Disclaimer: I own no part of Love Hina, but Sean is me.
Here we go. Caution, this might be a bit of a bumby ride. Keep your arms and legs inside the car at all times.
* * * Chapter XXI: Lightning Strikes Twice * * *
Sunday, 10/7 6:44 AM
Sean sat out on the roof, enjoying the view. All the while, he was thinking about the previous day's events and how much his experiments have taught him over the last week. "I wonder how much there is to know, exactly?" he said to himself. "More importantly, how much of it do I really want to find out first-hand?"
"Probably not everything," Naru said from behind him.
Sean turned around, slightly startled by her sudden appearance. "You got that right. There are some things that I'd rather not experience; like childbirth for example."
"So you only want to go through the good things, huh?"
"Not necessarily. I just don't want to go too far with it, you know? It's just supposed to be a learning experience, not a change in lifestyle."
"I see." Naru paused a bit before she spoke again. "Aren't you cold out here?"
"A little bit." Sean noticed that Naru was wearing a jacket, which was more than he could say for himself. "It was such a nice day I never really noticed it, but I guess I should go in before I catch cold or something." Sean continued after the two got inside. "So, what's on your mind? Surely, you didn't seek me out just to tell me the weather."
"Uh, right. Well, I just wanted to talk to you about--" She was interrupted by screams and what sounded like explosions.
"Oh no," Sean thought. This has happened before; many times, in fact.
Out of nowhere, Keitaro appeared, screaming and running like his life depended on it, but what got Sean's attention was what followed the terrified man; a toy tank. Normally, such a thing wouldn't cause such a reaction, but this one was different; this one was made, owned and usually operated by a certain foreign inventor.
"Here we go again," Sean thought as the tank fired a missile that was no bigger than his index finger, but it caused him to raise his force field anyway. "Get down!" He yelled, not bothering to look back, keeping his attention on the tiny projectile. When the rocket made contact with the shield, a surprisingly large explosion resulted, bathing the hall in smoke. When the smoke cleared, Sean saw Suu standing behind her creation, a wide smile on her face and a remote control in her hand.
"SUU!!" Sean yelled furiously.
"Yes?" Suu replied.
"How many times have I told you not to play with your tanks in the house?!"
"37," She answered, still smiling.
"She kept track?!" Sean thought. "Hell, even I lost count after saying it about a dozen times!"
"And yet you still do," he said aloud. "Why?"
"It's fun to play with you and Keitaro!"
"Some fun," Sean thought as he stepped towards her.
When she saw him approach, Suu grabbed her tank and ran off, with Sean following soon after.
"I'm going to catch you, Suu, and when I do, I'll--"
"You'll do what?" Suu taunted.
"Um, well, I don't know, but I'll think of something!"
Suu effortlessly made her way down that halls, while Sean struggled just to keep up. "This is pointless," he thought. "I've never been able to catch her like this. There must be some way to--that's it!"
As Suu neared the kitchen, she glanced back to find that Sean wasn't following her anymore. "Where did he--" she started to think until she looked forward and saw him there, smiling victoriously.
"Now I gotcha," he said.
Thinking quickly, Suu used her momentum to her advantage, jumping into the air and connecting with a powerful kick to Sean's forehead.
"What did you do that for?" asked Shinobu, who saw the whole thing while she was making breakfast.
"Well, Sean cheated," Suu answered, crossing her arms. "He wasn't supposed to do that. It's not fair to do that to catch me."
"Who cares if it's not fair?! It's not right to kick people, especially Sean! You know he can't take a hit as well as Keitaro! Just look at him!" Shinobu pointed at Sean's unconscious body sprawled out on the floor. There was a nasty looking bruise on his head where Suu whacked him.
"Oops." Suu started biting her lip nervously.
---
While Sean was focused on chasing Suu all around Hinata House, he was completely unaware that Keitaro had collided with Naru, knocking them both to the ground, their faces mere inches apart. Each of them blushed heavily when they realized the precarious position they were in.
"Sean was right," Naru thought. "This really isn't as bad as I first made it out to be. I could get used to this."
Keitaro's thoughts were slightly less insightful. "Oh my God, she's so beautiful."
"Um, Keitaro?" Naru said softly.
"Yes, Naru?" Keitaro said just as quietly, his eyes lost in hers.
"Could you get off me before someone finds us like this?"
Keitaro semi-reluctantly obeyed. "Um, I guess I should apologize for that," he said as he helped Naru to her feet. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
"Don't. It was my fault. I couldn't get out of the way in time. Besides, Suu can get so out of hand sometimes."
"I know." Keitaro looked back the way he came; there were scorch marks along sections of the floor, walls and ceiling.
"I guess now's a good a time as any," Naru thought. "Though I wanted to talk to Sean about this first." Naru started to blush again. "Keitaro, could I talk to you in my room for a bit?"
"Sure," Keitaro said without giving it a second thought. As the two neared Naru's door, Keitaro started to wonder what could be so important that they would need the privacy of Naru's room for her to say what she needed to.
After they entered and Naru closed the door behind them, she prepared to speak. "I don't know which feels worse," she thought, "the fact that I'm about to do this, or that I'm so nervous about it. Oh well, I've gone this far, I might as well go through with it."
"When we were trying to get in Toudai," she said out loud, "did you enjoy the study time we spent together?"
"Yes, I did," Keitaro said. "…Despite the implied insults to my intelligence," his mind added.
