A/N- Sorry I've been slow on this update. A mixture of writer's block and finals week. Not good! ^_^,, Chemistry…bleh. Oh well. I'm happy though! Our cat, Cinnamon, went missing for a while, but we found her. I was so worried! She's getting on in years, and we live by a busy road… Turned out though, that she had wandered down the street a bit and walked into some lady's cat door! The lady brought her back after a few days when Cinnamon wouldn't leave. ^_^ I got my first (albeit small) paycheck! Yay, spending money! I wanted to buy the newest books in three of my series, but none of them come out till August. -_-* I also want to buy an action figure of the Rose Gundam, but the store was sold out. I just love George, he's so fluffy! I'm also thinking about doing an Argo/Nastasha one-shot. They seem cute together. Enough yatter, lets get to the stuff you people actually read!! ^_^
(But first, some thank you's)
Kagome- I'm glad mine is the best so far. ^_^ I would read your story, but DBZ isn't really my thing. Although it is funny to listen to without watching. It sounds like porn, no joke. Try it. (Uhhhhgg, you're so powerful! That blast was huge!)
The Big Fisch- I hope you like all the stories you read later too!
KT- I've now seen the second to last ep. Allenbey does seem more annoying, but not really that mean. Still, it can be fun to make her evil. Yay for Taco Bell!
Satans Little Princess- Thank you! I love nice reviews!
Fantasygirl- That's what Fluff Warnings are for. ^_^ I like fluff.
XP-DarkAngel- Silly, silly Rain. She'll wise up, give her time. (Though it will take a lot to get her to realize it… *evil laugh*)
EKMothHarper- Fluff is your friend! Fluffy fluffy fluff!
Demon Moon Shadow- Thanx for the review, I always appreciate them!
KittyKatt- You are special! I love your nice long reviews! They are funny! If you lived nearby, I'd give you free Taco Bell. *gives e-taco* This will have to do! *Kitty doesn't move* Are you alive? *pokes with stick* Oh well, on with the thank you's!
KittenKisses- FF can be annoying. ^_^,, Thank you for loving my story!
Tiaravball15- *puts on monk robes* Such violence towards the Allenbey little one. You must learn to harness your anger into a little ball and push it deep inside until it explodes out one day and you kill everyone in a twenty foot radius. ^_^
Sn4life- Thank you!
BLINXKASSHU- Thank you too!
Bonkerzz- I've seen a lot of the series. Once again, for anyone who wonders, this is an AU, or alternate universe. The whole Dark Gundam thing ended with the first defeat in the Guyana Highlands, and Allenbey only thinks of Domon as a big brother. That's really all that changed.
Gangsta Videl- Sporks are dangerous. But even more dangerous is the… *whips out weapon* Sporkchucks! Two sporks connected by chain! Beware the sporkchucks!
Artemis1082- See Bonkerzz review for an explanation of my fic. I agree! In the series, they should have made her more of a sister figure in Domon's eyes, and have only Rain think of it the wrong way. I like my idea! Thanx for the long review!
Angelofterror- She would have slapped him, but she was tired, which slowed her reaction time, and she was in shock. She didn't expect him to be so… forthcoming.
Lil Washu- Chibodee is very alcohol-resistant. He's VERY used to drinking! ^_^
LivEviL- I love George too! Thanx!
Ruby- I actually think Rain could get with any of the Shuffles, barring Sai Sici due to age issues. All of them really like her. I love the Ep with Rain singing to Chibodee!
Yogi Mutoh- I'm glad to bring you joy! Thanx for the nice review!
Okaaayyy, now onto the story!
Chapter 4- New Plans are CookingDomon carefully snuck out of Rain's room when he awoke in the morning, making sure he made no noise. He smiled with relief and pride when he made it to the kitchen. 'She never even noticed me!' He had accidentally fallen asleep beside her. If she had woken up…well, he wasn't sure how he would've explained it. He could picture how it would've gone in his head…
~~Domon's Head-Chibi's~~
RainChibi- *yawn* Why, look at this nice morning, I think I'll just…*notices sleeping DomonChibi* AHHHGG!
