Full Metal Panic Fan Fiction ❯ Christmas Panic ❯ chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Something was dangling from the door frame. What was it? Glancing up she cursed Weber silently upon recognizing the leafy branch. Mistletoe!

Sousuke had not failed to notice the leafy green branch hanging in the door frame. He had thought it strange that the door was already partially open, so he was already expecting something. However, he had not been expecting the green vegetation that Weber had used to his advantage in the hall below. What should he do? Would Kaname expect him to follow through with the tradition it supposedly had? She hadn't refused him yet, but he didn't wish to press his luck. Not to mention that Kaname was currently in an intoxicated state and he did not feel right taking advantage of the situation. He could feel her tense under the hand he was using to steady her with. He had to admit that he had worried when she had stumbled on the steps, nearly falling backwards down them. He had decided that his best option was to secure her persons to prevent her from injuring herself.

He silently cursed Weber for serving the young girl so much alcohol. Kaname was not the type to be so reckless, but the night and moment had warranted excess drinks. He himself had drank some, but for Kaname's safety he had nursed his drinks, ensuring that he would remain alert and ready for anything. He doubted that Weber and Mao would be of much assistance to him if someone was to attack tonight. All the more reason for him to stay alert. Kaname was another matter though, he was unsure of her current state, for she had suddenly froze when he opened the door. A quick glance down assured him that she was not in distress, but transfixed on the mistletoe dangling in the door frame.

Her features where blushed red and her pupils very large black orbs, all characteristics of alcohol consumption. She for a moment looked confused, but he could see the realization of what that object was, slowly creep across her face. Noticing that he was looking at her, the blush deepened and she looked down. He smiled in his own enlightenment that she was unsure of what was to come. Considering his options and her possible reactions, he reached his decision rather quickly. His Commander Kalinin had once told him that 'Good instincts usually tell you what to do before your head has figured it out'. So with that thought in mind, he decided that he would follow his instincts and not let the moment slip away. He had a pretty good feeling that when they returned to Tokyo his opportunities in this department would be few and far between. Kalinin had also quoted to him, 'Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.'

Pulling Kaname in close, he decided to make one more memorable moment for him that was sure to take his breath away. He leaned in, capturing her lips with his and unleashed a passion that had been unknowingly buried within the far recesses of his soul.

Kaname was swept up in a whirlwind of emotions. This kiss was unlike the others, it held more emotion and more passion than she had ever known Sousuke to have. It was as if he was trying to make up for all the years that he had spent unfeeling and ignorant of his heart. She was grateful for the door frame she was braced against, for she felt her knees give out moments after he kissed her. If he had not been hanging on, she would have surely sank right to the floor.

This was the moment he had been waiting for all weekend. All of his hard work was paying off. Never had he experienced such pure bliss. It was as if all the weight on his shoulders was lifted whenever he held her in his arms. Electricity surged through his veins every time their lips met. He felt her slump, her knees apparently giving out. So in one quick moment he swept his free arm under her legs to carry her towards the bed. Placing her gently on the covers he continued his assault trailing delicate kisses over her face and down her neck.

Kaname moaned as he massaged the delicate skin of her throat with his lips. She felt like her whole world had been turned upside down. Everything had been set upon an axis and spun. Now that she thought about it, everything was indeed spinning. She chanced a quick look at the ceiling, carefully opening her eyes. She was correct. The room was spinning. Despite the rapture that she was feeling with Sousuke, she was feeling an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach.

She gasped slightly when she felt his one hand slip under the bottom of her shirt. It's warmth radiated across her skin as it moved slowly up. Caressing lightly and obviously enjoying the satiny smoothness of her skin. She felt that pain in her stomach again and now her head was starting to pound. Why was the room spinning so much? Why did she see two Sousuke's leaning over her?

His hand trailed over her ribcage coming to the rest on the soft mound that was covered in lace. He couldn't believe that she hadn't even so much as tried to stop him. He rested his weight on the opposite arm, careful not to crush her with his larger frame. Bringing his head back up from her throat, he gazed lovingly at her face. However, she was not looking as excited as he. In fact, no rapture could be seen in her face. Her eyes were slightly glazed over and she was beginning to sweat. He had seen this look many times before. His Kaname was about to be very sick.

In a panic, he stood her up, directing her lethargic body towards the bathroom. She wobbled and slipped a few times, before successfully slumping in front of the toilet. No sooner had he gotten her there, when she leaned forward and all hell broke lose. Sousuke did his best to hold her hair out of her face and rub her back to comfort her. He even ignored her curses directed at him in between heaves. How had this seemingly perfect night ended up like this? He began to feel very nervous about the coming morning. Kaname would most definitely blame him for tonights events. Judging by the way she currently was, her hangover would only fuel her insufferable moodiness in the morning. He cringed thinking about how sore his head was going to be from the damn paper fan she carried with her.

