The onsen's steam clung to us as we padded back across Shin'yume-sou's cracked stone floor, our towels draped across our shoulders like half-hearted capes.

Shion's hair dripped, long black strands leaving little trails behind us.

"You still think this is a good idea?" she asked, her smirk curling sharply.

"No," I said, bluntly honest. "But it's the only idea I can come up with."

She made a low sound in her throat.

Amusement?

Hunger?

From Shion, it was probably both.

"Then lead the way, Blondie. Let's go wake the cat."

I pushed our way past Shin'yume-sou's double front doors, past the lobby's perpetually yellow-stained windows, glowing in the dawn haze, and onto the stairs.

Somewhere, on that third floor, was Natsumi, asleep.

Nekomata.

Burnout. Lazy, smug, and definitely not expecting company.

And somehow, I had to knock on her door and explain that my vampire girlfriend and I were in need of… help.

Shion nudged me with her elbow after we reached the third floor.

"Don't chicken out on me now. It's not like I can keep my body warm forever."

Her voice was playful but sharp enough to sting.

"Pansy."

I saw Natsumi's door at the end of the hallway.

Fuzzy, purple leopard print covered the front, and the dank scent of pot smoke and incense beyond.

I took a breath and knocked softly.

Shion gave me a look.

"You can pound harder than that," she said.

I shook my head.

"Natsumi hates loud noises," I whispered to her.

The door whipped open quickly.

"Natsumi hates being woken up even more," she hissed.

There she stood, her yellow eyes flashed from me to Shion as though she were considering slamming the door in our faces.

"Natsumi…" Shion began.

Then she stopped, stepped towards me, and leaned her head on my shoulder.

The nekomata tilted her head when she saw how affectionate Shion was acting towards me.

"Oh? Is American-jin and Fang and item now?"

Shion scoffed, but Natsumi giggled.

I saw her upper lip split down the middle, like a cat.

"Natsumi's only teasing. Don't get panties in a bunch."

This time Shion took a sharp breath.

"I'm not wearing panties, Natsumi."

The nekomata stepped away from the door and gestured for us to enter.

"Then all three of us have something in common, unless American-jin is kinky like that."

I rolled my eyes.

Shion grinned like she was on Natsumi's side, and the two of us sat down on the sided of Natsumi's bed.

I made sure the towels were under us.

"What do you want with Natsumi so early on Saturday?"

She looked from me to Shion, her yellow eyes twinkling with mischief.

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"You're not looking for a third, desu ne? Natsumi doubts that Fang is into sharing."

Shion took a breath.

"Quit using Inego's nickname on me, Natsumi. We have a favor to ask."

Natsumi raised her eyebrow and made a strange "mmrrreeewwww" noise.

Shion nudged me in the ribs.

"Oh, I have to ask her," I said, making sure.

Shion nodded.

"Yes, dummy. You know her better."

Natsumi looked at Shion, as though she suddenly understood.

"American-jin can't invite Fang into his room? So…"

Natsumi grinned from ear to ear, like she'd just caught a pair of mice.

"American-jin and Fang want to use Natsumi's room. Tsk-tsk. This is quite the favor."

Shion's eyes grew wide, almost pleading.

"Please, Natsumi! Ryu let me soak in the onsen so I could get warm for him…"

She grabbed my hand, lacing her fingers between mine.

Her hand felt slightly warm still, but I knew we were running out of time.

"Natsumi will let you use room… but not bed. Gross."

Shion's mouth dropped open to protest, but Natsumi spoke over her.

"American-jin has futon in his room. Natsumi will help American-jin get it."

I squeezed Shion's hand, smiling.

Natsumi stood up, turned to me, and stopped.

"Ramune. Lots of Ramune. And… melonpan."

I ran my hand though my hair, glad that I had my hair back, and nodded, agreeing.

"Sure. Look, help me out and you won't have to worry about Ramune the entire time I'm here, okay?"

Natsumi's eyes lit up.

"American-jin might live to regret his words. Fang had better be amazing."

Shion crossed her arms.

"Hurry if you want to find out," she muttered.

I was headed downstairs to grab my futon in less than five seconds.

Natsumi bounded down the stairs behind me, barefoot, and puffing smoke as though she were a nekomata train engine.