"I admit, at first I despised having to spend time with you everyday, but eventually, I began to enjoy it as well."
"Really?"
Naru looked a bit ashamed. "Yeah, but after we both passed the entrance exams, those times seemed to end in an instant. I can't help but wonder why that happened."
"I've wondered that too, but why do you seem so choked up about it?"
"Within a month of Sean's arrival, he and I had a study relationship like we did."
"What happened between you two?" Keitaro asked, curious about what split them apart.
"Like us, those study sessions ended after a while, and before I knew it, I had lost him forever."
"He got involved with Shinobu," Keitaro noted.
"Right. I thought he would be there forever, but then I found out the hard way just how wrong I was. I don't want to go through that all over again, so I'm going to ask you right now; do you like me?"
"You know I do."
Naru grabbed his shirt and moved his face to within inches of hers; he could see tears start to form in her eyes. "No, you don't understand. I mean, DO YOU LIKE ME?"
"Oh." Keitaro was surprised by how serious she was about this. "You mean do I like you as more than a friend?" Naru slowly nodded.
Precious seconds ticked away in a kind of silence that would even drive a mime crazy. "Why doesn't he answer?" Naru thought, fearing the worst. "Maybe it was wrong of me to put so much pressure on him."
"I'm sorry," she said, backing off. "I shouldn't ask you to make such a decision." She heard a breath of relief come from him.
"Thank you. To be honest, I don't know exactly how I feel towards you. I do like you--that part can't be denied. I just don't know if I like you just as a friend or if there's something else there. It will take some time to figure it all out."
"Alright." Naru sat down on her futon. "But I want you to know that when you finally decide, I'll be here."
"Just do me one favor, Naru."
"Anything!"
Keitaro sat next to her. "Keep it together until I do. Remember, if you need to talk, you know where to find me."
"I'm just not sure if I can stand the wait."
"Naru, you're one of the most determined people I know. When you put your mind to something, you're not one to give up easily. If anyone can do this, I know you can."
Naru felt Keitaro's hand caressing her cheek, wiping away her tears. "Thank you."
"I hope I haven't hurt your feelings or anything. I'd hate to see you upset because of me."
Naru shook her head. "No, this is a tough choice to make; one that might change both our lives forever. I do want an answer, but I don't want to pressure you to make a decision that you might regret later."
Keitaro nodded, smiling, then got up to leave; or at least he would be if Naru hadn't held his hand in a tight grip.
"Don't leave yet." Keitaro sat back down and she quickly buried her face in his chest, knocking him flat on his back on the futon. "It feels good to get this out in the open," her voice was muffled by his shirt.
"Who knew she felt this way?" Keitaro thought as he felt Naru's tears through his shirt. "I hope it won't take too long for me to decide. I hate seeing her like this."
---
"Oh, my head," Sean muttered as he regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and found Suu staring at him, her face inches from his own. His eyes went wide and a gasp escaped his lips. "Suu, don't do that!"
"Yep, he's awake," Suu said.
"Thank goodness," Shinobu said, relieved that her boyfriend was alright.
"How long was I out?" Sean asked, slowly sitting up.
"A couple hours," another voice said.
"Huh?" Sean turned his head. "Oh, hey Kitsune."
"Well, that wasn't much of a greeting," Kitsune said, crossing her arms.
"What kind of greeting did you expect? I just recovered from one of Suu's kicks, for Pete's sake!"
"Sorry about that, Sean," Suu said. "You just surprised me, that's all. You did appear in front of me all of a sudden."
"Well, I ran out of options. I had to figure out some way to catch you, and I thought one of my bright ideas would work for a change. Shows what I know, huh?" Sean smiled weakly.
"Don't worry, you'll get me someday!" Suu said.
"I suppose," Sean said. "But try not to kick me again any time soon. That really hurts." He felt the bump on his head, wincing in pain.
"You want me to kiss it and make it feel better?" Kitsune asked as she started making her moves on him again.
"Not now. I still have to clean up after a certain someone." He got up and started to leave. "I swear," he muttered under his breath, "if I haven't made constant repairs to this place it would be nothing but rubble right now."
"Hey, wait up!" Shinobu said, rushing to his side. "I'll help you."
"Thanks," Sean said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, making her blush. "You have missed me, haven't you?"
Shinobu's blush deepened as she looked at him sweetly. Words were not needed.
--- (10 minutes later…)
Sean was on his hands and knees, examining the patch of burnt wood before him. He sighed a bit before getting to work. "I'm glad it gets easier each time I do this." He rested his hands on the charred planks and began to restore them back to their former glory.
"I'm glad I could help you with this." Sean looked over at Shinobu, who was working on the walls in a similar fashion. "It allows us to really spend time together."
"Yeah. I guess Suu's destructive tendencies aren't so bad after all." After being away for as long as he has--at least in identity--he would enjoy all the time with Shinobu that he could get. After all, the two were a couple, as unlikely as it may look.
Sean's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. He looked up to find Haruka there, staring at him. "Oh, hey Haruka. Long time no see." She just stood there, giving him a look of disbelief. "Why is she looking at me that way?" he thought before he remembered that he was working on the ceiling the whole time. "Oh. I guess nobody told you about my magic yet, huh?"
"I should say not," Haruka said, finally joining the conversation. "How long have you been able to do stuff like that?"
Sean lowered himself to the floor before he answered. "A while, but when I first showed up here, my skills were quite limited."
