Repercussions Chapter 4, a love hina fanfic

It's Nodoka again.

If I was surprised by the response to chapter 2, chapter 3 had me completely stunned.

It also resulted in me being called a variety of names, which I take as a complement...

Thanks to all the reviewers, and to sweet heavens for the useful feedback.

This chapter is a little longer, and it gives quite a few answers. And some more questions...

Hope you enjoy it.

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Repercussions – Chapter 4.

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As Mitsune ran like hell from certain death, she still found time to run through the snatch of conversation that she had overheard before her subterfuge was well and truly exposed by a well-meaning Shinobu.

Nothing firm was said, but all the same the suspicions of the fox-lady were well and truly confirmed. More than studying was going on in that room.

The girl took her courage in her hands, and reasoned that there was no point being a fox on the run. Motoko could catch her as and when she pleased, any pursuit was nothing more than playing the game. So, after turning onto a blank-ended corridor somewhere on the top floor, she decided to engage the swords woman.

With words. A duel Mitsune believed she could win, especially with her opponent angry.

Whilst the heir to the Shinmei-ryu was a smart lady, she lacked the fox-girls experience in the art of conversation.

Steeling herself she stopped and turned, in time to see Motoko stalk around the corner. Mitsune's nerve very nearly failed her; the swords woman looked more intimidating now than she had ever seen her before. Dark eyes narrowed and predatory, aura rippling with quietly controlled menace, seemingly standing taller than ever. It was only the sure knowledge that Motoko would never draw her sword against an unarmed opponent (barring immortal landlords of course) that allowed her to control her bladder.

"Mitsune-san. Did I not warn you of the consequences of such actions?" The raven-haired lady paced evenly towards her target with the manner of one who knows victory is at hand. "And yet you wish to push the boundaries, and my patience." Laying a slender hand on the hilt of her ever-present katana, Motoko moved to within striking distance of her adversary. "Do you really wish to discover what punishments my clan have passed down through generations for people who act in such a despicable manner?" Swallowing hard against the lump in her throat and praying her bottom lip wasn't trembling, Mitsune tried to respond defiantly.

"You wouldn't." As far as defiance went, that effort was crap. Her voice was somewhere between a squeak and a warble, and shaking even more than her hands. Damn, Motoko could be scary when she wanted to be.

"Oh, I would." To Mitsune's horror, the kendoist began to draw her sword.

That wasn't in the script, the fox-girl told herself.

"Wouldn't keep me silent though, would it?" The Hina blade halted mid-way out of its saya, and internally Mitsune gave a long gasp of relief.

"Silent?" Motoko arched an elegant eyebrow. "What, pray tell, would you have heard for me to require your silence?"

"Enough." Stated the silver-haired girl, with a little more confidence now the edged weapon wasn't getting any closer to being used on her.

"State what you know." Deciding not to push her luck, Mitsune complied.

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The fox-girl could have kicked herself. It was so simple, how her apparently flawless voyeurism was being defeated.

One thing that had fuelled her suspicions when the study sessions began was that it was always so dim in Keitaro's room. Apart from the lamp on the table there was no other lighting, which gave the setting a very intimate feel. The fox had assumed that there was no good reason for this other than to make things romantic.

It turned out there was a very good reason.

Also, because it had no windows, the corridor outside the room was always lit by a single bulb. Very brightly lit in fact.

So brightly lit that anyone stood in it cast a very clear silhouette.

Therefore, every time she (or Naru, of course) went to eavesdrop she would stand with her back to a bright light in front of Keitaro's door, and the room within was dark.

This meant that it was blindingly obvious to anyone looking at the tiny crack at the foot of the Kanrinin's' door from within that something, or more accurately someone, was casting a shadow in the hallway.

Devious indeed. The fox-girl had once idly wondered why the door was forever repaired with the same small flaw. A certain someone was brighter than she had ever given credit for.

Hence Mitsune was arched over, keeping her ear at the doorway's edge whilst the rest of her was out of sight. And judging by the conversation within, her hunch was correct.

"Anyone there, Motoko-san?" Came a male voice, sounding very formal.

"I have not detected anyone's presence, Urashima-san." Was the reply, equally formal. "I believe Naru is in the springs, she has been there for much of the day. Possibly mulling over the events of last night."

"Please. I'd rather not have to remember." Suddenly the formality was gone, as the kanrinin continued in a relaxed tone. "So, Motoko-chan, what do you think?" A few seconds of silence, and then Motoko's voice came through the door quietly.

"Hmmmmm. Kei-kun, I'm afraid this problem might be in excess of my abilities." A defeated sigh followed.

"It's okay Motoko-chan. You can't solve everything, not without more resources than we have." Mitsune, bored stiff, decided that joining Naru as usual would be a good plan. So Motoko and Keitaro were more familiar than they let on. Big deal. Might score a few bottles of sake, but no good for anything else.

