::: Sakura Kisses :::
by
- GlazedAndConfused -
::: AUTHOR'S NOTES :::
As you can see, I decided not to leave this as a one-shot. And thanks go to Hawk, HellHound, kyee7k and glazedlookineyes101 for that... if they didn't give me the incentive to actually continue this, then this chapter wouldn't have even been in consideration. ;)
I figured I better add that this chapter occurs just after Keitaro, Naru and Mutsumi arrive back at Hinata Sou from Okinawa in Volume 10. The rating has been upped to PG-13 to be on the safe side.
And read chapter one for the disclaimer. I just can't be arsed to add it in this chapter. :P
"..." - denotes speech.
"(...)" - denotes whispering.
Italics denote thoughts and Japanese dialogue.
Chapter Two ::: Discussions
"Aishiteru."
One simple word. It is this word that can change the life of the person it is said to, especially if the person it is said to loves the one who is saying it reciprocates that love back to them just as much, if not more. This was especially in the case of Keitaro Urashima and Mutsumi Otohime. A matter of moments ago, they confessed their love to one another, and consummated it with a deep, meaningful kiss; one which Mutsumi in particular enjoyed, as it was the first kiss she had ever given him that had been returned with just as much passion and fervour. She put her fingers to her lips and blushed healthily as she reminisced the kiss. She looked over at her new boyfriend, Keitaro, who had a ruminative and thoughtful look on his face.
Keitaro was, indeed, mulling over the fact that once they got back, they would both have to break the news to the other tenants. The problem was, he would be much happier if they didn't have to break it at all and just keep it a secret. But he had to face the truth. There would be no use in keeping it hidden from the other tenants as they would find out eventually, by way of Naru's spying or Su's merciless mouth. Either way, they would find out one way or another, no matter how they did, as trying hard to keep a secret in Hinata Sou was just as useful as jumping in the ocean to get out of the rain.
So now me and Mutsumi are boyfriend and girlfriend. He mused. But how are we going to let the others know about this? I'm not even looking forward to letting Naru or Motoko know...
He winced as he considered Naru's possible responses to their declaration. The most obvious answer was that she would make him the first ever human satellite to be sent into the orbit of Pluto. The second answer would be that she throws her arms around him and vehemently confesses her undying love for him. However, there was a greater chance of the apocalypse occuring at the end of the week before she did that; she was so stubborn that she would never admit her feelings for him, even under the threat of sodium hydroxide, and that she could not care less about him. The third answer was just as likely to happen as the first; she would throw a fit and refuse to have anything to do with him. The fourth and final response would have thrown everyone off-guard if it did happen, even the normally impassive Haruka. She would throw her arms around the two and shed tears of happiness for the new couple, wishing them a happy future together full of love.
"Keitaro?" Mutsumi asked, noticing him wince. "What's wrong?"
"Oh... i-it's nothing, Mutsumi!" He replied unconvincingly, waving his hands around frantically while flashing her his trademark goofy smile. "N-Nothing at all!" He stopped walking, noticing that Mutsumi had stopped. "Is something wrong?" He asked, his smile turning into a look of concern.
"You're thinking of how to tell the others, aren't you?" She simply said, levelling her new boyfriend with a serious look, her chocolate brown eyes locking with his instantly. "I can see it in your eyes. You're worried about what they will all say, especially Naru-san."
Keitaro looked downwards. She had hit the nail right on the head. "...Hai, you're right."
The beautiful Okinawan placed her hands on both his cheeks and leaned up to give him a tender, reassuring kiss on the lips. She pulled back, smiling sweetly. "Don't worry about that, Keitaro." she said cheerfully.
"But..."
Mutsumi gave him another kiss, placing her finger on his lips as if to shush him. "I'll tell Naru-san and Motoko-san. You just worry about telling Shinobu-chan, Su-chan and Kitsune-san." She took his hand and continued walking, snuggling into his arm and leaning her head against his shoulder. Seeing no reason to doubt her intentions, Keitaro followed on, an assured smile forming on his face.
