Chapter three! This is the last chapter~! Oh, and about the previous chapter, when Hinaichigo was wielding the cleaver, check out the link on my profile. You will never look at Hina the same way again.

Oh, and sorry if there are errors or mistakes in this, I had to upload in a hurry :3 But there shouldn't be that many.

Otherwise, enjoy! XD

Of Dolls and Drinks

Chapter Three

"Do you have some sort of an inbuilt alarm that tells you when to turn up at the worst possible time?" Jun glared at the unwelcome intruder. Suigintou would have smirked again; the only problem was that she already was.

"As usual, you have impeccable timing," Souseiseki had her scissors at the ready. "Will you leave or shall I feel obliged to slice up those wings?"

"S-Sui-gin…hic…tou…?" Shinku stood, slumped forward so her fringe obscured the upper three quarters of her face. She brought her hands to her sides, easily breaking free from the tight bonds around her wrists as if the rope was made of flimsy paper. The others gasped.

"H-How did she…" A pale and pasty-faced Suiseiseki clutched at her twin's arm as they slowly backed away from her towards Suigintou, who was both confused and a little put-off by their rather vapid reaction to her arrival. She had been hoping for a little chaos, perhaps some dramatic pre-battle speeches before they got down to business, but it seemed Souseiseki and the other dolls failed to deliver. Hopefully, though, the real target of her attack, Shinku, would be a little more entertaining.

On the other hand, Suigintou thought, there was a something a little…odd about Shinku today; she just couldn't quite put a finger on what exactly. Perhaps it was the way she looked as if she was about to trip over her own feet, or the way her words seemed to come out garbled and indistinct. Was there something wrong with her spring? Was she winding down? She'd heard Souseiseki going on about her finding out about something that would make her furious.

Regardless of what Suigintou suspected, she would very soon find out for herself.

The black doll floated to the ground and scowled at her sisters, still moving fearfully towards her.

"Out of the way, idiots. I have no time to waste on weak fools. I am here for Shi – " Suigintou was abruptly silenced by Shinku's lips. The blonde lurched onto her, and they toppled over, Shinku landing on top.

Shinku's…

…lips…

Nori fainted, blood gushing out of her nose.

It was as if the world suddenly froze, as if time itself had stopped to watch the remarkable, if rather disconcerting, scene of Shinku kissing Suigintou on the lips. There was utter silence. Even Hinaichigo had ceased her frightened whimpering.

Then, Jun could almost hear the imaginary clunk! as Suiseiseki's jaw metaphorically hit the ground.

The kiss seemed to last forever, when in fact it had probably taken only five seconds or so. When Shinku finally drew back from Suigintou, both dolls were flushed; Shinku was grinning smugly, licking her bottom lip whilst Suigintou seemed to have suddenly decided she was made of stone. Wide-eyed and utterly speechless, the silver haired doll slowly raised her fingers to touch her lips.

The silence continued on for some time.

"Well, how did you like…hic...that?"

Suigintou stared up at Shinku with something like a cross between wonder, shock and absolute horror.

"Th-that was my first…kiss…"

At this, Jun snapped.

"WHAT THE HELL, YOU JUST GOT PASHED BY YOUR MOST HATED ARCH-ENEMY SISTER AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT IT BEING YOUR FIRST KISS?"

For once, Suigintou looked lost, as if uncertain of what to think. She pressed her fingertips against her lips and avoided the others' shocked gazes, blushing and looking somewhat bashful.

"That's right…hic…how does it feel…hic…now that I've stolen your lips…?"

Jun facepalmed.

"Why the hell does this remind me of some shoujo manga?" Honestly, it was like some scene out of a clichéd romance movie.

"Oi! Get a grip!"

Suigintou's eyes widened and she managed to hurriedly reassemble some semblance of her former hostile self. Glaring at Shinku, she pushed the doll roughly away and rose to her feet, summoning her sword.

"D-don't fool with me, Shinku! I'll be taking your Rosa Mystica!"