"But I feel so useless sometimes. You're helping me achieve my dreams, but when it comes to this it seems I can't help you..." The fox's ears pricked. What was Motoko talking about? What could she be 'helping' her manager with? Trying to ignore a list of perversions that suddenly sprang up in her head, Mitsune listened carefully.

"You're doing a fantastic job. I have to admit hoping we wouldn't need to use the gifts and skills you gave me so soon, and even though we have it's not quite enough." There was the sound of movement, and then Keitaro's voice continued in a lighter tone. "It's fine. If this is beyond our abilities, I know a couple of specialists on the subject. They can sort this problem out. Besides, you have to look really, really close to see it." The silver-blonde nearly choked on fresh air.

"Very well, Kei-kun. If you require assistance at any point, I would be very glad to oblige. You know my hands are both skilled and gentle." By this point the 'hentai' centre in Mitsune's brain was jumping up and down, waving flags and blowing trumpets. Although there was nothing, really, in the conversation to indicate this was the whole truth, the fox found it was much more fun to assume foul play was involved until proven otherwise.

"Thank you, Motoko-chan. So, shall we?" The fox leant in a little closer, eagerly listening...

"Kitsune-san, why are you hovering outside Sempai's door?"

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"I think you know the rest." During Mitsune's recollection Motoko seemed to have calmed somewhat, to the degree that she didn't appear imminently poised to kill the fox-girl. All the same, the fox quickly scanned for escape routes. Nope, just varnished wooden walls and a couple of doors on the far side of the one with the katana.

"Indeed."

"So what were you two doin'? Sounded kinda furtive to me." The swords woman measured her with a look.

"What we were doing, Mitsune-san, is no business of yours." Mitsune raised her eyebrows at the suddenly defensive tone.

"No business, hmmmmm? Sounds like I might kinda want to make it my business." The silver-haired girl assumed a mock-thinking poise, finger on her chin. "Kei-kun getting somethin' back from the tutoring deal. He gives her knowledge; she gives him thanks in ways only she knows how." Leering slightly, Mitsune began ticking the residents off on her fingers. "Come to think of it, I'm sure Naru would be interested in this one, Mutsumi an' Shinobu too. Heck, Haruka an' Su maybe, although probably not the same kinda interest." Catching Motoko's eye, the fox was surprised to find her little speech hadn't had the anticipated effect.

The idea was: threaten Motoko with disclosure, Motoko gives in, spills beans, Mitsune pledges secrecy, then lets slip at opportune moment or uses knowledge for free rent.

The outcome was: Motoko reaching for her sword again, looking somewhere between furious and livid.

"To think you would stoop so low as to attempt to blackmail a woman of honour." The kendoist strode right up to Kitsune, until the two were face-to-face. The fox-girl swallowed hard as the taller woman glared down at her from barely inches away. "However, it is this honour that also ties my hands." Motoko ground out, in barely a whisper.

"Wha-what are you on about?" Bending down slightly so she was eye-to-eye with the fox, the swords woman continued.

"It would give me undeniable gratification to spoil the views some people here have on their little world, and the effects some actions can have. I myself had such a revelation but months ago, and I now thank my sister wholeheartedly for what was at the time a painful learning experience. But I have made my promise, and am bound to it until release or death, whichever may arrive first." With that the elegant lady took a step back, still staring deep into Mitsune's eyes.

"Um….." The silver-blonde stumbled mentally, utterly confused. "A promise? What kind of promise?"

"One I regret making." Came the quiet reply. "But that is not relevant to you at present. I believe it is time for your punishment." To the fox's heart-stopping horror, the Hina blade was unsheathed with a menacing 'shhhhhing' that did cause the terrified woman to momentarily do something she thought she'd learnt not to do quite a long time ago.

"P-please Motoko-sama, d-don't kill me!" Backing away until her posterior struck wood, Mitsune shielded herself with her arms, awaiting the first strike.

"Kill you?" At the sound of polite amusement the sliver-blonde head peeked over her raised hands to see Motoko regarding her with a broad smile. "What on earth brought you to that conclusion?

"Uhhh, well, it's kinda what you always said before you nail Keitaro. You know, prepare to die, an' all that." Briefly Motoko's grin drooped, before returning.

"Our Kanrinin is an exceptional case; your punishment need not be that severe. Nonetheless, I believe it is one that may dissuade you from continuing with your unfortunate habit." With that the swords woman pulled the fox-girl towards her, and bent down onto one knee...

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Outside, in the hot springs, Haruka paused mid-sentence at the sound of thumping.

"Hmmm. Sounds like someone is airing out the carpets." Mutsumi nodded, as a yelping filled the air in rhythm with the thumps.

"Ara, it seems that the carpets aren't enjoying the experience." The coffee shop owner took a long drag on her cigarette, before blowing out the smoke with obvious enjoyment.

"Well, sometimes carpets need to learn not to spy on Motoko."

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It was a good thing that Shinobu had demanded her room be the destination for their discussion, as the Keitaro's idea, the roof, would not have provided the two with the privacy desired.

