Full Metal Panic Fan Fiction ❯ Let The World Slip ❯ Let The World Slip ( Chapter 1 )

Let the World Slip
A Full Metal Panic Lemon

By Cat Who

* * *

"Ah, the leaves are so pretty right now!"

Autumn had struck Tokyo with a vengeance, and as Sagara Sousuke and Chidori Kaname walked along the crowded streets of Ginza, a rainbow of autumn leaves whirled around them from the thousand-star oak trees that lined the wide outer boulevards of the urban ward. Childlike, Kaname reached out to catch a yellow leaf, and twirled it between her fingers. Beside her, Sousuke kept a stiff lookout for anything suspicious.

They had decided to take a Sunday shopping outing in Ginza district -- rather, Kaname had decided to shop, and Sousuke had invited himself along. She didn't mind . . . it made their journey seem almost, but not quite, like a Sunday date. They were now walking from the train station to the heart of the shopping district.

"Falling leaves are dangerous," he said seriously, as he always spoke. "They make excellent ground camouflage even in urban areas. We must proceed with caution in case anyone has set up a trap for us."

"Oh, come off it, Sousuke! Why the heck would anyone want to set up a trap in the fall leaves?"

"Robbery, terrorism, potential arson, assassination --"

"A child's prank, more likely."

"Even a child's prank can be dangerous. We have to be careful."

Kaname rolled her eyes. Sousuke viewed the world through danger-colored glasses. Occasionally he was correct, and some offbeat group that had heard of the Whispered tried to kidnap her or endanger her. During those times she was grateful for the protection Sousuke gave freely. She knew that as long as he was able, he would not let anyone hurt her. It was odd that the only other person he trusted so completely was Tessa, but perhaps the unique bonds that linked the minds of the Whispered also linked their hearts.

They continued in silence for another block or so, Kaname idly kicking up the leaves just to prove that no danger lurked.

Suddenly Sousuke grabbed her arm and began to drag her along at a much faster pace.

"Wha-"

"Look behind you out of the corner of your eye," he said as he hustled them along even more quickly. They were now just shy of a power walk.

Kaname did so, and was startled to see, almost two blocks behind them, two men in black trench coats, both wearing dark glasses and hats even though the weather was still mild for the season. She immediately looked straight ahead again.

"Crap," she grumbled, and allowed herself to be pulled into a definite trot. "So much for my Sunday afternoon outing in Ginza . . ."

"We must proceed at a nonchalant pace," he warned, and slowed them down ever so slightly. "We should give no indication that we noticed."

"Err, yeah," Kaname agreed, although her legs twitched with the instinct to run. Knowing Sousuke's special talents, she asked him, "What can you tell about them?"

"They are only lightly armed, probably with non-lethal weapons. They are both trained professionals, and they are managing to walk at a faster pace than they appear. Their clothing is unmarked, although I am unable to determine if they are uniforms." He kept his face straight ahead as he spoke, although he looked around wildly from the corners of his eyes, taking in their surroundings.

"Right. Crap. What can we do?" Kaname bit her lip, trying to hide her anger at the current situation. Sousuke would protect her, but she would also need to protect him from himself. He always managed to do massive property damage when he defended her.

"There is a safe house not far from here. If we duck into an alley two blocks down, run to the end, leap over the trashcans, and then go over two more streets, we should be on the outskirts of Roppongi. The safe house is there."

"Roppongi . . .?" Do I even want to know? she asked herself, then mused aloud again, "And you've taken this route before? Sounds like pretty exacting details."

"No. I memorized the directions. The last oak tree we passed was the marker from which I memorized them. One more block."

She kept her breathing steady as they walked, forcing her arms down to her side. At time like these she wanted nothing more than to run, fast and far, and it took conscious effort to keep her body relaxed.

"The alley is . . . here. Let's run."

To her surprise he grabbed her hand, led her into the alleyway, then broke into a swift, efficient run. She immediately joined him, pumping her legs hard to keep up with his sprinting pace. The dim end of the alley was barely visible, but as they approached, they both could see the distinct lack of trashcans. A bare, graffiti-scrawled wall, ten feet high, loomed in front of them. A few dead leaves swirled around the base.

"Damn!" Kaname said, but Sousuke silently pulled out what looked like a gun, and shot a grappling hook from the end. It caught firmly on the lip of the wall. With his free hand, he scooped up a very surprised Kaname, and silently began to rappel up the wall.

She clung to him, feeling bad about being dead weight, but as she looked over his shoulder, she saw that the men had entered the alley and were now running as well.

"Sousuke, hurry! They're coming!"

With a grunt he speeded up his rappelling efforts, and finally he reached near the top.

"Jump," he commanded, and she obeyed, grabbing the edge and hurling herself over. She fell for what seemed like an eternity before landing in a bin of rubbish.

"Ewww!" she screeched, before common sense overtook her and she scrambled over the edge of the bin. Sousuke landed behind her, and gave her an unceremonious boost on the bottom before leaping out himself. Kaname blushed fiercely from the intimate contact even as she collected herself from the ground where she'd landed. He grabbed her hand again and pulled her along, toward the other end of the alley, where sunshine bled in from the daytime streets of Tokyo's red light district.

