When You Least Expect It

*chapter 7

By Sakata Ri Houjun

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Gods, it's been forever since I've worked on this, or any of my other stories for that matter. For those of you wondering why, it's because ff.net and myself wee not exactly clicking. In other words, I couldn't log on and update anything. But I am very pleased to have seen so many of my faithful readers urging me to continue with my various stories, showing me just how much you really appreciate my efforts.

Now I can write with renewed vigor, although I'm still at a loss for what I should do to finish this particular story.

Standard disclaimers apply, and no, we're not yet into the lemon.

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~Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think~

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Alex laid there on his side, staring at Chichiri's shadowed form through the gloom of the evening. Some portion in the back of his mind was urging him to sleep; he knew he needed his rest. However, his mind was a turmoil of thoughts, most of them leaving him confused.

He had spent his life elbow deep in science and the only people he ever felt attracted to were those from his favorite animes. Maybe perhaps they were so perfect, like the designs for his robots, not a single flaw to mar their beauty. That and perhaps because he would never feel rejected by fictional characters.

Never once did it enter his stream of logic of all that he had been missing out on. And now, less than 12 hours since meeting this unusual pair, he managed to kiss them both. The blonde gaijin couldn't' help but feel the pang of loneliness creeping through his heart, desperately wanting more. It was driving him crazy, this new feeling, and keeping him awake as well.

But another part of him wanted to know how Chichiri and Mousse felt, needed to find out whether they felt the same way he did about this whole awkward situation. And since the cerulean-haired man was closer, it seemed safe to ask him first.

"Ne, Chichiri, are you awake?" He whispered softly.

The monk remained still for a few seconds, and Alex was afraid that he had indeed fallen asleep. But then Chichiri shifted around on his pallet until he faced the scientist, his dark eye gleaming in the moonlight. "Iie..." he whispered back.

Alex felt himself smile. "Good, cause I can't sleep either, deshi."

Meanwhile, situated comfortably on his bed, Mousse lay staring up at the ceiling of his room, not being able but to listen to the pair on the floor whisper in the silence as he found sleep elusive as well.

"Ne, Chichiri, I'm sorry for springing that on you, deshi."

The monk shook his head slightly. "Daijobou, no da. I sort of asked for it in a way."

Alex widened his eyes slightly. "You asked for it?"

Mousse shifted slightly and moved closer to the edge of his bed to hear the conversation better, hoping that they wouldn't notice that he was awake as well.

Chichiri squirmed a bit under his blanket, breaking eye contact with the gaijin. "It's just that I had never been kissed before and after witnessing you and Mousse... I felt sort of jealous."

"But what about that guy you spoke of earlier, the one back in your world?" Alex protested quietly.

The cerulean-haired seishi sighed sadly. "I don't know if I'll ever get home, no da. I may end up having to make a life for myself here."

He doesn't sound too happy about that, Mousse thought to himself, feeling strangely hurt by that statement.

Alex, however, reached over and grabbed blindly for Chichiri's hand, squeezing slightly. "Daijobou, deshi. I'm here for you."

Mousse closed his blue eyes, now feeling very left out, wishing he could comfort Chichiri as well.

The seishi felt such comfort from his new friend that he smiled as he returned the squeeze. "Arigatou, no da." He closed his eye then, spilling the tears that had formed. This was followed by silent sobs shaking his entire frame.

The blonde could feel Chichiri's trembling and leaned in closer to peer at the monk's face in the darkness. "You're crying?"

"Gomen nasai, no da..." Chichiri sniffled.

"But why?"

The Amazon silently debated whether he should make his presence know. I could easily sit up and turn the light on now, he thought.

"It's been a while, since I've had dear friends I could connect to, who genuinely cared about me, no da," Chichiri answered quietly, his voice broken by his sobs.

Alex leaned forward more until he could feel Chichiri's breath on his face.

The monk continued, a blush coloring his features at the scientist's closeness. "Even though I've just met you and Mousse, I feel very..."

Alex gently placed his finger on Chichiri's lips, silencing him before closing the distance and kissing the cerulean-haired man softly on his forehead.

It was during this silence that Mousse finally reached his decision and sat up, the bedsprings creaking quietly with the motion. "You both still awake?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

The blonde jerked up suddenly, almost like he'd been caught doing something he oughtn't. "Uh..."

Chichiri sat up much more slowly, wiping the remaining tears from his eye. "Gomen, I didn't mean to wake you up."

Mousse had the decency to look ashamed. "Actually, I couldn't' sleep either."

"Why?" Alex questioned, wondering if perhaps they were all troubled by the same thing.

The dark-haired youth made a helpless gesture with his hands. "Well, everything that had happened..."

Alex hung his head. "I'm really sorry about this guys. I'm the one who started it all, deshi."

Mousse shrugged. "It can't be helped. Besides if I remember correctly, I was the one who kissed you first."

Chichiri nodded. "That's true, no da."