Naru shifted into a more comfortable position, disturbing the snow gathering on her scarlet hood. It wasn't lost on the girl that she was wearing the coat given to her by the one who probably caused her turmoil.

For many residents the roof was a place to go and think, and Naru was no exception. Instinct told her something was wrong. And the cursed throbbing of her right hand just added to the feeling of unease. Judging by the rainbow of bruising that was spreading yet further, the girl suspected she might have broken it.

Also the knowledge of where it appeared broken caused considerable disquiet. She remembered coming across this type of injury before - known as a 'boxer's fracture' – breaking the bone in the palm beneath the little finger. It was known by this name for good reason; people generally got it when they punched something, albeit often with the wrong technique.

Naru reasoned that you have to do more than punch something awkwardly. You'd have to hit it bloody hard as well.

This wasn't an injury you get by falling over.

All of which was beginning to lead Naru to the conclusion she had hit something very hard, but messed it up because of the alcohol.

Which means Keitaro.

The brunette began to breathe a sigh of relief as she idly scuffed some snow off the edge of the roof with a slippered foot. So she'd bashed Keitaro due, no doubt, to some perversion or other. Something that took place every few days anyway. No big deal, right?

This was where the relief halted. Keitaro had been absent all day. Nothing hugely unusual there. But Shinobu blowing her off and then nearly blowing her top, Mutsumi avoiding her and Haruka giving her the sort of glare normally reserved for drunken tramps weren't so normal. Yes, Shinobu had been a little narky off and on recently, something Naru put down to the girl growing up. But to her knowledge, the violet-haired girl had never been aggressive. Mutsumi was normally as sociable as a bee in a hive, whilst Haruka never, ever looked at anyone with more than indifference.

All through the day the girl had found herself seemingly ostracised, and she wanted, no, needed to find out what the hell was going on.

"Is that you, Naru-chan?" Maybe she could get some answers now.

"Hai, Mutsumi-chan." The mahogany-haired lady strolled out onto the snow-covered roof, drawing her aquamarine coat more tightly around her as she shivered gently.

"Ara, it is certainly colder tonight if you have just left the hot water." She murmured, joining Naru in leaning against the waist-high railings, and staring out into the darkness. "Every time I'm in those springs I wonder why on earth it is so hot, yet when I leave I wonder why on earth the rest of the world is so cold." Brushing snow from her shoulders, Naru decided to just come out and ask the question.

"Mutsumi, how did-"

"Your hand get that way?" Finished the Okinawan, still gazing out into the night.

"Well, yeah." Seeing her fellow Tokyo-U student apparently disinterested in the question, she tried again. "I'm not sure, but I'm reckoning it was Keitaro up to his usual tricks. Just hurt myself in the process, that's all."

"Mmmmm." Replied Mutsumi ambiguously, still apparently engrossed in thoughts of her own. Naru could feel her ire, stoked by anxiety, beginning to rise.

"So? That was what happened, right?" Slowly the Okinawan turned to regard her friend, and Naru's heart plummeted. First Haruka looking cross, now Mutsumi looking sad? The hazel-eyed girl half expected to hear four horsemen coming over the horizon.

"Naru-san, why must you always assume the worst of Kei-kun?" Missing the bitter inflection in her friend's voice, the young lady responded without a thought.

"He's a man. That means he's a pervert. Simple, really." Mutsumi gently shook her head.

"Really? Do you really think that about all men?" The response was a firm nod.

"Yes. Simplest and safest way of dealing with them." The Okinawan gazed at Naru with something approaching shock.

"Do you honestly think...?" Breaking off at the steadfast expression of her friend, Mutsumi sighed. "Well, I see your mind is made. But please take my advice and reconsider, Naru-san. It may be a 'safe' path to follow, but it is also a lonely one." Annoyed, the honey-haired girl waved a dismissive hand.

"The perverted way of men isn't what I'm concerned with right now, Mutsumi-chan." Naru held up a bruised palm. "It's how exactly I got this. So what happened, he try to grope me, or hit on Kitsune when she was out of it?"

"Funny you should say that, Naru-san. If my memory serves me correctly, it did involve Kitsune." Seeing a look of triumph dawning on her colleague's face, the girl continued quickly. "I believe it was about midnight, by which time Motoko was in bed and far too many bottles of sake had been consumed. The moment things started going wrong, I believe, was when Kitsune decided to goose Kei-kun..."

"Goose?!"

"Grope, feel up, however you want to put it. She was horribly drunk at the time, which probably was why her hands wandered further than maybe they should have. Around the front so to speak." Blushing slightly, the Okinawan cleared her throat. "Anyhow, you did not take kindly to such a vulgar display with children present. Also perhaps the fact Kei-kun wasn't running away didn't help either."

"So he was being a pervert!" Mutsumi frowned slightly.

"If you call enjoying someone attractive paying you some very intense attention perverted, then I guess so." Tapping fingers against the railing, the quiet lady pressed on. "I'm not saying it was right, mind you. In any case, you seemed to snap when Kitsune moved in for a kiss – you screamed 'pervert', pulled Kitsune away and hit him."

