Disclaimer: I own no part of Love Hina, but Sean is me.
Well, enough of the suspense, time to catch up on our little Keitaro/Naru/Motoko situation.
* * * Chapter XXIII: New Day, New Possibilities * * *
Monday, 10/8 6:30 AM
Keitaro was unceremoniously woken up by Sean's alarm clock, which was strategically placed on the opposite end of the room. "Why does he insist on putting that stupid thing so far away?" he thought angrily as he made his way to the blaring timepiece. After the clock was mercifully silenced, he looked around to find that Sean was nowhere to be seen. "Hmm, I wonder where he is; maybe he's still with Kitsune." Keitaro got a slight nosebleed from the thought of what the two do together, even though he had participated in similar encounters himself. "It's still hard to believe that Alicia was Sean the whole time…" he muttered, shaking his head.
Keitaro shook that thought from his head in favor of what had transpired the previous night. He had hoped that he would be able to come up with a solution to his dilemma overnight, but his optimism wasn't rewarded, as he still had no earthy idea what to do. "I seriously hope the others thought of something," he thought as he grabbed a change of clothes and a towel and went out to the hot spring to clear his mind. When he got there, he was glad to see that there was nobody else around. With a towel around his waist, he made his way into the water, sitting down with his back against one of the bigger rocks in the spring.
"What am I going to do?" Keitaro said, thinking out loud. "Of all the people this could happen to, it has to happen to me. If only I didn't have to chose one over the other." Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Hmm, that's an idea; maybe I should ask if I could be with both of them." He shook his head quickly. "What am I saying?! They won't accept that! There's a different way to settle this without hurt feelings or personal injury, there just has to be!" His thoughts were interrupted when he saw the door to the changing room open and Motoko step out, also clad in a towel.
Through the morning mist, Motoko was barely able to see Keitaro. He was blushing, had his eyes shut tight, and looked tense in preparation for Motoko's apparently forthcoming attack. She was barely able to stifle a giggle. "Even now, he still fears for his life," she thought. "I'll have to change that."
Seconds went by rather uneventfully, which made Keitaro more and more nervous. "Maybe she didn't see me," he thought, figuring he knew full well what would have happened by now if she had. Slowly, hesitantly, he opened one eye to find Motoko sitting right beside him. Quickly, he turned away, his face growing a brighter shade of red. "I'm sorry, I--"
"Keitaro, look at me." He reluctantly obeyed. Motoko could see the fear in his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you; I'm not exactly equipped to do that right now even if I wanted to."
It was at that moment that Keitaro realized that Motoko didn't bring her sword with her. "W-why didn't you--" Keitaro started to say before his words got stuck in his throat.
"I was actually hoping I'd find you out here," Motoko said, a slight smile on her face.
"You were?" Keitaro asked, finally able to calm himself down.
"Yeah. I was wondering if you thought of any ideas yet."
Keitaro looked down at the water. "No, I haven't. None that you'd agree to, anyway."
"I see. I haven't thought of anything either."
"You know, I really wish we didn't have to go through stuff like this. Before, times were so much simpler, you know?"
"But you got hurt so often," Motoko said, "and for so little reason sometimes."
"I know, but at least then I knew my place around here. I knew what my boundaries were, even though I always seem to stumble my way past them, and end up paying for it."
"Are you saying you want Naru and I to start beating you again?"
"No, that's the one part I don't miss in the least." He gave her a smile that seemed to reassure her that he really wouldn't want to go back to that, even though it would mean having to make the difficult decision he was faced with at that moment. "Speaking of which, have you seen Naru this morning?"
Motoko shook her head. "No, I haven't."
"While we're on the topic of missing people, have you seen Sean? He wasn't in his bed this morning."
"Haven't seen him either." Motoko figured that Sean must still be in bed in Alicia's room, but she didn't think telling Keitaro about what she did with him was the wisest thing to do. "Maybe he slept with Kitsune last night." She suddenly realized how strange that sounded coming from her.
Keitaro nodded a bit. "You're probably right. I was thinking the same thing, but you know what happens when stuff like that pops in my head."
Motoko nodded. She's been a witness to Keitaro's sudden nosebleeds on more than a few occasions; some of those times, she was the cause. She blushed at the thought of someone--anyone being admired by her beauty as she still wasn't used to it as of yet. She wondered it she ever would.
"Are you alright?" Keitaro asked. "You look a bit flushed."
"Um… yeah, I just had a little trouble getting to sleep last night, that's all."
"No reason to be embarrassed about that," Keitaro said, resting a hand on her shoulder "Everyone has a bit of insomnia every once in a while."
"I suppose." Motoko said, almost not willing to believe that Keitaro was that dense, but after knowing him for as long as she has, she knew it to be true. Despite this, his attempts to keep her spirits up even after something as trivial as a slight lack of sleep overshadowed that; his undying care for everyone at Hinata House was one of the reasons why Motoko grew to like him in the first place, even subliminally.
