A New Beginning part 4 Noir/Full Metal Panic Crossover
One long trip through the Parisian sewers later, Mirelle, Kirika and Sousuke emerged from a
manhole cover near the apartment looking worse for wear, and Sousuke had driven both
women to distraction with his insistence on keeping them underground and out of sight till they
were back home.
"Mister Sagara, is there any reason in particular you find it necessary to keep us down here like
this? In my opinion, it's unnecessary, not to mention pure torture!"
"It is actually quite necessary, Miss Bouquet, as the events of today should amply demonstrate.
And I am merely following your orders."
"Oh, and which orders were those when I told you to keep us underground in this filth, may I
ask? Please refresh my memory." Mirelle asked sharply, her patience wearing quite thin.
Sousuke turned to face his employer and said plainly "That would be when you told me, and I
quote, 'If I would like to start earning my paycheck, I should do something to get you and
Kirika out of here alive.' I do not consider those orders fully discharged until we are all
back safely to the apartment.”
"And I think you're absolutely incorrigible!"
"You are alive, are you not? You cannot argue with the results."
"All I want is a nice hot shower first, then a hot dinner to get the smells of the sewers off
of me! And you're making dinner tonight, Mister Sagara! An edible dinner! By yourself!
I hope that is an order you can discharge sucessfully! Come on, Kirika!" And with that,
Mirelle stormed up the stairs towards the apartment's only bathroom, leaving a bewildered Sousuke
pondering the entire exchange. Somehow, the whole thing was like a bad case of deja vu
again, only a certain female class president from a certain Asian country wasn't here to hit him
over the head with a certain paper object because a certain Sergeant had gravely misunderstood
again. I shall never understand the female mind, it seems, he mused to himself.
* * *
Later that night, Sousuke hoped to catch Mirelle alone to explain himself to her somehow. He had
no doubt when she told him she and Kirika would watch his back, but somehow there seemed to be a
chasm between them, and he felt it appropriate to try and bridge it sooner rather than later.
"Miss Bouquet?" He knocked softly on her door. No response was forthcoming. He tried again.
"Miss Bouqet, are you there?"
"She's gone out, Sousuke." He froze when he heard her voice.
"Miss Yuumura..."
Her face scrunched up into what could politely be decribed as a scowl when she heard him call
her that name again.
"Uhh... Kirika, I meant Kirika." Her facial expression didn't budge an inch. The tension
mounted as the silence dragged out. Cold sweat dripped down Sousuke's face. Why was she
such a mystery to him? Why was it so hard...? "Uhh, why has Miss Bouquet gone out tonight?"
The seconds continued to tick by as she stood in silence.
"Was dinner not to either of your tastes? I am sorry if it was not, but..."
She continued to stand there in silence.
"Were either of you injured from the events of this afternoon? Do either of you require medical
attention?"
What does it take to get through to you? Why are you such a mystery to me? Sousuke
desperately searched for a way to break the current impasse.
"Now..."
"Now?"
"Now... Now it's time for total truth between us. We're not what you expected." Sousuke remained
silent while Kirika continued. Kirika closed her eyes and leveled a gun at Sousuke, but Sousuke
was more shocked that it was his own Glock that Kirika was aiming at him. He had meant to ask for
it back but... and now it is pointed at you. his mind told him matter-of-factly.
Is it loaded and chambered? another part of his mind screamed. He'd had guns aimed at him
before, yet the sensation coarsing through his body right now was definately not what one would
say was within his comfort zone. His face remained passive as he waited to see what Kirika would
do next.
He watched as Kirika's index finger applied pressure to the Glock's trigger safety and heard it
click off. Definately loaded, RUN!, yet his instincts told him to stay and let things
play out they may go.
"Do you trust me?"
"Yes, I trust you," Sousuke barely whispered, surprised he still had his voice.
"Will you be there for me?"
"Yes, I will be there for you."
"Will you accept me for who I am?"
"Yes, I do accept you for who you are."
They stood there in interminable silence after the last sentence was exchanged. Kirika broke
it by pulling the trigger... and Sousuke's breathing returned to normal as the gun's hammer
hit emptiness. A sense of completeness hung around them as Kirika slowly opened her eyes and
handed Sousuke back the gun butt first. Sousuke wordlessly took the gun and released the
magazine catch. Empty all along, satisfied? He slammed the magaine home and safed
the pistol before returning it to the small of his back. "Kirika, I..."
She brightened slightly at the use of her first name and wordlessly took his hand. "You feel
so warm, Sousuke."
