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Shinta looked at her with wide bright eyes, unbelieving the words she had uttered. What game is she playing at, he thought as he cocked his head to the side. Then a very mischievous grin lit his face as he pulled her towards the mens' locker room. Two could play at this game.

Without uttering a word, he lead her passed the rows of empty benches where the guys normally stood while dressing, stuffing their things inside tiny cubicles with mesh doors. To their left was the single row of stalls parallel to the row of urinals. Beyond that was the shower room. Without taking his clothes off, he lead Yuukie to the nearest wall and turned on the nozzle. Cold water burst from the shower head into his chest, making him jump until the water began to warm up. As he waited he pressed Yuukie again the tile, their bodies just beneath the slowly warming spray.

"It takes a second to warm up," he explained breathily as he nuzzles into her neck, his nose and lips tickling the tender skin. His hand that still held hers squeezed gently.

When he felt her leg hitch up over his hip, Shinta took the que and pulled both her legs up and used his torso to hold her up between himself and the wall. The motion allowed him to straighten his back, since her head was now level with his. As he did so the young man ran his hands up her thighs, curving them around and under her butt. Giving them a light squeeze, he kept them there so that she wouldn't slide down.

"Babe you can have me for whatever you want," he chuckled into her ear. "Keeping you warm is only level one of my abilities." Yup it was corny, but sometimes the nerd in Shinta just begged to come out. Playfully, he nipped at her ear before running a few kisses down the side of her neck.

"Gladly," he growled suddenly. The growl had been unexpected, even to him. But he hadn't expected her to have her hands under his shirt, running her devilish fingers along his skin either.

Pulling away from her neck, he leaned back so that his green hair was in the water. The usually spiky locks fell under the spray to lay in thick strands around his face. The water helped to clear his head, but did nothing for the fiery burning that was starting wherever she touched him to every corner of his body.

Then, after looking towards the shower's entrance, Shinta leaned down and grabbed the zipper of her hoodie between his teeth. Using the strength in his arms, he lifted her higher up the wall while he slid the zipper open. As it unhooked he gazed up at the thin soaked t-shirt beneath. He couldn't help the tiny whine as he gazed at the fabric that clung to her, showing off her flat toned abs and small but perky breasts. Using his teeth again, he pulled the hem of the shirt up to expose her midriff.

"Ah, you have an in-y," he observed coyly. Then he ran his tongue along the damp skin before pressing kisses just above her belly button.

As she wiggled to remove the offending garment, Shinta struggled to keep her balanced. Realizing that he better ease up before his weak arm got damaged, he lowered her to his level again. Holding her at the hip with his, he let his hands travel up her sides. The action made him groan as her butt brushed the erection he hadn't noticed gaining.

Almost timidly, he hooked his thumbs under her shirt to run it gently along her ribs. If anything, he still wanted to be gentle with her. Fighting spirit aside, he didn't want her hurting her ribs again when they were so close to their performance.

"Trust me. It's not what we can see that get's us hot and bothered," he began in a husky voice with his eyes glued to the actions his hands performed. "It's what we imagine is beneath what we cannot." Raising his thumbs slightly, he brushed them tentatively across the under curves of her breasts. But as much as he wanted to rip off that thin as rice paper shirt, he was a gentlemen. Gentlemen waited patiently. He didn't want to scare her off, much as he knew she was above that.

"I don't imagine what I'll see," he retorted as he watched their hands lift the shirt up and over her head. "I imagine how I take it off so that I can see." After he let her shirt fall to the floor, he raised his emerald eyes to look at her. His breath hitched and he raised his hands, but stopped before he touched her. A giddy wave overtook him momentarily. Instead of touching her, he turned to himself and pulled off his own shirt to reveal his broad shoulders and well toned build.

Only then did he reach out and lay his hands on her waist, letting his fingers trail along the skin. Even in the dimmer lights, he could see her blush as it colored the tops of her small breasts. Just the sight alone made his cheeks dust a light rose.

"I pose myself questions. Like does she have a freckle, here?" he ponders aloud as he places a kiss just below her right collar bone. "Or here?" he kisses a little lower. "Would she like this?" he asks rhetorically as he brushes a hand over her breast slowly." Or this better?" he inquires as he moves along the same path but stopping to give the erect nub a little attention with his fingertips.

(ok time to put a little ice water in this, lol. Hiyah!)

"Whenever the thought or sight of you arises," he admitted unabashedly. The sound of her panting lightly in the steam made him ache to ravish her. When she kissed him on the cheek he growled. Damn the girl for staying true to her promise, he thought with a wry smile. Though the idea was endearing, he knew the difference between a kiss in love and one in hate.

