Rosario Vampire Fan Fiction ❯ He Who Fights Monsters ❯ Silk and Scales ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Rosario + Vampire:

He Who Fights Monsters…

Chapter Ten: Silk and Scales

Written by: Hawker_748

Tsukune made his way up the stairs of his dormitory, his breathing now slow and composed after the exertions of the cross country run. He was covered with a film of sweat, and his shirt sleeves were dark from where he'd wiped his forehead, but he still felt exhilarated. This time everyone in the club had made an honest effort to catch him, and while only Ichiro had come close, it still made his first place finish all the sweeter. The other members might still go out of their way to avoid him, but at least they weren't afraid to challenge him on the course anymore

'As long as that's the only place they challenge me,' Tsukune thought grimly. While he was unbeatable while running, if one of them ever decided to challenge him to a fight, unless he got very lucky, again, he was no match in a straight fight. Even his propensity to fight dirty might not work out if his foe was wary enough to not give Tsukune a hidden edge. His only hope was that taking down a vampire would continue to be a big enough deterrent to anyone who decided they wanted to be the alpha student at Youkai Academy. The human continued to consider his situation as he reached the fourth floor landing, looking forward to getting cleaned up in his room.

"Tsukune…"

Freezing mid-stride Tsukune slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. He thought he'd recognized the gentle voice, and the glance revealed it was Saori slowly making her way up the stairs towards him. The human felt equally awkward and on guard as his former suitor approached him; he flexed his right hand nervously, the not very comforting presence of his knife at the small of his back more prominent now. Saori had gone out of her way to avoid him during meals and wouldn't meet his eyes during class, but she'd never come up to him in private before. The hallways were empty and the idea of her trying something violent made him sweat for a different reason.

"Saori." The urge to bolt to his room was powerful. He had a barricade, and some heavier weapons, but maybe trying to talk things out might be better.

If Saori was planning vengeance, it didn't show on her face, she was the picture of serenity. "I was upset," she told him unnecessarily.

Tsukune fidgeted. "I-I didn't mean to hurt you," he murmured.

"Please, can I just explain?"

'That's supposed to be my line,' Tsukune thought with grim humor. "Go ahead."

"At first I didn't understand why you went back with her," Saori told him. "I would have done anything to make you happy. Anything." The way she had said that last word sent a thrill down Tsukune's spine. "But, I understand why you did it."

"You do?" he whispered, wondering if he was in danger or not, despite the calmness of his gut.

"She was your first love. And I'm okay with that."

"You are…?"

"Yes," she replied with a gentle smile, stepping close to him and stroking his sweaty cheek with the back of her fingers. "I don't mind if you're with her, I can see you on the sssssside…"

Tsukune's eyes went wide when Saori shifted into her monster form; it took him a moment to realize that while she stayed the same from the waist up, her lower half transformed into a long coiled snake. 'Lamia,' the human told himself, a sudden urge to void his bladder gripping him. Saori was giving him a look that would have made most men's heart race, but she had unknowingly struck a nerve in the human.

Tsukune was absolutely terrified of snakes. Had been his entire life. Keito might have arachnid legs, extra eyes, and mandibles the size of butcher knives, but she didn't have scales, or a long serpent tail that coiled under her. The human bit his lip to keep from letting out a horrified shriek, his habit of concealing fear all that kept him from turning into a babbling, incoherent wreck.

"You can have Keito," Saori whispered, a long forked tongue flicking out between her lips, gently tickling Tsukune on the nose, nearly making him soil himself. "I'll be your missstresss…"

Tsukune was trembling, but the lamia didn't recognize it as fear, attributing it to excitement. "I-I'm not comfortable with this," he practically whimpered, his eyes flicking back and forth.

Saori used the tip of her tail to caress Tsukune's face, making him shudder. "I made certain Keito won't know, that she isn't around," she assured the panicked human. "I know how to be disssscrete…"

"D-did you look up…?"

"Look up?" Saori turned her head to follow Tsukune's gaze, her eyes going wide at the sight of Keito clinging to the ceiling in her full monster form, her mandibles dripping, all of her eyes narrowed in fury.

Before the lamia could make a move Keito launched a web at her would be rival, covering Saori with a virtual net, drawing it tight and immobilizing the long haired girl. The spider woman leapt from the ceiling and began to wrap Saori up like a moth trapped in a web. "You really should have kept away," Keito chittered. "You might have lived longer…"

"Keito, wait…" Tsukune called out. Now that the lamia wasn't in his face he could think more clearly. He gestured over with his head for his girlfriend to follow him a discrete distance away. "Can I ask you a favor?" he said softly when Saori couldn't overhear them.

"You want me to make you a pair of boots? Maybe a wallet?"

Tsukune shook his head, and looked into Keito's eyes. The two that she had when she was in her human form. "Can you not kill her? Please?"

For a moment Keito stared at him blankly; then she began to tremble. "So, I should just let her be, get away with it? Or do you want to see other women?"

