A/N-This chapter, I want to try writing in first person from Ronin's and Leigh's POV. I had writers block for the past few chapters, so I decided to try something new. Tell me what you think about it. Oh yeah, I don't own CDF or monopoly.

--

-Ronin's pov-

It was going on six and the sun hadn't set yet, but I thought I could get myself out of that place while Leigh was occupied. She had a customer at the moment and I thought if I could…just…be…really…quiet—

"Ronin Takoda, what are you doing!"

That woman could've damn well been a vampire. Her ears had been picking up all of my whispered curses, and her eyes weren't bad either. I bowed slightly to her.

"Ah. Checking for shoplifters, your obnoxiousness."

She gave me this nasty look, but continued talking with her customer. During the day she had a few other people working in her small shop, and now she would probably tell them to keep an eye out for me too. Like I said before, she wasn't a stupid woman. She seemed intent on keeping me here until I got a doctor or gave her the story she'd been asking for.

I sensed her walking over to me. Honestly, she smells good.

"How old did you say you were, Ronin?"

Curse that woman. I'd never 'said' what my age was. That seems to be such a popular question with the people I've been meeting lately.

"Leigh, I'm a two-hundred and thirty-one year old vampire, and right now I want to drain you dry."

"Har har, Ronin. Now, how old are you?" Her voice had such a demanding tone, and I arched an eyebrow at her. It's a good thing she couldn't tell the truth from a lie.

"Would thirty make you happy? And how old are you?" I swiftly got smacked.

"You jerk! Don't ask me that!"

I could've dodged that easily, but chose not to, as it seemed to satisfy Leigh greatly. In return, I pulled the green bandana off her head and dangled it just out of her reach…So she kneed my in a place that was in her reach.

I hadn't been expecting that, and she easily got her bandana back when I keeled over in pure pain.

Through the pain, though, I still managed to send her a rude gesture. "Damn you to hell, Leigh."

"I love you too, Ronin."

Satisfied, she stalked off, tying her bandana back on her head as she went.

--

-Leigh's pov-

Well, he damn well deserved it. Stupid, insufferable man. He ripped my bandana with those long (rather feminine) nails of his. It had been my favorite one, too.

I just walked off and left him there in that position, thinking he might stay there for a while. Kam found his way over to him and started poking him, too.

He seemed to be sneaking around an awful lot that day, even with those legs of his. I realize now that it was selfish of me to keep him there with me instead of letting him go look for Toklata, but I'd like to think of myself as more than just a hindrance to him after all that time he took for me. Besides, aren't love and selfishness almost the same thing?

It was around six, I think, and my shop isn't really all that busy even during rush hour (if this small town even had a rush hour), let alone at that time of the day, so I was starting to send some of my employees home. They're mostly teenagers saving up for cars, or who just wanted to earn some extra money, so they love it when I let them go early. I just kind of wanted to sit and talk with Ronin, try to get him to explain some things.

By then I'd already known there was something weird about him. That sword sheath just hanging at his side and some comments he made gave him away. At one point he said something about a licorice stick, which was the 1920's slang term for a clarinet. The 1920's.

Naturally, I was curious, and I often found myself thinking about him throughout my work that day (much to my own dismay). So when I saw him stalking around I couldn't resist going over and poking fun at him, just a little. Kam just happened to finish the job for me. I made him stop, though, when I thought Ronin had had enough (no that you can tell through that emotionless mask he puts on his face).

"Come on, Kam. You're taking a bath."

"Woof," he argued, pulling on Ronin's hair.

"No," I insisted. "Bath. Now march, mister."

Kam moved towards the stairs reluctantly, but turned around and waved dejectedly at Ronin.

I told one of the workers that was still there to keep an eye on both the shop and Ronin while I gave Kam his bath (but mostly on Ronin), and followed my nephew upstairs to the bathroom.

I didn't even know Ronin was in there until he spoke.

"You wanna let me go look for Toklata now?"

He sounded slightly irritated, but so was I. I didn't know what was up with him and the way he thought he could prance around my home just because I gave him a room for the night.

Thinking that, something else struck me. What were my employees thinking? There was this strange man…at my house, in my home…and I wouldn't let him leave…

Exasperated, I pulled Ronin out of the bathroom, as not to disturb my humming nephew, closed the door, and screamed at him. "You know, if you'd just answer me, I'd let you go! Or maybe you wanna spend the night again, huh! Maybe you just don't want to leave—"

"Leigh, you're absolutely insane!"

I raised my hand to slap him, but he caught it and did the most idiotic thing I can ever remember anyone doing.

He kissed me.

--

-Third Person pov, Konosuke's House-

"Well, what do you usually do when you're bored?"

"Play my flute…or a board game…or something! There's nothing to do around here!"

Konosuke noted that Toklata's initial fear had evaporated. Sure, he could send it flooding back into her anytime he wished to, but this more rebellious girl was much more interesting.

"Do you have a softball? A baseball, I mean?"
"Nope. I might have Monopoly somewhere, though."

She perked up. "Do you wanna play with me?"

"What the hell," Konosuke said, getting up. "Let's go find it and we'll play for a few hours, if your attention span is that big."

Toklata followed him merrily down the hall, to a cramped closet in his room. He suppressed a laugh at her cheerful behavior; she was easy to scare and just as easy to perk up. At this age, it couldn't be mood swings, but that didn't exclude her from getting very angry very easily. Konosuke came to one conclusion: this girl had an incredibly unstable personality. And if Ronin did something stupid, like blood her, life among vampires could easily turn her into some smiling assassin thing.

While he was pondering, Toklata had pulled Monopoly out of the closet, dashed back down the hall, and was already setting up the pieces, fake money flying everywhere.

Sighing, Konosuke dragged himself back out to the living room. Sitting down across from Toklata, he picked a pawn and helped her sort out the money.

"When is Ronin coming?" she asked, about three minutes into the game. "I mean, he is coming to save me, right?"

"I'm glad you still realize you're a hostage, not a guest," Konosuke replied bitterly, and she shrank back a bit. "Get your mind off of Takoda. He'll come eventually. Give me the dice and just wait for him. Give me the dice first, though."

She did so, and the dull game began. Both were quiet throughout most of it, only speaking to get the other one's money or a property card. The game lasted for only about two hours before Toklata's mind began drifting to other things and she forfeited.

"Do you have anything else to do?" she asked, while picking up the pieces of the game.

"Go climb a tree or something. I'll attempt to cook something."

"Do you have any cd's I can listen to?"

"Some old stuff. Go look in the closet again."

"Yes, sir."

--

-Ronin's pov-

That was probably the most idiotic thing I've ever done, and to this day I have no idea why I did it. The thing is, I did. And Leigh seemed to accept it.

It lasted longer than I planned, and Leigh was the one who finally broke it.

"Ronin…we've known each other for about twenty-four hours…"

"Yeah," I confirmed, in a so-what's-your-point kind of voice.

"I don't feel like this is right, Ronin."

"You're right. Maybe we should try without our clothes?"

Ouch. Should've seen that slap coming, vampire or not. "RONIN TAKODA! YOU PERVERT!" She wriggled out of the embrace I had her in and went back into the bathroom, slamming the door.
Women are so weird.