A/N: I'm forever grateful to the many readers every day and I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Thank you for a full week!
If you felt the last chapter was somewhat strange.. Well, don't worry. With this chapter, we're wrapping that up.
Concerning Naru and Keitaro's trip to their parents. I really don't have many ideas for at Keitaro's parents' place.. But perhaps at Naru's. (Sorry no spoilers!) I guess it's because, we only got to see a couple of pages of it in the manga. Don't worry, I'll figure something out!
Samshan: Lucky? I guess you would refer to his awesome Fiancé. I think Naru could actually, according to original character, react to it like in that way. It felt natural anyway. (Sorry Kitsune!)
darkalex08: I'm glad you liked it! And I've yet to decide how the battle will unfold.. I'm not even sure who should partake in it. I guess it will be decided as the story develops. (You're fine BTW)
Salad Enterprises: I placed it at the very bottom of the story, underneath my A/N, so people can read it if they feel like it. I just have a feeling, some readers might find it interesting.
Weird Beard: A warning? Haha, I think I had bit different approach in this chapter. I hope you still enjoy it though.
I love your logic! But if they followed that logic in the original, I don't see how Motoko would have become the girl she is? And Naru for that matter too? But thanks for the input.
I'm glad I haven't made Naru.. strange (different 'angry', from her normal 'angry').
Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina or any of the characters, Ken Akamatsu does. Damn you! *Raises fist in the air*
Timeline of Love Hina: Keitaro Urashima has already failed twice in his entry exams to get into Tokyo University. Naru hasn't graduated Highschool yet, so she is spending most her time either at school or at her room, studying with Keitaro. Last month they both passed their center exams, after Keitaro had fled, when he failed the mock exam again. It's the 1st of February 1999 and Valentines Day is coming up...
- In the hallway -
Naru had stopped outside Keitaro's room. At first Keitaro was relieved, that she had stopped pulling him by his collar. But in the split of a second, she had pushed him up against the wall.
Still as tense, as he had been in Kitsune's room, he looked into her eyes. They didn't seem to be filled with the same anger from before. He couldn't quite place the emotions behind them, but it troubled him seeing her like this.
Smack! Naru had just slapped Keitaro in the face. Keitaro's head was the only thing, that moved with the hit. A big red mark of a hand, formed on his left cheek. Looking back at her, he could see tears streaming down her cheeks.
He didn't get angry, he just looked at her with compassion. If she felt like it, he would let her, let all her anger out at him.
"How could you?.." Naru said in a tone, slightly higher than normal.
Keitaro could feel, that she was quite obviously upset. He wanted apologise to her, even though he wasn't quite sure what for. "I.." He didn't get to continue, before he was interrupted.
Naru had landed another slap on his face, to the same side. This time he didn't turn his head back, to look at her. He kept staring at the floor, listening to what Naru had to say.
"How could you just let her touch you like that?! Why didn't you do anything?" Naru asked him.
Keitaro felt so low, having reduced Naru to tears. He didn't know, why he hadn't just pushed away Kitsune, once she had started advancing on him. He felt weak, for not protecting their relationship, like he should be. "I'm sorry.. Naru." He apologised, looking back into her eyes. He wanted to smile.. to make her smile. But he didn't dare. If he did, he didn't know if she'd try to kill him or break down into even more tears.
"Don't you care for me?!" Naru asked, almost screaming at him.
Keitaro collected himself from the startling question, before replying. "Of course I do.. I.. I love you Naru!" Naru let her tears stream freely, grabbed him once again by the collar and swiftly moved in to kiss him. Keitaro put his arms around her.
A few seconds later, he pulled away and asked. "So.. I'm not in trouble?" He tried giving her a small smile, which she instantly returned.
"Baka!" She said, before putting her arm his neck and kissing him again.
The next thing Keitaro did, took Naru totally off guard. While not breaking the kiss, he lifted her up from the floor and held each of her legs in each hand at his sides.
Naru let Keitaro take over and put herself into his loving care.
Keitaro slid open the doors to his room and carried Naru inside. Not bothering to turn on the light, he closed the doors behind him again and went directly for the futon on the floor. He gently laid Naru down, before laying down beside her and pulling her in for a deep kiss.
Once they parted again, Naru laid her head on his chest. She could listen closely, as his heart beat strongly in his chest. "Do something like that again and I'll kill you.." She said to him, quite seriously.
Keitaro gave a slight chuckle. "I thought you would stab me with a bunch of pencils." He replied, making Naru to give him a soft punch.
Soon both of them calmed down and fell asleep, Naru with Keitaro's arms wrapped around her. It had been a hectic night. Probably more for Naru, than for Keitaro.
Her troubling emotions hadn't disappeared either, but his embrace soothed her.
- 2nd February 1999, Next Morning: Keitaro's room -
Light shone through the crack in the doors, to the porch of Keitaro's room. Naru stirred from her sleep and slowly stretched her body. Yawning and opening her eyes, she saw he beloved Fiancé still sleeping soundlessly. While smiling, she kissed Keitaro on the nose tip and got up from the futon. She would just let him sleep a little longer, while she washed herself.
Tiptoeing over to position herself under the hole in the ceiling, Naru made an almost soundless set-off with her feet and grabbed on to the edge of the hole. She pushed aside the lid over the hole and pulled herself through, entering her own room.
She thought it was a lot more convenient now, now that they were getting married. A direct access to Keitaro's room was pretty helpful, should she need him for anything.
It was certainly better, then having it as a peep-hole for Keitaro.
Naru returning downstairs twenty minutes later, the same way she exited, she found Keitaro putting on a shirt.