"Well," Keitaro said, getting up, "I think I'll go help Shinobu make breakfast. Maybe I'll meet Naru on the way."
"Okay, then." Motoko watched Keitaro leave. "If only I realized just how nice he was sooner," she thought, "he probably wouldn't have been put through as much as he has."
"Why won't this get any easier?!" she said out loud as soon as Keitaro left.
"You don't know the half of it," another voice said.
Surprised, Motoko looked around the rock she was leaning against and found Naru there. "What do you mean by that?"
"You should consider yourself lucky. This is the first time you've felt the way you do right now. You haven't felt the sting of heartbreak yet; I don't have that luxury."
"How long were you back there?"
"The whole time. Keitaro was talking to himself before you arrived."
"What did he say?"
"Well, he was wondering why he always has difficult situations like this. Also, he came up with an idea that might actually work."
"Then why didn't he tell me about it?"
"He quickly rejected it, thinking we'd do the same."
"What was the idea?" Motoko asked.
"He thought that maybe he could be with both of us."
"Typical guy response," Motoko said, frowning a bit.
"I know, but that might be the answer."
"What?!"
"Motoko," Naru said, grabbing Motoko's shoulders, "he doesn't want to see either one of us hurt in any way, including emotionally. Plus, he wouldn't want to risk the one he doesn't choose to take out her frustrations on him. This might be the only thing we can do that ensures that all of us are happy; or at least healthy."
Motoko resigned to her logic. "Alright, but I'm only doing this because I don't want to see you sad if he chose me and I also don't want to go through the heartbreak should he pick you."
"Good," Naru said, getting up, "Let's go find him before he does something we'll all regret."
---
Shinobu was happily making breakfast like she usually does when Keitaro walked in the kitchen. "Hi, Keitaro," she said in her normal, cheery voice. "How are you this morning?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure."
The smile on Shinobu's face started to fade. "Is something wrong?"
"There shouldn't be, but like I said, I'm not sure."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Well, it's like this--"
"Hey, Keitaro!" Naru yelled, running into the kitchen.
"Oh, Naru, I was just wondering where you were."
"Look, can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Uh, sure, but why?"
"Just c'mon!" Naru then grabbed Keitaro by the wrist and half-led, half-dragged him out of the room, leaving Shnobu alone in the kitchen, wondering what the heck was going on.
"What's going on?" Keitaro asked as Naru took him to his room, where to his surprise, Motoko was waiting for them. "Why's Motoko here?" Keitaro was thoroughly confused by what this sudden turn of events.
"Keitaro, I was in the hot spring while you were out there," Naru said. "I heard everything you said."
Keitaro's eyes grew wide. "You did?!"
"That's right," Motoko said. Keitaro looked like he was about to faint.
"And don't be so quick to reject ideas," Naru added. "You never know, one of them might just be the perfect solution."
"What idea was that?" Keitaro asked.
"You being with both of us."
Keitaro's eyes lit up. "You mean that--"
"Yes," Motoko said. "You don't have to choose between us." This time, Keitaro did faint, landing in Naru's outstretched arms.
"Well, that must be a good sign," Naru said, noticing the goofy grin on Keitaro's face.
"I certainly hope so," Motoko said.
Moments went by and Keitaro finally came to. "You alright?" Naru asked, propping him up.
Keitaro switched gazes from Naru to Motoko and back again. "Never better."
"Good. Should we tell the others about this?"
"I don't think we have much choice," Motoko said. "They'll probably find out eventually."
"You're right," Keitaro added. "I was just going to tell Shinobu when Naru yanked me in here. I think I at least owe her an explanation."
"It's settled, then," Naru said. "We'll tell everyone at breakfast. After that, we'll figure out what to do next."
"Agreed," Motoko said. "We'll decide on dating arrangements later."
"D-Dating arrangements?" Keitaro asked, his earlier nervousness resurfacing.
"Of course," Naru said, giving him a wide smile. "What did you expect?"
"Um, well, I…" Keitaro fainted again before he could finish his thought.
"Not again," Naru said, rolling her eyes.
"I guess he really hasn't had a girlfriend before," Motoko said, "much less two at the same time."
"Seems that way," Naru muttered.
--- 6:52 AM
As it turns out, the trio had only Suu and Shinobu to tell at breakfast, as both Kitsune and Sean were still nowhere to be seen. All of them assumed they were still asleep.
"Is this true?" Shinobu said, barely able to believe her ears.
"Yep," Keitaro said, "this is no doubt every man's dream, being with two beautiful, nice girls at the same time."
"Well, don't expect it to last forever," Naru said.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll probably have to choose one of us at some point in time."
"But I don't want to see either of you hurt because of me breaking up with one in favor of the other."