DomonChibi- *wakes up* Huh? What? *notices RainChibi* Um, oh, hi Rain.
RainChibi- WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?!
DomonChibi- It's not what it looks like! I was just watching you and…
RainChibi- YOU WERE WATCHING?! YOU PERVERT!!! *begins to viciously beat DomonChibi with pillow*
DomonChibi- No, not in a sick way, I don't look at you like that…
RainChibi- So I'm not pretty?! IS THAT IT, YOU PERVERT JERK?!
DomonChibi- *realizes there is no way he can win* Forgive meeeeee!
~~End of Domon Head-Chibi's~~
Domon shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "No, that would not have gone well at all."
He poked his head out above deck and grabbed the daily paper, not noticing the piece of paper attached to it. 'I hope Rain is okay. She can be very sensitive about things, even if she doesn't let on. Maybe that's why she's been so down lately. Did I upset her?' He looked back, trying to think of any recent and serious fights. 'I don't think so…'
He tossed the paper on the table and opened the fridge. His brother had often cooked for him, and so had his dad, but he had rarely cooked for himself. When he did, it usually ended badly. He saw a carton of eggs that Rain must have bought sitting in the side of the fridge. 'Hmm, Dad made 'scrambled eggs' once. Some American dish. It looked easy enough…even if I didn't actually watch. Take eggs, cook them. I can handle that!'
He pulled a pan out of the cupboard and set it on the burner. "This will be simple for a Gundam Champion!"
Rain woke to the scent of…something. She couldn't quite place it, but it seemed to be burning. She sat up and stretched luxuriously, then straightened out her pink flannel pajamas. She had not slept so well since before the 13th fight. It felt good to relax a little, though she doubted it would last long. She still had to get Domon and Allenbey together, but they seemed to be making no progress.
She sighed, feeling the tension begin to build again. Allenbey and Domon would be happy soon enough, but what would she do? She didn't want to just stay with Domon and his dad forever, especially if Allenbey was there. She had accepted the fighter, but she couldn't bear living with Allenbey and Domon if they were a couple. She also knew that any of the other Shuffle members would give her boarding, but she would feel useless. 'Maybe some other warrior needs a mechanic. I'm sure there's someone…' She stood and shook her head, still clearing the fog of sleep from her brain. 'I can figure that out later. Things will work out. Right now I need to see what the heck Domon is doing in the kitchen.'
She cautiously peeked out of her door into the kitchen. Domon stood in front of the oven, pouring salt into a pan of something smoking slightly. "Um, Domon, what are you making?"
He looked over his shoulder as she walked into the kitchen and stood behind him. "Oh, good morning. Chibodee and George brought you home last night." His eyes hardened slightly. "Apparently you had a run in with a drunk."
His face softened and he melted her heart when he looked right into her eyes, brow creased with concern. "Are you okay?"
Rain blushed, partly from embarrassment about the night before, partly because of the way Domon was looking at her. She hoped that George and Chibodee wouldn't treat her any differently after this; she hadn't meant to fall all over them. She also hoped that George had kept his promise and not told anyone about her plans. "I'm fine. I've dealt with drunks before, and the guys were there to help."
Domon took the pan off the burner and set it to the side. Then, to her surprise, he spun around and enveloped her in a hug. Her heart began to race at the sudden warmth she felt from his chest and his strong arms. It felt so right to be in his arms like this. 'But it can't last…'
He let her go and looked into her eyes again. "Don't leave me like that again, I was worried when you didn't show at the arcade. Next time something happens, I want to be there to protect you."
Rain resisted the urge to spill all of her feelings right then and there. Instead, she steeled her resolve, and looked away from his piercing stare. "Sorry, me and the guys lost track of time."
Domon nodded. "Just don't do it again." He turned back to his food and Rain breathed a sigh of relief. Once again, she had managed to keep her feelings inside.
