Chapter 3 - Tea and Mayonnaise

"Why are you doing this?"

The words ring sharp and clear in my ears--fury dripping from every syllable—so hot and angry and vulnerable that I half-expected them to burn a hole down to the center of the Earth.

I shrug. "I'm not doing anything."

"Then, why isn't she here?" She demands.

"I don't know." I reply coolly.

She looks at me harder, as if she can scare the answer out of me.

"I don't," I repeat, firm.

"Natsuki…" She hesitates.

I can see it as she tries to take it in and bottle it up: the emotion, the rage, all and everything that must normally never slip out. She takes a breath and then two, as her face deadens once more. A passing observer might think she was simply bored.

But somehow her words still come out clipped.

"Why are you here?"

"That's a good question Fujino." I laughed a giddy little laugh. "Why am I here, Fujino?" My voice echoing her tone.

She begins to part her lips, as if to answer me, but pauses halfway.

"I don't know." I say truthfully, wondering for a moment whether she was in on this sorry cosmic joke. "I was on my way to Aries, but then it got dark and cold. I thought I died. Hell, I might be dead right now, but the wolf said some nonsense about pills and balance. You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

"Natsuki?" She looks at me in confusion.

She wasn't going to answer the punch line, was she?

"Forget I mentioned it."

Her eyes nervously flick towards the empty apartment for a split second, before decidedly fixing themselves back onto me.

"Natsuki?" Her voice softens.

I sigh, rubbing my temples in the vain hope that I would be whisked back home. "Call me Kruger. It's awkward to be so familiar on a first meeting isn't it?"

"Natsuki," She says my name so familiarly, so gently, like a faint whisper on the wind, "What happened? What—" She pauses. "What did—Who did—Just tell me and I'll…"

Her voice bothered me. It wasn't the fact that she sounded like Shizuru—like Shizuru would have all those years ago—no, it was that damn faint undertone of instability. Words laced with the essence of desperation. The Ex who just couldn't let go. The stalker in the bushes. Dangerous.

I pressed a finger against her lips, stopping her mistaken train of thoughts, stopping her from coming closer. "You have mistaken me for someone else. I told you, didn't I? That I'm Natsuki Kruger."

She frowns and I back away half-bowed in apology.

"I'm sorry. I should go. This isn't my place."

"Natsuki?"

"It's Kruger." I answer, correcting her. "And I should be leaving, Fujino."

"No."

"I don't belong here." I say tiredly, "But, thanks for the ride anyway."

Fujino stood there shocked, out of words. I can't help but smirk at that. My Shizuru would have said four different witty and perverted things by now to stop me. No, I was right. It wasn't her. It couldn't possibly be her. I didn't belong here.

Dream, or delirium or death, I just didn't belong here.

"Goodbye Fujino," I turn and give her a half wave, before adding, "I'm sure she'll turn up."

"No."

I gave her another wave in response.

"No, you shouldn't go." Her voice lowers dangerously. "You can't go."

My gut lurched at the sound, my instincts screaming at me to turn around again, to not show my back to a predator. By the guiding star, there was something off about this girl. It was stupid. I did want to turn around, and activate my robe, and perhaps put another 20 feet of air between us, but I can't be afraid of a little girl now, can I?

"I'm going, Fujino."

"Wait." Her hand reaches out, tightly gripping my shoulder to stop me.

"Fujino, you should take your hand off of me." I say in warning.

"Wait," The grip on my shoulder waivers.

I tentatively take a step away from her.

"Wait!" She repeats. "… Kruger…" My family name sounds awkward in her mouth, as if she's fumbling to stop herself from saying something else. "Kruger, you should stay."

"Please."

And this time, I find something raw in that voice, something tiny and fragile—something that I just can't help but feel protective of.

Oh, hell.

"Fine." I mutter, raising my arm in defeat.

"I will stay." I say with a sly smile, "But only, if you make some tea."

Tea, Earl Grey

"Tea?" She asks me suspiciously.

"Yes. Tea." I repeat.

She looks at me as if she finally realized that she's standing next to a Sasquatch.

"Kruger." The word comes out slowly. "Natsuki doesn't usually drink tea, but I have a stash stored away."

She pauses. I look at back questioningly as the pause lingers for far too long.

Is she testing me? As if I would know where the tea is! And that look on her face—maybe she's still hoping that I'll just turn around and say that this was all a joke?

You silly girl.

"Well?" I ask her.

"I'll start a pot." Fujino states, observing me from the corner of her eye as I examine at the apartment. "Please, do make yourself at home."

I nod, stepping around the discarded clothes and books on the floor. There is a table in the center of the room and a couch in the corner. I would call the space minimalistic if not for the fact that the every foot of floor space was overtaken by some sort of foreign object.

There was also no bed. Where exactly did this girl sleep?

And what exactly was Duran Duran?

Checking on Fujino's progress, I examine the counter. It looks to be made of granite. There are swirls of white streaking the black surface. It is pretty, but why would someone choose a porous stone for a counter?

There is so much detail in this place and so little of it logical.

Fujino notices me hovering behind her. "If you're hungry you should check the fridge." She points at the looming steel box behind her.

It turns out there isn't much in the fridge except for juice and a bowl covered in wrap.

Interested, I pick up the bowl and take a whiff.

"What's wrong?" Fujino asks me.

I must have made a face.

"Fujino, did you know that the mayonnaise is bad?"

Next Time: School

AN: Too short for most I suppose. Inanity to ensue in a chapter or two.