Puppy Love

Disclaimer: Mahou Sensei Negima and its characters do not belong to me, but to Ken Akamatsu, the panty shot king.

Ebony eyes slowly appeared from beneath sleep-ridden lids, confusion of where he was running through them. He slowly got up from his futon, his mind still foggy of where he was exactly. Absently, he checked his digital alarm clock that stood on the nightstand beside him, seeing the neon red light glow 2:13.

Kotarou sighed, scoffing at himself for waking up so early before falling back down on his still warm futon. Closing his eyes, his mind wandered, the fog of sleep barely touching his mind.

That is, until the nagging feeling that he had burrowed in the back of his mind from sleep smacked him rudely in the faced. The full force of his repressed memory from a few hours replayed itself in his mind like an old movie reel.

It was as if he was watching himself from just a few feet in the kitchen. He was yelling at Chizuru-nee…

"Chizuru-nee-chan…" Kotarou murmured wistfully into the air, his chest tightening as he remembered what he said to her. The slight look of hurt and surprise on her face as he abruptly and rudely turned away, and sprinted off toward his bedroom.

'She may be asleep, but…I-I have to apologize!' Kotarou buried his head against his palms, a low moan of lament at his own stupidity. Raising his head from his hands, he swiftly rose from his futon, heading toward the door with speed rarely seen out of battle and training. He would've dashed all the way to Chizuru's room, that is, if the scent of cinnamon and onions hadn't hit him straight in the nose.

"Eh?" Blinking, the wolf boy looked down to see a pair of slim feet just a few inches away from his own. Quickly, his eyes scanned up from the feet to long and slender legs, past a pair of slim thighs covered by a delicate and lacy nightgown, up to a tiny waist and flat stomach, until…he stopped, paling as he recognized the generous bosom. He could feel his heart beating in his ears as he forced himself to look up at the person he dearly wanted to see, but…didn't want to see at the same time. Looking past her bust, his eyes finally rested on her peacefully sleeping face.

"Chizuru-nee-chan," Kotarou murmured softly, his eyes unable to look away from her, as she unknowingly slept serenely, her hands resting on her lap with her legs curved slightly to allow room to walk in the hallway. She slept silently by his door side, unaware of his rigid presence.

Slowly, it dawned on him why she was sleeping near his room. In an effort to talk to him, she had patiently waited on him rather than barging into his room like she usually did when they got into small scuffles.

Tentatively, his hand slowly reached toward her face, smoothing back a stray strand of hair that was abstracting his view of her sleeping face. He tucked it gently behind her ear. To his surprise, he heard a soft sigh of contentment resound from the back of his throat from the touch of his hand. For a few seconds, he stood in front of her, watching her as her chest moved up and down as she took deep, even breaths.

"You didn't…you didn't have to do this Chizuru-nee-chan…" Kotarou murmured, realizing it would not be healthy or safe for her to sleep out in the open like this. Walking silently to her side, he cocked his head to the side, wondering for a moment how he would bring her back to her room without waking her from her peaceful sleep. He had enough guilt bearing own on his shoulders.

It hit him like a ton of bricks. Mentally berating himself for the instant of stupidity, he leaned forward, slowly reaching behind her neck, he moved lower to curve his right arm around his shoulders while his left arm slid underneath her knees. It was a little awkward since he was barely half her height, but he clenched his teeth in determination. Sure that he would not drop his precious bundle, he hoisted her up easily using his demonic strength, which gave him more than enough power to carry her.

Securely tucking Chizuru's head against the crook of his neck, her auburn hair sliding against not only her and his back, but also a good few inches were scattered against the floor, must to Kotarou's chagrin.

It would have looked odd for Natsumi, and especially Ayaka, to walk into the dorm room and see the ten-year old boy carrying Chizuru, who was considerably taller than he was, but that certain concern was in the very back of his mind as he carried her securely in his arms. He was more concerned about her safety than the actual logic about how he was capable of carrying her with such ease.

Warily, as to not disturb her from her deep slumber, he slowly made his way to her room, cursing for every jostle he made when he wasn't paying attention to the slick hardwood floor.

'Please don't wake up, please don't wake up, please don't wake up…' he chanted the mantra in his head repeatedly, hoping that it would really work.

Every stepped seemed like a good yard as Kotarou made his way to the room where all the girls slept. They were kind to allow him his own little room at the end of the hallway. It was in thanks to Ayaka's squealing about how women needed their privacy, and having a younger boy sleep in the same room as them would be ungentlemanly (she had to yet learn about Neji's sleeping arrangements with Asuna). He exhaled a heavy pent up sigh of relief as he finally reached his destination. Managing to use his foot to open the door, he walked inside.

His keen wolf nose immediately smelt out Chizuru's bed, leading him to the corner where the window and wall met. It seemed like any other young girl's room as he looked around. That is, until he saw Chizuru's comforter in particular. The deep, crimson comforter looked comfortable all right, but the pictures of dancing green leeks didn't reassure him about the leeks she had intimidated early on with him.

Kotarou felt Chizuru move slightly, nuzzling closer to his neck, a soft sigh of contentment on her face before she stilled once more. A faint smile made its way up to his face, before reality set in, making him realize he couldn't hold Chizuru like this all night. Not only would it make his arms eventually numb, but also Chizuru would think he was a pervert.