The Amazon quietly stood and walked over to turn on the light. "But still, it wasn't bad at all."

"I just wish there was a way to take it all back. I like you guys too much to ruin this new friendship, deshi."

Mousse sat down beside Alex, blushing. "Um, don't take this the wrong way, but it didn't ruin anything on my part."

"What do you mean by that, no da?"

"I mean, it wasn't that bad an experience. Ne, Alex?" Mousse winked as he elbowed the gaijin playfully.

The blonde blushed a deep crimson. "I suppose..."

The monk laughed. "I really have nothing to compare it to, so I can't say it was bad either, no da. And to tell you the truth, I like you too, Alex." He scooted closer to the blonde, smiling shyly. "You're a good person. Like you said before, you'd be there for me, no da." The older man reached over and gently clasped one of Alex's hands.

The scientist looked down at their intertwined fingers and smiled. "You're right."

Mousse took that opportunity to grab the gaijin's other hand. "And up until a few minutes ago, you were the one being aggressive."

Alex looked up then, smirking evilly at Mousse. "I could still be if you want, deshi."

Chichiri playfully smacked the blonde's shoulder with his free hand. "Hentai, no da."

The Amazon reached over then and pinched Chichiri on the cheek. "Oi, don't pick on him."

The monk held his cheek then, blushing madly as Alex laughed. That's not fair, no da!"

The scientist leaned over and kissed Chichiri's uninjured cheek softly. "Sure it is."

The cerulean-haired seishi blinked slowly. "Now you're both ganging up on me, no da?"

"Ganging up is such a harsh way to put it," Alex argued.

"Well, I seem to remember you both ganging up on me earlier," the martial artist countered.

"And I remember how it ended up as well, deshi." Alex pulled Mousse against him using the hand the younger man held. "Do you remember?"

The Amazon blushed deeply. "Hai, I do..."

"And I refuse to be left out on the fun this time, no da," Chichiri proclaimed as he propelled himself towards them and tackled the pair to the ground.

"Now Chichiri's being the aggressive one," Mousse laughed.

"I'll show you aggressive, no da." With that the monk threw his entire weight onto the young Amazon, pinning him down to the futons. The seishi smirked down at the younger man. "Got anything left to say, no da?"

"I do," Alex piped up as he tossed himself on top of Chichiri, adding to Mousse's burden.

The raven-haired man groaned under the added weight. "So I have to be the one crushed here?"

"Well, you are the big, tough martial artist. I think you can handle our puny weight, deshi."

Mousse reached up and wrapped his arms as best he could around the pair, a smile crossing his features. "Yeah, well, I guess so..."

"Oi, I'm sandwiched, no da."

Mousse's smile widened. "Not a good thing to say because someone might want to eat you."

Alex meanwhile just laid his cheek against Chichiri's warm back and sighed happily as he wrapped his own arms around the monk's torso. "I like this, deshi."

"Easy for you to say," Mousse argued. "I'm the one being squished."

"Well, maybe if Alex moves, no da?"

"Or I could..." The Amazon wiggled around suddenly, sending both Chichiri and Alex toppling to the futons in a tangled heap. Mousse laughed happily. "Freedom!"

"Maybe for you, no da."

"Oh really?" The martial artist then launched himself at the cerulean-haired man, pinning him down now. "Divine retribution!"

Alex, not wanting to pass this chance up immediately jumped on top of Mousse, like he had before with Chichiri. "Now this is fun, deshi."

Chichiri scowled. "No fair, you're always on top, no da."

"Well, neither of you seem to want to take advantage of this position."

Mousse grimaced a bit at being squished between the two older men. "Now I'm the one who's sandwiched."

The monk grinned as he reached up and started to caress the younger man's face. "You're right, that statement does make people want to eat you, no da."

"Hai, I do agree, deshi," Alex purred from behind the Amazon. "You do look good enough to eat."

"Chotto matte," Mouse chocked out, face blazing with color.

Alex, unheeding of the Amazon's protest started nuzzling his naked back. "Very tender, deshi."

"Okay, now you're making me sound like I'm piece of meat."

"You said it, not us, no da." Chichiri grinned sardonically.

Mousse sighed, obviously defeated. "But..."

"Nani? You don't want us, deshi?" Alex questioned, lifting his head slightly from the dark-haired youth's back.

The Amazon sputtered, blue eyes going wide. "I-I didn't say that!"

Chichiri moved his hands to caress at Mousse's muscled shoulders gently. "So, you do want us, no da?"

"I, um... Heh..."

Alex choose that time to wiggle rather suggestively against Mousse then. "Why Chichiri, I think he like us."

The Amazon closed his eyes then with a soft moan. "I think so too..."

However, all that came from the monk pinned underneath the pair was a high-pitched and rather nervous squeak.

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Sorry about cutting off just when things are getting interesting. More to come very soon, and yes, we're heading into lemon-scented territory...in another chapter or two.