Kyousuke's Night of More Strange Dreams

Something made Kyousuke Kasuga stir from his sleep. His slumber had been dreamless and very light; he was much too anxious about tomorrow to relax completely. For an hour or two he had just lain on the couch trying to think of the various emergencies that could happen tomorrow, and how to counter them.

He opened an eye, and saw a figure sitting in one of the living room chairs, which had been placed beside the window. It appeared to be looking out at the stars.

Kyousuke sat up slowly on the couch. "Ayukawa?" he called, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. There was no answer. He got up and made his way to the seated figure, and saw that it was indeed his visitor, only she was asleep, slumped against the chair's comfortable backrest, and was again in male form.

He scratched the side of his head in puzzlement, then hunted around for the red glow of the clock beside the telephone. Almost five AM. Gently he placed a hand on Ayukawa's shoulder and shook him awake.

The seated figure opened its eyes. "Kasuga-kun?" it croaked in its low voice. "What time is it?"

"Almost time for Ojii-chan to arrive. Better get up and get ready."

"Hai. Oh, I made some coffee if you want some. It's on the dining table." Madoka sat up and stretched out his arms. "I hope your family will excuse me for puttering around the kitchen. I made breakfast," she explained.

"Really?" said Kyousuke. "You shouldn't have troubled yourself."

"It's no trouble at all. Besides, Kasuga-kun, we're going to be facing the Antarctic cold in a few hours. You should eat as much as you can to provide your body with energy." The bishounen stood up.

"Yeah," Kyousuke agreed. "Ayukawa, why are you like that again? And why did you sleep in the armchair?"

"Hmm? Oh, I just felt like experiencing this one last time. It's not every day a girl gets to experience life from the point of view of a boy. And as for me sleeping here... well, I felt safer with Kasuga-kun the esper around to guard me." He smiled bashfully at Kyousuke.

They went to the kitchen, where Kyousuke found the entire table set out, and a variety of breakfast foods on the table.

"Wow, I'm amazed you did all this. Didn't you sleep at all?"

"Couple of hours, I think. I was too nervous to sleep much."

Kyousuke sat down and Madoka poured him a cup of coffee, then sat down himself. They ate heartily and silently, trying to prepare themselves for the upcoming journey.

"Hey," he asked, "does your sister know about this?"

"No. I told her I'd be staying over at Kuonji-san's because I had a school project to finish with her. And I told Hikaru-chan the same thing."

"But... what happens if Hikaru-chan meets Ukyou in school and she finds out you were lying?"

Madoka dropped his fork and looked at Kyousuke, his eyes flashing. "Hey, I can't pack for a polar trip and think up the perfect excuse at the same time, okay? I'll deal with it later."

Kyousuke bent his head. "Sorry."

Madoka sighed. "No, I'm sorry, Kasuga-kun. I'm just so nervous about the whole thing. I feel I'll fall to pieces just thinking about it. Besides," she said with a feeble smile and an equally feeble attempt at laughing the whole thing off, "the thought of you seeing me in the nude makes me very uncomfortable, even if it's something that has to be done."

"Oi, Ayukawa, how the heck do you think I feel about you seeing me naked? I mean, at least you're a girl, and girls' bodies don't show what they're feeling at the time." Kyousuke blushed furiously.

"You dolt," said Madoka. "When I bathe in the spring I'm going to have to be a guy, remember? So you don't have to worry about me seeing you in the nude so much. I've seen it all before, Kasuga-kun." Madoka gulped and looked down at himself. "But it doesn't mean I've gotten used to it yet."

The finished their meal in silence, cleared their plates off the table, and began to gather their things in the living room.

"There," said Kyousuke as he piled his own backpack on top of the other stuff they were bringing along. "Now all we have to do is get dressed."

Madoka scooped up a tied-together assembly of metal rods and plastic sheeting. "What's this, Kasuga-kun?"

"Hmm? Oh, that's a tent I borrowed from Akane-chan yesterday. I told her it was going to be used by you, and she was only too happy to oblige." Kyousuke's cousin, tempestuous as a hurricane, was also an esper and had a huge crush on Madoka. When he had told her of her favorite's problem, she had gushed and said, "Oh, I'll take her in any form she is! Guy or girl! I'm sure she's just as wonderful either way!"