Haruka turned to Shinobu. "Does everyone know about this?"
"Are you kidding? He taught us girls how, but I guess I'm the only one who found that much interest in it afterward."
"I think I know why," Haruka said.
Their conversation was interrupted when Sean saw someone approach. "Hey, Motoko." He noticed that she looked like there was something on her mind. "Is something wrong?"
"Not really," Motoko said. "I just want to talk to Haruka about something."
Sean was a bit surprised by this. Usually, when one of the girls had something to get off her chest (Not like that! Shame on you!), they would talk to him, but he figured that Motoko had something very personal on her mind and that Haruka might be able to help her better than he would, so he didn't let it get to him. "Sure. Shinobu and I have some more repairs to do, anyway."
"Suu been playing with her tanks again?" Haruka asked.
"Yeah. I'm glad I've got my magic to fix this place with, or we'd go broke."
Haruka looked at Sean curiously. "What kind of stuff can you do, exactly?"
"Anything I set my mind to." Sean hesitated a bit before he continued. "In fact, you remember Alicia?"
"Of course," Haruka said. Suddenly, something clicked in her brain. "You mean Alicia was you?!" Sean nodded. "But how--"
"It wasn't easy, I can assure you of that. It took me over a week just to get the spell right, and then a few more days to get used to the new body before I made my appearance."
"But why would you do something like that?"
"It's not what you think. I just thought it would be a good learning experience; and it has. Anyway, you have someone else to talk to right now, so we'll be on our way. See ya." Sean and Shinobu left to finish their repairs.
"Well, that sure was interesting," Haruka muttered, scratching her head before turning her attention to Motoko. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Motoko looked around to see if anyone was around before responding. "Well, it's just that…" Motoko started to blush. "I think I'm starting to have feelings for Keitaro."
"Really?" Haruka raised an eyebrow. "When did it start?"
"After Sean advised me and Naru to not go flying off the handle every time Keitaro has those accidents. Since then, I've… sort of…"
"Ah, so he's finally grown on you," Haruka said, provoking another blush from the swordswoman. "I'm sure he would be glad to be with you if you just give him a chance."
"That's the thing. I'm so nervous; I don't know what to do."
"Motoko, listen, you shouldn't be talking to me about this."
"Then who?"
"You need to talk to Keitaro; let him know how you feel."
"But what if he doesn't like me back?"
"That's a risk you'll have to take. It's better than keeping your feelings for him hidden until it's too late."
"You're right. I'll have a talk with him later… when I'm ready."
"Good."
---
"I just can't have a normal day, can I?" Keitaro thought as the day wore on. Sure, things were rarely anything close to normal when all the girls were assembled together, but Keitaro still wished he could have at least one ordinary day at Hinata-Sou.
First, there was the fact that Naru made discreet glances at him at every opportunity. He figured she was just trying to influence his decision, or at least get him to make it quicker. Through all that, he still wasn't quite sure of his feelings about her, and the pressure she was starting to put on him didn't help any.
The thing that really got to him however, was that he had the distinct impression that Motoko was making active efforts to avoid him. Normally, he wouldn't think too much of it; he thought it was just her tendency to keep to herself, but after a while, he noticed that she was acting this way around him and him alone. Even during lunch and dinner, she would keep her gaze away from him at all costs. He racked his brain to try to think of some explanation, but none came to mind.
--- 9:45 PM --- Sean/Keitaro's room
"…and that's what's going on," Keitaro said when he finished explaining Motoko's odd behavior to Sean.
"Hmm…" Sean was in deep thought. "This is strange. I'm sorry, but I couldn't tell you what's going on. This is the first I've heard about this."
"Oh." Keitaro seemed disappointed that Sean didn't have an answer.
"Let me see… do you think she's mad at you for some reason?"
"I don't think so. If she was angry with me, she would have already tried to cut me in half."
"Good point."
"I just can't explain it. It seems like she just doesn't want me around her for some reason."
"Huh." Sean let it sink for a minute. "I wonder what's--" Sean was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in." The door opened and Motoko stepped in. Both men were shocked by at the sight of her; she sure as hell didn't look or act like the warrior they have come to know. In her place was a timid girl who may not exactly know what she was about to do. "Hey, Motoko. We were just talking about you. I was just wondering, is there something--"
"Did I do something to upset you?!" Keitaro interrupted. "Cuz if I did, I'm sorry." Motoko slowly shook her head. "Then why do you duck out of the room whenever I walk in?"
Motoko's face started to turn red. "I… I… have to tell Keitaro something."
"Do you want me to leave?" Sean asked.
"No, that's alright." Motoko went silent for a while, trying to think of how to say what she needed to so badly. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore. "I'm sorry," she said as she started to back out the door.
"Now hold on, Motoko," Sean said, stopping her in her tracks. "You said you had something to say. What's stopping you from saying it?"
"I'm just so nervous. I don't know how he'll react to this."
Sean walked up to Motoko. "Just because you don't know what will happen doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Imagine this: You're trying to get somewhere; you follow me?" Motoko nodded. "Good. On the way, you come to a brick wall. There's no way around, and you can't climb over it, but you need to get past it to get to where you're going. What do you do?"
"I strike the wall and make it crumble before me," Motoko said confidently.
"Good. Now, there's a brick wall in your mind right now that's keeping you from saying what you want to say to Keitaro. Are you just going to give up and walk away, or are you going to bring that wall down like I know you can?"
