stood between her, and Gene Starwind.
To be continued....
*So...what did ya think about this one? Well, if it bored you, there should be more exciting stuff in the next one.The story will mainly focus on Gene, Naomi, and Jim, with appearences by Aisha, Suzuka, Gilliam, and Melfina. In the next chapter, Naomi and Jim are left alone while Gene goes out to get food, or something. (dun dun DUN!) CONFLICT CONFLICT! There has to be a conflict, I mean, Naomi is..... ahem...anyways, the next chapter will be more exciting. Please review! I need opinions...isn't Naomi a weirdo? Heh....I created her....and I STILL think she's a little insane.