"I know it's a tent. I mean, why are you bringing it along? We're not staying that long, are we?"

"Well, I thought we might, but the real reason I brought it along—" Kyousuke swallowed "—was so you could have somewhere private to change in."

Madoka looked at him for a moment. "That's... quite touching, Kasuga-kun. Thank you." For the second time in a few hours, he walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. Even though she was a guy right now, Kyousuke found himself wishing she'd fall more into the habit of doing so.

But this time, instead of pulling away from him, Madoka's face remained near Kyousuke's. Eyes of a liquid light blue looked at him as the bishounen said, "Neh, Kasuga-kun, I hope you don't mind," just before he plunged forward and locked lips with Kyousuke.

Kyousuke's eyes grew wide, and he impulsively brought his hands up to push the guy kissing him away. As his palms landed on Madoka's chest, however, her female instincts took over, and a cry sounded in his throat as he jerked away from Kyousuke and slapped him.

Kyousuke's hand flew up to his cheek, and he eyed the bishounen standing before him warily.

Madoka, taken aback at his own reaction, put a hand to his lips. "Kasuga-kun! I'm so sorry!"

"No, it's my fault. I should've remembered not to put my hands there." He sighed bitterly. I knew I'd never be able to kiss her anyway, not without something coming along and ruining everything. "Why'd you kiss me, Ayukawa? You should have known I'd try to push you away."

"I'm sorry, Kasuga-kun. I just wanted to thank you for being so thoughtful." He turned away. "I guess I didn't realize you'd act so strongly against me kissing you."

Kyousuke was silent for a moment, and they both stood still like statues in some urban tableau. "That's because you're a boy right now. But you know what?"

"What?"

"If you want, we could try again."

Madoka looked back at him. "Are you sure?"

Kyousuke nodded. "It's you anyway. What does it matter if you're a guy or a girl? Just please... don't surprise me."

"Alright." Slowly, hesitantly, Madoka walked back to him. As he was about to kiss Kyousuke, however, the latter raised a hand.

"Hey, this time, let me do the kissing, okay?"

Madoka nodded shyly. "Okay."

Kyousuke took a deep breath and brought his lips down on Madoka's, and his arms went around his bishounen companion in a gentle hug. Madoka's hands lighted on his shoulders, and they forged on, each of them savoring the strange new sensations they were feeling.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of heads were stealthily peeking out of the corner of the corridor entrance leading to the various bedrooms.

Kurumi nudged Manami. "I win the bet, Manami-chan," she whispered. "Pay up. Ten thousand yen, like we agreed." They had been awakened by the noises coming from the kitchen and had gone to investigate. Kurumi had emerged from the passageway just in time to see her brother and Madoka-bishounen kissing, and, immensely shocked at the sight, ducked hastily back behind cover, taking the still-unknowing Manami with her. They had remained quiet and watched everything, from the slap to the second kiss, and knew instinctively that if they at any point had chosen to interrupt things, both members of the couple would probably have died from the deep humiliation.

"Alright, Kurumi, I'll pay you later." Manami had already had an inkling she would lose when she bet against her twin that her older brother wouldn't be able to resist Ayukawa-sempai, no matter what form she was in. Aniki, I'll get you for this, you made me lose money...

Kyousuke broke off the kiss and looked Madoka in the eyes. "Ayukawa... I don't know what to say..."

Madoka knew far less. He simply sighed and put his arms around Kyousuke's upper back, fingers bracing against his shoulders, then put the side of his head on the esper's chest.

Kyousuke closed his eyes. After wanting to hold the sukeban for so long, yet being forced apart from her every time, the upwelling of emotion in his heart was almost too much for him to bear. He wanted to cry.

"Ayukawa... I lo–"

"Hush," whispered Madoka. "Don't say it. Not yet, Kasuga-kun."

There was a moment of dead silence. "Why?"

"Hikaru-chan."

At Madoka's mention of her best friend, Kyousuke's grip tightened. He shut his eyes tighter and kissed the fragrant hair so near his face. Why did you have to bring that up now, Ayukawa? Why, when I was just starting to think everything would be alright between us now?

"Is that," he asked, "why you won't tell me what I want to hear from you?"

