Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rosario Vampire. I am merely twisting the creator's vision into my own dream. If the supernatural, sexuality, or violence is offensive to you, than you should not read this.

Chapter 220

"I want you to know I appreciate the effort you're making," Tsukune said as Inari served dinner in the koban. "But it really is not necessary."

"I know it's not necessary," Inari said with a smile. "If it was, I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much."

"If you say so," Tsukune responded.

"You know I like doing what I can to help and support you," Inari said as she sat down across the desk from her captain. "And I plan on making a career out of it."

"I wish I understood what you saw in me," Tsukune complained before taking a bite of food. After he swallowed he continued. "Because it sure makes you cook some good food."

"I'm glad you like it," Inari said with a small smile and a matching blush in her cheeks.

"You're a very good cook," Tsukune said. "Sometimes I wonder why I don't get fat with so many women wanting to feed me."

"We just want to help you stay healthy and keep your energy up," Inari said. "You always work so hard."

"Oh yes," Tsukune said gesturing to the quiet koban and the desk serving as a dinner table. "This is such hard work." He gave a small laugh. "After I wash a few dishes, I'm going to take a walk and look for something to do just to justify my pay."

"I'm sure you'll find something," Inari smirked. "You have a way of attracting trouble."

"Inari," Tsukune gave her a wide smile. "Your confidence is very warming. Kind of like a heavy blanket... In August."

"Awww..." Inari pouted. "It's not my fault you need looking after."

Tsukune gave her a mock dirty look as he continued to eat.

"But I'm glad you do," Inari Continued. "It gives me something I can do for you."

"I don't need looking after," Tsukune protested.

"Sure you do," Inari argued. "My mother always said that all men need a woman to look after them, and the more capable the man, the more capable the woman has to be. It just so happens that you are so capable that you need more than one woman."

"Ah, ha," Tsukune responded.

"That's why I should move in to your building," Inari went on smoothly. "So I can help Ruby look after you."

"You want to move in?" Tsukune questioned.

"Of course I do," Inari said. "So I can be close to you, and so I have a shorter commute to school."

"The second part is a good reason at least," Tsukune agreed.

"Besides..." Inari continued with a drawl. "Now that I have a way to get around on my own, I don't have to worry about how I am going to get to work and classes."

"A way to get around?" Tsukune asked. "Do I want to know?"

"It was right after our last shift together," Inari said with a shy smile. She liked having Tsukune paying attention to her every word. "Your friend, Lord Gray came to the village to find me. He said that he had been talking to the Board Chairman, and that I had earned a reward."

"Inari," Tsukune warned. "When the Board Chairman wants to give you something, it usually has hooks in it. Barbed hooks."

"That's fine with me," Inari said with a sharp look in her eyes. "As long as it helps me to be closer to you. Now I have my own motorcycle familiar, so I can get around to take care of my responsibilities, and not be a burden on you. At the same time, I can still be close to you." A wicked smile lit up her face. "And I don't have to worry about using up my favor points asking you for rides."

"Ahh, yeah," Tsukune nodded. He really didn't have anything he could add to that.

XxxxxxxX

Inari laid in her bunk and waited for sleep to come. It was almost midnight and she was wide awake. She was aware, as she was every night she shared the koban with him, of Tsukune sleeping above her. She was used to having to hold off from trying to climb up into his bunk with him. But what was bothering her that night was something else.

Inari was wrestling with the decision of if she should tell Tsukune about her injury or not. A part of her wanted to tell him the truth of her injury, about having lost the ability to ever be a mother, because it might help him understand why Mizore had decided to get pregnant when she had, because it might make Tsukune feel better about what had happened, and Inari wanted Tsukune to be happy. Of course telling Tsukune about her injury could have other effects as well. One of the reasons she was holding off was because she was worried that Tsukune would feel guilty, and she didn't want to do that to him.