Unfortunately, death threats didn't seem to penetrate the thick, stuporous, alcohol-induced haze currently clouding Shinku's sensible mind. Instead, a wicked smile spread across her face and licked the corner of her lips, winking saucily at Suigintou.

"Oh, Gin-chan…" the silver-haired doll shivered at the use of this new nickname "…you're always acting so cold towards me…"

"St-stay away!" Suigintou realised she was trembling slightly.

"You're like an ice queen…" Shinku gently placed one hand on top of Suigintou's own shaky ones.

"…sitting in a locked up tower far away…" the red doll leaned in towards her sister's face. Suigintou had seemingly lost all ability to move. Her sword clattered to the ground from her loose hands.

"…cold…distant…"

"The hell is she going on about?" As usual, Jun completely failed to read the atmosphere.

"…beautiful…" Shinku paused. She tilted Suigintou's chin towards her with a finger. "…and untouchable?"

Suigintou closed her eyes as Shinku leaned in once more, and…

"FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"

Suigintou's eyes snapped open as Shinku was abruptly jerked away. Jun was about to shake her roughly by the shoulders when she suddenly slumped down unconscious in his arms.

"Eh? Did she wind down?"

It seemed that Souseiseki had finally regained her senses, as she knelt by Shinku's side, inspecting the fallen doll.

"No, I think she just passed out."

"Unyuu…why was Shinku kissing Suigintou? I thought they hated each other?"

"Now listen here, Chibi Ichigo! What Shinku was wrong! Wrong, you hear me! You're not allowed to do that to any of us, got that? Kissing your sister like that is WRONG!"

Hinaichigo nodded furiously.

"Honestly, what was Shinku thinking, scarring a young innocent mind like that? And YOU!" Suiseiseki pointed a quivering finger at the still-disorientated Suigintou. "You! Don't tell me you were enjoying that, desu?"

"N-NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Though her cheeks were still flushed, she wore the expression that came whenever someone called her 'junk'.

"HA! Then why are you blushing, huh? Admit it! You've wanted Shinku since forever!"

"HAVE NOT! WHY WOULD I WANT THAT USELESS PIECE OF JUNK? SHE'S NOTHING BUT JUNK, I TELL YOU! JUUUUUNNNNK!"

"Oh, look who's in denial~!" Suiseiseki sang.

"Well, you know they say the first stage of love is denial, Suiseiseki," added Souseiseki. Unfortunately, this only served to incense the already furious Suigintou.

"I AM NOT IN DENIAL!"

"Shinku can't ever accept your feelings if you don't accept them yourself, desu."

"WHAT ARE YOU NOW, SOME RELATIONSHIP COUNSELLOR?"

"Actually…"

"Oh god, don't give her ideas," said Souseiseki, rolling her eyes.

"JUNK! I'LL TURN YOU ALL INTO JUNK!" Bright red with humiliation, Suigintou summoned her sword, but before she could take a swing at the Gardener twins, they were already at the door, about to leave.

"Well then, bye Suigintou. Have a good, nice long think about your true feelings."

"I AM NOT SECRETLY IN LOVE WITH SHINKU!"

Souseiseki smirked.

"I didn't say anything. I just told you to think about how you really feel. Bye, then."

"Wait!"

Jun suddenly found himself staring down the tip of Suigintou's sword.

"Are you trying to take my eye out?"

"No, but that's a good idea. I demand an explanation for…for…" Suigintou trailed off, once again blushing as red as Shinku's dress.

"Oh, you want to know why Shinku suddenly kissed you?"

"Don't say it out loud!" The silver-haired doll hissed, eyes narrowing into two deadly slits of magenta.

Jun sighed. Discretion seemed to completely desert Suigintou when it came to matters concerning Shinku.

"She got a bit drunk on wine."

"WHAT?"

"Hinaichigo accidentally put wine in her teapot!"

"HINAICHIGO!" Suigintou looked like she was about ready to shred the little doll into bits.

"N-noooo, d-d-don't kill Hina!"

