Terribly sorry for the lack of updates. Sometimes life forces you to put certain things above others.

"Kaname, you were so good!" "Sousuke, mind if I get your autograph?" "I didn't know you two could act!"

Kaname beamed. She loved the attention she was getting. Last night's performance was very noteworthy.

"I liked the kissing scene, it almost looked real!" Kyouko beamed. She took a snapshot of Kaname. "We did you learn how to do that?"

Kaname blushed. She looked at Sousuke, who was busy fending off his new fans; he gave a quick glance at her direction and he, too, match her flush. Kyouko was quick to perceive. She leaned close to Kaname's ear and whispered. "It was real, wasn't it?"

Kaname jumped up a bit. She laughed sheepishly. "Kyouko, you must be hallucinating. Nothing's going on between me and Sousuke. I can't believe I had you fooled!" Kyouko wasn't convinced.

"I'll keep it a secret if you want, though I see no reason why for you to be ashamed."

"I'm not ashamed. Sousuke's-" Kaname stopped dead. Kyouko was a sly fox. She had to give her friend her props.

"Fine, you win. But I don't want to show it to the rest of the world… at least… at least until I get my feelings straightened out."

"Feelings? What feelings?" Maya jutted in. Kaname motioned her to keep it low.

"It's nothing." Kaname whispered. "Nothing at all. We were just talking."

"If it's just talk, why are you all hush-hush about it?" Maya raised one eyebrow. Kaname was blushing, averting her gaze. Maya scanned the room and laid her eyes on Sousuke. "Ooooh… I see what's going on. I knew it was too good to be an act!"

"What was too good?" Ryo wanted in on the conversation as well.

"Kaname's kiss with Sousuke. They weren't faking it!" Maya beamed. Kaname looked as if she was going to wring her neck.

"Really? Well it's about time!" Ryo replied, crossing her arms. "Took you guys long enough."

"It-" Kaname froze in her tracks. She let Ryo's comment sink in for a moment. "What!"

"Oh, c'mon Kaname," Kyouko rolled her eyes. "It was pretty obvious since the day he came that you had a thing for him."

"I did not!" Kaname rebutted. She tried to find some excuse, cursing when she couldn't think of any. Her friends were right. Ever since Sousuke entered into her life she nothing else to talk about except 'the idiot did this…' 'the moron did that…' Whether she was aware of it or not, she fell for Sousuke, hook, line, and sinker.

"Just tell us when you two do something that's actually juicy." Maya said. "Like when you two do the horizontal tango or mphfmphgmk!" Kaname stuffed a ball of paper in her mouth.

The school bell rang and the students went to their assigned seats. The teacher entered and quickly began writing notes down on the board.

Kaname copied them down diligently. This subject, geography, was her weakest. She once thought Geneva was the capital of Brazil. It wouldn't have been so bad if Sousuke hadn't corrected her. To think, being one-upped by the same boy who thought condoms were emergency water canteens! She lingered on that memory for a bit before returning to her notes. She took a glance at Sousuke's direction. The boy was absorbed in the lesson. This was his best subject, not surprisingly. He had probably traveled to more places in one year than most adults do in their lifetime!

Sousuke, as Kaname had thought, was wrapped up in the subject. They were discussing the terrains of Afghanistan, a land in which he knew all too well. The teacher's description was fairly accurate, though Sousuke wished to he could point out a thing or two, but he felt it rude to interrupt.

He stopped writing for a moment and looked over his notes. Kaname had given him a lot of tips and he was proud at his changes. No longer did his notebook look like AS tracks, but it looked like notes. Neat, organized information. His teachers had given recognition awards for his surprising academic improvements. The only person who could have been prouder than he was Kaname, who marveled at 'her' work. True, if it wasn't for her, he never would have done as well as he did. But he liked to think he contributed some effort as well.

