Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina
"Strings Intertwined"
by Chronos Astral
Chapter 11 - Start of Something?
Urashima Keitaro is met with unexpected visitors, all claiming to be someone close to him. Closer than he or anyone else ever imagined.
"Damnit all!" Cursed an indignant tan-haired teen as she pounded her hand on the hot surface of the steaming water.
"Nee-san. Calm down." The girl's still clothed twin sibling advised.
"Don't think so much of it, Yumi-chan." A certain fox woman smirked, a cup of sake in hand as she lounged next to her daughter.
The three were currently relaxing in the hot springs area, letting the anxiety of the battle beforehand wash away. Having dirt and grime from the match stick to her, Yumi decided to clean herself in the springs, twin and mother in tow. Kitsune thought it would be interesting to interact with her daughters-to-be and thus decided to join in their soak. Yuri didn't feel particularly dirty and only stayed to safeguard her older sister.
Yumi was apparently angry at her near-victory over the tanned princess and ki wielder. And when she was angry, she usually threw a fit. And when she threw a fit, she'd need to put the blame on someone. And that someone in particular would always be...
"This is all your fault, Yuu-chan!" She cried with an accusing glare and finger pointing at the younger twin.
"What did I do now?" Yuri retorted back with a tired tone, already used to her sister's tantrums.
"If you hadn't told them how my stuff works, I would have won!"
"You didn't tell me I couldn't. Besides, it was a tie since all of you were knocked out in the end."
"But I wanted to win!" Huffed the girl with a cross of her arms as she puffed her cheeks in anger.
Yuri gave an exhausted sigh, while massaging her brow. "Winning isn't everything, Nee-san. Even if we did win or lose, I doubt chichi-ue would let us take their stuff or let us leave."
"Feh! Jiji's too nice for his own good!"
"You know, since we are in the past, technically he isn't old and you can't call him Jiji, right?"
"Jiji is still Jiji, and I'll call him whatever I feel like, Yuu-chan!"
Kitsune snickered on the side as she watched the two bicker like the siblings they are, finding entertainment in the exchange better than some she's seen on the late shows on TV. Sake in hand, she soaked in the humorous family ambience the two shared.
She then decided that playing the observer wouldn't be as fun as playing their mother. "All right you two. That's enough. Now kiss and make up."
"But she started it!" They nagged in their eerie twin synchronism while pointing at the other.
"Come on now, do what your mother says." The fox girl let out and amused and playful grin.
"Fine," Yumi motioned for her sibling to come closer to her part of the spring. Yuri complied obediently and crouched closer to hear her.
"I'm sorry, Yuu-chan." She grumbled.
"Apology accepted." The younger sibling smiled warmly in forgiveness. Little did she notice the familiar gleam in her sister's eye.
"Psyche!" Yumi took a handful of her sister's shirt and pulled down hard sending her plummeting into the water. This drew out hard laughs from the mischievous girl and her mother.
"Good one Yumi-chan!" Kitsune put a thumbs up in approval, already taking a fond liking to her new daughters.
It was then that Yuri surfaced from the warm depths, her face red from embarrassment and the heat. "Nee-san! Now my clothes are wet!" Yumi only stuck her tongue out in response.
Yup. Konno Mitsune felt that she would get along with the two just fine.
On the way to the springs, a similar argument broke out between a duo of newly awakened and steamed girls.
"This is all your fault sword girl."
"Me? Like you did anything special, boke."
"I'll have you know that my suit wasn't even operating at 80-percent efficiency. I would have defeated her easily if it weren't for you."
"Che. You didn't even try avoiding my attack. That little costume of yours wouldn't have lasted in a real fight like that."
"Is that a threat?"
"You wanna make something of it?"
Chiyoko and Yunalla drew into a heated glaring match, trying to peg the other's conviction down. Figurative sparks flew between the two as they approached the springs with towel and washing supplies in hand. They failed to notice the sign that was put up before the changing room.
They both undressed, eyes still on each other with thinly veiled malice. Their thoughts simultaneously wandered onto the tan-haired girl that had nearly humiliated the both of them and her sister, whom they recalled had saved them from what would have been a painful fall.
"Tsch. Damnable girl." Yunalla spat as she recalled her battle with the craft Yumi.
"I'll get her back. Her and her sister." Chiyoko cracked her knuckles menacingly, promising a good dose of pain.
"Who asked the girl to catch me anyway?"
"Damn straight. Could have saved myself fine."
At the same time, said savior was trying to get out of her thoroughly wet clothes. Wringing the soaked clothing, she heard the approaching voices and assumed it to be her sister and mother. She turned to address them both.
"Mou, Nee-san. That was a dirty tri-" She then realized that they weren't whom she thought they were.
The pair regarded the familiar blue hair and attractive facet before them. Long soaked locks of light blue sticking to her back and face. A slim and eye-catching figure met their eyes and... was there something missing? Or rather, something that wasn't supposed to be there?
Their eyes moved instinctively to that certain area. Time slowed...
"Pfffft!!" The ethereal being spat out his drink in surprise. His servants rushed to the scene.
"Kami-sama, what's wrong!?" The winged man queried worriedly.
The entity and master of all creation cleared his throat and composed himself. "E-excuse me..."
Not even I saw that coming. I need to make a note to visit the archives and replace all female references to one Urashima Yuri with male ones because that sure as hell don't look like a female appendage. As for what happens next...
