Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow, Chapter 2--Words Spoken

[PookaKitten]

Disclaimer: Full Metal Panic! belongs to Shoji Gatou. I’m just borrowing it.

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Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow

Chapter 2--Words Spoken

By Samantha

Kaname wandered the environs of the base for several hours, assiduously avoiding the path to Sousuke’s retreat. Finding a secluded cove, she sat in the failing light on the sand. Her eyes closed, she lost herself in the endless sound of the surf, regular yet irregular. Like Sousuke, in a way. She could always rely on him to protect her, though his reactions towards her were erratic, unexpected. Feeling the chill water rush under her by a larger than usual breaker, she was startled. He was always around her like the sounds of the water, even if it was only in her mind. Seeing the resurgence of his old persona only made her desire to do something, anything, to bring back the Sousuke she had grown to like and respect. A small voice in her head whispered that it was more than that.

To silence that voice she made her way back to the base. She was going to talk to Melissa, but first stopped by her room to change into dry clothes. That accomplished, she went in search of the older woman. Kaname found Melissa in her quarters. She knocked on the door, and when Melissa opened it, she slipped in quietly. “Melissa, I need to talk to you…” Kaname looked around. “Good, Kurtz isn’t here. Not that I dislike him, but he doesn’t need to know.” Melissa gestured to the desk chair, which the blue haired girl accepted. Melissa sat on the bed.

Melissa furrowed her brow. “Know what?” Looking at Kaname’s pained eyes, the sergeant major comes to a conclusion. “It’s about Sousuke, right?”

Kaname nodded. “He was fine earlier.”

“I saw him in the hall earlier with his fishing gear. Both Kurtz and I know to leave him alone then; it’s one of the only things he does for fun. I take it he took you with him?” Kaname nodded again. “As far as I know, he’s never brought anyone with him. So what has you so worried, Kaname?”

“Have you seen him anything less than stoic?” The older woman shook her head in the negative.

Just then the door flew open, and a happy go lucky blond head stuck itself into the room. “Hello Sis, Kaname!” he ebulliently greeted the pair. Seeing the serious looks on their faces, he frowned and tried cheering them up. “Let good ole Kurtz make things better.” Melissa scowled at him. “OK, OK, I’ll behave myself, Sis. No need to be like that.” He straddled the other chair in the room backwards.

His immediate commanding officer gave him a Look. “You better. And you better not breathe a word of this to anyone, especially your fellow sergeant.” She seemed satisfied with Kurtz’s over enthusiastic nod and never before seen serious expression on the man’s face. Turning to the blue haired girl, she asked “Kaname?”

Kaname sighed. “It’s Sousuke. Something strange happened to him. You both have known him much longer than I have. Have you ever known him to collapse to the ground and practically start crying?” With their negative replies, she continued, “He did earlier today with me.” Their shocked expressions urged her on, though she choked on the words. “I think I said something to cause it to happen.”

Melissa shook her head and crossed the room to console Kaname. “Don’t blame yourself, Kaname. If anything, be happy he trusts you enough to be vulnerable around you.” She stopped and thought a moment, before continuing. “I’ve known him about a year, and he’s about as much of an enigma today as he was the day I met him. I’ve seen the dead look in his eyes. His past, as much as I can piece together, is a dark one that nobody deserves. Lieutenant Commander Kalinin may know more; he was the one that recruited Sousuke into Mithril.” She paused a moment before adding, “Sousuke remained closed off, even to us, until the mission to protect you. Somehow you catalyzed a change in him, Kaname. This could be a symptom of that, Kaname.” With that, she lit a cigarette.

Kaname sighed. “But now he’s the old Sousuke again. I’m waiting for him to start trailing me, and say ‘It is a coincidence.’ You’re right, Melissa, his eyes look dead now.” Kurtz whistled in surprise, getting another Look from Melissa, with Kaname mirroring it.

The blond looked at them, asking “What? I haven’t even done anything.” Under his breath he added, “yet.” In a louder voice he told Kaname. “Maybe you should stay here for a while, until your sergeant is feeling better?” He gave Kaname his best hangdog expression, trying to indicate he was the sergeant in question. This earned him a pillow hitting him square in the face. “Alright, you win, sis. No teasing Kaname.” He grinned, trying another tack. “You know what cheers me up when I’m down? A kiss from a pretty lady. Maybe that will cheer Sousuke up?”

Melissa only dignified that with, “You just want to live vicariously through him, since you obviously can’t get a pretty girl interested in you.” Kaname blushed, almost considering the idea before regretfully letting it go, not wanting to hurt or confuse Sousuke.

Melissa greeted his first idea with a shocked tone of voice. “Kurtz Weber, with a good idea? I never thought I’d live to see the day.” Kaname laughed, for the first time since earlier that day. “Kaname, you can stay a couple more days?” Kaname nodded. “Why don’t we use the excuse that I’m training you? He wouldn’t object to that, I’d imagine. Admittedly, for hand-to-hand combat, Sousuke would be a better teacher, but he’s having enough problems right now. I can at least give you the basics.” Kurtz looked at the major sergeant, knowing what was coming. “We can always use pretty boy here as a punching bag for you.” Melissa demonstrated, leading to the blond to flying across the room, her cigarette undisturbed.

Sprawled on the floor after his unexpected trip, Kurtz pipes in with his own offer. “Hey Kaname, why don’t you let the best marksman in Mithril teach you?”

Melissa gave him a strange look. “And by that, you mean yourself?” At Kurtz’s nod, she leans forward to whisper into Kaname’s ear, “Let me know if he tries something, anything. On second thought, practice your lessons with me on him, and then tell me.”

She paused to regain an appropriate degree of seriousness. “He’s turning back into the soldier I first met a year ago. He’s actually shown tentative signs of emotions since meeting you, Kaname. A large improvement.” Glaring at Kurtz, she added, “Unlike this one, who has only gotten worse.”

Getting back to the subject at hand, her younger sergeant, Melissa continued, “These changes in Sousuke, caring about things other than the strict interpretation of the mission is probably why Lieutenant Commander Kalinin overlooked his recent disobeying of orders when they went counter to his standing orders to protect you. He would not have done that in the past.”

Kaname nodded and smiled at the pair of Mithril soldiers. “Thank you for all your help. I know you’ll watch him and help him when I cannot.” She stood and left the room, a weight off her chest.

[HELLFIRE]

Sousuke... show EMOTIONS?!?! now THERE'S a contradiction in terms *hehe*

So sweet Samantha Loved the interaction between Kaname, Kurtz
and Mao... I think the anime missed that chance the time Sousuke was
in Helmajistan while Kurtz & Mao looked after Kaname

... so what's next?





Regards

[darkbane]

sweet..

[Taurec]

inspiring.........

[dd]

very nice...

[Rikku]

good good