A/N- Yo! Wow, look at how nicely I'm updating! Something must be wrong with me…^_^ I'm so happy because I finally got a job…at Taco Bell! I know, it's pathetic, but money is money. I can never have enough money for books, video games and anime ya know! I'll be working with my sister, who also writes fics. She is Lasafara, and writes a big variety. She has a Yu-Gi-Oh, a Slayers, a Bastard, and some more. Read her stuff, it's good. Anyway, I hope you guys are enjoying my story. I still haven't figured out how it ends, but I'm sure it will come to me. Keep reviewing, it makes me love you! And now, it's time to thank reviewers and answer questions!!!
Angelofterror- Rain is just gonna have to pay George back! ^_^ Knowing George, though, he'll probably never mention it or insist that he pay for it. Who knows how much those two spent…^_^,,,
Rain-Mikamura- *hands her a cone with every scoop* Yay for ice cream! BTW, I love your story!
Artemis1082- I'm glad I didn't repulse you with Allenby. From what I've seen, she doesn't seem that bad. ^_^ Maybe I just haven't seen enough.
KittyKatt- *takes away sugar* Bad Kitty, we don't eat sugar! *pulls out pep pills and Mountain Dew* Have some of this!!! ^_^ v
Lil Washu- Thanks for the review! Don't worry, I'm sure she'll get it eventually…
Aolani- Hope you didn't have to wait too long! Thanx!
Kitten Kisses- *blushes* You're too kind!
Fantasygirl- Thank you! I hope the plot line stays good.
Yogi Mutoh- ^___^ I wouldn't call this a "work of art", but thanks a lot!
Sketchess- That's my take on it. According to someone else, Allenby admits her love for Domon in the show, but I never saw it. Like I said, I've seen about a dozen episodes in random order.
Kumoko Himura- Actually, I don't think I ever mentioned what this was. It's a Domon/Rain. Thanks for the nice review!
BLINX KASSHU- ^_^ Yeah it is! Poor Rain…
Tiaravball15- Please, feel free to bitch! ^_^ But only if I'm taking too long.
LivEvil- Thanks for the Email review! You're really nice!
Chapter 3- Out on the Town (WARNING: High levels of Fluffiness) ^_^ v
Domon yawned widely, snuggling back into his blankets to get a little more rest. He had slept well after filling his stomach as full as it would go, and the warm blankets kept his mind in a sleepy haze. His moment of peace was ruined, though, when a certain young Chinese boy popped up from nowhere, shouting out to his friend.
"WAKE UP DOMON!!!" Domon jumped several feet across the room, his covers flying off to reveal the boxer clad man, who was now fully awake and wide eyed.
"Hiya Bro! Guess who came over to visit?"
"An alarm clock?" Domon jumped again when a strong arm grabbed him from behind.
"You wish Japan." It was Chibodee, who had also somehow snuck into his room. Domon made a mental note to buy a lock. Chibodee snickered, looking at Domon's new boxers.
"Nice boxers Japan. Lemme guess, Rain bought them?" Domon looked down at his boxers, which had cute little chibi Gundams dancing around and being generally un-Gundam-like. He made another mental note to never let Rain purchase his clothing again.
"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!!" He ran at the two, who grinned and high-tailed it out to the kitchen, where Rain, Argo and George sat having a pleasant conversation. The three stopped talking to stare at Domon when he ran in, nigh-naked and red faced. Rain's face turned bright red as her eyes unconsciously went south. George took a quiet sip of his morning tea before he spoke.
"Perhaps you should change into something more appropriate." Domon's face turned crimson and he ran off, leaving his friends to laugh.
Sai Sici walked over to Rain and slapped her on the back. "That was great, wasn't it Sis? We should do this every morning!" Rain smiled, still blushing slightly.
"It was really nice of you to come over. I've been kind of lonely."
"Isn't Bro here with you?"
"He's had other plans lately."
Chibodee huffed. "He should stay around more. Neo Hong Kong can be a dangerous city."
Rain jumped to Domon's defense. "It's not his fault, he deserves a break! He works very hard."
George looked at the woman with brotherly concern. "You also need a break Mademoiselle. You've lost weight. We've all noticed."
Rain sighed. "I've just been…busy lately."
Sai Sici grinned. "That's why we came Sis! We're gonna take you out all day for some fun! You need to chill. You look tense!"
Chibodee tried his best debonair grin. "It's like dating all of us at once!"
Rain scanned the warriors, trying not to laugh at that idea. Sai Sici was flexing his arms and had his chest puffed out in an attempt to look older, while George just sipped his tea casually. Argo was trying to smile, but it looked more like a grimace, and Chibodee had a dorky grin plastered on his face.
"It'll be fun. Domon can stay here and try to have fun with Allenby." He grabbed her arm and began dragging her out as she tossed a slip of paper on the table. "Let's go!"
Domon pulled his pants up over a fresh pair of boxers, a plain red plaid this time.
His face was still red, burning with embarrassment.
