Let the World Slip

A Full Metal Panic Lemon (Kaname/Sousuke)

By Cat Who

Beta Read by Lothar

Disclaimer: I do not own Full Metal Panic, nor any of the characters I 
play with in this story.

Note: Because my motherboard is dying and my once wonderful computer is 
now a mere "internet workstation", I was unable to get 3FT working.  
(Yes, it's that bad.  Cat needs a new motherboard for Christmas.)  So 
I'm hoping that my email program will add the line breaks where 
needed.  I think it's done so before; I'm crossing my fingers that it 
will do it again.

Any feedback, good or bad, is always appreciated.

 * * *

"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 they 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, and 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, or 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.

"Hey, 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 appeared that 
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, then 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?"

"Of course."

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 van 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 
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 investigation.

"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 tranquilizer.

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 classmates' 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 in Roppongi?" her friend Kyoko 
asked innocently.

"I got chased there," Kaname said grumpily, staring at the wall, the 
floor, the ceiling, anywhere but toward 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.  His determined gray eyes 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


--Cat Who
www.catwho.net
tprara@catwho.net
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