Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina, nor am I making any profit from this particular work of fanfiction.

WARNINGS: See page one… or simply accept whatever comes… your choice…

Author's Note: Alright, Chapter 2, since Chapter 1 got a total of some really good reviews. I thank those who reviewed; I appreciate it when someone takes the time to give me their honest opinion on my story. Anyway, I'll go ahead and end this AN; I've talked long enough as it is.

AN 2.0: Meh… this took me longer than usual, because I had to change from my original plan for not only this chapter, but for the first 'arc' of this story. But, that's why I refer to my favorite phrase: 'No battle plan has ever survived contact with the enemy.' All too true...

Love Hina: Picture Perfect

Chapter 2: Penciling In

"…damn… this stuff makes my head hurt…" Keika grumbled, setting her pencil down to the side before running a hand through her short hair.

Since her arrival at Hinata-sou, and barring the first day, she'd spent a vast majority of her time studying. After all, she had a practice exam coming up in five days, and she really needed to study for it. Yet in her hyper-focused study obsession, she had effectively alienated herself from the other members of the dorm save for meals, some baths, and when she and Naru attended the Sasagi seminar on weekdays. Even Kitsune, who had been so apt to tease her the first day she was here, was giving her the space she appeared to need for studying.

Despite the good circumstances regarding her ability to study, Keika still found that she was going nowhere fast. She did alright at Japanese, and even English, but Biology, Calculus… hell, everything but the two languages was difficult for her to pin down. At times, it felt as if her head was going to explode from all the calculus, trigonometry, chemistry, and everything else she kept trying to cram in there. Even with all that effort, her practice tests were not improving, and at times she actually scored worst than she had before a bout of studying. To say the young woman was frustrated would be the understatement of the year.

"Ah think y' need a break, suga'."

Keika, literally, shot up to her feet so quickly that her leg caught her kotatsu, which then tripped her and caused her to fall forward onto said kotatsu. Though the kotatsu didn't break, the fall was substantial enough to send her books and notebooks clattering to the floor in every direction, creating a giant mess of her room. For a moment, Keika simply lay their atop her kotatsu, one eye twitching as a mixture of irritation, annoyance, and adrenaline brought about by fear played out in her body.

"Kitsune…"

"Seriously, you've done nothin' but study, sleep, bathe, an' eat since y' got 'ere." Kitsune continued, sitting cross-legged just behind where Keika had previously been sitting "Y' need a break. Even Naru's taken breaks to rest."

"How did you get in here?"

"Ah walked in through th' door; y' were so focused, ya didn't even notice when I sat down behind ya." Kitsune explained with a wild grin, crossing her arms and straightening her back proudly "Now let's get ya somethin' t' drink, suga!"

"Ugh… please, just let me study Kitsune…" Keika moaned into her kotatsu, her head honestly aching from the endless hours of studying she'd been doing "I'm not in the mood for this now…"

"Aww… ah'm hurt…" Kitsune declared, clearly overacting enough for just about anyone to know that she was kidding "An' here ah was thinkin' ya liked me…"

Blushing, Keika still didn't move from her spot, since seeing the blush would only push the woman to further lengths of embarrassment.

"Kitsun-AAAH!!"

Once more, Keika shot to her feet, this time not managing to trip herself even as she spun around to stare, completely red in the face, at the vulpine woman on the ground. The vulpine woman wore the most innocent of expressions one could imagine, yet one could guess that Keika wasn't currently cupping both of her cheeks (and not the ones on her face) for no reason.

"What the hell, Kitsune?!" Keika shouted excitedly.

"Ah jus' couldn't resist." Kitsune replied, breaking into a brilliant grin a moment later "Now come on; ah've got a big bottle o' imported rum with yer name on it!"

"No." Keika grumbled, stepping towards one of the other sides of the kotatsu "I have-"

"Ah know, ah know… the practice exam, right?" Kitsune cut in, opening her eyes long enough to roll them "If yer really serious 'bout makin' a good grade on th' exam, then y' should be takin' a break now and then."

