Love Hina


Disclaimer: This episode of Love Hina is of my own creation. I do not own any portion of Love Hina. "Love Hina" and all related characters, names, etc. are ©1999-2004 Ken Akamatsu/Mixx Entertainment Inc. Love Hina is a trademark of TOKYOPOP®. All rights reserved.

Note: This series takes after the "Love Hina" manga since I haven't seen any of the anime. Yeah, I'm getting kinda tired of saying this and I'm pretty sure you're just as tired of reading it, but here it goes: I will watch the anime. I promise.


Different Promises
Chapter 8:
The Big Date


Keitaro and Motoko make it to the bottom of the stone steps, still holding hands. Since the very nice restaurant they are going to isn't too far away, they decide to walk. Within a few minutes, they have reached their destination. The restaurant is small and a little secluded, but the food is really good and is perfect for their first date. They walk in and the samurai girl looks around. "This is very quaint and nice," she comments, a light blush on her cheeks at the thought that she is actually going out on her first date.

"Yeah," Keitaro begins, "I went here once a long time ago with my family. I remember the food was excellent." They walk up to the hostess and she leads them to their seats. The entire Chinese restaurant has, of course, a Chinese theme to it. Old paintings and decorations liven up the atmosphere while soft music plays in the background. The area that the young landlord and Motoko are led too has a more romantic atmosphere to it, with the lights dimmed and a single candle on each table. Both embarrassedly sit down, their nervousness of the situation slowly rising.

The two pick up their menus and look around for something they would like to have. The landlord's eyes settle on the combination plates. "Hey, these combo plates at the bottom right look pretty good," he comments. "And they come with a bunch of sides."

"Hmm…they do look very appetizing," Motoko agrees, gazing at that part of the menu. "I am normally accustomed to Shinobu's cooking, but I guess I can make an exception once in a while." They both chuckle lightly at the comment. A few minutes later, the waiter has taken their order and they awkwardly sit at their table, both unsure of what to do.

Keitaro decides to break the silence. "So Motoko, tell me a bit about yourself."

"What do you wish to know Urashima?"

The Tokyo U student taps his chin in thought. "Well…actually anything about you would be nice. The only time we've spent together is when we're training in the mornings, and we really don't get the chance to talk then."

The samurai girl smiles sweetly at him. "Yes, that is true. Well, to begin, I am a member of the Gods' Cry School, an ancient secret fighting style."

"Gods' Cry School?" Keitaro repeats, raising an eyebrow. "I've never heard of it before. How do you join it?"

Motoko shakes her head, a small smile still on her face. "No, it is not something you can join, you have to be born into the school." At his confused look, she translates. "Every current member is a blood descendant of the original founders, and of course that includes myself."

The young man nods once in understanding. "Ah, that's cool. So some of those techniques you've used on me during training were things you learned in that school?" She nods in response. "Well I must say, you've been training really well. Those techniques were quite powerful and executed with such great perfection." He smiles and winks at her.

The Aoyama woman blushes heavily, her training and warrior lifestyle always having been something she prides herself in incredibly. "T-Thank you Urashima," she stutters out, staring down into her lap. The waiter suddenly appears with the food, saving Motoko from further embarrassment.

For the next hour or so, the two eat their food and talk a great deal about their lives, their comfort quickly rising as well as their affection for one another. Sometime during the meal, Keitaro's foot bumped into Motoko's when he was shifting in his seat. The young woman, thinking it was intentional, blushes heavily and, instead of lashing out like she normally does, starts to respond by rubbing her leg against his, hoping that she is doing the right thing. The young Urashima blushes as well, surprised by her actions, but allows her to continue and smiles shyly at her.

Some time later, they have finished their nice meal and Keitaro paid the bill. They exit the restaurant walking closely together. The sun has begun to set and everything has been lit in a beautiful pre dusk glow. "So…where are we going now Urashima?" Motoko asks, now uncertain of where they will be heading. 'He only mentioned the restaurant,' she thinks to herself. 'I hope he has something else planned, for I am greatly enjoying getting to know him better, and I do not desire for this night to end so quickly.'

Keitaro looks over at the beautiful woman beside him, a slight smile now occupying his face. "We're not going home just yet," he replies, noting the relief in Motoko's eyes, "I've got another place I want to take you."

"Where is this place?" she asks again, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Can't tell," he replies, poking her on the nose gently, "it's a secret."

The young woman blushes a bit when he touches her nose. She has noticed that she is the only person he does that to, like it's a special small showing of affection that he reserves just for her. 'Perhaps…perhaps it is a sign that he cares more for me than he does the others,' she thinks hopefully.

