~Chapter Six~
Puppy Love
Girl, I've been all over the world, looking for you.
I'm known for taking what I think I deserve,
And you're overdue.
And if you listen, you can hear me through the radio,
In that bright, white noise.
What I been missing in my life,
What I been dreaming of…
You'll be that girl.
~You Make Me Feel, by Cobra Starship
Disclaimer: Me No Own; You No Sue.
"Blood to blood, I summon thee. Blood to blood, return to me."
My heart skipped a beat, before it went into overdrive and began desperately pounding itself against my ribcage, seeking an escape. No, please… The spell was complete; nothing could be done for me now. Why is this happening to me…? It was over.
I was spellbound.
Shigure's P.O.V.
It was a beautiful day! The sun was shining, the weather was comfortably warm, and birds were chirping cheerfully outside my study. And the bickering rat and cat were nowhere to be found within the confines of the house; thus, it was peaceful, quiet, and serene! Ah, yes – the joy of finding oneself all alone in an empty house. I would finally be able to complete my charcoal drawing of my beautiful girlfriend, including the little details on her strapless bikini, which I'd been imagining her in for quite some time…
So, why do I feel as though something bad is about to occur? I mused and, with a raised eyebrow, began tapping a pencil against the side of my head in thought. Finally, I decided that this thought was a result of having an amazing sixth sense. Well, I am an omnipotent member of the canine race!
Crash!
"Oh, shit! What idiot left the toaster in the middle of the fucking hallway?" There was a brief pause, and then she softly murmured, "…ow." As if she had forgotten that it hurt to kick a hard, metal piece of cooking equipment with her bare feet.
Speaking of my beautiful, ditzy girlfriend…
Slowly, I crawled along the wooden floorboards and opened the door leading from my office and into the hallway. I cautiously stuck my head around the corner, searching for Sammy – and my poor, defenseless toaster. The rest of my body, however, remained hidden in my continued efforts to remain unseen.
Now, the reason for this secrecy was simple: it wouldn't do to incur the wrath of my hormonal, oftentimes emotionally unstable girlfriend. Sammy was just a year into adulthood, after all, and everyone knows that teenagers are crazy. Of course, teenage girls were also beautiful, sweet, supple…and a little lacking in the intelligence department. Not that she was stupid, by any means! Sammy was just a little, well, clumsy. Yes, that word – clumsy – fit the small blonde perfectly.
"Damn that rat," Sammy murmured in irritation, cursing fluently in English, German, and Japanese. "He apparently feels the need to seek revenge for my perfectly reasonable prank. That rat trap was just a joke…!" She threw her hands up in exasperation. "I mean, it's not as if I were purposefully trying to kill the evil rodent!"
In her exaggerated state of boredom, the small American had seemingly deemed it necessary to torment the younger boy…again. (Now, does this explain my reasons for thinking of her as emotionally unstable at times?) There was a constant battle between those two temperamental teenagers, and it was even more dangerous than the war being waged between Yuki and Kyo. And far more bloodshed was involved in the former.
I still had yet to determine how a few measly pranks added up to a bruised witch, charred rat, and a painfully amused cat. In fact, the world might never know.
"Oh, well," she sighed, "I clean this mess up, before someone else gets hurt."
Sammy squatted down and began to retrieve the broken pieces of metal, sweeping them into a pile with her bare hands. That, of course, positively spelled trouble. I'd proclaimed her to be clumsy; it was not an exaggeration. And, based upon the miserable scowl plastered on her face, the young woman didn't seem to be enjoying herself very much, either.
I, however, found myself smiling widely at the sight of her completing this task. Because I'd decided to take this opportunity to happily stare at her curvy backside; she was much too busy concentrating on her task to pay me any mind. That was a plus, considering the alternative – Sammy had a nasty habit of throwing fireballs at my precious manhood if she caught me mentally undressing her. And she had rather good aim, too!
I cocked my head to the side as my gray eyes flickered over her small, curvy form. Her features were rather clichéd for an American – it was like dating Barbie, at times – but I'd recently been enlightened in regards to her family background. One of her parents was the last of a long line of pureblooded Germans; thus, the blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin were to be expected. All in all, I wasn't going to complain, as her coloring made for an intriguing source of inspiration for my smut.
Now, if I could only get her to sleep with me. Ha! I doubted that would happen anytime soon, but I might be able to convince her to pose for a nude portrait…
I smirked at the mere thought, and my eyes traveled down her slender neck – which bore a few love bites, compliments of yours truly – to stare at her chest. Sammy was wearing a tighter shirt today, so her breasts were clearly defined. They were being (cruelly) hidden beneath the green cloth, but I could still see that general shape and size of chest. The sight of which led me to believe that her breasts were of the larger variety – perhaps a size C in a sports bra, or women's lingerie. And that ass…
Oh, Kami. Please don't get me started on that plump backside! We'd been dating for a little over a month, and during that time, my hands had developed a mind of their own. I frequently found myself squeezing her hips and slapping her on the ass. Sammy was probably beginning to wonder if she was seen merely an irresponsible child in my eyes. If so, I would happily prove to her that she was a woman that deserved such attentions, as she was indeed my girlfriend.
And I was going to see her in a skimpy dress tonight, too! It had taken a few days, but I'd finally managed to coax her into going on a date with me. At that point, Sammy also proclaimed that she was utterly clueless on what was appropriate to wear for such an occasion, and she was using that ignorance to stall for time. So, in my infinite wisdom, a call was made to Aya (one of my best friends, and the only man for me) to help the little witch during her time of need.