"Heh… yeah, right…" Keika mumbled as she knelt down to begin picking up the notebooks and textbooks that littered the ground "I can't afford to waste any time…"

"Please… d'ya really think I'd tell ya to do somethin' that screwed somethin' else up like that?" Kitsune asked, only to be met by a look that seemed to be a mix between a glare and a look of an utterly incredulous nature "…alright, so ah would. Not this time though; this time it's t' help you!"

'She has got to be kidding…' Keika thought as she continued going on about her business picking up the scattered study materials.

"Okay, here's th' thing: yer brain doesn't simply remember whatever y' read, right?" Kitsune continued "That's why y' have t' study so much; 'cause it takes time fer ya to learn the material, right?"

Temporarily distracted from her task at hand, Keika nodded slowly to the question, eliciting a grin from th' fox.

"Alright, we're on th' same page." Kitsune commented, but then turned serious "Alright, so y' study so much because y' figure that th' more y' study, th' better ya remember it, right? That's why you've been studyin' all this time, right?"

Once more Keika nodded, this time fully turning to face the vulpine woman. Though Keika found it somewhat incredulous, she had to admit that Kitsune seemed to actually be following a decent train of thought… so far.

"However, by doin' that, ya basically throw a bunch a information at yer brain… more than it can effectively take on in one go." Kitsune continued, still sounding serious "As such, y' really only remember th' first an' last things y' study, since the first one has had plenty a time t' be learned before bein' overwhelmed, an' the last one is still at the front a yer mind."

'…that… makes sense, actually…' Keika thought, her expression ever stoic as she continued listening.

"However, if y' only study a little bit, lahk a chapter or so at a tahm, then yer brain is able to maintain more of it, since there's less information fer it t' deal with at one time." Kitsune further expounded "If y' do that over an' over, with breaks in between, y' effectively study th' same amount o' material, but y' learn more of it than if you'd studied fer hours straight on end."

Keika was now officially dumbstruck. This woman, whom Keika had seen do absolutely nothing constructive, and had personally seen do nothing but drink, gamble, and tease shamelessly, had constructed a logical argument that sounded feasible and reasonable. Further, she could verify it with her own experience; during her self-given practice tests, she always did best on the material at the beginning and the end of the book.

'I'm being told… by a slacker and a lush… that I've been studying wrong…' Keika's mind realized, having put two and two together to get none other than four.

"That's why y' should come downstairs, sit yerself down in front o' the TV, and have a couple'a dozen shots o' that imported rum ah mentioned!" Kitsune finally concluded, grinning as foxily as ever.

Keika couldn't help herself as her left hand flew up, performing an absolutely perfect face-palm.

'Well, she was on a roll there…'

"Look, Kitsune, I really don't have time to rest, and I absolutely can't afford to drink with you." Keika stated, sighing as her left hand returned to her side "The test is in five days…"

"Well-"

"Keika?"

The door to the room slid open, revealing Haruka standing in the doorway. Both other women found their focus on her, rather than the previous conversation.

"Uh… hai, Haruka-o… Haruka-san?" Keika replied, catching herself at the last moment.

Haruka only took a step or two into the room, holding out a small stack of papers out for Keika to take. Both Kitsune and Keika stood, the former simply for a better look while the latter was actually seeking to accept the documents being handed to her. When Keika finally took the papers, she saw that it was a fax from Hina.

"Why would-?"

"Just keep reading." Haruka insisted, rolling her unlit cigarette around in her mouth slightly.

Keika did, and the further down the page she got, the wider her eyes were getting. As she read the last, fateful line of the fax, she felt her blood drain from her face. Obviously, this did not go unnoticed by the other two women.

"Ur… y' okay, suga'?" Kitsune asked, reaching out a hand to rest it upon the older woman's shoulder.

Keika remained silent as she glanced onto the next page of the stack, which only made her eye begin to twitch again. She didn't even shrug off the hand on her shoulder, if she even wanted to in the first place, that is.

"Congratulations, Keika." Haruka said with a smile, despite the younger woman's rather negative expression "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to the tea shop. You can start your duties after the exam, kanrinin-san."

Kitsune was evidently surprised by this, though Keika seemed to have no more reaction than prior as Haruka left the room, shutting the door behind her. It was silent for a time as Keika simply stared at the deed in front of her.

