Journey to Insanity and Romance p 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic! Wish I did though.

Author's Note: This is the first chapter with a slight adult situation. Nothing too explicit. Just groping and stroking. Nothing else.

Landing Party and Designs

The next morning, with a splitting headache, Sousuke wakes up to see Kaname looking down upon him with a soft smile on her face. Sousuke smiles back and starts to get up before he grimaces from the pain in his head and realizes something very crucial.

"Uh, Kaname, I'm not wearing anything right now. Can you tell me what happened?"

Kaname smiles even wider and replies, "Let's see. We told my Dad about one of our adventures together. You drank some Scotch which had gotten to you and you fell asleep. Daddy and I carried you in here and I undressed you after Daddy left us alone. The kicker is I told him I'd let you sleep in your clothes. Don't worry though. I didn't do anything indecent with you, yet. I'm willing to take it slow, Sousuke."

She then blushes and adds, "You've got some nice equipment, though. I couldn't help but stroke it along with your chest."

"Uh."

"Oh, don't worry, Sousuke. If anything, I really liked what I saw. Gives me something to look forward to. Unless, you wanna try doing a 'quickie' before you get dressed."

Still reeling from his headache, adding to his befuddlement, Sousuke asks, "What would a 'quickie' entail, Kaname? I have no experience in such matters. Growing up in Afghanistan, I was not allowed to ponder human relations, particularly with females within the culture."

Kaname softly smiles and replies, "I'm not experienced in that myself, Sousuke. Though, we can try it nice and slow. Remember when I slugged you after you pulled me out of that truck's path?"

"Affirmative. I also remember you called me a pervert. Why that is, I have no idea, Kaname."

Kaname blushes and says, "It's because you had a hand on one of my breasts, Sousuke. It could have been just an accident on your part at the time. But, I thought poorly of you. So, let's start there." She then unbuttons her blouse and pulls it off, revealing her bra. Closing the blinds, she undoes it, revealing her breasts to him.

Smiling at his dropped jaw expression, she gently takes one of his hands and presses the palm into her left breast, putting the fingertip of his index finger right onto her nipple. Taking her other hand, she reaches below the sheet and starts stroking his member as he caresses her breast.

Liking the feeling of his hand on her chest, her smile goes warm and maternal. Still smiling, she looks at Sousuke's face and sees his face with a look of which she had never seen before on him. His eyes closed and his face sweaty, he looks like he's enjoying it.

Kaname grins as she realizes that he truly is still innocent in some respects, making it an ideal project for her to work on him somewhat. She stops stroking him and gently removes his hand from her breast. She then puts her bra back on and gets onto the bed beside him, kissing him on his cheek. Her long blue hair cascades around her as she lies down beside him.

As she looks at his face, she begins to wonder about what'll happen if they happen to have children together. She then shakes her head, knowing it's not a matter of if, but when. She grins as she realizes that she wants Sousuke to be a Father. She then silently vows that their child will have a happier life, one that Sousuke was so cruelly denied as a child.

As Sousuke opens his eyes, Kaname smiles and says, "That wasn't so bad, Sousuke. I can hardly wait for tonight."

Sousuke is about to utter another 'uh' but stops when he sees Kaname scowling. He then clears his throat and asks, "What do we do tonight, Kaname?"

Her scowl going to a sultry smile, she replies, "What we were doing just now, Sousuke. Only I'll add something new to it. You'll have to wait and see what it is, though. Now, get dressed. Daddy wants to see just how good you are with your weaponry, minus the explosives."

She then kisses him again and says, "I'll go ahead and let you get dressed. But first, I think you've earned one more squeeze on my breast. Go ahead, you've earned it, Sousuke."

Sousuke nods and reaches his hand over to her chest. When it gets to it's destination, Kaname smiles and blushes as she blows a kiss at Sousuke. He then retracts his hand and blows her a kiss right back, blushing as he does so.

Kaname giggles as she gets back up, puts her blouse back on and buttons it back up. She then gives him one more kiss on his lips before she leaves the bedroom.

Sousuke then gets up out of the bed and finds his fatigues folded in a chair. He's about to put them on when he remembers that he was on stand-down at the time.

