Standard Disclaimer

And here we go again with another new story. I wanted to hold off on this one till 'Stars' got finished but the idea refused to leave my brain. Hope you enjoy. Writing nothing but comedy leaves me feeling typecast and bored so this will mostly be serious.

X-X

Or Get Off the Pot

Chapter – 1

It was the only place you could tell what it was if you walked in blindfolded and your ears plugged. The smell of stale beer mingled with the scent of perfume and cologne with a pinch of bathroom vomit. Music so loud it made your body vibrate as it made long distance conversation neigh impossible as the beats assailed the body. Feet sticking to the dirty and alcohol soaked ground. Kitsune loved this bar, it was the only one she could ever get Keitaro to go with her too.

Nursing what was actually her third drink to many, Kitsune tried her best to keep the party girl image afloat lest she suffer the wrath of a would be 'white knight' hoping to save her from her panty's. Life hadn't changed much for the self-employed writer, not that she wanted it to, but she was growing listless and anxious. The ordeal with Keitaro and Motoko's sister was a week in the past, and already Naru was punishing the 'pervert' for his transgressions.

Pounding the last of her rum and coke, its sweet taste masking the potent booze, Kitsune raised her finger to signal her quasi-friend behind the counter that she wanted another. She didn't even need to talk to Sakura anymore, the bartender already knew what Kitsune's poison of choice was. "Damn it Naru, can't you just either admit you love him or tell him to fuck off?" she slurred as she waited for her drink.

Watching the comedy between Naru and Keitaro had lost the charm it held once Kitsune started noticing something about herself. With each punch or dwindling sword slash, the ol' Fox started cringing and flinching herself. She didn't want the dope to get hurt anymore, she didn't want him to suffer. She realized she was genuinely falling for the lovable dork. But she would act on it, not while Naru was in the picture, she wasn't the type of girl to steal her best friends man.

The problem was Naru still venomantly denounced having any feelings for him, and yet he continued to persist in his seeking her hand. So everything sat in a holding pattern waiting for Naru to either accept or reject Keitaro or for him to stop aiming for the firebrand. Kitsune was waiting with bated breath for that day to come. But as of three hours ago, Naru had yet again launched the man through the door for tripping on some spilled ice and cupping her breast.

"Girl does…doesn't know what she's doing anymore," Kitsune muttered as Sakura handed her the last drink she'd have for the night. It amazed the writer when she finally realized her feelings for the landlord went beyond friendship, she hardly thought he was her type when he first moved in. But the kindness, understanding, and selflessness he demonstrated secretly inched him into her heart. "Damn it Kei-chan why can't you open your eyes!" she yelled and spilled a tiny portion of her drink.

"W-what did you say?" the man to Kitsune's right asked as he heard his name called out loudly. Keiichi Yamamoto wasn't having a good day. He got into a terrible fight with his girlfriend over her flirting with some of the guys in the lacrosse club. They hadn't technically broken up, but he had stormed off and then he eventually found himself in this dark and rundown bar. "You called my name didn't you?" his drunken mind had surely heard her calling him but he couldn't recall knowing a woman this beautiful before.

Swiveling on her barstool, she grabbed the man's arm to keep from falling off as her balance wasn't at its best. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw those brown eyes staring back at her from behind that raggedy mop of brown hair and thick glasses. "Kei-chan you came here without me? Na-chan punishing you again?" she batted playfully at his chest and let her fingers slip down his chest. She couldn't help but flirt with him, playfully and she'd never go to far without his consent and abandonment of his feelings for Naru. "She give you a boo-boo?" she giggled.

His higher brain functions shut down thanks to the scotch and tequila shots he'd taken, Keiichi just blushed as the woman caressed him. "We-we had a fight," he managed to say. He tried desperately to remember who this woman was and why she was being so forward with him. The darker side of his brain just wanted revenge against Natsumi. She had flirted with those men and now it was his turn to flirt with this woman. "I think it might finally be over this time, I'm tired of all the shit she puts me through just because she thinks I can't get anyone better," he almost fell off his stool when the strange woman cupped his face with her hands.