"Don't worry," Motoko said, "I'm sure that when that time comes, we'll be understanding no matter who you choose."
"I sure hope so."
Everyone continued eating in relative silence. When he finished, Keitaro got up, thanked Shinobu for the meal and left to get ready for school. Naru and Motoko followed not long after, leaving Shinobu and Suu alone in the dining room.
"Isn't love wonderful, Suu?" Shinobu asked. The whole thing reminded her of how she and Sean came to be together in a somewhat less than graceful way.
"Eh." Suu waved her hand a bit, seemingly bored with the whole thing.
--- 2:03 PM
Naru and Keitaro walked back up the front steps of Hinata-Sou together, planning the rest of the day.
"So, where do you want to go later on?" Keitaro asked.
"Maybe just a movie or something," Naru said. "We wouldn't want to go to quickly with this, especially with you having Motoko to think about as well."
"You think we should take her with us?"
"I'm not sure. It might not be right for you to be out on a date with both of us at the same time. It just sounds like a bad sitcom moment waiting to happen."
"Yeah, your right. Even so, I should think of something to do with her so she doesn't feel left out."
"I'm sure you'll think of something," Naru said, putting an arm around Keitaro's shoulders, making him blush. Naru didn't let that go unnoticed. "Keitaro, if you plan on having anyone, let alone me as a girlfriend, you'll have to get used to things like this."
"I know," Keitaro said, opening the front door. "Ladies first."
"Well, thank you," Naru said, trying to sound dignified. The two shared a small laugh as they went inside. When they reached the living room, they saw Alicia slowly coming down the stairs. It definitely looked like she had seen better days. She was constantly looking around, as if expecting something to happen to her at any moment.
"Hey Sean, what's wrong?" Keitaro said, noticing Alicia's completely disheveled appearance.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?! It's that bitch Kitsune, that's what's wrong!"
"What happened?" Naru asked. "Did she get you just now?"
"No, she got me last night."
"But I thought last night you were with her willingly," Keitaro said, scratching his head.
"For the first hour, I was," Alicia said, not making eye contact. "After I thought she fell asleep, I went to Alicia's room to get some sleep myself, so as not to disturb you or anything, but right when I was about to… she appeared before me. For the next two hours, she would not leave me be; she just kept going after me relentlessly."
"It couldn't have been that bad," Naru said, placing her arms at her sides.
"Is that what you think? I just woke up…" Alicia looked at the clock. "Four minutes ago!"
"Dang," Keitaro said, his eyes wide in amazement.
"You're telling me. She's gotten way out of hand this time. I've got to do something about her soon or else… I don't even want to think about it."
"It's just the way she is," Naru said. "She just loves to mess with people. Trust me, I've known her longer than either of you."
"I don't care if that's the way she is, she's gone too far, and something has to be done!" Alicia gave a look of utter determination, but there was something else in that expression that neither Naru nor Keitaro could decipher.
"Um, okay then," Keitaro said. "When that something comes to mind, we'll try to stay out of your way."
Alicia calmed down a bit. "I'm sorry. I guess she's finally gotten to me. How everything going with you?"
"Wonderful," Naru said.
"Oh, did you find a solution to your little problem?"
"Yep," Keitaro said. "They decided to let me be with both of them… for now."
"Really?" Alicia said, raising an eyebrow. "I never thought you were into that sort of thing, Naru."
"It's not like that!" Naru quickly said, her face a bright of red at what Alicia was implying.
"Calm down, I just kidding. I know you wouldn't do something like that; at least not now. When are the dates going to start?"
"We were just talking about doing that a minute ago, and we're actually planning on starting today."
"Oh? And where were you planning on going?"
"Just to the movies," Naru said.
"You taking Motoko with you?"
"No, it would just be too awkward if she came with us."
Alicia nodded knowingly. "It'll probably just be an episode of DisMissed waiting to happen," she thought. "When are you planning to leave?"
"I was thinking we could just stop by to get something to eat and then go," Keitaro said. "That alright with you?"
"Sounds good to me," Naru said, "but I was thinking we should at least tell Motoko before we left."
"Don't worry about it," Alicia said. "I'll tell her when she shows up."
"Thanks, Sean," both Naru and Keitaro said as they went to the kitchen to get a quick bite before heading out.
"I lost something special when Naru and I separated," Alicia thought. "And Motoko is a nice one as well. I beg of you, Keitaro, don't screw this up."
--- 2:48 PM
"I'm home!" Motoko said as she entered the front door.
"Hey, Motoko," Sean said from the living room. Motoko followed the voice and saw that he was the only one there. "How was your day?"
"Just fine," Motoko replied. "Where's Naru and Keitaro?"
"They left about twenty minutes ago."
"Where did they go?" Motoko asked, sitting down next to Sean on the couch.
"To the movies."
