Title: Jellyfish Love [Chapter Five: Fool For Love, Round One] Author: Matrim Email: matrim _ no _ aijin @ yahoo . com (hotmail isn't working so use that one) Warnings: For Chapter Five, I'm warning you about repetitive words, heterosexual love >:O and yuri >>:O. Comments: You're probably wondering where this is going and I can only say that right now it's headed somewhere unhappy and quite violent. SO DON'T GET ATTACHED TO ANYONE ANY TIME SOON. I'm warning you! ++ Ai lives in a big house and her bedroom is located as far away from Nene's as possible. She's always nice to her older sister-in-law but she knows the woman doesn't like her. Kyo says she's never been the same after 'the incident' and Ai just nods because it's true and because Nene scares her. Nene sees things that aren't there. She speaks in a dreamy sort of voice and once, Ai thinks she saw Nene speak to a doll. Nene also claims that Ai's trying to poison her. It simply wasn't true. All in all, they lived quietly except for the times when Kyo took his work home with him. He tried not to, but she knows that he can't help it sometimes. Kyo's short and he has a short temper, he always has and she wasn't trying to make a joke out of that sentence. She's smaller than he is so she thinks that makes him happy. They've always known each other—she was once his next door neighbor. Her father tried not to let her have contact with him but it didn't work. Ai was the only girl Kyo tolerated in the neighborhood other than his sister and Atsushi was the type who would give his son anything within reason. Ai thinks it's because she was younger that she didn't get on Kyo's nerves. All the other girls who were Kyo's age didn't like him. They said bad things about him when he was younger and he couldn't do anything about it. And Atsushi wouldn't let him do anything about it either. But Ai never made fun of him. Even when he began writing poetry, she never made fun of him. Of course, she asked that he read the tamer ones to her and instead of getting angry about it like she expected him to, he looked thoughtful and then he nodded. He still reads his poetry to her when he writes it. Ai doesn't think that Nene gets that sort of treatment. There was once a time that Kyo had stopped writing because people found his poetry book at school and made fun of him for it. He dropped out of school after that and Atsushi was furious but nothing he could do would make Kyo go back. He took up work instead and started smoking, trying to behave like the bad boy that Ai's father claimed he was all along. But Kyo did strange things like escort Ai to school so no bullies would pick on her. He continued to do this until she graduated—even when he took over Atsushi's 'business'. She thought that he was rather overprotective of her for a friend until he kissed her. He tasted like cigarettes. And so this is how she ended up, as a girlfriend to a mob boss who was surprisingly sweet to her and scary to other people. There were times where he'd get quiet suddenly and he was terrifying but she tried to stay calm when it happened. He was rarely ever angry at her. But he was never home as much lately. Ai knows she should expect this but sometimes, being alone was too much to deal with. Yes, she went out from to time but she always had to have a bodyguard with her and they insisted on using a car when a train would be faster. At least, with a car she didn't have to carry her shopping bags down to the platform. It was a little lonely. Today, Kyo is busy. She knows this because he didn't come home after their day at the park and so she worries if he's eating well or if he's showered. Which she knows is silly because he has a penthouse in the office building with every amenity he needs but Ai worries because she thinks it is in the nature of love. But to her surprise, the front door opens and Kyo steps through silently. Usually, Ai can tell his mood simply by looking at his eyes but not today. He offers her a smile but the smile doesn't reach his eyes. "You're home early today." Kyo glances at the clock and a gives a laugh. It doesn't sound like he means it. He sits on the couch next to her and they sit there for a few minutes in silence. Ai has been through this sort of thing before. Except they'll sit there for hours, not saying a word. Sometimes, they'd touch but most times, they don't. It's normal. Kyo sighs and rests his head against the back of the couch where they sit. "What's wrong?" Kyo doesn't answer so Ai stands and kneels on the floor so she can look in his eyes. She takes his hands—hands that she knows have done bad bad things but she doesn't ask, never asks because she's supposed to be his balanced side—and gives them a squeeze. "We're in danger." He's watching her reaction, trying to gauge it but he won't get anything out of her. She's not one of his henchmen. "You'll take care of us, won't you?" Because that's your job. "Yes." Kyo stares at her for a second. "I don't think you'll see me around as much." Ai nods. She accepts this. "As long as you're not cheating on me." "I don't cheat." "I know." Kyo opens his mouth to say something and shuts it as if he's about to say something offensive. Around Ai, Kyo still has good manners. She knows what he's capable of saying and sometimes, she's tempted to push but not this time. "I bought you something," Ai says instead, to chase away the silence that's going to inevitably descend once more. "Oh, no, Ai�Eou didn't." "I did. What's wrong with it?" "You always buy me videogames that I play by myself." "But I like watching you better." And Kyo sighs and if his enemies saw him, they'd be surprised how harmless he looks now. He rolls his eyes and very grudgingly, he holds a hand out. Ai beams and snatches up the package she placed under the coffee table earlier and hands it to Kyo. Ai knows they don't have the ideal relationship because anyone would have left Kyo by now. Hell, they would've left her too for her inability to budge on certain things—but Kyo taught her that. But what they have works for now. ++ Nene likes it when she's let out of the house. She likes it even better when 'out of the house' means 'outside of the walls and in the streets'. There is no one escorting her around today, no one to