'How could they get me like that?' He threw on his shirt and cape, and then cautiously peeked out of his room into the kitchen.
To his surprise, it was empty. "Hello?"
No answer. A white piece of paper sat on the table, catching his eye as he scanned the room for his friends. He picked it up and looked at it, reading it out loud to himself.
"Yo Japan, We went out shopping. We'll be at the GameWorld arcade in three hours. Meet us there."
It seemed odd to him that they had gone out shopping, and that didn't seem like something Chibodee would write. He shrugged mentally, and set the note back down. He would just have to find something to do for three hours. 'I wish Rain was here…'
Three hours later, around one thirty, Domon arrived at GameWorld. He didn't see any of his friends in the building, and they were hard to miss. George's hair stood out like a beacon, and Argo was a head taller than many people. He made a quick though thorough search of the video game center, but his friends were nowhere to be found. He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed angrily.
'Well I'm here. Where is everyone else?!'
"Domon?" He turned around to see a surprised looking Allenby behind him.
"Why are you here, Allenby?"
"Rain mentioned that this place has a newer version of that fighting game me and you played when we first met. She told me to come around one-ish, 'cause it would be less busy…" Allenby trailed off, beginning to wonder if all this was just coincidence.
Domon sighed angrily, not yet seeing what was going on. "Well, Rain went of with the rest of the Alliance this morning, and they said they'd be here at one thirty. I guess they forgot."
Allenby rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I wonder…" Her thoughts were momentarily cast aside when the hologram referee of the fighting game asked if anyone wanted to play.
She and Domon grinned. "Well, Domon, I'll figure this out later. First, how about a few rounds?"
"You're on!"
The referee hologram sweat-dropped.
Rain trailed wearily behind the boys, tired after traversing half of the city. Now it was late, coming up on nine o'clock. Soon would be the few eerie seconds when, after the sun had set, the whole city would go black. Then the solar powered lights would kick in, and the city would once again be bathed in light.
George looked over his shoulder, and seeing Rain's haggard looks, he thrust out his arms to stop the group.
"I think Lady Rain requires some rest. Perhaps we should take her back to the boat?"
A flash of light caught Chibodee's eye, and he grinned.
"How 'bout one more stop? Ya up for it, Rain?"
"As long as I can sit for a while."
"That's half the fun! Come on!"
They all sweat-dropped when Chibodee took off, then made a sharp right turn and skidded into a bar.
Argo sighed. "Americans and their alcohol."
The group jogged to catch up with the American, and cautiously entered the bar. It was a small bar, but the atmosphere was relatively clean compared to many bars. Still, a slight haze filled the room, and loud rock played on hidden speakers.
The barkeeper was already serving Chibodee over the counter, handing him a large mug of beer. George sat down beside Chibodee to monitor his alcohol intake, and ordered a small glass of wine. Sai Sici was obviously very uninterested in the idea of going to a bar, but he jumped up on a stool anyway.
"I hope they have soda."
Luckily for him they did, and Rain ordered another for herself. Argo took a stool by the corner and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes in thought.
Rain raised an eyebrow when Chibodee ordered a second glass of beer.
"Don't get drunk Chibodee, it's really bad for your health."
Chibodee took a swig. "Don't worry Rain, I know how much I can handle."
Rain sighed softly, having nothing else to say.
An hour later, Rain struggled to stay awake. Sai Sici had already fallen asleep, his head lay peacefully on the table.
She glanced over at Chibodee, hoping he would be done soon. She couldn't believe he wasn't drunk yet; it defied everything she'd learned about medicine.
She looked back down to the table, her eyes staring through the wood as her thoughts drifted to topic that had been very familiar lately…Domon Kasshu.
'I wonder where he and Allenby are now…probably at an apartment somewhere…'
That thought turned her stomach and wrenched her heart, making her wish she could drown her thoughts in beer like so many others did. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the tears back.
'I wish… I wish things were different. I wish you could love me Domon.'
She jumped when someone bumped against her, and turned to see a balding, middle aged man behind her. He was dirty and had a huge potbelly, and his red eyes and stinking breath made it obvious that he was very drunk. He tried to speak, but his words were distorted by his slowed reaction time.
"Thory perty girl, I twipped into you."
Rain tried not to cringe away from the man's horrid breath. "Um, that's okay. I think you should go rest, you don't look well."
Something in the man's glazed, red eyes changed, and he licked his greasy lips. "I feel good girly. Le's go gedda room, I wanna f*** you good."
Rain' eyes widened and her jaw dropped as her brain overloaded. She had never heard anyone say anything like that to her before. The man took advantage of her shock and grabbed her arm roughly, yanking her to her feet. Rain was still too shocked to do anything, but she didn't need to. In seconds, she and the drunk were surrounded by four very angry men.
George spoke up first, trying to be cordial.
"Excuse me Sir, but this Lady is with us."
In his drunken stupor, the man didn't realize the hole he was digging. " Ya'll can come too. I'm thur she'll last a long time!"