Sleep sounded so wonderful in Kitsune's mind. She was having troubles standing, her thoughts were running around in circles as the man she preserved to be as Keitaro danced a merry jig in her mind. Bringing her face closer to his, a moment of panic lanced her brain, for a moment she thought Keitaro had gotten a little uglier and skinnier, but a burp and a near vomit later she pushed it off as just the booze making her see things. Her accent came through heavier as she spoke, "Ah've been waiten ages ta hear ya say that darlin'."

Images of his girlfriend's face faded as warm lips and an uninvited tongue slipped into his mouth. This woman, this Venus was French kissing him in this rink-a-dink pup! With Natsumi being stingy with sex, Keiichi would take what he could get. Had he been sober it would have been a different story, but alcohol makes fools of even the best of men. Gently breaking away from the woman who tasted of cheep liquor, "Want to take off?"

Sliding off the well worn leather backless stool, Kitsune's arm wrapped around the man's waist, more to keep from falling than for affection, and kissed his cheek. She couldn't believe it! Keitaro finally gave up on Naru and she had been there to catch him! It was to good to be true! Stepping out into the night air, a brief sobering thought wafted unwanted into her head. Are you sure about this? The warmth of the arm around her shoulder quelled that thought as they started walking. "No silly, the dorm is this way, don't you remember that?" Kitsune pulled on the man's arm as he had started off going the wrong direction. "You drank to much Kei-chan if you don't remember this," she felt that chill again and ignored it.

Keiichi just turned his brain off and let Kitsune direct him. Walking up the steps to an old but quant looking dorm, he obliged the woman's want for silence. He felt his pants tighten as he watched the lovely peach shaped rump ascend a set of stairs as the woman pulled his hand. When the door to her room shut and he took her close off, he almost went off in his pants. The woman had lovely breasts, a trim waist, and thighs that wouldn't quit. Natsumi had nothing on this woman.

"Ya just going ta stare at me tiger, ol' Kitsune is getting a mighty bit shy," Kitsune cooed as she basked in the dream. Despite what people might have thought about her, Kitsune was a little nervous about losing her virginity, but if it was Keitaro she knew she'd be in gentle hands. Watching him disrobe, she was a little disappointed at the size, smaller than she thought it'd be after the few peeks she had at it. But when he touched her, that didn't matter.

X-X

His sleep rudely interrupted by sounds he had only heard coming at very low volumes from the VCR when the dorm was empty, Keitaro sat up on his futon. "What is going on?" he moaned while stretching. The clock next to his futon proudly stated it was three twenty-five, and the amorous sounds were coming from the south wall that lead to Kitsune's room. "I knew I should have went with her today," Keitaro quickly rolled out of his futon and slipped a shirt on.

His plans for the evening had unfortunately been destroyed when the girl of his dreams yet again failed to listen to him and sent him flying across the city. He hadn't meant to grope her, but it was either his hand or face plant into her as he fell, he opted for the one that allowed him to live. Originally, the plan was to go out drinking with Kitsune as the girl appeared more depressed than normal. He enjoyed hanging out with the flirty but kind woman. So whenever she looked like she did during supper he went out drinking with her, and the next day she was all better. But she had already left by the time he managed to get home, and he didn't know which bar she went to.

Looking up as the all to familiar sound of wood grinding against wood signified Naru was moving the dividing plank. "What are you doing down there pervert? You'll wake the whole dorm up with that filth…wait?" Naru's anger dissipated the moment she saw Keitaro wasn't doing anything wrong. Sliding down the hole, her earlier anger at the man she couldn't accept her feelings for was displaced as she heard the sounds better. "Is that coming from…" could Kitsune actually be…was it possible?

"I don't know what's going on but I think we better check," Keitaro replied as he headed for the door. Not turning on any lights, not wanting to call any unnecessary attention, Keitaro moved relying on his memory of his room. He heard Naru stumble and mutter to herself about the clutter of his room, but he'd worry about apologizing to her later. "I just hope whatever it is doesn't wake Shinobu or Suu," he didn't want to have that type of talk this early in the morning.