"So the dates have started without me, huh?"
Sean noticed Motoko begin to look depressed. "Motoko, it's not as though they weren't thinking about you, they just thought that it would be too awkward for Keitaro to be out on a date with both you and Naru at the same time. Trust me, you'll get your chance."
Motoko cheered up (or at least as cheerful as she usually ever gets) when she heard that. "Thanks. I'm just a bit nervous about this whole dating thing."
"I know where you're coming from. How do you think I feel, having my first girlfriend at age 22?"
"You're right. I should be thankful for what I have." Motoko paused a bit before continuing. "How's your day?"
"I've had better."
"What's wrong?"
"Well, after you left Alicia's room last night, Kitsune showed up."
"Wasn't she asleep?"
"Apparently not. She heard us talking in the hall, so she knows what we did together."
"She does?!" Motoko started to panic. "What if she tells the others, especially Naru? I'd be mortified!"
"I don't think she'll say anything. After all, I did the same thing for her, so she understands what it's like to go through the mental anguish like you did."
"Thank goodness," Motoko said with a sigh of relief.
"That wasn't all she did."
"What?"
"After saying that, she went after me again. For the next two hours, in fact."
"I don't see what's wrong with that. You did already spend an hour with her didn't you?"
"Yeah, but in that first hour, I was actually participating, and after being with you, I was exhausted. The only thing I wanted to do was get some sleep, but Kitsune had other plans, and in the state I was in, there was nothing I could do to stop her."
"Was it that bad?"
"I came to almost an hour ago."
"Don't you mean you woke up?"
"No, I mean CAME TO!"
Motoko's eyes grew wide. "Wow. I'm sorry for what you had to go through."
"Don't. It wasn't your fault in the least. If anybody's, it was my own fault for thinking she actually fell asleep. Besides, I'm thinking of a way to get her back."
"Do you want my help?"
"No, this is just between me and her. I don't want anyone else involved." An evil smile appeared on his face that made Motoko nervous. "I think I've got it. Ooh, this is a good one, I can feel it."
"You're not planning on hurting her are you?" Motoko knew Sean didn't have much of a mean streak, but she also knew that when he put his mind to it, he can be more devious than even Kitsune, and it was obvious that was exactly what he was going for.
"Of course not. I would hurt any of you, but that doesn't mean I won't punish those deserving it. Excuse me," he said as he got up off the couch, "but I should get ready while the idea is still fresh in my mind."
"Wait a sec," Motoko said just as Sean reached the stairs.
"Yes?"
"Where's Kitsune now?"
"Heck if I know. Like I said, I've been awake for less than ah hour, and I haven't seen her in that span. She might be out barhopping again or something, though I did hear her mention something about getting a job to, quote, 'spare herself the boring days of the school year,' so that may be what she's doing."
"And what about Naru and Keitaro? Did they say when they'll be back?"
"They didn't tell me. I was going to tell Shinobu that they might not be here for dinner tonight, but if you find her before me, could you tell her?"
"Sure."
Sean noticed Motoko's expression turn unhappy again and started to return to the couch. "What's wrong?"
"It's just that I wonder what those two will be doing together on their date. I might not be able to compete with her, since those two have had feelings for each other before."
"Motoko, don't beat yourself up about it. Sure, those two have had something in the past, but that doesn't mean you don't stand a chance."
"Really?" Motoko looked Sean straight in the eye; it looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"Of course. All you have to do is put the same effort you put into your training into this. Treat this as just another challenge you have to overcome. Besides, you've already come this far, and I know you're not the kind of person that would quit in the middle of something; at least not willingly."
"You're right," Motoko said, feeling better. "I just have to try my best, and if it isn't good enough for him, than maybe I wasn't meant to be with the guy."
Sean saw Motoko looking at him strangely, making him feel very uncomfortable. "Um, why are you looking at me like that?"
Motoko turned away quickly, blushing all the while. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking that if you weren't with Shinobu, then maybe I'd…"
"Oh." This made Sean only more awkward. "I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. Just knowing that you'll always be there to help me through tough times like this is enough." She gave him a peck on the cheek, making him blush. "Could you do me a favor later on, when you're done punishing Kitsune?"
"Uh, sure. What?"
"Well, it's just that I don't have much to wear that would be date-appropriate, so I was just wondering if you could help me with that."
"Sure, I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you." She got up off the couch. "I'm going to go practice for a while, see you later, Sean."
"See ya," Sean said. Remembering his plans for Kitsune, he got up and rushed off toward his room. "She is finally going to get what's coming to her," he said to himself, chuckling evilly.
* * * End of Chapter XXIII * * *
Well, that turned out well so far, didn't it? Next chapter, I'll show you how Naru and Keitaro's date goes, not to mention what I'm going to do to Kitsune. See you then! Please R&R!
