Disclaimer: I don't own Cyborg Soldier 009. It is owned by Shotaro Ishinomori (or whatever his real name is), TV Tokyo, and some very rich people.
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RISING SUN: Chapter I
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Yawning, Joe covered his mouth with one hand as he pushed open the kitchen door with his other hand. "Good morning, 00…" he trailed off as he stared in shock at the sight in front of him.
"Oh, good morning 009!" Françoise said cheerfully, wearing a red and white apron, spatula in one hand and bowl in the other. "Do you like pancakes?" Without waiting for an answer, she turned back to the counter, humming to herself.
"Um…" It was a shock to Joe to see anyone besides Chang cooking. "Uh…pancakes sound good. But, where's 006?"
"Huh?" Françoise questioned, glancing at him over her shoulder. "Oh, I told him to take a break today and that I'd make breakfast. Although he was a bit hesitant to let me cook." She giggled and turned back to stove. "I hope you don't mind—my cooking isn't nearly as good as 006's."
Joe grinned. "No one's cooking skills can match his. But here, let me help." He grabbed a spare white apron and joined her at the counter.
"Thanks!" she replied. "Um, let's see…Ah, yes! Get the bacon, sausage, and eggs. I've got the bread in the toaster and I'm working on the pancakes." Joe nodded his agreement and the two bustled about the kitchen.
After an hour of hard work in the kitchen, Joe and Françoise had prepared 9 plates of scrambled eggs, toast, sausage, bacon, and pancakes, neatly placed on their new dinner table.
"Well, that sure is a lot of food," Joe commented, glancing at the rather large plates piled with food.
Françoise nodded. "I thought that since everyone is leaving today, they should have a healthy breakfast this morning."
"But…" Joe began, looking at her. "You and I are just house- and baby-sitting today. Aren't we?"
Françoise frowned slightly as she returned to the kitchen, Joe following behind her. "Didn't 006 tell you?"
"Huh?" Joe scratched his head. "Tell me what?"
Placing a bottle of milk in warm water, she turned to look at the brown-haired young man in front of her. "He asked us to go help him with his restaurant's reopening today."
"Again?" Joe sighed, remembering how bossy 006 had been before, making him run to so many different places so many times just to buy the "perfect materials."
Françoise giggled. "Don't be so unenthusiastic," she scolded. "Besides, it's much better than sitting around the house with nothing to do."
"Easy for you to say," Joe mumbled. "I have to run around buying the 'perfect materials' for him while you just walk around in that cute little dress of yours."
The blonde blushed at his comment, but he didn't seem to notice, still grumbling about the upcoming day. "Don't worry. I'm sure he's not as picky as before."
"Hey! Something sure does smell good! Once again, the great chef—" GB stopped himself as he stared at the couple in front of him, both dressed in dirty aprons. "Um, 006?"
Françoise laughed. "No silly. 009 and I made breakfast today. I hope it tastes as good as it smells."
GB grinned. "I doubt that it won't." Then he grinned slyly at the two in front of him, causing them to look at him in confusion. "So that's all you've been doing in here, eh?"
"Huh? What are you talking about, 007?" Joe asked, blinking confusedly.
GB through an arm around Joe's neck. "You know what I'm talking about, lover boy!"
"EH?!" Joe and Françoise gasped.
Laughing, GB ran out of the room to escape the woman's wrath, only to hit something rock-hard when he opened the door. Rubbing his nose, GB looked up to see the large form of Geronimo looking down at him. "Hey 005! Don't you know it's rude to stand in the doorway like that?"
Geronimo simply grabbed GB by his collar, earning some complaints from the shorter man. "I came to stop you from embarrassing 009 and 003," he said, still holding on to a struggling GB. "But it seems I am too late," Geronimo added, seeing Joe's red-tinted cheeks and Françoise's crimson face.
GB grinned, shrugging. "Heh?"
Shaking his head, Geronimo carried him out of the kitchen. "We should leave those two alone to let them get cleaned up."
"Mou…you're no fun!"