Yuri looked down to where they were staring and panicked, quickly covering his area with his hands, face redder in comparison to a tomato. "Er... um... W-what are you...?"
A click went of in the minds of the pair, as they refocused on the situation. This man was naked in front of the both of them, whom of which were also naked. A snap of realization came, followed by embarrassment, shock, confusion, and finally, anger.
"You..." A low growl penetrated their clenched teeth and shadowed eyes. Yuri jumped with a frightened yelp.
One word was shouted to the heavens. A word spoken so many times in every country, world, timeline, dimension, realm, universe, or plane of existence.
"HENTAI!!!!!" And here comes the severe beating that follows.
SLAM!!! CRASH!!!
"I didn't do it!" Keitaro suddenly squeaked on instinct and hid his head in a pillow, whimpering like a puppy.
"Pfffft! Ahahaha! I have to hand it to you, son, I never would have guessed that you were a guy!" Kitsune guffawed, slapping her son's back with fervor.
In the scrutiny of so many disbelieving eyes, Yuri shrank in his seat, mumbling to himself, his face flushed beyond its limits with his head sporting sizable lumps from his previous encounter with two violent females. In his hair were bits and pieces of wood and his clothes have seen better days.
"It is just impossible," Mika stated incredulously. "You cannot possibly be male. You are much more feminine and attractive than your own sister."
"What's that supposed to mean Loli-baka!?" Yumi snapped at the creepy lolita.
"Is it possible that he's...?" Kanako trailed off.
"He's what?" Megumi inquired, though most others were getting an idea of the unasked question.
Knowing what they were insinuating, the younger twin immediately retaliated. "No, I don't swing that way, honestly. Just because I look and sound like a girl doesn't mean I think I'm one."
"I say we throw him out." Chiyoko demanded, cheeks red and looking away from the feminine looking man.
"Indeed. Otou-sama is the only male presence that may be tolerated here." Yunalla supported with the same flush and animosity.
"Awww, don't be like that, you two," Kitsune said in her son's defense. "It's not like he didn't put on a good show for you when you walked in on him." And the results were as expected as her son and the two girls went even redder, squirming uncomfortably in their seats. Kitsune put on her famous foxy grin in triumph.
Though, despite enjoying her brother's suffering (a trait that comes naturally in most sibling relationships), Yumi found this quite unnerving. "You two leave Yuu-chan alone, perverts!"
"Pervert!? He's the pervert!"
"He saw us naked!"
"Well you saw him naked too!"
"Nee-san, please don't mention that out lou-"
"Quiet, Yuu-chan!"
And as the bickering ensued, much to the amusement of the onlookers, Keitaro mused to himself at the familiarity of it all. "Somehow... this sort of familiar..."
"I agree..." Naru quipped absently.
"Same..." Motoko also commented.
Yuri grumbled incoherently to himself, scratching the side of his face out of habit. He looked to the soft orange glare of the setting sun as he sat on the roof, his body resting against his knees. He thought back on the exchange just a little while ago and couldn't help but feel the blood rush back to his cheeks. Reflexively, he buried his head.
He was again reminded of how undeniably feminine he looked. It wasn't a big deal to him, but it always led to lengthy and awkward explanations if and when one were to find out of his true gender. It wasn't like he was trying to hide the fact that he was male, he just didn't bother since he didn't think looks defined a person, something he picked up from his father. And then there was his sister, who continually used his outward beauty as the main catalyst of her many schemes, a creepy and often horribly unsettling thing to bear. Though with his incredible amount of patience and affection for his older sibling, he'd shrug it off after a while despite the crippling blows to his pride.
"Hey," A gentle voice called to him from behind.
Jumping a little from his reverie, he turned to face the newcomer. "Eh... Hi," He greeted unsurely. "I um... Didn't quite get your name."
"It's Megumi," The brunette smiled.
"Ara? You're here too Yuri-chan? Or is it Yuri-kun?" Another asked from his side. He turned to face the other brunette, who was the splitting-image of her mother. She beamed warmly. "Hello. My name is Katsumi."
"Um... Hi there, Katsumi-san, Megumi-san. If you don't mind, you can just call me Yuri." He nodded at the two girls who stood over him.
"Alright then. I must say, though, you really do look like a girl," Megumi grinned cheekily. He stared back at her with narrowed eyes. "Ahaha. I'm just joking around. It's actually kind of cute."
"That's right, Yuri-kun. As a boy, that look is really cute." Katsumi added merrily.
"Erm... Thanks..." Yuri felt the familiar crimson tinge and couldn't help but glance at the two girls. The orange tint of the sunset looked beautiful against their brown locks. He couldn't help but feel a little mesmerized. And the same could be said for the two girls as the sun descended behind the boy, highlighting his more masculine features.
"Isn't that just sweet..." A certain fox girl whispered quietly to herself, hidden from behind the trio's view as she restrained her struggling daughter from ruining the scene. On each side of her were Yunalla and Chiyoko, both visibly bothered, a red tinge barely discernible on their faces.
Kitsune couldn't help but smile.
Not much to say here except that some of you may have seen that coming. And if you were, good for you.
A little late on the update. A bit short. A little lacking on the reviews from the last chapter.
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Don't know why I posted that. I just figured I would since other writers did too.
Reviews please!