You Don't Remember Me, But I Remember You

Natsuki threw her head back and wiped sweat from her brow, she focused intently on the heat she held in her hand. She loved the feel of it, the smell of it, the act of it. Carefully she put the blow torch to the metal tubing, severing it cleanly in two. "Natsuki." Takeda's voice infuriated her, but she kept her voice even, "What?" The dark haired man rubbed the back of his head nervously, "I'm sorry I had to bail on you last night. Maybe I can make it up to you tonight?" Natsuki set the metal tubing aside and grabbed another, "No, you had your chance. Plus I met someone last night."

Takeda's voice rose, "You mean to tell me, that I finally get a date with you and you end up fucking some other dude?" Natsuki spun around and threw Takeda against the wall, holding the still burning torch close to his face, "First off, I finally relent and agree to go out with you and you fucking stand me up," she growled at him, "second, I didn't fuck anybody, and third she's not a man, so there."

Natsuki turned around and started cutting again. "So you play for the other team, now?" The tubing hit the ground with a clang, "I've never felt as comfortable with anyone as I do around her. It's like I've known her all my life, like we can talk about anything." Takeda started tweaking the engine on their latest design, "Is she hot?" Natsuki looked at him cross, "She's beautiful. Classically beautiful, long brown hair, smooth skin and pale. Really pale, like a cadaver or something." She had stopped working while she spoke, and only realized it when Takeda pointed it out, "She's really gotten to you, hasn't she." Natsuki looked down at her hands, then threw a wrench at Takeda's head, "Shut up, get back to work."

Natsuki had ridden her personal bike home, a self customized Ducati, and was taking her coat off when her cell phone rang. She answered, "Hello." Silence over the phone so she tried again, "Hello?" A minute passed before she heard a voice say softly, "Hello?" She immediately recognized the voice of the woman whom she had met the previous night, "Hi." The woman on the other side of the phone sounded confused, "Natsuki?" Natsuki couldn't help but chuckle a bit, "Yeah." Another minute passed, "This is Shizuru." Natsuki rolled her eyes, "I know, I remember you." Shizuru sounded happier, "Really?" Natsuki chuckled, "Yes, really. What are you doing?"

Shizuru had to think about it, "Laying on my couch, there's nothing good on tv." Natsuki kicked her shoes off and fell into her own couch, "Is there ever anymore?" Shizuru sighed, "I don't know, I'm really new to this whole tv thing. I didn't even know how to use a phone until I called you. I called a few different places before you answered, they seemed kind of mad." Natsuki laughed aloud again imagining Shizuru apologizing for dialing the wrong number, "How have you never used a phone before?" Shizuru coughed, "Never mind that, what are you doing?" Natsuki unzipped her work pants and slid them to the floor, "Lying on the couch in my underwear." Shizuru coughed again, "Oh, really. Am I interrupting something? I can call later." Natsuki chuckled, "It's fine, unless you have something against talking to me in my underwear."

She heard nothing for over a minute, "Shizuru?" She heard a "Hmmm," in reply. "Are you okay?" Shizuru sounded a little breathless, "Yes, I was just thinking about something." Natsuki felt a little hot, "What about?" Shizuru sounded a little more out of breath, "Hey, do you want to meet up later?" Natsuki's hand slid across her stomach and downwards, "Yeah, where do you want to go?" Natsuki was losing herself in her thoughts, before her fingers could lose control she wrestled herself back to the phone. Shizuru answered, "Wherever you will be."

Natsuki blushed, "How about Pantomime, say midnight?" Little did Natsuki know that Shizuru's head lay on a pillow after finishing what she had just stopped herself from doing, "Okay, I just need to shower. See you then." Me too, a cold shower. "Okay, bye Shizuru."

Natsuki showered and rode her Ducati downtown, finding a parking space only half an hour after arriving, a personal record. She walked down the streets towards Pantomime, her riding suit catching a lot of unwanted attention. She shrugged it off as she walked into the club, the crowd wasn't so dense on a Tuesday and she spotted Shizuru almost instantly. She was wearing a sleek black dress with a slit showing her pale, silken legs. She saw Natsuki and smiled, her crimson eyes filled with mirth and an emotion she hadn't seen in other women, hunger.