ask her if she's okay, ask her if she's feeling well or to treat her as if she's broken glass. Nene still remembers how to take the train by herself and act normal. She can be normal and if something happens that shouldn't happen, like ghost children following after a fashionable young woman, well�Eall Nene has to do is close her eyes and remember that things like that don't happen. And when she opens her eyes, things are usually the way it's supposed to be. She finds her way into a pet store and she looks for a birdie because she wants something to sing to her. She wants something that will distract her and be pretty for her. Something that will take away the sound of a dead lover's voice. She thinks it's funny how she was afraid that she'd forget what the voice sounded like since now all she can think about is getting rid of it. Nene chooses a yellow and peach faced lovebird. It doesn't sing so much as it shrieks but she likes it, anyway. They give her a cage for it and food and they place the poor darling in a small birdie box where it scrabbles around and does not sing. It is scared. But it's only a few more minutes until they're home. Nene makes her way back to the station, occasionally holding the birdie box up to her ear to hear the noise of birdie feet shuffle back and forth to keep balance. She frowns as she buys a ticket and puts it through the machine. Someone is following her. This will not do. No, this will not do at all. Nene makes her way to the platform and places the bird cage on the bench along with the food. It is not her father that follows her. No, he'd already be grabbing her elbow and dragging her into a car to take her home. Even if the train is faster. She may dislike the Ai creature but she knows she's right sometimes. It is not Kyo. Kyo never comes for her but sends other people after her and the one following her is not of his people. Nene takes a deep breath and lifts her chin. Then she speaks, "I hear you coming, my lovely. And it is wrong of you." She doesn't feel particularly insane at the moment but she's good at pretending to be sane. If you're too sane, you meet insanity coming the opposite way and it scares people more. It's stereotypical crazy. You wouldn't understand. The person following her doesn't say anything. They just breathe. Nene turns around and stares at her stalker. And is met with a quandary. It is a young man. Or perhaps a young woman but Nene knows that it's only a matter of time before she finds out. She thinks for a bit and then she smiles. "I know you, pretty. I haven't been around too short of a time to know that you hide who you are." Now will she speak? For it is a she that stands in front of Nene and not just another pretty boy. Nene is almost filled with glee. A puzzle. A game. She likes this. It is a deep but yet female voice that answers her. "And who am I?" Nene smiles and glances to the train as it pulls up. She takes the cage and moves onto the train just as the woman follows after her. "Are you following me home?" But this time the woman doesn't answer. "You have no owner and if you follow me home, you'll be my pet to look after." No one pays attention to conversations on trains. Everyone looks down or away. Sometimes they sleep. Other times, they read their books. It's okay for people to speak so long as they're not torturing others violently. "I'm no one's pet." "Ahhh�E" And Nene leans in carefully, inhaling the scent of perfume. It's different. Not the usual flowery scents that women like wearing but a musky scent. She lowers her voice. "That's. Where. You're. Wrong. Lovely." Then she leans back and doesn't say a word to her. She does watch her, taking in her appearance. Brown and blonde wavy hair. Thin and tall—not so much taller than Nene but there is something about her that suggests height. A sort of confidence that makes her stand up straight. When the train stops where Nene wants it too, she gets off and is unsurprised when her stalker follows after her. She is unafraid. She's more afraid of things that aren't there than things that are, because things that do exist can be dealt with. "What do you mean I'm wrong?" The woman asks when the streets are empty and they are walking alone. Nene is leading her away from her house. She's not Atsushi's daughter and Kyo's sister for nothing. She's not an idiot, though she does feel sorry for birdie who must be dreadfully uncomfortable. "You are not kept but looked after. You do not belong here. This isn't your territory. When they find you, you might be in pieces." "I can take care of myself." "Oh, maybe." Nene says. She's baiting the other woman. She hasn't done this in a long time. Oh, she's done it to Ai a time or two but Kyo doesn't like it when you play with his things—no, no, he doesn't. He never did. "But if you're with me, I'll make sure you last longer than five minutes." "You can't even take care of yourself." Nene stops in the middle of the road and places the cage, the package of food and her birdie down. There're no cars and if there are, they'd be wise to back up and use another road. She turns around and meets her stalker's eyes. "And whose fault is that? Not mine. No. It is everyone else who thinks that I can't handle the world today, everyone who thinks that medicine will make it all better when nothing but time will. Oh, I can take care of myself. I used to be like you, pretty, and there's nothing that hasn't been proven that I'm not still like it. Watch your tongue while you’re here or I'll make sure to send you back to who sent you with your throat cut. It's a pretty throat�Eo be sure." Nene picks up her things and continues down the road but now there's something wrong. She's not being followed anymore. Hmph. She takes a peek behind her to see that the woman is still standing where she left her. Nene giggles. "Don't be upset, pretty. I could be your mommy." Atsushi had said it a time or two whenever a desperate pretty young thing crossed his path. Things pass down from generation to generation. If Kyo wasn't going to use it, who said Nene couldn't? ++ Atsushi: *stares at luci* Nene, what do you think you're doing? Nene: Building a harem, daddy. Just like you did. Remember? My 16th birthday party? ++ To Chapter Six Jelly Home Fics Home