"…Kitsune?"

"Hai?"

"Does that bottle of imported rum still have my name on it?"

"…hai."

"Please get it for me."

"…hai."

"…seventeen percent…" Keika muttered, her head hung low as she sat against the back of the rain-soaked bench "…better than I was expecting… but not as good as I'd hoped… I might have done better if I hadn't decided to drink…"

'Kami-sama… that stuff was strong…'

She sighed and finally got to her feet, her umbrella protecting her jacket-laden body and the contents of her bag from the oncoming rain. Still, she found herself looking up at the grey sky, the rain pelting her glasses as she peaked out from under the umbrella. Though it was dark and dreary, Keika could practically see the emotion in the sky itself; she could almost see the sky's sadness, it's tears falling down onto the cold earth below.

"Staring off at nothing again, Kei-chan?"

Startled ever so slightly, Keika brought her face back under the protection of her umbrella, wiping off her glasses so she can see just who it was that was speaking to her.

"Oh, hey Haitani." Keika finally said, grinning "Yeah, I got a bit distracted there for a moment."

"By the way…" Shirai said, popping out from behind his taller friend, grinning wildly "What was your percent?"

Sighing, Keika's face fell slightly.

"…seventeen…"

Both of the boys grinned when they heard that.

"You know what that means?" Shirai began, his grin widening.

"You are paying for tonight's meal!" Haitani replied, setting a firm hand on Keika's shoulder "There's this new restaurant I've been waiting to take a certain beautiful girl to."

Keika's eyes narrowed menacingly.

"Haitani…"

"I know, I know…" he replied, holding up a hand to signify no more was needed "I'm just saying…"

"Just remember that I'm not-"

"Interested, I know." Haitani finished, smiling "That doesn't mean I can't hope, right?"

"Hmph, just don't get your hopes up too far." Keika replied, rolling her eyes as a grin tugged at her face "…is this going to bankrupt me?"

"If it's the place I think he's talking about…" Shirai began, his grin downright wicked "…yes."

Keika simply sighed, and motioned for the two boys to lead the way. Silently she cursed herself for being tricked into that stupid bet; they always went to the expensive restaurants. As they walked down the sidewalk though, the shorter Shirai thought of something.

"Hey Keika, how's that dorm you're in charge of?" Shirai asked, suppressing a grin that threatened to cross his face.

Once more, Keika found herself sighing.

"Honestly? Most of those girls scare me." Keika replied, her visual memory kicking in and flashing through some of the key events "One of them's some sort of mad scientist, one of them is a man-hating swordmaster who dresses like a samurai, and another one apparently has some kind of complex or something… but at least Shinobu's normal, if a bit shy."

"Huh… sounds like you've got your hands full." Haitani stated, earning him a look that spoke volumes of sarcasm "Shinobu's the cute little blunette, right?"

"Yeah, she's absolutely adorable." Keika replied with a smile "She's also quite the chef."

"Why do you get to be in charge of an all-girl's dorm?!" Shirai exclaimed "Why can't I be in charge of a house filled with gorgeous babes?!"

"All but two of which are underage…" Keika interjected, rolling her eyes once more "And of the five-"

"Wait, you only told us about four of them." Haitani cut in, her brow furrowed "Who's the fifth?"

"Hm? Oh! I forgot about Kitsune!" Keika stated, surprised with herself "Oh kami-sama, don't even get me started on her."

"What? Is she that bad?" Shirai asked, a brow raised as both of their interests were piqued.

"Well… it's not that she's bad, it's more that she's…" Keika paused, searching for the right word "…difficult."

"…and the difference is…?"

"Well, first off, she's a slacker." Keika began, crossing her arms while keeping the umbrella above her to protect her from the rain "She spends most of the time drinking, watching TV for hours, and gambling away her little hard earned money that she earns, as she says, being a 'freelance journalist'."

"Well, what's so diffic-" Haitani began, but Keika hadn't quite finished.