"Oh, I see." Naru muttered, feeling the first stirrings of shame. When it was put that way, it didn't seem quite so cut-and-dried.

"To be honest, he looked quite scary when he got up." It seemed the story was not over. "I think that he had had a few more drinks than usual, but unlike a couple of others who will remain nameless he could still stand up without support." Seeing Naru flinch at the not-so-concealed swipe, Mutsumi felt a twinge of what could only be called pleasure.

Unlike her though it was, the young lady was out for revenge. The revenge she felt Keitaro was owed but would never collect. Hence her feigned ignorance to Mitsune earlier that day – she wanted to be the one to deliver this news to Naru, in the way she saw fit.

"Anyhow, a bit of an argument broke out, one that became quite loud and intense. It wasn't pleasant listening at times, and I must say that much of the unpleasantness did not come from Kei-kun. In the end Haruka threw a cup of sake over the two of you, which ended the argument quite effectively."

"Oh my." Feeling the pit of shame opening up rapidly below her, Naru began to absently clean her glasses. This wasn't a simple spat as she had hoped. "I'm going to have to apologise to Haruka."

"I fear that more than one may need to hear your apologies. Shinobu was most upset; she was crying her eyes out the poor dear. Kei-kun made to go after her when she ran off but you stopped him, said he was going to take advantage of the situation. He wasn't too pleased at that either. Well, one thing led to another and you took a huge swing at him. However, things did not quite go to plan, which is how you got your injury." Finished Mutsumi, who was once again staring out into the darkness, cheery smile still well and truly absent.

"Ah." Feeling oddly numb, the hazel-eyed girl asked the only question that she could think of. "What do you mean, didn't go to plan?"

The Okinawan blinked slowly, before a tiny grin slipped onto her mouth.

"Well, Kei did something he doesn't normally do."

"Which was?"

"Duck." Mutsumi turned away from the darkness, looking back to the house. "You put your fist straight through the wall. After that things finished up pretty quickly." This wasn't actually the case, but Mutsumi felt no desire to go into more detail.

"Oh. Uh, well, seems I've got a lot of apologising to do." Muttered Naru whilst wringing her hands tightly, almost enjoying the pain her grip was creating. The brown-eyed girl couldn't help but feel she deserved it.

"You have." With that, the Okinawan began to make her way back to open doorway. "Please do bear in mind, Naru-san, what we touched on earlier. Kei-kun is no pervert, and to believe that of everyone could make your life a very quiet one."

"Maybe things are as you say, Mutsumi-san. But I have my reasons." As her friend passed out of sight, Naru suddenly felt very, very alone. The roof seemed a far colder place than when she first came out. "Perhaps if you knew my reasons, you might understand my caution." The young lady murmured into the silence, before deciding to head inside and begin working on her penance. The only difficulty was where to start...

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Keitaro fought the urge to shiver as Shinobu let him into her room. Normally entering any of his tenant's rooms was asking for trouble. Especially this one.

As the youngest member of the Hinata-sou, Naru and Motoko had always been strongly protective of the violet-eyed girl. With good reason, as her youthfulness was matched by innocence. For Keitaro to set foot in the room without a chaperone would be considered nothing less than suicide. Even though he and Motoko had come to understand each other much better, the swords woman would still keep up her 'pervert-bashing' duties when required. It was something agreed on by the two of them when that fateful meeting had taken place a few months ago...

"Sempai, please come in." Realising he had stalled at the threshold to the room; Keitaro slipped nervously through the doorway and shut it firmly behind him. Although normally the Kanrinin would have taken a few moments to drink in the delicate blue shading of his young tenant's wallpaper or the floral designs adorning the furniture, on this occasion all attention was fixed on the morose girl stood pensively next to her table.

"Shinobu-chan….." The girl in question dropped her gaze, fingers tugging nervously at her shoulder-length hair.

"Sempai, I wanted to talk about last night." Shinobu paused, trying to work out what to say. Movement out of the corner of her eye turned her focus back to her Kanrinin.

Who was, to her shock, down on both knees before her with his forehead pressed to the ground.

"I can't apologise enough, Shinobu-chan." Keitaro murmured, eyes firmly closed. "I lost my temper and upset you badly, which is something I won't forgive myself for. It was inexcusable, and I will accept any punishment you see fit." Seeing the submissive posture, Shinobu was suddenly whisked back to the morning before.

"….if you want to yell, or let Naru or Motoko perform some suitable punishment, I'll understand."

Reaching out a cautious hand as she had the day before, Shinobu again watched the prostrated man brace himself. At the unconscious display of fear, Shinobu felt her heart clench in shame. This wasn't right, not at all.