"Actually," Keitaro replied, "I'll not tell Su-chan... you know what she's like about that kind of thing."
Mutsumi laughed, as they both continued on their way back to Hinata Sou.
Back at Hinata Sou...
The rest of the tenants were sat in the lobby, waiting for the kanrinin and watermelon woman to arrive in order for suppertime to start. Su was laid back in her seat on the sofa, her hands on her stomach. Sarah, the resident American and Su's partner-in-crime was sat in her seat with her legs folded. Kitsune was sprawled across one of the other sofas, a bottle of saké in her hand, with Naru standing beside her. Motoko was stood up, leant against the wall nearest to the stairs with her arms folded and her eyes closed, seemingly in a state of meditation.
"Where's Keitaro and watermelon lady got to? I'm so hungryyyyy..." Su moaned, rubbing her stomach with both hands for added effect.
"You're always hungry," muttered Sarah, the second gaijin, "so what difference does that make?"
"I wonder where sempai and Otohime-sempai are? They've been out for a while." Shinobu asked nobody in particular, concerned for the two former ronins.
"She's right," replied Kitsune. "Normally they're out for about an hour when they go out for a walk together; it's now been two and a half."
Naru sat in her chair, leaning back indifferently. "Who cares about that baka no hentai? He's probably taken poor, innocent Mutsumi into a bush and is having his perverted ways with her right now." She said, bitterly.
"Sempai wouldn't do anything like that..." Shinobu said, uncertainty beginning to set in as her worrying heightened.
Motoko bowed her head slightly and closed her eyes. "Even so, Kitsune-san is right. It is not normal for Urashima and Mutsumi-san to be out for this long. Especially since it is fast approaching nightfall. However, I fear Naru-sempai's fears may be correct. I would not put it past Urashima to take his perverted lust out on a frail maiden like Mutsumi-san. If he has, I will make him pay for his transgressions..." she hissed, slowly unsheathing her katana while receiving a wary glance from the violet-haired cook.
Kitsune leaned over towards Naru, her patented fox-like grin tugging at the corners of her mouth and spreading across her face. "Maybe there's something going on between them that we don't know about... maybe they're not really going for 'walks', ne?" She teased, causing Naru to spit out what was let of her tea and look at Kitsune with the widest eyes possible, Shinobu to overreact and Motoko to glare at her.
"Auuuuuuu! S-S-S-Sempai and... Otohime-sempai... d-d-doing something el --" She exclaimed, going swirly-eyed before passing out, falling into a heap on the floor.
"Now look what you did, Kitsune! You know Shinobu overreacts!" Naru exclaimed, a vein appearing on her head.
"Yare yare... can't you take a little joke?" The fox-eyed woman said, turning back to face the double doors. Her eyes widened slightly as she saw two familiar silhouettes approaching the door. "Hey, guys... they're back."
Everyone moved towards the front door to greet the new couple. Kitsune opened the door to, indeed, find Keitaro and Mutsumi walking back to the inn; the fact that Mutsumi was snuggled up against Keitaro with her head on his shoulder didn't seem to faze them, though Naru looked on with mixed feelings; jealousy due to Mutsumi's position on his arm, and anger because of her own assumptions. Keitaro's blood ran cold as he noticed the auburn-haired Toudaisei leaning against the door frame, with a glint in her eyes that was all too familiar to him.
"Ara... sorry we were late, minna-san." Mutsumi said, placing her free hand on the side of her face.
"Why were you two so late?" Kitsune asked. "We were worried about you two."
"We got a little sidetracked," Keitaro replied, allowing Mutsumi to go inside first before following her in. The rest of the tenants just made their way to the kitchen, with Kitsune closing the door. In the kitchen, everyone made their way to their seats and sat down.
Dinner passed with hardly any noteable incidents, except for Mutsumi and Keitaro conversing a lot more than usual, and Naru having nothing to say about why the two took so long to get back from their walk. Afterwards, everyone except for Mutsumi and Keitaro left the kitchen and went their separate ways; Su and Sarah to possibly cause more mischief and create more weapons of mass destruction, Motoko to meditate, Kitsune to read in her room and Naru to do some more studying.