"That's not it though; she's also a shameless tease, and she can lie through her teeth and put on a front better than anyone I've ever met!" Keika continued now frowning and a bit excited "Hell, the first time I met her, she was practically all over me and completely naked, but then didn't seem embarrassed in the slightest after I woke back up!"

'Not to mention using it to try to bankrupt me with booze purchases…'

Now blushing as her mind played that particular scenario over in her head, she completely missed the fact that both boys on either side of her were now hanging onto her every word, clearly enjoying this particular part of the conversation.

"But…" Keika continued once more, her pace slowing as several other memories began to pop into her visual mind "…other times, she comes across like Haruka does. It's like… she knows what's wrong, or what you're thinking, and she somehow knows just what to say or do to make you feel better…"

'It's like… she can read me like an open book when she looks at me…' Keika found herself thinking, completely lost in her thoughts and unaware of the fact that the two guys that had been walking alongside her had now moved on ahead to catch a group of schoolgirls.

Trapped in her own thoughts, Keika was completely unaware, and further unprepared, for when Shirai and Haitani came flying back into her against their will, courtesy of a certain female samurai's ki attack. She certainly felt it though, as well as feeling her body hit the ground and being squished by the weight of her two friends. It was not an experience she wished to repeat.

"…you alright thar, suga'?" Kitsune asked, sitting up from her place on the couch "Y' look like ya got hit by a car in yer sleep or somethin'."

"Su…" Keika said, still hunched over, stiff, and sore from the night before "How does Motoko do it?"

"Well, ah don't know if you've noticed or not, but 'toko ain't built lahke th' rest o' us." Kitsune explained, grinning as she lay back down on 'her' spot of the couch "Hell, it almost seems fitting."

"What do you mean?" Keika asked, easing herself into the other chair in the room, intending to join Kitsune in some of her TV time.

"Oh come on, y' haven't noticed?" Kitsune replied, smiling ever so foxily "She's a martial arts nut, she's in better shape 'an many guys, she claims she 'hates' men, doesn't act the least bit fem'nine, and lives in a house filled with good lookin' women, one of which sleeps with 'er nightly. All she needs is t' cut 'er hair short, wear men's clothin', and-"

"I really don't think Motoko, er, swings that way." Keika interrupted, blushing furiously once more "People aren't simple stereotypes, you know…"

"Ah know, but that doesn't mean I can't joke 'bout it." Kitsune replied before taking a swig from her bottle of… something Keika couldn't recognize, but was most likely insanely strong "But yer right; she's, surprisingly, straight."

"…okay…" Keika replied hesitantly, not seeing why she needed to know this particular bit of information.

"Oddly enough, Naru is too, and Shinobu obviously is." Kitsune continued, taking intermittent drinks as she did "Su… well, ah'd have t' say she's bi after that time she-"

"Kitsune, you're letting the alcohol run your mouth again." Keika replied quickly, trying to ignore what she had just heard "How about we just watch TV?"

"Then there's you." Kitsune continued, smiling broadly at the sheer look of terror on Keika's face "…Ah'm 'onestly not sure 'bout you yet; y' don' really seem int'rested in anyon-."

"Wow, look at that? Time really flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?" Keika said, standing, red faced, to her feet in a hurry "Break's over! Time to study!"

Keika had already rushed more than half-way up the stairs before Kitsune had a chance to respond, sitting back up in the process. For a moment, the foxy woman simply stared, one eye open, at the stairs where Keika had disappeared from view. It wasn't too long of a moment though, and eventually she lay back down with a rather thoughtful look.

'Definitely an interesting girl…' she thought, continuing with her drinking and previous leisurely activities.

Keika found that she really couldn't study at the moment. She'd try to read one of the text books, but found that she couldn't even remember the last line she'd gone over, and even found herself reading both the same page and same line over and over. Eventually, with a growl of frustration, Keika slammed the book shut on her kotatsu.

"Damn fox-woman…" Keika grumbled under her breath as she leaned back onto the floor, staring up at the boarded hole in her ceiling that she knew led to Naru's room.