"You're right, Sean," Motoko said. "Fear isn't something that can't be overcome. Thank you." She approached Keitaro. "There's something I have to tell you."
"Yes?"
Motoko took a deep breath. "I have feelings for you."
"Is that--wait; what?!" Sean was shocked by what she just said.
"You mean all this time you were avoiding me, it was because you like me?!"
"Yeah," Motoko said, becoming shy once again. "I was just so scared. I mean, I didn't know how you would respond to something like this, especially after how badly I've beaten you since you came here--" Motoko was stopped by Sean's hand being placed on her shoulder.
"You can stop now, Motoko." Motoko was confused by what he said until he pointed out that Keitaro had fainted shortly after his little outburst.
--- 10:21 PM
After being out for what felt like an eternity, Keitaro started to hear a voice; albeit it was a bit distant, but it was better than complete silence. Eventually, the voice became closer; more distinct, and he instantly recognized to whom it belonged.
"Keitaro, are you alright?" Naru asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, sitting up. "What just happened?"
"You passed out about half an hour ago," Sean said. "Right after Motoko broke the big news to you."
"Oh yeah," Keitaro said, remembering what she had said.
"I'm sorry," Motoko said. By looking at her, Keitaro could tell she had been crying. "I should have known better--"
"No," Keitaro said, "I'm sure you had good reason to say what you did. I was just taken by surprise."
"I must admit," Sean said, "I never saw this coming. I guess that's what you talked to Haruka about, huh?" Motoko nodded.
Keitaro suddenly remembered that Naru was in the same room. "Are you sure you should be--"
"Don't worry," Naru said. "They told me everything while you were out."
"Oh." Keitaro looked down at the futon where he had been placed. "Then you know my decision just got much harder to make."
"Yeah," Naru said, sadly. "I do."
"What decision is that?" Sean asked.
Naru sighed. "I guess it's now or never," she thought. "Earlier this morning, I… confessed myself to him, and I asked if he liked me as much as I do him; he hasn't responded yet."
Sean's eyes went wide. "Huh boy," he muttered. "Maybe I should be going."
"Why?"
"I'm going to be blunt; it doesn't take a genius to see that this situation might turn ugly, and I don't think I want to be here if it does."
"I see," Motoko said. She understood where Sean was coming from. The two most potentially violent girls in Hinata-Sou were about to clash for the affection of the man that has been, until recently, the subject of their animosity. She knew it might be unpleasant to say the very least, but nonetheless… "Sean," she said just as Sean was about to walk out. "Don't leave. I think we may need you now more than ever."
"I'm not sure how," Sean said. "I don't exactly have much advise to give for this sort of thing."
"Maybe not," Naru said, "but you could still help out by keeping things civil between us."
"I suppose." The four were just about to get start trying to figure out what to do when someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?"
"Could I see you out here for a moment?" It sounded like Kitsune.
"Sure, if it's just for a moment." Sean nodded to the others before he went to the door, opened it a bit and stuck his head out to see Kitsune standing before him, but that wasn't what caught his attention. What did was the semi-see-through nightie she had on, which didn't leave much of anything to the imagination, especially since she wore nothing underneath.
"Hello, Sean," Kitsune said.
Sean looked at the three in his room for a moment and then back at Kitsune. "What are you doing?" he asked in a hushed voice.
"It's been a long time since the two of us have been… together, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has."
"For me, it felt like it's been too long."
"I see, so you want me to--"
"Yes, I do," Kitsune said before he could finish.
Sean thought the matter over for a few seconds. "Okay, just let me do something real quick."
"Alright."
Sean retracted his head back into room and closed the door. "O…kay then. Um, you'll have to excuse me; there's something I have to go take care of."
"Kitsune," Motoko said. Sean nodded. "Go ahead."
"Thank you. I hope you can come up with an idea all three of you can agree on." Sean then transformed into Alicia. "I wish you good luck." Alicia walked out, leaving the three alone in Sean's room to try to sort out what to do about the situation they were in.
"I swear," Keitaro said, "that is going to take a heck of a long time to get used to."
"So," Naru said, "what should we do?"
"I'm not sure," Motoko said. "I never expected both of us to vocalize our attraction to him in the same day."
"You're telling me," Keitaro said. "You know what, it's late. This has been a tough day for all of us, so I think we hold off on it until tomorrow."
"What?" Naru said.
"Hear me out. After we all get some sleep, we should be able to think of something that could work out for all of us. I'm not sure we could do that tonight."
"You're right," Motoko said. "After what we've been through today, sleep is probably the thing we need the most."
"Alright," Naru said, accepting the idea, partially because she was outnumbered. "We'll meet back here in the morning. Until then, may you all sleep well." With that Naru started to go up the trapdoor to her room.
"You too," Motoko and Keitaro said as both of them got ready for bed themselves. (Which involved Motoko heading back to her room, of course.)
"I don't believe this," Keitaro thought. "To think something like this would happen to me of all people." He tried not to think about it any further, so as not to overload his brain.
He, along with Naru and Motoko, went to sleep relatively quickly that night; or so one of them hoped.
* * * End of Chapter XXI * * *
Ooh, I can be such a mean writer, huh? I left so many thing up in the air, you'd need a hard hat. Next chapter, I will show you which person is having trouble sleeping and what will come out of it. In the meantime, you can contemplate your own conclusions. Until then, so long, see you next time, and please R&R!