"Where the heck did you hide a rappelling gun?" she asked, beginning to huff and puff from all the running. It always seemed to end up like this. Who knew what other weapons he had about his person!

"You may not want to know," he answered.

They emerged from the alleyway, reeking of trash, and pounded their way down the street, passing some expensive nightclubs and shady looking hotels.

"Where's this safe house at?" Kaname asked, hardly believing she was in Roppongi with Sousuke of all people.

"Not much farther. I believe that could not follow us from here, but we'll remain at the safe house for a few hours to be sure."

They ran and ran, until Sousuke suddenly slowed in front of a large but nondescript building. Kaname had to stop to catch her breath for a moment before she could examine it. She gasped, her hands on her knees, groaning as she leaned forward, her hair brushing the sidewalk.

"Here," Sousuke said, staring at the sign.

Kaname looked up.

The tidy, nondescript building was unmarked but for the sign, which simply said, "Honey Inn" in English, with katakana next to it.

"Hani Inu?" she queried, faintly recognizing the words but not comprehending the meeting.

"Yes. This is it. Honey Inn. Come along; they are getting closer."

As they ducked inside, the men in black appeared around the corner. They ran passed the building, not knowing that their quarry had found a haven for the moment.

Inside was dim, so that it took a few moments for Kaname's eyes to adjust. The lobby was plush and rich, with gold and maroon accents on dark wood paneling. Only a few scattered people were in the lobby, mostly talking in quiet pairs. She realized that it was a luxury hotel, and was suddenly grateful. They might have showers here!

"Hurry, Chidori," Sousuke said, urging her along. "I will check us in."

He didn't even seem to notice how he's covered in trash, Kaname thought in wonder. He just walks into this luxury hotel as if going about smelling like a dumpster is the latest fashion.

She trotted after him. He was talking to the woman at the registration desk, who was neatly dressed and rather pretty.

"I would like . . . room 104, please," Sousuke said, glancing at the wall behind the woman. It was filled with small signs and lights with numbers that must represent the rooms. Number 104 was lit up. The woman reached behind her and took a key from behind the sign, and pressed the light, which switched it off.

"The military room, eh?" she said, with a knowing smirk. "How long?"

"Three hours will be sufficient."

Hours? Why were they checking into a hotel for a matter of hours instead of overnight?

"That'll be 15500 yen, please."

Kaname nearly fainted at the amount, but Sousuke paid it without hesitating.

"Thank you," he said stiffly, with a bow. "Come, Chidori."

"You kids have fun now!" the woman said with a friendly wave and a wink. Kaname waved back with a half-hearted grimace, a terrible sinking feeling causing her legs to slow down as Sousuke dragged her to the elevator. She knew what kind of place she was in now.

Once inside the lift, Kaname promptly began to strangle Sousuke.

"This is a LOVE HOTEL, isn't it! You told me we were going to a safe house! I can't believe you brought me to a place like this without my consent!"

" . . .Can't breathe . . .," Sousuke choked out, turning blue.

"And you won't until I kill you! This was all a trick, wasn't it! I bet those men in black are your military friends helping you out with this stunt!"

Sousuke grunted in reply, and Kaname finally let go of his neck. He fell heavily against the elevator door, panting, and she cracked her knuckles, narrowing her eyes as she jabbed the elevator's down button again.

"I'm going home," she announced.

"You can't, Chidori. Those men may still be outside waiting for you. I cannot protect you unless you allow me to do my job."

The elevator began to move down again, slowly. She impatiently jabbed the button. Sousuke collected himself and began pressing the up button, but the elevator was not so easily confused. They continued down.

"Ha!" Kaname said.

"You're in danger," Sousuke replied, serious as always.

"Only from you!"

"I would never hurt you, Chidori."

The elevator doors opened just as she was about to open her mouth to retort. She glanced into the lobby and froze. The men in black were talking to the woman at the registration desk. She was shaking her head vehemently, and pointing them towards a sign on the wall, an angry expression on her face. The sign said, "Privacy Policy" with several paragraphs of words in bold letters underneath.

"Oh," Kaname said weakly, as Sousuke triumphantly pressed the up button again.

"Trust me. This is a safe house; the room we will be in has military grade doors and all the supplies I need to protect you."

"Just who suggested putting a safe house room into a love hotel, anyway? Kurtz?"

"Actually, it was the captain," he said, his face flinching ever so slightly at the confession.

"TESSA-CHAN suggested THIS?" Kaname shouted in disbelief.

"Shhhh, the men may be following us still," Sousuke warned, as the elevator doors opened up again, finally on the first floor. "She said that no one would expect it here. Come, let us be quick."

Sighing, Kaname scurried with Sousuke over to the door to room 104, which seemed as plain and boring as all the other doors along the hallway. He took out the key to the room, fitted it into the lock and turned, opening the door all at once in one economical motion. He then grabbed her arm and yanked her inside.

The door locked with a click.

Distraught and tired, Kaname leaned against the wall as she took in her surroundings. From this side, the door appeared to be made of plated steel. The walls were dingy gray, with raw cement and steal beams exposed in the ceiling, but everything was scrupulously clean and sterile.