I will admit, however, that it displeased me to find him with his hands all over my sweet, little girlfriend. Aya was such a sneaky snake…
But I wasn't too terribly angry about that incident anymore. Aya was a fashion genius, after all, and my girlfriend was going to look delectable in the dress that he had designed. I was already beginning to drool a little bit at the imagery provided by my wonderfully perverted mind. If my fantasies were correct, it would be just as fun to for me to see her out of that dress, as it would be to see her in it.
Yes, indeed…
My ears perked up at the sound of a small, startled yelp – a sound laced with pain. Without a thought, I left my hiding spot and sought the source of the noise. I was already well aware of the fact that Sammy had managed to get hurt yet again. I sighed at the sight of the small blonde sitting on the carpet near the kotatsu; Sammy was sniffling and clutching at her wounded arm with a shaking hand. She'd apparently cut herself on one of the sharp pieces of metal.
Unexpectedly, I felt my eyes soften at the sight. I made my way to the younger girl, taking care to avoid the remaining shrapnel, and offered her my hand. Sammy immediately accepted my help and placed her hand in mine, something that she would not have done three months ago, not even to save her own life. I gently pulled her to her feet and stared at her face, somewhat surprised to see that her blue eyes were brimming with tears. She offered me a shy, sheepish smile and murmured a soft apology for the mess.
Who cares about the mess, you silly girl? It doesn't matter. Not when you're hurt…
With gentle hands, I took her wounded arm into my grasp, examining the long, red cut. It wasn't very deep, but it would get infected if we were to leave it unwrapped and open to the elements. I did not the like the idea of her getting sick, or even hurt. Sammy was my not just my lover; she was my friend, as well. And I cared for her wellbeing.
"Well, sweetheart," I drawled, "It appears that you've done quite a number on yourself – and for the second time this week, too."
My left eye twitched faintly in remembrance of her last episode. Witches and gardening tools did not appear to like each other very much, if the large patch of skin missing on her ankle was anything to judge by, at least. And Yuki was probably to blame for that, as well.
Sammy winced at this observation. A faint blush coated her cheeks as she grumbled, "Tell me something that I don't know…"
I perked up at the chance to spread my genius. "More than ten people a year are killed by vending machines!" I cheerfully stated, trying to distract her from the pain of her wound. It appeared to work because she twitched at this declaration. "And hippo milk is actually pink!"
The young witch groaned and facepalmed at my shenanigans, exclaiming, "You are so weird, Shi-kun!" And yet, her blue eyes were happy and filled with mirth. "Sexy, but weird nonetheless…"
With a grin, I pinched her left breast, eagerly awaiting the adorable squeak that she would emit in response to my sexual harassment. I wasn't disappointed. And, as an added bonus, her pale skin reddened in embarrassment. Sammy rubbed at the sore spot and glared up at me, muttering obscenities. I couldn't help but laugh, even as her expression darkened and her mutterings turned to violet threats – something along the lines of cursing me until my manhood shriveled up and died, or something equally as violent.
My gray eyes rolled heavenward. "We all know that you are a fierce witch, so please – spare me the gruesome details of how you will effectively perform a gender bender with only an ounce of glue and a penguin beak," I said and began ushering her towards the bathroom down the hall.
Sammy huffed in irritation and crossed her arms over her chest, thoroughly put out at my lack of interest. "Fine, be that way, old man," she teased.
And then, her blue tattoos were suddenly shining with the faintest hint of magic. This was a clear sign that she was about to cast a summoning spell. I could tell, despite the fact that Sammy rarely used her magic in front of me or the others. We were well versed in the differences in her spellcasting at this point in time, if only for peace of mind – no one wanted to be on the receiving end of her summoned hellhounds. Those were some very mean, nasty dogs. And I liked dogs! I mean, hello! I was a dog!
The glow surrounding her small form vanished, and her tattoos returned to normal. I squinted down at the end result in both surprise and relief – it wasn't a hellhound! Instead, standing between the two of us was a short, black penguin. It was cute.
Sammy picked the diminutive bird up and cradled it in her arms, cooing gently in what appeared to be its ear. The small penguin chirped, waved its wings in apparent glee, and cuddled closer to the warmth of her chest. I glared at it, well aware that this tiny creature was smirking up at me in triumph. Oh! How I longed to be in its place. Or, in other words, I wished to be happily burying my face in her breasts, instead of that evil little fucker that was clinging to her like a child. Lucky bird!
"Is my darling boyfriend feeling a tad lonely?" Sammy snickered and scratched the bird on its fuzzy head. "Don't worry! I still love you, even if you are a horny mutt." She smirked. "So, there really is no need for you to feel so jealous of sweet, innocent Jeffrey. He's just a baby, after all."
Her words were beating at my brain like a battering ram. I stiffened, despite knowing that she'd only meant them to be a joke. And yet…
I still love you.
Americans were known for openly pronouncing their affections to others. The entirety of the population admittedly loved one thing or another, be it the members of their immediate family, their significant other, a pet – or even their car. Three small words – I love you – and yet, those words carried so much meaning. And they were used more frequently in her country than almost any other culture in the world. It was hard to tell if Sammy understood the true meaning of that phrase, or if she merely spoke it without a care. Most Americans did.