"See, Keitaro?" Mutsumi said, a heart-warming smile on her face, placing her hand on top of his. "It's even better that everyone has gone their separate ways. It will be easier to break the news to them this way."
"I suppose you're right." Keitaro replied, smiling. "So... how will this go?"
"You tell Shinobu-chan and Kitsune-san. I'll worry about telling Motoko-san and Naru-san."
Keitaro stood up and gave Mutsumi an affectionate kiss on the cheek before walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I suppose I'll tell Kitsune-san first, he thought, it'll be easier... I hope she understands. With that, he made his way towards the foxy lady's room. Lightly rapping on her door, he heard her call, "Come in." He slowly slid open the door and saw Kitsune sat in the middle of the room, a bottle of saké in her hand. She looked up at him and smiled, raising her bottle to him. She motioned him to come in and sit next to her. Keitaro did as he was asked, walking over to the middle of the room and sitting down next to his Kansai counterpart.
"There's something I need to tell you, Kitsune-san." Keitaro started, deciding to get to the point and forget any formalities.
"Oh?" Kitsune replied, cocking an intrigued eyebrow at him. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and placed her free hand on his chest. "And what is it that you want to tell me? C'mon, Kei-kun. You can tell your big sister Kitsune."
The kanrinin blushed at the proximity between him and Kitsune. "I-I-I'm in love with someone."
Kitsune's grin widened. "I know, don't tell me... you're still in love with Naru?"
"N-No, not exactly. I'm in love with someone else."
The fox's grin disappeared. "You mean... you're not in love with Naru anymore?"
Keitaro took another deep breath. "...It's Mutsumi-san. She confessed that she loved me, and to be honest, I feel the same way about her."
Kitsune's grin was replaced by a slight frown. "W-What?"
Oh boy. I knew this was going to happen...
"I understand if you're angry, Kitsune-san..."
"Angry? Of course I am! Aren't you forgetting someone? How the hell do you think Naru is going to feel about this?"
"I know how Naru is going to feel." Keitaro stated, matter-of-factly.
"So why have you ditched her for Mutsumi? I have nothing against Mutsumi, but do you know how hurt Naru will be once she knows about this?"
"Kitsune-san, it's not that simple. You've seen how Naru's been acting, and you've known her since you were both teenagers. You of all people should know what she's like."
"Damn it! That's because she's not ready! Why didn't you wait? Why do you not love her?"
Keitaro sighed. "I did love her, that much I can't deny. I still do; just not in a romantic sense any more. But I can't see myself going out with someone who will continuously use me as a punching dummy for every time I trip and accidentally grab her where I'm not supposed to. For every time I got punched and hit by her for my clumsiness, my love for her became less and less. I just can't see myself in that kind of relationship. And when Mutsumi used to ask her about how she felt, she just spoke about me as if I were nothing more than a piece of dirt. Do you know how much that hurts? To be injured physically and emotionally seven days a week?"
Kitsune was about to speak, but stopped after Keitaro finished. She never thought of that, and could not deny how right he was. The fox-eyed woman felt slightly guilty, not only for her outburst, but also because Naru's violent spurts were also partially her fault, due to her conniving and conning him unless she got what she wanted; typically, money or saké. When he didn't comply to her demands, though, she would drop him right into the hot water in order to inevitably earn him a beating from Naru or Motoko, when none of it was his fault; all by way of fun. Then she would expect him to get double of what she demanded; if it was money, double the amount she originally demanded; if it was saké, two bottles instead of one. If he paid her, she would not pay him back. In fact, she would proceed to demand more, showing no signs of guilt up until now.
"But still," she continued. "Is it worth having Naru going through the pain of knowing?"
Keitaro looked Kitsune in the eye, making her flinch slightly. "I know it sounds cruel, but maybe then she will know how it feels to be emotionally hurt; how it feels to be in my shoes for once."