"No. NO! Not at all," Tsukune replied instantly. He should have guessed Keito would see it like that. "It's just…" he paused, trying to figure out the best way to phrase it. "S-she didn't try to hurt me, and I don't think she'll do it again." The terror in Saori's eyes as she struggled vainly against the webbing was palpable.

Keito worked her mandibles, hissing in naked frustration at her boyfriend's request. "You don't expect me to just let this go, do you?" she chittered.

"No, I didn't say that," Tsukune admitted. "Just let her live, that's all."

Keito moved so that her face was inches from Tsukune's. "Your humanity is showing," she hissed, before cocking her head to the side. "Were you scared of her...?"

"No," Tsukune replied quickly.

The spider woman figured it was a little too quickly. "You seem to be trembling."

"It-it's just adrenalin," he insisted, hating himself for the brief stammer.

"...right..."

Keito tromped back towards the trapped lamia, dragging her away by a strand of spider silk. "I'll see you at dinner," she called back as she pulled the helpless Saori down the stairway.

Tsukune let out a shuddering sigh as he headed for his room; being face to face with Keito's monster form was easier than facing a woman who was half snake. His hands were trembling as he unlocked his room, fumbling with the doorknob with sweaty fingers before finally getting safe inside. After locking and barricading the door, Tsukune finally let himself show the fear he'd suppressed. Shaking like a leaf he frantically scrubbed his face with his sweaty shirt, knowing logically that snakes weren't slimy, but still feeling like he needed to clean himself after Saori's touch.

Shucking off his damp clothes Tsukune shambled to the shower, letting the hot water wash over him, rinsing him off and finally calming him down as he managed to push away the memory of Saori's tail trailing down his cheek. The rational part of him knew that this all stemmed from the time in kindergarten when a classmate had put a garter snake down the back of his shirt. The coiling, writhing mass had reduced him to a blubbering, incoherent state, and even to this day he found it difficult to even look at pictures of snakes without trembling.

Tsukune had always thought that Saori was attractive, but he'd never be able to look at her again without thinking about her snaky lower half. He rinsed himself off, turned off the water and began to use the towel to dry himself. It was hard to not consider the prospect that he'd almost asked her out officially during a spike of jealousy when he saw Keito with someone he'd thought was her new beau. Tsukune wasn't going to shun her, he wasn't that frightened of her, but even if Keito dropped him and Saori said she was fine with his humanity, he wouldn't be able to see himself with her.

After he was dry, not bothering with the hair dryer Keito favored, Tsukune changed back into his usual school uniform, feeling far more settled than he had after meeting Saori. Dressed and armed up, the human removed the barricade and unlocked the door before heading to the cafeteria for dinner. He was a little surprised to see Keito sanguinely leaning against the wall next to the entrance; she usually seemed to materialize behind him after he'd sat down.

"Good evening," she called out, fixing him with a sardonic smile.

"You too," Tsukune replied as he walked up to her.

Keito pushed off the wall, her face moving close enough to Tsukune's that he could feel her breath. He believed she was going to kiss him, but she simply drawled, "Was the big, bad Tsukune afraid of the cute widdle snake…?"

Tsukune felt himself blush and scowl. "There was nothing 'cute' or 'widdle' about that snake."

"But her girl half is so cute," Keito pointed out with sarcastic sweetness.

"Yeah? Well, her lower half isn't," Tsukune growled, working to suppress a shudder.

Keito smirked at her boyfriend. "I know you don't mind spiders," she remarked. "But is there anything else that gives you the willies?"

Tsukune shook his head. "Only snakes." Granted, he'd faced creatures far deadlier than snakes, but they were at the top of the scary pile, as far as mundane things went. The chuckle Keito let out as they walked into the cafeteria made Tsukune uneasy. As they filled their trays, the human noticed a bit of commotion coming from the dining hall; since he hadn't walked in yet he figured it wasn't about him, but he put himself on guard nonetheless.

When Tsukune walked into the dining room, he nearly dropped his tray in shock. Since he'd started attending Youkai Academy he'd seen things that astonished him, but this exceeded everything so far. Saori was at his usual table. Or rather, she was hanging over it. She was clearly alive, but restrained, Keito's webbing hog-tying her as she dangled from the ceiling by a single thread. She was swaying slightly as she struggled to escape, the gag in her mouth muffling her cries or sobs. And she was wrapped up not on a cocoon, but shibari style, which allowed everyone to gaze upon her naked body.

"See? I didn't kill her," Keito told him as she surveyed her work next to him.

"You hung her up there NAKED…?"

"You told me not to kill her," Keito replied with a shrug. "So this time I tried something different."

