DISCLAIMER: I declare that Love Hina belongs to Ken Akamatsu, Daredevil to Marvel, and this idea belongs to…me! (Evil cackles) I am not making any profit from this and blah, blah, woof woof…We all know the drill (I hope so, anyway).
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Kyoto was quiet, the summer months forcing everyone out of their houses- comfort being found poolside, in the many parks of the city, or anywhere with a comfortably acclimatised air conditioner.
The girls of Hinata Sou, however, chose to join the welling ranks of those escaping to the coast; the great expanses of white sand, and cool water beckoning with an irresistible temptation.
All except one. Urashima Keitaro paused his scrubbing to gaze longingly at the springs. Even hot water would have been welcome, as he felt the sun heat and burn his skin like the thin cotton of his shirt wasn't there.
In an effort to beat the sun, the dorm manager had arisen even before its pinkish hue tinged the horizon. Vainly struggling to complete the long list of chores as the heat built slowly, like the ticking of a clock at his back.
Luckily, the most taxing chore- the actual cleaning out of the hot springs themselves- could be rushed to the top of Keitaro's list. A normal day at the Hinata Sou apartments would see him putting that particular job off until absolutely necessary.
As a general rule, Keitaro steered clear of the springs, experience having taught him a few lessons about violent female tenants and their privacy-violate that, even accidentally, and be damned.
Unfortunately, despite this credo, he was also quite aware of his own ability to attract bad luck- in the shape of a particularly nasty, malicious little gremlin. One that he believed was out for his destruction.
So, naturally, every so often he tended to have short, very painful experiences with those pools-usually involving a sudden, jarring departure into the stratosphere, and beyond.
Today, however, nothing, and more importantly…no-one was preventing him from attending to the rather neglected area. Tiles and rocks were scrubbed, the water was filtered, the filters were watered, and the plants were given a much needed tending.
Finally, and with an exhausted sigh, he stood, finished. Wincing slightly, he stretched, muscles aching from cramped abuse, his spine cracking audibly, breaking the silence and stillness of the pools with a rather nasty sounding, echoing snap.
He took a moment to soak up the atmosphere- indulging in a little silent self praise at his handiwork- which now practically sparkled and gleamed through the building wave of heat rising from the ground.
As a trail of sweat trickled down into Keitaro's eyes, squinting against the mid-morning glare, and a sudden attack of dizziness left him momentarily staggering, he decided to move inside for the remainder of his chores.
And hopefully, a small rest too! Smiling to himself, he bent to gather the various brushes and cleaning materials.
Still, he couldn't entirely shake a feeling of…foreboding. Damp hair clung to his neck, and he turned once more to survey the landing.
With only the gentle ripple of the lapping water, and a slight rustling of wind through the trees, the apprehension died. Nothing bad was here.
Keitaro laughed in spite of his protesting muscles.
"I must need that rest more than I thought," speaking loud to break the ominous air that appeared suddenly, he appreciatively welcomed the cool dark of the apartments, shutting the sliding door behind him.
Then, a different kind of air rustled the trees and bushes, pushing the water in the pools into frenzied ripples. And something wicked smirked in anxious anticipation of what was coming. Coming to change everything…
Coming…for the boy. The one they all called, Keitaro.
It grinned wider.