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Loss and Redemption	By : hawker748 Category: +G to L > Love Hina Views: 24934 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Love Hina, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Disclaimer: See Prologue.

Any comments, complaints, complements,
flames, and credit card numbers can be sent to: hawker_748@hotmail.com Feedback and
reviews would be greatly appreciated.

I would like to thank all reviewers for
the feedback that was provided.

This fanfic is based on the manga and anime and
borrows facets from both of them.

�*� Spoken words

�*� Thoughts

Love Hina

Loss and Redemption

Chapter Two: Unexpected Mercy, Unexpected
Chance

By: hawker_748

When morning came to Hinata House, it was
presented with a sight so unusual that if the sun had had a face, there would
have been a series of brief eclipses as it blinked in surprise. The sight of
Keitaro and Motoko sleeping next to each other was not a new occurrence
anymore, as it had been happening for a week by now. What was new was the sight
of them locked together in a tight embrace, Motoko resting her head on
Keitaro�s chest and with his arms wrapped around her. Both were clothed and there
was no evidence of any �activity�, but the sight of them in such an intimate
setting would have caused the other residents� jaws to hit the floor with
enough force to register on the Richter scale.

�Mmmm, nice,� Keitaro thought to himself as his
mental capacities slowly brought themselves back on-line as he reluctantly
emerged from slumber. At this early in the morning, Keitaro had no idea where
he was, or why he felt so comfortable. All that his mind was aware of was that
he felt very calm and at peace. He increased the force of his embrace slightly,
inadvertently starting Motoko on her path to consciousness.

�So secure,� thought Motoko, as she nuzzled up
to what she was sleeping on. However, unlike Keitaro, Motoko was able to get
herself up to speed in just a few moments. �What am I holding?� Recollection
hit her like a hammer, as she realized exactly who was holding her. Motoko
lurched back and tore herself from Keitaro�s arms, waking him up completely in
the process.

�Motoko? What�s goin� on? Wh-what happened?�
Keitaro mumbled as his brain finished firing up the last couple of neurons.
Belatedly, he remembered what had happened the night before, and how he had
ended up in an embrace with his reluctant wife. He colored slightly as he
recalled how nice it had felt to hold her. He was thankful that the blankets
were concealing a common waking occurrence for males from Motoko.

�Is anything wrong?�

�No Hono-, Urashima, I-I-I was just a little
startled, that�s all.� She noticed that Keitaro was favoring his arms, �was it
uncomfortable?�

�No, my arms just fell asleep, I think I was
holding you all night,� he replied as his blush deepened slightly. �Are you
sure you�re alright? I mean, last night-,�

�I�m fine!� Motoko snapped. Her expression
softened slightly, �well, not really, but I promise you, you don�t have to
worry about a repeat of last night. If you�ll excuse me, I have to prepare
breakfast,� she said as she turned to leave. She was stopped dead in her tracks
when Keitaro reached up and grabbed her wrist.

�You don�t have to Motoko, Shinobu can do it
just fine, and she seems to be upset that you�re taking her place.�

�In more ways than one,� she murmured quietly
before adding, �but it�s my duty as a wife to do this.�

�We may or may not be married, but that doesn�t
mean you have to be someone you�re not. There�s no need to change so
dramatically.�

Motoko reflected on his words for a few moments
before she responded. �I�ll try, but I don�t know. My whole life has been
turned upside down.�

�We both have. Let�s just see what we can do
about it.�

�O.K.�

***

Breakfast wasn�t as tense as it had been for
the previous week. The tension was still there, but the air didn�t crackle with
nervous energy, it was merely uncomfortable.

There was even consideration beyond requests
for things to be passed, although the conversations were heavily muted. Actual
eye contact was possible; the previous week a group of complete strangers could
have been substituted for any of the residents and nobody would have noticed.
Even the food seemed to taste better, although that was more likely due to
Shinobu having taken back cooking duties for that morning.

There had been conversations, but they had been
muted, and only between certain people; Naru and Kitsune; Sarah, Su and
Shinobu; Keitaro and Motoko. This continued until Naru spoke up and announced,
�I�m going to be leaving Hinata House for a while and go visit my family for a
while, perhaps for a month or two.�

�Naru-sempai why?� asked Shinobu.

�I need to get away, clear my head, avoid all
the distractions around here,� she replied and hit Keitaro and Motoko with a
glare. Both Keitaro and Motoko flinched slightly. The look in her eyes cooled
any ardor for protesting her decision.

�When will you leave,� asked Kitsune.

�Today, in t ant an hour. If you�ll excuse me,
thank you for the wonderful meal Shinobu,� Naru finished as she pushed away
from the table and walked back up to her room to finish packing. A stunned
silence reigned in the wake of her departure.

�We, we have to do something, we can�t just let
her-� babbled Shinobu.

�Let her go,� interrupted Kitsune, �and don�t
try to follow her either. Do you understand Su?�

�I mean it, don�t try to stop her. I think the
time away may help her get over everything that�s happened.� She looked towards
Keitaro and said, �There�s just too much weirdness around here.�

Keitaro�s thoughts were in a shamble at the
news of Narus imminent departure. �Naru, you don�t have to go, I need you, I�ll
straighten this Motoko mess out and we can be together!� He was already
mentally chasing after her, begging her to stay.

Then a new and
different train of thought started. �I can�t leave Motoko, who knows what�ll
happen!� He stopped cold at that, and almost unwillingly continued the train of
thought. �Naru is at least stable, worry about Motoko for now, you promised you
would!�

To burn off some of the nervous energy that had
built up Keitaro continued washing the dished so he wouldn�t fidget with his
hands. He took a moment to collect his thoughts. �I wish things were back the way
they were before this happened, Shinobu. Things were simpler then. I was single
then.�

�I had a chance then,� Shinobu silently added.

�I�m going to try and figure a way out of this
for both of us, but I�m not sure how it will work or how long it will take,�
Keitaro continued.

Shinobu didn�t
know what to think. She had an earth-shattering cron Kon Keitaro, and was
jealous of anyone, even Naru, being close to him. She was grudgingly accepting
of Naru, but the idea of anyone but her and to a lesser extent Naru being with
Keitaro made her heart ache.

On the other
hand she knew that he was a good man, and wouldn�t willingly do anything to
hurt anyone. If he said that he was trying to find a way out, she�d believe in
him. It also meant that Motoko wasn�t stealing him away, and that maybe she
needed some ort ort as well.

Besides, if
this all worked out the way Keitaro planned, he wouldn�t be married to Motoko
anymore. He would be more available, more �free.� There was still Naru, but
with only one obstacle then maybe, just maybe, she�d have a�

Shinobu
terminated that train of thought with extreme prejudice. �Think about that
later, after this has all been resolved! For now, just be there for sempai.�
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Loss and Redemption