She cringed when Domon scraped the brownish, yellowish goop onto two plates. "Would you believe I've never made eggs before? I hope these tasted good."
Rain picked up a plate and stared down at the "eggs" on it. She could see white shards of eggshell sticking up out of the mass. He had somehow managed to burn parts of it to a crispy black, while other parts were still liquid. "This looks…fine. Thanks for making breakfast."
Domon grabbed his plate and sat down at the table. Rain sat across the table and took a quick look out the window. It seemed unusually bright outside for the morning. "What time is it?"
Domon calmly picked up the paper, not noticing the white slip that fell from it. "Around noon."
"WHAT?!"
Domon looked over the top of the open paper, his mouth full of egg. "You looked tired, so I didn't wake you up."
Rain sighed and stabbed her fork into her egg in annoyance. Her eyes widened when she put the bite into her mouth. Domon must have put in a whole bottle of salt and pepper, and her eyes watered. She forced herself to bite down, ignoring the crunch of salt and eggshell as she chewed. She swallowed, thanking the gods for her strong anti-gag reflexes.
Domon spoke to her from behind the paper he was reading. "So, how are your eggs?"
Rain took a swig of the orange juice beside her, and then spoke in a slightly raspy voice. "Fine!"
They both turned when the phone rang, and Domon grabbed it. "Hello?…Oh, hi Allenbey!"
Rain's heart fell.
"An emergency?"
Rain was instantly on alert, her doctor's instincts kicking in.
"Okay, I'll come down then…Bye." He hung up, and Rain looked at him expectantly. He noticed her stare, and waved his hands. "Don't worry, it's not a big deal. Allenbey just says she has something very important to tell me."
Domon lifted his plate and began to fork the rest of his eggs down his throat. Rain was glad he couldn't see her hurt face. 'I wonder what she needs to say. Probably setting up a date. I guess I finally succeeded. Why do I still feel so empty?'
Domon tossed his plate into the sink and headed for the ladder that led to the upper deck. "See you later Rain. I don't think I'll be gone long!"
Rain looked blankly down at her plate. 'At least Domon will be gone…' She stood and walked over to the trashcan. 'So I can get rid of this!'
She dumped it into the can, and then looked in surprise at the huge stain it had left on the plate. 'What did Domon put in this?!' A piece of paper on table caught her attention, and she walked over and looked at it. It had her name written on the front in bold letters.
"What's this?" She curiously picked it up and unfolded it, reading the short note. 'Dear Rain, Meet me at dock number 14 downtown at eight. I'll be waiting for you. Sincerely, Domon.' Rain raised an eyebrow, wondering what Domon could be planning. 'Maybe some late night training? What could he want?'
Domon found Allenbey at the dock, where she had told him to meet her. She sat on the rail, patiently awaiting his arrival. When she saw him coming, she smiled and waved. "Hey, Domon! Did you sleep in late? You look like you just woke up."
Domon blushed slightly, remembering how he had woken beside Rain. "Yeah…" He quickly changed the subject. "What did you need to tell me?"
Allenbey grinned mischievously. "Well, I found out who sent us that note." She paused. "I also found out why we've been running into each other so much. It hasn't been on accident."
"So someone is setting us up? Who is it?"
"You haven't figured it out yet?" Domon glared at her. "Was I supposed to know?"
Allenbey looked apologetic. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."
Domon shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, who's been setting us up?"
Allenbey grinned again. "Well, you're gonna find out, but not yet. I have plans."
Domon raised an eyebrow. "So when do you tell me?"
"I won't. You'll figure it out. Be here at eight. The person who did this will come here too, talking about a note."
Domon rolled his eyes. "Do we have to make this so difficult?"
"Domon Kasshu, this is the only way I'm gonna get you to admit anything." With that, she walked away, leaving Domon confused.
'What is she talking about?'
A/N- Yay, new chappy for me!! What do you think? Please R&R, it makes me happy! Remember, if you ever have any ideas, feel free to share them. Love and Peace! ^_^ v