Here we go. Caution, this might be a bit of a bumby ride. Keep your arms and legs inside the car at all times.
* * * Chapter XXI: Lightning Strikes Twice * * *
Sunday, 10/7 6:44 AM
Sean sat out on the roof, enjoying the view. All the while, he was thinking about the previous day's events and how much his experiments have taught him over the last week. "I wonder how much there is to know, exactly?" he said to himself. "More importantly, how much of it do I really want to find out first-hand?"
"Probably not everything," Naru said from behind him.
Sean turned around, slightly startled by her sudden appearance. "You got that right. There are some things that I'd rather not experience; like childbirth for example."
"So you only want to go through the good things, huh?"
"Not necessarily. I just don't want to go too far with it, you know? It's just supposed to be a learning experience, not a change in lifestyle."
"I see." Naru paused a bit before she spoke again. "Aren't you cold out here?"
"A little bit." Sean noticed that Naru was wearing a jacket, which was more than he could say for himself. "It was such a nice day I never really noticed it, but I guess I should go in before I catch cold or something." Sean continued after the two got inside. "So, what's on your mind? Surely, you didn't seek me out just to tell me the weather."
"Uh, right. Well, I just wanted to talk to you about--" She was interrupted by screams and what sounded like explosions.
"Oh no," Sean thought. This has happened before; many times, in fact.
Out of nowhere, Keitaro appeared, screaming and running like his life depended on it, but what got Sean's attention was what followed the terrified man; a toy tank. Normally, such a thing wouldn't cause such a reaction, but this one was different; this one was made, owned and usually operated by a certain foreign inventor.
"Here we go again," Sean thought as the tank fired a missile that was no bigger than his index finger, but it caused him to raise his force field anyway. "Get down!" He yelled, not bothering to look back, keeping his attention on the tiny projectile. When the rocket made contact with the shield, a surprisingly large explosion resulted, bathing the hall in smoke. When the smoke cleared, Sean saw Suu standing behind her creation, a wide smile on her face and a remote control in her hand.
"SUU!!" Sean yelled furiously.
"Yes?" Suu replied.
"How many times have I told you not to play with your tanks in the house?!"
"37," She answered, still smiling.
"She kept track?!" Sean thought. "Hell, even I lost count after saying it about a dozen times!"
"And yet you still do," he said aloud. "Why?"
"It's fun to play with you and Keitaro!"
"Some fun," Sean thought as he stepped towards her.
When she saw him approach, Suu grabbed her tank and ran off, with Sean following soon after.
"I'm going to catch you, Suu, and when I do, I'll--"
"You'll do what?" Suu taunted.
"Um, well, I don't know, but I'll think of something!"
Suu effortlessly made her way down that halls, while Sean struggled just to keep up. "This is pointless," he thought. "I've never been able to catch her like this. There must be some way to--that's it!"
As Suu neared the kitchen, she glanced back to find that Sean wasn't following her anymore. "Where did he--" she started to think until she looked forward and saw him there, smiling victoriously.
"Now I gotcha," he said.
Thinking quickly, Suu used her momentum to her advantage, jumping into the air and connecting with a powerful kick to Sean's forehead.
"What did you do that for?" asked Shinobu, who saw the whole thing while she was making breakfast.
"Well, Sean cheated," Suu answered, crossing her arms. "He wasn't supposed to do that. It's not fair to do that to catch me."
"Who cares if it's not fair?! It's not right to kick people, especially Sean! You know he can't take a hit as well as Keitaro! Just look at him!" Shinobu pointed at Sean's unconscious body sprawled out on the floor. There was a nasty looking bruise on his head where Suu whacked him.
"Oops." Suu started biting her lip nervously.
---
While Sean was focused on chasing Suu all around Hinata House, he was completely unaware that Keitaro had collided with Naru, knocking them both to the ground, their faces mere inches apart. Each of them blushed heavily when they realized the precarious position they were in.
"Sean was right," Naru thought. "This really isn't as bad as I first made it out to be. I could get used to this."
Keitaro's thoughts were slightly less insightful. "Oh my God, she's so beautiful."
"Um, Keitaro?" Naru said softly.
"Yes, Naru?" Keitaro said just as quietly, his eyes lost in hers.
"Could you get off me before someone finds us like this?"
Keitaro semi-reluctantly obeyed. "Um, I guess I should apologize for that," he said as he helped Naru to her feet. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
"Don't. It was my fault. I couldn't get out of the way in time. Besides, Suu can get so out of hand sometimes."
"I know." Keitaro looked back the way he came; there were scorch marks along sections of the floor, walls and ceiling.
"I guess now's a good a time as any," Naru thought. "Though I wanted to talk to Sean about this first." Naru started to blush again. "Keitaro, could I talk to you in my room for a bit?"
"Sure," Keitaro said without giving it a second thought. As the two neared Naru's door, Keitaro started to wonder what could be so important that they would need the privacy of Naru's room for her to say what she needed to.
After they entered and Naru closed the door behind them, she prepared to speak. "I don't know which feels worse," she thought, "the fact that I'm about to do this, or that I'm so nervous about it. Oh well, I've gone this far, I might as well go through with it."
"When we were trying to get in Toudai," she said out loud, "did you enjoy the study time we spent together?"
"Yes, I did," Keitaro said. "…Despite the implied insults to my intelligence," his mind added.