The foxy lady had no answer to that. She sat down, her mind going at a thousand miles a minute. While she agreed that Naru put the hapless kanrinin through a lot of pain - unwarranted pain at that, mostly to vent her frustrations out on him; same as Motoko - and that the auburn-haired woman would finally see things through Keitaro's eyes if she were to be hurt in the same way she hurt him, Kitsune could not bear to see her best friend suffer by any means. She cared deeply for Naru, that much could be said. She would stick up for her through thick and thin, even after any minor misunderstandings or arguments the two had. What they had was a close-knit friendship that could possibly never be separated, no matter how much someone were to try. While Keitaro was definitely a friend, this was one scenario where she could not take his side; she valued the friendship between her and Naru too highly.
Kitsune took a long swig of her saké bottle, and slammed the bottle down, the burning amber liquid travelling down her throat. She levelled Keitaro with a serious glare. "Well, I hope you know what you're doing." She hissed angrily. "If the poor girl finds out, you're gonna have a hell of a lot of explaining to do."
Keitaro nodded in understanding. "I know. I don't want to hurt her; I really don't. But it's just gotten to the point where I've had enough of getting punched about for small mishaps. I know this sounds cruel, too, but maybe this experience will teach her how I felt the hard way." He took a deep breath. "Now, if you'll excuse me."
The fox-eyed woman nodded, maintaining a poker-face as he made his way over to her partition door. He opened the said door and walked out of the room. He made his way to Shinobu's room on the floor above him. That went exactly the way I expected... Keitaro thought, sighing mentally. Now there's Shinobu-chan to explain this to. He walked over to Shinobu's partition door and rapped lightly on it. Footsteps lightly patting their way towards the door could be heard before it opened, revealing the petite teenager.
"Ano... Urashima-sempai!" She exclaimed, a small blush forming on her face. "P-Please come in."
Keitaro did so, closing the partition door behind him. He slowly walked in, Shinobu motioning him to sit on her bed beside her. Sitting down, he spoke.
"Shinobu-chan, there is something I think I ought to tell you."
The violet-haired girl felt her heartbeat quicken by at least fifty beats as she imagined the possibilities of what it is he has to tell her. What is it he'd want to talk to me about? She thought.
"...I love you, Shinobu-chan."
"H-H-H-Huh?!"
Keitaro took her in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss on the lips, then held her head against his chest. Shinobu pulled back from his embrace slowly but reluctantly. She reciprocated his kiss and ran her fingers through his hair once she regained her composure. "B-But... what made you choose me?"
"Shinobu-chan... I only have eyes for you." He replied, stroking her face. Shinobu smiled, and leaned in for another kiss, the gap between them getting slowly closer until their lips locked and...
"...nobu? Are you okay?" Keitaro asked, snapping his fingers in front of her face.
"A-Ah! H-H-Hai, I'm fine... gomen." Shinobu stammered, a heavy blush on her face.
Keitaro smiled. "That's okay, don't worry. What I had to tell you is that I'm in love. With Mutsumi-san. And she feels the same way"
Suddenly, Shinobu felt her world come crashing down around her. The violet-haired cook loved him so much that she would kill to have him feel the same way; that much everybody could tell, but she knew that, in all honesty, she would never stand a chance with Keitaro due to the age difference between her. While she was more than willing until she was old enough for her sempai, she harboured no hopes of actually being able to develop such a relationship with him, not when there was competition around in the form of Mutsumi and Naru, both of whom were a lot more 'developed' and mature than her, while she still had a lot of growing to do. Now, whatever hopes she had left of capturing Keitaro's heart were shattered right in front of her like shards of glass, and then stabbed right into her heart. It pained her to see him in anyone else's arms but hers, and it would hurt a lot more. But she would eventually have to accept this, no matter how much pain it would cause. Her eyes began to tear up as she gripped her chest with both hands.
N-No... She thought.
Keitaro noticed the pained look on her face, and felt concern for the young teenager. "Shinobu-chan... are you okay?"