"I didn't think you'd-… Wait. 'This time?'" Tsukune held up his hand before Keito could say anything. "Never mind, I don't want to know…" The human didn't mean to stare up at the helpless girl, but he couldn't look away. Virtually everyone was watching her, pointing, and in many, many cases taking pictures with mobile phones. Saori's eyes met his, and Tsukune could see tears running down her cheeks, and he was certain she'd be sobbing if the gag wasn't keeping her silent. Glancing over at Keito, Tsukune saw a look of open satisfaction on the spider woman's face as she clearly savoured her rival's misery. He'd held out a small hope that their relationship would have a more humanizing effect on her; but as he felt himself resume his course towards his table, Tsukune wondered if she'd leached away more of his humanity.

As he sat down Tsukune tried to ignore the occasional drops hitting the tabletop, silently sending out an apology to Saori, and even wondering for a moment if it would have been more merciful to let Keito simply kill her than subject her to the humiliation. The human ate in silence, not bothering to chat with his girlfriend, who seemed content to simply stay with him while they ate. The quiet in the cafeteria allowed Tsukune to hear the chuckles of those who'd observed Saori's predicament, as well as the faint sound of muffled sobs, and the sound of tear drops striking the table seemed painfully loud.

Tsukune and Keito ate in an uncomfortable silence until the human finished his meal and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "We should do something this weekend," Keito remarked.

"You're talking about a date now?" Tsukune murmured.

"Of course," Keito explained as if talking to a child. "This is the last weekend before break, it'd be a shame to waste it."

When he found himself nodding, Tsukune knew he'd lost yet another facet of his humanity. "What are you doing during break?"

The spider woman shrugged. "I'll be staying here, an Enforcer's work is never done."

"So what do you want to do?"

"Let's go swimming."

"S-swimming…? Is that safe?" Tsukune wondered.

"Of course," Keito assured him. "They drained the pool and bleached the sides, it's as good as new."

"That isn't what I meant," the human replied, uncomfortable at the reminder. "I saw… something… in the water with me."

"Was probably a member of the swimming club. But don't worry, I reserved the entire pool for the afternoon."

"You can do that? But, it's still out in the open."

"You can still bring your knife," she reminded him. "Besides, you're out in the open now, right?"

"True," Tsukune admitted. "But I'm not comfortable-"

"If it'll help, you can pretend you're going to kill me."

"What? That's-"

"Is murder the only way to get you in the water?"

The human felt his hackles rise as he saw Keito giving him a condescending look. He knew he was being baited, but at this point he no longer cared. "What time?"

Smirking, Keito replied, "Saturday, after classes. Get changed into your suit and wait in my office. I'll meet you after I deal with a minor issue."

"Minor issue?"

"Nothing you need to worry about," she explained nonchalantly. "Now, as much as I'd love to have you make my toes curl, I'm busy tonight, so I'll have to take a rain check."

Tsukune let out a sigh. "I guess I'll be alright." Truth be told he wasn't really in the mood now, and even if he had been, being with Keito while Saori was hanging up there would have felt awkward. "H-how's she going to get down?" he asked quietly.

"The custodial staff will get her down," Keito responded glibly as she got to her feet. "I'll see you in the morning. Pleasant dreams."

'I doubt it," Tsukune thought, watching the spider woman stroll out of the dining room. Picking up his tray the human left it in the rack and walked out, pausing briefly at the exit to give one last look at Saori. 'I'm sorry,' he called out silently, before making his way back to his dorm and his room.

Safely ensconced inside, Tsukune stripped down to his skivvies and dropped to the floor. He started doing push-ups with a mechanical rhythm, trying to empty his mind, focusing on the growing pain in his arms and shoulders rather than have to face his own guilt over the fate of his unlucky suitor. He didn't bother keeping count, but it must have been well into the hundreds before his shuddering arms refused to push him back up off the floor. Crawling into bed, not bothering to brush his teeth, Tsukune was quickly overtaken by sleep, his dreams now haunted by images of snakes in addition to the regular horrors.

XXX

Tsukune twirled his pen in his fingers, keeping one eye on the clock as he waited for Saturday's classes to end. Ms. Nekonome was valiantly attempting to keep her students attention until the end of class, but it was obvious they were anxious to get the day over with and start their weekend. Looking over to his side, Tsukune suppressed a sigh when he saw that Saori's seat was still empty.

She hadn't been hanging in the cafeteria the following morning, but she hadn't shown up for class either. Saori had effectively vanished from the school, and after a few days Ms. Nekonome stopped calling her name when she took attendance. Considering the humiliation she'd faced at the hands of Tsukune's girlfriend, he wasn't surprised that she'd decided to leave rather than face everyone.

He tried very hard to not even think about the other way Saori could have escaped the shame. He had enough blood on his conscience from people he'd killed intentionally…

Changing his train of thought, the human noticed that his classmates no longer watched him like he was a mad dog with a frayed leash. They were still a little guarded around him, but no one dove into a classroom when he was coming down the hallways anymore either. Tsukune figured it was better that way; if he was too frightening, others might decide to band together for the greater good. As it was now only Keito and Ichiro were close to him; others were polite, but they kept their distance. A few classmates would talk to him between classes, but it seemed they were just trying to keep on friendly terms with him.