As for the Japanese, we had a tendency to relay our love in a more subtle manner, oftentimes providing that special person with shelter, money, and safety. Our definition of love was synonymous with marriage.
Her use of the words, even jokingly, made me feel rather guilty – and with good reason. I was a normal, healthy male, and I was interested in what most men were interested in. But that did not excuse my actions. I'd treated her like a whore, expecting her to suddenly allow me the pleasure of sleeping with her, despite the fact that we had only known each other for a day. I knew that there was a possibility of her following after me and demanding more, but that didn't worry me too terribly much. Hatori could have erased her mind, had the need to do so arisen.
Sammy was a human being, one with thoughts and feelings, the latter of which were easily hurt at times. And upon first sight, the only emotion running through my heart at the sight of her was lust. Her current state of virginity was only a small hindrance. It wouldn't have bothered me to seduce her, rid her of that heavy burden, and then vanish into the night without a trace.
No strings attached, that was my preferred method of dating. One night stands were the most fun. And the women were easier to coerce into bed, too.
But a lot had changed since our first encounter, and things were different now. I had allowed the young woman to stay at my house, feeling rather guilty for causing her unexpected eviction from that nice hotel; it was my fault. And rare indeed were the days that I felt guilty for causing pain, heartache, or misfortune for someone else. I hardly ever admitted to any wrongdoing on my part. A person need only ask Hatori for the condemning evidence relating to these crimes.
And that hot, irritating guilt that coursed through my veins was only the first sign of my inexplicable feelings for the young witch. I was drawn to her, like a moth to the flame. And it didn't bother me in the slightest.
"Up you go," I said, grunting lightly at the bit of effort required to pick the small blonde up and place her on the countertop, near the bathroom sink. "Firstly, we need to clean this little cut…"
"But…"
I tapped her on the nose, staring straight into her eyes and demanding, "None of that now. We have to take care of this, or else it might get infected."
With a whine of protest, the witch tried to escape. She struggled against my arms, both of which were wrapped firmly around her waist, and shoved at my chest. Neither action accomplished much on her part, as she was shorter and weaker than me. I managed to hold her in place and open the medicine cabinet at the same time, a feat that only served to irritate her further. Sammy appeared to be on the verge of resorting to her superior strength in spellcasting to gain the upper hand. She opened her mouth, probably to speak the words to a spell, but I interrupted her.
"You will listen to me, little miss," I said, "Or else your bottom will be very, very sore for the next week or so."
Sammy reddened, at both the stern command and the threat – I really would spank my girlfriend for disobeying me, and there wouldn't be anything playful about the motion, either. She knew that our countries differed in customs, just as she knew that physically chastising a lover or spouse was still acceptable in certain social circles here in Japan.
Needless to say, the small blonde heeded the threat and chose to stay seated.
I neared the counter with the family's first-aid kit in tow, the sight of which appeared to unnerve her. Sammy continued to squirm, but ultimately, she remained silent, even as I went about soaping and rinsing her wound with peroxide. The only time that she allowed herself to cry out was during the removal of the shrapnel; I'd found several chunks of metal embedded in the wound and removed them with a pair of tweezers. She grumbled once or twice as the bandages were wrapped around her arm. But, other than that, Sammy was quite the brave little trooper.
When I doggedly insisted on checking the rest of her person for cuts or bruises, however, Sammy narrowed her sky blue eyes at me in suspicion. I ignored her obvious doubt, though it wounded me deeply to know that my girlfriend didn't trust me to keep my wandering hands to myself whilst she was gravely injured and lying on her death bed.
And speaking of death beds…
My darling cousin, Yuki, was going to be on his for building a toaster that exploded on contact and placing it in the path of my clumsy girlfriend. It would have been another story had the intended victim been Kyo – the cat would have landed on his feet.
I returned the kit to its proper place and turned to stare at the penguin that was, oddly enough, still here. It was displaying stalkerish tendencies towards my girlfriend, and it was really beginning to irk me.
Warily, I asked, "You aren't truly planning to try that gender bender are you…?" I trailed off and watched with wide eyes as the bird mysteriously vanished into thin air – like magic.
"Nope!" Sammy laughed at my unease and shook her head in the negative. "I might have a need for that particular part of your anatomy one day, you know," she cheekily pointed out, even as her face flushed in embarrassment for having said such a thing.
I blinked down at her in surprise. The little prude was finally admitting to having sexual desires, aloud and in my presence! That was unexpected. I could easily take those words to be her consent to have sex with me; consequentially, I could double my efforts into coercing her into my bed. In fact, I was going to take that as a guarantee. And I wasn't going to stop until she was writhing beneath me in ecstasy, screaming my name to the heavens whilst I pleasured her with my fingers and my tongue and, eventually, my manhood.
No one else would ever have the pleasure of touching her in the way a man touches a woman that he cares for in a romantic way. Sammy was mine to love in such a manner, and only mine.
"Don't look so shocked," Sammy mumbled, sourly, and pouted. She nervously fiddled with her fingers and added, "It doesn't suit you…at all."
I smirked at her. "Oh, trust me, little love – I am feeling so much more than shock at this particular moment in time."
Sammy raised an eyebrow at my words and then, she frowned. Her soft, pink lips twisted downwards in a thoughtful pout. Her confusion was adorable. My smirk softened into a small, warm smile at the sight of such a cute expression adorning her face. She was a conundrum at times, but Sammy was generally a sweet, thoughtful, and curious young woman. It was hard not to smile at her antics.