Well, enough of the suspense, time to catch up on our little Keitaro/Naru/Motoko situation.
* * * Chapter XXIII: New Day, New Possibilities * * *
Monday, 10/8 6:30 AM
Keitaro was unceremoniously woken up by Sean's alarm clock, which was strategically placed on the opposite end of the room. "Why does he insist on putting that stupid thing so far away?" he thought angrily as he made his way to the blaring timepiece. After the clock was mercifully silenced, he looked around to find that Sean was nowhere to be seen. "Hmm, I wonder where he is; maybe he's still with Kitsune." Keitaro got a slight nosebleed from the thought of what the two do together, even though he had participated in similar encounters himself. "It's still hard to believe that Alicia was Sean the whole time…" he muttered, shaking his head.
Keitaro shook that thought from his head in favor of what had transpired the previous night. He had hoped that he would be able to come up with a solution to his dilemma overnight, but his optimism wasn't rewarded, as he still had no earthy idea what to do. "I seriously hope the others thought of something," he thought as he grabbed a change of clothes and a towel and went out to the hot spring to clear his mind. When he got there, he was glad to see that there was nobody else around. With a towel around his waist, he made his way into the water, sitting down with his back against one of the bigger rocks in the spring.
"What am I going to do?" Keitaro said, thinking out loud. "Of all the people this could happen to, it has to happen to me. If only I didn't have to chose one over the other." Suddenly a thought occurred to him. "Hmm, that's an idea; maybe I should ask if I could be with both of them." He shook his head quickly. "What am I saying?! They won't accept that! There's a different way to settle this without hurt feelings or personal injury, there just has to be!" His thoughts were interrupted when he saw the door to the changing room open and Motoko step out, also clad in a towel.
Through the morning mist, Motoko was barely able to see Keitaro. He was blushing, had his eyes shut tight, and looked tense in preparation for Motoko's apparently forthcoming attack. She was barely able to stifle a giggle. "Even now, he still fears for his life," she thought. "I'll have to change that."
Seconds went by rather uneventfully, which made Keitaro more and more nervous. "Maybe she didn't see me," he thought, figuring he knew full well what would have happened by now if she had. Slowly, hesitantly, he opened one eye to find Motoko sitting right beside him. Quickly, he turned away, his face growing a brighter shade of red. "I'm sorry, I--"
"Keitaro, look at me." He reluctantly obeyed. Motoko could see the fear in his eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you; I'm not exactly equipped to do that right now even if I wanted to."
It was at that moment that Keitaro realized that Motoko didn't bring her sword with her. "W-why didn't you--" Keitaro started to say before his words got stuck in his throat.
"I was actually hoping I'd find you out here," Motoko said, a slight smile on her face.
"You were?" Keitaro asked, finally able to calm himself down.
"Yeah. I was wondering if you thought of any ideas yet."
Keitaro looked down at the water. "No, I haven't. None that you'd agree to, anyway."
"I see. I haven't thought of anything either."
"You know, I really wish we didn't have to go through stuff like this. Before, times were so much simpler, you know?"
"But you got hurt so often," Motoko said, "and for so little reason sometimes."
"I know, but at least then I knew my place around here. I knew what my boundaries were, even though I always seem to stumble my way past them, and end up paying for it."
"Are you saying you want Naru and I to start beating you again?"
"No, that's the one part I don't miss in the least." He gave her a smile that seemed to reassure her that he really wouldn't want to go back to that, even though it would mean having to make the difficult decision he was faced with at that moment. "Speaking of which, have you seen Naru this morning?"
Motoko shook her head. "No, I haven't."
"While we're on the topic of missing people, have you seen Sean? He wasn't in his bed this morning."
"Haven't seen him either." Motoko figured that Sean must still be in bed in Alicia's room, but she didn't think telling Keitaro about what she did with him was the wisest thing to do. "Maybe he slept with Kitsune last night." She suddenly realized how strange that sounded coming from her.
Keitaro nodded a bit. "You're probably right. I was thinking the same thing, but you know what happens when stuff like that pops in my head."
Motoko nodded. She's been a witness to Keitaro's sudden nosebleeds on more than a few occasions; some of those times, she was the cause. She blushed at the thought of someone--anyone being admired by her beauty as she still wasn't used to it as of yet. She wondered it she ever would.
"Are you alright?" Keitaro asked. "You look a bit flushed."
"Um… yeah, I just had a little trouble getting to sleep last night, that's all."
"No reason to be embarrassed about that," Keitaro said, resting a hand on her shoulder "Everyone has a bit of insomnia every once in a while."
"I suppose." Motoko said, almost not willing to believe that Keitaro was that dense, but after knowing him for as long as she has, she knew it to be true. Despite this, his attempts to keep her spirits up even after something as trivial as a slight lack of sleep overshadowed that; his undying care for everyone at Hinata House was one of the reasons why Motoko grew to like him in the first place, even subliminally.