When the dismissal bell finally rang Tsukune felt his lips turning upwards in a ghost of a smile. He and Keito would be going for a swim today, and even though he'd seen her naked several times, he was kind of looking forward to seeing her in a swimsuit. Slipping his books into his satchel the human stood up to make his exit, when a voice called out from behind him.

"Excuse me, Tsukune. Could you help me?"

Casting a discrete glance around the class and not seeing any boxes at all, Tsukune nodded at his teacher, patiently waiting for the classroom to empty. When the last student filed out, Ms. Nekonome locked the door and turned to face her student. "Why?"

"Why shouldn't I?" he replied, knowing full well what she was referring to.

"You're different Tsukune," Shizuka told him, making him wonder briefly if she knew what he was.

"What do you mean by that?"

Shizuka took off her glasses and set them on the desk. "I've seen a lot of students come and go," she explained. "Most of them couldn't pass as a human if their lives depended on it And those who could were all cruel, violent, and petty. You aren't…"

"I killed five students," Tsukune murmured, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I'm pretty violent…"

"That was mostly self-defence," she pointed out. "Maybe you went too far with Harunobu, but no one here would blame you. You're the best student I’ve ever had, -and I don't mean your grades- so why would you be with… with… HER?"

"Who else would want me?" Tsukune whispered.

"What are you talking about? Any girl here would love to be with you!" Shizuka insisted. "I've seen how they look at you, why not be with someone else?"

"Why do you care?" Tsukune wondered.

The teacher coughed into her hand, a faint twinge shading her cheeks. "You-you're my student, I'm supposed to look out for your safety… Keito's so violent, so dangerous, you could get killed being with her."

Tsukune shook his head. "If Keito wanted to kill me, she'd have done it already," he told his teacher. "I like being with her, and-and she accepts me, for what I really am."

"And what's that?"

Looking his teacher straight in her eyes, and wondering if how he felt was giving him a sad smile, Tsukune answered. "A monster…"

"I don't understand."

Nodding solemnly, Tsukune started to walk out. "I know." The human went to the door and unlocked it. He thought he heard Ms. Nekonome take a breath as if to call out to him, but there was only silence as he slipped into the hallway to head back to his dorm to prepare to go swimming with Keito.

XXX

Ms. Nekonome watched her student walk almost forlornly out of her class and close the door behind him, leaving the nekomata alone with her thoughts. She was a little surprised to note she had a rather strong impulse to chase after Tsukune and try to convince him he was better than he thought he was. She had always been genuinely concerned about her students, even the ones she secretly knew weren't going to be able to cope with the human world, but what she felt for Tsukune felt different somehow. Deciding that it wouldn't be worth it going after him and possibly making a scene, she slipped her glasses back on and let out a sigh.

"Sighing by yourself in an empty room," an arrogant voice called out. "Must mean you're an old maid…"

Ms. Nekonome started at the unexpected insult, then bristled when she recognized the voice. "What rock are you hiding under, insect?" She nearly let out a yelp when one of the windows slid open so hard the panes rattled.

"Arachnid," Keito pointed out, using her spider legs to crawl in the open window, retracting the extra legs into her Enforcer uniform when she was inside. "Shouldn't a teacher know that?"

Refusing to be cowed by the superior air Keito radiated, Shizuka flattened her ears and glared. "Shouldn't you have been in class instead of wasting time climbing walls?"

"An Enforcer's duty is never wasted time," the spider woman replied smugly. "If we had your work ethic, the school newspaper would still be publishing lies. Say, don't you have an issue coming out? Not that anyone would care…"

Ms. Nekonome's eyes narrowed. "Our next issue comes out next Thursday."

"Excellent," Keito crowed. "Now there'll be something the students can use to wrap fish, or line bird cages."

"Oh, we're expanding," Shizuka snapped back. "We even have some advertisements, one of them is for a pest control service, to kill unwanted bugs."

"Very good," Keito replied glibly. "You should try classifieds as well. 'Lonely, desperate teacher seeks lover, students welcome to apply.'"

The spider woman's mocking tone made the teacher flinch, but the implication cut even deeper. "Are you making some slanderous allegation?" she regarded archly.

Keito crossed her arms and gave the teacher a sardonic smile. "There have been some suggestions that your feelings for Mr. Aono are… inappropriate."

The nekomata's face twisted into an enraged snarl. "How dare you?" she shot back vehemently, surprising herself with her own indignation. "You want to crush dissent, fine, but don't you EVER question my integrity," Shizuka hissed.

The spider woman nodded, seeming quite pleased with the reaction, galling the teacher even more. "Very good. I'll be glad to note in my report that you're not that foolish, or pathetic, to get involved with a student."

"Do you have some other reason for being here, and keeping me from grading these assignments?" Ms. Nekonome wondered crossly, giving the Enforcer her best glare.

