Chapter 9 – What are friends for?
Kaname was washing the dishes and Sousuke was putting away his present, when they heard a knock at the door.
"Hey Sousuke let me in, even if you have a girl in there!" Kurz pounded on the door and hollered, "I know you two are in there – get decent and let me in!"
Holding her hand up, Kaname signaled to Sousuke to stay put.
The door cracked open, exposing only her face, fingers wrapped around the door, and part of her bare leg. "I'm sorry but we're busy right now – please come back later," she quietly said and put her finger to her lips indicating silence.
Blinking at Kaname, Kurz would have passed out but the lecherous side of him willed him to remain conscious.
"Kaname! Let him in. Don't give him any ideas!" Sousuke hollered. Swinging the door open to reveal she was modestly clad in a t-shirt and shorts, she doubled over in laughter sputtering, "Isn't shock value great?"
Kurz whined as he ambled in, "Oh man! She has an evil side to her, Sousuke – watch out!"
"Tell me about it!" Sousuke replied grinning at Kurz, who wearily plopped onto the couch and placed a long package at his feet.
He leaned back and gently kicked it over to Sousuke. "Here little bro, I thought you might feel exposed without any weapons. So I brought you a gift."
Sousuke, tilted his head slightly, questioning.
"Well, go ahead – open it," Kurz urged as Kaname came to sit beside Sousuke.
Tearing apart the package, revealed a Mauser SP66 sniper rifle. He ran his fingers up the length of the barrel and over the sighting scope. Then no longer able to resist, he aimed over at the wall.
Looking up at Kurz, gratitude welling up inside, he managed with voice a little thick, "Thank you big brother." Taking Kurz's hand firmly, he helped him up to give him a gruff bear hug.
"Well, now put it away, you don't want to leave your toy lying around," Kurz chided. Sousuke obeyed and pulled the cushions off the couch to open his weapons trunk, swaddling the rifle as he put it in.
A glimpse of the Glock caught Kurz's eye. "Well, well – what do we have here? You weren't weaponless?" he prodded as he reached for the pistol.
"Uhm...you would probably say, I got lucky," Sousuke admitted conspiratorially with color in his cheeks.
A gasp escaped Kaname – he actually joked and a BAD ONE at that. Wrapping her arm around his head and rubbing her knuckles in his hair, she retorted, "Revenge will be sweet, moron! I'll bring my halisen tomorrow!"
"Ow! Uhm... Ow!" Sousuke sniveled as he tried to escape – like a cat backing away from water. This wasn't a 'comfortable' position for him being next to her chest – especially in front of Kurz.
Kurz snorted a surprised laugh at the two, and perched on the floor slapping his knee. Putting the pistol back, allowed Sousuke to re-cushion the couch after he freed himself. They all crawled onto it as there was another knock at the door.
"Sousuke, it's me Mao. You here?" Hope was in her voice.
Sousuke shrugged and went to let her in. She was also carrying a package. Tilting their heads, Kaname and Kurz simultaneously moved from the couch to the floor. They were going to have to get up anyway.
Mao made herself comfortable, as she watched Sousuke open the present. Victoriously, he held up the AKS-74U shorty assault rifle. Kaname and Kurz clapped and OOH-ed appropriately. Hugging the rifle, Sousuke gratefully responded, "Thank you, Sis."
Melissa shrugged it off saying, "It's nothing – just had to take care of my little bro."
Kurz pulled the cushions off the couch, so Sousuke could add the new acquisition to his personal armory. Slapping her forehead with her palm, Melissa rolled her eyes as she saw the other weapons in the trunk. They'd beat her to it. Kaname put the cushions back. When everyone but Sousuke sat on the couch, the ex-soldier mused as he beamed with joy, "It's only June. But, this is how I always thought Christmas would be like if I'd celebrated it – together with my family."
Another knock at the door made them all jump and they all piled to the door. "Special delivery for Mr. Sagara Sousuke from Captain Testarossa and Lt. Commander Kalinin," the Mithril deliveryman winked as he announced the large crate.
Kurz couldn't restrain himself from saying, "And Santa just arrived with his box full of toys for the good little boy." Everyone helped him drag it inside.
When Sousuke had finished emptying the crate, an RPG-7V bazooka with 7 boxes of flash grenades, a sat phone and manuals lay on the floor beside him. Wondering if the grenade launcher would fit in the trunk, Sousuke read the letter that came with the crate.
"Dear Sousuke,
As you already know, you're still on the reservist list with Mithril for 2 years. We wanted to personally supply you with a few things that may come in useful – should the need ever arise.
Enjoy!
Tessa and Kalinin"
...
Kurz spying Melissa about to doze on the couch, said, "Hey sis, let's go buy each other a beer." She held out her hand for him to help her up. Then with guilt checking him, he started his confession, "Sousuke, I need to tell you something."
The younger Sergeant looked up at him, placidly.
"Well, you see. It's like this...Do you remember when those guys were dissing you at the shooting range – that you'd never know what to do with a girl?"
Sousuke nodded.
"Well, I made them a bet...and I owe you the picture and the negatives."
Sousuke and Kaname both leaned forward with an eyebrow raised.
Pulling out a packet of negatives and the photo from his coat pocket, he confessed, "I had the pilot take pictures of when you two were reunited. Then I showed those jerks this one, of you two almost making out on the runway and made them pay up. I bought the rifle with that money. Best Wager I've made in years!" Handing them to Sousuke he shared the real doozy with eyebrows waggling mischievously, "I was really tempted to sell them. Could have made a mint!" Melissa slapped Kurz up the backside of his head and dragged him out by the ear, "Come on Kurzie."
Sousuke just shook his head, set the items aside, and leaned back on the couch with his arm around Kaname. Who could have a better first day as a civilian?