As they walk down the street, a familiar figure walks out of the nearest store, whistling a happy tune while swinging a brown paper bag in her hand. She turns her head, and smiles at the two walking up to her. "Well now, don't you two look cute," Kitsune says, her usual foxy grin reappearing. She quickly clasps shut the bag she is carrying, careful not to show its contents to the two in front of her. "So you guys are already done with the date thing? You sure weren't out long."

"We're not through with the date yet," Keitaro replies, patting Motoko on the shoulder. "We just finished a part of it."

"Really?" the fox eyed girl asks, sidling up next to the young man. "So what else do you have planned out in that dirty little mind of yours? Planning on dragging poor little Motoko off to some cheesy motel and taking advantage of her sweet, pure body?" She leans back dramatically with a hand over her eyes. "Oh I can't bear the thought!"

Keitaro rolls his eyes and chuckles slightly, but Motoko frowns in thought. 'He would not try such a thing…would he? He is nice and he has shown no such intentions, but he is still a male, and they are driven by lust over the lure of the female body. That is what I have believed for so long now and it has to be true, isn't it?'

Kitsune chuckles merrily and goes in between the two, wrapping her arms around their shoulders. "Ah I'm just joking around guys! Well I don't want to bug you two anymore so I'm going on back home, later!"

As she starts to walk away, the Tokyo U student stops her. "So what do you have in the bag Kitsune?"

The young woman falters for a brief moment. "Oh! Um…just some aspirin!" she quickly answers, acting nonchalantly.

"More?!" Keitaro replies, raising an eyebrow. "Wow, I think maybe you should cut back on the drinking Kitsune. If you've been having that many headaches, you should take it as a sign. I don't want to see you hurt or anything."

Kitsune smiles at his genuine concern for her well being. 'You really are one of a kind Keitaro,' she thinks to herself. Putting her foxy grin back on, she responds, "Well don't worry your cute little self Mr. Landlord, the other stuff I got wasn't going to work out well, but I'm pretty sure this will!" With a wink, she turns around and walks away, leaving two slightly confused people behind.

"I didn't exactly get that last part, did you?" Motoko shakes her head, still looking at the retreating fox eyed girl. "Eh, I guess there's no real understanding of that woman." He starts to walk off, but pauses as he notices that he's walking alone. "Motoko, is something wrong?"

The younger woman looks up, suddenly snapped out of her thoughts. "W-What? Oh, no! I…I was just thinking of her words."

Keitaro places his hands on her shoulders and looks up a bit into her eyes. "You know she was just kidding around. I would never even think of trying such a thing. Just because I'm a guy and I do have some perverted thoughts here and there doesn't mean I'm going to act out on them."

Motoko blushes slightly. "I-I guess you are right. I am sorry for doubting your intentions."

"Great!" he smiles, taking her hand and pulling her away. "I want to take a quick stop before we head off to our next destination."

"Where are we going?"

He looks over his shoulder to flash one of his winning smiles. "Trust me."

______

Over at the Café Hinata, Naru walks in, intending on talking to Haruka. Lucky for her, the older woman is sitting down on a stool, chatting with one of her regulars. She walks right up to her, clearing her throat to get her attention. The Urashima woman turns her head, nodding at the younger girl. "Can you sit down at one of the empty tables Naru?" she asks. "I'll be with you in just a minute."

The long haired woman nods and sits down at a table, patiently waiting. A minute or so later, Haruka calmly walks over to her table and pulls out a seat, sitting down and crossing her legs. "So what do you want to talk about this time Naru?"

Narusegawa fidgets uncomfortably in her chair. "Well I…uh sorta overheard your nephew talking out loud to himself about a week ago, and mentioned something that's been bugging me for a while. I've been wanting to ask him, but there hasn't been any really good opportunities, so I was wondering if you could tell me?"

The older woman keeps a calm and impassive face, but on the inside she is beginning to feel defensive. 'Uh oh,' she thinks, 'something tells me that I'm not gonna want to tell her whatever she's about to ask.' She pulls her cigarette out of her mouth, letting out a puff of smoke while she does so. "Okay…shoot."

"Who is Kanako?"

Though Haruka prides herself on being able to keep her emotions under control and keep on a neutral poker face, there are some touchy subjects that break through her tough resolve. Her niece is one of them. She takes her cigarette and puts it out on an ashtray on the table, sighing deeply. "Naru…I'm not too sure I'm the one who should tell you everything. This subject has been really touchy for my entire family, especially Keitaro. Out of respect for him, I'm sorry, but I can't tell you. You want answers, go ask my nephew."