Keito kept her usual sardonic smile in place, ignoring the teacher's fury. "There is one last thing, before I leave you to your papers." The spider woman suddenly lunged in front of Shizuka, her violet eyes blazing into the teacher's scant inches away. "If I even THINK you're trying to get closer to MY Tsukune," Keito rasped harshly, "I'll spay you myself! With a red hot poker!"

Ms. Nekonome recoiled in fear, faint whimpers escaping from her lips as the Enforcer blatantly threatened her. The teacher's legs buckled and she would have fallen to the floor if she hadn't been next to her desk.

"Good luck with your corrections," Keito told her sweetly, giving her a jaunty wave and slipping out of the classroom through the door, leaving the shaken teacher trembling on her desk.

XXX

After dropping off his school bag and changing into his swimsuit –and he'd told his mom he wouldn't need one, but she'd convinced him otherwise- Tsukune strolled back to the main school building, a loose shirt covering the knife he carried at the small of his back, a lighter and small aerosol an inconspicuous bulge in a pocket. Tsukune really hoped no one in the swimming club, or any club really, tried to exact revenge when he was in the water, or he'd be a sitting duck.

Slipping back into the school building, Tsukune went to the stairs and climbed up to the floor where the School Protection committee had their offices. Reaching the floor the human almost froze when he saw three students in Enforcers uniforms milling in the hallway. Forcing himself to keep calm and keep moving, he strode confidently forward, not showing any fear. Tsukune did pause when he realized he didn't know which office was Keito's, he hadn't bothered to take note of the number the one time he'd been there. Smiling thinly to hide his nervousness, the human went up to the nearest black clad figure and tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me…"

The Enforcer whirled on Tsukune harshly. "What do… you… want…?" The snarl died off as a look of recognition registered on the student's face.

"Which office is Keito's?" Tsukune asked politely, making sure he kept a smile on his face.

"Not… Not Kuyo's?" the taller boy murmured.

"Keito's," the human replied. "She told me to wait for her there. We're going swimming…"

The other student seemed to finally notice the unusual attire and the towel Tsukune had over his shoulder. "Swimming. Right. Second door on the left," he pointed out, taking a respectful step back.

"Thank you," Tsukune acknowledged with a nod, walking towards the door in question, his heart rate audible in his ears. He did notice that the others in the hallway were watching him warily as he passed, before he slipped into Keito's office. In the gloom that he remembered, Tsukune felt the wall next to the door looking for a light switch, finally finding it and flipping it up. There wasn't a lot of difference, but at least he could now make out the edges of the room and wouldn't have to stumble blindly in the dark.

There were cobwebs everywhere, full sized webs between the walls and floor, but the human was somewhat relieved that there didn't seem to be any cocoons in any of them. It occurred to him that there could be some clinging to the ceiling, but Tsukune couldn't bring himself to look up, deciding he preferred the ambiguity. Glancing around for a place to sit that wouldn't lead to him getting snared by sticky filaments, Tsukune's foot happened to kick something across the floor. Bending down, the human took hold of it and looked at the object in the gloom.

It took a few seconds before he realized that it was a bra, literally covered with dust. 'Who's is this?' he wondered. Keito would never be considered flat chested, something Tsukune could vouch for, but this garment had been for someone with a truly enormous bust; each cup looked as if it could easily contain a cantaloupe, and Tsukune had no idea why it would be in his girlfriend's office. As his eyes adjusted to the low light, the human saw something else on the floor. It looked like some kind of hair clip, with a shooting star design. He was about to pick it up when he heard the sound of the doorknob turning. Not wanting Keito to see him possibly carrying another woman's undergarments, Tsukune tossed the bra into the gloom and did his best to try and forget about it.

For a few moments Keito was backlit from the hallway before she slipped into her poorly lit office. "Did I keep you waiting long?" she asked.

Tsukune shook his head. "Just got here myself."

Keito walked over to a closet, absently undoing her Enforcers jacket and hanging it up. "Give me a few minutes to get changed," she called out, making no effort to conceal herself as she slipped out of her uniform. Hanging her outfit into the closet, allowing Tsukune to see her heart shaped bottom, Keito took out her swimsuit and slipped it on. It turned out to be a black one piece, sending a brief spike of disappointment to her observer, but when his girlfriend slipped the straps up her shoulders and turned to face him, he saw it wasn't a typical school swimsuit.

It had a neckline that plunged well past her navel, with twin strips that covered just enough of her breasts to be decent. Tsukune could have stared at her all day, but the expectant look Keito was wearing snapped him out of it. "Wow…"

"Glad you like it," Keito replied dryly, slipping her feet into some deck slippers. At least, Tsukune guessed they were deck slippers.

He'd just never seen a pair that had stiletto heels before. "You're going out dressed like that?"

"Of course not," Keito assured him, pulling on a white shirt and using it like a robe.

The shirt looked familiar to Tsukune. "Isn't that mine?"

"Yes. I took it from your closet," Keito told him. "Do you want it back?"