Her sickness had finally come to an end, and the beautiful angel was currently snoring, her head still braced on the toilet seat. Sousuke couldn't leave her there, so he delicately lifted her once more in his arms. He took her back to the bed and laid her down. She had managed to spray some highly offensive vomit on her sweater. Unwilling to smell that all night he set to work on removing the sweater. Sweater removed, he couldn't help but stare at her beautiful form. A deep blush had crossed his features and he quickly went to work trying to find her pajama top. Successfully rounding up the required item, he wrapped her snuggly in it. His fingers shook nervously as he fastened the buttons. He barely managed to fasten the two buttons at that settled over those luscious lace mounds. He hadn't noticed how flustered he had become until after she was dressed completely.

Leaning back on the headboard he watched as she slept. He pondered the last few days and his progress with civilian life. What would happen when they returned to Tokyo? Would Kaname and he be able to continue as they had here at the manor? He smiled softly as Kaname snorted in her sleep, rolling over onto her side. The bracelet he had gotten for her shortly after they had met, glistened slightly. He had been surprised to see her wearing it earlier in the evening. Especially after the way she had originally acted when he had given it to her. The fact that she had kept it actually surprised him. His thoughts on the reasons behind the gift drew him back to reality. No matter how much he yearned for a normal life with her, the truth of the matter was simple. Kaname Chidori was a whispered. As such, her life was in constant danger. He would never be able to let his guard down or be a normal civilian. Kaname would always need his protection. A great sense of unease washed over him as he dwelled upon his thoughts on the future.

Kaname slowly opened her eyes, quickly shutting them in pain. The light flooding through the main window was too bright. Her head was pounding. Just what had she done to deserve this! Slowly images of the festive night before trickled into her numb brain. Groaning she sat up, quickly bracing herself as the room began to spin.

“Dammit! I hurt!” she cursed.

“Good Morning Miss Chidori.” a familiar voice sounded in the distance.

Carefully cracking her eyes open, she tried to peer out to find the source of the voice. It took a while for her eyes to adjust to the light in the room. She eventually found Sousuke sitting on the couch, sampling items off of a large food cart. She groaned again as she steady herself at the edge of the bed, and raised herself to a standing position. She practically crawled over to the source of food. Plopping down beside Sousuke, she found herself a warm bagel to tentatively pick at.

“I had the butler make this for you. It's Weber's no fail hang over concoction. It should make you feel better.” He handed the sick looking girl the glass. She was looking rather rough this morning. Her hair was a tangled mess, her clothes rumpled, and her face looked like a death mask. He was well aware of her dislike for mornings, but this was probably one of the worst ones she had had in a long time.

“Thanks. I feel horrible. This had better work.” She cringed as she eyed the thick gray mixture suspiciously. Holding her nose, she tipped the glass and chugged the contents. Wrinkling her nose and shaking her head, she urged the foul liquid down and prayed that it would not resurface. After a few moments of discomfort, she was sure that indeed it would stay down. She took another bite of the bagel, before pouring herself a glass of orange juice and popping a few Tylenol. Settling back into the couch she eyed the young man before her.

“So Sousuke, mind telling me how I managed to get into these PJ's?” she hadn't failed to notice that she wasn't in the same top as she had been wearing the night before.

“Ummm.......well you see.......” Sousuke sweat dropped at the comment, suddenly very red and very nervous.

“Sousuke! You pervert! So you've really taken a page from Weber's book!” Kaname yelled rather quietly for a change, due to the throbbing in her head. Her attempts to be mad were rather futile at the moment. She just didn't feel good enough to unleash her full fury on the soldier before her. She was mad that he had taken certain liberties that most likely weren't necessary, but she was too miserable to overly care.

“I haaaa.....had to Miss Chidori......Ya...Your sweater was covered in vomit......Not to mention the smell. I apologize for my actions.” He cringed, awaiting the paper fan attack.

“Vomit?” Kaname was puzzled, she hadn't remembered getting sick. In fact, she had remembered even leaving the ball room down stairs. Now that she thought about it, much of the later part of the evening was a blur. Had she really been sick?

“When did this happen? Sousuke, I don't even remember leaving the ball room.” She pondered the thought. Upon closer examination of herself, she could indeed see the aftermath of a sick night. Now that her senses were finally beginning to fire on all cylinders, she could smell the vomit. She cringed at the putrid scent. Pulling her hair around her, she cringed once more at the knots she could feel. She felt disgusting.

“Urrrr! Never mind! I guess I should thank you for putting up with me in that condition. I think I'll go clean up.” Groaning once more, she lifted herself off the couch and began to wobble towards the bathroom.

“Miss Chidori........”Sousuke began, pondering the nights events. Should he tell her about the short incident in the bed before she fell ill? Upon seeing her face when she paused outside the bathroom door, he thought better of his honesty.

“What!” She screeched back.

“Uhhh....never mind.”

“Ugh! Idiot!” was all he heard her mumble as she closed the door.