Yesterday morning, the fault hadn't been his. And last night, well, he was drawn into the fight. But he didn't start it, or deserve what Naru had said to him. Still, he was taking the blame, and offering himself up for punishment. Believing himself guilty by default, all because of living with her and the others. The shame swelled to unimaginable levels, agony increasing every second that Keitaro spent patiently awaiting her judgement.

They had done this to him. She had done this to him.

Something in Shinobu snapped.

"Oooof!" One hundred pounds of emotional young lady knocked Keitaro flat onto his back, taking him by surprise. Feeling him tense beneath her reflexively, the violet-haired girl began sobbing gently as she gripped tightly onto his shirt.

"S-sempai….." Slowly, with the utmost hesitancy, a pair of arms wrapped around her. The tentative way she was held only served to make the girl feel worse.

"What is it, Shinobu-chan?" The brown-haired man asked whilst trying to work out why, for the second time in twenty-four hours, he had his hands full of someone who wasn't his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry Sempai, so sorry….." Came the hiccuped response. For a moment Keitaro puzzled over the response, before gently trying to ease the upset girl off him. Her response was to hold on tighter.

"Uh, Shinobu, someone might come in….." Suddenly the man found himself face-to-face with eyes that were both tearful and angry.

"I don't care. You hear me, Sempai? I. Don't. Care!" The diminutive girl punctuated each word with a thump of his chest, water beginning to spill over onto her cheeks. "I'm the one who grabbed you! If someone wants to argue, they can take it up with me!"

"Um, well…..They generally don't ask who jumped who….." Shinobu's head drooped slowly, slowly releasing her grip on her sempai.

"I'm sorry. I thought you cared about me enough look past yourself when I needed you. Guess I was wrong." The downcast teenager tried to pull herself up, but found herself suddenly gripped tightly by the same hands that were moments before reluctant to touch her.

"I do, Shinobu-chan." Murmured Keitaro, feeling the corner of his eyes prickling. The young girl had no idea how hard those words hit home. "I really do, you mean more to me than you could ever know. You're more my family than any relatives I've got, except Haruka. I'm so selfish, never noticed the fighting was affecting anyone but myself." Shinobu pulled her head back in time to see a tear slip from between her Kanrinin's tightly closed lids.

"Please Sempai; I don't want you to blame yourself…..." Dashing his face with the back of his hand, Keitaro sighed deeply.

"There's no-one else to blame. I almost abandoned you when you needed me, what kind of friend does that?"

"But you didn't, Sempai. You're still here." Allowing herself to relax, the violet-eyed girl laid her head on her beloveds chest gently. After a few seconds of silence, she continued with a mellow tone. "You're scared, aren't you? I can feel you shaking, Sempai. But you won't let me go, not even when you're expecting pain as a result. And I know if Naru were to burst in here right now, you would try and shield me from both blame and punishment. I don't want that, Sempai. I want to stand up for you, like I wanted someone to stand up for me."

"To stand up for you?" Came the murmured reply.

"Yeah." Realising that Keitaro was probably not going to be comfortable flat on the floor with someone on top of him, Shinobu reluctantly eased off her Kanrinin and slowly stood. Looking down at the brown-haired man, the young lady wondered how it was she'd never really suspected before yesterday that the constant bickering was affecting him.

The red-rimmed, hooded eyes, the empty smile, the hollow cheeks. All staring her in the face now, yet only yesterday could she have sworn that Keitaro possessed none of them.

"Please, take a seat Sempai." Shinobu gestured to a blue two-seater sofa in a corner of the room, and the Kanrinin silently obeyed after tiredly easing himself up off the floor. Sitting down and half-sinking as the cushions seemed to absorb him, the brown-haired man barely noticed when Shinobu sat down beside him. With a closeness that would normally have him running for his life, or at least sweating profusely.

"Thanks, Shinobu-chan." Deciding that bravery was working well for her at the moment, the violet-eyed girl took her courage in both hands.

"Shinobu, Sempai. Just Shinobu." The girl fiddled with the buttons of her shirt, both anticipating and dreading the response. To make such a leap of faith was unlike the demure cook, but something within her had changed in the previous few minutes. Now she could only hope the leap wasn't misjudged, or that the landing was soft…..

"Then I guess that makes me just Keitaro, doesn't it Shinobu?" The young lady's head shot up so fast she nearly got whiplash. The object of her affection was looking back at her with the smallest of smiles on his lips. One that was completely genuine.

This time Keitaro was prepared for the physical assault. After a much more pleasant hug, the two settled down comfortably together to watch the still falling snow flutter out of the darkness. Shinobu had to resist the urge to whoop for joy – while hardly a proclamation of love; it did make what she saw as a significant step. Being called 'Shinobu-chan' all the time had, in her opinion, always served to emphasise the age difference between her and Keitaro. Plus, in her knowledge, Naru had never reached this level of trust with the man.

All of which was immensely gratifying. In her mind she pictured herself pulling down an eyelid and sticking her tongue out at a certain brown-haired girl, whose status in Shinobu's eyes was plummeting by the second.

Hah! Take that, Naru!