Inari's feelings when it came to telling Tsukune about her injury were complicated. While she didn't want to make him feel bad, she knew that a guilty feeling Tsukune might be willing to do things to help her feel better. It could be a tool to work her way closer to him. But it would be an underhanded way and she didn't feel right thinking that way. Another reason she was keeping her injury to herself was a sense of fear. Fear of rejection. It was almost a funny thing for her to worry about, but it was still in her thoughts. Inari worried that if Tsukune knew what she had lost, that he would think less of her as a woman. Or was it that he would see her as less of a woman... Less than a woman?

Inari wanted Tsukune to take her as a lover. She wanted to know what it felt like to by held, and kissed, and to become caught up in physical pleasures as their bodies came together as one. Inari was very much aware that Tsukune was a man, and that she was a woman. She wanted Tsukune to see her as a woman, a loving, sensual woman that had something to offer, something they could share. Inari did not want Tsukune to think of her as less of a woman, or as something other than a woman. Having him let his guard down around her because he accepted her in his life and was willing to let her close would be wonderful. Him letting his guard down because he thought of her as just a person, a lieutenant, an underling, or some other genderless title, was something painful to even think about.

As Inari laid in her bunk, looking up at where Tsukune slept above her, she thought about all the things she wanted to say, wanted to do. Of course thinking about what she wanted to do made her want to do those things even more. Inari was fuming about the unfairness of it all when sleep sneaked up on her. She slipped from frustrated conscious thoughts into dreams that just refused to give her satisfaction.

XxxxxxxxX

When Inari woke up from her restless night the next morning she felt like her head was full of sand. Blinking her vision clear she checked the alarm clock and saw she had another twenty minutes before the alarm was set to go off. She shook off the temptation of going back to sleep in favor of a shower to help her wake up. As quietly as she could she rolled out of her bunk and slipped out of the sleep room.

As she headed for the locker room and shower, Inari grumbled to herself about how unfair the night had been. Not only had it been too short, but her dreams of Tsukune had gone around in circles, never letting her have even an imaginary romantic moment with him. She knew that her dreams were going to haunt her all day. Yawning as she went into the locker room she was sure she was imagining the scent of Tsukune's body as if he had slept with her. His scent was so real she could almost taste it as she yawned.

Finishing her yawn, Inari was able to think a little clearer and be more alert. That was when she noticed how humid it was in the locker room. Details leaped into focus then. Tsukune's track suit was hanging off the open door of his locker. The sound of dripping water was coming from the shower stall. The door to the shower was open. Tsukune stood half way out of the shower, one hand on the door, the other hand stretched out to reach for his towel.

Tsukune himself was completely bare. Water was still dripping from his body, matting his hair. His collection of scars was on clear display. Inari realized that she was looking at a completely naked Tsukune. She lost the ability to think right as her mouth dropped open and her body froze in place. Inari drank in ever detail of the vision in front of her.

"Inari..." Tsukune said without moving. "Inari," Tsukune said again when it appeared that she had not heard him the first time."

"Huh?" Inari Blinked.

"Inari," Tsukune tried again.

"Yes?" Inari's voice cracked.

"The door," Tsukune said helpfully.

Inari took a moment to understand what Tsukune was saying. She realized that she was standing in the doorway of the locker room, letting all the warm air out. She quickly closed the door and leaned against it.

"Sorry sorry," Inair said, still in the locker room watching Tsukune.

"Um..." Tsukune retreated into the shower stall and pulled the door mostly shut. "Inari, I was just taking a shower after a jog."

"Oh," Inari nodded. It made sense that he might do that, both the shower and the jogging part. "I was going to take a shower because I was feeling groggy. I didn't get any rest because I kept dreaming about trying to sleep with you."

"That's fine," Tsukune said with just his head sticking of of the shower stall. "I'll be done in a moment."

"Alright," Inari said. She stood up straight and pulled off her sleeping shirt.

Tsukune made a choking sound and disappeared behind the door to the shower stall. Inari had only worn an oversized shirt and her panties to bed. He had seen her naked once before, but that had been in kind of an emergency situation. Seeing her undress intentionally was another thing all together. He had to take a few breaths to get his brain firing on all cylinders again. He had already been thrown off balance when she had entered the locker room a good twenty minutes before he had even expected her to wake up. Tsukune wasn't exactly shy about being naked around women any more, but he just didn't have that kind of relationship with Inari.