"Keep it…"

The spider woman smiled. "I was hoping you'd say that," she cooed. "It smells like you…" Keito then hugged it to herself and trembled.

Averting his eyes so he wouldn't have any embarrassing bulges when walking through the halls, Tsukune tried to think of something else to occupy his mind. "You ready?"

"Let's go."

After Keito turned out the light and locked her office the two of them made their way through the hallway. Tsukune noticed some of the other Enforcers glancing over at Keito, but they quickly averted their eyes, either out of respect for her, or possibly out of fear of one or the other of them.

Or perhaps the both of them.

Leaving the building and walking into what passed for a nice day at Youkai Academy, the two of them strolled towards the pool. The students around them subtlety cleared a path for them, and then the human and the spider woman arrived at the deserted pool. "Where is everyone?" Tsukune wondered. The pool always seemed busy on weekends.

"I told you, I reserved it," Keito reminded him, sounding as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You can do that?"

"Of course."

Shaking his head in amazement at the power his girlfriend could wield, Tsukune took the opportunity to walk slowly around the pool, carefully watching the water, making certain that there wasn't anything lurking under the surface. His eyes were drawn to the spot where Moka's body had disintegrated, but the water was crystal clear, with no sign of her or any other creature under water. Feeling as assured as he was going to, without the use of depth charges anyway, Tsukune slipped out of his shirt, dropped it and his towel onto a table, kicked off his shoes and ran for the pool.

Leaping into the air at the edge of the deck and shaping himself into a dive, the human knifed into the clear water. The frigid temperature hit him like a slap, nearly making him cry out underwater; his form disappeared, and he struggled to reach the surface, letting out a hoarse cry as he took a breath. "Graahhh!"

Keito lurched up on the lounge she'd been reclining on. "Tsukune! What's wrong?"

"C-cold…" he managed to force out through chattering teeth.

Giving the human a disgusted look, the spider woman eased back down onto the lounge. "Sounded like you'd run into a shark," Keito grumbled. "It's not like you haven't jumped in there before…"

"Don't remember it being this cold," he mumbled, treading water to keep afloat and try to fight off the chills. Now that the shock had worn off, Tsukune managed to get a good look at Keito. She was laying carefree on the lounge, a towel under her, and making absolutely no effort to cover up what her swimsuit revealed. The confident, alluring smile she was wearing, as well as her impressive cleavage made Tsukune decide that maybe a dunking in cold water hadn't been such a bad idea.

Realizing that treading water and staring at his girlfriend wasn't much of a way to pass the time, Tsukune began to butterfly stroke his way back and forth across the pool. He'd always been a pretty good swimmer, and this was the first chance he'd had to try it since arriving. Tsukune had briefly considered even joining the swim club, but decided his prospects for survival were probably better on dry land.

Sharks and piranha were only dangerous on their own turf after all…

Continuing his laps, and wishing his mind wasn't thoughtfully repeating two ominous notes in his head, Tsukune felt the long forgotten sensation of his arms and legs working at once, having become accustomed to running or push-ups. He didn't have any way of timing himself, but it seemed like he was a lot faster in the water than he'd ever been, or perhaps the pool was simply shorter. Tsukune was also certain that he was able to do more laps than he'd ever been able to before, but after what felt like ten minutes he began to feel self-conscious about swimming by himself. He'd also realized that he hadn't seen a single other student near the pool, regardless of its popularity.

Swimming to the edge of the pool closest to Keito, pulling himself up on his elbows and absently wiping his wet hair from his face, Tsukune called out to his girlfriend. "Why'd you invite me swimming if you're just going to lounge around?"

"Maybe I just wanted to see you in a swimsuit," Keito replied archly.

"Swimming alone is dangerous," Tsukune pointed out. "And the water's not bad once you get used to it."

"This suit isn't really made for swimming," Keito admitted after some contemplation.

"I noticed," Tsukune remarked dryly, before something else occurred to him. "Can you even swim?"

For the first time he could remember, Keito looked uncomfortable. "Arachnids tend to avoid large bodies of water…"

The human pursed his lips. "Is it dangerous for you?"

Keito gave him a sour look. "I've used your shower, haven't I?" she shot back.

Now Tsukune felt embarrassed. "That's true," he recalled lamely, before he regained his composure. "Then come on in, I'll give you a hand."

Looking like she couldn't decide whether she wanted to strangle or smile at Tsukune, Keito took off her shoes and walked towards the ladder at the shallow end of the pool, Tsukune swimming up to meet her. Hesitating at the top of the ladder, the spider woman briefly closed her eyes and let out a breath before seeming to focus and taking one step down. She cringed when her foot entered the water, pulling it back out. "It's cold," she hissed.

"That's what I said. You'll get used to it," Tsukune assured her.

Not wanting to let a mere human get the better of her, even if she was the only one who would know that, Keito entered the water, ending up chest high. The pool felt like it had been filled with melted ice just before they arrived, and Keito briefly wondered why Tsukune wasn't shivering. "You're right, it's not so bad," she forced out, a tight smile on her face. She tried hard to maintain her dignity, especially since she could feel herself reacting unconsciously to the cold water, further making her regret her choice of swimsuit.