"I admit, at first I despised having to spend time with you everyday, but eventually, I began to enjoy it as well."
"Really?"
Naru looked a bit ashamed. "Yeah, but after we both passed the entrance exams, those times seemed to end in an instant. I can't help but wonder why that happened."
"I've wondered that too, but why do you seem so choked up about it?"
"Within a month of Sean's arrival, he and I had a study relationship like we did."
"What happened between you two?" Keitaro asked, curious about what split them apart.
"Like us, those study sessions ended after a while, and before I knew it, I had lost him forever."
"He got involved with Shinobu," Keitaro noted.
"Right. I thought he would be there forever, but then I found out the hard way just how wrong I was. I don't want to go through that all over again, so I'm going to ask you right now; do you like me?"
"You know I do."
Naru grabbed his shirt and moved his face to within inches of hers; he could see tears start to form in her eyes. "No, you don't understand. I mean, DO YOU LIKE ME?"
"Oh." Keitaro was surprised by how serious she was about this. "You mean do I like you as more than a friend?" Naru slowly nodded.
Precious seconds ticked away in a kind of silence that would even drive a mime crazy. "Why doesn't he answer?" Naru thought, fearing the worst. "Maybe it was wrong of me to put so much pressure on him."
"I'm sorry," she said, backing off. "I shouldn't ask you to make such a decision." She heard a breath of relief come from him.
"Thank you. To be honest, I don't know exactly how I feel towards you. I do like you--that part can't be denied. I just don't know if I like you just as a friend or if there's something else there. It will take some time to figure it all out."
"Alright." Naru sat down on her futon. "But I want you to know that when you finally decide, I'll be here."
"Just do me one favor, Naru."
"Anything!"
Keitaro sat next to her. "Keep it together until I do. Remember, if you need to talk, you know where to find me."
"I'm just not sure if I can stand the wait."
"Naru, you're one of the most determined people I know. When you put your mind to something, you're not one to give up easily. If anyone can do this, I know you can."
Naru felt Keitaro's hand caressing her cheek, wiping away her tears. "Thank you."
"I hope I haven't hurt your feelings or anything. I'd hate to see you upset because of me."
Naru shook her head. "No, this is a tough choice to make; one that might change both our lives forever. I do want an answer, but I don't want to pressure you to make a decision that you might regret later."
Keitaro nodded, smiling, then got up to leave; or at least he would be if Naru hadn't held his hand in a tight grip.
"Don't leave yet." Keitaro sat back down and she quickly buried her face in his chest, knocking him flat on his back on the futon. "It feels good to get this out in the open," her voice was muffled by his shirt.
"Who knew she felt this way?" Keitaro thought as he felt Naru's tears through his shirt. "I hope it won't take too long for me to decide. I hate seeing her like this."
---
"Oh, my head," Sean muttered as he regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and found Suu staring at him, her face inches from his own. His eyes went wide and a gasp escaped his lips. "Suu, don't do that!"
"Yep, he's awake," Suu said.
"Thank goodness," Shinobu said, relieved that her boyfriend was alright.
"How long was I out?" Sean asked, slowly sitting up.
"A couple hours," another voice said.
"Huh?" Sean turned his head. "Oh, hey Kitsune."
"Well, that wasn't much of a greeting," Kitsune said, crossing her arms.
"What kind of greeting did you expect? I just recovered from one of Suu's kicks, for Pete's sake!"
"Sorry about that, Sean," Suu said. "You just surprised me, that's all. You did appear in front of me all of a sudden."
"Well, I ran out of options. I had to figure out some way to catch you, and I thought one of my bright ideas would work for a change. Shows what I know, huh?" Sean smiled weakly.
"Don't worry, you'll get me someday!" Suu said.
"I suppose," Sean said. "But try not to kick me again any time soon. That really hurts." He felt the bump on his head, wincing in pain.
"You want me to kiss it and make it feel better?" Kitsune asked as she started making her moves on him again.
"Not now. I still have to clean up after a certain someone." He got up and started to leave. "I swear," he muttered under his breath, "if I haven't made constant repairs to this place it would be nothing but rubble right now."
"Hey, wait up!" Shinobu said, rushing to his side. "I'll help you."
"Thanks," Sean said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, making her blush. "You have missed me, haven't you?"
Shinobu's blush deepened as she looked at him sweetly. Words were not needed.
--- (10 minutes later…)
Sean was on his hands and knees, examining the patch of burnt wood before him. He sighed a bit before getting to work. "I'm glad it gets easier each time I do this." He rested his hands on the charred planks and began to restore them back to their former glory.
"I'm glad I could help you with this." Sean looked over at Shinobu, who was working on the walls in a similar fashion. "It allows us to really spend time together."
"Yeah. I guess Suu's destructive tendencies aren't so bad after all." After being away for as long as he has--at least in identity--he would enjoy all the time with Shinobu that he could get. After all, the two were a couple, as unlikely as it may look.
Sean's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. He looked up to find Haruka there, staring at him. "Oh, hey Haruka. Long time no see." She just stood there, giving him a look of disbelief. "Why is she looking at me that way?" he thought before he remembered that he was working on the ceiling the whole time. "Oh. I guess nobody told you about my magic yet, huh?"
"I should say not," Haruka said, finally joining the conversation. "How long have you been able to do stuff like that?"
Sean lowered himself to the floor before he answered. "A while, but when I first showed up here, my skills were quite limited."
