Disclaimer: This is a fan based fiction.
Author Notes: Happy new year all! I hope 2017 treats all of you way better than 2016 did.
Endless thanks to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed! You guys give me life.
Anyone waiting on my SNK fic I'm so sorry for the delay! I've literally had the chapter for weeks but keeps tinkering with it because I'm a brat. Plus Isayama keeps destroying my life every month with the manga updates! I'll get it out soon, promise. Durarara is just easier to write for!
Enjoy the chapter!
Tamina used the cover of her blankets to hide the light from her phones screen in the dim room. She lay on the futon next to sleeping Erika, quietly scanning her phone in the morning hours. It had been a few days since she'd come to Ikebukuro. She wasn't entirely familiar, but she was getting used to the city. It had the same heavy traffic and bustle of Shibuya, so she was finding the adjustment to be a pretty easy one, all things considered. She did start to worry that she was becoming a burden though. She'd shared Erika's small apartment the whole while, and even though Erika said she could stay as long as she liked, she checked ads for housing and jobs every chance she got. It would be terrible if she overstayed her welcome.
When the housing section didn't present any leads, Tamina switched over to the job ads for the area. She scrolled and scrolled, nothing quite catching her eye. That was, until she saw a familiar name. Her finger stopped abruptly and she pulled the page back down so she could read what she'd nearly passed. It seemed to be an ad for a live in nanny position from an 'Orihara.'
Tamina immediately began to contemplate why someone like Izaya would need a nanny. She couldn't be sure with all the lies he'd told her, but she was fairly certain he didn't have any kids. She then began to wonder if maybe it was someone else entirely. But that wasn't likely. It wasn't a very common name. Curiosity thoroughly peeked, she pushed the covers off and got up. She stepped into the bathroom and shut the door so not to disturb Erika. After blocking her own number she called the number attached to the ad. The line rang a few times. She wasn't entirely sure what she was doing. What would she possibly say if Izaya did answer the other end? Maybe she'd just hang up.
The other line picked up. "Blocking your number is kind of rude." A young girls chipper voice came.
It wasn't a voice Tamina expected at all, or recognized. Completely unprepared, she stammered. "Um—Oh...I'm sorry."
"Can I help you?" The girl on the other end asked.
"I..." Tamina started, mind racing. She considered just hanging up but found her words. ".. just saw your ad and-."
"Oh! You must be interested in the position. I'm guessing you want to set up an interview?"
Tamina wasn't in a position to turn down a potential job of any kind, so she quickly answered. "Sure!"
"There's a cafe by the library, you know it?" They asked
Tamina tried to think. "Well-."
"Great! We'll meet you there in an hour." Then they abruptly hung up.
Tamina found herself standing a moment after, phone still pressed to her ear. Apparently she had a job interview today. She checked the time and quickly opted to start getting herself ready. She didn't like to read into things, but the whole 'listening to the universe' thing started to come into her mind. With her new found perspective she was determined to seize opportunities that presented themselves. No matter how impromptu.
Before she could do anything she needed to relieve herself. And when she did...
"Oh yes!" She couldn't control the volume of her exclamation.
Erika, jolted up from her futon in the outside room, quickly looking all around for the source of the outburst. "Is everything okay?!" She called to the bathroom, rubbing her tired eyes.
"I'm not pregnant!" She heard Tamina shout back from the other side of the bathroom door, excited laughter in her voice.
Hardly fazed, Erika began to lay back down. "Well that's always good." She called back, pulling the covers over her to go back to sleep.
It had weighed heavy on Tamina's mind. What if that insane douche bag had gotten her pregnant? What the hell would she do from there? She was not ready to be a mother and she was exceedingly unprepared to co-parent with someone like Izaya Orihara. She'd told herself if she was even a day later than usual she'd get a test right away. But all that wasn't necessary. With the arrival of her monthly visitor the worrying and stressing about it was over. She thanked whatever omnipotent powers that be that she wouldn't be having that psychos baby. Her period had never been more welcomed in her life.
There was a whole new spring in her step now. Today was definitely turning out to be exceptional day.
She didn't want to disturb Erika again, so as quietly as she could, she started dressing and getting ready. She wasn't sure how professional she should look for a nanny job but settled for a high waisted skirt and a button down shirt. After she coiled her hair tightly into a bun and pinned it in place, she adjusted her clothes and checked herself in the mirror. She worried she looked a little too much like a secretary, but she decided she didn't have time to keep changing. This would have to do.
She left the apartment building and headed in the direction she thought she'd find the library and subsequently the cafe.. She vaguely remembered her friends mentioning it in passing while they drove aimlessly around Ikebukuro one day. She strode with a good amount of confidence. While she walked she checked the job ad again just to try and prepare herself. She wasn't usually so impulsive, favoring thought out and decisive plans to improvisation, but this city just seemed to bring out all sorts of new things in her.
