~Chapter 13~

"Alright guys well done today." I said happily marching up the path back to the house. We had just had a very successful hunt and caught some winged boar for dinner, which I was particularly looking forward to. I was the first to reach the door and swung it open. My jaw dropped. I quickly slammed the door behind me and heard a thunk as it hit Vivian in the face. But I would have to apologize to her later as I stomped over to the figure sitting on the sofa.

"Sup." He said casually shoving a forkful of noodles in his mouth. The pot of noodles went flying as I kicked it and landed somewhere by the back door. I then clasped my hand around Ikuto's neck and pinned him against the sofa, being careful not to look down.

"Don't you 'sup' me. Just what the hell do you think you're doing here, eating noodles and lounging around naked." I demanded.

"What do you mean. I'm wearing pants so I'm technically not naked." Said Ikuto casually.

"Very funny now get out and take your clothes with you."

"Okay, they should have finished warming up by now anyway."

"What?!" I said completely lost.

"My clothes. I put them in the oven to warm up."

"In...the...oven." I said slowly taking it all in. I then pulled Ikuto up and dragged him to the kitchen just as the front door was swung open and a moaning Vivian walked in clutching her nose.

I yanked open the oven door and pulled out the smoldering clothes throwing them at Ikuto.

"Hurry up and put these on then leave through the-" I began.

"Astriaaaaaaa." Called Nymph walking towards the kitchen.

"Crap." I pushed Ikuto in to Nymph's room and quickly closed the door behind us. He pulled on his shirt and jeans while I tried the windows above Nymph's bed. "They won't budge." I muttered.

"Yeah, so I'll just go now..." Said Ikuto reaching for the door handle.

"No!" I yelled frantically and threw myself at him knocking him to the floor.

"Sorry but I don't approve of the girl being on top." He said smiling.

"Shut up." I picked myself up off of Ikuto and pulled him away from the door.

"Astria?" I heard Nymph say as she approached the door.

"This way." I grabbed Ikuto's collar and walked over to the door to Nymphs bathroom.

"Wanna take a bath together?" Asked Ikuto completely unaware of how serious this situation was. I then kicked him through the door and locked us in.

Nymphs' bathroom had the ordinary stuff in it. A sink, toilet, oh and a swimming pool. Her being a mermaid she preferred to swim in open water than be scrunched up in a bathtub. Ikuto wasn't as taken aback as a normal person would've been.

"Over there." I said pointing to the windows above the pool.

"But I don't want to get wet." Moaned Ikuto.

"There's a skirting board around the edge of the pool. Just follow that round and you can get out without getting wet." I said pushing him towards the pools edge.

"Okay okay." He easily jumped on to the edge of the board and skuttled around it. Once he reached the window he open it and scrambled up the side of the wall and through it.

"If I see you again I'll rip off your head and fill it with snakes." I called over to him as he disappeared out the window. A hand waved at me idly.

After saying sorry to Vivian for slamming the door in her face and blaming the mess on the raccoon that had broken into the house I went to my room and turned on the laptop. Sitting on my bed I checked for information on cats. It said that they tended to laze around alot and enjoyed eating. Sounds like Ikuto. I sighed.

"Hey Roma. Want to go for a walk." I said perking up. I needed to get my mind off Ikuto and on more important things. Roma lay in her bed not budging. Odd, normally she would have leapt at the word walk. "Roma?" I got up and walked over to her, laying my hand on her cold body.