I opened my arms and motioned for her to jump, not wanting her to fall from the countertop in another fit of clumsiness. Sammy complied, but only after seriously informing that I would probably hurt myself in trying to do so. For the briefest of moments, I was offended, thinking that she was making yet another crack at the differences in our ages. I wasn't that old, dammit!
And then, it dawned on me – Sammy was actually worried that she was too heavy for me to hold or carry. I stared down at her in shock. The small, short, and obviously healthy blonde believed herself to be fat! I resisted the urge to throttle her for thinking such things, but only because my brain was thoughtfully reminding me that Americans – especially women – were constantly told to dress, speak, and act in a certain manner. And the media proclaimed that skinnier women were infinitely more attractive to the opposite sex.
No one thought to tell these women that most men were interested in their personalities, as well.
It might benefit her to be told that she's pretty once and awhile, I thought to myself. And tonight, I am going to do just that.
A small sigh was heard from the entrance to the bathroom, effectively ending my thoughts on the matter, and the person continued with – "What has the silly girl done to herself this time?"
"Hello, Hatori-kun!" Sammy chirped and immediately skirted around me to properly greet the older male. Well, it was proper in her sense of the word; tackling a man was not generally considered to be very polite in this country. "How are you today?"
The dragon caught her easily, but grunted at the (somewhat) unexpected additional weight in his arms. "I'm well, thank you," he quietly answered. "But, it seems that you are not."
His sharp, green eyes drifted downwards and focused on the freshly bandaged wound on her right arm. He frowned at the sight of yet another wound on the young witch; this was indeed the second one this week. Hatori had actually rushed over here a few days ago to help care for her last wound, as it was bleeding profusely. Apparently, Tohru had been worried for her older sister figure and chose to call the family doctor with a request that he see to her wounds. He'd responded immediately in the affirmative.
Oddly enough, Hatori had developed a bit of a sister complex. He practically doted on the younger girl, and it wasn't uncommon for the dragon to come and visit with her, much to displeasure. I was happy, of course, that Sammy was making friends with people in this country, but I failed to see what the mischievous young woman could possibly have in common with quiet, thoughtful Hatori – the two were so different that it was laughable to see them together.
And, okay. I would admit to the fact that an immense jealousy rippled through my veins at the thought of someone other than myself getting attention from my girlfriend, especially when that other person was another male. Like Hatori. And Sammy never felt the need to tackle or cling to me when I suddenly entered a room. In fact, the entire situation bothered me more than I cared to admit.
With a smirk, however, it occurred to me that I was the sole recipient of her gentle hugs and timid, sweet kisses. Take that, Ha-san!
"It's nothing," Sammy insisted with a small, sheepish grin. Her eyes flickered in my direction, and she smiled softly up at me before returning her attention to the dragon. "As a matter of fact, my wonderful boyfriend was able to bandage it up without much trouble. See…?"
Hatori smiled faintly as she held her clean, bandaged arm up for inspection. The doctor ran a gentle hand over the white medical tape, apparently assessing the strength of its hold. He nodded in agreement; it was fine. Then, Hatori murmured a few instructions to the younger girl, urging her to keep it clean and dry, lest it get infected. Gangrene was a possibility if she were to neglect it and then – amputation.
Sammy blanched at his words, terrified, and openly stared down at her arm in horror, as if it were some evil beast. Her wary, oddly skeptical expression signified that she thought it was simply awaiting an opportunity to eat her. The small blonde poked at the wounded limb in a timid manner and watched its lack of response with obvious relief.
Hatori raised an amused eyebrow at this, and he said, "It isn't going to eat you, silly girl."
She blushed and protested, "It could still try to suck my brain out through a straw, though, like the aliens in Fairly Odd Parents." Her facial expression was one of disgust. "And that wouldn't be a very pleasant experience…"
Suddenly, there were a series of loud, energetic knocks at the front door – Sammy visibly perked up at the sound. Hatori was not given the chance to respond to her odd words, as the small blonde announced that she would get the door. I chuckled at her enthusiasm.
The young witch left the bathroom and trotted to the front door, intent upon being the first to greet our guest. I heard the door open and the guest was cheerfully welcomed into the house. Yuki and Kyo both promptly chose to intercede, and the two young men both kindly told the intruder to get the fuck out of the house. And, based upon the resulting chaos, I surmised that our guest was indeed my friend, Aya. I'd been expecting him sometime today – he had promised to stop by and help my girlfriend prepare for our date.
My grin was admittedly one of stupid happiness, as it occurred to me that I was finally going on a date with Sammy! I would get to see her in a skimpy dress, and touch her, and kiss her soft lips.
And, if things went well, we might actually get to third base.
"Hmm…"
I switched my focus to the dragon, wondering what it was that appeared to be bothering him at the moment. It couldn't be my fault, and it certainly wasn't in regards to anything concerning his precious little Sammy. I mean, really! I hadn't even done anything to her yet! The girl was still a virgin.
A pair of green eyes met mine and the temperature in the room suddenly dropped about ten degrees, causing a chill to claw its way down my rigid spine. I shivered and told myself that it was a natural reaction to the cold breeze clinging to my skin. In all actuality, my reaction was one of fear, and that fear was caused by the older male staring at me with that dark, smug expression on his slender face. Hatori was smirking in my direction.