The confidence she'd had started to fade when she realized she had been walking for some time now, and things didn't look familiar. 'I would have seen it by now...' She began to think to herself. She wasn't sure if she was off by a block or two, one direction or another so she couldn't even begin to remedy the situation. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she activated her map app to try and get her bearings. While it loaded she scanned her surroundings, squinting to try and read the signs on the businesses.
Her eyes were drawn away from the landmarks and to the tall blonde man she recognized strolling through the crowd. They'd only spoke once, but he wasn't a complete stranger at least. Immediately realizing he could help, she called out to him. "Hey!" She shouted with a wave. The gazes of several people were drawn to her, but not the man whose attention she'd been seeking. Unbearably awkward, she tried to avoid their eyes and started to move through the crowd toward him. It was then that she remembered his name. "Shizuo!" She called to him again. "Excuse me! Shizuo!"
The man halted, suspiciously looking around for the source of his name, his lips adjusting the cigarette between them. Tamina stood on her tip toes to wave over the shoulder of a man walking in front her. Shizuo right away recognized the short, pastel haired girl from a few nights ago, and took a more welcoming look. "Oh hey," He called back. "Tamina, right?"
Finally Tamina caught up with him. "Yeah, hi."
"What's up?" Shizuo asked, dropping his cigarette to the ground and stepping it out.
"I'm kind of lost." She admitted. "I was looking for a cafe that's by the library. Do you know where that is?" She asked, checking her phone for the time. A small panic set over her when she realized she only had about ten minutes to find this place.
"Oh yeah, it's a couple blocks away." He confirmed.
Tamina let out a groan. She had hoped it was closer than that. "Could you give me some directions?"
"I could just take you there if you want." He offered.
"Really? You're not busy?" Tamina asked hopefully. A guide would certainly be helpful.
"I've got some time before work. No problem." He told her.
She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much."
He took the lead, starting to show her the way. When he'd heard his name called, he assumed it was trouble. Bullshit. The usual. But he was pleasantly surprised when he saw it was the girl he'd met the other night. Their conversation had been brief, but she had made an impression. Girls didn't usually reach out to him, and however casual the situation, he still felt himself a little flustered. He was determined to keep his cool though. "So," He decided to fight the quiet between them. "You...like coffee?" He heard himself ask. As soon as the words left he internally cringed. She was going to a cafe. What kind of stupid question was that?
But Tamina smiled. "I do. I have a deep and passionate love for it, actually."
Shizuo felt relieved that she'd humored him. "Meeting someone?"
"Actually I have a job interview." She told him.
"Oh. Well, good luck."
"Thanks."
"What kind of job?" He asked.
"The ad said it's a nanny job. I don't have a lot of details. It was kind of impulsive to be honest."
Shizuo nodded at that. "I think you'll get it. You look really professional."
"Too professional?" Tamina asked, still feeling insecure. "I was worried I might have overdressed."
"No." He immediately assured her. "You look really nice."
She felt herself softly smiling. "I appreciate that."
Through the sounds of traffic and chatter of the busy streets a shrill whinny erupted. The acoustics reverberated off the faces of the buildings. Tamina halted immediately, eyes darting around. It wasn't the first or second time she'd heard it, but she had yet to see the phenomenon. There were rumors. She'd often read about something of a headless horseman in the streets of Ikebukuro. But, like most things before now, it wasn't real to her. Just text on a screen or a message board. Just a legend. However, if the last week or so had taught her anything, it was how crazy and unpredictable life could be.
The whinny tapered off, and in it's lull blended into the loud roar of a motorcycle. That's when her eyes found it. The black bike and the sleek rider in the yellow helmet clutching it as it darted through traffic. She was hypnotized by it. Folklore and spooky stuff were things she was typically dismissive of. But she couldn't deny what her eyes could see.
"You've never seen the rider before?" Shizuo's voice pulled her from her awe. He'd stopped when he realized she wasn't keeping pace with him anymore.
"Is it really like they say?" Tamina couldn't contain her curiosity. Now that she'd seen it for herself, she had so many questions. She was visibly excited. "Does it really have no head?"
Shizuo didn't seem keen on speaking about it. A shrug was his only reply, hands stuffed in his pockets.
"I heard it's in the Dollars. Is that true?" Tamina pressed, coming to walk with him again once the rider rode out of site.
"She." Shizuo corrected.
"Hm?" Tamina looked to him. His face had changed. It seemed tighter.
"The rider. 'It' is a 'she.'" He informed her. He didn't like it when his friend was referred to as an 'it'.
"Oh." Tamina wondered if she'd annoyed him by his tone. "I'm sorry. Do you...know her?" She asked hesitantly.
"There's the cafe." Shizuo nodded toward the establishment now coming into view, glad to change the subject.
Tamina felt the anticipation starting to get to her now. She did a few deep breaths to try and mentally prepare herself. "Tell me I'm gonna do great." She ordered Shizuo.
He laughed but complied. "You're gonna do great."
Tamina nodded, trying to soak in the statement. "I'm gonna do great." She confirmed to herself.
