"NDS: Book 13—Neon: Chapter 94: Inu Gato and the Wedding Dress"

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Since I have no idea how to really describe a beautiful looking wedding dress, I'll just leave it to your imaginations when it comes up. We've all seen them. All you need to know is that it's white.

And yes, if you know Spanish and Japanese I think Inu Gato ends up being Dog Cat. Don't ask me where the names come from. They come from some off place in my mind where you find names such as Loki Guaraldi and Samuel Watterson. Actually, Loki is based on the frost giant blood-brother of Odin, Guaraldi is from Vince Guaraldi the guy who made that Charlie Brown Christmas song, and Watterson is from Bill Watterson, my hero, who made Calvin and Hobbes. The only other hero I have is Lance Armstrong for some odd reason.

Gah, anyway, let's go on with a Adven—Sakura heavy chapter.

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The Humphrey's Peak home of the Winslet family was quiet this afternoon. The sun was in the sky and part of it peeked it's way through the window on the building's walls, because where else would the windows be? Catherine and her daughter had left the home to go shopping among other things. That left Carole to sleep and rest while Sakura sat at the table enjoying a cup of tea. She was very ho-hum about things recently, and that was only made more obvious by the way she ran her finger around the lip of the cup. Her silent stare at the wall across from her as she sat at the table was broken when she shut her eyes at the sound of shoes on the wooden floor.

"Sa…I…uh…" Adven voice came from the nearby doorframe as he searched for the right words.

Sakura was less than amused. "What is it?"

He let out a cough. "I was just going to tell you that I was going to the tailor now to meet Jet." He paused. "I was worried you might still be sore at him, so I wasn't sure on what to say."

"No…that's all right." She sighed. Sakura was past holding a grudge over Jet. Now was the time for the awkward transition between them. "Thank you for thinking about my feelings though."

Adven suddenly had a new thought pop in his head. A question unanswered that he was dying to have an answer for. "Er…Sakura, I…I mean…I feel like there's some sort of gap between us recently." Though they were only five feet apart, it seemed like a mile. "Have…Have I done something wrong, because I am sorry that I did."

She shook her head slowly. "No…you did nothing wrong, Adven." She slowly turned her head to face him, opening her eyes and giving him a smile. "In fact, it was probably for the best. A good thing."

Adven stood there a bit perplexed. "And…what was it that I did?"

"I…I've been meaning to tell you…" She began as her smile dropped. It was suddenly silent and it felt like an eternity passed as he stared at her, and her eyes and face slowly drifted from his direction.

"What is it?" He wondered as he stood taller out of nervousness.

"I…" Her lips parted as her words hung on the tip of her tongue, but would not leave.

Suddenly the peace was broken as the front door opened. "Hello!" A suave voice greeted as the man walked into the room. He was a handsome man with blue eyes with black rimmed glasses in front of them. Glasses that didn't just help magnify his vision, but also enhance the beauty of his eyes. His head of red hair shook as the wind from outside touched it. As Sakura and Adven looked to him, he looked to Sakura, fixing his light blue collared shirt and given a kind look to her. "I'm sorry, but the door simply opened on me." He explained. He had come to it to knock, and instead it came open. Catherine must not have shut it fully as she left this morn.

Adven formed a fist. His upper teeth gnawing the lower ones. "Inu Gato!" He spoke out of anger. "What are you doing here?" He questioned with slit eyes and obvious distaste of the red-haired man named Inu.

"What right is it of yours' to ask me that, Bok?" Inu responded in a stuck-up sounding voice. He hid his mouth with a hand to it, as if mocking Adven. As Adven's fist grew tighter the man shook off the obvious anger radiating from the brunette and brought his hand to his side as he stepped closer to the table. "If you must know, I have heard of Sakura's loss, and have come to comfort her in her time of need."

"She needs none of the comfort you offer." Adven quickly spat.

Inu glanced at the man. "Mind your own business."

"Sakura is my business when it comes to you." Adven quickly countered.

"Adven Thaddeus Bok!" Sakura erupted as the room went silent.

That was broken by a stifled laugh from Inu, "Y-Yo-Your middle name is—"

"Inu!" Sakura warned as he quickly went quiet. "Both of you be quiet." She went on to say. "Inu is right, Adven, this is none of your business. You said you had to meet Jet, so go and do so and we will talk later." She said never looking to the man, in a harsh tone.

It was silent as Adven simply nodded and nodded his head. "Hmph! Right. I'm sorry." He apologized in a rough voice that should have told anyone he wasn't sorry at all. "I'll see you later." Adven began to walk for the door and past Inu.

"Bye now." Inu smugly said to him during their passing.

"And Sakura," Adven began as he stood at the front door holding the handle and ready to shut the door.

"Yes?" She questioned.