He laughed at his own joke and squeezed Rain's arm tighter. Rain couldn't hold back a small cry as the man's fingers dug into her arm, and the men around her tensed.
Chibodee raised a shaking fist, barely controlled rage obvious on his face. "Look pal, if you don't let go of her right now, I'm gonna beat some manners up your drunk little ass!"
The man finally seemed to realize the danger he was in, and he let go of Rain.
Chibodee caught her as she fell, and Argo grabbed the drunk, easily lifting him and tossing him out the door. All noise in the bar ceased as the customers turned to stare at Argo, but he quickly made them turn back with a lethal glare.
Rain threw her arms around Chibodee and began crying, the tears she held back for a month finally surfacing. Chibodee carefully lifted her and carried her outside, closely followed by the rest of the boys.
They soon calmed the distraught girl with many soothing assurances and brotherly comments. She fell asleep in Chibodee's arms, her long day finally catching up with her. He gently lifted her onto his back to piggyback her to the boat.
Sai Sici and Argo both headed back to their apartments, leaving Chibodee and George to escort Rain home. When the other two had left and George and Chibodee had begun to walk to the docks, Chibodee finally spoke up.
"So, do you know what's wrong with Rain? I have a feeling you do, France."
Chibodee wasn't blind. He'd seen how depressed Rain looked, he could feel how much lighter she'd gotten. George said nothing, but Chibodee saw him flinch.
"You know. Tell me, now."
"I cannot. I swore on my honor."
Chibodee stopped momentarily. "Screw your honor! She's going to kill herself if we don't do something!"
George sighed as they continued walking again. "I cannot tell you. You must figure it out yourself. Just think about all the coincidences that have happened."
Chibodee pushed back his anger and thought back.
'Well, It was strange that we all came on the same vacation. Even Allenby was here…Why was she here anyway? George also mentioned that Allenby and Domon went out to dinner last night, but it wasn't a date. That seems really weird. Were they set up or something…? It seems like Domon always has plans with Allenby, but it couldn't have been planned out beforehand. It almost seems like…'
His eyes widened, and he turned to stare at George. "No… she wouldn't do that…"
George looked up at the stars. "You know Chibodee, they say you can tell when a woman loves a man because she will do anything for him to make him happy, even give him up."
Domon walked out of the steam filled bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. It felt good to be clean after exercising all day. After an hour of playing a fighting game with Allenby, they'd split up. She said she needed to check on something, so he had gone out to do some training.
Now it was late, and he was wondering where Rain was. Once in his room, Domon slipped on a pair of long pajama bottoms and a muscle shirt. He didn't want to be caught sleeping in his boxers again. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a soda. He wanted to stay up until Rain got back. Otherwise he'd worry about her all night.
He only had to wait a few minutes before he heard the muffled thump of feet on the deck overhead.
"Open up, Japan."
He went to the ladder and unhooked the latch to the door, allowing them access.
"You guys were out late."
George climbed down into the room and apologized. "I'm sorry Domon. Chibodee couldn't resist one of the local bars."
George looked back up through the hatch when Chibodee called down.
"France, could ya give me a hand? I'm gonna hand Rain down to you."
Domon's heart instantly began to race, and he pushed George aside to take Rain. George stood and dusted himself off as Domon cradled Rain's sleeping form in his arms.
"What happened?!" Domon glared daggers at both of them.
"Chill, Japan, she's just sleeping! We were at a bar and some guy bugged her, but we chased him off. I guess her energy just ran out."
Domon felt guilty that he hadn't been there to protect her, and he looked down at her lightly closed eyes. George saw his friend's distress and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Domon. I have a feeling everything will turn out."
Before Domon could ask what he meant, he was gone, back up on the dock.
Chibodee grinned. "See ya later, Japan!"
He climbed back up the ladder, shutting the door behind himself.
Domon carefully carried Rain to her room, gently laying her on the bed. He stood, but was unable to leave, hypnotized by her. He watched the soft rise and fall of her chest, the tiny movements of her eyelids. She looked so peaceful and happy in her sleep.
"You've always been there for me Rain, even when I tried to push you away."
'If only I could tell you this when you were awake.'
He knelt beside her bed, slowing reaching out to touch her silky cheek. He smiled when she sighed in her sleep.
"I'll never leave you Rain, I promise."
He laughed softly.
'And you'd better not leave me either.'
Rain woke to find Domon sleeping knelt beside her bed, his head resting by her waist and one hand on her cheek. Rain was torn between overwhelming joy and despair.
'Just for right now, I'll live in the moment…'
She looked at Domon's sleeping face. He looked like a child, innocent and carefree.
'Just for right now, Domon, Let's pretend that you love me.'
A few tears ran unbidden down her face as she smiled lovingly at the man sleeping at her side.
'I love you, Domon.'
A/N- So whadda you think? Good? Bad? Please review, and no flames. They make me cry! Isn't this the fluffiest thing you've ever seen? Urg. Well, please review, it makes me update quicker!!! R&R!!!!