by Haruka

Haruka looked up from her book and frowned slightly. She thought she'd heard something, but wasn't sure.
Then it came again, a light smattering of taps against her bedroom window. She leapt to her feet and threw it open - just in time for a pebble to bounce off the tip of her nose. "Hey!"
"Sorry!" Michiru giggled from down below. "Can you come down?"
"Be right there." Haruka ducked through the window and got a solid footing on the sturdy tree branch that extended outside of it. There was a brief moment of risk when she had to relinquish her hold on the window sill, but it passed in a heartbeat and she was soon scaling down the tree to land in front of her girlfriend. "Fancy meeting you here." She grinned. "What's up?"
Michiru gave her a sheepish look. "I need you to do me a favour."
"You know I'll do anything for you." Haruka glided her hands over Michiru's shoulders, leaning forward to kiss her lightly. "What is it?"
The cover of a cookbook suddenly appeared in front of Haruka's nose. "Would you take this over to Fish Eye's house and give it to his mother?"
Haruka took the book in her hands and looked at it, then faced Michiru with a puzzled expression. "I don't get it. Why all the espionage stuff to deliver a cookbook?" "Mama wants _me_ to do it," Michiru explained.
"Oh, okay." Haruka nodded slowly. "And you can't, because then Fish Eye's cover is blown."
"That's right," Michiru said in relief. "So you don't mind then?"
"No, I guess not. Although I personally think Fish Eye _should_ get caught, you'd get into trouble for trying to cover for him and we can't have that. I'll take the book over now."
Michiru entwined her fingers in Haruka's golden hair and gave her a deep kiss. "Thank you, love," she murmured.
Haruka smiled. "For thanks like that I'll deliver a truckload of books." She gave Michiru's head a light tap with the book. "Go on and get home before your mother decides you've been gone too long."
"See you tomorrow." Michiru waved and disappeared around the corner of the house. Haruka looked down at the cookbook and shook her head.
"I'm _not_ wrapped around her little finger, really I'm not." She chuckled and headed across the street.

"Mmm," Fish Eye said appreciatively as he licked his ice cream cone, "what a perfect way to end the evening."
Seiya's attention was divided between his own cone and watching Fish Eye as his tongue delicately swiped at the creamy treat. "I'm sorry we have to go home in a few minutes," he managed to say without his voice cracking. "It's been a lot of fun."
Fish Eye gifted him with a smile. "For me, too."
"Do you think," Seiya said slowly, "we could go out again sometime?" That sounds lame, he thought in disgust. Where was his usual confidence? He hadn't even looked in Fish Eye's direction when he asked because he'd been afraid to see hesitation in his eyes. A hand touched his arm and he looked up to meet Fish Eye's gaze.
"I'd love to." The blue-haired boy smiled.
Seiya grinned back and decided to risk putting an arm around Fish Eye as they continued on their way to the van. Fish Eye leaned into the embrace and lay his head on Seiya's shoulder.

It was awkward for eight people to all duck down at once in a sports car, but they were managing.
"Your hair is in my mouth!"
"Ew! Don't slime it up! Gimme my ponytail back!"
"It's not like I _wanted_ your hair in my mouth!"
"Your elbow is digging into my ear!"
"Whose?!"
"I don't know! How can I tell with my face in someone's back?!"
Taiki peered up through the windshield. "They're leaving!" he announced and sat up. The others followed suit in relief as he started the engine.
"There!" Yaten faced Tiger Eye triumphantly. "We _told_ you that Seiya wouldn't do anything to Fish Eye! You owe him an apology!"
"Yaten, they can't apologize to Seiya or he'll know we all followed him," Taiki said sensibly.
"Well, they can apologize to us and we can accept _for_ him!"
"Don't speak too soon," Ves Ves said mischievously. "There's still the goodnight kiss!"
Hawk Eye and Tiger Eye exchanged a look. "Fishie won't kiss on the first date," Tiger Eye concluded. "I'll bet Seiya will try to make him, though."
Yaten's green eyes glittered with fury. "You'd better take that back!"
"Everyone hush," Taiki told them. "We'll see the end of this date soon enough and then maybe we can get back to normal lives."
"You mean sudden death when Mama sees her car," Yaten muttered.