"I think the gap just got larger." And with that the door was shut with a normal sound showing neither anger nor sadness.

Sakura blinked as she looked to the table, staring at her cup. "Finally," Inu happily stated as he sat down at the table. "Your guard dog has left." He mused.

"He is no such thing to me, Inu." Sakura simply said, standing up for Adven.

"Is he your boyfriend then?" Inu asked with a more serious attitude. "I was hoping to fill that position, if you allow me." He paused as he reached out and touched her left hand that lied on the table. "Let me take you out on a walk, maybe? I have come all this way to see you, Sakura. The woman I love."

It was silent for a moment as Sakura retracted her hand from his. "Inu, we are colleagues. You are a reporter, and so am I. We serve the same paper." She paused before looking to him. "We will never be more that that, I'm sorry."

He sat there with a lingering stare aimed at her. He was stuttering out of shock as he found his words, "What of our previous dates? You tell me there was no feeling when we went out on those dates?" Inu questioned with emotion. "No feeling when you kissed me."

"You kissed me, I just…I don't know what I did." Sakura defended.

"Still, you tell me I am to believe that?" He seriously wondered. "What, has that lowlife teacher impregnated you or something?" The red-haired man scoffed. "Did he force you to be his?"

Sakura slammed her hand on the table in response, shutting Inu up. "Adven would never do such a thing." Her face of anger turned to one of guilt. "In fact…it is probably me who takes advantage of him."

"He is not your boyfriend."

"No," Sakura simply said. "He is something more."

It was silent as Inu stood upward from the chair. "Hmph…is that so?"

"Yes." She nodded with a smile. Her words sounding so sure.

"I am sorry then, and I will leave."

"Thank you." She simply said as Inu left the home with a bruised heart and ego.

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Away from any homes or safe haven there was the tailor shop where Jet had decided to get his tux from for his wedding. Of course, it was sort of stupid for a person to only go the week before to get the tux, because sometimes you can't be too sure it would be ready. Still, he decided on this now, so he and Adven had to stand around while trying them on to see which worked best. Adven was at this moment Jet's best man only because he didn't want to leave the responsibility to Gallows or otherwise he might end up in some troublesome situation down the road.

Adven currently was having some trouble with his bow-tie. He was considering to not wear one at this point because he had now tied his fingers into it for the third time. He sighed as if all his troubled would just vanish with it. He glanced around the room as he noticed it was just him and Jet. "No Gallows or that Pike guy?"

Jet shook his head. "Gallows has some traditional Baskar outfit for such things, and Pike already has clothes for a wedding."

"I see."

"Why does my best man look like he's in a sour mood?" Jet questioned as he tried to get his coat on. It didn't fit. He threw it aside.

Adven took in a breath as he tried the bow-tie again. "It's…Sakura seems to be getting further and further away from my grasp with every passing day. I'm not even sure I can love her anymore because…she just doesn't seem the same." He looked to the ceiling with a puzzled look. "She's hiding something from me, and I think it's the fact she loves Inu Gato. She and he are probably together and she just finds it too hard to tell me…especially after I gave my life to try and protect her in Neon City." He hung his head as he tossed the bow-tie aside out of anger. He was not going to get it right, and everything was just frustrating him. "If I lost her now…I…"

"Huh?" Jet sat there with a thought. Not really fazed by Adven's angry motions. "Inu Gato? Isn't he a reporter?" He remembered seeing that name before.

"He and Sakura work at the same paper."

"Hmm…but I thought you and Sakura were together." Jet thought over. "I mean, I heard you go out to dinners and other dates."

"While we do get around to that, we've never kissed, not even really hugged. She barely even let's me hold her hand." Adven dismissed the rumors Jet had heard. "We aren't boyfriend or girlfriend to the other, despite everything we've been through…"

"I see. I wasn't aware."

"Maybe…I should just quit." Adven rambled sadly. "For more than two years I've loved her, and I have nothing to show for it. She doesn't love me at all."

"She loves you, Adven." Jet said with a confident tone and smile. "I'm sure of it, so don't throw in the towel yet." He assured him. "You might be right. She's not telling you something, but maybe that something is that she loves you, but she isn't sure on how to say it." The gray-headed man pointed out.

Adven looked to the wall with thought. "She…was going to tell me something before Inu showed up…and back in Neon City when she told me to protect her she was going to say the same thing I think. I just don't know what it is."

"Wait for her to tell you what she has been meaning to say, before you decide to give up." Jet suggested.

Adven nodded knowing Jet was right. "Yeah, thanks."

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It was late at night by the time Adven had returned to the Winslet home he and Sakura were staying at. Catherine and Kaitlyn were already in bed, and so was Carole. Adven was surprised though when he found the seat furthest from the door at the table was still occupied by Sakura who still had a teacup before her. Whether it had been refilled or not was beyond Adven's knowledge. Still, he found it odd to see the woman still sitting the same as she was when he left. Covered in the dark and seen only because of the dancing flames atop wax candles.