Further inspection passed the small entranceway revealed the door to a bathroom (which Kaname fervently hoped contained a shower) and the main section of the room. A large bed stood prominently in the middle. The walls were covered in an assortment of guns and other military equipment. Surely it was all decoration . . . right?

"There is a weapons kit hidden someplace in this room. I will begin a search for it." Sousuke peered inside the bathroom. "There is a shower in here, if you wish to clean yourself up." He then began running his hands along the wall, looking for the kit, apparently.

"You read my mind," Kaname said with a sigh. This wasn't so bad, after all. The place reminded her a bit of the Tuatha de' Danaan.

She was about to step into the bathroom when she glanced down at the smelly skirt of the black dress she was wearing. These were the only clothes she had. She could wash them, but would they dry in three hours? Could she selfishly lock herself into the bathroom for three hours, anyway? She didn't dare trust herself around Sousuke in nothing but a towel.

"ARGH!" she cried, stomping her foot.

Sousuke was instantly there, peering in the bathroom door. Kaname seethed at him.

"I haven't got any fresh clothes!" she said, trying not to sound whiny, but certainly feeling as though she should be. "Hand me the blanket off the bed."

"Ah. You do not need to worry. This safe house is prepared." He ducked back out the door, and returned a moment later carrying some neatly folded clothing.

She took the pile, and unfurled them only to roll her eyes at her luck. It was a pair of camouflage pants, the kind with more pockets than spots, and a teeny tiny green tank top.

"Thanks. I think." She set the clothing aside, and shoved him out of the bathroom door. "Go search for your weapons kit. I'm taking a shower."

She stripped quickly, rinsed the muck off her clothes as best she could in the small hotel sink, and wrung them out, leaving them to dry on the towel rack. The bathroom was entirely western style, with no bathtub and no drain on the floor to allow her to clean herself off first, so she stepped into the shower, yuck and all.

A quick lather and rinse later, she felt much, much better. She grabbed a fluffy towel and squeezed as much water from her hair as she could, not caring that it dripped on the floor. She then toweled herself off, and checked her under things to see if by some miracle they were already dry. Naturally they weren't.

Stepping out of the shower with a sigh, she picked up the tank top with two fingers, wrinkling her nose. The tank top had been sheered off, which meant her entire belly would be exposed. Since the hotel staff had not thought to include a bra (or they just figured it would be unnecessary), she'd be lucky if the bottom part of her freed breasts wasn't exposed either. But it was all she had.

She slipped the tank top on, and then inspected the camo pants. They were also designed to be low riding on the hip, meaning more of her tummy out in the open. Maybe the blanket would be a good addition to this skimpy outfit, after all . . .

Clean and dressed, she emerged from the bathroom in a cloud of steam. Sousuke was still looking for the kit, his nose literally to the ground as he peered underneath the bed. While he was facing away from her, she snatched the blanket off the bed and wrapped herself in it, feeling a lot more modest that way.

"No luck?" she asked. She sat on the edge of the bed and began to comb her hair with her fingers.

"It is hidden efficiently," Sousuke replied, a slight note of irritation actually leaking into his voice.

"Is there a phone here? Can't you call Tessa and ask her where it's hidden?"

"This room has not been used in a long time. The phone line may be tapped. It is unsafe." Sousuke crawled out from under the bed, brushing dust off his sleeves. "There is a cell phone in the weapons kit. We can call for backup on a secured line." He stood up. "Until I find it, we will just have to wait."

Kaname sighed and let herself fall back on the bed, her damp hair spreading around her head in wet ropes. "At the very least take a shower yourself. I'm not spending three hours in a room with you when you smell like kitchen trash."

Sousuke sniffed his own sleeve, and grimaced. "Affirmative. I will rejoin you shortly." He walked over to the hotel dresser, where another small pile of greenish clothing lay. He scooped up the clothes and then disappeared into the bathroom. Kaname had a feeling it was the matching set to her camo pants and tank top.

Her imagination suddenly started doing things it shouldn't. First, Sousuke would strip out of the soft green shirt and jeans he had been wearing-- neatly, efficiently, as was his way -- then he would stand there, completely naked as she had, washing the smell out of the clothing in the sink. Then he would hang up the clothes . . . NEXT TO HER UNDERWEAR . . .

Kaname suddenly turned a shade of crimson that should have been impossible for someone with skin as pale as hers. She was an idiot. She should have brought her clothes out into the main room to dry. She could have spread them out on the floor or something, and hidden her underwear underneath the skirt . . . but no, she had to be dumb and leave it all in plain sight.

Well, it wasn't as if Sousuke hadn't seen her underwear before.

Groaning, she curled up in her blanket, wondering where her peaceful Sunday had gone.

The shower started then, and her imagination went into overdrive once more. He'd scrub himself off thoroughly, turning around only once or twice to rinse. The soap would glide smoothly over his sculpted muscles, the lather running in rivulets down his bare torso . . . and lower. Kaname shivered. The atmosphere of this place was doing things to her.

