Authoress here.

I really need a new keyboard for Navvy. The keys are sticky, and the Delete key is broken from me flying into a fit of rage at Navvy's eventual slowness some time ago.

Hah, this is awesome! My wonnerful sister made me a CD of Disney songs, so I've been stopping typing to sing along to "Be A Man" and "Zero to Hero." Good stuff.

Thanks to all of my wonderful reviewers again, you guys rock my socks off. And thank you for all your helpful suggestions! And as the voting goes, I will incorporate a "tasteful lemon" in. Now the question is: how do I make a lemon tasteful? I have a couple chapters yet to figure that 'un out.

Krazy Korean, you don't have to read this if you don't like it! Geeze...(mumbles) Koreans...heh heh..just kidden' with ya. And yes, Jewel, it's the same Korean you're thinking it is.

Anyhoo, onto the eight chappie!

Three-Way Tie

Chapter Eight: Like Words On a Page


Gravitation

"I'm, trying, to, find, someone" The Caucasian man said loudly, as if the extra volume would do anything to make the woman at the Information office understand his English. The woman shook her head apologetically, and pointed a couple desks down.

The man sighed, running a hand distractedly through his blonde hair, then pausing to push his thin-frame glasses higher up to the bridge off his nose. The woman he had been talking to had been the third person he had tried to get information from. He was trying to find his girlfriend, and he was trying to do so without any information as to where she was.

He had come to the Tokyo Immigration and Visitor Information Center to try and get some help, but so far no one had been able to understand him. This was odd, because if it were the Immigration office, one would think that the employees should know English. He shook the thought away and headed towards the indicated desk with a sigh.

"Excuse me" He said hopefully to the man sitting there. To his relief, the man looked up and smiled.

"Yes? How may I help you"

"I'm trying to find someone, and all I have is her name."

The man smiled again, knowingly. He tapped his nose with his index finger. "This someone wouldn't happen to be the love of your life, hmm"

A blush came to his cheeks as he answered. "Yes."

The man at the desk laughed a little. "I'm sorry, that's an odd question to ask, I know. But I've been reading these wonderful novels by...um...here." He fumbled in the desk drawer for a moment before drawing out a paperback. "Ah, Eiri Yuki. The man's a genius, and he writes in a way to make anyone's head get filled up with romantic nonsense."

"You're quite forgiven."

"Thank you. Now, all I need is your name, and the name of the little lady you're trying to find."

"My name is Alex DuFrense." Alex paused, a smile playing on his lips. "And I'm looking for Aoyou Tsumaru."

Aoyou Tsumaru

I opened up the manuscript Miss Mizuki had given me, armed and ready with my pen and highlighter. After about a half an hour's worth of reading, I was beginning to see why Yuki's books were so popular. But I was also beginning to sense a theme, which was starting to get heartily embarrassing.

The main female character was beginning to remind me of...myself, although Yuki played up her short temper quite a bit. The character's name was Sunou, and she had long brown hair, like I did, and was Japanese-American, like I am. And when he started describing the situation she began to get herself in, I was heavily reminded of what had happened to me.

"Sunou blushed, a fair rose coming to her pale skin. The man she had just walked into was studying her with a penetrating black gaze. His eyes were bottomless, and his stare was intense.

"I-I'm sorry" she stammered, uncomfortable under his scrutiny. "I apologize."

"There's no need." His voice was as smooth and as multi-layered as his gaze. "Neither of us were watching our step."

"You're all wet" the man observed. "Come, my apartment is a block over from this supermarket. You can dry off, and I'll get us something warm to drink."

Sunou nodded, too captivated by him to argue or refuse."

I kept reading, a frown coming to my face. The man took Sunou to his apartment, where she met his young roommate. Sunou and the roommate felt a strange connection, and soon the pair offered her a place to stay until she could get back on her own feet. The man's name was Shuro, and his roommate was Yahio.

"That bastard..." I muttered. The whole bathroom scene from my first few hours at Yuki's home was almost completely replicated in the manuscript, leaving out only Yuki's abrupt dropping of his bed sheet. Instead, the character Sunou fainted right after Shuro's entrance.