"Well," Keitaro said, getting up, "I think I'll go help Shinobu make breakfast. Maybe I'll meet Naru on the way."
"Okay, then." Motoko watched Keitaro leave. "If only I realized just how nice he was sooner," she thought, "he probably wouldn't have been put through as much as he has."
"Why won't this get any easier?!" she said out loud as soon as Keitaro left.
"You don't know the half of it," another voice said.
Surprised, Motoko looked around the rock she was leaning against and found Naru there. "What do you mean by that?"
"You should consider yourself lucky. This is the first time you've felt the way you do right now. You haven't felt the sting of heartbreak yet; I don't have that luxury."
"How long were you back there?"
"The whole time. Keitaro was talking to himself before you arrived."
"What did he say?"
"Well, he was wondering why he always has difficult situations like this. Also, he came up with an idea that might actually work."
"Then why didn't he tell me about it?"
"He quickly rejected it, thinking we'd do the same."
"What was the idea?" Motoko asked.
"He thought that maybe he could be with both of us."
"Typical guy response," Motoko said, frowning a bit.
"I know, but that might be the answer."
"What?!"
"Motoko," Naru said, grabbing Motoko's shoulders, "he doesn't want to see either one of us hurt in any way, including emotionally. Plus, he wouldn't want to risk the one he doesn't choose to take out her frustrations on him. This might be the only thing we can do that ensures that all of us are happy; or at least healthy."
Motoko resigned to her logic. "Alright, but I'm only doing this because I don't want to see you sad if he chose me and I also don't want to go through the heartbreak should he pick you."
"Good," Naru said, getting up, "Let's go find him before he does something we'll all regret."
---
Shinobu was happily making breakfast like she usually does when Keitaro walked in the kitchen. "Hi, Keitaro," she said in her normal, cheery voice. "How are you this morning?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure."
The smile on Shinobu's face started to fade. "Is something wrong?"
"There shouldn't be, but like I said, I'm not sure."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Well, it's like this--"
"Hey, Keitaro!" Naru yelled, running into the kitchen.
"Oh, Naru, I was just wondering where you were."
"Look, can I talk to you for a sec?"
"Uh, sure, but why?"
"Just c'mon!" Naru then grabbed Keitaro by the wrist and half-led, half-dragged him out of the room, leaving Shnobu alone in the kitchen, wondering what the heck was going on.
"What's going on?" Keitaro asked as Naru took him to his room, where to his surprise, Motoko was waiting for them. "Why's Motoko here?" Keitaro was thoroughly confused by what this sudden turn of events.
"Keitaro, I was in the hot spring while you were out there," Naru said. "I heard everything you said."
Keitaro's eyes grew wide. "You did?!"
"That's right," Motoko said. Keitaro looked like he was about to faint.
"And don't be so quick to reject ideas," Naru added. "You never know, one of them might just be the perfect solution."
"What idea was that?" Keitaro asked.
"You being with both of us."
Keitaro's eyes lit up. "You mean that--"
"Yes," Motoko said. "You don't have to choose between us." This time, Keitaro did faint, landing in Naru's outstretched arms.
"Well, that must be a good sign," Naru said, noticing the goofy grin on Keitaro's face.
"I certainly hope so," Motoko said.
Moments went by and Keitaro finally came to. "You alright?" Naru asked, propping him up.
Keitaro switched gazes from Naru to Motoko and back again. "Never better."
"Good. Should we tell the others about this?"
"I don't think we have much choice," Motoko said. "They'll probably find out eventually."
"You're right," Keitaro added. "I was just going to tell Shinobu when Naru yanked me in here. I think I at least owe her an explanation."
"It's settled, then," Naru said. "We'll tell everyone at breakfast. After that, we'll figure out what to do next."
"Agreed," Motoko said. "We'll decide on dating arrangements later."
"D-Dating arrangements?" Keitaro asked, his earlier nervousness resurfacing.
"Of course," Naru said, giving him a wide smile. "What did you expect?"
"Um, well, I…" Keitaro fainted again before he could finish his thought.
"Not again," Naru said, rolling her eyes.
"I guess he really hasn't had a girlfriend before," Motoko said, "much less two at the same time."
"Seems that way," Naru muttered.
--- 6:52 AM
As it turns out, the trio had only Suu and Shinobu to tell at breakfast, as both Kitsune and Sean were still nowhere to be seen. All of them assumed they were still asleep.
"Is this true?" Shinobu said, barely able to believe her ears.
"Yep," Keitaro said, "this is no doubt every man's dream, being with two beautiful, nice girls at the same time."
"Well, don't expect it to last forever," Naru said.
"What do you mean?"
"You'll probably have to choose one of us at some point in time."
"But I don't want to see either of you hurt because of me breaking up with one in favor of the other."