She restlessly began digging through the drawers of the nightstand next to the oversized bed, determined not to let her mind go any further down that train of thought. Since this hotel was not meant for overnight occupation, there weren't any of the usual amenities -- no handy notepad, no pen, no box of rice candies as a treat. There was a small, unmarked box. It was probably too small to be the weapons kit, but Kaname opened it anyway, just in case.

She peered inside, then quickly shut the lid again, her blush immediately returning. No weapons kit there. Just condoms.

She put the box back and shut the drawer. The shower was off now; Sousuke would be vigorously toweling himself off. She bit her lip and curled her fingers into the bed as her imagination took over again.

To distract herself from her fantasies, she got off the bed and walked toward the far side of the room, taking in the plastic guns lining the walls. They looked quite real, although most toy guns in Japan did since real ones were not available to the public anyway. Next to the heavily curtained window was a small table, with a small bounty of foods -- green colored chips, a small container of dip, and small packs bearing the proclamation of "Rations" that turned out to be green tea flavored bean paste. Nibbling on the food, Kaname studied the nearest gun.

It really did look quite real. She was hardly the expert on weaponry that Sousuke was, but being near him meant that was inevitably near guns a lot more often than she'd like. She was about to take it off its hanger when Sousuke emerged from the shower, wearing the clothing left by the hotel.

She caught her breath. It was a simple white tank top shirt, the kind he wore under his school uniform, tucked into a well-fitted pair of deep green military pants. He always wore his uniforms well, military or school, but this particular one seemed to have been specially tailored to hit the "on" switch in her libido. Her heart began pounding in her ears.

"The weapons are imitations. I already checked them. I also took the liberty of ordering room service for us; it should be up shortly. I will answer the door to make sure you stay safe."

Blushing suddenly, Kaname sank into a chair next to the table. "Thank you," she said quietly, her head down. Why was his presence affecting her so deeply, all of a sudden?

Sousuke resumed his search for the weapons kit, returning to where he had left off, crawling underneath the bed. After nibbling on some more of the "rations," Kaname gingerly reached up and took the beautiful imitation weapon from the wall. It was fairly heavy; she hefted it a few times, amazed at the detail in the toy.

With a grin, she held the sight up to her eye, and pulled the trigger. She was more than surprised when the gun emitted a stream of water, and mortified when said water hit the exposed wiring in the ceiling. The lights flickered and sparked, then when out completely.

"Chidori, get down!" Sousuke said, unaware that it was her own carelessness that had caused the darkness. Obediently she dropped to the floor; experience had taught her to follow Sousuke's orders, even when it went against her better judgment or seemed unnecessary. A moment later he landed with a thump on top of her.

Flat on the ground, she mumbled, "It was me. The toys on the wall are water guns."

"I see," Sousuke said, no emotion apparent in his voice. He crawled off of her, carefully worked his way around the darkened room, and opened the thick curtains a bit, allowing light to seep into the room. Kaname sat up, feeling very foolish. "Are you all right, Chidori?"

"Yes," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

Sousuke walked over to the carpet, where the water had fallen after its brief journey to the electrical system. He studied it for a moment, dipped his finger into it, rubbed it between is finger and thumb for a moment, sniffed it, then actually tasted it, before wrinkling his nose and declared, "This is not water."

"It's not?" Kaname crawled over to where he was, and looked at the slimy puddle. "Then what is it?"

"It appears to be some sort of lubrication."

"Lubrication - oh, gross!" She brought one fist up to her mouth, horrified. "They actually put that stuff in the squirt guns? Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick." She stood up, only to fall onto the bed dramatically, clutching her stomach and glaring at the wall.

At that moment, someone knocked on the door. "Room service," a voice said.

Sousuke walked to the door, and opened it only the smallest crack. Kaname could barely see a middle aged woman there, bearing a tray. Sousuke must have decided that all was well, because he opened the door wide enough to accept the tray.

"We also need to have the circuit breaker reset," Sousuke said. "An unfortunate accident occurred."

The woman laughed, probably used to this sort of thing. "I'll do that, sir," she said.

"Thank you," Sousuke replied, and shut the door. He carried the tray very carefully to the table in the back, setting it next to the free snack foods. He had ordered tempura, and it smelled heavenly.

"Can we be sure that it's not poisoned?" Kaname said, only halfway sarcastic. The fact that they had been in very real danger had finally sunk in, and while she was sure that Sousuke would protect her, she also didn't want to take unneeded risks.

"This is not a safe house without reason," he reminded her. "While I cannot say for certain that all the staff members here have been vetted, they have their own special form of security. If word got around that their guests were poisoned, they would lose business."

"Okay, I guess that's reassurance enough," Kaname said with trepidation, and picked up a piece of breaded asparagus. "Not like you to be so un-meticulous."

"If it makes you feel better, I will take the first bite," he said, something unknown glimmering in his eyes. Kaname watched him bite into a juicy piece of tempura, and her stomach growled. He stared at her the entire time, and she felt the blush returning. Was he actually teasing her?

"No poison?" she asked, her own piece of tempura posed against her lips.

"At least not a fast acting one. Eat."