Hearing a sound behind him, Keitaro turned around. He smiled, when he saw Naru there and wearing a simple white short dress, cut to a little above her knees.
When Naru saw him look at her, she spun herself around once, letting her hair fly around, giving him a good look of her attire. "What do you think?" She asked him.
"Beautiful.." Keitaro blurted out, without a second thought, making Naru slightly blush.
Naru walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek, before saying. "Thank you. I'll be downstairs when you're ready." She left, when Keitaro gave her a nod.
He continued dressing himself. It was just some plain pants with a white shirt, nothing fancy. He knew he was gonna meet her parents today, but he wanted to keep it casual. Something too stiff, might make him unable to breathe.
- Downstairs in the living room -
"Hello, Hinata Residence. Who am I speaking with?" Naru heard Haruka ask someone, through the phone. Naru walked over to the nearest armchair and leaned against the backside of it, watching Haruka talking at the phone.
"Oh, hello miss Urashima!" Haruka said, alerting Naru that it was Keitaro's mother. "You want to talk to Naru? Alright, just a moment." Haruka put a hand to the phone and turned to Naru.
"Keitaro's mother's on the phone and want's to speak with you. I didn't even know, she knew you?" Haruka told her.
Naru almost slapped herself. There was yet another person, they had forgotten to tell about their engagement!
But pulling herself together and moved up to receive the phone from Haruka. Naru shrugged to Haruka, who just handed her the phone.
"Narusegawa, Naru here." Naru said through the phone. "Oh, hi. Yes Keitaro told me he called you."
Haruka stood listening to the one side of Naru's conversation, arms folded over her chest and leaned against a pole, supporting the main structure of the building.
Naru went beet red at one point, backing up into the desk, the phone was sitting on top of. "Y-yeah.. Not for another couple of years at least.." Naru gave a nervous chuckle, as she answered miss Urashima. "Alright, we'll be over tomorrow instead then. Bye!" Naru said and hang up.
Haruka looked at Naru with a questioning look. "So.. What was that about?" She asked her.
Naru was stilling blushing from the conversation with Keitaro's mother, but pulled herself together to answer Haruka's question. "She just wanted to say, she wasn't home today, so we have to postpone our visit to her."
Haruka sighed at Naru's answer, not seeming satisfied with it. "Alright, but why would she wanna talk with you? And what did she ask you?"
Naru looked to her feet, as she answered her questions. "Well.. I'm sorry you weren't told before, but Keitaro and I are getting married.." Haruka just smirked, but didn't interrupt her yet. Naru walked up close to Haruka and whispered into her around. Just one word. "Children.."
She almost fell over from laughter. "I guess her wish is based on, not having met you yet.." Naru gave her an annoyed glare. "Also, nothing gets by me here. I saw him propose to you the night before yesterday. You could at least have been a bit more restrained!" Haruka said teasingly. "I find it hard to see Keitaro as a father figure."
"A father figure?" Keitaro asked, having just come down the stairs, causing both of them to look at him. Naru blushed again, not really sure how to get out of this one.
Luckily Haruka took over and said. "Naru was just on the phone with your mother. She wanted to tell you she wasn't home today, so she had to postpone your visit to tomorrow." Naru nodded agreeing.
Keitaro smiled, knowing something Naru didn't. "Oh, I see. That explains everything. I guess we'll just go to your parents today then, Naru." He told Naru, to which she nodded.
"Come on, we gotta hurry!" Naru said, grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the Hinata.
Keitaro didn't know what was so urgent. "What?!" He exclaimed.
"If you're gonna see my parents, you're gonna have to buy me breakfast on the way. They are always early to rise in the morning and we're already late!" Naru told him.
"Late for what?" Keitaro thought to himself, as they ran down the stone stairs. Haruka just waved them off in the entrance.
"Where did Naru-sempai and Sempai go?" Shinobu asked, coming up behind Haruka.
Haruka didn't turn around, as she answered her. "They went to see Naru's parents and her little sister." Shinobu was a bit surprised to hear this.
"Naru-sempai has a little sister?!" Shinobu asked. Naru hadn't told many about her little sister at the Hinata, so it was only natural. Haruka hummed a yes.
- Break -
A/N: I'm deeply sorry for the crazy ending to the night! I just imagined Naru emotional and I think I went a bit overboard this time.. I'll try to calm things down a bit after this or I might end up with something totally different, then I really want.
(It has been one hell of a long evening!)
I so want to rewrite that last part of the night. To make Naru run to her room, after Keitaro apologised.. I just found it hard. I had two different options in my mind.. Either stir up some trouble or let her forgive him, but keep her troubles bottled up inside.
Reconsidering the situation:
1. Kitsune really didn't get to do that much. 2. Naru overreacted slightly. = It would have been weird, if she shut herself off because of that. She's a strong girl after all.
It seems I'm getting less and less done, as I go into details. I'm just afraid I'd be speeding past things too fast, if I toned down on the details. Tell me what you think I should do.
As always.. Please review! Any little tip will get me going!
- Thanks for reading and the many reviews!
My opinion on the Hinata Characters
Mitsune 'Kitsune' Konno:
Kitsune I seriously love! She's the life of a party and I can always imagine her pulling the most crazy pranks. Some people might not like her, because she takes things so lightly and can hardly ever be serious. But I can see that used in some funny situations.
Beside being a 'drunk-at-heart', I find that she can have some other interesting sides to her.
Being Naru's best friend, always gets me thinking. Naru, a hard-working student, and Kitsune, a casual freelance writer. Even though they are two opposites, they're inseparable.
A couple of words to describe Kitsune: Casual freelance writer and a 'drunk-at-heart'.
Kitsune hardly ever has the patience to listen, so be short and precise!