The front door opened and Sanosuke smiled at Haruka. "Good evening, Haruka. How are you?"
"I'm good, thanks." Haruka held out the book. "This is for Nuriko."
"What's for me?" Nuriko asked as he came out of the kitchen. His eyes lit up as they fell on the book. "Oh! This is the one that Setsuna was talking about." He took it and flipped through the pages. "Fish Eye will love some of these recipes."
"Speaking of Fish Eye, I'm sorry he hijacked your girlfriend this evening," Sansosuke told Haruka.
She winced inside. This was exactly what she _hadn't_ wanted to get into. "Uh, that's okay," she said. "My parents wanted to take Yui and I out, anyway."
"Where did you go?" Nuriko asked.
"Their favourite restaurant - we go there at least once a month." Haruka shifted uneasily. "I'd better get home."
"Thank you for bringing this over," Nuriko said, then frowned. "But ... how did _you_ get it?"
Uh oh! Haruka thought fast. "Setsuna came over to see my mother - she was coming here next and had the book. Kenshin called her home, though, so I offered to bring it." She started backing up slowly. "Um ... well ... goodnight!"
The Trio's parents watched her make a beeline across the street.
"I wonder if she's always been that strange or if it's something new," Sanosuke remarked.

Seiya pulled the van up to the curb and stopped, turning in his seat to look at Fish Eye. "I wish I could drive you right to your house and walk you to your front door."
"Next time," Fish Eye promised.
"I really enjoyed myself," Seiya said. "I hope you did, too."
"If I hadn't, I wouldn't have agreed to go out with you again," Fish Eye teased.
"I guess not," Seiya smiled, meeting the blue-haired boy's eyes.

Everyone in Apricot's parked car leaned forward.
"They're staring at each other!" Jun Jun exclaimed. "When are they going to _do_ something?"
"Never, I hope," Tiger Eye said.
Yaten's eyes widened. "You hoped too soon."

His lips were soft and warm. Fish Eye didn't want it to end.
Seiya broke off the kiss first, smiling at Fish Eye. "You surprise me."
"Why?" Fish Eye asked. "Because I kissed you? It didn't look like you were going to do it and one of us had to."
Seiya laughed lightly. "We did?"
"Well," Fish Eye grinned slyly. "I wanted to."
"And I'm glad you did." Seiya leaned over and gave Fish Eye his second kiss of the night, then whispered in his ear, "The only reason I didn't do it first was because I didn't want you to believe what your brothers said about me."
Fish Eye put his hand on Seiya's cheek and looked straight into his midnight-blue eyes. "Do you think less of _me_ because I kissed you first?"
"No," Seiya admitted truthfully.
"Then shut up," Fish Eye told him and gave him another, deeper kiss.

The shocked silence in the red car was broken by Palla Palla.
"Fish Eye _kissed_ him!"
"Twice!" Jun Jun exclaimed.
"I don't know, the last one is still going on," Ves Ves commented. "It may count as three or four times in one."
"Seiya kissed him, too!" Tiger Eye declared.
"But only _after_ Fish Eye kissed him _first_!" Yaten shot back.
"None of that matters now, you guys," Taiki interrupted. "Look, Fish Eye is getting out of the van, so we have to go back and pick up the other car at the aquarium before we all can go home, too."
"I'm still waiting for these guys to admit Seiya was a gentleman," Yaten said smugly, giving Fish Eye's brothers a deliberate look.
Hawk Eye sighed. "Okay, you were right. Seiya was completely above-board with Fishie and he showed him a good time. I'm sorry I was so suspicious."
Taiki smiled at him. "It takes a lot to admit you were wrong. Thank you, Hawk Eye."
The muscular pink-haired boy returned his smile, his cheeks colouring slightly.
Yaten turned to Tiger Eye. "What about you, Doubting Tomcat?"
"I guess Seiya didn't do anything wrong," he grumbled. "I'm sorry, too."
"What time is it?" Cere Cere asked suddenly.
Hawk Eye glanced at the dashboard clock. "About ten minutes until curfew." He groaned. "We'll _never_ pick up the car and get back in time!"
"In that case, we're getting out here," Ves Ves said, jumping out of the car.
"Yeah, no reason for _all_ of us to get into trouble," Jun Jun agreed as she hopped out.
"Your loyalty is heartwarming," Tiger Eye snapped at the departing Quartet.
"They've got a point, Tigger, why don't you go with them?" Hawk Eye suggested. "Only one of us needs to drive the car back, and the other may as well get in on time."
"No, I'll stay with you," Tiger Eye insisted. "It wouldn't be fair."
"Uh, guys?" Taiki spoke up. "Yaten and I are already going to be later than anyone and we're bringing back our mother's filthy car, too. Could you make a decision soon so we stand some hope of surviving this?"
"Drive," Tiger Eye told him before Hawk Eye could respond. Taiki pulled away from the curb.
"You didn't have to do this, Tigger," Hawk Eye sighed.
Tiger Eye twisted a piece of hair around his finger and smiled, shrugging. "We left together, we should go home together."
"Have you thought of any good excuses, Taiki?" Yaten asked. "I'm counting on your superior brain here."
"You think Mama would buy a story about being abducted by space aliens?" Taiki offered.
"What about the condition of the car?"
"The aliens performed dirt-tolerance experiments on it."
Yaten slumped in his seat. "We're doomed."