He then goes to his duffel bag and finds the clothing that would please Kaname and her family. He puts on a blue t-shirt and light blue jeans and nods in satisfaction as he gets dressed. Once he's finished dressing, he goes to the living room and hears Kaname yelling at Ayame.

"Those are Sousuke's weapons! He's got them unloaded because he's not on duty right now!"

"I just wanna hold them and see how heavy they are! That's not so bad, is it?"

"Only if you don't get permission, Ayame." That, of course, came from Sousuke. He then grins as he says, "If we go to the range, I'll be able to show you safety in handling firearms. As long as your Father has no objections."

Shunya walks in after hearing it and says, "I'd have no objections as long as you are qualified to give instruction. And I don't mean through Mithril either, Sousuke. I know the owner of the range. I served against him in the war. Yet, somehow, we became friends."

Sousuke nods in agreement with Shunya's acceptance, along with his assessment. He then asks, "Have you had formal weapons training through the U.N., Mr. Chidori?" Sousuke's concern for Kaname's family is evident, as Kaname grips Sousuke's arm and nods for Shunya to reply.

"No, young fellow, I haven't. Nor, have I seen the need to do so. After all, the U.N. has more suitable bodyguards than a mere teenager. Let alone one raised in a war zone. I fail to digest that you are able to protect Kaname! You can't even hold your liquor, young man!"

"Father! Sousuke's more than capable of protecting me. He has done so without fail. He's faced those that the U.N. does not wish to do so. He is one of the only reasons that this world has not destroyed itself."

"He's capable of doing that himself. I've heard reports of your 'bodyguard' going to extremes from the officials at your school. From detonating explosives on shoe lockers to his supposed capacity for piloting Arm Slaves. And that report is from the both of you. Need I mention the 'Full Monty Bacteria'? I'm amazed it didn't result in Kaname getting hurt due to your negligence. If you are indeed 'Whispered', Kaname, then why haven't you told the world in order to share that knowledge?"

Kaname's about to explain when Sousuke cuts in. "I've faced more evil than the so-called bodyguards employed by the U.N., Mr. Chidori. I've been a warrior ever since I was eight years old. I've killed men that were so evil, they would make Hitler pale in comparison. The detonations of the shoe lockers was due to my eagerness to keep your daughter safe from harm at all times. The 'Full Monty Bacteria' happened because a classmate of ours had mistaken the contents for water and drank them. As I was leaving the classroom with your daughter, I said for no one to open the bottle."

Kaname nods and says, "That's right. I heard him say that because it looked dangerous to him. A friend of his, who happens to be an arms dealer, sent him the wrong package instead of a special part for one of his guns."

"He has an arms dealer for a friend?" Shunya is incredulous as Sousuke goes on with his explanation.

"As a bodyguard to a 'Whispered', I'm a target as well, Mr. Chidori. Therefore, I cannot take any chances regarding the safety of your daughter, myself and other people. My skills in piloting the A.S. are real, as are my scars."

He then lifts up the left edge of his shirt and explains. "This scar was where a piece of RK-92 scrap pierced me in Khanka. Gauron used Anti-A.S. grenades to tear it apart. Kaname helped me to survive and she even helped find a way for us all to go home together. I was ready to sacrifice my life along with my colleague's life just so she can escape. She wouldn't have it. I guess she saw more in me than I did myself. As for her telling the world about her abilities, not a good idea at the moment. After all, there are still too many groups out there that would like to get their hands on this information. And they will stop at nothing to get it. Gauron was one such person. I'm here, with her, to prevent that from happening."

He gives Shunya a piercing glare and asks, "How many bodyguards do you know of can do the things I'm able to do? As far as I can tell, none of the services you use has anyone that is my equal in skill or determination."

Even more determined to exercise his authority, Shunya grins and says, "I propose a competition then. You, versus the best bodyguard money can hire."

His eyes then take on a devilish glint as he says, "I've got the right person in mind. Here are the terms first. You win, I'll allow you to revamp the U.N.'s protection detail. He wins, you turn over protection of Kaname to the one I select. What's even more, I'm barring you and Mithril from having contact with Kaname. If it even exists. You will never see her again, no matter what."