"Well, actually it was kind of my fault that I didn't check it before I gave it to her…"

"MORON! YOU'RE HER MEDIUM! AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE TAKING CARE OF HER? AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE MAKING SURE THINGS LIKE THIS DON'T HAPPEN? AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING HER ROSA MYSTICA?"

There was a brief silence in which Jun stared down at Suigintou with one eyebrow raised, and Suiseiseki and Souseiseki exchanged knowing glances. Suigintou herself suddenly seemed to realise the implications of her outburst and clapped a hand to her mouth.

"I'll just shut up now."

She walked over to the mirror and shot one last death glare at Jun and her sisters.

"You will not ever speak of this in front of Shinku. Do you hear me? Never."

~ The next morning ~

Jun blinked as the morning sunlight trickled into his room. He sat up in his bed, yawning, when there was the click of his door opening and Suiseiseki and Souseiseki walked in.

"Oh, so you decided to use the door for once."

"That's because we can't break your window."

"Huh, looks like you finally – " Jun stopped abruptly when he realised the reason they couldn't break his window was because it was already broken.

"You…"

"Hurry up and get Shinku to fix it, desu!"

"What, so you can break it again?"

"Is she alright?" Souseiseki glanced worriedly at the doll's closed case. After collapsing into a drunken heap the previous day, they had put her in her case, and she'd slept for the rest of yesterday, all of last night through til the morning.

"Shinku? You awake?"

There was a small click as the lid swung open to reveal a very wretched looking Shinku. She sat up, one hand pressed against her forehead, looking as sick as a doll can look.

"So noisy…" she managed to glower weakly at Jun. "Hurry up and get me a cup of tea. I have a splitting headache."

"Are you sure you don't want coffee? I hear they're good for hangovers."

"Hangovers?" By the bewildered look upon Shinku's face, Jun realised his mistake and winced. She had no recollection whatsoever of the previous day's events.

"D-don't you remember? What happened…yesterday…" he trailed off, a sense of great foreboding rising up within him. Shinku frowned.

"No. I remember watching Kunkun, though, and then nothing after that." She rubbed her temple. "And I remember the tea you gave me yesterday left a horrendous aftertaste, and after that…" Her eyes widened suddenly, and her hand went to her mouth, fingers brushing against her lips. A red glow crept across her pale cheeks.

"Sh-Shinku…?"

"Jun, I think there are some things I wish to make very clear with you."

CRAP.

Shinku stood, a strangely terrifying smile upon her face; one that didn't match the cold fury in her icy blue eyes. She was quivering slightly, and he suddenly because painfully aware of the fact that she'd picked up her cane and was shifting it from one hand to another like it was some sort of a cudgel.

Shinku reckoned Jun wasn't too young to be bludgeoned to within half an inch of his life.

~ One week later ~

"Shinku, it has been 170 hours and 23 minutes since we last…" Suigintou's evil smirk was momentarily displaced by a look of unsuccessfully masked mortification as she bit down on her lip. Shinku too, was suddenly turning a colour that matched her dress. Jun glanced from one to the other; the air was heavy with the kind of awkward silence that comes about when both parties present suddenly recollect some unpleasant memory. Shinku cleared her throat.

"You must certainly be mistaken, Suigintou."

"Of course."

"Of course." Souseiseki and Suiseiseki echoed. Hinaichigo looked as if she was about to say something but was silenced as Suiseiseki clamped her hand down on Hina's mouth.

If there is one thing Jun has learnt about the Rozen Maiden, it is this: do not ever, for God's sake, let them anywhere near even a single drop of alcohol. The consequences are mind-blowingly horrendous.

Of dolls and drinks, it is better to leave much unsaid, much forgotten.

If you've been mentally scarred by this, I apologise and I'll make it up to you somehow~! XD I'll upload a not-so-freaky story next time.

Please leave reviews! Even if this was traumatic for you. ^^'

Until later, then XD

~cherryblossomroses~

"A drunken man's words are a sober man's thoughts."

"Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die."