It wasn't so much that she couldn't focus, but more that she was distracted by her own thoughts, which she only had the vulpine woman to thank for spawning them. Whether Keika had, initially, noticed it or not, Kitsune's last words had been a rather unsettling comment for her. Most people wouldn't be fazed by being told that they didn't really seem interested in anyone, mainly because most everyone knew that was certainly false. However, it was a bit different for Keika: she honestly wasn't interested in anyone, and never had been, least not in that fashion.

It wasn't the first time she'd thought about it, but it was the first time anyone had said such a thing to her face. Hearing it in your own thoughts was one thing, but having someone else point out something about you was entirely different. It bothered her; she didn't understand why she had never been interested in anyone as anything more than a friend. How was it possible for any normal person to go through nineteen years of life without feeling any sort of sexual attraction?

'I feels like the only thing I see is art... not people...' Keika sadly thought, before growling again and furiously shaking her head 'Damn fox-woman... stupid thoughts...'

As a means of alleviating her irritation, and hopefully removing those thoughts as well, Keika reached into her bag and pulled out a single notebook, brown and worn, and opened it up to the first page. On the very first page of the notebook was a sketch of a single building, done in great detail, and even going so far as to make each and every one of the shingles on the roof the proper, and exact, size given their current perspective. Flipping down a couple more pages, Keika revealed a exceptionally beautiful portrayal of a cat sleeping on it's back, and it was so detailed that even small bits of unruly hair could be seen amidst it's long, elegant, fluffy coat.

Finally, Keika flipped to the last page that had anything on it, and she was met by an all too familiar face looking up at her. Though obviously not entirely complete, the image was done enough that anyone could tell that it was a bust of one Mitsune "Kitsune" Konno, which was further illustrated by the words across the side of the page. It portrayed the woman's smiling, vulpine face, complete with amusingly foxy grin and slit eyes, and had her short hair in it's usual state of controlled chaos. The image was complete down to her slender neck, which was outlined on down to her shoulders, with a barely visible line between them that effectively 'cut' the bust just above her, well, bust. (AN: sorry, had to say it XD) The image, so far, was an utterly perfect portrayal of Hinata-sou's resident Kitsune…

…to everyone but Keika, that is; she saw every flaw.

'I need to adjust the length of the nose… and neck…' Keika thought to herself as she fished around inside her bag for her pencils and erasers 'Something's also off with the ears…'

As if in a trance, and clearly compelled to work on the seemingly near-complete drawing, Keika's hand began to move deftly across the page, making subtle, small marks or removing seemingly insignificant pieces that she deemed some sort of unworthy. She moved from the ears, nose, and eyes, on down to the lips, and finally down to 'complete' the neck. She shaded as necessary, added what subtle traits she could remember, and even detailed where her collarbone protruded slightly. All of it done entirely from memory.

After what seemed like minutes, but in actuality was well over an hour and a half, Keika finally allowed herself a good grin, admiring her "completed" work.

"There! All done!" Keika whispered excitedly as she looked over her finished work "Looks just like her!"

Looking it over for a few more moments, Keika's enamored expression began to fade. In it's place sprung a look of interest, accompanied by a slight blush. Carefully, and lightly, Keika traced a slight outline of two triangles on Kitsune's head, with two other triangles inside of them. In her mind she imagined them as being cute little ears, covered in brown fur, and that Kitsune could move of her own free will while she grinned like the fox that she was. By that point, Keika's blush was absolutely raging, but she simply didn't notice it.

"…she'd make a really cute kitsune…" Keika muttered embarrassedly to herself, flipping the page over so that she was able to begin her work anew on a blank page.

Silently, the board on the other side of the hole in Keika's room's roof slid back into place.

"M'rry Chris'mas!" Kitsune exclaimed the moment Keika walked in the door, a bottle in hand and a massive banner behind her.

Apparently, she was already wasted, but Keika didn't notice. The aura of dread and gloom did not go unnoticed by the rest of the crew, however.

"Ano… are you alright sempai?" Shinobu asked in concern.

"Did'ja pass?" Su asked as she front flipped from the couch towards Keika, turning it into a flying kick mid-flight.

The 'greeting', however, missed, and Su was forced to tuck and roll with her momentum to keep from hurting herself. With a sigh, Keika looked up with a grin.