Keitaro on the other hand was just basking in the feeling of contentment. The knowledge that someone here, in the Hinata-sou, cared for him so deeply meant more to him than he would care to admit. The young man was not entirely sure what his feelings for the sweet young girl were, but love was definitely amongst them. Brotherly or something more was the real question that needed answering.

"Sem-Keitaro, sorry for making you worry last night. I just got a bit upset, and drank more sake than I should have….." Whispered Shinobu into the silence, dropping her eyes down to her lap. The arm wrapped around her shoulders gave her a quick squeeze.

"It's okay. You've got nothing to apologise for." The girl shook her head gently.

"But I over-reacted, I just want you to know why….." Keitaro sighed gently, still staring out into the darkness.

"I guessed that it was because you moved in here to get away from that kind of thing, right?" Hearing his friend's breath hitch momentarily, the Kanrinin knew he'd hit the mark.

"Yeah. They used to fight like cat and dog, it really got nasty at times, they even hit each other during the bad times. I would just hide in the kitchen and make dinner while trying to ignore the shouting. If I was present, I'd just be used to score points." The girl was surprised to find tears running down her face again; ones she didn't even know needed to be shed.

"I never knew it was that bad. And now you've got me and Naru giving you a repeat performance." Shinobu nodded gently, burying her face in the crook of Keitaro's arm.

"It's not as bad, not quite. But every time you get screamed at or beaten without any kind of explanation, it just takes me straight back. And now you're asking for it, telling me to hit you. It'll end up the same as my parents did." The timid voice paused, followed by a sniff.

"How did that end up?" Asked Keitaro, curiously.

"With one in hospital and one in prison." Was the whispered response. The Kanrinin swallowed hard at the sudden lump in his throat while drawing Shinobu more tightly to him. This complicated matters. If everything came out into the open, the normally meek girl was going to go absolutely bloody mental.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Shinobu. I'll try my best to sort things out before someone goes too far." He was unsure how the hell he was going to do it, but the brown-haired man resolved to try and stop the cycle soon. After seeing the effect it was having on the youngest resident…..

"Let me help, Keitaro. Please? They won't lay a finger on me, I can stop them in their tracks." Keitaro felt himself go cold at the thought of the diminutive young lady placing herself in the firing line, but a quick glance at the fierce determination burning in violet eyes told him that 'no' was not an option.

"Okay, Shinobu. But don't do anything dangerous, I couldn't stand you getting hurt." The girl smiled softly, and rested her head against the shoulder of her beloved. Saying she couldn't stand him getting hurt either would be a waste of breath. The two idly returned to watching the darkness and the few flakes of snow that still drifted through the night sky.

Keitaro briefly puzzled over his scrambled thoughts. What did he really feel for the girl cuddled contently up against him? What would happen when everything came to light? Most of all, what to do about Naru…..

The bespectacled man resolved to consider things later, and for the moment just enjoy a most rare thing at the Hinata-sou. Peace.

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Mutsumi smiled gently as she drew a tartan-styled blanket over the sleeping pair. The two were lucky, she mused, that she had found them rather than anyone else. She sincerely doubted that Mitsune, Naru or Motoko would have been quite as kind. Su, well, Su probably would have joined them.

Join them…..

Well, it was quite a big two-seater after all.

After a little nudging, the sleeping man found himself in a sandwich that would probably cause a high-grade fever or significant haemorrhage when he awoke. The gentle Okinawan's grin grew even larger as the other two shifted unconsciously in their slumber to accommodate her more easily.

Shinobu mumbling in her sleep drew Mutsumi's' attention, and she chuckled as the younger girl clutched more tightly onto Keitaro's' arm. Guess I should keep a closer eye on her; she's growing up faster than I realised. Although she didn't know exactly what had happened in the room before she entered, the lady guessed that the position the two were in meant that they were more comfortable with each other than before.

This could complicate matters at some point.

The Okinawan was certain about one thing after the night before – Kei and Naru's relationship was heading for disaster. The two didn't seem to realise it, but she certainly did. The cycle of misunderstanding was unending, and now with Shinobu confessing her distress at the whole business…...Kei wasn't going to stand for it any more.

Naru wouldn't like that one bit. How the inevitable fight turned out would decide if they could survive.

And in her heart of hearts, despite the fact that she knew it was wrong to do so, Mutsumi hoped that it would all fall apart. The girl deeply resented giving in to someone who then seemed to abuse her position. She didn't hate Naru, no; she only hated what Naru did.

Which was why the gloves were going to come off, should the relationship end. The brown-eyed girl had every intention of trying to win Keitaro's' affections should the chance arise. Giving Shinobu a final glance, Mutsumi nodded to herself. That would make us competitors. If it happens, may the best woman win.

With that thought she closed her eyes and snuggled up against Keitaro, breathing in his masculine scent. Complete with a slight perfumed scent that she couldn't quite place, maybe coming from Shinobu. Breaking into her biggest smile of the day as the man sleepily wrapped an arm around her, the Okinawan decided that despite her slightly awkward position life was indeed good.

