Leather and Lace

By: Maidens of Konan

Disclaimer: We do not claim to own any part of Fushigi Yugi, it is owned by Watase Yuu, Shogakukan Comics, Pierrot Studios, TV Tokyo and Pioneer! However, we do claim the rights to the past and present lives of any original characters that may appear in this story. Plagiarists will be sentenced to an eternity of being a foot masseuse for Taiits-kun.

Chapter Four

Dante had never been as disappointed to see a law enforcement building in his entire life as he was when his precinct station loomed into view. That feeling and a quick glance at his watch indicated that less than an hour in Miaka's company had been enough to double his determination not to let her get away.

They'd grown up on different continents. They had experienced vastly different lives. Yet it was almost eerie how quickly and easily they had established a rapport. Although it was totally clichéd thing to say that he felt he had known her his entire life, that happened to be exactly how he felt.

There's another guy in her life. He reminded himself. Gotta stay cool. Can't push too hard, or I'll do somethin' stupid an' lose her.

A second glance down at his watch told him that it was almost time for his lunch break, a convenient and perfect opportunity to keep Miaka with him for just a little while longer. He had only written one ticket so far, but there would be time to make up for it. He would not be shirking his duties, even though the gig was temporary and quotas meant diddle-squat to him. He'd been thrown out on patrol without warning and technically, he could file a grievance over it. But he wouldn't. His mother had always said bad things happened to bring the good, even though sometimes the good was tough to see. The cynic in him had often scoffed at her every time he heard it.

But now, looking at the woman seated next to him, he was finally a believer.

"This is really close to where I live!" Miaka exclaimed, as they pulled into the back lot used by the precinct's employees. "My apartment complex is only about four or five blocks east of here. You've probably driven right by it on patrol."

"Yeah, I think I have," he replied, feigning surprise. "Small world, huh?"

Her lips curved. "It certainly is."

Dante swung the LeBaron into a spot next to his own vehicle. He almost pointed it out, but then changed his mind, thinking that if his lunch plans happened to fall through and he ended up resorting to arranging a 'coincidental' meeting, he would lose the advantage of surprise if Miaka knew what kind of vehicle he drove.

"Not sure how long this will take," he told her, "but I'll keep the car running so you can have the air on."

"Thank you. It looks like it's getting hot out there."

Not as hot as in here, Dante thought wryly. He started to open his door, but then his hand froze in the motion of swinging it open. Now, he thought. If he was going to ask her out it had to be right now, before he had too much time to think about what could go wrong.

"Miss Miaka?" He began, not looking at her, but feeling her inquiring gaze.

"Yes, Dante-san?"

"I was thinkin'," he took a breath, and blurted out the rest, "I have an early lunch break comin' up right now…and there's this real nice coffee cafe down the road, and since you missed havin' breakfast, would you like to go and get something to eat with me before I drop you off at your apartment?"

He stared at the steering wheel, wondering if he'd pushed his luck too far.

She didn't keep him in suspense. "I would love to have some lunch!"

He chanced a look at her; she was smiling and nodding, adding emphasis to her assertion. His heart raced, but then her smile faded a bit.

"I have one condition for going."

Dante gave thanks for the training that allowed him to appear calm and collected in the face of an impending set back. She hadn't answered his question before she keeled over back at the car, but the stark reality was that there was a boyfriend in the mix, and she probably wanted to clarify that they were going out as friends. Which really sucked, but he could deal with that as long as there was hope that friendship was a springboard for hope for a status change.

"What's your condition?" He asked.

"That you will permit me to buy your lunch." She said.

"What?" He stared at her, totally thrown off his game.

"You've taken care of me," she declared, "it would make me happy if I could do something for you!"

It was like going around on a Ferris wheel, Dante thought wryly. First he was down, and then suddenly he was heading back for the top.

"Dante-san? Is that all right?"

Her eyes were unshuttered windows to her thoughts. He could see apprehension and doubt. His gaze briefly lowered to her hands, which were twisting in her lap as she waited for his reply. She was as nervous about rejection as he was, he was sure of it. The knowledge was a jolt to his loins.