The bell rang, signaling them to get ready for the next block. Kaname held back, and waited for Sousuke to come out. The two silently held hands as they slowly walked over. Before, Kaname was quite enraged that Sousuke was in all of her classes, and his stalker-like actions didn't help calm her down. But now, she didn't mind it so much. They walked in and went to their seats. The hushed whispers grew louder when they entered. No doubt their relationship was all over the school. Her friends, as great as they were, couldn't be trusted with a secret if their life depended on it, except, perhaps, Kyouko. Kaname decided to let it be. It didn't really matter what the others thought. If they got out of hand, she knew Sousuke would be more than glad to put them back in place. She savored that thought, holding onto the image of Sousuke pelting everyone with rubber bullets. It was amazing how quickly the baka had grown on her…

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"What are you doing, Sousuke?" Kaname was standing next to the boy, looking a bit irked.

"I am on the lunch line, Kaname. Even a soldier needs to get proper nutrition."

"I know that I just want to know why you'd rather eat that nasty mystery meat than my homemade lunch?" She swung her large lunchbag near his face. "Well, I suppose if that's what you want…"

Kaname didn't need to say anymore. Sousuke left the line and followed her into the schoolyard. They sat under a shady tree and watched the sky for a moment as the clouds rolled by. Kaname had forgotten to bring an extra pair of chopsticks for Sousuke, so she decided she'd just have to feed her little baby. Sousuke had nothing to complain about. He laid down on the grass and rested his head on her lap as she directed, while Kaname proceeded to feed him. He found that it wasn't so bad to be babied a little. Kaname, for her part, enjoyed playing with Sousuke. She'd toy with him a little, hovering the delicacies over his watering lips for a few torturing seconds before giving it to him. She followed each bite with a kiss. Kaname enjoyed these little moments of romance with, dare she say it, her boyfriend.

"So tell me, Sousuke," she said playfully, "are you glad you ate your lunch with me instead?"

"Well… the school lunch doesn't come with a mouthful of saliva after every morsel… I-" Sousuke felt his spine tingle as he looked at Kaname's face. "Kaname?"

Kaname knew she had a good reason for bringing her halisen.

THWACK!

Kaname huffed as she grabbed her things and entered the building.

Those who were heading to their classes as well stopped by to look at Sousuke, battered and bruised. A lunch back was hanging over his head, and his body splattered with food…

Sousuke entered the boy's room to try to make himself as presentable as possible. He got most of the food particles off from his hair, and his black uniform hid most of the small stains. But he still smelled like soy sauce, and, try as he might, he couldn't remove a few nasty stains. Deciding he did the best he could, he gave himself one last look in the mirror. He turned around to examine himself and frowned. He certainly wasn't the best looking in the bunch, or the smartest, that he knew. The crew at Mithril often made him the butt of jokes and made cruel estimates on his chances of having a significant other. But even all that didn't seem to faze Kaname. "Perhaps…"

The bell rang and Sousuke swore under his breath. He rushed out the bathroom and hurried to class. Sousuke opened the door and walked in as quietly as he could. His evasive efforts were wasted, however; the teacher just kept on writing on the board. Sousuke made his way to his seat and took out his books. He tried his best to pay attention; even with Kaname's help, calculus always seemed to elude his comprehension. Yet, try as he might, Sousuke's eyes kept wandering over to the clock and a captivating blue haired girl…

"Party at my house! Who's game?" Maya shouted after school. They had just been dismissed and Maya thought it would be best to tell her friends before they left.

"Why didn't you give us a heads up earlier?" Ryo asked. "It's so sudden!"

"Aw, c'mon. It's Friday! Don't you wanna come?"

"Well… just be glad I didn't have anything planned tonight."

"Yay! So, what about you guys?" There were loud murmurs across the room, but most accepted the invitation. Maya also told her new guests to bring a friend or two. She headed towards Kaname and Sousuke. " Well?"

Kaname looked at her and made a face. "Well what?"

"Are you coming to my party?"