Tiptoeing into the hallway, the duo stealthily moved towards Kitsune's door, only to hear Mokoto's open and the pajama clad sword-mistress rushing out. "Urashima what foul thing are you up to this early in the morning!" her voice echoed loudly in the wooden hallway, her sword reflecting what little moonlight reached it. "I never thought you'd be so brazen as to…Naru-sempai?" like Naru the warrior lost her thunder upon realization that she yet again got things wrong.

Holding her finger in front of her lips, Naru shushed the ebony haired beauty. "We don't know what's going on either. I thought it was this pervert too," she poked Keitaro in the side. Not noticing how Keitaro's head sank as he was again miscast as a degenerate, Naru misplaced Motoko's shameful expression as one of camaraderie. "We're going to check out Kitsune's room, I suggest you keep that thing of yours ready," she nodded towards Motoko's blade.

Clutching the hilt of the Hina-blade tighter, Motoko was more inline with Kitsune's feelings than Naru. Her miscalculations and misplaced anger at Keitaro made her ashamed of herself. He had nearly married her for a lie she perpetrated, faced the strongest warrior of the Shinmeryuu style, and cared for her during countless problems all out of selflessness. And yet she had done it again, rushed to judge without fully understanding, assuming the kind man was something he wasn't. Her sister would disown her if the truth regarding her treatment of the man she had come to more than just accept.

"Quiet now," Keitaro whispered as he cracked the door open and was temporarily blinded by the light streaming out of Kitsune's room. A trickle of blood dropped from his nose as he was given a perfect view of Kitsune perched on top of some random man. Her legs spread wide giving the trio a view of her flower fully penetrated as she moaned and pounded down. Shutting the door, he waited for his breathing to regulate, "Shit…what do we do?"

Naru and Motoko were speechless at the scene they had just seen. Both had taken sex-ed, but never saw the act in progress. Naru had always been to interested in studying to get into Tokyo-U to be interested in the act, while Motoko had her sword training. Neither could deny the strange sensation they felt, much akin to Keitaro, as arousal by seeing and hearing the moans and groans of the pair filled their ears. All three panicked however when another door opened and the two youngest tenets of the dorm joined the fray.

Rubbing at her eyes, Shinobu all-but dragged the half sleeping Su with her. "What's going on? Why is everybody up?" Her dream about Keitaro taking her on a picnic took a strange turn when the odd sounds permeated her dream. "Is that Kitsune-sempai?" Shinobu pointed at the door the trio were still paralyzed by.

His brain firing quicker than the two females hunched behind him, Keitaro stood up and nearly bowled the girls over. "K-Kitsune is playing a game with a new friend of hers, and we're about to tell them to quiet down so you can sleep," his hands waved frantically. Needing to either shut the amorous pair up, or get the children away from them, Keitaro was almost in a frenzy.

"Oh! A game? I wanna play too! It sounds like they're having a really good time!" Su said waking up at the sound of potential fun. "I can bring my new mecha-tama and we can all play together!" her head full of new and inventive ways to blast her surrogate-big brother into the upper ionosphere.

Feeling more than seeing the disapproving glances of Naru and Motoko, Keitaro continued to perpetuate his lie. "Its-it's more of a two person game, Su-chan. But I have a great idea. Why don't we all go to Naru's room and have a slumber party on the floor!" He turned to Naru and nodded pleadingly. He had to hope she'd get the idea, that of moving the girls further away from Kitsune and her new friend and masking the sound. "I'll talk to Kitsune and her friend about the volume, alright?" this time he looked pleadingly at Motoko.

Scooping up Su before she could throw the door to Kitsune's room open, Motoko shouldered the girl. "That is an excellent idea, Urashima. The four of us will heed your advice. It has been more than awhile since we bonded has it not Su-chan?" Motoko was dragging Naru as she herded the younger girls up the stairs and away from the infuriating sounds. She had wanted to rush in and punish the vile male, but with Kitsune on top…it didn't look possible that it was an unwelcome advance. She'd have to meditate on this.