She needed no further prodding. She munched her way through half the tempura, and finished it off with one of the sweet bean paste rations. Between the two of them, they managed to demolish not only the food provided by room service, but also the snack foods.

"Oof, full," Kaname said finally, and sat back. "I didn't realize I was so hungry."

"We did expend a lot of energy running. Now, I have to continue to find that weapons kit. I don't want to leave here without backup around."

"Are you absolutely sure that it's here? When was this safe house set up, anyway?"

"Not long ago. It will be here. I just wish I knew where."

"Want me to help?" she asked, licking the oily crumbs off her fingers.

"You may. There is no need to check the dressers or underneath the bed, however, as I have examined that area quite thoroughly."

As she peered through the various potential hiding places in the room, she encountered a lot of things she'd honestly had no idea existed. Dildos shaped like guns, lubricating oils that were disguised as mundane military things (one said "Motor Oil" and when she sniffed it turned out to be chocolate syrup), and several things that she couldn't quite identify by name but for which her imagination could supply a pretty likely use. No military kits, although there was a first aid kit in a large metal box. The top tray was filled with all the first aid supplies anyone outside of an emergency room could hope for. She didn't want to know why that was included in this room.

"I wonder if the rest of this hotel has this sort of attention to detail?" she mused aloud.

"Unknown," Sousuke answered, surprising her. "I have never been inside this facility, nor any of its kind."

"Well, neither have I," she said crossly, and gave up her search. She plopped down on the bed again, laying on her back with her arms outstretched, staring at the ceiling. "This is getting us nowhere. Didn't Tessa leave a clue?"

"She provided a list of the various safe house locations to me, and I only memorized the directions to them. If she provided a clue as to the whereabouts for this room's emergency kit, I cannot remember."

Sousuke ceased his search as well, and to her surprise, joined her by stretching out on the bed next to her.

Kaname rolled over so she faced him, her breath suddenly catching again. She was in a bed with Sousuke. That thought pierced through her boredom-drugged mind down to her libido, and turned on her body like electricity. In a bed. In a love hotel. With Sousuke.

She blushed profusely. Sousuke seemed unaffected by her proximity. He just stared up at the ceiling, a small muscle in his jaw twitching. The soft gray of the velvet coverlet that had been underneath the blanket currently wrapped under her shoulders contrasted wonderfully with the crisp white undershirt he wore.

"Ne, Sousuke," she said softly.

He grunted in acknowledgement, although he still didn't look at her.

"You always wear uniforms well," she told him, biting her lip nervously. "I don't think you get a lot of compliments, so I just wanted you to know that."

"You always appear well-dressed in your garments as well, Chidori."

"That's not quite what I meant." She was blushing deeply now. "I meant that you don't just look good, you look . . . attractive." Mortified, she rolled on her back again.

"Really?" His voice held little emotion other than that of a question.

"Really."

They were both silent for another moment.

"You also appear attractive, Chidori. Especially in your current state."

"A dingy old army blanket and camo pants?" she asked, incredulously.

"You always look attractive in anything."

They were both floundering in uncharted waters now. She wanted nothing more than to snuggle up beside him, but something held her back. Sousuke was the most straightforward person that she knew; if he'd meant anything more, he would have come out and said it.

"Sousuke . . . how much time do we have left to find the weapons kit?"

"About an hour and a half."

She sighed. An hour and a half . . . she'd probably pounce on him in sexual frustration before that. Every nerve in her body was jumping in anticipation. She should be reeking of pheromones. She was probably emanating light. Why the hell wasn't Sousuke NOTICING?

"What should we do until then?" she asked as innocently as possible.

"Search for the kit, of course."

"Then why did we stop?"

Aha! She could see Sousuke's Adam's apple bob up and down. She'd gotten a reaction out of him, finally.

He took a deep breath, and turned to face her. "I stopped because you stopped."

"Well, I stopped because I was getting frustrated." In more ways that one, she added mentally.

"We will find it, I promise. I will always protect you."

"Has it ever occurred to you that sometimes I don't want your protection?"

"Yes," he replied immediately. "On numerous occasions. But I can't let harm to come you. Not just because it was my mission, but also because . . . I . . ." Suddenly he took on the nervous, trapped look he had when he'd been caught in a compromising situation against his will.

Her mind could fill in the blanks in a lot of ways. It appears his emotions still weren't as strong as his body. She decided to relieve him of the stress.

"You don't have to say anything," she said with a small smile, her warm brown eyes locking onto his cool gray ones. "I know why you want to protect me. It's just that sometimes something besides protection would be nice, too." She dared and kissed him lightly on the cheek, then laid back down facing him again.

Hesitantly, he reached up with one hand to touch where she kissed.

"What else can I give you besides that?" he asked, his voice full of wonder.

"You could start by saying my name more often."

"Chidori?"

"Kaname. Ka-na-me." She stressed each syllable firmly. "You've done it before."

"Kaname . . ." He said the word softly, testing it as if hearing it for the first time.

"Not so hard, is it?"

"Kaname," he repeated again, the took his hand, the one that had touched his cheek where she had kissed it, and gently touched her temple. "Permission to kiss you, Kaname?"

That caught her off guard. Suddenly her reservations returned to her. This was really happening, wasn't it?

