Author's Note - Nothing much; just finishing off the second chapter. I'm hoping for Len and Neru to have a 'it's not a friend, but it's not a lover's' relationship' at first then have them go around in circles, then finally both of them realizing they need each other.

Neru arrives home and calls out, "Nero! I'm home!"

A short, orange pops from around the corner. He has a white apron on and a frying pan in one hand.

"Welcome home Neru-onee-san."

With the sight of that, Neru bursts into laughter.

"Ahaha!" She falls onto the floor and rolls around. "My stomach hurts!"

"What's so funny Neru?" Nero's eyebrows lift and an incoherent expression shows on his face.

When Neru calms down, she sits up and wipes away the tears. "You look like a housewife with that

apron and frying pan in your hand."

Nero sighs then smiles. "As a man, I'm not happy to hear that, to hear that from my sister, I'm still not

happy to hear that." He offers a hand to Neru.

Neru grabs his hand and pulls Nero down with her.

"Wha-!?" Nero's voice moves an octave higher as he gets pulled down.

"Ahahaha! You're not the one who's supposed to move when offering help Nero." Neru snickers as she

gets up herself.

"You're in a playful mood today… Did something happen?" Nero gets up himself.

Neru just stares away. "Nothing much, just the usual." Neru's voice just ceases like blue skies after a

thunderstorm.

Nero wrinkles his nose because he knows probably happened. To lighten the mood, Nero clasps his

hands together. "I'm making one of your favorites today!"

Neru's eyes widen and a twinkle appears. "Hotpot?!"

Nero nods his head.

"Make sure to add lots of meat!" Neru jitters. "Make sure for there to be-" Neru attempts to count

different types of meat on her hand but Nero interrupts. "Yes Yes, all your favorite meats are in there."

Neru takes a moment from her overjoy session to become serious.

"Nero."

Neru looks at Nero solemnly.

"What?" Nero's asks clueless to what she would possibly say.

"Tomorrow, can I try making the stir fry?" Her hands are clasped together and her head lowers.

Nero with a surprised expression slowly nods. "Sure, just make sure I'm there so that you don't catch

the house on fire."

Neru immediately jumps into the air. "YES!" She twirls around and laughs.

"It'll be an honorable stir fry!" Neru feels fired up.

"Yes Yes" Nero just agrees to please Neru's energetic flow. Then a shock causes Nero to raise his hand.

"Oh yeah, Haku stopped by and wanted to give you something. Unfortunately since you were late

coming home, she said he'd give it to you some other time."

Neru's head turns at Nero. "It wasn't my fault! I can't help it if the teacher's lessons are boring!" She

whines. "She was the one that went off and said that I was a bad child!"

Neru covers her mouth because she accidently slipped.

"Bad…Child?" Nero's eyebrows lower and he crosses his arms. "The teacher said that?"

Neru just shrugs, "I don't remember, it was a rant, nothing personal."

"Neru!" Nero's speaks with a loud and powerful tone.

"What, it was nothing, nothing; so just drop it OK?" Neru decides to get angry herself and stomp away.

"Neru…" Nero mumbles as he watches Neru stomp upstairs.

Neru slams the door and jumps on her bed. She rests her head on the mattress and sighs. "I'm tired…"

Neru closes her eyes and drift into a long nap.

After some time, Neru wakes up. She rubs her eyes and yawns. Then she looks out her window.

'It's evening.' She gets off the bed and runs down stairs.

Neru remembers the argument she had with Nero but decides to shake it off. Neru wants to avoid

making prejudices thoughts about a person just based on a few situations.

"Nero?" Neru turns the corner to the kitchen. She sees Nero over the stove stirring the pot.

"Oh Neru." He gives a faint smile.

Neru frowns. "Are you still wary about before?"

Nero fidgets.

"Don't worry about it." Neru puts her hands on his shoulders to stop him from shaking. "I'll never be

shaken, have faith in me." She hugs his back and he ceases his quivering.

He softly chuckles. "Yeah."

Neru rests her head on his shoulder. "So is it almost ready?"

"Almost… Just need to add the finishing touches." Nero continues to stir the stew. "Can you continuing

stirring this for me so I can get the spices?"

Neru nods and lifts her head off his shoulders. She takes over stirring and feels the steam passing

around her hand.

Nero quickly shifts over to the right of the cabinet and opens the doors. He rustles and pulls out some

spices. Then he freezes.

"What's wrong?" Neru asks Nero as she looks over to his puzzled expression.

"It seems we're out of Cayenne pepper spice." He gathers the other spices and moves them over

towards the cutting board.

"What does it do?" Neru refocuses on stirring.

"It's a spice that makes the stew spicy."