"Don't worry," Motoko said, "I'm sure that when that time comes, we'll be understanding no matter who you choose."
"I sure hope so."
Everyone continued eating in relative silence. When he finished, Keitaro got up, thanked Shinobu for the meal and left to get ready for school. Naru and Motoko followed not long after, leaving Shinobu and Suu alone in the dining room.
"Isn't love wonderful, Suu?" Shinobu asked. The whole thing reminded her of how she and Sean came to be together in a somewhat less than graceful way.
"Eh." Suu waved her hand a bit, seemingly bored with the whole thing.
--- 2:03 PM
Naru and Keitaro walked back up the front steps of Hinata-Sou together, planning the rest of the day.
"So, where do you want to go later on?" Keitaro asked.
"Maybe just a movie or something," Naru said. "We wouldn't want to go to quickly with this, especially with you having Motoko to think about as well."
"You think we should take her with us?"
"I'm not sure. It might not be right for you to be out on a date with both of us at the same time. It just sounds like a bad sitcom moment waiting to happen."
"Yeah, your right. Even so, I should think of something to do with her so she doesn't feel left out."
"I'm sure you'll think of something," Naru said, putting an arm around Keitaro's shoulders, making him blush. Naru didn't let that go unnoticed. "Keitaro, if you plan on having anyone, let alone me as a girlfriend, you'll have to get used to things like this."
"I know," Keitaro said, opening the front door. "Ladies first."
"Well, thank you," Naru said, trying to sound dignified. The two shared a small laugh as they went inside. When they reached the living room, they saw Alicia slowly coming down the stairs. It definitely looked like she had seen better days. She was constantly looking around, as if expecting something to happen to her at any moment.
"Hey Sean, what's wrong?" Keitaro said, noticing Alicia's completely disheveled appearance.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?! It's that bitch Kitsune, that's what's wrong!"
"What happened?" Naru asked. "Did she get you just now?"
"No, she got me last night."
"But I thought last night you were with her willingly," Keitaro said, scratching his head.
"For the first hour, I was," Alicia said, not making eye contact. "After I thought she fell asleep, I went to Alicia's room to get some sleep myself, so as not to disturb you or anything, but right when I was about to… she appeared before me. For the next two hours, she would not leave me be; she just kept going after me relentlessly."
"It couldn't have been that bad," Naru said, placing her arms at her sides.
"Is that what you think? I just woke up…" Alicia looked at the clock. "Four minutes ago!"
"Dang," Keitaro said, his eyes wide in amazement.
"You're telling me. She's gotten way out of hand this time. I've got to do something about her soon or else… I don't even want to think about it."
"It's just the way she is," Naru said. "She just loves to mess with people. Trust me, I've known her longer than either of you."
"I don't care if that's the way she is, she's gone too far, and something has to be done!" Alicia gave a look of utter determination, but there was something else in that expression that neither Naru nor Keitaro could decipher.
"Um, okay then," Keitaro said. "When that something comes to mind, we'll try to stay out of your way."
Alicia calmed down a bit. "I'm sorry. I guess she's finally gotten to me. How everything going with you?"
"Wonderful," Naru said.
"Oh, did you find a solution to your little problem?"
"Yep," Keitaro said. "They decided to let me be with both of them… for now."
"Really?" Alicia said, raising an eyebrow. "I never thought you were into that sort of thing, Naru."
"It's not like that!" Naru quickly said, her face a bright of red at what Alicia was implying.
"Calm down, I just kidding. I know you wouldn't do something like that; at least not now. When are the dates going to start?"
"We were just talking about doing that a minute ago, and we're actually planning on starting today."
"Oh? And where were you planning on going?"
"Just to the movies," Naru said.
"You taking Motoko with you?"
"No, it would just be too awkward if she came with us."
Alicia nodded knowingly. "It'll probably just be an episode of DisMissed waiting to happen," she thought. "When are you planning to leave?"
"I was thinking we could just stop by to get something to eat and then go," Keitaro said. "That alright with you?"
"Sounds good to me," Naru said, "but I was thinking we should at least tell Motoko before we left."
"Don't worry about it," Alicia said. "I'll tell her when she shows up."
"Thanks, Sean," both Naru and Keitaro said as they went to the kitchen to get a quick bite before heading out.
"I lost something special when Naru and I separated," Alicia thought. "And Motoko is a nice one as well. I beg of you, Keitaro, don't screw this up."
--- 2:48 PM
"I'm home!" Motoko said as she entered the front door.
"Hey, Motoko," Sean said from the living room. Motoko followed the voice and saw that he was the only one there. "How was your day?"
"Just fine," Motoko replied. "Where's Naru and Keitaro?"
"They left about twenty minutes ago."
"Where did they go?" Motoko asked, sitting down next to Sean on the couch.
"To the movies."