His transformed love interest didn't reply, and the silence gave him the answer he had known all along was there.

The mentioning of Hikaru seemed to pull Madoka away from Kyousuke. Even though they were at long last in each other's arms, it suddenly seemed that a wide gulf had yawned between them, and try as he might, the young esper could find no way to bridge the wide gap. Now, more than ever, the tears threatened to give away his anguish and loneliness.

There was a small noise from just beyond the passageway to the bedrooms, and it roused Kyousuke from his melancholy. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Who's there? Manami? Kurumi?" he called. "Come out. I heard you."

Madoka wanted to pull away from him, but Kyousuke held him fast. "Kasuga-kun," he protested in a whisper, "let me go!"

"No," Kyousuke said firmly. "You're staying right where you are. Appearances be damned."

"Kasuga-kun..."

Manami suddenly appeared at the passageway entry, propelled out of hiding by a shove from the embarrassed Kurumi, who didn't want to have to face her onii-chan at such an intimate moment. She knew Manami was better at dealing with their older brother at such times, and so preemptively pushed her into the open to do just that.

"Uhm, er, hi, onii-chan, Ayukawa-sempai," Manami stammered, giving her still-hidden twin a glare with her brown eyes.

"How long have you been watching?" Kyousuke asked her.

"Long enough. Oh, don't give me that look, please, onii-chan!" she wailed. "It was all Kurumi's fault!" She reached over and dragged her co-conspirator out of hiding.

"What?" sputtered Kurumi as she came out into the open. "You also wanted to watch, don't deny it!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"I said did not!"

"Well I say you did too!"

Kyousuke broke into the squabble with, "I swear, I'm going to Jusenkyo to find the Spring of Drowned Man just so I can throw you two in it. You do know it's bad manners to spy on other people when they're doing something intimate, don't you?"

Manami bowed her head and said penitently, "I'm sorry, onii-chan. It's just so strange, watching you and Ayukawa-sempai kissing when she's like that." She gestured towards Madoka. "I never thought you'd have the guts to do it. Anyway, I wish to apologize for spying on you," she continued more formally. "And Kurumi does too." She glanced at her twin and nudged her in the ribs with an elbow.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry too, onii-chan, Madoka-san."

Kyousuke finally released Madoka, who chose to bow and gesture towards the kitchen. "If you'd like," he said in his throaty contralto, as much as to inform the twins as divert attention from himself and Kyousuke, "I made breakfast for everyone. Please, help yourselves."

The twins' expressions brightened. "Really? Thank you!" They bowed and were off, racing to the dining table to feed their considerable appetites.

"Those two," Kyousuke grumbled. "I'm sorry if they embarrassed you, Ayukawa."

"It's all right," said Madoka. He chuckled. "I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it. It must have been uncomfortable for them to watch their brother kissing another guy. Let them be."

Kyousuke's expression turned contemplative. "It's strange," he said quietly. "I thought I'd feel much worse kissing you like this, but I've found out that I'm wrong."

"I... well then, I'm glad you think that way, Kasuga-kun." Madoka came to stand by him. "Back when had that little discussion on the bus... you know, I really was thinking you were chasing me only for my body."

"I won't lie to you, Ayukawa. That's a reason why. But not the only one." Kyousuke looked at him and smiled. "Certainly not the most important one."

There was a noise, and they turned around to see the stocky, mustachioed figure of Ojii-chan, dressed in winter gear and bearing a large backpack, appear behind them. He momentarily sought his bearings, then saw the couple and nodded in greeting. "Good morning. Oi, Kyousuke, Madoka, why aren't you dressed?"

"Maybe you'd want to eat a bit while we change," suggested Kyousuke after bowing, taking his grandfather's pack from him and setting it on the living room table. "It'll take us just a few minutes."

"Right, I will." Ojii-chan walked into the kitchen, and after a few seconds of talking to the twins—who were already busily consuming their appropriately-sized second helpings—began to scold them for not waking their father up. Kyousuke heard Kurumi protesting as he went to his room to get his winter clothing so he could change in the bathroom. He was a bit sad inside that his first kiss with Madoka was with her as a guy. Fate, it seemed to him, really was a fickle mistress.