Alone in the hallway, Keitaro's hand stalled on the edge of Kitsune's door, he was to afraid of opening it again. He didn't mind if Kitsune got a boyfriend, she was free to do whatever she wanted. But to bring him into the dorm and have sex with him so loudly, that was something he hadn't expected or wanted. His thoughts broken by one loud scream, and then silence.

The silence lasted for several hours, a brave look inside the room found the pair sleeping. Turning off the light, Keitaro stayed outside the room waiting for one to wake and need to use the facilities. He'd have to get the man out without Naru or Motoko seeing him, or they'd have a murder.

X-X

Sitting facing the door to Kitsune's room, Keitaro waited for four hours before someone finally roused. The morning sun was slowly stretching its way towards his tired form, but Keitaro had a duty to perform. He hadn't expected to ever need to do such, but he had to inform one of his tenants to not make so much noise while coupling. When the door slid open and he found himself face to face with the man, Keitaro stood up and extended his hand. Whispering, "Best to keep quiet, the other tenants aren't to happy with what last nights little show." Seeing the man, shirt and jeans rushed on sloppily, "third door on your right," he pointed to the restroom.

Walking on unsteady legs, Keiichi's head was vibrating with pain and his stomach ached to release its contents. Waking up to the woman he vaguely remembered meeting in the bar, he couldn't even be sure what her name was. It was only the pain to his crotch that informed him that his drunken binge had in fact ended with him getting lucky. Finding the bathroom, and more importantly the toilet, the confused man proceeded to unleash the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl.

"I feel so bad right now," Keiichi moaned as he wiped a little of the mess off his face and flushed it down. His skull felt as if beetles were inside it and crawling around picking at the tastier bits. "Wish I could remember things better…woman was fucking hot," but all he really remembered was she kept saying 'Kei-chan' over and over again. Fumbling back out of the room, he saw that man again, the manager most likely. "Um hi, Keiichi Yamamoto…man this is awkward," he mumbled as he shook Keitaro's hand.

Nodding in agreement, Keitaro lead Keiichi down the stairs and into the common room. "Keitaro Urashima, manager here at the dorm," he didn't want to give the impression he was kicking Kitsune's boyfriend out, but he had to move fast. Heading towards the door, "So you been seeing Kitsune for a long time? Didn't even know she had a boyfriend," he mused yet kept his eyes on the stairs hoping nobody heard them talking.

"Boyfriend!?" Keiichi almost yelped, "No-no I just met her at the bar last night actually." Talking to another man about it, Keiichi felt a small bout of pride. He'd never scored a woman at a bar before, let along a looker like the one he had. "I got really drunk last night…I actually forgot her name until you mentioned it," men could relate right? Surely this man wasn't going to be upset that he banged one of the tenants.

Keiichi was far from correct.

Hissing out loudly, Keitaro was beside himself. If this had been Kitsune's boyfriend things could have been over looked, but some random stranger was a different matter. "I don't want to feel like I'm rushing you out or anything, but…" he said as he handed the man a piece of paper and a pencil Keitaro thought he heard movement upstairs. It was about time for Motoko to do her morning practice. "This is an all-girls dorm and the tenants aren't the most accepting of men, especially ones they heard doing things to a friend of theirs. So if you'd just write your phone number down…"

Starting to scrawl his number, envisioning dumping Natsumi for the vision upstairs, Keiichi dropped the pencil as realization hit him. He hadn't used a condom, they had gone at it for what felt like ages. That girl could be pregnant, and he had just gotten into college! Ripping up the piece of paper, Keiichi swallowed his pride and handed back the scraps. "Sorry, but I can't do this," he started moving to the door.

Hearing more steps, Keitaro was getting frazzled. "What do you mean you can't? I just need you to write your phone number down so she can call you. I mean you're not just going to…to have sex with her and run are you?" the incredulous nature of his comment was inferred in his voice. It wasn't fair to Kitsune for some guy to just 'fuck and run' she deserved far better than that!