"I'm home!" Fish Eye announced.
Sanosuke and Nuriko looked up from the couch. "Did you and Michiru have fun?"
"Yep!" he said. "I'm pretty tired, though. I'm going to bed."
"Okay, honey," Nuriko said. "Goodnight."
Fish Eye turned to go up the stairs when a series of thumps and the banging of the front door indicated another arrival.
"Is that you, girls?" Sano asked.
"Yes." The Quartet walked in and glanced at Fish Eye, who frowned.
"Why are your clothes wet?" he asked. "You look like drowned rats."
"Freak shower," Jun Jun replied.
Fish Eye shook his head. "I guess it only rained on the freaks," he murmured and went upstairs.
"What did he say?" Cere Cere asked suspiciously.
"Never mind that now," Nuriko told her. "We want to know where you took off to and why you've been gone all evening."
"We went shopping," Ves Ves said.
"All evening?" Sano asked skeptically. "And didn't buy anything?"
"We were just reacquainting ourselves with the town," Cere Cere replied. "Next time we'll bring money."
"Next time bring a watch, too," Nuriko warned. "You were almost late."
"Where are the boys?" Palla Palla asked innocently. "They're still out." Sanosuke frowned. "And now they _are_ late."

"The car! At last!" Tiger Eye exclaimed as they pulled into the aquarium parking lot.
"Must be nice to have a car to return that's in decent condition," Yaten said sourly.
Tiger Eye looked at him, feeling a rush of pity. It was true, he wouldn't want to bring his parents' car home if it was as dirty and wet as this one was. "I'm really sorry," he said. "I wish there was something I could do."
Yaten's eyebrows lifted. "Would you tell my mother you stole her car for a joyride and messed it up?"
"No," Tiger Eye said flatly. "I draw the sympathy line at jail."
"Figures."

Taiki watched Hawk Eye get out of the car. "I guess we all wasted our time, huh?"
Hawk Eye closed the door and leaned on the open window. "Oh, I don't know," he said softly, blushing. "I don't think spending time with you was a waste, Taiki."
Yaten's head whipped around at that, but Taiki just blinked, then smiled.
"That's nice of you, Hawk Eye, thank you."
"Maybe we could go out sometime?" the Changechild asked hopefully.
"On a date?!" Yaten exclaimed.
Taiki's smile widened. "Sure, that'd be great."
Hawk Eye looked happy. "Cool! I'll call you, okay?"
"All right," Taiki agreed.
Tiger Eye honked the horn of the other car. "Come _on_, Hawk Eye!" he called out the window.
"Yeah, come on!" Yaten complained. "There's no point in setting up any stupid dates when you're gonna be grounded forever _if_ Mama lets you live!"
Hawk Eye and Taiki exchanged looks of regret. "Bye for now," Hawk Eye said.
"Bye," Taiki said softly.
Hawk Eye gave him another quick smile, then jogged over to the other car.
"What _took_ you so long?!" Tiger Eye wailed.
Hawk Eye didn't respond, and Tiger Eye couldn't help but wonder what the heck he was smiling about at a time like this.

End of chapter 9

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