An embarrassed Joe and Françoise were left to stare at the door. They looked at each other, then turned their heads away quickly, both blushing.
"Ano…I guess we should clean up and join the others?" Joe questioned carefully, taking off the apron.
Françoise nodded, taking off her apron as well. "You go ahead. I have to feed 001 first." She took the warm milk bottle from the bowl and turned to smile at Joe before leaving the kitchen.
Shaking his head slightly, Joe left the kitchen and sat himself at the dinner table, only to be bombarded with 3 smug smirks. "Na-nani?" he asked, starting to feel intimidated by their looks.
"Oh, nothing. It's nothing," GB said, but still wearing a sly grin as he stuffed a spoonful of scrambled eggs into his mouth, glancing at Joe from the corner of his eye.
Joe frowned, then looked at Jet and Albert sitting across from him. Getting annoyed at their looks, he finally exclaimed, "What IS it?!"
"As if you don't know," Jet replied, crossing his arms and grinning at the frustrated man in front of him.
Joe turned his annoyed red eyes at the man next to him. "What did you tell them, 007?"
GB gave their unofficial leader an innocent look. "Moi? What is there that I would have to tell them?"
"Lots," a feminine voice said. All eyes turned from the arguing duo to the frowning woman that just walked in, holding 001 with one arm and the bottle with her other hand.
"0-003!" GB stuttered. "Uh…good morning?"
"A good morning indeed," she replied sweetly, taking a seat next to Joe. "Now would you like to tell us what you told the others? Or should I tell 009 myself?"
"I—I don't know what you're talking about," GB finally stated, closing his eyes and turning his head up.
-I know what he said.- Ivan announced. –I'm not sure I understood it.-
"We have a telepathic baby who supposedly knows everything about anything that science has to offer, and yet he doesn't know the first thing about love!" GB raved.
"Ah hah!" Joe said, pointing an accusing finger—er, fork—at the man. "So you did say something!"
"Nani?" GB blinked, then grabbed his head, rubbing it in frustration. "GAH! You manipulative baby!" The others laughed at his plight.
"What did he say?" Joe persisted. It seemed everyone but he knew. And from the blushing face of Françoise, he determined that it had something to do with her.
"He said that you and mfmmmmph—" Pyunma was cut off as GB slapped a hand over the sea-loving man's mouth.
"I said nothing, heh." GB laughed nervously.
"Right, nothing," Dr. Gilmore agreed, causing GB to smile at the old man. "Except giving us explicit details of how you and 003 were making ou—" The doctor's sentence was cut off as GB leapt across the table to cover his mouth. However, Joe already knew what the doctor was about to say, especially if Françoise's now tomato-red face was any indication.
"Would you care to give us some details?" Jet added, enjoying their leader's discomfort.
"N-nani???" Joe stared at the long-nosed man in front of him in shock and anger.
"What we do is our business alone," Françoise remarked, finally having regained her composure. The other cyborgs and the doctor turned to look at her.
"Fra- Françoise!" Joe exclaimed.
Smirking, the female cyborg looked at the others. "I don't see why we should tell you about anything that we choose to do privately, right Joe?" She looked discreetly at Joe and gave him the smallest of winks.
Blinking rapidly, Joe finally caught on. "Right," he began, eyeing the girl next to him. "Well, unless you are ready for about an hour's worth of details describing all the positions, motions, sounds…"
"NNOO!!! STOP IT!!!" Chang cried, falling out of his seat. "I don't want to hear anymore!" The short Chinese covered his ears in terror.
Dr. Gilmore stared at the ninth cyborg in surprise. "Well…uh…" He suddenly stood up and left the room. Geronimo simply continued to eat his breakfast while Pyunma suddenly covered his mouth and ran to the bathroom.
Jet and Albert just blinked at the couple in front of them, and then turned to look at each other. "I didn't expect for them to actually admit to anything," Jet whispered.
"Me neither," Albert whispered back, but turning to look at the couple, he noticed their slightly red cheeks. "I don't think they were serious though." Jet also looked at the embarrassed couple and nodded his agreement.