It was a strange experience, to be sure. And it was very, very scary! I feared for my life.
"What is it, then?" I demanded. My shoulders hunched defensively against the weight of his stare, but he merely blinked at me at me with his evil, green eyes. "…okay, seriously. Why are you staring at me like that, Ha-san?"
Hatori shrugged in a casual manner, smiled, and admitted, "It's nothing for you to worry about, Shigure. I was merely making an observation." His smile widened a bit. "I found it to be rather amusing. That is all."
With a small, disbelieving snort, I murmured, "Oh, really? Would you care to share with me this amusing observation, my friend?"
"Not particularly," he drawled, and his green eyes glittered brightly with mischief. The dragon immediately turned on his heel and left the bathroom, clearly not feeling the need to answer any of my questions.
Damn him…! Angrily, I growled at his retreating back, wishing that it were possible for me to bite the irritating bastard for his insolence. I will have my revenge, Hatori…!
"Come along, Shigure. We should see to your houseguest."
I scowled, kicked at the carpet in the hallway, and childishly muttered, "Whatever…" No, I wasn't pouting. There was no proof!
There was a pause as the dragon entered the other room, and then – "No, Ayame! Put that down before you burn yourself. I've told you time and time again that you are not to handle the tea kettle without adult supervision."
"But, Hatori," Ayame whined, clearly offended by these demeaning insults, "I am an adult!"
Hatori sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "In what universe is this true, might I ask? And is it possible for me to send you there?" he demanded, sarcastically.
He was interrupted by a small scream and a deranged bout of cackling; the former apparently belonged to my cousin, Yuki, and the latter belonged to my emotionally unstable girlfriend. And according to the conservation, Sammy was once again tormenting the rat. This time, however, he was being levitated above the kotatsu. The body of her intended victim merely followed the path of her hands as she waved them around in the air.
It was easy to forget at times, but Sammy really was a witch – and a scary one at that!
"Honestly," Hatori sighed again and shook his head. "Sammy-chan, would you please quit levitating Yuki above the table? He suffers from motion sickness during such situations."
Sammy must have complied, as these words were followed by the sound of a thump and a pained exclamation on the part of one rat. Yuki sat up, rubbed his aching backside, and mumbled a weak threat in response to this mistreatment. His attacker merely shrugged and reached a glowing hand towards the plate of freshly baked cookies on the plate in the center of the table. She shoved a chocolate chip cookie into her mouth, chewed, and offered the rat a lovely display of see-food. The rat was not impressed.
I whined in annoyance and skipped into the living room, leaving the safety of the hallway walls in favor of snatching a cookie from the unsuspecting hands of my girlfriend. Sammy rolled her eyes at me, but she chose not to retaliate. Hatori, however, was glaring at me over the top of her head. I ignored him, because the evil dragon had refused to answer my earlier questions, despite my best effort to trick the answers out of him. Now, I was left to wonder just what it was that Hatori had noticed.
Kyo entered the room and tried to attack his nemesis, but that attack ended quickly – the cat smacked him away without so much as a glance in his direction. And I'd reached up to pull the cat to the table by his suspenders, as well. I sighed, thinking to myself that it would have been smarter of me to let Hatori suffer alone at the hands of our crazy, makeshift family.
But the current state of my house was on the line. Thus, it was in my best interest to remain seated and help babysit the munchkins – and Aya.
"Take that, jackass!"
A pot of tea was thrown in the direction of the rat; however, it missed. I yelped and ducked my head to avoid the painful wrath of the whistling tea kettle. It soared over my head, much like a bird of prey, and shattered against the wall on the opposite side of the room. Hot, red tea trickled down the walls and onto the floor, effectively staining my new carpet.
I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration – at this rate, my house would easily be destroyed before the evening was over. And the main house was refusing to pay for anymore damage done to my poor, defenseless house. Alas, such was my life. I was but one canine battling the forces of evil, one against the rest of the cruel, violent world.
Oh, woe is me! I wailed to myself, thinking on the cost of that stained, antique rug. And it was so young!
"Come along, Sammy-chan! We must attend to your attire, and that dress with certainly require some hemming; it's much too long," Ayame declared. He tossed his silver, braided hair over his shoulder and pranced up the staircase, heading towards the bedrooms.
My girlfriend paled at this exclamation. She silently mouthed the words to herself with and, obviously fearing the response, timidly called over, "Er, would you be so kind as to define the phrase: much too long…?"
I entered the bathroom to change into my own attire for the evening, closing the door behind me and perking my ears to listen to his response. It was promising – for me, that is. Poor Sammy was definitely going to be out of her comfort zone. Apparently, I would get to see my girlfriend in a dress that showed quite a bit of cleavage and had a hem that would barely cover her ass. What man wouldn't want to see such a sight? Because I certainly wanted to see it!
"Shigure," Yuki called to me through the door, "Where are you taking the crazy witch this evening?"
After opening the door once again, I exited the bathroom and happily said, "That is absolutely none of your business!" I adjusted my cufflinks and returned to the kotatsu. "So, there!"
Yuki snorted derisively. "You are so immature." He placed his chin on a fisted hand and turned curious violet eyes in my direction, quietly musing, "It appears to be quiet expensive, if that suit is any indication."
I smirked proudly and crowed, "That is for me to know and none of you to ever find out!"