While she roamed her smaller hands on his chest he cupped her face with one of his. Before she had time to react, he pressed a kiss to her lips. Then he parted his lips and ran the tip of his tongue along her lower lip, begging for entrance. Shinta wanted to taste her, all of her.

The slamming of a door made him freeze.

"Oi, Cameren. That you in there?" a deep voice yelled from somewhere beyond the showers. Pulling back, he lifted a finger to her lips to say stay quiet.

"No. It's just me," Shinta yelled back. His grip on her waist tightened in warning.

"Oh hey, Shinta. Didn't know you were in today," the voice answered a little nearer. With a flurry of motion, Shinta grabbed the towel he had set aside and wrapped it around his waste. Then, after turning the water off, he rushed to the rooms entrance.

"Master is being a hard a**," he retorted casually as he met the guy at the entrance. As long as the man didn't step into the shower room and Yuukie didn't move or make any noise, he wouldn't know she was in there.

"As per the usual, right?" his friend guffawed. Shinta laughed with him as he took a step further out of the room. "Bet he's just riding your a** about now, huh? What with that demonstration thing ya got goin."

"Yea. It's a bother, but what can I do? It's not like an opportunity like this comes a long often."

"Bet it's nice havin a partner you don't feel bad for if you go a little rough on. I'd hate it if Cameran and me had to fight like that. Been best friends since kids. I'd feel bad if I'd hurt him," the man rattled on.

"That's not how I look at it," Shinta said carefully. The man before him didn't notice, but Shinta had his hand clenched into a tight fist. It was taking all his energy not to literally beat the man senseless.

"That's cause you're too nice, Shinta. Girl doesn't know how lucky she is, getting such a sensitive partner. Anyone else would show her no mercy and then spit in her face. I bet with you, the spit will be at her feet," he retorted lightheartedly.

"You were looking for Cameran, right?" Shinta desperately tried to change the subject. "I think I saw him in one of the tudoring halls."

"Awe, thanks man. I better go get him. Dudes been begging me to help him get ready for this date he's got with some freshman chick. Peace." As soon as the man was gone, Shinta's shoulders sagged in a mixture of relief and adrenaline crash.

(I knew you would jump at the chance to be dramatic. XD)

When Yuukie stomped passed, Shinta tried too late to grab her arm. Standing still as if frozen, he watched her retreating back as her hurt words rang in his ears.

"But. . . you're not worthless," he voiced softly to the empty locker room. Before he had time to think better of it, he turned to the tiled wall and punched it. With a c***k, the tiles shattered and fell to the floor. All his anger was flooding to the fore, something he rarely ever did. Shinta was too laid back to get upset by most things, but when something did. . . let's just say he has a temper.

A few minutes later one of the other guys had wandered in looking to use the showers, but rushed out in fear of his life when one of the stall doors was thrown at him. One of the professors had been called in and he too ran back out soon after, eyes wide and dust from the tiles in his hair.

"Get master Dai," he panted to one of the spectators that had gathered at the commotion.

Soon, their dojo master had arrived. His hair was long and white but tied back in a samurai's style ponytail. His robes were classic navy and his black rope belt held his prized sword, though many people guessed it was ornamental only. With one withered hand, he pushed the sliding door back to peer at the mayhem.

"You're not worthless, you're not worthless. You . . . are . . . Not. . . WORTHLESS!!!!" Shinta chanted breathlessly as he pounded the wall near the back. His eyes stared blankly ahead as he continued to break things apart. One of the sinks was cracked and the long mirrors wee shattered in several places. Dints littered the sides of the lockers and several holes pock marked the walls.

There were so many things that he had wanted to say. Still so many things he had wanted to do. Just when he thought he was able to bridge the gap between them, something else happened to tear them apart again. He hated the socialists that were forcing them in opposite planes, but he hated himself more for being unable to protect her from them. Even while they cheered them both on, these people were no better than petty grade schoolers. They criticized her for not having the money or the stature he did, but she was worth far more praise than they could ever give in his eyes.

Just as he was thinking about slamming his head into the tile, a hand sat firmly on his shoulder.

"Shinta," a crackly dry voice said.

"Master?" he asked mildly, as if coming out of a fog.

"Come on son. It's ok," he urged the boy to follow him. When Shinta looked at his master a tear escaped his emerald eyes before he could wipe it hurriedly from sight.

"Ok," he managed to respond with a sigh and a nod.