Disclaimer: See Chapter 1 and as always, please don't flame.
Chapter 9: Shall We Dance?
Bruce watched as Barbara walked the boy out of the hotel with narrow eyes. It wasn't Shuichi that he was just talking to but Kurama. He could tell by the way he was holding himself and by his voice.
He had over heard the last comment and understood what had happened. Barbara was a bit wild but she usually knew what she was doing. This time, she had gotten over her head. Thankfully, Kurama was only giving her a warning.
Dick walked up to Bruce, "What just happened? Where's Barbara and Shuichi going? Why does he have his bag?"
Time has a way of running away with a person and for Shuichi Minamino, it was no exception. Two weeks had passed since that weekend. His apartment remodeling put on hold for the moment as classes and work consumed his attention.
As he punched a few numbers into his keyboard and waited, his thoughts return to Barbara. He had called her a few times but that's about it. Maybe he had been too hard on her but she had it coming. If you play with a kitsune, expect the hunter to become the hunted. He had warned her.
A movement out of the corner of his eye and a quick sniff, he turned to see the object of his thoughts standing at the entrance of his cubicle.
He turned from his computer and gave her one of his Shuichi special smiles, in other words, a very sincere but fake one. "And what do I owe the honor of your visit?" he asked.
"Well, I uh I need a favor. A huge one," Barbara said. "There's this charity function tonight. Originally, it was going to be just Bruce, Dick and I going. No dates. Then Dick got roped into taking this super model, that left just Bruce and me. Well, last night, a friend of Bruce's is in town and he asked her if she wanted to go. Now I'm stuck. I could use a date or stay home."
Shuichi listened as she rambled all that off in almost one breathe. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "And you want me to go as your date? Why?"
She sighed. "Because I want to see you again. Alright? And I haven't asked anyone else because if I can't get you, I'm staying home and curl up with Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp."
Shuichi snorted at the mentioning of her two favorite actors. "It's tonight?"
She nodded, "At 8 and it's black tie."
"Alright. You want to pick me up or you want me to meet you there? And what color is your gown?"
"You are going to love my date, Diana," Barbara was explaining in the limo. "Dick calls him a 'sex magnet.' I think he's just jealous. He could wipe the floor with Shuichi when it comes to physical strength. There is something about the guy that just exudes sex."
Diana Prince gave Barbara a look of indulgence as the girl ran on about Shuichi. Bruce was only half listening as he watched the traffic.
Alfred pulled up to a run down office slash warehouse building. Diana heard a low gentle voice say, "Don't bother getting out Alfred. I can manage." The limo door opened and a slim almost feminine person with long shaggy red hair tied back into a pony tail entered the limo tossed his tux jacket across the seat to sit by Barbara.
"Hello Bruce. Barbara," Shuichi smiled as he made himself comfortable. Diana found herself looking into the greenest eyes she's ever seen. "Hello. I'm Shuichi Minamino. You must be Bruce's date?"
o0o0o0o0o
After introductions were made, Shuichi handed Barbara a wrist corsage of moon flowers. Their delicate scent filled the limo as it pulled away from the curb.
"Oh this is lovely Shuichi. But it must've cost you a fortune," Barbara said, pulling on the corsage.
"Not really. I grow these in my greenhouse," he explained to Barbara. "You look lovely tonight." Then he turned his attention to Diana who was watching with a very stunned look on her face, "Sorry. But plants are my speciality."
"Shuichi has a green house on the roof. You should see his roses," Barbara explained.
Diana Prince was a well endowed raven hair beauty with blue eyes. She was wearing a modest evening gown that seemed to match the color of her eyes. Her only flaw was the pair of glasses perched delicately on her nose.
/Whoa, baby! She's stacked. Her aura says she's even more a warrior then Bruce. I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of her. /
Rubbing his forehead, he had to agree with Yoko's assessment. He looked up to see all three were watching him, so he just smiled. "Sorry. Just thinking to myself. So what is this function all about?"
o0o0o0o0o
The function was a banquet and dance in a plush resort hotel. The hall was a five story site, encased in steel and glass with a terrace balcony surrounding the middle section. Steps lead up to the glass doors surround by plush vegetation. Behind the building was an extensive river park.