The story continued, with Shuro and Sunou arguing and Yahio trying in vain to mediate to two. I couldn't believe that Yuki would replicate real events so closely! But, he did veer from the original events at times. Like, he left out the mob and my wild announcement of my and Shuichi's "relationship." And, he added more passionate, romantic parts.

One of them happened right after the roommate Yahio saved Sunou from a man who had tried to mug her. Yahio and the robber had fought, and the robber escaped after punching Yahio in the stomach.

"Sunou's breath came in little mewing gasps, and she dropped down to her knees, ignoring the wet pavement. She pulled Yahio's head into her lap, and stroked his silk-spun black hair away from his face.

"Oh, Yahio" she sobbed. The young man opened his eyes slowly, and managed a painful half-smile.

"You're pretty even when you're crying." He said softly. Without even pausing to consider her actions, Sunou leaned down to place a lingering kiss on Yahio's lips. He responded, massaging her lips with his, and asking entrance with his tongue. She parted her cherry-red lips, and caressed his tongue with hers.

The intensity of their embrace overwhelmed them, and Yahio broke apart, sitting up. His eyes were shut tight with embarrassment. "Sunou, I apologize."

"Don't." Her voice has thick with emotion, and he turned to face her. She brought her lips to his, and the moisture from them brought a firey response from the young man she touched. He leaned into her kiss, overpowering her, bringing his dominance into play. He applied pressure, none too gentle, and forced her head back. He went to his knees, straddling her thighs, pushing her against the cold wall of the building behind her.

He abandoned her lips, and instead went to her neck. There he teased the soft skin between his teeth, and flicked his tongue across her. She moaned girlishly, inexperienced, excited, and frightened. He broke away, chest heaving, and his hands went slowly to the first button on her blouse.

He slipped the button free, and then the next, and the next. Pulling the fabric apart, he slipped his tongue down from her neck to her breast bone. He kissed it gently, and Sunau groaned, almost writhing with the strange emotions pushing at her. The sound of her pleasured distress fired him anew, and he sucked in harshly. Sunau brought her hands up from his shoulders and pushed on the crown of his raven head. He complied, and kissed the swell of her firm, perfect-

"Yuki, you animal" I had to stop reading. I knew the character Sunau was a direct reference to me, and Yahio was Shuichi. To read about two characters that were supposed to be us doing these things in an allyway, of all places, was downright embarrassing!

I glanced at my watch. It was almost time for me to head home, but I still had a half an hour. And if Miss Mizuki wanted it by noon tomorrow, I felt I needed to get as much done today as I could. I went back to the sentence I had stopped on.

"He complied, and kissed the swell of her firm, perfect breasts. Just the feel of her silken skin beneath the rough of his lips was enough to make him groan with need, and Sunaou couldn't help from mingling their voices as she moaned softly.

His hands cupped her chest, and with slow, flexing motions he explored her through her clothing. Sunau arched her back, pressing into his hands, eyes closed in the rapture his touch induced.

A shrill ringing made the both of them jump, Yahio retreating from her guiltily. The source of the ringing came from the cell phone in his coat pocket, and he quickly answered it while Sunau buttoned up her blouse, a blush on her fair cheeks.

I finished the manuscript, hungrily reading every word. Yuki really was a wonderful writer, however questionable the content. I had made what seemed like a thousand grammatical and spelling corrections, and I was in a good position to double-check my work tomorrow.

I slipped the manuscript into my briefcase and stood up, stretching. Now I needed a word or two with Yuki about the contents of his latest masterpiece.

End Chapter


Authoress present.

Okay, I realize this chapter is shorter than most...but seeing as I only put up the last chapter a couple days ago, I think I can get away with it this time.

Oof. It's the night before Thanksgiving, and I had a huge dinner. I hope I'll be hungry enough for tomorrow's feast! Everyone, all readers dear, have a fabulous Thanksgiving 'pon the morrow!

Here was a small sample of my idea of "tasteful lemon-ish-ness." Review and tell me what you think! Constructive critism welcomed and highly appreciated!