Disclaimer : I don't own any of the HYD characters nor the original plotline of HYD, but I certainly own this particular plot and all the characters I created for it...

Not getting a lot of feedback, but still hoping some people are actually enjoying this beside myself. This chapter could almost be named "Preparing for battle – again"... But I decided otherwise (I'm the author of this fic, so I will name my chapters as I want :P lol)...

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6-Two dates and a piece of advice

Slowly, Akira opened his eyes and asked himself the usual Saturday morning question : "Where am I, what time is it and what is the name of the woman sleeping beside me ?". Except that the question wasn't quite applying to this particular morning situation. Akira looked on his right, and then on his left, and again, to check what the warm and soft feeling on the skin of his arms had already told him.

He sat up on the bed, trying to go past the awful hangover he felt throbbing in his head to try and remember what had happened the night before at the club that had led to this unusual – but pleasing – situation.

"Okay. So I met Soujiro inside the club. He was already occupied with those cute but young models. He introduced me to those nice ladies... Then what ?"

He rubbed his eyes, ran his fingers through his hair and decided that he did not really need to remember anything more. He had woken up naked in the same bed as two very beautiful women... And the room was a mess. That ought to speak for itself. No, he had not lost his touch. He was still in the game, he was still the man. He stretched like a cat and yawned silently. Then, after a last glance at the sleeping beauties, he stole out of bed and began to retrieve his clothes, before heading towards the shower.

Later that day, he called his friend Rui to ask if they could meet and talk somewhere.

"I have something really important I want to ask you."

Rui was still sleepy, and didn't feel so happy about having to get out of bed, but he told him to find him at the Hanazawa mansion an hour later. He'd have showered and dressed by then.

"What is it that is so important that you can't ask me on the phone?

- It's a matter of honor. I need you on this, Rui, and I need you fully awake. And I need you to be discreet about it.

- Okay. This better be worth my getting out of bed early, Akira. Or I'll return to sleep.

- Early ? Come on, Rui, it's past three in the afternoon. You've already outdone your record !

- Just shut up, Akira. I'll see you later."

And at the said hour, Akira rang the bell of the Hanazawa mansion. He found Rui in one of the living-rooms, sprawled across a comfy chair, absorbed in a book.

"Hey Rui !"

Rui didn't acknowledge Akira's presence right away. He finished the paragraph he was reading, slid a fancy bookmark between the pages, closed the book, placed it on the table by the chair, sat straight and then greeted his friend.

"Hi Akira."

Mimasaka had watched the whole scene with his usual amusement at Rui's nonchalance and non-talkativeness. Contrary to his habit, though, leaning back in the comfy chair and crossing his hands behind his head, Rui was the one that triggered the rest of the conversation.

"Okay, Akira. I'm up and out of bed. So now, will you tell me what's this fuss all about ?

- I told you, it's about my honor as a man.

- Right. Maybe you're dramatizing a little."

No, he wasn't, Akira thought silently. He couldn't let it slide.

"And where do I come in for the 'rescue' of your honor ?

- Your experience... I need your expertise on France in general and French women in particular.

- Oh, come on, Akira, Rui said with a sigh. She is the reason you dragged me out of bed ?

- Please, Rui. That girl is driving me nuts ! I keep acting stupid around her, because she keeps being so unpredictable... And now, she said that thing in French – and I'm quite sure she didn't gave me the right meaning when I asked afterwards. And then...

- Breathe, Akira. Looks like you're going to choke. Too much information in too little time. Start over."

He did, and he told Rui about the lame opening he had blurted out out of nervousness, of what she had muttered afterwards, and her leaving him like this without him having made any progress at all with her. Rui seemed very amused through the whole story, but he never interrupted. In the end, he just shrugged.

"My stay in France just showed me that French girls are the just same as Japanese girls, only more free-speeched and maybe a little more prone to temper. But not that much – look at Tsukushi : definitely not French ! Besides, Sophie is a nice girl, and she's funny.

- Do you think her blowing me off like that is funny ?

- Actually... yes. But that was not my point.

- Wait... What do you mean 'she's a nice girl and she's funny' ? You never met her... or did you?

- Actually, I did."

Akira waited for an instant for more details, but Rui had fallen back to his usual non-talkative mood.

"Care to elaborate ?

- I met her yesterday at the end of the afternoon, in the 'perfect place for flowers like her and Tsukushi', as you would put it, he said with a smile. Tsukasa wanted me to check on – I quote – 'my girlfriend and the psycho that slapped Akira', because he was afraid she'd figure out he himself was worried if he just 'happened' to meet them there unexpectedly."

Akira raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"And your being there would not raise any suspicions because...?

- Because I'm not her over-protective boyfriend.

- Hmm. That explains this. And you actually befriended the girl ? In a few hours ? She never slapped you or anything during that time...?"

He asked with his womanizer grin and an ironical tone. Rui just rubbed his chin.

"Maybe you really need to teach me things about French girls...

- She was nice and funny, as I said. She reminds me of Tsukushi, somehow. Maybe that's why those two get on so well together. Plus it felt good to practice my French a little – was getting rusty. Then again, the lack of slap might be explained by the lack of seduction attempts."

Akira glared at Rui, who just shrugged and crossed his legs.

Great, now both Rui and Tsukushi were taking sides with the devil. And Tsukasa was probably next, now that Sophie was a friend of Tsukushi's. Akira sighed, and dropped his head in his hand. This was going to be so much more difficult than he had anticipated.

"Oh, and about what she said...", remarked Rui after a silent while.

Akira straightened up, pulled out of his reflexions.

"Yes ? What about it ?"

Rui hesitated for a few more seconds before answering.

"Your accent is appalling, but I still think she said you were a moron."

Fantastic.

"Just give it up, man."

Never.

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Not the greatest chapter so far, but I still like most of it... I really wanted Akira to understand Sophie's remark... And the fact that Rui has been in France, even shortly : I'm going to use as much as I can :o)

Please tell me what you think !