Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow, Chapter 6--Tender Moments

[PookaKitten]

Disclaimer: Full Metal Panic! belongs to Shoji Gatoh, not me.

A/N: Sorry catfight’s been called off. It turns out Ayame is only 11.

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Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow
Chapter 6 – Tender Moments
By Samantha

Light filtered in to the cordoned off sleeping area, bathing Sousuke and Kaname in a cold, florescent glow. Kaname unconsciously molded her body to his as she slowly made her way up from the depths of sleep. A soft sigh emanated behind her, bringing a smile to her face as she realized he had stayed with her. Now if she only knew why he stayed, she thought, could she decide what to do next.

Such thoughts were quickly pushed to the back of her mind as the day’s events floated up from her unconscious. Getting the new Sousuke back. Kurtz’s offering to the effort. Her father’s return. Their argument. Sousuke whisking her away to his apartment. The raw, sharp edged memories of her mother’s death, shared with the sergeant. She settled against his chest with a small smile and considered the man behind her.

Damned military otaku, she thought to herself. He can’t do anything right in the civilian world, and totally incomprehensible. He thinks notes put into shoeboxes are automatically threats, and he even drew a weapon on his superior officer last month, when that girl visited. Kaname refused to call her by name after that escapade. She ruminated some more. But he’s sweet in his own strange way, like bringing me here and staying with me. She smiled and continued down the laundry list yet again. He does his absolute best to protect those he cares for--Melissa, Kurtz and his superiors and me from danger, at the risk of his own life. She remembered a rainy night in Kanka, him bleeding from a gunshot wound, his gun trained on her. Her mind went on a tangent and wondered how he got it through the metal detectors at the airport. He is loyal unto a fault. He’s cute with that scar and those gray eyes I can get lost in. She suddenly realized something, an epiphany. She understood the pang of jealousy when she saw her sister eyeing him. I love him. I love Sagara Sousuke. I can’t believe it, but I love Sergeant Sagara Sousuke.

Kaname smiled wider and rolled over to face him. She shifted so she could kiss his forehead.

He started awake, to find himself staring into her expressive brown eyes. He softly whispered her name, question inherent in his tone. “Kaname?” Anything louder would probably split his head in two. It throbbed in time to his heartbeat.

“Yes?” She answered him at the same volume, a smile on her lips.

“What are you doing?”

She leaned close and, instead of kissing his forehead, gently kissed him on the lips.

He remained still, unsure what to do, whether his orders covered this. One part of him wanted to learn what she was doing, but duty denied it. He couldn’t afford to let his judgment become even more compromised than it already was.

Kaname’s eyes turned cloudy and downcast. Some first kiss, she reflected. “Sousuke, did I presume too much?”

“No, Chidori. Duty forbids me. I cannot afford to have my reactions affected further by your presence. I have to be a professional.” He whispered even more softly than before, closing his eyes. “Though I wish to try.”

She answered just as quietly. “Sousuke, you are more than a soldier. You can be more than a Mithril sergeant.” She took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. “You have the potential to be Sagara Sousuke, just Sagara Sousuke.”

He nodded slightly. His head was pounding, but he barely noticed it as he imitated her kiss of moments before. A small thrill ran down his spine, like but unlike when he piloted the Arbalest.

Amazed by his response to her little speech, she was slow and had to settle for returning his kiss. “Sousuke? You wanted that, right?” Kaname asked nervously. She wanted the real thing, not him doing it to please her.

He nodded. “Chidori, you are my comrade.”

“So are Kurtz and Melissa. I don’t see you kissing them,” she snapped. So he really is doing this to please me.

“No, no, no, of course not. The sergeant major is my commanding officer, and Kurtz is well, Kurtz.”

Kaname snapped at him again. “So I’m outside your chain of comm...” He cut off her objections with another kiss. I guess that’s his way of saying he cares, calling someone his comrade.

***

Kurtz, with his keen eyesight, noticed Kaname shifting on the bed and so he stealthily made his way towards their sleeping quarters to see what was going on. Their soft whispers were at the edge of his hearing, but he caught enough words to realize the importance. Gesturing at Mao to come over, he signed ‘Urtz 7 has a heart.’ He then retreated back to the windows and tried to see if his CO has a heart. He ended up in the hallway, the door locked behind him.

[HELLFIRE]

// imitates the Tin Man from WoZ and starts singing "Oh If I Only had a Heaaaaaart!!"

...it's just me, but I'm not sure if Sousuke's ready to be making such bold
moves on Kaname yet, is he? And where'd you find the info Ayame's
11? I tried pulling up ADV's FMP page but that seems to have gone to
digital oblivion...

Can't wait for the next round, Samantha!




Regards

[darkbane]

it could be in her profile from the very first episode, tho i suspect Samantha just made it up

hey it's ok, that's one sweet little moment they share here, worthy alone of being a, well, standalone complex?

[PookaKitten]

Actually, I found it in the recently translated Anime Mission, on page 26. It's the picture from the end credits with her entire family standing together.

Samantha

[HELLFIRE]

...something to post up for the fic-writers, just so they know...