She sat across from Shizuru, "Hey." Shizuru asked her what she wanted to drink. "Crown and coke." Shizuru didn't even have to signal the waitress, who went to get the drink with gusto. When she returned with it she leaned a little too far over the table, flashing her breasts towards Shizuru. Natsuki snarled and the waitress backed up and walked away angry, Shizuru smiled at Natsuki, "Thanks, they can get annoying sometimes." Natsuki took a long drink, "They. How often does that happen?" Shizuru thought about it, "Counting men and women...all the time."

Shizuru changed the subject, "So, you work on motorcycles, let's talk about that." Natsuki unzipped and took off her jacket, she wore a simple tank top underneath. Shizuru hid her glance behind a question, "What is it you love about motorcycles?" Natsuki undid her hair tie, letting her dark hair fall to her back, "The power, I guess. The feel of the engine between my legs, the rush of speed, the freedom of the open road. I remember the first time I rode one. I was in high school and I was seeing this guy, he was older and I didn't really like him but I really wanted to ride his motorcycle. I remember how pissed he got when I stole it from him."

Natsuki started laughing to herself, Shizuru loved the sense of mischief in her, it reminded her of Michio. If Michio were alive, she would love motorcycles. And you, Natsuki. "After that I spent years working on motorcycles, then I got hired at Texas Customs and I've been there ever since." Shizuru took a sip of the drink in front of her, Natsuki was completely unaware of the very inhuman liquid in Shizuru's glass that she had taken from a blood bank. "You seem so passionate. I like that...about you."

Natsuki smiled, "But enough about me, tell me something about you. Where are you from?" Shizuru hadn't prepared an answer for this question, "My family is from Italy." It was the Roman Empire back then. "I came to America to study." During the Civil War. "And I fell in love with the culture of America, so I stayed." For a couple hundred years. Shizuru finished her drink. "I'm gonna get another, do you want one too? What were you drinking?" Shizuru shook her head, "No thanks, I'm fine."

Shizuru watched Natsuki walk away, noticing a particular way she would kick her foot occasionally. You don't remember me, but I remember you. I'll just have to try harder to convince you to stay with me, this time. Natsuki returned with another drink and they continued their talk until three in the morning, when Natsuki yawned and looked at her phone. "Again, man I really lose track of time when I talk to you." Shizuru stood up, "It is getting late, perhaps you should go home." Natsuki walked her out of the club, "How are you getting home? I have my bike parked down the street, I could take you." Shizuru shook her head, "No, that won't be necessary, I can just walk home." Natsuki grabbed her hand, noticing how cold it felt, "Let me take you home, I'll feel better knowing you're safe. Where do you live?" Shizuru held her hand, "Duval and forty fifth street." Shizuru followed Natsuki down the street, "That's not far, and with how fast I drive we'll be there in no time."

They walked the two blocks to Natsuki's bike and she tossed Shizuru the spare helmet she carried, "Have you ever ridden a bike before?" Shizuru shrugged. "Then get ready to live. Just hold on tight and try to lean when I do." She got on the bike and Shizuru sat behind her, when it came on the vibration of the engine ran up her legs which, coupled with Natsuki's close proximity, caused a sensation in Shizuru that she couldn't ignore. The bike took off and Natsuki took a corner a little faster than she wanted to, relishing the feel of the ride. She felt Shizuru's hands tighten around her waist, Shizuru pulled closer to her and put her head on Natsuki's shoulder. Underneath the helmet Shizuru was breathing heavily, her urges slowly overtaking her common sense. She pulled Natsuki closer and started moving her hips against the seat, Natsuki noticed and her own heart rate went up.

This continued the entire ride, when Natsuki pulled into the driveway Shizuru nearly jumped out of the seat. Natsuki took her helmet off then took the helmet Shizuru wore off, putting it back where it was. "Did you have a good time, tonight?" Natsuki sarcastically thought of saying, It seems like you sure did. "Yeah, I always like talking to you. We should do it again, sometime." Faster than she could see, Natsuki felt Shizuru press close to her, their lips touched for a mere second and then she was gone. Shizuru waved behind her as she ran up the stairs, "I've gotta go, bye Natsuki." Natsuki put two fingers up to her lips where Shizuru had just kissed her, That happened, right? I didn't just imagine it. Dammit, am I really falling for this woman? She returned to her bike and rode away thinking about Shizuru and about how she didn't want to go to work in the morning.