Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Love Hina Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Disaster? ❯ Yeah Souzou, I'm From The Future! ( Chapter 4 )

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

Disaster?
A Rurouni Kenshin Self-Insertion Fic
By: Serenity-chan and K-chan

Chapter 4:
Yeah Souzou, I'm From The Future!

As soon as Souzou laid her down, on his own futon this time, Nicole began to come around. Her green-hazel eyes fluttered open and everything was hazy. For the first time she realized that she had most likely lost her glasses in the Time Tunnel. Her eyes widened as Souzou's handsome face came into a blurry half-focus. Her breath caught in her throat and she tensed up completely, as if afraid he would hurt her. When she could get a better focus, squinting at his face, she saw that his expression was both concerned and amused.

"So how do you know my name?" he asked curiously, resting his chin on his hand and raising one eyebrow at her. "Pardon me if I'm being forward, but it's not every day that something like this happens..."

"I don't really know how to explain," answered Nicole dazedly, trying not to squint so much. "I guess all I can say is that I'm from the future..."

Souzou bit his tongue when his chin slipped from the palm of his hand and his jaw dropped.

"Excuse me?!" he asked incredulously, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "Sorry if I'm being rude, but have you hit your head or something!?"

"I think so, but not recently," replied Nicole sheepishly. "I have a history of head injuries."

Souzou started trying to speak, but nothing came out.

"Look," said Nicole, trying to make her point. "Have you ever seen another girl around here dressed like this!?!"

She gestured down at her short jean shorts and ratty Hello Kitty top. Souzou's eyes followed her gesture and (typical guy) fell immediately where they shouldn't be. He unconsciously gave himself a little shake and snapped his gaze back above her neck. Nicole noticed, but chose to ignore it.

"Well, I guess..." Souzou trailed off, scratching the back of his head and looking away in embarrassment. "Nevermind..."

All of a sudden, two young children's voices could be heard arguing.

"Turd!" yelled one, getting closer to the tent.

"Idiot!" yelled the other in response.

"Turd!" responded the first.

"Idiot!" answered the second.

"Aw, shut up!" yelled the first again, its owner storming into the tent.

"YOU shut up!" demanded the second, punching the owner of the first.

Souzou shifted uncomfortably. He really was fond of the two boys, but he did wish they weren't so impressionable. Language around the camp was typically... less than appropriate for small children. In fact, together the boys had a vocabulary to put a sailor to shame.

"Captain Sagara, who's the broad?" piped up Sanosuke.

Katsu belched on purpose. Ah, the minds of seven-year-old boys... Souzou's face turned white, then a startling shade of red. He cursed his natural response to embarrassment for making him seem weak.

"Hush Sanosuke!" he snapped. "That was totally uncalled-for. And you too, Katsuhiro."

A seven-year-old Sanosuke bowed his head, his cheeks flaming red at having upset his Captain.

"I'm sorry, Captain Sagara," he said softly, staring at the ground through the dark brown fringe of his bangs, genuinely contrite.

"Sorry Captain," mumbled Katsu, chewing on his lip.

As the two boys tried to scuttle away, Souzou caught Sanosuke by his shoulder. The boy bit his lip and stared hard at his shoes, unwilling to look his Captain in the face. He hated seeing the captain look so disappointed. Souzou looked over his shoulder, knowing Katsu couldn't get far either.

"You too, Katsuhiro," he commanded briskly. "Over here."

"Yes sir," answered Katsu automatically, trudging over.

Souzou bent down on his knee to look the two boys in the eyes. He put one hand firmly on each boy's shoulder, making sure they knew he was serious. The two boys looked up at him, genuinely sorry.

"Listen, you might here the other members of the Sekihoutai cursing and using bad language," Souzou started. "And you might think it sounds grown-up. But remember that it doesn't make you more of a man when you sound like that. Remember that, alright?"

The two of them nodded.

"That's good," agreed Souzou, grinning at them. "So I guess you know what'll happen if I hear that kind of thing again from either of you..."

Sano and Katsu looked at each other for a moment and took off at a dead sprint.

"Don't mind them," sighed Souzou, grinning sheepishly. "They hear things..."

Nicole giggled and nodded, then sat up and leaned over to wrap her arms around Souzou's broad shoulders for a moment. He froze, then shifted a little uncomfortably. Biting his lip, he gently shrugged out of her warm, friendly embrace. She was a nice girl, but he had to face facts. He was eleven years her senior and where she was from, it wouldn't be socially acceptable. At any rate, at any time it just wasn't right.

'She needs to find someone appropriate for her," he thought, a little sadly. 'I'm just too old.'

Still, he smiled at her and patted her shoulder when she turned to him with a hurt look on her suntanned face. Nicole smiled back and patted his shoulder, imitating him just for the pure heck of it. Souzou laughed and tugged on the long braid hanging down Nicole's back. She leaned over, trying to get closer to him and overbalanced.

"Yeep!" she squeaked as she fell over and slammed into his side.

Before Souzou could catch her, Nicole crashed to the ground, falling off her futon and landing in an ungraceful heap. He smiled and lifted her up in his arms. He held her for maybe a little longer than was proper before settling her back on the futon. Tentatively, he reached behind her and caught her braid, draping it over her shoulder so that she could lay down smoothly.

"Sorry I'm such a klutz," apologized Nicole, blushing.

"Klutz?" repeated Souzou, confused at her word.

"It means I fall down a lot," explained Nicole, blushing again.

Souzou smiled and raised one eyebrow in acknowledgement, playing with the end of her long, dark red braid.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked, absently fiddling with her blankets.

