Kaze-Kage, Dude

"I'm..." Taylor bowed her head and leaned in against Johnny. "I'm trying, okay?"

She didn't feel much like kissing in that moment, and at first only tentatively accepted Johnny's lips. But as they always did with them, things escalated, and Taylor was soon kissing him back like he was the air she breathed. When they finally parted her cheeks had reddened more deeply and her eyes remained closed, and when they opened she avoided looking at anyone. Now that the exhilaration of the fight was gone and she was calm again, she was left to deal with how she actually felt, which was way worse than being punched in the face by some skank.

"Sorry you don't have friends, don't kiss my husband," she recited mechanically. "If you were in high school, I could help you, but I don't really know of a program for troubled adults."

Awkward. As. Hell.

Ninjette occupied herself with contemplating the history of urinals while they kissed - it was a sweet scene, really, just made her feel very much like she didn't belong. More than being a men's room had already done. They looked happy. They sounded happy. Maybe she could get a little of that, someday. Maybe.

She placed her hand over her heart. "I, Kozue Kaburagi of the Hoboken Kaburagis, do solemnly swear to never kiss your man again, under pain of death, or at least you talking more shit about my chest. So help me God, or any other deities that might be listening. You're right to be mad, again - sorry." She allowed herself a little smirk. "You're ...not so bad. I guess. I take back, eh...let's say a third of the crap I said. Maybe a half, tops."

Johnny raised an eyebrow at Kouze's declaration but felt like it was good. And he actually knew the girl's name now. That would make things a heck of a lot less awkward. Still, he dropped the hand he held out for a shake. "it's cool man." He said. He slipped an arm around Taylor's shoulder and smiled at Kouze. "Ok, so like, I'm gonna get out of here before some dude comes in and wonders why I'm hangin around with two chicks in the locker room." Johnny said and laughed a bit.

"Guess I'll see ya around." He said and gave the ninja girl a friendly wave.

Taylor gave the ninja girl a cockeyed look and leaned against Johnny. How, after that conversation, did she manage to rate not so bad with this chick? "Oh my gawwd, you're so weird." She must really have been desperate.

Maybe to the ninja-girl it was just a momentary lapse of self-restraint that led to a kiss, and it wasn't as big a deal for her. For Taylor, watching Johnny go after the girl with near sadistic enthusiasm, and seeing the girl kiss him and then go find him in the locker room, and get... touchy with him... It was a bigger deal for Taylor than she had been willing to admit to Johnny. The incendiary dread in the pit of her stomach told her that maybe she would have to admit it soon.

"Yeah, see ya." Taylor turned to leave with Johnny. "Let's just go straight home, okay? Maybe we can order dinner out. Unless you're starving right away, but I brought you some juice, it's banana, almond, sweet potato, and orange, and some lemon. And I have... humus and bread and fruit and nuts and stuff. How are you feeling? You were awesome in there, babe, I'm proud of you."

"It was a joke. Fuck's sakes."

She gave them a little wave as the happy coupled trotted off, leaving her alone with the smell of sweat and missed urine. One day, maybe that'd be here. Maybe she'd find some guy, here. Someone to cuddle with, enjoy the time, watch movies on the couch, get slightly possessive of when he goes to wrestle half-naked women. She could almost see it. Almost.

She wasn't getting married, though; fuck that noise.

With a low chuckle, she skipped out of the locker room - and ran straight into a man coming in. Some guy in a business suit, she didn't recognize him, he probably didn't recognize her. He looked at her. She looked at him. Silence. Awkward silence. Then, without another word, she trotted off.

And that was where the terrible rumor about Ninjette being a transvestite came from.

The End.

Johnny walked with Taylor after they exited the locker room. He sighed and smiled weakly at her. "Yeah, babe." He said. "Juice sounds great, and thanks." He said as he sighed. His body ached. He still couldn't believe that he had jumped from the top of a ladder into a table and metal chair. He'd be feeling it for a while.

He turned and looked at her. "You know I love you more than anythin, right?' He said and slipped is hand into hers, squeezing it. "I've been thinkin and junk but... Can we just talk when we get home? That's where I wanna be right now. Pick up some food on the way and junk."

"Yeah, it's lots of protein and stuff, it'll help you recover..." Taylor squeezed his hand back and returned a small smile. "Yeah. That sounds good."

She wrapped both arms around him from the side and put her head against his chest. They walked slowly down the hall with awkward, tangled up steps, as if either one of them would've fallen over without the other to lean on.