There was nothing in this world that could convince me to spill the beans. Doing so would thusly spoil the surprise, one that was two weeks in the making. I'd planned something purely educational for my shy, innocent little girlfriend. And I would not be offering them any hints, either, not even for a free lifetime subscription to Playboy.
"Indeed." With a suspicious frown, Yuki turned and eyed my facial expression, which was admittedly quite cocky. "It must be something ridiculously perverted," he finally deduced.
Well, I have his vote of confidence, at the very least, I noted with a wry grin. Instead of answering his accusations, I ignored the rat and busied myself with fixing my crooked tie. It's always so very nice to know that everyone thinks of me as a pervert…
"Poor Sammy-chan," Kyo snickered and sat down across from his nemesis, placing a cold drink on the table as he did so. "She's gonna have nightmares for weeks!"
As a hater of dogs, Kyo was quick to point out my flaws; however, there weren't that many, and the cat had to resort to slander and calumny. Kyo proclaimed that I was a dirty, old mutt – my only goal in life was to deflower innocent young women. I was surprised to find that the rat agreed with him, as the two of them were mortal enemies. But Yuki chimed in with his own comments, insisting that my libido was something to be feared.
This continued for quite some time. And it was safe for one to assume that, in their eyes, I was a danger to beautiful women everywhere.
"It's quite possible, Kyo, that you are correct. He is a sex fiend, after all." Yuki paused, and then thoughtfully added, "Perhaps we should have him registered on the national list of repeat sex offenders…"
And, despite being his nemesis, Kyo concurred with a frantic nod of his head. It appeared that the cat and the rat could indeed come to an agreement, but only in two instances: if the two of them were defending Tohru from the evil of the world, and if they were running my reputation through the mud. How delightful.
Why must everyone enjoy picking on poor little me? I sniffled pathetically. Animal cruelty, I say!
Without warning, Hatori ordered the pair upstairs, effectively ending their cruel bantering. Yuki and Kyo exchanged a brief, surprised glance. The two of them were now clearly aware that the dragon was in a bit of an odd mood – he never made demands. And yet, Hatori was ordering them to their rooms as if he were their guardian, and not me.
Needless to say, the young men were quick to obey. No arguments were made on their part as the two of them vanished upstairs. Yuki went to his bedroom to complete his homework, which was due next week, and Kyo indicated that he would be up on the roof. One could only assume that he had no homework…
"Where should I even begin?" Hatori murmured, glancing at the ceiling in thought. He crossed his arms over his chest, nodded, and then sagely said, "Ah, yes. I suppose that the best course of action is to start this conversation with a warning."
Well, this is going to be awkward…
I swallowed nervously and asked, "Er, what is it that you mean by 'a warning?'"
Hatori lit a cigarette, leaning back against the wall as he stated, "By warning, I mean that it is necessary for me to warn you against harming Sammy-chan." I opened my mouth to indignantly protest these words, but he held up his hand for silence. "I do not be mean physically. We both know that you'd never hurt a hair on her head."
"What are you insinuating, then?" I gritted my teeth in anger. That bastard! "You cannot honestly believe that I would be so cruel as to trick her into sleeping with me. You know me better than that, Hatori!"
A stream of gray smoke was blown into the air. He shook his head and sighed, "Indeed, I do, Shigure…" Another stream of smoke was released from between his parted lips. "And that is what causes me to worry."
Frowning, I turned to him and heatedly demanded, "What is it that bothers you so much about my dating her?"
"You are a mature, sexually experienced man. Your girlfriend, on the other hand…" Hatori exhaled, considering his words, and said, "Sammy is young, and you are more than likely her first boyfriend." His green eyes were serious as he continued and explained, "It would not be hard for you to convince her that you were in love with her, or vice versa."
I was silent at that. There was nothing for me to say to him on the matter, nothing that would change his mind. Yes, I was well aware of the fact that I was her first, real boyfriend. And my intentions were far from innocent. I was also aware that Sammy was considering taking the next step in our relationship – she was finally beginning to display an interest in sleeping with me, and her responses to my sexual advances had changed from frightened whimpers to soft, breathy moans of pleasure. My little witch was becoming a woman.
None of this was mentioned to my dear friend, either. Because, well, I wasn't stupid! Everyone knew that an angry Hatori was a very scary Hatori. And I had no wish to have my ass kicked to curb by a raging dragon. Not again. I'd crossed that line once by stealing his favorite pen during high school; the scars on the back of my right arm were proof of my lapse in judgment.
That had never happened again. It might come as a surprise, but I actually valued my life, thank you very much. And from that point on, I kept my distance and smiled happily when the dragon chose to bite into someone else, rather than my sorry black hide.
"I do not want to see her hurt," Hatori said, softly, and with yet another sigh.
And, at the sincerity in his words, I visibly deflated. "I know, Hatori," I murmured. "I know."
Hatori placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezed it gently, and added, "I do not want any harm to come to you, either." He smiled and shrugged. "But, I know that you can take care of yourself. And it would do me no good to have this conversation with your girlfriend, as she would never intentionally hurt you."
I agreed with him on that matter. Any heartache would more than likely be accidental on her part, no matter the circumstances under which it occurred. Nonetheless, the younger girl could certainly do a bit of damage to my person – and my heart – if she actually set her mind to doing so. Add to that the equation that she was a witch of considerable power, and it was a recipe for disaster. It probably wouldn't taste very good, either…
After casting a quick glance at his wristwatch, Hatori suggested, "You might want to go upstairs and check on their progress, Shigure." The watch was lifted to my eyes, showing that it was nearing six o' clock. "Sammy-chan has been gone for quite some time."