Kaname grins and says, "Sousuke will wipe the floor with him. Besides, I think he's been wanting to do some kind of competition using his skills. I just hope the other guy's insurance is paid up."

Ayame asks, "Why do you say that, Kaname?"

"There likely won't be anything left of the other guy when it's done." She looks over at Sousuke and sees a rare sight, even for him. The fires of fury and rage are evident in his eyes.

She goes to his side and asks, "You all right, Sousuke?"

Sousuke nods and replies, "Affirmative. I'm just a bit concerned given the stakes. After all, we just learned our feelings for one another." He then winks and adds, "It will not be a problem."

Turning to Shunya, he replies, "I agree to the terms. But with one proviso. I be allowed to submit my recommendations for half of the events."

Intrigued, Shunya asks, "This wouldn't happen to include A.S. piloting, would it?"

Sousuke replies, "Affirmative."

"Very well, then. I'd like to see this 'ARX-7' that you supposedly pilot with such skill. The man I have in mind has piloted the M6 Arm Slave in the U.S. Military. Undoubtedly, he will clean your clock."

Seemingly perplexed, Sousuke says, "I do not have a clock with me. Perhaps we can use one of yours, seeing as you have so many." He had said the remark in such deadpan, no one knows if he's joking or not. But then Kaname has a suspicion and rolls with it.

"You see, Father, you need to watch what you say around Sousuke. He's so serious, it's hard to tell if he's joking or not." Looking at Sousuke's face, she starts seeing the faintest of smiles start. It then becomes a full blown smile and he starts laughing pleasantly.

Kaname starts laughing as well as she says, "Your first actual joke, Sousuke. Do you need to lie down? I hear it hurts the first time." She then mentally adds, 'Just like a girl's first sex.' Both laughing teens are oblivious to Shunya's hard glare and Ayame's giggles.

Suddenly, Sousuke's communicator goes off and he replies, still chuckling, "Sagara."

"Sousuke, what is wrong with you? Are you under attack?"

"Negative, Sergeant Major. Just getting something out of my system." Calming down now, Sousuke asks, "How far out are you?"

Kalinin replies, "We're over Central Park right now, Sergeant. An operative in the area will pick us up and transport us to the Chidori residence. Have any new developments come up?"

"Affirmative, sir." He then briefs Kalinin and the others of the situation.

Kurz comes on the line and says, "Buddy, you've got your work cut out for you then. But, it shouldn't be a problem for a wild man such as yourself. Ask sis here. She's been clawing up the walls of the helicopter just waiting to get to you." Kurz then screams in pain as Melissa decks him in the stomach.

Melissa comes on and asks, "Is Mr. Chidori around, Sousuke? I've got something to tell him." Sousuke replies in the affirmative and hands the communicator to Shunya.

As Shunya listens, his face pales as he hears what Melissa says to him. When his jaw drops, Kaname gasps and grins behind her hand, hiding the grin right after the gasp. Trembling, Shunya hands the communicator to Kaname.

Kaname then hears, "Don't worry about your old man, Kaname. The guy he gets will probably be a portly guy with no real experience."

"I copy. Thank you, Urzu 2."

"Over and out, Angel."

Kaname ends communication and gently hands Sousuke the communicator back, grazing his fingers with her own. She then smiles and kisses his scarred cheek, saying, "For luck, Sousuke."

Sousuke nods and says, "Thank you, Kaname." Feeling his determination return, Sousuke asks, "When shall we do this? Perhaps this afternoon, unless you have to give him so much notice."

Shunya replies, "This afternoon will be just fine, 'Sergeant'. Just be ready to cry when you lose."

At that, both men start writing notations on different pieces of paper. When they are done, they have three events selected and find they need one more.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rings. Ayame goes to answer it. A minute later, she says, "Daddy, we've got company!" She brings in the newcomers, causing Kaname and Sousuke to grin.

With Ayame is a petite young woman with silver hair in a ponytail, a gentleman with a ponytail and white hair, a very buxom young woman with short-cut raven-colored hair and a young man with long blond hair. All very fit and trim.