Shinobu then made a move that surprised them both, herself more than anything. She dived towards Keitaro and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly than she anticipated. She let the tears flow freely, some of them beginning to drip down onto the crook of Keitaro's neck.
"S-Shinobu-chan?"
"S-S-Sempai... I-I... can't hold back how I feel for you a-any longer...! I know i-it's wrong but... I... love you! I-I've loved you since we f-first met!"
Keitaro's expression was that of extreme surprise. He was perhaps the only person in Hinata Sou who could not tell how Shinobu felt for him; another characteristic he shared with his mentor and protege, Seta. He hesitantly returned her embrace and wrapped his arms around her, slowly stroking her back in a comforting manner.
"Shhhhh..." he cooed, managing to shift so they were both lying on her bed, "it's okay."
The only sounds that could be heard were Shinobu's soft sniffles. Keitaro tried thinking of an answer to help palliate her pain and make the fact that he loved Mutsumi easier to bear. He sat Shinobu up, keeping her in his comforting embrace, and locked eyes with her. He noticed that they were bloodshot and her tears had marked her cheeks.
"Shinobu-chan, I love you too, in all honesty..." he replied solemnly, picking his words carefully to calm her, "but the love I have for you is more of an older brother to his younger sister. I will always be there for you if you need me to be, though, be it for friendship or for help in your studies."
Shinobu's mood seemed to brighten up slightly, though she was still quite saddened. She maintained her embrace, trying to keep him there for the time being so she could relish the moment while it lasted.
"You have so much going for you," Keitaro continued in an attempt to cheer Shinobu up, noticing that she was still saddened, "I mean, look at your studies; you're doing so well at school, what with your grades consistently improving... and you bring so much life and joy to Hinata Sou. You have a sweet and loveable personality, and I have no doubt you will find someone whose life you will make such a pleasure. In short, you're a very nice and sweet person who I just love to be around. Your personality and caring nature are the reasons why I care about you so deeply."
Shinobu managed a weak smile at her sempai's words. Oh, sempai... that's why I love you, she thought. She looked up again and locked eyes with him. After a few seconds of staring at him, she leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, an action that made Keitaro blush more than anything. "I would like to stay like this for a few moments longer, if that's okay with you, sempai?" she said in a subdued tone, her face so red that it could be mistaken from a cherry if seen from a distance.
"H-Hai," Keitaro replied, blushing as much as Shinobu.
The two remained in their comforting embrace for a few minutes of silence. The kanrinin looked down at Shinobu when he heard her emanating a few soft snores, finding her asleep. Lifting her up, he pulled back her bed covers and tucked her in, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. He walked towards the partition door and was about to open it before he heard Shinobu mutter a few words.
"Zzz... sempai, please don't leave me... zzz..."
Keitaro smiled lightly at her words, then opened the door and walked out, switching off the light before closing the door behind him. Just as he was about to go back to his room, he bumped into Mutsumi who was obviously on her way to Motoko's room.
"M-Mutsumi!"
Mutsumi flashed a bright smile at Keitaro, kissing him on the lips gently. "I heard everything you said, Keitaro. Your words were so sweet; they really touched my heart."
Keitaro blushed a rosy hue of red at his girlfriend's words. "Where are you going to now?"
"I'm going to explain to Motoko-san."
Keitaro shuddered as he pondered about Motoko's reaction. She too would have various reactions, most likely the same as Naru's - except it cannot be said that she will be very accepting of the revelation. But that didn't make them any more appealing to think about. The most likely option would be that she too would make him the world's first human satellite to reach the outer edges of the solar system as we know it. The second would be that she'd have no choice but to accept it once the Okinawan managed to persuade her... though that acceptance would be made very grudgingly, and she'd be keeping a highly watchful eye on the kanrinin. Number three would be that she'd drop her sword and bow to the two out of respect, wishing them all the best - a highly unlikely scenario.