Motoko's trained hearing picked up everything that was being said, her hand held the hilt of the Hina-blade tightly. She had expected the man to flee, but even she hadn't expected the rushed nature. Wouldn't a male that had done that to Kitsune-sempai want to try again? Wasn't that the nature of perversion? But for now she'd listen to Keitaro and this man neigh this beast talk.

Opening the door, Keiichi tried to shrug off Keitaro's hand but found it impossible. "I'm sorry, but no. I didn't use protection! If that girl is pregnant, I'm sorry but I can't let that hurt my future! I have a girlfriend! I just got into college! I can't let some bar slut ruin my chances…" the air left his lungs as pain exploded in his stomach from a blow he hadn't even. Falling to his knees, Keiichi looked up at the frowning manager.

Kneeling down to gaze in the wretch's face, "I'm sorry, I'm generally opposed to violence in any form." Keitaro remembered practically nothing of his former training in the Urashima style of fighting, but he did recall the lighting jab. "But I will not tolerate somebody saying such a terrible thing about one of the tenants of my dorm. As I cannot force you to owe up to what you may or may not have done, I cannot force you to do anything. But leave now or I'll let the others know what you said." Lifting up his shirt, Keitaro showed the man a little secret of his. "They don't take kindly to preserved perverts," he hoped the man got the connection.

Almost vomiting at the sight, Keiichi was horrified. The man that struck him so hard with no noticeable movement was covered in dark blotches and lines of red pain. "F-fuck…" he sputtered out as he crawled out the door and out of the lives of the Hinata residents' lives forever.

Tucking his shirt back in, Keitaro would keep his secret wounds to himself. He did heal fast, but that didn't mean he didn't feel the pain. "I'm going back to bed," he yawned and headed up the stairs to his room, missing Motoko as she hid from him.

X-X

Wandering the halls of the dorm in a daze, Naru tried desperately to place together the events of the previous night. Kitsune was flirty at times, but she'd never done anything so brazen before, and Naru was left wondering if she had missed a change in her friend. Keitaro was no help, as usual, having went to sleep. Motoko, Shinobu, and Su were off at school, and Mutsumi had a morning class leaving her alone with her thoughts. Well, not really alone. "Morning, Kitsune," Naru said haltingly as she entered the kitchen to find Kitsune sitting at the table.

Holding her aching head, Kitsune had already shed her tears for her own stupidity. Waking up just before Keiichi did, she saw the truth of what she let herself believe. The truth was sobering, but it didn't stop the hangover. "Not so loud, Naru, I have a jackhammer playing classical music in my head right now," she sipped at her coffee hoping it would dim the pain.

Pulling out a bottle of aspirin from the drawer Shinobu kept them in, Naru set them in front of Kitsune. "H-how are you feeling? I see your boyfriend left already," Naru was amazed Kitsune kept her relationship a secret for so long. Her friend wasn't the best at not blabbing things, so the fact Kitsune had a man she'd gone so far with was amazing. "Don't know how you kept that a secret from us for so long, you two were really loud last night" she poured herself a cup of coffee.

Shuddering, Kitsune felt the pure disgust she felt for herself rising again. "He's not my boyfriend, Naru. I don't even know his full name," oh how that fact made the fox feel horrible. "He was a mistake, I wasn't feeling to chipper yesterday and drank a lot more than I should have. I thought something had happened that didn't, and now I feel stupid," the urge to joke and play was gone leaving Kitsune a different person in Naru's eyes.

Setting her cup down hard, spilling some of the black fluid on the table, Naru's gasp was palpable. "You didn't know him? Kitsune I…I know you like to mess with guys and all, but I'm shocked!" Naru didn't want to say it but she was disappointed in her friend. "You know how men are, I mean look at Keitaro, you have to be careful around them or…"

Slamming her palms against the table, the pain of her hangover coupled with the shame she felt fueled Kitsune. "Oh shut up Naru. Seriously it's not all your fault, but a small part of what happened last night is because of you!" anger at herself was misplaced with her frustrations with Naru's abuse of her position with Keitaro. "And before you say anything don't forget I'm the one that just lost her virginity to some lucky bastard I saw at a bar," she covered her eyes with her hands to keep the agonizing light out.