Tsukune did notice a pair of peaks appearing under his girlfriend's swimsuit, but he was too polite, or not reckless enough, to mention them. "You should go under completely, get used to the water."

Keito gave him a wry look. "Last girl you were here with died," she reminded him unnecessarily. "Will I be safe if I do that…?"

The human felt his eyes narrow. "Just do it," he growled.

"I'd feel safer with a lifeguard," the spider woman taunted briefly before crouching down under the surface of the water, her long violet hair billowing out before she came back up. Using her hands to push her wet hair back over her shoulders, she gave the human an expectant look. "Now what?"

"Take my hand," Tsukune told her, relieved that her grip didn't make the bones in his hand creak. "Lay flat and start kicking."

Keito pushed off the bottom of the pool and started kicking wildly, needing a few seconds to get herself floating properly. Once she'd settled down her kicking sent less water splashing onto the deck and began to propel her through the water, Tsukune slowly walking to allow her to make progress. The two of them went back and forth a few times in the shallow end before Tsukune headed for the deep end, treading water when the level went over his head. They kept this up for about ten minutes, clumsily moving back and forth in the pool, until Tsukune saw that Keito's expression became more comfortable.

"That's good, now we'll see how you do alone," Tsukune declared. "Try using your arms like this…" The human demonstrated a couple breast stroke motions a few times before standing up, watching as Keito tried to copy him.

"This better work," Keito muttered.

"Don't worry, I'll be right here," Tsukune promised.

Looking really uncomfortable, Keito let herself float for a second before awkwardly attempting what her boyfriend had shown her. She experienced a brief surge of panic when her head went under the surface of the water, but once she managed to get her rhythm down, her progress improved. Once Keito finally started to feel comfortable, she glanced over and saw Tsukune swimming alongside her, feeling a touch of annoyance that he hardly seemed to be putting in any effort to keep pace with her.

Keito increased the speed of her kicking and arm movements, using her natural advantage in strength, but she discovered that Tsukune was easily able to keep up with her, and she swore she saw him give her a grin before he pulled ahead easily, leaving her in his wake. The two of them kept up their impromptu race, Keito exerting herself as hard as she could, managing to catch up with Tsukune, but try as she might she couldn't take the lead. Eventually she got tired out, slowly making her way back to the edge of the pool and pulled herself onto the deck.

As Keito sat on the edge of the pool, Tsukune continued to cut through the water like a torpedo, his pace never wavering. The spider woman could see some students at the outer edge of the pool area, trying to look like they weren't curious, and shuffling away when Keito gave them a hard look. After what seemed like forever, Tsukune finally swam over to the edge of the pool, and Keito suppressed a scowl when she noticed he wasn't even breathing hard. "Sure you aren't a mermaid?" she grumbled.

"Don't have the legs for it," he quipped blandly. "You know what I am, I was always a good swimmer, and all that running…" Tsukune shrugged. "My endurance is better."

Keito absently brushed wet hair off of her face. "This chlorine is going to ruin my hair…"

"You've had enough?"

"Yeah, I'm worn out," the spider woman admitted, slowly rising to her feet and walking back to the lounge and her towel. Tsukune effortlessly shot out of the pool and followed her, his eyes drawn like magnets to Keito's shapely ass, clearly visible in her T-back swimsuit. Using his own towel to scrub his hair, the human tried to think of something else, even if the cold water meant that pitching a tent wasn't going to be an issue. "You mind if we call it a day?" Keito asked him.

Tsukune nodded. "Sure, it's almost dinnertime anyways."

Keito finished rubbing herself with her towel and slipped Tsukune's shirt on, some of the water still on her body making it cling to her form. "We'll go eat, after we stop at your room."

"My room? What for?" Tsukune wondered.

"I have to get this chlorine out of my hair," she stated imperiously. "You're going to help me scrub."

Tsukune opened his mouth and then closed it. "Sure," he mumbled, slipping his shoes back on and falling into step with Keito as she started off towards his dorm.

They would miss dinner that night, and didn't make it into the cafeteria until lunch the next day.

XXX

Tsukune adjusted his grip on his bag and moved his backpack to a more comfortable position. It was finally break week, and he'd be able to go home for a while, as would most of the other students, although a few of them, Keito included, would be staying at Youkai Academy. He was waiting at the bus stop where he'd arrived, seemingly a lifetime ago, with a small group of students for his scheduled ride back to the human world. Tsukune didn't recognize anyone in his group, but they were all keeping a discrete distance away, and no one looked like they were willing to strike up a conversation, so it looked like this would be another lonely experience.

"Hey Tsukune!"

The human looked up at the unexpected but familiar voice, a smile appearing on his face. "Thought you wouldn't be leaving until later Ichiro."