She twirled her vape pen like it was a tiny baton.

"You know, American-jin, you dating Fang means that Natsumi can't be your friend-with-benefits anymore," she teased.

I chuckled a little.

I'd realized that too.

"That wasn't going to last very long anyway. Not with Yuki around, and totally not with Shion now."

We reached my door.

I unlocked it and Natsumi and I stepped inside.

As we walked in, I felt one of her twin tails playfully brush my ear.

She flashed me a quick smile.

"If Natsumi didn't know better, American-jin likes ghost girl too."

I didn't answer right away, and the silence was enough for her. She just chuckled and hit her vape again.

"Natsumi thinks you'll figure it out. Or you wont. Either way, Natsumi thinks American-jin is funny enough to keep around."

She picked up one end of my futon, and I grabbed the other.

"Thank you," I said.

Then we tried to maneuver the damn futon through the hallway.

"Natsumi thinks American-jin needs to pivot his end," she said as we tried to navigate the turn.

I looked at her, wondering what the hell she was talking about.

"Pivot?" I asked. "Pivot what? It's just a damn futon."

However, we made it back to her room relatively quickly. The two of us ended up half-dragging it like a corpse down her hallway.

Natsumi kicked her door shut with the heel of her foot and we propped it up awkwardly in the middle of her room. Then she grabbed a spare cart from the end of her dresser, covered in Hello Kitty figures and other gachapon.

"Natsumi's grabbing breakfast and then a soak in the onsen. American-jin and Fang had better not take all day."

Then, she pointed to her incense sticks.

"Light one of those when finished. Natsumi has a sensitive nose. Don't be gross."

She slinked past the two of us and out her door, rolling her hips with her usual feline swagger.

Shion's eyes narrowed the second she was gone.

Her gaze dropped to my futon in front of us, and then to me. I could see the tip of her fangs from the way she was grinning.

"She still didn't grab a pair of panties before she left."

Shion stepped in front of me, putting her arms on my shoulders.

"So, tell me, Blondie. Do you think I slipped a pair on while you were gone?"

I put my arms on her hips, bringing her closer to me.

"I doubt it," I said.

Her grin sharpened.

"Then you'd better check."

Natsumi's room was bright by the time it was over.

Her purple-striped curtains were useless, thin enough that sunlight poured straight through them, stripes of gold crawling across the futon.

Dust drifted lazily in the air.

The smell of incense, smoke, and something faintly sweet clung to the walls.

Shion lay against me, her head on my chest, hair spilling like dark water over my skin.

For once, she wasn't smirking. She wasn't teasing. She was just… still.

I held her tighter, like I was afraid she'd disappear if I let go.

"Blondie," she whispered.

Her voice cracked in a way I'd never heard before. Soft. Almost fragile.

"I want to be more for you. You deserve someone who's alive."

I kissed the top of her head.

"You're enough."

She leaned back, skeptical, her eyes searching mine like I was speaking another language.

"You really believe that?"

She had to take a breath before she could go on.

"How the hell can you be okay with that? It freaks me out, Blondie. Every damn time I think about it, I—"

I sat up a little, looking at her.

"I don't think about it like that," I said quickly. "I don't need you to be something else. I don't want you to. I… appreciate what you are."

That earned me a strange grin, sharp and unsure all at once.

"Huh? That's… unexpected."

She thought about that for a moment.

"What am I, exactly? Cold? Snarky? Nothing but sharp wit and sarcasm?"

She poked me in the chest.

"If you like that, plus a warm body and huge tits, you should be going after Kanae."

Then it hit her.

The bravado slipped.

Fear flickered in her eyes.

She froze, clutching me tighter.

"Please don't," she whispered.

I didn't hesitate.

"I don't want Kanae. I don't want anyone else. I want you. That's why I'm here. With you."

Her hand found my face, trembling just a little as her palm cupped my cheek. She looked straight into my eyes like she was trying to read my soul.

"You're… god, what are you, Blondie?"

I shrugged.

"Maybe I'm actually good for you."

Her laugh broke the tension, sharp and real, rolling out of her like sunlight breaking through the window.

"I was thinking 'goddamn stupid.'"

Damn it… something about the way she said it.

I knew exactly what she really meant.

She kissed me, and for once she wasn't cold.

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