Once Tsukune had calmed himself down enough to thing straight, he started took a breath to tell Inari to get dressed and wait for him, out of the locker room, for him to finish. He never got the chance. Inari pulled the stall door open, standing naked in front of him. Tsukune wondered what was going on, but then he noticed the glassy look in Inari's eyes.

"Inari!" Tsukune said sharply. "What are you doing?"

"Huh... What?" Inari gave herself a little shake. It was like coming out of a trance. Inari suddenly realized what exactly she had been doing. She had been getting ready to take a sower with Tsukune as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Now that her mind was finally awake, she was aware that she was in a small, inclosed space, completely naked, with an equally naked Tsukune.

"Eeeep," Inari suddenly wanted to hide. The only thing she could think of was to cover herself, and the only thing in the shower was Tsukune. She grabbed on to him and pressed her body to his, trying to hide as much as she could from his eyes. "I'msorrydon'tlookI'msorryIdidn'tknowwhatIwasdoingI'msorry..."

Inari was babbling in a near panic. She had her body pushed up against Tsukune's, and her face pressed against his chest. Her arms were around him and her eyes were closed as she tried to think of what she should do. She guessed that because she had been dreaming about Tsukune all night, and had woken up so tired, that she had gotten confused when she had walked in on him. It was just like one of her dreams, where she would have a chance to be close to him, and it would just turn in to something casual. She thought that after a shower they would just get dressed like nothing had happened, because that was the kind of dreams she had been having all night. It was so frustrating because she wanted to be close to him, she wanted to make love to him, and all he ever did was treat her as a friend, and not even as a girlfriend, or even as a woman at all. It wasn't fair that she had to see him in her dreams and still not get to feel him and touch him and... and... why was Tsukune laughing?

What Inari had not realized was that every thought that was running through her head was coming right out her mouth. She was babbling, but Tsukune was catching every word. Her nervousness helped him to calm down. As she went on, almost not stopping to breath, he was able to see the humor in the situation. After his own nervousness from a moment ago, Tsukune found himself starting to laugh.

Tsukune's laughter interrupted Inari's thoughts. She felt a flash of anger that Tsukune was laughing at her. She looked up at last and saw his laughing face, and that he was not even looking in her direction.

"Tsukune!" Inari protested with a stomp of her foot.

Tsukune couldn't help it. He looked down to see Inari's face, still red with embarrassment, and now with an angry frown, looking up at him. He tried to stop, but only managed to pause before laughing even harder.

"You..."Inari pulled away from Tsukune, letting go of him so she could shove him away. In the confined space of the shower stall there was really no space for him to be pushed to. "Why are you laughing?"

"Sorry..." Tsukune managed to choke out as he tried to control his laughter. "It's just that you..." He had to pause as he snorted with laughter again.

"Tsukune!" Inari protested as she tried to punch him in the chest. "How can you be laughing when we are both in here naked."

"Who's fault is that?" Tsukune demanded.

"I didn't realize what I was doing," Inari complained.

"But why don't you leave?" Tsukune asked with a pained expression from holding in his laughter.

"I was embarrassed and didn't want you watching me while I was naked when I left," Inari argued.

"You're still naked now," Tsukune pointed out. "And you're trying to hide it."

"Damn it," Inari cursed. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Get out," Tsukune said.

"You get out," Inari demanded.

"Alright," Tsukune moved to the door, which was behind Inari. Inari had not thought about that, she just saw Tsukune coming towards her in his naked glory.

"What are you doing?" Inari cried.

"The door is behind you," Tsukune explained.

"Well don't just rush at me," Inair turned and moved so Tsukune could get past her.

"Sorry," Tsukune said with a chuckle as he moved by her.

Once Tsukune was safely out of the shower and had the stall door between him and Inari, he he let out a relieved sigh. The humor of the situation was not lost on him, and he was still smiling as he finally had a chance to dry off and get dressed. In she shower stall, Inari leaned against a wall and tried to decide of she should feel embarrassed or angry.

"Tsukune," Inari called out.