Temper flaring, Naru huffed and crossed her arms angrily. "How is it partially my fault you dragged some drunken pervert into your room!" the fact Kitsune had been a virgin actually shocked Naru. Her typical defenses lowering, Naru was never one to take criticism or others unflattering opinions well, "You're just looking at somebody to blame is all."

"I wish it was true, but as much as I realize it was mostly my stupidity, I know in my fucking heart it's based on your attitude that it happened!" Kitsune hurled back. Blindly reaching for her cup she knocked it over and spilled the contents on the table. "GOD DAMN IT!" she raged as her fumbling made a mess. Feeling the tears coming back, she fought valiantly to contain them. "I know you don't mean it, Naru, but-but oh shit…do you want know why I brought that guy up here?" her voice hitched and paused as she tried to control the dueling forces in her.

The late morning air was crisp as the wind came through an open window, but Naru didn't notice it. Her friend sat broken and depressed in front of her, and blamed her partially for the pain that was felt. Her temper not extinguished but dulled. Fixing Kitsune's cup, Naru grabbed a towel to sop up the mess. "Why did you bring him here?" her tone was harsher than she wanted it to be, but her smoldering anger would allow for nothing else.

Throwing her head back and opening her eyes wide, Kitsune captivated Naru with her sincerity. "Because he answered to Kei-chan and said he was tired of how Na-chan treated him and that he was done with her. Because he looked like a geeky nerd with thick glasses and messy dark brown hair," she ran her hand under her nose and covered it in mucus. Her eyes red from her early morning cry, Kitsune was through hiding her feelings. "Because I thought it was Keitaro, Naru. I thought it was him and he was tired of you knocking him back. I love him Naru, but I won't get in your way!"

Keitaro?! It all came back to that damn fool? Kitsune was suffering because of Keitaro? That was all Naru's mind could see, all she heard was it was Keitaro's fault Kitsune had thrown a once in a lifetime event away on some drunken man. "G-get in my way? What are you talking about, Kitsune? It's that idiot that is always following me around like a lost puppy! He said he loved me, not the other way around!" She never did respond to his declaration of love. She wasn't ready yet, she didn't know how she felt, or if her feelings were genuine love or just confusion.

Grabbing the corrected but empty cup, Kitsune hurled it at a wall and smashed it. "THAT!" she screamed, "That is what I'm talking about Naru! That is why part of this is your damn fault!" her shoulders hitched and deflated. "That wishy-washy attitude of yours! You know he loves you, but you don't say SHIT back to him! You just keep dragging him around like a damn dog. Giving him a good sharp tug if he starts to wander, but never truly giving him anything!" Kitsune seethed.

Suddenly on the defensive, Naru shot back in her chair and backed away from the now angry girl. "What are you talking about? I'm not doing anything like that, and I don't see how you can blame me for what happened to you because of that?" Kitsune was starting to scare Naru, saying things she didn't want to hear, didn't want to accept. Once she was ready, once she was sure, she'd tell Keitaro what she really felt, but not a moment before.

"What I'm saying Naru is shit or get off the fucking pot!" oh how her head throbbed but Kitsune was to far gone to care now. The floodgates had been breached and now she was letting all her pent up emotions flow. "Everybody sees that Keitaro loves you, but you haven't done a damn thing. Just toying with him, but not telling him to bugger off. If you actually said 'I don't see you that way, and never will' he'd get the idea and move on. Then he'd be free game again, but no. You keep hinting at maybe yes or maybe no, never giving him or us a solid answer!"