Using his feet once more, Kotarou drew back the comforter halfway, allowing him to set Chizuru down on her bed. He slid her feet under the comforter before he finally set her upper body down. With the utmost care, he placed her hand comfortably on the pillow, his fingers gently raking through the strands of russet silk.

"Good night Chizuru-nee-chan," Kotarou whispered softly, guilt of earlier that night becoming noticeable once more as he silently watched her angelic face sleeping. The moonlight illuminating her pale, flawless face to an almost ethereal state, her auburn hair fanned across the bed like a pair of wings.

Chizuru was a sleeping angel that he didn't deserve.

Finally, Kotarou turned away, his ears pressed against his skull in depression. He was ready to walk back to his dark and eerily quiet room, and succumb to a restless night of turning and tossing. That is, before he felt something grab him, pulling him downward into the bed, and a familiar softness.

Naturally, Kotarou's first instinct would be to attack the person responsible for such a cowardly attack from behind, but…by now, the soothing and spicy smell of cinnamon and onions rushing around him numbed his usually keen defensive instincts, forcing him to relax as he was held tightly by a pair of slim arms.

"Thank you Kotarou…" Chizuru whispered sweetly, dropping the formality of '-kun' from his name as she spooned his back against her front, her arms wrapped around his chest, one hand close to his neck, her fingers idly playing with his long raven locks for the umpteenth time that day.

Chizuru grinned into his smooth black hair in expectance. She could just feel Kotarou blushed furiously, trying to keep his face turned away from hers, as he stared ardently at the window ahead.

"It-it was nothing Chizuru-nee-chan. I couldn't let you sleep there…you know…"

Silence enveloped the room after his shy response. The sound of their even breathing and a few screams from a few late night bathers from the bathhouse down a story or two beneath them, were the only things that they heard. Kotarou felt Chizuru snuggle closer to him, her head buried against his hair, her hand that had been playing with his hair, now resting against his own tightly clenched hand that was in front of his chest.

"Are you still mad at me?" Chizuru inquired softly, her voice barely audible as she laid still, her whole body still lax as she patiently waited for his answer.

Kotarou's ears immediately twitched at her question. With her innocent question, he could feel the guilt from earlier hitting him full force. It made his stomach ache.

Why?

Why should she be apologizing when he was the one who had given her grief?

"Kotarou?" Chizuru spoke his name warily; mildly curious at why the young wolf boy hadn't immediately answered her.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you so nice to me? What reason did I give you to be so nice to me?" Kotarou broke from her grasp, turning to look into her surprised eyes, his own forehead creased with worry, and his hands by his side, trembling as they clenched in withheld self-anger.

Tentatively, she reached for one of his hands, bringing it to her face. Almost immediately, the hand relaxed as she pressed her face against his palm, a warm, nostalgic smile on her face as she nuzzled his palm, "What reason don't I have not to care for you?"

"I'm…" turning his head away, Kotarou bit the bottom of his lip, fervently wishing that he hadn't even started this conversation in the first place. It might…it might make Chizuru realize that she, a young middle school student, had better things to do than take care of a scruffy little brat she literally picked up from the street. "I'm just a freeloader…"

"But you're my freeloader," Chizuru replied easily, suddenly leaning forward. To Kotarou's surprise, instead of another one of her infamous hugs, she pressed her forehead to his, her warm brown eyes staring into his, "I don't have to take care of you. I want to."

Slowly, as if testing the waters between them, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Meeting no resistance, she pushed him forward, resting his head against her bust, her own head resting on his soft, ebony hair. It was a different hug from all of the others…

It was just as loving as the numerous times before hand. Yet…this one was…familiar. It felt like his first hug from her.

As a child, he never received a hug. He was a mercenary, and hugs were for the weak and weak-minded. Although he had morals, especially when dealing with women, he was never weak.

On that rainy day, Kotarou was confused. He was weak and confused. It was something that brought all survival instincts to the surface, forcing him to attack the nearest thing that moved in front of him.

Against his base, primal instincts, his morals faded into the hazy darkness of his mind.

Chizuru was in front of him and…he…without a second thought…attacked her with his very hands.

Fresh, crimson blood flowing from her newly acquired wound, she still held him close, reprimanding him about moving while sick. A kind and concerned voice that wanted nothing more out of him than for him to get rest, coupled with a fragrant warm caused him to black out.

Kotarou didn't know how long he had been out, but the first thing he saw when he woke up was her smiling face looking down at him, a tray full of hot food waiting for him as she greeted him cheerfully.

He couldn't escape her. She wouldn't allow it. She said he needed a 'mother'. Kotarou denied it fervently, saying he was a lone wolf. To counter his words, she hugged him close, saying she was destined to care for him.

There was no use trying to escape from her.

Living with her, Kotarou was often the subject of many of her…close hugs. They all held a kindness that he was unused to before he arrived to Mahora Academy. This hug…was like the very first one.

Chizuru still held him as if he mattered to her.

Those same, clawed hands wrapped around her middle, pulling her closer to him as he buried his head into her chest. He just wanted to know she was still here, still wanted to be by his side even though he was a burden to her.

Chuckling softly into his hair as if she was reading his mind, she sweetly whispered, "I'm right here, you silly boy…"

That was all the reassurance he needed.

SS: I'm FINISHED! Yay me! Hopefully, I'll write something else dealing with this couple. Something less stressful, and maybe when they're a few years older. Still, I hope you guys enjoy yourself, and comments and CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is always a pleasure to have.