"I'm just getting dressed," Tsukune answered. "I'll be out of the way in a moment."

"I just wanted to ask you why you were laughing," Inari said.

"It's not what you're thinking," Tsukune said. He could hear a hurt tone in her voice. "It was just a reaction because of how awkward the situation was." Thinking about it made him chuckle again.

"What?" Inari demanded, hearing him. "What is it?"

"Just think about it for a little while," Tsukune responded.

"Noooo," Inari complained. "Tell me. Please?"

"Inari..." Tsukune sighed. "Alright." He took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"Well?" Inari demanded impatiently.

"Alright," Tsukune began. "Back when Kurumu was still trying to get me to see her as more than just a friend, she had offered to wash my back, frequently. Any time I mentioned wanting to take a bath, she would make the offer. One time she even sneaked into my bathroom during a trip home, in nothing but a towel, to try to get me to see her as.. more than a friend."

"I can see that," Inari said. "I can understand what she was trying to do and why..."

"I know you can," Tsukune went on. "And I know that she would have loved the chance to just happen to walk in on me coming out of the shower like you just did."

"I'm sorry about that," Inari squeaked.

"Ahh, yeah..." Tsukune continued, hanging up his towel. "So then you decided to sleepwalk your way into the shower with me."

"I didn't.." Inari tried to defend herself.

"You didn't mean to," Tsukune said for her as he started pulling on his clean clothes. "You just happened to be so tired, or stunned, or whatever, that you got undressed and walked into the shower with me."

"That's it," Inari agreed.

"My point is," Tsukune explained. "That I have had other beautiful women besides you telling me that they love me, and wanting to find some opportunity to get me to look at their bodies, hoping I will get excited or something, so that I will see them as someone I would want to be physically close to."

"Yes," Inari said to let Tsukune know she was paying attention.

Tsukune realized that she just wasn't getting it. He was almost done dressing so he felt safe to leave the locker room. He decided to go out with a bang, in a way.

"Let me explain it in another way," Tsukune said. "Imagine if you and I both woke up when the alarm went off. We get out of bed, yawn and stretch, and start moving to get ready for the day."

"Alright..." Inari said, not sure where Tsukune was going with his explanation.

"Now it's just you and me alone," Tsukune continued. "And I tell you that I am going to go and take a shower..."

"OK," Inari nodded.

"I say... 'I'm going to take a quick shower before I get dressed. Want to join me?' How would you answer me?" Tsukune asked.

"You know I would say yes," Inari responded.

"Yes I do," Tsukune said. "That's why I don't ask you, even as a joke."

"I wish you would," Inari mumbled.

"But I am sure that there have been times when we have been on duty together," Tsukune said. "That you had thought about just slipping in and surprising me when I was in the shower."

"May~be," Inari said in an exaggerated cute voice.

"If you were just trying to see my undressed," Tsukune went on. "You would just be looking for ways to peek. Maybe by shifting to your smallest form and hiding in the corner."

"I never thought of that," Inari complained.

"But if you were trying to get me to look at you, you would have to be bold," Tsukune said. "And purposely undress, ether when I couldn't help but watch you, or to get ready to put yourself in front of me in a way I couldn't help but see your body."

"Ah huh," Inari said, feeling her body heating up as she imagined what Tsukune was describing.

"So this morning," Tsukune went on, starting to smile at the humor of the situation again. "You walked in on me as I was naked and wet, coming out of the shower. You undressed in front of me, and then got in the shower stall with me. And then, when you finally realized what you were doing, you grabbed on to me, all embarrassed, and telling me not to look a you."

"I..." Inari's brain hurt as the full meaning of Tsukune's words hit her.

"So you got something you wanted," Tsukune said as he headed for the exit. "But you didn't even realize it. I just couldn't help but laugh at your reaction."

"I... You..." Inair struggled.

"Enjoy your shower," Tsukune said as he ducked out of the locker room.

Inari stood in the shower stall for a minute as everything came together in her mind. The scent of Tsukune was all around her. She had been alone with Tsukune in the small shower stall, with both of them naked, their bodies pressed up against each other...

"Noooooooo..."