The younger woman sighs a bit. "Okay, thanks any way Haruka. See you later." She stands up and leaves the café, waving goodbye to the former housemother of Hinata House. 'Alright,' she thinks to herself, 'that was a waste. I guess I have to go and ask him later…when he gets back from his date with Motoko.' She growls a bit after that thought, getting odd looks in her direction from the people around her. Blushing, she runs to the stone steps leading up to her home. "That damn guy," she mumbles, "nothing has been going right in my life ever since he came into it. Why do I feel like things can only get worse with him?"

______

Keitaro and Motoko rush down the street, the young man still pulling the samurai girl along. "Come on!" he begins, a big grin on his face, "we're almost there!"

"Almost where?" Motoko looks up and her eyes go wide as she sees that they are headed straight for a hotel. "W-W-What?!" she shouts, her voice sounding very squeaky. "We are going there?!" Her nervousness skyrockets at the thoughts pouring into her head. 'A hotel?!' her mind screams. 'Does that mean that he wants to…? But I am not ready…am I? What would oneesan think of me?' As Keitaro pulls her past a curtain, the samurai girl shouts, "Urashiima wait! I…I cannot do this?"

The young man frowns a bit at her. "Are you sure Motoko? I mean, it's just a print club booth."

"But I value my virg…what?" at her question, he pulls her in all the way and faces her towards a screen. He smiles and holds up his right hand in a peace sign just as a picture is taken. Motoko looks up at his face, a heavy blush still on her cheeks. "I-Is that what your intentions were when you dragged me here? To take a picture of the two of us?"

"Yeah," Keitaro admits, rubbing the back of his head, "It's been sort of a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember." He grabs the two small photos taken and hands one to the younger woman. "Here you go. This can be like a memento of our little date."

Motoko takes the photo he hands her, her heart still beating a bit fast. 'You silly fool,' she thinks to herself, though she is unsure whether or not it is directed towards herself or Urashima.

______

The samurai girl cannot help but smile at the sheer beauty of the park she and Keitaro just entered. "I have been here a few times in the early afternoon," she begins, looking around. "I find the serene environment calm and relaxing, perfect for meditation, but I cannot believe how magnificent it is at night."

"Yeah," Keitaro adds, "this place is really well funded so they keep it in great condition. It's been a very popular spot for as long as I can remember." He looks up at a clock up on a post. "Oh good, it's just about to start." He gently takes Motoko's hand and leads her further into the park towards the center of it.

"Urashima, where are we…oh," the samurai girl trails off as they enter a clearing where a large and very nice marble multi layered fountain resides. A group of people is already there and are circling the fountain, chatting to one another and having a generally good time. "Why has such a group gathered here?" she asks the young man next to her. "Yes, this fountain is lovely, I have seen it before, but I do not understand why such a gathering has occurred now."

The Tokyu U student smirks slightly. "You'll find out in about thirty seconds."

Motoko raises an eyebrow, but remains calm. After a little bit, she starts to become impatient. She is about to say something when the lights around the fountain dim and everyone quickly shushes one another. For the next several minutes, everyone present is rewarded with their patience by an incredible water show from the fountain. Colored lights turn on, adding to the mystique and grace of the streams of water as they shoot into the air. Keitaro turns to the younger woman, smiling at her amazed look.

The samurai girl, sensing she is being watched, turns her head a bit to see the landlord looking at her, a warm smile on his face. She quickly looks back to the show, a mild blush on her cheeks. 'Why is he looking at me like that? If I am not mistaken, there was a hint of admiration in his eyes when he was looking at me. He…admires me?' That thought increases her blush.

A little while later, the fountain show has ended and the group that came to watch has begun to disperse. "So what did you think Motoko?" Keitaro asks, the two now leaving the park. "Not just the fountain show, but the whole date in general?"

"It was…unexpected," she truthfully answers. "I must admit, I had not expected much, but then again, I have never been on a date before. You surprised me with these two extra visits to that photo booth and the park, but they were both very nice. I had a good time and enjoyed getting to know you better Urashima."

"So did I Motoko." Keitaro yawns slightly, covering his mouth. "Well I think we should probably go home now. If we stay out any later, everybody at the Hinata House will freak out at us…or come to some very wrong conclusions." Both he and the samurai girl wince in thought.

The young woman frowns slightly. "Yes, I can hardly imagine what thoughts are running through Kitsune's head. I fear to find out what she will ask us upon our return."

"So lets going before we add any more fuel to her fire." With a nod, the two head off, on their way home.

Soon they are nearing the steps that lead up to the Hinata House. The two are laughing and chatting about their heated encounter when Keitaro came into their lives a little over a week ago. Suddenly, two large burly men emerge from the shadows, not looking like they have the best intentions in mind. "Well now what do we have here?" the larger of the two asks his companion, smiling a not too friendly smile.