"Lady, ya got yourself a deal!" He said, then practically bolted from the car.

Given the feelings rising within him, it was the only way to keep himself from grabbing her and laying a big, wet one on those luscious lips of hers.

Miaka chuckled as she watched Dante sprinting towards the back door of the precinct house. As nervous as she'd been about putting a condition on acceptance of his offer, it was immensely gratifying to see that he was happy about her agreeing to go.

If he only knew how nice it was to have someone want her company like that. If only she could tell him how happy it made her to be asked. But her smile of anticipation flatlined as guilt assailed her. She really shouldn't be happy about going out to lunch with Dante when she'd stood up Taka without calling. She'd have to try once she and Dante got to the restaurant. Taka might be angry, but he'd understand once she'd told him what happened. Dante wouldn't be in this situation if it weren't for her. He deserved a thank you for all the trouble she'd caused him, not to mention it was the perfect opportunity to find out more about him and how he had ended up here...

A little voice in her head piped up, sounding a lot like her beloved warrior Nuriko used to. "Yeah, yeah! You're having lunch with the stud muffin purely out of the goodness of your heart! I'm sure Taka will approve of your generosity..."

Miaka winced and shook her head at the voice. As always, no matter how uncomfortable the subject, and even as a figment of her imagination, Nuriko told it like it was.

And it was right on.

The reincarnation of Tasuki just asked me out, and I said yes without hesitation! Even though I have a boyfriend! It's surprising he asked...but then again, he doesn't have the friendship with Taka that Tasuki had to hold him back. And anyway, I didn't tell him Taka and I were a serious couple! I should have said so! Honestly, what is wrong with me? And it isn't just a thank you lunch when I'm wondering what it would lead to...

And she was thinking about that. Dante had looked as if he'd wanted to kiss her, just before he'd left the car. And if he had tried...then what? Guilt assailed her, even as her stomach quivered pleasantly as she contemplated the implications of the situation.

A short, friendly peck wouldn't be out of line, she reasoned desperately. It's the American way- people here are always hugging and kissing each other for one reason or another, so it doesn't necessarily have to mean anything if I allow him one! If he tries to push for anything more, I'll say I don't want to complicate things and ruin a wonderful new friendship!

Friendship. It was a sensible plan, chock full of good intentions, a plan that could allow her to keep Dante in her life even though she was with Taka. Why not? She and Tasuki and Taka had stayed friends after the disaster at the Inn, hadn't they?

But that was another time and place, she thought, arguing with herself. Back then, she could think of Tasuki as a friend because there was no chance for him becoming more. When she summoned Suzaku and went home, the separation between their worlds would have ensured that, even if she hadn't had a passionate relationship with Tamahome.

Reality check. That separation theory was null and void. She was in a relationship with Taka, the former Tamahome who had become a man of this world. Not that it was going well. Truth be told, it was going badly. Despite that, she'd hung on, because of loyalty to their past and sheer stubbornness in not wanting to fail by quitting on what she had wished for so ardently as a schoolgirl.

Dante was also very much a part of this world. Memories of his past self would also make a friendship with him a blessing and a torment. It wasn't fair to anyone if she didn't separate what she felt in the past from the present. But that was the thing. With Dante, she had a strong, unshakeable feeling that once she got to know him, it would be easy to see him as himself. Which meant making a very hard choice. And it would be difficult. Even if things between them had soured, Taka was someone she loved and hated to hurt. And as for Dante...well...to avoid hurting him or unnecessarily complicating his life, the best thing to do would be to buy the man lunch for a thank you, indulge in enjoying a few minutes in his company for old time's sake and then allow him to walk out of her life.

But was it the right thing to do? Apart from the fact that finding another of her beloved seishi had been reborn as a man of her world wasn't something she could ever ignore, was knowing that even if she ran away from him, her attraction to Dante was something she couldn't dismiss. Simply being held by him had had her heart rate leaping to a dangerous elevation and her mind considering possibilities that had once been unthinkable. Being held in his arms made her feel reborn herself, even as it struck at her conscience.