"I hope Motoko-san doesn't go mad and try to turn me into a shish kebab once you've finished..." Keitaro laughed nervously as he pictured himself tied up over a large pot of boiling water, with Motoko standing in front of him; her katana sharpened and at the ready, a sadistic grin on her face.
Mutsumi held Keitaro's hand assuringly and kissed him again. "It will be okay, don't worry. You just go to your room. I'll come back to you once I've done talking to them." She replied with her trademark heart-warming smile, walking towards Motoko's room. Keitaro looked as Mutsumi walked off. She sure is one of a kind... he thought, walking back to his room as soon as she was out of sight.
The Okinawan reached Motoko's room and knocked on the door lightly. "Enter," came the response from within the door. Mutsumi slid the door open and found Motoko sitting at the far end of her room, her legs crossed, head bowed and eyes closed in a meditative pose. "Ah, Mutsumi-san," Motoko spoke in a relaxed tone, "please, take a seat. How may I be required to assist you?"
Mutsumi closed the partition door and walked over to Motoko, sitting opposite her and folding her legs. "I would like to talk to you about Kei-kun."
Motoko's eyebrow furrowed slightly, but nonetheless opened her eyes, intrigued by what Mutsumi could possibly talk to her about. "That hentai? What could you possibly want to talk about him for?"
Mutsumi took a deep breath. "I'm in love with Kei-kun... and he feels the same way."
The Aoyama girl raised her head and widened her eyes, looking at her disbelievingly. "Wh... What good can you possibly see in that hentai? He is vile, lecherous, and perverted. He will only continue to taint our presences the longer he stays in this dormitory."
The watermelon woman leaned over, staring in Motoko's eyes. "That's your opinion. But have you ever spent any time with Kei-kun? Have you ever tried getting to know him? He is nowhere near as perverted as you and Naru-san try claiming he is. You will discover that for yourself if you ever try to spend time with him."
Motoko huffed indignantly. "How do you explain him trying to touch us in inappropriate places every day, claiming that it is only an accident? He is a pathetic male; nothing more, nothing less."
Mutsumi frowned, her eyebrows beginning to furrow slightly. "Motoko-san, he is clumsy, just like me. Not everybody is as nimble or able-footed as you are. None of you give him a chance to explain his side of the story when he gets into a mishap. How do you think that makes him feel? Just because his body may seem indestructible, that's not to say that his emotions are the same. If that were a normal man you were treating like that, they would be emotionally shattered if they weren't seriously injured or killed long before now."
The kendo girl looked at Mutsumi in pensive thought, and knew she too was right. Neither her nor Naru took his emotions into consideration when they attacked him for his apparent 'transgressions'. Because his body was practically unbreakable like diamond, they immediately assumed that his feelings were the same; that he could bounce back from any insult or abuse literally unscathed. The only feelings she cared about were those of the other tenants. While such an act was generous in itself, it was countered only by the hostility she held towards the kanrinin; a hostility that could cost her dear if it carried on the way it did. Mutsumi was right about another fact that struck home; she had never actually gotten to know Keitaro as a person. While she had opened up to him considerably after helping her defeat her older sister, Tsuruko, in Kyoto, she still remained fairly hard-headed and obstinate towards him. She never offered to spend any time with him in order for the two to get to know each other, so she could see the side of him that only Shinobu and the Okinawan woman could see. She took a deep breath and broke the ice after a moment's silence that loomed awkwardly over the two.
"...Hmph. While I do not approve of this news, I will try to refrain from attacking Urashima for your sake, and your sake only. But I cannot guarantee that Naru-sempai will do the same once she hears about this." Motoko replied, seeing no other alternative but to accept, albeit grudgingly.
Mutsumi smiled. "Thank you, Motoko-chan. That's all I wanted to hear."
Motoko returned the smile. "May I help you with anything else?"
The Okinawan shook her head. "No. That is all. Arigato." She stood up and dusted herself off, and walked over to the door. She gave Motoko a quick glance and smiled again, then opened the partition door and walked out of the room, closing it behind her. Mutsumi let out a breath of relief that she didn't even know she had been holding, then made her way upstairs to her study partner's room. This is going to be the hardest of all, Mutsumi thought. I know that Naru-san does love Kei-kun, but it's time for me to let my feelings known.