"Depends," Kaname replied coolly. "What do you have planned?"

"Oh, you know… the usual. Please come? It won't be as much fun without you two."

Kaname sighed heavily, and agreed. Sousuke nodded quickly to confirm as well. Maya clapped her hands in reverie. "Be there at eight, okay? See ya there!" Maya quickly grabbed her things and rushed out of the room, leaving the two alone in the classroom.

Kaname looked at Sousuke with a puzzled expression. "What do you think that was all about?"

"I have no clue," Sousuke replied. A sly grin appeared on his face. "But I do know I have a favor to return to a certain someone for an incident at lunch…" He tugged her skirt, bringing Kaname closer to him. He then swept her off her feet using a military sweep, causing her to fall into his arms. His sudden aggressiveness surprised them both. But Kaname grinned as well. She was liking the new changes in him.

"I'm sure she's really sorry for what she did…" Kaname fluttered her eyes, looking as innocent as she could. "And she's ready to make amends as well."

Sousuke felt his body tingle at her smile but managed to keep a straight face. "I expect no less…"

Kaname wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him close. She kissed him lightly, barely touching his lips. Slowly she pressed more firmly, merely absorbing at first. When his lips parted, she entered. She was going to show Sousuke that she was the one in control here. But she found it hard to live up to her statement. Sousuke, as clumsy as he was, was able to send waves of ecstasy through her at certain moments. Not by his kiss (she made a mental note to help him with that later), but by the mere presence of him so close to her. There was a wild thrill to being enveloped in his strong arms, a certain high to his scent. His touch was electrifying, his eyes alluring. Kaname found herself at a losing battle and conceded defeat. She was his, and his alone. But she wasn't going to tell him that… He'd just have to find that out himself…

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"What was the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?"

"…"

"C'mon now, dish it out!"

"…"

"Well?"

"… I… I streaked during Children's Day…"

Wild roars of laughter erupted from the room. The girl bowed her head in shame. Maya patter her in the back, consoling her. "See? That wasn't so bad. Who else is up for Truth or Dare?"

Maya's party, despite the short notice, drew a lot of kids. The games were innocent enough, though the night was becoming more risqué by the minute. Someone also thought it funny to spike the drinks with beer and a special white powder.

"All right… enough of that. What game should we play next?" Maya shouted. He then started laughing for no discernable reason. The alcohol was finally beginning to take effect. She grabbed a bottle of soda and spun it around a ring of cards; it finally stopped at a blue index card.

"Karaoke!" She belched out. She giggled at a joke in her head, then rolled on the floor laughing hysterically. She crawled towards the microphone and shouted, "I'M LIKE THE CHICKEN. GO CROSS THE ROAD MY FRIEND! THE ROAD!" She dropped the mic and continued rolling. Those who were still a bit sober watched with strange fascination. Kyouko had only one glass of punch, but, with her small body, it was enough to impair her judgment. She ran around the room taking snapshots wildly.

"Kaname go CHEEEEESE!" She flashed the camera too close to Kaname's face. Kaname screamed as she was blinded. She keeled over and knocked some dishes off the table, hitting unwary people in the back with food. High hormones and boozed minds were enough to send the party into chaos. Food was thrown everywhere and fist-fights broke out.

Sousuke, who had been standing in the corner all evening, ran towards Kaname. It was time for her to leave before she got hurt. He found her walking drunkenly near the bathroom door. "Kaname? Are you all right?"

"Hey there cutie! I'm just hanky panky!" She leaned close to Sousuke and laughed. He could smell the alcohol in her breath.

"Kaname, I'm taking you home this very instant!" He grabbed her arm and led her towards the door. Kaname broke into a fit and started screaming. With her free arm she hooked to a table leg.

"Kaname!"

"I dunwannago! NOO!"

Sousuke tried her best to pull her without hurting her. A boy tripped over her as he passed by, forcing Sousuke to release her. Kaname rolled forward, knocking Ryo to the ground. Kaname got up, put her hands over eyes, and began yelling around the room "I'M BLIND! I'M BLIND!"