Sousuke then turns and says, "Mr. and Miss Chidori, I present to you Captain Teletha 'Tessa' Testarossa, Lieutenant Commander Andrei Kalinin with the Special Response Team, Sergeant Major Melissa Mao and Sergeant Kurz Weber. They are my colleagues from Mithril."

Tessa steps forward and says, "It's somewhat nice to meet you, Mr. Chidori. The Sgt. Major saw fit to tell me what you had said about Sgt. Sagara. I have served with him for some time now, and I have never seen or heard such disrespect about one of our best men. Kaname can personally attest to his prowess on and off the battlefield."

Shunya holds up his hands in surrender and says, "No disrespect intended, Captain. That is, if you really are a Captain." He then looks over at Kalinin and says, "So, you're the infamous Kalinin that Sousuke's been talking about. I don't think he is a Sergeant."

Kalinin nods and replies, "He is indeed a Sergeant, Mr. Chidori. He's also one of my best men. I have never heard such callous disregard for his skills either. I cannot even digest that you would have the audacity to disrespect or insult my Captain."

Shunya swallows in fear as Kalinin continues. "If you weren't insignificant to me or so important to the U.N., I'd have a side duel with you. My Spetsnaz training versus your hot-aired ego. Hand-to-hand combat. Father versus Father figure."

Kaname grins as she brings her hands together and says, "Since Father served in the Military, he's bound to know a thing or two."

Shunya gasps as he asks, "Are you trying to get me killed, Kaname? He's Spetsnaz, the elite of the Russian Military."

Kaname waves her hand softly and says, "I'm sure he'll go a little easy on you. He's getting a little odd in years, but he's still in good shape." Kalinin is unsure whether to take it as a compliment or as an insult. He chooses the former, given his past with Sousuke and Kaname.

Shunya bows his head and asks, "Would it help if I apologized for all I said regarding you and your associates, Lt. Commander?"

"It would go quite a way, Mr. Chidori. However, in the interest of fairness, I propose a shooting match alongside our younger counterparts. I win, you allow Sousuke to see Kaname, no matter what. As you can see, they've just realized their feelings for one another. I, for one, am quite proud of my subordinate. He's come a long way, given his life so far."

"Very well. If I win, and Sousuke wins the competition, he is to ask me for my blessing should he desire to marry Kaname."

"Uh." That came from both Sousuke and Kaname.

Now curious, Shunya then asks, "Just how did you two realize your feelings for each other anyway?" When they tell him, he goes off.

"You used a round of 'Russian Roulette' while she picked petals off of a flower! My eldest daughter, in love with a lunatic soldier."

He then shudders as he says, "I can just imagine my grandchildren. Hopeful romantics with a love for guns and war!"

Blushing at the thought, Kaname says, "It'd be the best of both worlds. Sousuke's protective spirit and my caring personality. It'd be a great combination."

"Uh."

That came from everyone else, except Sousuke, who's scratching his chin in thought, smiling warmly at the idea. Or at least as much as he can.

Kurz snaps out of it in time to grin and say, "Sousuke, you left something on the sub." He then reaches into his pocket and brings out a piece of paper.

"Given your talents for destruction, I never thought you'd have a creative streak in you. A creation for destruction. Truly the best of both worlds." He hands it to Sousuke, with a grin on his face.

Sousuke opens the paper, nods and grins. Kaname sees this and moves closer. On the paper is the biggest rifle she had ever seen.

"What, no name, Sousuke?"

Sousuke nods and replies, "Howitzer, the next generation."

He turns to Kaname and adds, "You're my inspiration, Kaname. Destructive power, yet a gentle breeze. Powerful, yet in a nice package."

Kaname blushes rosily and says, "That's probably the sweetest thing I've ever heard from you, Sousuke."

Sousuke ponders another and says, "Having emotions like love can be unpredictable, very much like firing a .50 caliber Barrett sniper rifle. If you're not braced properly, the recoil will leave you reeling. During the situation in Khanka, I was unsure of my emotions. When I heard the shots, I rushed in. At first, I thought it was in performance of my duty. Looking back now, it's safe to say you've unlocked a portion of me I've been trying to fight back. The capacity for caring, emotion, hope and love."