Outside Naru's room, Mutsumi took a deep breath to ready herself and rapped on her door. "Who is it?" she heard Naru call from inside.
"It's only me," she replied.
"Ah, Mutsumi-san. Please, come in."
Mutsumi opened the partition door and walked in to find Naru in full-study mode, her Toudai text books and sheets of paper strewn all over the place, with Naru in her studying attire; coke-bottle glasses, sweater and pajamas. Naru motioned the Okinawan to sit at the kotatsu table, which she did.
"Naru-san, there is something I need to talk to you about." Mutsumi said, a serious expression on her face.
"Really?" Naru said, intrigued. She took off her glasses. "What about?"
"It's about Kei-kun."
Naru felt her blood begin to run cold at the mention of Keitaro's name, not at the suffix Mutsumi added at the end, but where the watermelon-loving woman would take this conversation. Nonetheless, she maintained a poker-face. "What about that pervert?" She replied.
Mutsumi leaned closer to Naru and looked her directly in the eye, making the auburn-haired Toudaisei flinch slightly. "You know how I feel about him, Naru." The Okinawan said, maintaining her serious expression.
"Hai." Naru replied coldly, unable to return Mutsumi's gaze. "You really like him. What is it you want to talk about regarding him?"
Mutsumi kept her expression, her gaze never moving away. "I love him."
Naru smirked, waving her off indignantly. "Okay. What is it you wanted to say?"
"And he feels the same way." Mutsumi replied, smirking victoriously inside.
Naru stiffened completely, shocked at what her counterpart said. "What... what did you just say?"
Mutsumi smirked visibly. She knew that she had hit a soft spot inside Naru by admitting her feelings for the kanrinin. "I love Kei-kun," she stated in a calm tone, "and he feels the same way about me. That's why we took so long in getting back here, because we spoke about it."
Naru's temper began to flare into life, slamming her hands hard on the kotatsu table as she knelt up and stare Mutsumi in the eyes directly. "But... h-he was mine! I love him, damn it! I love him! How c-could you take him away from me just like that? I thought you were my friend!"
The Okinawan shook her head, sighing. "No. You mean that you used to love him. Naru-san... you should have let him know how you felt about him, instead of being so indecisive and wishy-washy about your feelings. I would always cheer you both on from the sidelines in the hope that he would find happiness with you. Yet, on the inside, I was hoping that it would be me who Kei-kun would love."
"Bu --"
"Don't interrupt me, Naru-san. I know that you're going to say that I don't know what I'm talking about. But I do; very much so. I could tell that you were jealous of any of the rest of us having his attention paid to us; you wanted that attention all to yourself. You relished in the fact that he really seemed to like you, and wanted it to stay that way. But how do you think I felt, watching as you constantly harmed him for the smallest of accidents? You were so blinded by your views of him being a pervert that you never sought his side of the story. More importantly, how do you think that made him feel? That was another thing he told me this evening. He told me that he could not see himself in a relationship where he would fear being pummelled left, right and centre for his bouts of clumsiness. His body may seem immortal, Naru-san. But his feelings are anything but that; they are just as human as everyone else's. He came to me every time you both had an argument that culminated in him being hurt, seeking support and understanding. He would come to me to receive strength and compassion. I cared about him then in more ways than you ever did. But every time he cheered up, I allowed him to go back to you. I wanted him to be happy, and disregarded my own feelings so he could be with you, only for you to degrade him once again. Do you have any idea how that felt?"
Naru was struck silent, having no reply to that soliloquy of Mutsumi's. "I... I had no idea..." She whispered, the tears beginning to spring to her eyes.