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, you don't have to answer that," he said in a nervous rush, sitting bolt upright. "I'll just go look for that weapons kit -- oof." The last word came out with a humph as Kaname shoved him back down onto the bed.

"Kiss me before I go find my harisen and whack you over the head, dummy," she demanded, her nerves retreating in the face of repressed desire and normal anger. "That is an order."

He obeyed. He cradled her head gently, and caught her lips with his own, brushing them softly. She closed her eyes, allowing him to press her down on the bed, his hips beside hers on the bed.. She tilted her jaw a little, inviting him to kiss her more deeply, and he accepted.

He made a soft groaning sound deep in his throat, and Kaname felt a wave of longing run from her heart down to her pelvis. She caught his shoulders and held him squarely above her. He broke away, mistaking it for a request for release.

"Sousuke," she said, a husky note in her voice that had never been there before. "I think this place is getting to us."

The corner of his mouth twitched; he actually had to keep himself from grinning. "Then should we cease our activities and resume the search for the weapons kit?"

"No," she said, pulling him closer to her. "I was just worried . . . that . . . you never seem to see me as anything but an object to keep safe. A mission."

"Kaname, you are the most important thing to me in the world. I want to keep you safe from everything, including myself." His gray eyes bore into her, and she saw an emotion in them that she had never seen before: he was afraid.

She reached up and nuzzled his neck with her lips. "I'll be just as safe in your arms as out of them," she whispered. "You don't have to be scared of hurting me."

"Then may I have permission to kiss you again?"

"Kiss away."

He caught her in his arms and kissed her, fiercely this time. Kaname could feel his heart next to her own through their thin shirts. She ran her hands along his back, marveling at the sculpting in his shoulders from years of fighting. He was so strong, and yet now he held her so delicately, as if she were a fragile work of art.

A thrumming had started in her blood. She shrugged off the army blanket and let it fall behind her onto the bed, unheeded. She barely noticed that she had started to strip away his top; all she knew was that she somehow wanted to touch all of his skin at once.

She felt one of his hands creep around to her breast. He seemed unsure, so she obliged him by pulling off her own tiny top as well, revealing both of her breasts to him. In the half-light of the room, they appeared soft and creamy. She still had a faint tan line across the top of them from summer. Sousuke's hand touched one of them gingerly, and she encouraged him by arching herself underneath him and kissing him more urgently.

While he explored her breasts, she reached one hand behind him and found his bottom. Like all of him, it was firm and ripe. His exquisite physique amazed her; he was solid and strong, but not excessively bulky. There was no one at their high school that was built quite the same. All the boys in the athletic clubs spent hours in the gym building up false muscles, and everyone else seemed weak in comparison. Sousuke was naturally strong, or so his body appeared that way. It was probably just all those years as a soldier.

He broke the kiss and placed feather kisses along her jaw line. "Chidori," he began, and then caught himself. "No, Kaname," he tried again. "I am aware that this place provides certain amenities to make activities such as ours less awkward."

"What sort of amenities?"

Sousuke blushed. "Of the protective kind. If you wish to proceed -"

"Oh, I do." She bit gently on his shoulder blade, loving the feel of his weight on top of her.

"-Then we will need to use one of them."

His words cut through her lust-fogged brain, and she processed them for a moment before it occurred to her what she was talking about. "Condoms?"

"Yes. They should be in the drawer behind you, in the night stand."

She reached back gracefully with one hand, opened the drawer blindly, and groped a moment before her fingers found the edge of the box. She pulled the entire box out, and handed it to Sousuke, who set it aside. It just needed to be handy.

That important concern addressed, he returned to the other important matters at hand and kissed her belly, gripping her hips with his hands. She let out an uncharacteristic giggle as he tried to open the zipper on the camo pants with his teeth. When that failed, he impatiently opened the zipper with his hands and kissed her exposed stomach instead.

She wriggled out of the camo pants, revealing her soft nest of dark blue curls. After a few moments of struggling, she managed to kick them off, and Sousuke tossed them off the bed for her.

"I don't think you've ever seen me completely nude before, have you?" Kaname purred coyly.

"I recall on at least one occasion viewing you nude. It may have just been for a moment, however."

She frowned. "Really? When?"

"I . . . can't remember right now. Maybe I just imagined it. In that case, you look exactly like my imagination remembers you." He stroked the curve of her hip, and moved down to her thigh. "You're beautiful."

"Thanks," she said, blushing again. She boldly reached down and found the zipper on his pants. She took a moment to fondle the firm bulge below the zipper before she freed it of its restraints. Sousuke groaned aloud move up to kiss her breasts in revenge. She gasped for a moment when he caught one of her nipples in his mouth, and gently stroked it with his tongue.

She made a small mewling sound and closed her eyes. She'd never realized it, but there must have been a nerve running straight from a woman's nipples down to the tips of her toes. It tickled, almost, and made her already frenzied body burn even hotter.

"Sousuke," she moaned, and forced herself to come to her senses. She pushed his pants down as far as she could reach, and Sousuke removed one hand just long enough to free himself completely of the garment. Now they were both completely naked, him halfway on top of her. The hot top of his ardor reached all the way to her waist.