"So the dates have started without me, huh?"
Sean noticed Motoko begin to look depressed. "Motoko, it's not as though they weren't thinking about you, they just thought that it would be too awkward for Keitaro to be out on a date with both you and Naru at the same time. Trust me, you'll get your chance."
Motoko cheered up (or at least as cheerful as she usually ever gets) when she heard that. "Thanks. I'm just a bit nervous about this whole dating thing."
"I know where you're coming from. How do you think I feel, having my first girlfriend at age 22?"
"You're right. I should be thankful for what I have." Motoko paused a bit before continuing. "How's your day?"
"I've had better."
"What's wrong?"
"Well, after you left Alicia's room last night, Kitsune showed up."
"Wasn't she asleep?"
"Apparently not. She heard us talking in the hall, so she knows what we did together."
"She does?!" Motoko started to panic. "What if she tells the others, especially Naru? I'd be mortified!"
"I don't think she'll say anything. After all, I did the same thing for her, so she understands what it's like to go through the mental anguish like you did."
"Thank goodness," Motoko said with a sigh of relief.
"That wasn't all she did."
"What?"
"After saying that, she went after me again. For the next two hours, in fact."
"I don't see what's wrong with that. You did already spend an hour with her didn't you?"
"Yeah, but in that first hour, I was actually participating, and after being with you, I was exhausted. The only thing I wanted to do was get some sleep, but Kitsune had other plans, and in the state I was in, there was nothing I could do to stop her."
"Was it that bad?"
"I came to almost an hour ago."
"Don't you mean you woke up?"
"No, I mean CAME TO!"
Motoko's eyes grew wide. "Wow. I'm sorry for what you had to go through."
"Don't. It wasn't your fault in the least. If anybody's, it was my own fault for thinking she actually fell asleep. Besides, I'm thinking of a way to get her back."
"Do you want my help?"
"No, this is just between me and her. I don't want anyone else involved." An evil smile appeared on his face that made Motoko nervous. "I think I've got it. Ooh, this is a good one, I can feel it."
"You're not planning on hurting her are you?" Motoko knew Sean didn't have much of a mean streak, but she also knew that when he put his mind to it, he can be more devious than even Kitsune, and it was obvious that was exactly what he was going for.
"Of course not. I would hurt any of you, but that doesn't mean I won't punish those deserving it. Excuse me," he said as he got up off the couch, "but I should get ready while the idea is still fresh in my mind."
"Wait a sec," Motoko said just as Sean reached the stairs.
"Yes?"
"Where's Kitsune now?"
"Heck if I know. Like I said, I've been awake for less than ah hour, and I haven't seen her in that span. She might be out barhopping again or something, though I did hear her mention something about getting a job to, quote, 'spare herself the boring days of the school year,' so that may be what she's doing."
"And what about Naru and Keitaro? Did they say when they'll be back?"
"They didn't tell me. I was going to tell Shinobu that they might not be here for dinner tonight, but if you find her before me, could you tell her?"
"Sure."
Sean noticed Motoko's expression turn unhappy again and started to return to the couch. "What's wrong?"
"It's just that I wonder what those two will be doing together on their date. I might not be able to compete with her, since those two have had feelings for each other before."
"Motoko, don't beat yourself up about it. Sure, those two have had something in the past, but that doesn't mean you don't stand a chance."
"Really?" Motoko looked Sean straight in the eye; it looked like she was on the verge of tears.
"Of course. All you have to do is put the same effort you put into your training into this. Treat this as just another challenge you have to overcome. Besides, you've already come this far, and I know you're not the kind of person that would quit in the middle of something; at least not willingly."
"You're right," Motoko said, feeling better. "I just have to try my best, and if it isn't good enough for him, than maybe I wasn't meant to be with the guy."
Sean saw Motoko looking at him strangely, making him feel very uncomfortable. "Um, why are you looking at me like that?"
Motoko turned away quickly, blushing all the while. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking that if you weren't with Shinobu, then maybe I'd…"
"Oh." This made Sean only more awkward. "I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. Just knowing that you'll always be there to help me through tough times like this is enough." She gave him a peck on the cheek, making him blush. "Could you do me a favor later on, when you're done punishing Kitsune?"
"Uh, sure. What?"
"Well, it's just that I don't have much to wear that would be date-appropriate, so I was just wondering if you could help me with that."
"Sure, I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you." She got up off the couch. "I'm going to go practice for a while, see you later, Sean."
"See ya," Sean said. Remembering his plans for Kitsune, he got up and rushed off toward his room. "She is finally going to get what's coming to her," he said to himself, chuckling evilly.
* * * End of Chapter XXIII * * *
Well, that turned out well so far, didn't it? Next chapter, I'll show you how Naru and Keitaro's date goes, not to mention what I'm going to do to Kitsune. See you then! Please R&R!