She had met Tamahome first and fallen for him. What if it had been Tasuki she'd met first? Would he have been the one for her? Would she have recognized his wonderful qualities?

Maybe Suzaku had a hand in this, given all the times that she'd wished she'd gotten to know Tasuki better in the years since her last journey to that world. In any case, what all her soul searching boiled down to is that the story wouldn't ever be over if certain feelings weren't resolved.

After that admission, she allowed her thoughts to venture further into forbidden territory. Hidden memories of being passionately kissed by a flame-throwing bandit leapt to the forefront of her mind. She could clearly picture Dante as her redheaded warrior, stealing her away with the intention of making her feel like a real woman. Or Dante coming to her rescue with his fire. Dante protecting her partially clad body with his own as debris rained down upon them. Dante giving her mouth to mouth next to a secluded forest pond...

Enmeshed in spinning out the erotic fantasies, Miaka failed to notice that her companion was approaching the car. When the driver's door was abruptly yanked open and he slid into the seat next to her, she jumped and let out a shriek.

"Hey, it's all right!" He exclaimed, eyeing her with concern. "It's only me!"

She blinked at him owlishly, face reddening, and hands held over her racing heart. "I-I didn't realize you were back."

"I'm a fast kind of guy." His grin was pure Tasuki.

"I can see that!" Her clasped hands lowered to her lap. "Anyway, it's my own fault for getting caught up in daydreaming!"

"You were miles away," Dante observed, as he put on his sunglasses, started the car and shifted it into reverse, "we're gonna have to do something about that attention span of yours, it could get you into trouble!"

"It already has, several times," she confessed ruefully, "especially when I was younger!"

Dante laughed. "I bet! Must have had a tough time in school if ya spaced out like that in class!"

"I did get in trouble for not paying attention!" She confirmed. A streak of mischief reared its head and she added, "but in my defense, there's an article I once read in the American Journal of Psychology said that the ability to fantasize is healthy, and absolutely essential to adults achieving full gratification in their love lives, and-"

She broke off as the car lurched violently.

Dante swore under his breath as the engine died.

"What happened?" She dared to ask.

"I popped the damn clutch!"

Hiding a smile, Miaka watched a flustered Dante re-start and shift the car into drive with a bit too much force. She was surprised at the reaction she had gotten for a teasing comment. From what she had witnessed in the social scene, American women were much more forward with their men friends- she'd have thought Dante would have been used to hearing remarks of that nature.

A prickling of shame banished her smile. What had prompted that comment? She wasn't American, and doing that kind of thing wasn't normal for her. In retrospect, maybe she should have refrained. But it was too late to take it back. All she could do now was wait to see if and how he would respond to her risqué comment. She had a strong suspicion that he would, even if he had been taken off guard. Just like Tasuki, this man didn't seem like he'd let anyone get the best of him, physically or verbally...

As soon as he had gotten them safely out of the parking lot, Dante confirmed her theory.

"So what goes on in those daydreams of yours?" He inquired, with a suspiciously innocent look. "Must be some pretty interesting and gratifying ones to grab your attention like that."

She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "A lot of things that I'm sure a guy wouldn't care to hear about."

"Try me."

"They're mostly girl type things."

"What kind of girl type things?"

Miaka hesitated, torn between shyness and exasperation. Clearly, Dante wasn't going to let her off the hook until she'd given some kind of confession! "Most of the time they involve…um… imagining myself in romantic situations," she said, somewhat defiantly.

To her surprise, Dante didn't laugh or tease. "Like a romance novel?"

"Sort of." Despite her efforts to remain cool and composed, she could feel the rising sting of a blush. "Or a show."

"Got any examples you wouldn't mind sharing?" He asked.

She looked at him askance. "You really want to hear about something that happens in a graphic novel plot, or to Julia Roberts in a...oh, what's that phrase for movies girls like.."

"'Chick flicks'?" Dante suggested.

She nodded.

"I happen to like most of Julia Roberts' movies," he challenged, "heck, some even helped me understand how women think about relationships," he paused, "except for Pretty Woman. Fun movie, but it required some suspension of disbelief."