Sousuke had enough of this. He reached into his pocket and threw a flash bang at the room. The bright light should momentarily disable the rowdy group. As the light faded, Sousuke headed towards Kaname and picker her off her feet, who began shouting and crying. Despite her flailing, Sousuke flung her over his shoulders and headed towards the door. Unfortunaely, the door knob turn before he even touched it.

Maya's parents had come home early from their dinner. They looked absolutely mortifed at their home. Maya walked towards her father. "Wassup mister. How much you charge per hour?" She hiccupped for a moment and gagged.

"ENOUGH!" Her father cried. His voice seemed to magnify with each echo. The boys and girls abruptly stopped for a second and looked at him. Those were still high and drunk continued to laugh and make funny gestures. Maya's father turned purple in the face. "EVERYONE OUT!"

There was a silent pause and no one stirred for a moment. Then, as if all took the same cue, they stormed out of the door. Sousuke, with a passed out Kaname over his shoulders, left last, offering his apologies to Maya's parents before he left. Poor Maya he thought. She was going to have a lot of explaining to do…

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Kaname woke up with her head throbbing. She groaned loudly, smacking herself in the head. She opened her eyes and quickly shut it. Everything was spinning. The sun was painful to her eyes and the chirping birds were deafening. She tried to get up, but felt something pinning her down. She opened her eyes once more to see, and yelled in horror. It was an arm!

There was a sudden shuffling about as she tried to back away and the arm moved. When her vision cleared, she began to see that scarred arm as something familiar. She traced the appendage up until she saw a face. "S-Sousuke?"

The boy jerked up and rolled off the bed. He propped himself up and look at her. He had dark bags under his eyes. His hair was more unkempt than it normally was, and his shirt was heavily stained. "Kaname," he said softly. "I am glad you are awake. And in your right state of mind, I see. That is quite relieving."

Right state of mind? What in the world was he talking about now? "What are you talking about Sousuke?"

"You had too much of an alcohol intake last night. I brought you to my apartment to make sure you would be all right."

Alcohol? She didn't drink anything like that last night, right? Or did she? She remembered she went to Maya's party. It was innocent enough. They ate, they danced, they played games. Sousuke went off to the corners to stand guard. Then after that, it was all a blur.

She got up from the bed and went for the door. As she was about to turn the knob she stopped. This isn't my shirt! It's Sousuke's! She spun around violently and walked towards Sousuke, ignoring her migraine. "Tell me everything!" she demanded.

Sousuke rubbed his tired eyes before he started. He opted for a concise retelling, not wanting to shock her too much.

"Someone had added beer into the drinks, as well as another agent that I've had Mithril look into. The drugs' effects must have clouded your thoughts and you started doing things you wouldn't normally do." Looking at Kaname's shocked face, he tried his best to reassure her. "You did nothing too extreme, Kaname. The other kids however, were a bit worse. Maya herself seemed to be on the verge of insanity. Her parents put a quick end to the antics and seeing as I didn't have a key to your apartment, I carried you to mine. You were… uh… you were quite… loud. You said things I wouldn't normally hear from a lady such as yourself. You were quite vivid in your descriptions of… er… sexual images. You then began throwing things in my kitchen. You threw up over your clothes so I had you change into my shirt. I also had to keep you restrained during the night since you were prone to wild fits."

Kaname put a hand over her mouth. This is a dream. I never get drunk. This is a joke. A nasty little joke. She pinched herself in the arm. Her skin went cold as ice. Sousuke laid his hand on her shoulder, prompting Kaname to revisit reality

"Um… Kaname?"

"Huh?"

"Would you mind getting up now? You can fix yourself up in the bathroom. I… I need to change the sheets."

"…. Sheets?" Kaname looked at the comforter and the bedspread. It was wet and…. "Aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"