"Excuse me a moment," he said, and grabbed the box of condoms. She watched, blinking, as he expertly tore off the top of the wrapper and removed the lubricated piece of rubber. He slipped it on efficiently, like he always did everything, and the smoothness of the motion prompted her to ask him where he'd learned to do that.

"During physical examination day, when the men and women attend separate lectures," he explained seriously. "They gave a brief explanation and free samples. I practiced."

She laughed. She couldn't help it. They never gave THAT lecture to the females.

"Are we ready then?" she asked, gripping the velvet coverlet in anticipation.

"We are sufficiently prepared." He gently parted her thighs and slipped between them. Instinctively, she lifted her hips, and after a moment of rearranging themselves, he was poised at the tip of her entrance. He pressed in slowly.

"Ouch," she said, squirming uncomfortably. Sousuke stopped.

"Are you all right?" he asked, looking very concerned. "I understand that it can be painful, but the pain is necessary."

"It's not that bad," she answered honestly. "I think I probably broke most of my hymen a long time ago anyway. It just feels a little weird."

Reassured, he continued to push himself inside her, sliding out a little bit every once in a while to make the passage easier. She closed her eyes and leaned back as the pain eased away, just enjoying the new sensation. Once he was completely inside her, he groaned and grabbed her bottom and went back out again.

After a moment of brief confusion, they established a rhythm. Kaname's thighs were strong enough to help out, but she was so lost in the wonderful feelings that she feared she wasn't much help at all. She opened her eyes again to watch him as he made love to her.

"Sousuke," she said softly, then moaned as one of the new sensations caught her off guard.

He answered with a groan and leaned down, resting his chest against hers and his chin on her shoulder. He nipped her lightly, and even though that hurt, it was just another sensation in the watery world she was floating in. She held him close, and bit her lip in wonder as a brilliant flash over light overtook her, setting every nerve in her body on fire. The world turned upside down. Her eyes screwed shut as she shuddered softly. Exhausted, she leaned back, and in a few moments Sousuke gave one final thrust and collapsed on top of her, panting.

She stroked his hair softly, and kissed his sweaty temple. Now she knew why a hotel not meant for overnight occupation included a shower in the bathroom. They were both damp with sweat, as much so as if they had just finished an aerobics routine.

"Kaname, I am afraid I must disengage soon or risk ruining the effort at protection we made," Sousuke warned.

"I understand," she said. She whimpered in loss as Sousuke left her. She curled up in the velvet coverlet, and he clambered off the bed to make a brief journey to the bathroom. After a few seconds she heard the toilet flush.

He returned from the bathroom, gloriously naked, still half-erect. She nearly swooned at how delicious he looked, damp with sweat and flushed from their lovemaking.

Out of nowhere she felt something damp fall on her arm, and she blinked in surprise when she looked down at a single crimson drop.

"Kaname, you are bleeding," he said, and quickly rushed over to her. He examined her shoulder where a small pool of blood had formed on the surface of her skin.

"I think that's where you bit me," she said, touching the blood on her shoulder. "It doesn't hurt, though."

"But it could get infected. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," she said with a smile, and impulsively kissed him on the forehead. "I saw a first aid kit over there, in the corner with the pile of supplies. There should be Band-Aids and antibiotics in there."

"Good." Sousuke left her to get the kit, and returned. It really was a very large box. He lifted the lid, revealing the top tray. In a matter of moments she was patched up.

"See? No harm done."

"None indeed. And this box seems awfully heavy for a first aid kit." Sousuke tried to lift the top layer out, but it was stuck fast. Wordlessly, Kaname helped him pull, and together they managed to yank the thing out.

Underneath was definitely not more first aid equipment.

"It's the weapons kit!"

"Thank goodness," Sousuke said, lifting out the gun and the radio. "I'll call for backup. Kaname, get dressed in your clothes . . . hopefully they're dry by now. Once our backup arrives, we must proceed quickly and with caution. Our friends may still be outside waiting for us."

The spell was broken. The happy lethargy that she had been feeling fled as Sousuke returned to business. At least he was still calling her by her first name.

She fled to the bathroom and cleaned herself up a bit. Her clothes were still slightly damp, but wearable. She straightened out her long blue hair as best she could before she walked back out into the hotel room.

Sousuke was still naked, but he was talking on a cell phone to someone; from the sounds of it, it was Melissa Mao.

"I did not recognize the clothing. We are dealing with an unknown enemy. Chidori and I are safe." He paused for a moment as Melissa yelled at him, her strident voice tinny through the phone, then replied, "Understood. I am now armed. We'll see you in fifteen minutes." He closed the cell phone, then looked up at Kaname. "She says to tell you that if I lay a hand on you in any way that could be perceived as improper, just let her know and she'll punch me around a bit."

Kaname smiled. "I don't think we'll be telling her what we did in here, then," she said, and sat next to Sousuke on the bed. She glanced around the room. "Our fantasy is about to come to an end."

"Fantasy?"

"Yes. Love hotels are meant to give the lovers a brief taste of an unknown fantasy. That's why the rooms have themes to them."