Music and crowd noise greeted him as he stepped inside. A force of habit caused him to scout out the exits, the waiters and other potential hazardous. He hadn't lived this long without being cautious, with the exception of that bounty hunter not withstanding. He also noted the various plants and shrubs, noting a couple had been over watered.
/Nice place. /
When they were seated and given their drink order, Dick stopped by with his date, a tall willowy blonde. Shuichi sighed as she took one look at him and forgot everyone else.
/She's worse then a rabid fangirl. / Yoko growled in the back of his mind.
Thankfully, Barbara saved him. "Come on. I want to dance," she said pulling him to the dance floor. He whispered a soft 'thank you' to her.
Barbara giggled softly, as she looked up at him. "Not a problem. Besides, I want to dance."
o0o0o0o0o
Clearly, Dick wasn't pleased with his date. Shaking his head, he complained, "Just how do you compete with that? I mean, he doesn't even work out. Come on. Let's go," he dragged her in the opposite direction of Barbara and Shuichi.
Bruce chuckled and shrugged as Diana leaned over, "Does that always happen?"
Bruce answered, "Pretty much everywhere he goes. I was watching him lick a fudge bar once. Let's just say he had more eyes on him then on the race."
Diana shuddered. "That much attention goes to most men's head."
"Apparently, he just takes it as a given and moves on. He's a very private individual." Bruce went on to tell her about what he had found out so far about the red head which wasn't much. "Ever heard of kitsunes?"
"Japanese fox spirits?" Diana asked, "I know they are myths. They have the power to manipulate nature. How does this go with him?"
Bruce pointed to Shuichi and Barbara as they became the center of attention on the dance floor. "I've met a kitsune and that young man has control over him. Both seem very sexual in nature. Both can manipulate plants by mere thought. He's so much of an enigma that I can't figure him out."
"If anyone can it'll be you, Bruce. Maybe you should ask John?"
"Not just yet," Bruce frowned, not wanting to admit defeat just yet. The boy was beginning to trust him and Barbara. One wrong move and the boy would become a potential enemy.
o0o0o0o0o
"Barbara, darling. Who's this good looking hunk?" purred a brunette of questionable endowment with more jewelry on then taste.
Barbara groaned softly as she broke off dancing to face one of Gotham's elite. 'Elite pain in the butt, that is,' she thought as she tried to figure a way out of this. She should've known Vanessa would target in on the most attractive man here and for the kill.
"Hello Vanessa," Barbara said politely. "Shuichi Minamino, this is Vanessa Wythycombe. Her father owns the biggest fashion chain in the state."
Shuichi bowed slightly and smiled, "A pleasure."
Vanessa moved to bump Barbara out of the way so she could get to know him better but Barbara was faster. "Shuichi. I'm thirsty. Let's head back."
"Alright Barbara. Nice meeting you, Miss Wythycombe," Shuichi replied as Barbara pulled him away, leaving the other girl with her mouth hanging open.
Barbara was grumbling under her breathe as she steered Shuichi not to the table but outside. "Can't you curb whatever you emit? To keep people from drooling all over you?"
Shuichi chuckled, "Not really. If I could, I would done it in high school. I had three rabid fan clubs in my honor dedicated to my happiness."
o0o0o0o0o
Shuichi had had enough of the function and it hasn't even started yet. That creature was enough to put him off for the rest of the evening.
/Well you did say yes and you KNEW this would happen. Quit complaining. /
He allowed Barbara to drag him outside to the terrace balcony. As they stood allowing the wind to whip through them, Shuichi surveyed the city. The glass structure behind them reflected light onto the park below.
"Three rabid fanclubs?" she asked as she moved closer to him.
He took his jacket off and draped it over her. "That I knew of. I really hated them. I couldn't enjoy anything. If it wasn't for Yusuke and Hiei, I think I would've gone insane."
"Friends or classmates?" she asked.
/Red, we got trouble brewing. /
Turning his head sharply around, he pulled her into the shadows, "Sh." he whispered placing a finger to her lips. "Quiet." He motioned the fir shrub to grow around them.
o0o0o0o0o
Kara: Was it a good scream or a bad scream you're friend did? Should I be worried? As for the Joker, I did do a scene with the Joker. Trust me, you'll love it. However, there is a ways to go before he turns up. I tend to have a very sick sense of humor sometimes.
Well did you guess the Guest Star? Until next time. --GF