The cross country president walked over and gave Tsukune a friendly clap on the shoulder. "I heard you were on this one, so I swapped with a classmate. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Tsukune replied, absently working his shoulder to try to clear away the ache. He then noticed Ichiro was giving him a rather peculiar look. "Is something wrong?"

"Your fly's open."

The human flushed a bit and discretely zipped himself back up. "Thanks…"

"Don't mention it. But…"

"What?"

"The back of your shirt isn't tucked in," the werewolf pointed out. "And the buttons on your shirt, they don't seem to line up either…"

Tsukune went even redder as he tried to tuck his shirt in without anyone noticing. "Keito came to kiss me goodbye," he murmured.

"Just a kiss?"

"It started as one," Tsukune replied. "Then she… went a little farther. I barely had enough time to get redressed and get here…"

Ichiro just gave Tsukune a blank look before shaking his head. "Wish I had your problems…"

"No. You don't," Tsukune answered sincerely.

Any further discussion was pre-empted when the bus pulled up to the stop, the doors opened Tsukune noticed that it was the same strange man who'd been driving when he'd first arrived. Filing this away as just another odd little quirk of where he attended school, the human and the werewolf boarded the bus and sat next to each other, the bus then pulling away and heading for the tunnel. The two of them chatted quietly during the ride, comparing plans for the time off, and promising to have a good run when they returned.

When the bus exited the tunnel Tsukune was astonished to realize that they were in Okinawa, especially since he didn't remember crossing even a creek during the trip, never mind part of the Pacific Ocean. A couple of students got off at different spots, and then the bus re-entered the tunnel, coming out after a few minutes in a place it too Tsukune a few moments to realize was in Hokkaido. Five students got off there, including Ichiro, and the human wondered if there would be stops in other countries as well.

After the bus came out of the tunnel the third time, it stopped less than half a block from Tsukune's home. Picking up his bags the human exited the bus and stepped onto the sidewalk, feeling a wave of relief cascading over him as he watched the bus pull away. He was home. He was safe! He could finally relax, there were no monsters here… Or were there?

Tsukune remembered that several students, all of which were monsters, had gotten off the bus before he had, and that many groups had left the school before he did. The entire purpose of Youkai Academy was to allow monsters to blend into the human world, and who knew how long it had been around? How many students had graduated, and were now living in the outside world? A young woman walked by, and Tsukune couldn't keep himself from wondering if she was human or not. In some ways he was more comfortable at school, at least there there was no question that everyone else wasn't human.

Needing to get home before he had a nervous breakdown from his realization, Tsukune walked as quickly as he could to his front door, unlocked it and slipped inside, locking and dead bolting it behind him. "I'm home."

"Tsukune!" His mother practically stampeded to the door and embraced her only son. "I missed you so much!"

"You too mom," he replied, feeling a little more choked up than he expected.

When she finally let go of the hug, Kasumi Aono looked at her son's face, her expression faltering a little. "You look… different…"

Tsukune smiled good naturedly. "I'm still growing, and I've been gone a while."

His mom shook her head. "No, it's not that, you just look… harder…"

Tsukune considered this briefly. His life had been at risk most of the time he'd been away. He'd taken enormous amounts of punishment with improper medical attention. He'd killed five students.

Yeah. He was certain he looked a hell of a lot harder than the naïve teenager he'd been when he left.

But he couldn't let his mom worry about that. "I'm just a little tired, that's all…"

His mother didn't reply immediately, her expression a mixture of worry, some doubt, and relief. But then she smiled again, though it seemed to take a little effort. "Then why don't you go rest before dinner? Your father's out right now, and we'll talk later."

"Sure." Tsukune hugged his mom, picked up his bags and walked into his room, smiling at the familiarity, yet still locking the door. Nothing had been changed, though it wasn't as if he'd expected his parents to put in a karaoke room or something. As he placed his bags on his desk he noticed a family picture taken before he'd left. Picking it up, he looked at his own face, then at the reflection in the mirror. There were a few more lines now than there'd been a few short months ago; a couple stray grey hairs marred his normally brown hair. But the biggest changes were his eyes, which seemed to be permanently narrowed, and the lines of his face. Where he'd once had some soft curves, now there was nothing but angular hardness. If he'd originally been molded from clay, now he looked as if he'd been machined from steel.

Sighing, Tsukune set the picture down, not wanting to consider how much he'd changed since he'd last been in this room. Closing his blinds, after making sure the windows were locked, Tsukune stripped to his skivvies and slipped into bed. He was about to switch off the light, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, even though he was safe in his own bed. He knew monsters were real now, and how did he know one wouldn't come after him even here?

Pulling back his hand, Tsukune laid down his head and dozed fitfully until his mom woke him for dinner. He had plenty of practice pushing away memories of nightmares, and that was no different as he ate with his family for the first time in months.

End of Part Ten.

Author's Notes:

Pre-read, as always, by Random1377 and Mereo Flere. All errors are my fault, not theirs.