Haruka turned to Shinobu. "Does everyone know about this?"
"Are you kidding? He taught us girls how, but I guess I'm the only one who found that much interest in it afterward."
"I think I know why," Haruka said.
Their conversation was interrupted when Sean saw someone approach. "Hey, Motoko." He noticed that she looked like there was something on her mind. "Is something wrong?"
"Not really," Motoko said. "I just want to talk to Haruka about something."
Sean was a bit surprised by this. Usually, when one of the girls had something to get off her chest (Not like that! Shame on you!), they would talk to him, but he figured that Motoko had something very personal on her mind and that Haruka might be able to help her better than he would, so he didn't let it get to him. "Sure. Shinobu and I have some more repairs to do, anyway."
"Suu been playing with her tanks again?" Haruka asked.
"Yeah. I'm glad I've got my magic to fix this place with, or we'd go broke."
Haruka looked at Sean curiously. "What kind of stuff can you do, exactly?"
"Anything I set my mind to." Sean hesitated a bit before he continued. "In fact, you remember Alicia?"
"Of course," Haruka said. Suddenly, something clicked in her brain. "You mean Alicia was you?!" Sean nodded. "But how--"
"It wasn't easy, I can assure you of that. It took me over a week just to get the spell right, and then a few more days to get used to the new body before I made my appearance."
"But why would you do something like that?"
"It's not what you think. I just thought it would be a good learning experience; and it has. Anyway, you have someone else to talk to right now, so we'll be on our way. See ya." Sean and Shinobu left to finish their repairs.
"Well, that sure was interesting," Haruka muttered, scratching her head before turning her attention to Motoko. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
Motoko looked around to see if anyone was around before responding. "Well, it's just that…" Motoko started to blush. "I think I'm starting to have feelings for Keitaro."
"Really?" Haruka raised an eyebrow. "When did it start?"
"After Sean advised me and Naru to not go flying off the handle every time Keitaro has those accidents. Since then, I've… sort of…"
"Ah, so he's finally grown on you," Haruka said, provoking another blush from the swordswoman. "I'm sure he would be glad to be with you if you just give him a chance."
"That's the thing. I'm so nervous; I don't know what to do."
"Motoko, listen, you shouldn't be talking to me about this."
"Then who?"
"You need to talk to Keitaro; let him know how you feel."
"But what if he doesn't like me back?"
"That's a risk you'll have to take. It's better than keeping your feelings for him hidden until it's too late."
"You're right. I'll have a talk with him later… when I'm ready."
"Good."
---
"I just can't have a normal day, can I?" Keitaro thought as the day wore on. Sure, things were rarely anything close to normal when all the girls were assembled together, but Keitaro still wished he could have at least one ordinary day at Hinata-Sou.
First, there was the fact that Naru made discreet glances at him at every opportunity. He figured she was just trying to influence his decision, or at least get him to make it quicker. Through all that, he still wasn't quite sure of his feelings about her, and the pressure she was starting to put on him didn't help any.
The thing that really got to him however, was that he had the distinct impression that Motoko was making active efforts to avoid him. Normally, he wouldn't think too much of it; he thought it was just her tendency to keep to herself, but after a while, he noticed that she was acting this way around him and him alone. Even during lunch and dinner, she would keep her gaze away from him at all costs. He racked his brain to try to think of some explanation, but none came to mind.
--- 9:45 PM --- Sean/Keitaro's room
"…and that's what's going on," Keitaro said when he finished explaining Motoko's odd behavior to Sean.
"Hmm…" Sean was in deep thought. "This is strange. I'm sorry, but I couldn't tell you what's going on. This is the first I've heard about this."
"Oh." Keitaro seemed disappointed that Sean didn't have an answer.
"Let me see… do you think she's mad at you for some reason?"
"I don't think so. If she was angry with me, she would have already tried to cut me in half."
"Good point."
"I just can't explain it. It seems like she just doesn't want me around her for some reason."
"Huh." Sean let it sink for a minute. "I wonder what's--" Sean was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in." The door opened and Motoko stepped in. Both men were shocked by at the sight of her; she sure as hell didn't look or act like the warrior they have come to know. In her place was a timid girl who may not exactly know what she was about to do. "Hey, Motoko. We were just talking about you. I was just wondering, is there something--"
"Did I do something to upset you?!" Keitaro interrupted. "Cuz if I did, I'm sorry." Motoko slowly shook her head. "Then why do you duck out of the room whenever I walk in?"
Motoko's face started to turn red. "I… I… have to tell Keitaro something."
"Do you want me to leave?" Sean asked.
"No, that's alright." Motoko went silent for a while, trying to think of how to say what she needed to so badly. Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore. "I'm sorry," she said as she started to back out the door.
"Now hold on, Motoko," Sean said, stopping her in her tracks. "You said you had something to say. What's stopping you from saying it?"
"I'm just so nervous. I don't know how he'll react to this."
Sean walked up to Motoko. "Just because you don't know what will happen doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Imagine this: You're trying to get somewhere; you follow me?" Motoko nodded. "Good. On the way, you come to a brick wall. There's no way around, and you can't climb over it, but you need to get past it to get to where you're going. What do you do?"
"I strike the wall and make it crumble before me," Motoko said confidently.
"Good. Now, there's a brick wall in your mind right now that's keeping you from saying what you want to say to Keitaro. Are you just going to give up and walk away, or are you going to bring that wall down like I know you can?"