She rose to the bait. "That's the whole point! Romantic escapism! One of my favorite scenarios is a throwback involving a secret mountain hideout and being kidnapped and carried away to it by a fiery, woman-hating bandit!"

Dante looked amused and intrigued. "A damsel in distress in danger of being ravished as a set up to falling in love?"

She fidgeted under his watchful glance. "Yes."

"Not sure how that set up could be romantic," his brow wrinkled, "or why you would want to be swept off your feet by a hot-tempered hillbilly thief who hates females and yet wants to seduce you?"

Miaka bit back a laugh. This was a very improper conversation to be having, but it was also fun."Well...because I'd be the one woman in the world that he doesn't hate, and he'd turn out to be a chivalrous, courageous hero with a heart of gold!"

"So he's a diamond in the rough? James Dean with a dash of Prince Charming?" Dante asked. "By the way, James Dean was an iconic 20th century actor in the Fifties who excelled in playing bad boys-"

"A Rebel with a Cause!" She broke in, and then laughed at his surprise. "I love old movies! And I would say that combination is a perfect description of my mountain bandit, except, not as polite as Prince Charming or as full of angst as Dean."

"I see. And since the bad boy oozes sex appeal, he'd also be the world's greatest lover I suppose?"

"Naturally!" She retorted, refusing to let raised eyebrows and a knowing smirk fluster her. "But the best thing about him, the thing that makes it so special... is that he cares about my feelings and wants me the way I am, in spite of all my flaws and foibles…" her voice drifted off on a wistful sigh.

"Sounds to me like you wish this guy was real."

"He was," she said softly, too wrapped up in memories to notice that her companion's smile had just straight lined, "a long time ago I knew a guy just like that."

"So what happened?"

It hurt to admit the truth, but it also helped to confess her weakness.

"I already had a boyfriend, and I was caught up in the rapture of first love, too much to even consider someone else who might have been the right one for me."

Dante's gaze was sharp, but his voice was gentle as he asked, "Wouldn't happen to be the guy I reminded you of, would it?"

"Well yes, but that's in the past," her cheeks grew even hotter under his scrutiny, "and do all American men usually think so much about romance?"

Dante sounded amused, but otherwise made no comment on her clumsy attempt to deflect his questioning. "Can't speak for all of 'em, but I'd guess most aren't thinkin' about it too much. They just go out and chase after what they think they will give them what they want."

A surge of unreasonable pique made her bold. "And have you done that?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, then added quickly, "short term only. Was always disappointed."

She wondered if that meant he was interested in a commitment, then told herself that information shouldn't matter. "I'm sorry to hear that you were disappointed."

"Thanks." An engimatic smile played around his lips. "It was all for the good. I'm very glad to be able to tell you that I'm not attached to anyone right now."

She wasn't sure how to take that. Was being glad he was single implying something regarding her, or was Dante declaring himself a confirmed bachelor? And what did it matter to her, when she'd been locked into the choice she'd made at the age of fifteen?

"We're here!" He announced, interrupting her train of thought as he turned the car from busy Union Street into the parking lot of a small and nicely landscaped strip mall.

Miaka waited until he had pulled into a space and switched off the ignition before blurting out the question her inner demons were prodding her to ask.

"I know that you're a realist, but be honest. Haven't you tried to imagine or at least had a dream about the person who is meant for you?"

She expected a brush off of the question, but got silence instead as Dante went perfectly still while in the process of switching off the engine. After a few seconds, the hand holding the keys pulled them slowly from the ignition and dropped into his lap, where he stared down at it with an air that indicated that he was giving very careful consideration to what she'd just said.

"It's funny that you'd ask me that particular question," he said, "because I've actually had several dreams along those lines in the last few weeks."

At last he looked up. Once again, Miaka found herself wishing she could see beyond his sunglasses. "About the woman of your dreams?"

He smiled. "Yeah. And my gut feelin' now is that she's no dream! She's for real!"

To be continued!

Reviewers will receive a VHS copy of 'Rebel Without a Cause' and a can of Tasuki whup-ass!