"I see. Was this the fantasy you wanted?"

Kaname blushed. "It's not the one I would have picked for myself . . . although to me the person I'd be with would be far more important." She took his hand. "Thank you for everything, Sousuke."

Sousuke looked embarassed. He cleared his throat and stood up, not quite looking at her. "I must get dressed myself."

With a sigh, she watched him run away, and then made an attempt to straighten out the bed before she remembered that the hotel staff here was expecting things to be messed up. Defiantly, she tossed the covers around, and double-checked to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything in the hotel room. Her money and personal things were safe in her skirt pockets.

"Good bye, Honey Inn," she said, and peeked out of the window. A nondescript fan had pulled up across the street from the hotel; judging by the blond driver, it was Kurtz and Melissa. Their backup had arrived.

Sousuke emerged from the bathroom for the final time. He emptied one pocket to make sure he had the hotel key, and then the two teenagers then slipped quietly out of the hotel door.

"I saw Melissa and Kurtz arrive," she said. "Good thing they were nearby. We were about to run out of room time."

"If needed, we could have paid for an extension." They stepped into the elevator, nervously looking around in case the men in black or worse, anyone they knew, happened to be lurking around.

Kaname pressed the down button. This time, Sousuke didn't stop her, but instead caught her hand afterward and squeezed it reassuringly.

No one bothered them as they walked quietly up to the hotel receptionist. Sousuke returned the key and paid for the room service that they had ordered. The pretty lady winked at Kaname.

"Nice to meet a guy who knows how to treat his girl in more ways than the usual," she whispered with a grin. "Room service is a rarity around here."

Kaname smiled back weakly.

"Oh, and there were some creeps who were looking for you earlier. I finally got security to haul them away."

Kaname glanced over to the sign that bore the hotel's privacy policy. In brief, it said that it would never disclose the name of any of its customers without a police warrant.

"We are grateful," Sousuke said to her, then tugged at Kaname's arm. "Come, Chidori. We should move while we have the element of surprise."

"I guess you're right," she said, and waved to the receptionist. "Bye," she said, and then followed Sousuke across the lobby.

They peered outside the hotel's solid main double doors, and then scurried down the block, towards the van. They passed a few people who seemed to take no notice of their hurry, including a few foreign tourists with flash cameras around their necks.

The men in black must have been lurking in the alleyway beside the building, for as soon as they had passed it, the men in black immediately began running after them.

"Duck, Chidori!" Sousuke said, shoved her to the ground. He had pocketed the gun from the military kit, and now he drew it and pointed it at the men in black, who immediately responded by drawing their own weapons. Each had two guns, and all four were pointed at Sousuke.

Kaname looked up at the scene, panting in terror. Sousuke was going to get shot. One of the men smirked at her and tightened the finger on one trigger facing Sousuke. Then all of a sudden he crumpled to the ground accompanied by a soft, high-pitched whine. In another second his partner crumpled gracelessly as well.

She looked over to the van, where Kurtz was giving her a victory sign through the window. He must have shot them with a stun gun.

To make everything worse, a bright flash nearby indicated that the tourists must have seen the whole thing.

"Can I stop ducking now?" Kaname asked, more embarassed than she'd ever been in her life.

* * *

The next day at school, Kaname dreaded her classmate's reaction to the Setagaya morning news. The foreign tourist had supplied a color photo of Sousuke defending Kaname's bottom end against what had later turned out to be yazuka who thought that Kaname was actually a famous heiress that she supposedly looked like.

"Kana-chan, just what were you doing on Roppongi?" her friend Kyoko asked innocently.

"I got chased there," Kaname said grumpily, staring at the wall, the floor, the ceiling, anywhere but her classmates.

"And why were you outside a well-known love hotel?" Kyoko pressed, nudging Kaname with her elbow. "Have a little romantic interlude with Sagara-san?"

Kaname couldn't quite hide the fierce blush that spread across her features. "I told you, we were chased there. We were minding our own business, shopping in Ginza, when we were chased by those guys." She pointed to the men in the picture.

Kyoko rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. Then why are you blushing?"

Kaname sighed, and moved her finger to Sousuke's image. "Love hotel or not, you've got to admit that he looks pretty dashing in this photograph, no?"

Kyoko pursed her lips and nodded slyly. "He certainly does. And speak of the devil . . ."

"Eh?" Kaname said, and looked up. Sousuke was approaching rapidly, a tiny envelope in his hand. He bore his usually determined look, and his gray eyes locked into hers made Kaname's heart beat a staccato in her ears.

He pressed the envelope in her hand, nodded to Kyoko, and then wordlessly found his seat.

"What's it say, Kana-chan?" Kyoko asked, grinning slyly.

Kaname opened the envelope and unfolded the small sheet of paper inside. Her face burned crimson as she read it, and she hid it from Kyoko's prying eyes.

"It's private," she said, her voice shaking.

It had said,

Kaname,

If you wish, we can return to the point of the incident at 1200 hours next Sunday. This time, however, you may choose whatever fantasy you wish.

-Sagara Sousuke.

* * *

Owari.
Written for the Sweet Lemon Love Hotel Challenge