Some things were worth getting a stiff neck for, after all.

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Mitsune stared deeply into the bottom of her glass, swilling the clear liquid within it around carelessly.

Motoko had certainly impressed into her the folly of spying. Very firmly indeed, with the flat of her blade. Hence the fox was laying face-down on her bed, head and arms dangling over the end.

Sitting was NOT an option.

Sure the fox had had dreams of being spanked, but not by a woman wielding a sword. She wasn't a masochist, for Christ sake.

After a thorough session of 'education' as the swords woman had put it, the fox had escaped to her room to inspect the damage. Although not too bad, there were going to be a few bruises the next day. It was the thought of trying to explain to everyone why she was doing everything standing up that was causing the most concern.

Slugging down the last mouthful of sake from her glass, the fox reached for the half-full bottle and poured another generous measure. Idly taking another sip, Mitsune let her gaze travel across the room. Paper scattered across her desk, more to give the impression she was doing something productive than due to actual work. Freelance writing, yeah, right. The girl hadn't written anything worth a damn for well over a year. It had started as a hobby, and when it transpired she had some talent it became a job. That rapidly became a chore.

She had started for her own pleasure, but then found herself trying to please everybody. Her desire receded rapidly as every word became a struggle, every sentence over-analysed.

The gaze swept away from the desk and onto her wall. Her collection of rare, unusual and some downright odd sake bottles sat on a shelf adorned an otherwise featureless and unpainted wooden surface. The girl couldn't help but feel this summed the world's view of her up perfectly.

Too much booze and not much else. Nice bottles though.

Annoyed at her melancholy mood, she thought about rolling over to stare at the ceiling but quickly thought better of it. Damn Motoko.

Another mouthful of sake slipped down before the girl even realised she'd had the idea.

One hand fiddling with her pink bedspread and the other securely grasping her ever-present glass, Mitsune tried to work out why she ended up lying on her face half-cut every other night. Sad really.

The fox took another gulp of alcohol, and immediately cursed herself. Tonight would end up like most of the others, no doubt. Every time she started a bottle she promised it would be the only one. And then most mornings she would awaken unable to remember going to sleep. Sometimes she would awaken in bed, sometimes on the floor, sometimes in another room. On a few occasions outside. Just last week she was awoken by a surprised Shinobu to find she had fallen asleep in the toilet. And was unconscious in an extremely undignified position.

Yet again Mitsune had promised, hand on heart, to never touch a drop again. Two mornings later she had awoken on Keitaro's futon with the Kanrinin sleeping on the floor. Damn it.

When did life become like this? The fox was sure that she must have had fun outside these four walls in the past. After all, she managed the title of 'resident party girl' right? The fox snorted with derision into her blankets. So she could start a house party with her best, no, only friends. Biiiiiig deal. And all that reputation about being a free-spirited flirt? Maybe four or five years ago, when she last actually pulled a man.

So in fact the 'party girl' of the Hinata-sou had not started a party worth a damn in half a decade. And despite her reputation as a loose woman, her virginity was very much intact. Not even a worthwhile date since turning twenty.

Which made her a fake.

Everything she was meant to be was, in fact, false, Mitsune was coming to realise. The persona that she had crafted over the years for who knows what reason, the persona that had swollen to become her and actually preceded her had no truth in it.

Well, maybe one truth. The one that had her emptying another bottle of sake into her glass, and determinedly shaking every single last droplet of liquid out of it.

If it was the only part of her image that was true to life, she may as well live it as much as possible, right?

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Motoko lay on her futon, feeling Su's grip tighten on her legs as the little Molmolian shifted in her sleep. It was the first occasion for many months the girl had shared her bed, and the grip was tighter tonight than it had been in years, which Motoko found unsurprising. The eternally youthful princess was bright, eccentric and apparently bullet-proof, but she was still susceptible to worry when things went wrong.

The girl had given her the full, unabridged story of what had gone on after the swords woman had wisely called it a night when it became clear that something was going to happen. Naru was steaming drunk and angry, Mitsune was starting to go beyond flirty and was rapidly approaching gropy, Shinobu was looking under the table for god-knows-what, Mutsumi had been making small-talk with Tama-chan and Haruka had been bending Keitaro's' ear about the dangers of alcohol and single fox-women whilst matching the woman in question drink for drink. Su had been dancing happily in the midst of what was clearly a kettle about to boil, and while Motoko would have liked to take the foreigner with her to bed before it all kicked off she couldn't bear to interrupt someone having so much fun.

She felt guilty that Su was upset now, but Motoko knew that she couldn't have stopped the girl dancing even by removing her legs at the waist. No chance.

An extra-strong squeeze caused the elegant lady to put down her romance novel and look down at the tan face framed by blonde hair that belonged to the young princess of Molmol, who was presently in an uneasy slumber whilst locked around her knees. If the strength of the vice-like grip was any indication, the girl was very anxious indeed. She hadn't cut the circulation off to Motoko's feet for a long time, not since first arriving from Molmol.