Stunned, Kaname blushes even deeper and recovers enough to say, "Now that is sweet and profound, Sousuke. I never imagined my dream guy would do an analogy pairing romance with weaponry."

Shunya clears his throat and says, under his breath, "It's not sweet or profound. It's absurdly ludicrous. Pairing romance with weaponry? Now that is just plain nuts." Kurz is about to charge Shunya when Kaname holds out her arm to stay his attack.

She then bends down to her Father's face and says, "I think, under the circumstances and given Sousuke's life so far, that it is sweet he does and says things his way. After all, he is a soldier. Not just any soldier, but a Specialist. The best of the best. At times, I even spot parallels within the things he says. If our roles were reversed, I probably would have said the same things. But his words were well chosen and flattering. That's why I'm nuts about him. He may be a moody military maniac, but, in his own way, he's also the sweetest guy I ever met. None of the other guys I met can ever hold a candle to him. Why? Because he'd blow them away in a heartbeat and he is sweet in his own way. Without bragging too much about himself, like those other guys did in the past."

She then gets up from her Father's position and goes to Sousuke's side, taking him into her arms and embracing him, remembering the 'Flirting Contest' he participated in.

She then kisses him and puts her head into his chest, a soft and content smile on her face. She's pleasantly surprised when Sousuke wraps his arms around her as well.

Remembering that he had held her that way during the balloon flight away from the villa, she blushes. She then grins about the memoryin which he faced off against the bodyguards to Masatami Hyuga.

Taking a chance for shock value, Kaname grins. "I packed the bikini you didn't notice last time. Feel up to a trip to the pool afterward?"

Without stammering, Sousuke replies, "Affirmative. As long as we can split a watermelon with a shotgun round." Kaname laughs as she recalls what had happened that day. She then looks up at Sousuke and gives him a massive kiss in front of the others.

They come out of it and decide to tell Shunya and Ayame about the villa. But first, they start with the encounter with A21 and Behemoth, the extremely massive A.S.

Shunya's jaw drops as he recalls the incident. "You were actually responsible for stopping that monstrosity? What happened to the pilot?"

Sousuke replies, "He bled to death from a wound he had suffered when I sent a round from Arbalest's gun into the mecha's groin. Evidently, he had caught some flak as the round went through the entire machine. He had also sustained a wound from a fellow terrorist's gun as he was running for the machine."

"I see." Shunya grimaces in pain as Sousuke then tells them about the first time he split a watermelon with a shotgun round. He even remembers to include Kaname getting sprayed with watermelon juice. That gets a soft giggle out of Kaname.

Ayame grins at the picture of Kaname getting sprayed with watermelon juice after it had exploded.

Curious, Shunya says, "I thought splitting a watermelon entailed using a bat."

"Not in Sousuke's case. Apparently, he didn't feel the bat would be sufficient. So, he went with the overkill option. I'm pretty sure he used rubber slugs inside the shotgun, as I'm still here."

"What do you mean by that, daughter?"

Kaname chuckles and replies, "I was sitting right beside the watermelon. I was feeling so unsure about myself because I had wanted Sousuke to compliment me on my new bikini. Next thing I know, the watermelon exploded, drenching me with watermelon juice. Here's the crazy part. Sousuke was blindfolded."

"BLINDFOLDED?"

Shunya suddenly feels uneasy and gets up to pace around the room, saying, "This is not happening. This cannot be happening. My daughter is in love with a young man that shoots watermelons blindfolded. It's a dream. Yes, a very realistic dream. Isn't it?"

Kalinin chuckles lightly as he replies, "If it's a dream, then we are sharing the same thing, Mr. Chidori. If it's not, then we are very much awake." Shunya looks up at Kalinin, sees the grinning Russian in front of him and sighs.

Shunya then looks around for the bottle of Scotch, suddenly feeling the need to get hammered already. Unable to find it, he sits, sighs and listens to the remainder of the stories.

When she gets done, Shunya shakes his head and starts muttering under his breath. He then looks up in time to see Sousuke and Kaname French each other passionately.

He sighs, thinking about Shizu, how happy she would have been meeting Sousuke and seeing Kaname so happy. He then starts getting angry as the French gets longer and bigger. All while the others grin happily.