"No Inu?" Adven simply said as the door remained open, allowing some bugs in.

"He's left." Sakura responded in a weak voice as he shut the door behind him.

"How long did he stay?"

"Only for ten more minutes after you left."

"I see…"

"He's not the man I love." She said, flat-out.

Adven took some steps to place his hands on the back of the chair that sat across from Sakura. He leaned down on it as he gathered the nerve to speak. "An' who is?"

Sakura let out a laugh finding the question absurd. "I'm not sure who they are yet. A boy or a girl, but I do know I love them, whoever they are." Adven looked at her oddly. Was she playing some game with him? Saying she does not know whom it is she love. That, and now it sounded as if she was even questioning her sexuality. Was the reason she did not love Inu nor him because she was a lesbian? Too many worried questioned ran through his mind.

"Sakura?"

"I'm sorry." She scoffed waving her hand to dismiss the questioning look she was giving him. "I was just thinking. The truth is…the man I love knows I love him, and that should be enough." She mused as she stared into his eyes. It seemed like she was telling him something, but he was not picking it up. "If you can find him, tell him I love him."

"I will…but I'm not sure I will meet him."

"No matter." She brushed his confused statement off. "When I do, I will say it myself." She sat there a moment. "Anyway, how did the fitting go? Did you and Jet look handsome in the tuxes?"

Adven grinned as he watched her anxious face. It had felt like it had been a long time since he saw her looks so enthusiastic about something. He sat on the chair to comfortably talk now that business was over. "You'll just have to see." He jokes as she smiled back at him.

"Fine." She laughed as she stood up. "I suppose you'll want some of the dinner we had?"

"Nah, me and Jet ate." He responded.

"I see…maybe you wouldn't mind helping me out with a crossword puzzle then?" She tapped her finger on the table. "You are so much better at them than I."

He nodded. "Sure."

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At the Enduro-Maxwell home in Valhalla two women sat on the bed in the brunette's room. One was Emilia, and the other Virginia herself. "So you have your dress, Virginia?" Emilia wondered with glee. "And Jet was only just getting his tux now."

"Right." Virginia nodded with a smile. "You wanna see the dress?"

"Of course!" Virginia was quick to find a white box in her closet made to hold her wedding dress and placed it on her bed. She quickly took the lid off and held it up to her body for her friend to see. "Jet hasn't seen this yet, has he?"

"No, why?" Virginia questioned. She found it an odd question to ask.

"Well, I hear that it's bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the day."

"Really?" The younger girl was shocked to hear.

"Wow, is that your dress?" Suddenly all four female eyes went to Jet who stood at the door, and Virginia quickly put her dress away in the box so he could no longer see it. She hoped he didn't if the superstition were true.

"Why didn't you knock?" Virginia shouted with rage.

Jet scratched his cheek. "Uh, well, it's sort of my house."

"Sakura lives here too!" Emilia shouted out. "Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"

"I didn't even know you two were here." Jet said in his defense.

"That's no excuse." Emilia continued.

"Hey…why are you both mad? It can't be just because I came in here."

"You idiot!" Emilia barked. "It's bad luck for the groom to see the dress." She explained.

"It is?" Jet was shocked to hear this startling news, but then he realized the truth and scoffed. "That's just a superstition."

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Emilia wondered.

"Uh…" Jet suddenly turned around and pointed out the doorway into the carpeted hall. "Oh, hey, it's time to work." He suddenly said and left the room with an afterimage of himself left behind. He was really in a rush to get out.

Emilia and Virginia looked at one another and the first woman shook her head. "It's hard to tell if he was serious or just running away." Emilia laughed.

"I know…Still, Emilia, do you really think this will mean bad luck?" Virginia questioned with worry. Her stomach was churning. "Maybe I should get another dress, or even cancel the wedding!"

"Calm down." Emilia suggested as she placed her hands on her friend's shoulders to help. "Knowing you two the day won't run smoothly even without luck being drawn into the formula." She joked. "Still, Jet is probably right."

"About it being a superstition?"

"Yeah." The older woman replied as she gave Virginia a smile. "You can't cancel the wedding."

"I know…I was just…afraid."

"Don't be."

"Should I get a new dress then?" Virginia wondered, now calmed.

"No, this one is too beautiful for that." Emilia looked to the box with the white wedding dress poking out from under the lid. Virginia was in such a rush she left some hanging out. "Listen, it's just a stupid wedding myth. No need to worry."

"Yeah…you're right." Virginia looked to her with a worried look. "But…Jet has a way of making myths real…"

Emilia remained silent.