"No, I didn't pass the mock exam…" Keika said, her voice oddly cheery despite the news "It was close, but not good enough."

'As expected…' Keika added, though she dare not say it aloud so as not to break her façade.

"Well, tha' sucks…" Kitsune muttered a tad too loudly "Kinda ruins th' Christmas mood…"

"No, don't be like that." Keika pleaded, rubbing the back of her head nervously "It's alright; it was just the mock exam, after all; I've still got a shot."

Walking over to the table, Keika quickly grabbed one of Santa hats and pulled it on, still grinning like a fool.

"Now who's ready for a part-ack!" Keika tried to ask, but Su didn't miss the second time.

"YAY!!! Merry Christmas!" Su shouted, her legs currently wrapped around the still standing Keika's neck, who was quickly turning blue from the lack of air reaching her lungs.

"Auu! Su, you're gonna kill her!" Shinobu pleaded as she tried to rescue her sempai from the young, hysterically laughing, gaijin.

Despite the, normally hilarious, scene before her, Kitsune was not laughing. In fact, in a truly rare moment, both of her eyes were open in observation of the older brunette. The vulpine woman was not smiling, until they finally turned to look at her, which is when her 'drunken stupor' returned full force.

"Kami-sama, how much did you drink?" Keika asked, struggling to haul her inebriated friend up the stairs.

"Uh… befuhr er aphter th' 'eavy stufff?" Kitsune drawled out, her legs barely able to support her own weight as she shuffled along.

Though she drank the most, she was in the best of shape out of all the heavy drinkers. Everyone but those two and Naru, the last of which had gone to bed earlier, was passed out on the floor of the main room, drunk off their asses. This, naturally, left Keika, the only person to drink moderately besides Naru, to cover up those who had passed out, and to help the one who wasn't yet unconscious back up to her room on the second floor. Sometimes being self-controlled has it's downfalls, and this is one of them.

As the duo made it up the steps, finally, Keika couldn't help but notice that Kitsune was quite warm, not to mention pressed right up against her. She was blushing a color she was becoming all too familiar with, trying to not pay attention to the various body parts pressing against her as they made way to the rooms in silenc-

"Hey… Keika… whah're y' tryin' t' get into Toudai?" Kitsune slurred out, seemingly at random.

Keika gave the woman a confused look for a moment, wondering exactly how such a question came about.

"…well… I made a promise to someone a long time ago." Keika answered, smiling as she reminisced "I always keep my promises."

"…do y' even want t' go t' Toudai, though?" Kitsune slurred out once more, her eyes trained on the floor "Will i' make y' happy if'n y' get in?"

Once more, Keika gave the vulpine woman a look of confusion, but ultimately just shook her head and dismissed the drunken question. Several minutes later, Kitsune was safely and comfortably situated in her room, and Keika was heading into her own, yawning as she opened the door. Her eyes immediately fell onto her bed, and not just because she was tired, for on the futon lay a medium sized cardboard box that, unlike the ones earlier, was not wrapped. Curious as to what it was, though cautious given the unusual natures of many of the dorm's inhabitants, Keika made her way to the box and picked it up, noticing it was not exactly heavy, but not light either. Setting it back down, she proceeded to open said box.

Once the lid was off, Keika's eyes snapped open. Inside the box there lay a small wooden case and a notebook of sorts, but upon further inspection Keika noticed that the 'notebook' was actually a sketch pad. The case, as Keika both assumed and verified, was actually a small art set with a decent assortment of drawing implements. Blinking to make sure she wasn't seeing things, Keika couldn't help but be awestruck by the gift and the evident, and accurate, thought that must have gone into it. At the same time though-

"Who here knew I liked drawing? I've never mentioned anything about it even to Haruka…"

Nearby, a fox-eyed woman smiled.

End Chapter 2

Author's Note: Footnotes…

No footnotes this time! w00t! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I urge you to review given that I changed from my original plan for this chapter and several subsequent ones. Anyway, if you can, please review so that I know if my edits to this chapter have made it a good chapter. If the circumstances hold up, I could have Ch. 3 up by Monday morning. Let's hope, shall we?

Until next time…

-A.W.R.