"No worries, Ha-san!" I waved his words away and laughed, "Women always take about an hour to get ready for an outing, especially for dates." I winked at him. "And she is in good hands, ne?"
Hatori raised a skeptical black eyebrow at this, musing, "Ah, but what if those hands have chosen to wander, Shigure?"
"You don't really…?" I paused, but determinedly proclaimed, "Aya wouldn't dare touch her! I mean, the two of us are down here, and the boys are upstairs…." With a wince, I remembered that our friend was rather handsy. "…oh, shit."
I was up in a flash, darting for the stairs and trying not to trip all over myself in the process. A million different scenarios were running through the confines of my mind. The sneaky snake could also claim that the actions were innocent; he was a seamstress, after all. Dozens of images zipped through my mind at the speed of light, all of them concerning the overzealous, handsy snake, and all of them causing me to worry about her.
My girlfriend was upstairs, being molested! And not by me!
I'd just placed my hand on the banister, when the sound of laughter began to drift down the stairs. Her voice was loud, bright, and cheerful – boisterous, even. The sound was not at all what one might expect from a young woman, especially one of such small stature. And yet, it fit her perfectly.
The laughter ceased, however, and Sammy exited the bedroom. She neared the staircase and placed a small hand on the wooden banister, simultaneously catching sight of me. She gasped softly in surprise. I was standing just a few yards away from her, down the stairs and to her left, but my eyes were focused steadfastly on her slipper clad feet. I raised my head, curious, and found myself staring up at one of the most beautiful creatures that I had ever seen.
Sammy was still standing at the top of the stairs, but now, a small hand was fisted in the hem of her handmade, white dress. Two small, thin spaghetti straps clung to her shoulders, effectively holding the dress in place. The top was, indeed, a v-neck – it displayed the smooth, white skin of her breasts in a very tempting manner. A sea of white material flared at her waist, flowing gently down her legs and stopping halfway down her thighs, to display another large portion of her delicate skin. My eyes followed the trail of white skin to her feet, which were clothed in a simple pair of ballet flats, the like of which were perfect for dancing.
This dress was an original, made specifically for the small blonde by my friend, Aya, and his girlfriend, Miine. The two of them had been very eager to design and make a western style dress for a true American. And, I must admit, the flamboyant duo had truly outdone themselves this time. The dress itself was a beautiful piece of artistry – a true work of art.
On Sammy, it was even more amazing. She was beautiful.
How could that girl still be a virgin…? I thought to myself in wonder. She must have attracted some attention back in her own country!
And then, it occurred to me. They'd had their chance to obtain the blonde beauty standing before me with that shy, soft smile on her lips, and none of them were smart enough to see that she was a keeper. Oh, well. She was mine, now!
"Er, hello," I swallowed the lump in my throat, feeling nervous, and stepped away from the stairs, waiting for her to meet me at the bottom. "You look absolutely stunning, my darling."
"Thank you," Sammy whispered, so softly that it was almost impossible for me to hear her. Blue eyes shyly scanned my own attire. The young witch blushed and said, "You clean up rather well, Shi-kun. But, it's a little odd for me to see you in anything other than one of your yukatas…"
With a wide, happy grin, I pointed out, "Well, it would be odd for me not to dress in a suit for an occasion such as this." I ran a hand through my black hair, tugging on a few loose strands as I searched for something to say. "Um…"
"Oh, Sammy-chan~!" Aya interrupted my rambling, calling the young woman from the second floor. "You forgot your purse, my dear!" He laughed obnoxiously. "And a maiden is nothing without her accessories, you know…"
"Right…" Sammy groaned and facepalmed at her display of stupidity, quietly cursing her lack of observation skills. "That might be important," she mumbled to herself.
I bit back a laugh, watching as skipped up the stairs and towards the last bedroom on the right, where Aya was waving a small clutch in the air. It suddenly occurred to me that the small blonde had proclaimed herself to be a klutz and that this was all the evidence that one needed to convict her on that statement. Indeed, Sammy had mentioned that she would mistakenly embarrass the two of us, should we decide to go on a date. Not that it worried me too terribly much, as this occurred on a regular basis anyway. She was a klutz, after all!
A smile crept across my lips, pulling at the corners without mercy. It had just occurred to me that I wouldn't be bored tonight – or ever again, come to think of it.
Yes, I was quite certain that I would be keeping the precious little witch by my side, for as long as she would have me. Everyone in this family clearly doubted my intentions, including Sammy at times. And I'd be the first to admit that there was cause for this doubt. But I wasn't dating her for the same asinine reasons that were fueling my frenzied chasing, just three months ago. I had desperately wanted to follow her to that hotel, seduce her, and have a bit of fun.
Bringing her back home, however, was not a part of the plan. I'd gotten to know her better, and that was the beginning of the end for me I discovered little things, like the fact that she was deathly afraid of spiders, due to a spell gone awry in her youth. Sammy was also rather eccentric, in her choice of clothing and her personality. And the ditzy young woman was actually considered to be a magical protégé. Her intelligence rivaled that of the cold, calculating rat that she had chosen as her rival.