Kaname sighed as she pulled the plug in the bathtub and watched the water lever slowly go down. She had spent close to an hour in the comfort of the hot water. Whatever was in that concoction of Weber's had done the trick, other than feeling a little tired, she was feeling fine. She shivered as she got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself. After quickly drying off, she put on a house coat that had hung beside the tub. Settling herself at the vanity she began the long process of detangling her hair. Her thoughts wandered back to the past events of the last few days.

Kaname continued brushing her hair as remembrances of Christmas lights, frosty air and sleigh bells bounced through her mind. Not a single knot was present as she continued pulling the brush though the silken tresses. She finally pulled herself out of the dream like state she had been in and found herself slightly red as her last thoughts were of those heated lips.

Satisfied finally with her appearance, she opened the suitcase she had brought in with her. As she pulled out her jeans and a shirt, her hand skimmed against paper. Pushing aside a shirt, she found the present she had packed for Sousuke. She paused as she looked at it, still unsure of what he would think of it. It was nothing compared to his weekend getaway.

“Might as well get this over with.” She grimaced, feeling inadequate in that moment.

Sousuke looked up from the newspaper he was reading, as the bathroom door creaked open. Kaname exited looking quit refreshed and apparently feeling better. He smiled slightly at her as she threw her suitcase on the bed and made her way over to the couch he was again sitted on. She had a small package in her hand, brightly wrapped in silver paper and light blue ribbon.

“Umm, Sousuke? I know its not much, and I have no idea if you'll like it....... Kyoko kinda thought you'd like it, but I don't really know......it's okay if you think it's silly.” She was jabbering on, suddenly very embarrassed. She had never given a gift to a guy other than her father. She really didn't know what Sousuke would think of it. Unable to bear more awkwardness, she thrust the gift into his hands. She stared into her lap as he began to delicately unwrap the ribbon.

Sousuke was as unsure of the gift he had just received, as Kaname was trying to give him it. He had never expected Kaname to get him anything. He certainly didn't want anything in return. This weekend had been a gift in itself to him. What more could he have asked for? Kaname didn't need to do this. He knew how hard she worked outside of school to make spending money for herself.

“Kaname.....You didn't need to get me anything.” he stared a moment at the girl who just nodded and waited patiently for him to open the gift. He tugged at the ribbon, finally freeing it from it restraints. Next he tackled the silver paper. Slowly unfolding the edges, he lifted one side to reveal what looked to be a fine leather book. Upon further inspection, he found that it was not a book, but rather a photo scrapbook. Opening it, he found a small framed picture tucked neatly in the front. It was a photo of Kaname, a very beautiful one at that. It looked to have been taken by a professional, as the lighting gave the photo a softened look. He was stunned to have been given something so personal. The scrapbook was filled with memorable moments from his time attending high school in Tokyo. No doubt Kyoko had supplied the many photos in the album.

“I know its not much, but Kyoko said that in every military movie.......that uh........the soldier.......he um.......he always had a picture of someone dear to him. She said that that always made sure that the soldier made it to the end of the movie. I thought maybe you could put the small picture in Al.” She paused, embarrassed at what she was about to say. “I guess I'm just trying to say................It's Just.”

She was getting flustered with herself. Her brow was falling into a frown and she was grinding her teeth in frustration. Her hands clenched into fists, causing the onlooking soldier to tense in preparation for a possible attack. She appeared to be growing angrier every second. Sousuke could hear her suddenly counting down from ten in a very hushed tone. By the time she reached the number 3, her shoulders had slumped into a more submissive demeanor. Hands were placed neatly in her lap and her head was again down cast. She spoke then in a very quiet and shaky voice.

“I just want to make sure that you always make it to the end Sousuke. I need you to make it to the end.” The last sentence barely passed as a whisper through her lips.

He didn't know what to say. It was as if Kaname had just dropped a bomb on him. A good bomb nonetheless, but her words were shaking his very foundation. She needed him? Needed him more than just a soldier assigned to her? The gift was so very personal, that he had to believe what he was thinking.

“Kaname.......Thank you.” Three meager words were all he could force out in that moment. He was never good at saying what she wanted to hear. Misinterpreting actions and statements of hers or others had always led him into combat with the blue haired beauty before him. Unsure of a proper response and not willing to screw up, he held his tongue.

Kaname's head shot up at his words and she eagerly searched his face to gage his response to his gift. His face was unusually somber, not at all excited like she had hoped he would be. He just stared at her, photo in one hand and scrapbook in the other. Was this all the response she was going to get? She had just practically bared her soul to him. She had told him that she needed him, even wanted him to arrive home safely after every one of his missions. This stupid look and a thank you was all he could muster! Her anger quickly resurfaced.

“Why you.......you.....IDIOT!”

CRACK!

“Kaname! What was that for!” Sousuke was quick to shield his head from the rage of the girl before him. Apparently he had somehow managed to mess things up once again.

“Sousuke! Don't you get it!” She now found herself looming dangerously over the bewildered solider. Her hands balled into fists on both sides of her body. She half ass confessed her feelings for him and he was staring at her like she was some kind of monster.