After a few seconds she shifted again, and the older lady smiled with relief. Many times in the past, the swords woman had needed to pry one of her bed-mate's arms loose to stop her legs turning blue. It wasn't a habit of Su's the ebony-haired lady missed, or one she wanted to see return.

Motoko picked up the book again and tried to concentrate on the writing within. This was normally her favourite scene from one of her favourite novels – the one where the tall dark stranger returned from battle to find his beautiful beloved awaiting his return. Then they talked, then they kissed, then he seduced her gently, and then, well, oh my. It was beautifully written, and would normally hold the girl's attention for at two-thirds of the chapter. As for the final third, it was so well written that Motoko's attention generally ended up on something…..else.

In any case, this time she couldn't get more than one line into the first paragraph before her interest was lost. There was too much to consider, given all the details of last night. First in mind was what was going to happen as far as the happy couple went. Motoko felt (much as Mutsumi) that the line had been undeniably crossed.

What was more interesting to the girl was Mitsune's behaviour. A sly caress or two, yes, to be expected. Even a less subtle grope of their Kanrinin – Motoko knew her well enough to be sure that the fox felt something for Keitaro, even if just due to a lack of other opportunities. But what happened after that was not in the expected script.

And Keitaro's reaction to the whole thing also bore consideration. It was definitely out of character. If Su was to be believed, he seemed to be enjoying the whole experience until the point he got nailed by Naru.

Something that didn't sit easily with the swords woman. Motoko put it down to her inherent dislike of public affection and disgust at the bawdiness of the whole affair, but deep down there was a twinge of something she couldn't place. Whatever it was, the emotion was directed more at Mitsune than Keitaro.

Deciding she didn't want to follow the line of thought any further, Motoko decided to give the book another go. With knowledge that she had better skip to another chapter as reading steamy scenes with someone else in the same bed was one of those ideas that goes in the 'bad' pile.

After twenty pages Su eventually started to relax, allowing the heir to the Shinmei-ryu to finally settle into a more comfortable position herself. Clicking the light off the woman plunged into a deep slumber within seconds, to dreams of warriors returning to ebony-haired lovers, carrying various spoils of war.

Why some of them had brown hair and glasses was a question she refused to ponder.

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Naru lay perfectly still, staring into a pair of brown eyes.

The eyes stared right back, unwavering, almost challenging.

Naru blinked.

Her opponent didn't. Which wasn't surprising.

Dolls aren't big blinkers really.

It wasn't really Liddo-Kun that Naru was considering. It was the hole he sat on that was the focus of her thoughts.

The girl had almost lifted up the board beneath Liddo-kun a dozen times, for what reason she wasn't sure. Was it to talk, to apologise or just to make sure the hole was still there? The portal between the two rooms that had never closed, would never close. It was something that lifted her during those dark moments when regret for her actions became overpowering.

A reminder he still loved her.

Not that the girl ever forgot. Although she liked to keep any emotion that made her vulnerable close to her chest, it was no secret she had grown to love Keitaro. It was just so difficult to express it. Naru had grown to believe that, in the end, men were after nothing but flesh. Surely, any suggestion that love was reciprocated would lead to the assumption that she was giving both soul and body to her boyfriend.

Naru wasn't ready for that. The honey-haired girl doubted she ever would be, in truth.

Being completely honest with herself, half of the pervert-bashings were generated by frustration at her inability to return the affection she was being shown. Panty-peeking episodes aside, of course. But then add the fact that most of the other bashings were born out of jealousy, when Keitaro was in a compromising situation with someone else……

So the man was stuck. Wouldn't get anything from her, couldn't get anything from anyone else. Difficult situation to be in, Naru reasoned. But all the same, the Tokyo-U student couldn't even consider changing her own stance. She wasn't willing or able to give Keitaro what she thought he wanted, but she'd be damned if someone else was going to get her claws into him. He was hers. Hers! It had taken her long enough to realise what she felt, and thanked the fates that her Kanrinin was so damn stubborn.

He had that quality in abundance; pursuing her to the ends of Japan proved that. Now she just needed him to stay patient with her until she was ready to go to the next level. Eventually.

Giving into temptation, Naru ended the staring match with Liddo-kun and lifted him up gently before cautiously sliding the plywood board back a few inches. When darkness came into view the girl gave a sigh of contentment, before replacing it quietly. No need for Keitaro to think she was inviting him up whilst she was sleeping.

Yawning deeply and rubbing her bleary eyes, the girl decided to call it a night. Popping the doll back in his rightful place Naru curled up on her futon and turned out the light, deciding to make things up with Shinobu in the morning.

The girl never noticed that, due to a comfortable sofa, the room below was unoccupied.

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Well, not really a cliffie this time.

I'm going to be working next weekend, so no chance of another chapter then. I fully intend to have a chapter up the weekend after.

Until then,

Nodoka Miyazawa