Neru's hand stops and her mouth drops. "Then we NEED that!"

Neru loves spicy foods; that's one of the main reasons why she likes hot pots so much.

"Then can you go to the store and buy some?" Nero shakes the remaining spices into the pot and takes

the spoon from Neru.

"Of course!" Neru rushes out of the kitchen. She goes to get her wallet and a jacket since it's fall,

almost winter.

She sprints down the road as fast as she can. The convenience store is almost 2 miles away from her

apartment. Neru decides if she runs, she'll get there in at least twenty minutes.

After fifteen minutes of running, Neru could see the store in sight. She smiles in relief and speeds up.

She pants at the glass doors and looks around. She notices a small cat cuddled up. Neru shakes her

head and walks in nonchalantly. She goes to the spice isle and grabs a container of Cayenne pepper.

Without a second to spare, she heads to the counter. The item rings up and then the cashier asks for

the money. Neru suddenly speaks, "Wait, I'm getting something else!" She runs to the milk isle and

grabs a gallon of milk and bolts over to the pet isle to get a bowl.

'I can't believe I'm doing this but…' Neru places the other two items on the counter. They ring up and

Neru pays for the items.

Neru slowly walks out of the store and glances around for any passersby. She sighs and agrees to

herself that nobody is around.

Neru then quickly kneels and pulls out of milk and bowl. The cat at first jumps and hisses but stops

when she starts pouring the milk.

The cat looks at Neru suspiciously. Neru realizes that and backs away about five feet and waits. A few

minutes pass by. Then, the cat slowly approaches the milk and takes a lick. It looks at Neru again, then

goes back to drinking the milk.

Neru, relieved to see that the cat is drinking and she gets back onto her feet to walk away. In doing so,

she hits into something or someone.

She stumbles back but catches herself. She hears the 'thing' fall back too so it is a person.

"Augh, I'm sorry, are you all right?" Neru turns her head at the person.

Her heart drops.

"AHHH" Neru's inner stability cuts loose and leaks out to her facade.

"Don't scream so loud." His voice seems cold but neutral unlike his usual tone which is lively and warm.

Len avoids looking at Neru directly so he attempts to walk pass her.

"Are you ok?" Neru again slips.

Neru does care about others, she just does not tell others but she does sign in relief if the issue is

resolved.

Len ignores her and walks towards the store. Then he suddenly yields when he sees the cat drinking

milk. He kneels and pets the cat. Unexpectedly, the cat approaches Len and slides its back against his

hand.

His head turns a bit. His eyes are wide. "Were you the one who gave him milk?"

A red flag pops into Neru's head. She quick shakes her head no.

"Not at all."

Len's expression fades back to neutral. "That'd be too good to be true."

Neru is shocked by his cold, sarcastic words.

"Yeah I guess so; but at least be thankful someone did feed him."

Len's hand stops petting the cat.

"Please don't be a hypocrite. It's not like you fed him." The statement sounds monotone.

Neru remembers what she said about those girls and scratches her head.

"You're right." Neru starts to feel fed up with the conversation and decides to cut it by answering with

two words. Neru, still feeling worried about why Len's so cold, asks,

"Anyways, are you OK?"

Len gets up and faces away from Neru.

"Mind your own business. Who are you to judge me if I'm all right or not? You don't even care."

Neru, feeling the cold splash wants to end the conversation again but decides to further it once more.

Her rage levels rise just a bit.

"I don't know… That's why I'm asking you. Whatever answer you'll give me, I'll accept but I just cannot

go by an 'unanswered' question. Besides… who are you to judge that I don't care?"

Len's eyes widen once again. His mouth is open slightly but nothing comes out.

"Just say yes or no." Neru puts her hands in her jacket and walks up to Len not loosening her hold on

his eyes.

Neru stares at him in the face. Len's head jolts back and he averts his eyes.

"Yes or No?"

"It's… complicated…" Len closes his eyes and grits his teeth.

Neru lowers her eyebrows. "Yes or No?"

Len groans then snaps, "No! OK?!"

Neru backs off then smiles.

"Why are you smiling?" Len feels defensive that she's smiling while he just told her he wasn't all right.

"I'm smiling because you answered my question." Neru softly laughs. Her smiles disappears to a curious

expression. "Now tell me why you're not ok."

Len wavers about telling Neru.

"Um…" He could only utter some quiet noises.

Neru's eyebrows raises her eyebrows and puts on a bored face. She turns her back at him and looks up

into the dark sky.

"It's not like I'll gossip. As you said, why should I care? I'm just curious for the fun of it."

Neru keeps an open ear patiently for the response she is waiting for.

"Well… It's a long story…"

Neru turns on her heels and grins.

"I was waiting for you to say that."