"It looks like a really hot girl's hanging out with some scrawny little twirp!" The two men roar up with laughter. "Go on and leave boy, we need to spend some quality time with the lady!" the two men smile hungrily, making the two people in front of them feel sick to their stomachs.

Keitaro and Motoko instantly go into defensive stances. The samurai girl, though now frustrated that her sword is not with her, is also gladdened that this past week she has been training both with and without it while training with Urashima. He noticed that her skills without her sword were a bit lacking so he helped improve her hand-to-hand skills while she helped to improve his sword fighting technique. 'I am ready for this,' she mentally tells herself. 'These two are petty thugs and disgusting perverts, nothing more.'

The larger thug walks up to Keitaro, cracking his knuckles and smiling menacingly. "Why don't you just run along now kid? It'll be a lot less painful if you do." He throws a punch down at the Tokyo U student, but gasps as the young man catches it in his hand effortlessly.

"It will be less painful," he admits, just before he grabs the thug's arm with her other hand and flips him over his shoulder, slamming him painfully onto the ground. "Less painful for you," he adds with a smile.

"Why you little bastard!" the other man shouts, charging straight for Keitaro. "I'll kill you!" He goes in for a swing, but Keitaro leaps back and dodges it. Unfortunately for the young man, he trips over the fallen thug's large arm and falls onto the ground. The second thug smirks. "I got you now kid!" He swings with his other arm, this time sure to hit Keitaro square in the jaw. All the thug sees is a sudden rush of red and the next thing he knows what is happening, he is flying into the air, courtesy of a fierce uppercut from Motoko. He falls onto the street, knocked unconscious.

The samurai girl dusts herself off and turns to the young man, smiling brilliantly. "This date was even better than I thought!"

Keitaro shakes his head while he stands back up, but smiles all the same. "Now that I did not plan," he chuckles, "but I got to remember to hire a couple of goons next time."

"Is that an invitation for another date?" she asks in a hushed whisper, her hand over her heart.

The young man nods in response. "Sure, if you'd like to go on another one that is." He gets an answer at the form of a kind smile from her. "Come on, let's go home, I think we've had enough excitement for one day."

The two walk up the stairs both felling happy yet sad at the same time. Happy for having such a great first date with the other and getting to know the other better and sad because they don't want the day to end. They finally reach the top of the stairs and are now a few feet in front of the Hinata House's front entrance. The young Urashima begins to reach out for the door handle, but is stopped by Motoko taking his other hand. He turns to see her shyly looking at him, a beautiful flush on her face. "I…I want to…that is I thank you for a such wonderful evening Urashima."

"Well I had a great time too Motoko. I'm just glad that you enjoyed yourself." His eyes widen a bit as the young woman slowly, shakily walks closer to him. "M-Motoko?" His breath catches in his throat as she lets go of his hand and places her hands on his shoulders, slowly closing the distance between the two of them. He lets out a sigh, both of relief and disappointment when she leans in and hugs him.

"Thank you Urashima," she whispers, keeping her frustration hidden. 'Why could I not kiss him?!' her mind screams at her. 'I was right there, but I faltered…damn it!'

Keitaro returns the hug, gently wrapping his arms around the younger woman. "You are welcome Motoko," he replies, his breath tingling the samurai girl's ear. He realizes his mistake when he feels her body stiffen and hears her gasp in a breath. Quickly, he pulls back. "Oh Motoko, I'm so…mmph!" he never gets to finish his apology as the young woman plants her lips onto his. 'Oh wow, this feels amazing!' he thinks in awe.

The young woman reluctantly pulls back a little while later. "T-Thank you once more Ura…K-Keitaro," she adds shyly.

The Tokyo U student smiles slightly while rubbing the back of his head. "I should be the one who thanks you Mo…" he trails off again as he notices that the front door is open and the four other tenants of the Hinata House are all watching them, mouths agape. "Uh…hi guys!"


To be continued…

______

Author's notes: Heh, well there was the big date between Motoko and Keitaro. I hope you like it. I was actually having some difficulty working on what I wanted to have them do. It's not perfect, I know (sorry!), but I couldn't think of a whole lot of good ideas to go on, what with my lack of experience with the whole dating game myself.

In the next chapter, I'm going to try to get back to the manga storyline. I'm currently rereading through the first two volumes to see which story fits into the time frame my story is now in. As usual, stay patient and you will be greatly rewarded…with a new chapter! – lighthawkdemon

Questions or comments? E-mail me at: lighthawkdemon@yahoo.com