Getting off her chair, Naru grabbed the broom and dustpan and started cleaning up the broken mess. "You're just angry and venting, Kitsune. I'm not doing that to Keitaro, I've never done anything like that," she lied knowing full well she had. She knew he confessed, knew she was waiting to know how she felt before replying. But she wouldn't be forced into things. "And I know you don't actually love that idiot, you're to good for him" she went to the old standby of criticizing him.

Laughter, something she didn't think herself capable of at the moment, erupted from her mouth like a raging torrent. "Me not good enough for him!? Sorry honey, but you got it backwards! And not to burst your 'we all hate Keitaro' bubble, but I'm not the only one that feels this way!" It was time to make Naru understand. The previous nights events were a prelude to a storm if things didn't change, and Naru was the fulcrum.

Before Naru could contradict, Kitsune went right into things. "Mutsumi loves him more than life itself, and if that girl tried for his heart he'd be hers. Motoko, our man hating sword woman, is writing fluff fuck-fiction about the brave warrior maiden getting ravished by a very Keitaro-esque handyman. We all know Shinobu would take him any day of the week, and if you wait long enough and she ages to an appropriate form she will. Hell even Su has moments when I wonder if it's not just her seeing him as a brother and actually a man!"

Hearing all these truths coming at her at once, Naru took her normal escape route. "I don't like him like that so you all can have him! He's an annoying pest and a pervert! I just feel sorry for him, and that's why I haven't told him to piss off alright?" Even as she said the words she didn't fully believe them. At times she wanted to throttle the man, and yet at others she wanted to kiss him. He was so confusing, but she thought she'd have time to sort it out.

"Then tell him now, Naru. Somebody will catch him when he falls, but this shit can't go on! You can't keep dragging him around when others would gladly take what you don't seem to want!" sliding out of her chair, the noise it made against the ground made her head explode in fresh agony. "Because, I'm sorry to say, what happened yesterday will only get worse. And somebody will slip and call his name out and then that will be interesting." Legs wobbly she headed back towards her room, "Tell him today, Naru. If you know about what happened, I'm sure he does. Things will be getting confusing soon, and I think its time things moved on from this stalemate they've been in."

Brushing the last of the debris onto the pan, Naru's head sank low. "I don't love him…I'd know it if I did right?" All the soul searching and thinking hadn't equated into an answer yet, but shouldn't love be easy and clear to see? He was a great friend, she wouldn't lie about that, but did she love him? "I-I don't know…"

X-X

The day had been discomfited to say the least. Nobody wanted to bring up the events of the previous night, but they were all thinking about it. Kitsune was taking a day off of drinking in retrospect to what it caused. Naru was confused and angry, most at Keitaro for causing such distress. Motoko was musing over the act she had witnessed, and secretly re-evaluating her writings. Keitaro was unsure what to say to Kitsune regarding the wayward man that had literally abandoned her to whatever fate might provide. But the most confused were Shinobu and Su.

They asked over supper what game Kitsune had played with her friend, and if they could play it too. The table didn't field that question very well, Kitsune said that in time they'd explain the game to them, but not tonight. After the meal was eaten, everybody went their separate ways, and that lead to Keitaro and Naru once again huddled under a kotestu studying or at least giving their best impression of study.

After trying fruitlessly for two hours to focus on his mathematics, Keitaro threw in the towel. "Did you talk to Kitsune about last night?" he didn't lift his head from the book, not wanting to meet Naru's gaze. She had been unnecessarily harsh with him for the better part of the day, but still allowed him in to study with her. Being this close to her and alone with her was one of the better parts of his day.

"Yeah, what about the guy she was with, did you talk to him before he left?" Naru asked sounding bored. She too opted to avoid eye contact with the study-buddy. Her head filled with conflicting notions and warring wants versus old opinions. "Nobody saw him leaving, but you never did come up to my room last night. It upset Shinobu," her barb wasn't meant to hurt but she couldn't help it.

Flipping the page idly, not even looking at the text, Keitaro just basked in the warmth of Naru's room. It just felt like her, a mixture of cute things and collegiate level books, a sweet harmony of the girl's personality. "I waited outside the door waiting for one of them to show their heads. They fell asleep right after you four went upstairs anyway. Few hours later Keiichi came out and well…things didn't go well," he'd not inform Naru of the rest unless necessary.