He look at her puzzled, what was she...
"We don't have much time, and there is so much I have to talk to you about... us."
"Us."
"Myself and Mirelle. And what we're facing."
"I did notice she was less than forthcoming about the threats you... we face."
"Les Soldats."
"Les Soldats?"
She nodded and his dawning realization of what she needed to share with him. "Tell me, Kirika."
He held out his hand and Kirika took it in hers, the union now complete.
* * *
The rustling of keys in the doorway a few hours later interrupted them, and Mirelle entered
the apartment with a slight bounce to her mood Sousuke noticed, tunelessly humming to herself.
"Oh, hello Kirika, Mister Sagara."
"Mirelle, welcome back."
Mirelle paid her no attention as she disappeared into another room, preoccupied with...
"Mirelle?"
"Miss Bouquet?"
"Oh, I'm sorry to ignore you both like that. Mister Sagara, I need to ask you a favor and
watch over the place for me. I'm headed out on a business trip for the next few days. Kirika,
get packed, our flight leaves in a few hours. Mister Sagara, I'll leave you detailed
instructions before we go."
"Mirelle?"
"Miss Bouquet?"
"Kirika, come on. Hurry up, you need to pack up."
"Mirelle?"
"Miss Bouquet?"
"By the way Kirika, I'm going to need your opinion on something..."
"Mirelle?"
"Miss Bouquet?"
Mirelle brought out two evening dresses and held them out in front of herself. "Which do you
think looks better on me? This one, or..." She stopped midsentence as she finally looked at
both Kirika and Sousuke.
Sousuke had his left arm wrapped protectively around Kirika's waist, while Kirkia reciprocated
the gesture with her right arm around Sousuke's back and her head resting lightly on Sousuke's
left shoulder. To complete the scene, Sousuke's right hand and Kirika's left hand were entwined
in that kind of embrace.
She took another look at the scene of the two infront of her and bit off a sharp retort, her
emotions a confused whirlwind of jealously, rage, concern, and...
"What... is... the meaning... of THIS?" Two pairs of eyes blinked in unison.
"Kirika, what's going on here?"
"Mirelle, I..."
Mirelle fought to regain her composure and forced her immediate emotions back into a cupboard
in her mind. "Kirika, come on. You need to pack. Mister Sagara, we'll have to talk when I get
back about this."
"Miss Bouquet, I..."
"We'll talk later after I get back. Now come on! The taxi is waiting downstairs!"
"I don't care about the taxi, Mirelle. And we need to talk now. All of us."
"Kirika!"
"Miss Bouquet, you need to calm down. You are getting emotional."
"What is this, gang up on Mirelle Bouquet Day?! Did I miss something here?!"
"Mirelle, I told Sousuke about us... about Les Soldats."
The two evening dresses clattered to the floor as Mirelle stared her partner in the eye at the last
revelation. Sousuke had a hard time figuring out whether his erstwhile employer would break out
into a fit or whether he'd still be employed afterwards... if there was an afterwards.
"Kirika, you... told him... about us?"
"Mirelle, I... I did. About what Les Soldats did to us. Mirelle, I... I had to. I wanted to.
I trust him, Mirelle."
"You trust him that much, Kirika?"
"I do, Mirelle."
Mirelle forced another emotional response back into her mental cupboard. "I think... I think I'd
better rebook our flight for tomorrow..."
Kirika smiled back at her. "Thank you, Mirelle."
"Don't thank me yet, Kirika." She glared over at Sousuke. "I still don't completely trust you, Mister
Sagara. And I still think you're incorrigible!"
Sousuke returned Mirelle's gaze equally. "From what Kirika is telling me, Miss Bouquet, you
will need all the help you can get."
Mirelle made a short bark of laughter. "Thanks for the offer Mister Sagara, but I work alone."
"Then you are confronting Les Soldats, then?" Mirelle stared back at Sousuke at the last
comment.
"It is the logical, tactical move. Strike at the enemy first before he can strike at you."
"You make this sound like we're in a war, Mister Sagara."
"It is a war you are in, Miss Bouquet, whether you chose to see it that way or not. You and Kirika
have already chosen a side, the only question is whether
you will accept my help to survive or not."
Mirelle gazed up at Sousuke`s outstreched hand, the locks she had put on her mental cupboards struggling to remain closed.
* * *
As side note Hellfire was going to post this up, he was busy with work so I'm putting it up for him. Enjoy
-Noir