"You're right, Sean," Motoko said. "Fear isn't something that can't be overcome. Thank you." She approached Keitaro. "There's something I have to tell you."
"Yes?"
Motoko took a deep breath. "I have feelings for you."
"Is that--wait; what?!" Sean was shocked by what she just said.
"You mean all this time you were avoiding me, it was because you like me?!"
"Yeah," Motoko said, becoming shy once again. "I was just so scared. I mean, I didn't know how you would respond to something like this, especially after how badly I've beaten you since you came here--" Motoko was stopped by Sean's hand being placed on her shoulder.
"You can stop now, Motoko." Motoko was confused by what he said until he pointed out that Keitaro had fainted shortly after his little outburst.
--- 10:21 PM
After being out for what felt like an eternity, Keitaro started to hear a voice; albeit it was a bit distant, but it was better than complete silence. Eventually, the voice became closer; more distinct, and he instantly recognized to whom it belonged.
"Keitaro, are you alright?" Naru asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said, sitting up. "What just happened?"
"You passed out about half an hour ago," Sean said. "Right after Motoko broke the big news to you."
"Oh yeah," Keitaro said, remembering what she had said.
"I'm sorry," Motoko said. By looking at her, Keitaro could tell she had been crying. "I should have known better--"
"No," Keitaro said, "I'm sure you had good reason to say what you did. I was just taken by surprise."
"I must admit," Sean said, "I never saw this coming. I guess that's what you talked to Haruka about, huh?" Motoko nodded.
Keitaro suddenly remembered that Naru was in the same room. "Are you sure you should be--"
"Don't worry," Naru said. "They told me everything while you were out."
"Oh." Keitaro looked down at the futon where he had been placed. "Then you know my decision just got much harder to make."
"Yeah," Naru said, sadly. "I do."
"What decision is that?" Sean asked.
Naru sighed. "I guess it's now or never," she thought. "Earlier this morning, I… confessed myself to him, and I asked if he liked me as much as I do him; he hasn't responded yet."
Sean's eyes went wide. "Huh boy," he muttered. "Maybe I should be going."
"Why?"
"I'm going to be blunt; it doesn't take a genius to see that this situation might turn ugly, and I don't think I want to be here if it does."
"I see," Motoko said. She understood where Sean was coming from. The two most potentially violent girls in Hinata-Sou were about to clash for the affection of the man that has been, until recently, the subject of their animosity. She knew it might be unpleasant to say the very least, but nonetheless… "Sean," she said just as Sean was about to walk out. "Don't leave. I think we may need you now more than ever."
"I'm not sure how," Sean said. "I don't exactly have much advise to give for this sort of thing."
"Maybe not," Naru said, "but you could still help out by keeping things civil between us."
"I suppose." The four were just about to get start trying to figure out what to do when someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?"
"Could I see you out here for a moment?" It sounded like Kitsune.
"Sure, if it's just for a moment." Sean nodded to the others before he went to the door, opened it a bit and stuck his head out to see Kitsune standing before him, but that wasn't what caught his attention. What did was the semi-see-through nightie she had on, which didn't leave much of anything to the imagination, especially since she wore nothing underneath.
"Hello, Sean," Kitsune said.
Sean looked at the three in his room for a moment and then back at Kitsune. "What are you doing?" he asked in a hushed voice.
"It's been a long time since the two of us have been… together, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has."
"For me, it felt like it's been too long."
"I see, so you want me to--"
"Yes, I do," Kitsune said before he could finish.
Sean thought the matter over for a few seconds. "Okay, just let me do something real quick."
"Alright."
Sean retracted his head back into room and closed the door. "O…kay then. Um, you'll have to excuse me; there's something I have to go take care of."
"Kitsune," Motoko said. Sean nodded. "Go ahead."
"Thank you. I hope you can come up with an idea all three of you can agree on." Sean then transformed into Alicia. "I wish you good luck." Alicia walked out, leaving the three alone in Sean's room to try to sort out what to do about the situation they were in.
"I swear," Keitaro said, "that is going to take a heck of a long time to get used to."
"So," Naru said, "what should we do?"
"I'm not sure," Motoko said. "I never expected both of us to vocalize our attraction to him in the same day."
"You're telling me," Keitaro said. "You know what, it's late. This has been a tough day for all of us, so I think we hold off on it until tomorrow."
"What?" Naru said.
"Hear me out. After we all get some sleep, we should be able to think of something that could work out for all of us. I'm not sure we could do that tonight."
"You're right," Motoko said. "After what we've been through today, sleep is probably the thing we need the most."
"Alright," Naru said, accepting the idea, partially because she was outnumbered. "We'll meet back here in the morning. Until then, may you all sleep well." With that Naru started to go up the trapdoor to her room.
"You too," Motoko and Keitaro said as both of them got ready for bed themselves. (Which involved Motoko heading back to her room, of course.)
"I don't believe this," Keitaro thought. "To think something like this would happen to me of all people." He tried not to think about it any further, so as not to overload his brain.
He, along with Naru and Motoko, went to sleep relatively quickly that night; or so one of them hoped.
* * * End of Chapter XXI * * *
Ooh, I can be such a mean writer, huh? I left so many thing up in the air, you'd need a hard hat. Next chapter, I will show you which person is having trouble sleeping and what will come out of it. In the meantime, you can contemplate your own conclusions. Until then, so long, see you next time, and please R&R!