GB looked at the two of them and stammered. "Guh…uh…duh…" He numbly climbed off the table and pointed at the two cyborgs again. "Yuh…duh…uh…guh…" Giving up, he walked away as if in a trace, dragging his legs, one hand still pointing in front of him, his mouth opening and closing.
After a moment of silence, besides chewing sounds from Jet, Albert, and Geronimo, Ivan spoke up. –What kind of positions and motions are involved in such activities? And 007 didn't mention any sounds.-
Another uncomfortable silence ensued, only interrupted by the sound of a fork dropping on a plate. Joe covered his red face with one hand, muttering, "001…"
~
Joe and Françoise stood silently side by side as they washed and dried the dishes. Stealing glances here and there, they would blush if their eyes met, returning to cleaning the dishes in the utmost concentration.
"Ano…" Joe finally broke the silence. He had finished washing the last of the plates and was drying his hands on a towel.
"Sorry about that," Françoise replied, putting away the last plate and drying her hands on her apron. "I didn't mean to embarrass you." She avoided eye contact with him as she took off the apron and put it away.
"Hey…" Joe gently grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him. Using his other hand, he took her chin and titled her head up so that she was looking him in the eye. "You didn't. But I'm sorry if I embarrassed you." He blushed slightly remembering what he had implied earlier.
Françoise just smiled, reaching one hand up to stroke his cheek. "You didn't."
Joe smiled back at her, only to find himself staring at her lips. He started leaning towards her, tilting her head as she stood up on her tiptoes, and her hand moving to the back of his head. Their lips were an inch apart, their breath mingling with one another's…
"003! Hurry up! You still need to change!"
Chang's sudden shout caused the two to break apart from each other suddenly, both blushing deeply and looking anywhere but each other. "Ano…" Joe began, head bowed, but his eyes were looking up through his bangs.
"I…I guess I should go…change…" Françoise trailed off, finally looking up for a split second before rushing out of the room.
Joe sighed and rubbed his temples. "I almost kissed her. Then 006 interrupted." Shaking his head, he remembered that he had to help out today at the restaurant as well. "I guess I should go change as well," he remarked to himself, looking at his wet white T-shirt and faded blue jeans. Looking at the swinging door, Joe sighed and followed Françoise's hasty exit.
~
"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." –Carl Jung
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NO! They were so close! And 006 just HAD to interrupt them! Aww…they were an inch away. Why did that happen? Gr. Damn Tora (she's my evil side). Don't worry! I will have Tora suppressed by next chapter so that I can get some appropriate fluff in there. ^^ Don't worry Joe! You'll get another chance…and hopefully it won't be in a kitchen. Hopefully, I will get the actual plot up by the next few chapters. But I need the fluff before the plot, for certain reasons that are for me to know and for you to find out (I've always wanted to say that ^^). And I would also like to thank those who have read this and, hopefully, liked it. I don't mind that you don't review, because I rarely review…I know, isn't Tora just evil? Well, I've been making it a habit to try and review Cyborg 009 fanfiction. Well, now to thank my few yet kind reviewers.
Queen of Duels: I think they are fun to watch as well. ^^ And I love YOUR stories! Especially the Prank Wars. I'll update if you will. ^.-
CosmoAngel1: I know…009 and 003 are cute together. They had some good moments in the anime too. Hehe. =D
Chocolate covered Videl: I haven't really seen Françoise really mad before, so I'm not sure how she would react. But you are right, if it were me, I would be mad too, I mean three. Haha. ^^'
|-Steph-chan-|: I hope you find this one "kawaii" too! If not, tell me what I can do to make it cuter. Or fluffier. ^^
WindPrincess1: I know, me too! I wonder why no one ever wrote for this before? But I think it has more to do with Cyborg 009 coming out in the US, Canada, or wherever. Although a LITTLE late, considering this anime is older than…well, Doraemon. But I liked old anime, especially Doraemon. ^^