Mutsumi stood up and walked over to Naru, kneeling down and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder; a hand which Naru shook off violently, forcing the Okinawan back slightly and grabbed her Liddo-kun stuffed doll and ran downstairs, crying. Mutsumi frowned slightly, shaking her head in disappointment. She moved the plywood board covering the hole that separated Naru's and Keitaro's rooms, and climbed down it, landing in the middle of the room. Keitaro turned around and smiled, offering Mutsumi a cup of freshly-made tea, which she accepted. They both sat down opposite one another at his kotatsu table.
"So, how did it go?" Keitaro asked.
"I don't think it went that well," Mutsumi replied, still frowning. "Naru-san was very upset."
Keitaro's smile disappeared and turned into a frown. "Should I go and talk to her?"
"No." Mutsumi replied, lowering her head thoughtfully. "I think it's best that you leave it till morning. She will have calmed down by then. But I think she should be the one who goes to you this time; not the other way around."
Keitaro nodded. "I understand."
The two spent the rest of their time together in a contemplative silence, not so much as a word being exchanged between them until they had finished their drinks. "Well," Keitaro started, breaking the silence. "I think I will turn in for the night. Tomorrow will be pretty hectic, what with trying to talk to Naru."
"Hai." Mutsumi smiled softly at him and moved closer, squeezing his hand. She blushed slightly. "Keitaro... may I stay with you tonight?"
Keitaro's eyes widened. "Mutsumi... you don't mean...?"
If Mutsumi's cheeks didn't feel as if they were a blazing inferno before, they certainly did now. She shook her head lightly and squeezed his hand tighter. "No. We're not quite at that stage yet. What I mean is I just want to spend tonight in your arms, alone. I want to wake up tomorrow morning, in the arms of the man I love."
Keitaro blushed a similar hue. "Of course, Mutsumi. I'd love to let you." He stood up and kissed her on the forehead, then walked over to his cupboard and took out his futon, unrolling it. He took a spare pillow and moved his aside to make room for it, rolling the covers back. He pulled the cover up as he decided to get changed, blushing as he got changed under the covers. When it was Mutsumi's turn, however, nothing prepared him for what was going to happen. Rather than just going over to the futon and getting changed under the covers, Mutsumi just started to strip down to her underwear, seemingly unabashed by her actions. Keitaro found himself unable to peel his eyes away from the slender, curvy form of his new girlfriend, and divebombed towards the box of tissues to stop the sudden geyser of blood that was about to burst from his nose. Mutsumi noticed this.
"Ara... see something you like, Kei-kun?" She teased, making no effort whatsoever to cover her chest. Keitaro felt all the blood that was about to escape from his nose rush to his cheeks, his face glowing so much that he could have stopped traffic if he was standing on the corner of the street. Mutsumi pulled on her nightshirt and walked over the futon, crawling under the covers and placing an arm over Keitaro's chest, her hair draping over his face slightly. Brushing the strands of hair back behind Mutsumi's ears, he kissed her on the lips tenderly.
"Goodnight, my love." Mutsumi said, kissing back. "I love you."
"I love you too, Mutsumi. Good night." The kanrinin replied, switching off the bedside lamp before wrapping his arms tightly around him.
::: END CHAPTER TWO :::
::: AUTHOR'S NOTES :::
Wow, I never thought I'd get so many good reviews for this. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far - you know who you are.
This chapter was inspired by the fic 'Silent Strength' by Sephimorg, a very good Keitaro/Shinobu fic, I might add.
Wouldn't you just want to chain Naru to a wall and leave her there until she finally accepts that she's not going to get Keitaro? I would if Akamatsu made the manga/anime end with a Keitaro/Mutsumi pairing... I mean, how could Keitaro resist a woman like Mutsumi? She gives him all the understanding and friendship that Naru never could, and she doesn't even send him into the stratosphere for any misunderstandings.
Of course, that's a matter of opinion, but... there you go.
As always, all sorts of feedback are welcome. Flame me, though, if you think Kitsune is OOC... I just felt that she'd be happier if Keitaro were to proclaim his love for Mutsumi, instead of Motoko (not that I have anything against her; she'd make a good partner for him too) and Naru (for reasons we all know).