20 A long night...

Kano sat in the room they had given Sarah, two semi-comfortable chairs pushed together. He held Vicky's hand and let her sleep on his shoulder. The scent of wine drifted upward and into his nostrils. She had apparently been drinking, though he was not certain to what extent. He was however, both furious at her 'fiance' and himself for the situation. He had never imagined that it would turn out this way with Sarah being attacked. Kano could only settle for waiting. He had waited before to take out Aaron, he would do so again.

Vicky moaned in her sleep and snuggled closer to him. She was clinging tightly to his shirt. He rested his head on hers and looked over at Sarah as he did so. Two puffy and swollen eyes looked back at him. He started to rouse Vicky, but Sarah placed a finger to her lips then reached her hand out to him. As his hand encircled hers, she sighed contentedly and leaned back into her pillows.

"They want to keep you overnight for observation." he whispered.

"Fine, can't do anything with you anyway."

"Is that all you think about?"

"You mean, other than riding you until you're too sore to move? Sure, I sometimes wonder what career you will have. Sometimes what career I want. Where I want to bang on vacation with you. The usual stuff a horny teen thinks about."

Kano could only chuckle and shake his head. Sarah had always spoken her mind and never minced words.

"I think we should wake her. Let her see you are up at least."

"No, let her sleep. If things go right she won't sleep much later tonight." Sarah retorted with a wink and stuck her tongue out at him.

"I thought you were trying to get me into your pants, not your sisters."

"Both would be best. She's an idiot when it comes to men. This way, you can take care of us and we can take care of you." She licked her lips at him and tried to make a seductive face, but her injuries made her unsuccessful. Kano chatted with her a bit more until Vicky woke up and then the three of them talked until the doctor came in and informed them visiting hours had ended. During a heartfelt goodbye, Sarah whispered something to her sister which caused her to blush and then gave a knowing wink to Kano. Afterword, Kano and Vicky found themselves driving slowly back to her home.

Kano found himself glancing at Vicky every chance he could. They had been together for four years, all of their high school years in fact. They were each other's first in many things. All in all, their was a lot of history in those few years. He chuckled lightly as he recalled the last time they had been in this car. Vicky looked over at him as well when she heard him and immediately realized what he was thinking about. She merely shook her head at him and smiled before looking out the passenger window. It had been prom night, and he had begged his parents for weeks to borrow this car. They had managed to make it through all of the dances without getting into trouble, but the detour Kano took on the way back to her house had led them to a very passionate locale. She felt warm as she recalled that heady night in this car and could not help but feel a desire to recreate it. He still had feelings for her, this she was certain of. She felt a hand rest on her own and without even thinking she let his fingers intertwine with her own. Vicky glanced down and her brain began to spin as she tried to figure out the feelings that were flying about in her chest.

"Kano, aren't you leaving soon?"

"Yes. Tomorrow."

"Where are you going?"

"San Diego."

"For how long?"

"A couple of years, maybe longer. Haven't decided that yet. Gonna go with it for now and if I like the life, I'll stick with it. If not, I'll try something different." He looked at her pointedly before continuing. "I'll visit, if You want."

They fell silent as he pulled onto their neighborhood street. Her heart and mind were in complete turmoil now. She was not really sure what she wanted. The little doubts that she had buried for the past couple of years had returned in full force. Truthfully, if she had told him that her mother was sick, he would have been there. Regardless, she did not. Yet here he was, being there for her once more, just like he used to do. He was starting a career, he had been working out... Her eyes lingered on his upper body and the clearly defined muscles that almost begged for her to run her hands across. He had regained that confidence he used to have, the one he had before graduation. Why did he lose it? What happened that he never told her about? Again, guilt assailed her and she focused on the strong hand that held hers. It felt like it was supposed to be there. Like it should never have left.

She wondered about rekindling such a love. The more she thought about it, the more she wanted those days to return. Would it be able to work out? He was going to be on a tight schedule with the Marines, he was a police officer now... surely he would agree as well that it could work... As they pulled up to her house, she grabbed his phone and plugged her number into it before he could even argue. Then, quickly she jumped up and out before he could ask, though, he had no intention of doing either of those things. However, she had prematurely dismissed just how much she had drank and stumbled a bit before grabbing the door of the car. In a flash, he was next to her, one hand at her waist and the other in her own once more. The words her sister had said to her as they left returned to her mind.

"Alright, you can help me inside." she allowed as she was unable to walk properly... as far as he knew. Yet, Kano was all too familiar with her personality as well as her tricks. Victoria had always like to let him play the hero, the doting boyfriend and closest confidante. He had been by her side no matter what... until one day he just stopped. He had stopped coming outside and had even ignored her calls for a couple of weeks. When she tracked him down at his house, even his mother was confused about why he just suddenly withdrew in on himself. She told him that he came home bloody one day and would not say anything. He just shut down and had a mean look in his eye. Kazuko told her she had seen that look only once before on her own husband, Kano's father. They had been at a bar in Tokyo and some gangsters had made passes at her. Eventually, one even tried to grab her, that's when it happened. Roger had come unglued and launched himself at all of them. The six gangsters never knew what hit them as 220 pounds of angry giant fell upon them. She had described how he had severely injured each of them and even broke a few limbs. It was his righteous fury and overly protective nature that had solidified her relationship with him. Kazuko knew that right then, she would never love another man. She told Victoria that Kano had become just like his father, with an underlying temper that was just waiting to erupt upon any that threatened what he considered his.

And now, here he was, the same caring and doting boy that she had grown up with, and yet, he was also now a man in the truest sense. To her, Kano felt more mature, more confident and grown. He had seemed to be the man she had always imagined him to become. She wanted to ask him what happened, but fear of him returning to his shell kept her from speaking. Right now, she simply wanted to be in his much stronger arms. As she felt his well sculpted torso brush against her side, she felt her body heat up.

Thoughts of the rumors going around town flashed into her mind. People were saying that Kano and her sister Sarah had been seen together in rather intimate settings, but those thoughts melted away as she caught a whiff of his masculine scent. When she had called him earlier, he had been at the gym working out, and his body heat combined with the alcohol she had earlier was now making her head swim with lusty thoughts. She regretted leaving him, now. He must have needed her then more than ever which had given her sister a chance at him. Her resolve suddenly firmed itself, she had to get him back for herself. Kano would never treat her sister the way Aaron had, let alone physically attack her. She pushed those thoughts away too and focused on the man next to her. His face was chiseled like stone and his skin seemed to have a more clear complexion to it. He had somehow gotten rid of the few acne scars he had, maybe the muscle had affected that too. The more and more she looked at him, the more she wanted to feel his body upon hers once more.

"Kano-kun, I think you're going to have to help me inside." She breathed at him in her most demure voice that made the hairs on his body stand up in excitement. It was a most heavenly music to his ears, one that he had missed for quite a while. He was certain that she had felt his body tense and even give a slight shake of excitement. Other than his mother, she was the only person to call him this pet name. Kazuko had always called him kun instead of chan even as a little boy, if only to make him sound bigger and more adult. Then, when he and Vicky had started dating, when they became intimate, she had started using it after researching what it meant. Using the same pet name as his mother showed just how close to him she was. And now, she had used it again. He did not want to jinx himself, but he was pretty sure he knew what was about to happen.