The girl was also a klutz, plain and simple. Sammy attracted danger like a damn magnet, even without her excessive pranks and knack for pissing people off. I tried to keep her safe, but at times, that was impossible. Instead, I found myself taking care of the small blonde. I bandaged her cuts and iced her bruises, stroked her blonde hair and placed warm kisses on her forehead.
It pleased me to know that she trusted me. And slowly, that tentative trust became something more – something warm, and soft, and precious. None of that had been expected.
Falling in love with her had certainly not been in the plan, either.
"Ah, yes – you've finally realized it, have you? It's about time, too."
I blinked repeatedly in confusion and turned to face my friend, visibly confused. Hatori smiled kindly and gestured to my sweating palms, shaking limbs, and nervous facial twitches. Perhaps the dragon could even hear the excessive pounding of my heart. He must have, for it truly sounded – and felt – as though a herd of cattle were stampeding through my chest. The only thing that calmed me, to a degree, was thinking on the person that had referred to this particular sensation as having butterflies in your stomach.
That person was an idiot.
"Yes, I believe that it's finally occurred to me," I muttered. With a start, I also realized that this was the cause of his earlier amusement; the dog had actually fallen in love. "How did you…?"
Hatori chuckled at my confusion and murmured, "Some people might believe that you only desire that girl for one thing, but that look in your eyes earlier…" The older male smiled. "It's obvious that you care for her, even if that fact had yet to occur to you, Shigure."
I bit back a growl and demanded, "In that case, I find myself wondering why you felt the need to berate me for wanting to sleep with her in the first place!"
"Well, I had to make you see sense, before you screwed this up." A single green eye focused pointedly on my pocket, and he sternly stated, "If I catch you taking her to that peep show, mutt, I will have your miserable hide."
I edged away from the older male, sweating nervously and wondering how the fuck he'd known about the tickets hidden in my pocket. The damn things had been in my safe for over a week, and now, the pink slips were in my pocket, so it was impossible for him to have seen them. Was this the reason that he claimed to worry for the safety of the innocent little witch? Yeah, it probably was, come to think of it…
"Well, it was, er…" My tongue tripped over the syllables, and the words came out as a jumbled mess. "I wasn't actually going to..." I swallowed and playfully exclaimed, "It was a joke!"
At the sight of such a stern expression adorning his face, however, I coughed and stared up at the ceiling in silent prayer. Please, Kami, do not let him kill me for my sins. Not before I get laid!
"It is one thing to educate a virgin before sleeping with her," Hatori muttered with a short, exasperated shake of his head. "But it is quite another to scar her for life."
That was an amusing thought, given the circumstances – Sammy was a prude. And if I took her anywhere near my favorite haunt, she would more than likely faint, which would certainly prove to be a bit of an unnecessary problem. She wasn't fat, but it would be difficult to tote her unconscious form halfway across the city. Been there, done that. I still had the store muscles to prove it, too.
"On that note, I believe that it is time for me to head home," Hatori said, stretching his arms over his head and walking towards the front door. "Momiji-kun will be visiting later before meeting with his father. I should probably have a snack ready for him to eat…"
I raised an eyebrow at this information, amused, and happily decided to mock him. "Oh, that is so cute! Big brother is coming to the rescue! Goodbye, Onii-san~!"
The dragon rolled his bright, green eyes and darkly muttered, "Someone has to watch after that hyper creature." As if he'd suddenly had a thought, Hatori began searching his pockets. "Here, you can borrow my car for the evening." He glared at me. "Return it in the morning, or else."
I automatically reached out to catch the keys that were thrown at my head. I stared blankly at them, before stupidly asking, "And how exactly are you getting home, Ha-san?"
"I'm walking, mutt," he bluntly stated.
Slowly, I nodded at this short, pointed response. "Well, thank you. Be safe on your way home, okay? Don't take any strange candy from men, or candy from strange men, or –"I laughed and dodged another set of keys, though these had been chucked significantly lower.
With a wave of his hand, Hatori commanded, "Don't mess this one up, Shigure." He twitched, as though the words pained him, but added, "You might have had a few nice relationships thus far, but this one is anything but puppy love."
I groaned. "That was very, very lame. And you should be thrown in jail for making such a stupid, obvious pun in regards to my part of the curse!" I muttered, annoyed at his choice of words.
Hatori ignored my mutterings about serving time in solitary confinement. Instead, he chose to offer me a bit of advice – "If you give her a chance, that girl will return your feelings, Shigure."
That made me smile, and I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Hatori, for everything."
He simply nodded in response. Nonetheless, I knew that he easily understood the depth of my emotions, because he'd had Kana in his life, and the two of them were happy together, if only for a while. The dragon was forced to give up his mate, and he was warning me against making stupid mistakes in order to prevent such a thing from recurring.
And I didn't want to lose my precious girlfriend. I was in head over heels in love with her, for better or for worse. Sammy held my heart in her small hands. I could only hope that she didn't break it.
***Author's Note***
This chapter has been updated, too! AND IT IS MUCH, MUCH, MUCH LONGER! So, please read it again, if you have the time.
Thanks you once again for all of the wonderful reviews and continued support. ;)
P.S. This is from the previous note...
"Next chapter will be done in Sammy's POV, in which she will relate what she thinks of her darling boyfriend. Is it love? Who knows? :D
Also, it will contain the information actually regarding the date, for those of you that are interested."