Nicole shook her head and turned on her side to face him. Souzou could see the worry that was clear in her hazel eyes. Tentatively, he reached out to lay one comforting sword-callused hand on her shoulder.

"Then what's wrong?" he asked concernedly, giving her shoulder a supportive squeeze.

Nicole closed her eyes, trying to hide her tears.

"My best friend," she said quietly, sniffling. "She was with me but now I don't know where she is!"

She opened her eyes and looked up at Souzou with a pleading expression.

"Where is she?" she asked, her voice begging.

"I didn't see her," replied Souzou, unconsciously moving his hand down her arm through the blankets. "I'm sorry..."

"But---" began Nicole, before Souzou silenced her with a gentle finger on her lips.

"Just rest now," he said softly, tilting his head at her. "By the way, you know my name, but I don't know yours... What is it?"

"Nicole," she replied, quickly growing sleepy.

"Then sleep now, Nicole," cooed Souzou, his voice soothing as he stroked her shoulder and helped her closer to sleep. "We'll talk everything out in the morning. You'll be alright."

Nicole was relaxing more and more with each touch of Souzou's hand. Soon she was more than half asleep. Souzou tried to stifle a yawn and didn't quite succeed, wondering why a gesture so soothing to her was having such a pleasant calming effect on him. Within minutes, he was feeling drowsy himself.

"Souzou?" asked Reichi, poking his head into the tent and blushing bright red when he got a look at Souzou and Nicole. "Oh... I'll just go put up with Touya and Kyo for tonight..."

"Wazzat?" asked a mostly-asleep Nicole.

"Just Reichi," whispered Souzou, vaguely realizing that he was starting to nod off, his head falling briefly on his shoulder. "Don't worry..."

"Mm..." mumbled Nicole. "G'night, Souzou..."

She nestled into her blankets on her side, still facing him. Her eyes were closed and her braid was behind her once more. Drowsy and not thinking, Souzou reached over, caught the end of her braid and worked it loose. Nicole and Souzou both smiled at the same time.

"Aishiteru Souzou," murmured Nicole, soundly asleep by now. "Aishiteru..."

Souzou snapped wide awake for a moment. She really did just say "I love you"! When a person is asleep or almost asleep is when they are most honest, so she had to have meant it. Souzou stared at Nicole's face, his wide eyes dropping half-closed. Without thinking, he reached out to caress her face with his sword-callused fingertips. Nicole leaned into his touch, smiling especially when he touched her lips.

Catching himself before he broke down and slept with the poor girl, Souzou got up and moved to lay down on Reichi's futon but found it gone! Reichi must have dragged it out while Souzou was saying goodnight to Nicole. Growling sleepily, Souzou once again felt the itching in his hands that called him to strangle his best friend. Still... it might be...

'NO!' he yelled at himself inside, mentally slapping himself.

Choosing propriety over comfort and knowing his whole body would hate him for it in the morning, Souzou lay down on the ground beside his own futon. Nicole's hand sought out his and he couldn't bring himself to deny her. He drifted off to a deep sleep with Nicole's hand wrapped in his own.
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Nicole woke in the middle of the night and found Souzou out like a light by her side. She sat up and shook her head. Her vision was blurred but she could tell he was curled up on his side and shivering. Reichi must have taken the extra futon, she realized. Now Souzou was half-frozen. As the leader of the Sekihoutai, didn't he have some kind of good sense?

Then she remembered about the futon. He did this, nearly froze himself to death, for the sake of her honor as a woman. She smiled sadly and put one hand on his shoulder. Gently, she shook him awake. He seemed a little dazed from the cold when his dark eyes fluttered open. His body was shaking a little, fine tremors humming through his nerves. Gently, Nicole cupped his cheek in the palm of her hand, trying to massage warmth into his skin. He leaned into her touch as she had done, smiling shakily and letting his eyes close like a happy cat.

"Th-thank you..." stammered Souzou.

"Come on, you're acting stupid," chided Nicole, warmly opening her arms to him. "I'm not just going to let you freeze!"

Souzou blinked a few times as if he hadn't heard her correctly.

"Really, I don't mind," insisted Nicole, tugging on Souzou's jacket. "I just want to make sure you'll be alright."

Souzou shifted uncomfortably. Nicole was just worried about him, but he felt like temptation was close enough already. He clasped a firm hand around hers and guided hers gently back to her side. Nicole just stared at him with a hurt expression.

"I'll be fine," Souzou assured her, steeling himself as he sat up and turned away as if to get up.

Nicole's hand tightened into a fist in his jacket.

"Please?" she begged uncertainly. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I don't want to hurt you," countered Souzou.

"It would hurt me to watch you hurting," insisted Nicole, as if this were final. "And you know Sanosuke would worry. You mean the world to him. If you won't do it for me or for yourself, do it for him..."

Souzou's shoulders fell in defeat and he relented.

"Alright," he agreed wearily, too tired to argue with her, and besides, he was cold and she was warm - it was simple as that. "But I want you to know---"

"I know," interrupted Nicole, smiling. "Nothing more than G-rated."

Souzou raised one eyebrow, unfamiliar with the term she used. But he could somehow sense her good intentions. She only wanted him to be warm and safe. If he was really honest with himself, first of all, he was freezing. Second, she really did seem like a sweet girl, if a little on the crazy side.

"Thank you, Nicole," he said quietly, letting the facade he put on as a leader fall away. "I hope you don't regret this... If you feel uncomfortable, I can leave. I don't want you to be afraid, especially not of me..."

"Mm... be quiet and go to sleep..." growled Nicole, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

He settled in on his side, grateful for her warmth as she snuggled closer to him.