It was, as Naru was quick to learn as much about the man Kitsune thought was Keitaro. "He say anything about what happened? Kitsune didn't say much about it," her pencil was going over the same marks again and again making them bleed through the pages. Just thinking of Kitsune's argument sent hot gouts of anger flushing through Naru's system. It wasn't possible she was leading Keitaro on! She wasn't that type of girl!

"Just that they got really drunk, and Kitsune made some advances on him," the words felt alien and distasteful coming out of his mouth. "When I asked for his phone number, well let's just say that we won't be hearing from him ever again," Keitaro's faith in men was much akin to Naru and Motoko's at that moment. The gall of the man to throw Kitsune away like a used tissue, going to far as to cheat on his girlfriend but still ignoring the potential consequences was maddening. "So what did Kitsune have to say?" he hoped it was better.

Shutting her book, Naru reclined backward onto her hands, "Roughly the same. She's been having a hard time of things lately so I think this is an isolated incident." Kitsune's warning that it was only going to get worse erupted like a flare in her memory. "Say…Keitaro…about your confession to me," she started haltingly as her resolve to take Kitsune's advice into consideration.

Finally broken from his mock study, the one-time ronin gazed up at the woman he adored. "Y-yeah?" he had played this moment over in his mind time and time again. Going over every possible scenario that it might take, he had many different ways it could go. They ranged from her angrily shouting to them cementing their relationship right on top of the kotetsu. Swallowing hard, "What about it?"

Love was supposed to be easy to see, so if she didn't see it clearly now it wasn't there right? Her confusion and anger boiled over, "Look…I like you Keitaro, you're a wonderful guy and a great friend," Naru started. When she started again she missed Keitaro mouthing the next word she said perfectly, "But I don't think we'd make a good couple. We're just too different. I know you love me…but I don't love you like that," she rushed to her conclusion without knowing exactly how she felt. Wanting so badly to prove Kitsune wrong, prove she wasn't complicating things by drawing things out longer than necessary, she spoke without knowing her true feelings. "I want for us to stay friends, but…I'm not going to see you the same as you see me. We both made it into Tokyo-U together…so promised met, but that's all their will be" she offered a sympathetic shoulder shake to the man.

His world crumbled. She rejected him, after coming so close, she rejected him. His head dropped as he stood up. It wasn't the worst case scenario, she still wanted to be friends, but it wasn't the best case either. "I-I see…t-thanks for finally letting me know, Naru," he shambled over to the lid to his room. "Think I'm going to have a lie down now, you can finish without me," he dropped down into his room without waiting for a reply. He just hurt, not on the outside but his heart was shattered. Grabbing his blanket he pulled it over his head and used his pillow to muffle his sobs, no reason to make her feel guilty.

There, she finally did it, let him down. Had to admit she thought she did it gently enough. But why did she feel that she did the wrong thing after seeing him shuffle off? Was she regretting it? She still felt confused, so it couldn't be love right? It wasn't like how she felt with Seta, that was love and not a crush…wasn't it?

She wasn't so sure anymore, but what was done was done. She had cut the cord that Kitsune insisted existed, and set Keitaro free from the love that would never be between them. She'd not go on dates with that man, never hold him, never touch him, never see him smile only at her, never know what his love felt like.

When the tears came, Naru realized just how badly she had been mistaken. But it was to late now, the damage was done, and tomorrow would bring a new form of war to the dorms. It would only take minutes for the other girls to learn what she had done, and that Keitaro was now truly up for grabs.

X-X

Notes

Sorry but I just could never stand Naru. She was a mean spirited person for a lot of the show, coupled with a few soft spots. She did love him, given that they get married in the canon, but not in this story. I've got plans for Kei and Naru, but romantic ones not so much.

Hope ya enjoyed and realize this will be a more mature story. I like having a non-comedy to work on from time to time.

Later!