Shizuo just watched as she continued her positive affirmations out loud for the short remainder of their walk, a smile creeping on his face.
When they came to the front of the cafe she made her final preparations. With a shimmy she adjusted her skirt and smoothed her blouse. "Do I look okay?" She asked Shizuo for some final assurance.
He wanted to say 'You look amazing.' And he almost did. He opened his mouth, but hesitated at such a bold statement. With his hesitation, he worried she'd get the wrong idea. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her confidence. "Good. Yeah-uh, great." He found himself blurting.
However awkward, it was all the assurance she needed. She should just thank him and get inside, she knew that. She had practically no time left. But she still found herself smiling and lingering. "You were a huge help. I really appreciate it."
Her eyes were a really dark blue he didn't see often and he really liked it when she smiled. Her nose would get all scrunched up and her eyes would get tight and squinty. It was incredibly endearing. If he were a more confident or experienced man when it came to woman, he'd take the opportunity to complement her on these things. But the words just wouldn't come out. "Sure, no problem." Is all he said.
Pressed for time, she awkwardly started to back away to go inside. "Maybe I'll see you again?"
Not at all satisfied with that, and frustrated with his own reservations, Shizuo forced himself to blurt out. "I could give you my number." It sounded a little more assertive than he meant it to, so he added. "You know. In case you...need more directions."
But it didn't seem assertive or forward at all to her. "Sure! That would be great." She told him, coming back right away to offer her phone.
After they exchanged numbers, Tamina noticed she was now three minutes late. Panic gripped her. "I have to go now. I'm sorry." She felt guilty for cutting their time short.
Shizuo waved her off though. "No worries. Hurry up. And good luck!" He told her again.
With a wave she went inside. She wished she had a bit more time to compose herself. Here she was, heading into a job interview all flustered with butterflies like a school girl. She tried to shake it off and focus on the task, scanning the room. She wished she'd gotten more details about all of this. She wasn't even sure who she was looking for.
"Hey there!" A young brunette girl with long braided hair stood from a small cafe table and began to wave. Tamina looked around momentarily, just to assure herself the girl was indeed waving to her. "Yeah, you!" The girl reassured. Still unsure, Tamina made her way to their table. She didn't seem old enough to be in a position to hire someone. "You're here for the interview right?" The girl asked when Tamina approached.
"Oh, yes. How did you-?" She started to question.
"You're the only one dressed like it, so I just assumed. Hi! I'm Mairu Orihara! Nice to meet you!" The bubbly girl introduced herself, shaking Tamina's extended hand vigorously. "And this is my twin sister, Kururi!"
Tamina hadn't noticed the other young brunette with shorter hair sitting at their table who spoke softly. "It's nice to meet you." They were identical and wore similar clothes with different color schemes.
"It's nice to meet you both. My name is Tamina Takeda " Tamina gave a small bow then took the seat they offered.
"Right off the bat, I gotta say you're dressed much better than anyone else we've seen!" Mairu told her enthusiastically.
"Oh, good. Thank you. I was worried I may have overdressed." Tamina admitted.
"No way! You've go that sexy, librarian thing happening." Mairu gushed.
Tamina was taken aback at the lack of formality and overall forwardness of this girl but decided to accept the compliment. "Uh-thanks..."
"Do you have a resume?" Kururi asked in a flat tone.
"No." Tamina felt embarrassed to admit how unprepared she was.
"Eh, that's fine." Mairu waved it off. "Just tell us about yourself."
"Well, I'm twenty years old. I just moved to Ikebukuro from Shibuya." Tamina started.
"Have you done nanny work before?" Kururi asked.
"No..." Tamina admitted again. "But I'm completely capable of doing the things you mentioned in your ad. I've done a lot of related work. I'm a really good cook and I can clean and organize really well too. I tutored when I was in school so I can help with any studies or homework.." She realized she sounded like she was just rattling things off, so she decided to stop herself.
The girl shared a look and a nod. "That all sounds good." Mairu confirmed. "How do you feel about Yuuhei Hanajima?"
Tamina stared a moment, unsure if the question was a serious one. The expectant stares from the girls served as her answer. "I-..I really like him." She replied, hoping her confusion wouldn't reflect in her tone. The girls didn't say anything, so she felt compelled to say more. "I've seen all of his movies. I rooted for him all last season of 'How Much Can You Increase 1 Million Yen in a Month.'.."
The girls huddled together, softly speaking to each other. Tamina wondered if she might have said the wrong thing.
"Alright, you're hired." Mairu said suddenly.
Tamina felt like she could be knocked over with a feather. She wasn't sure if this was even real. She'd barely said anything at all."That's it?" She asked, hoping there might be more.
"Yup, we're done here." Mairu said.
Tamina started to wonder if this was some sort of joke or game. "Did Izaya have anything to do with this?" She asked suspiciously.
"Ew. You know our brother?" Mairu asked.
"That's unfortunate." Kururi's soft voice came.
"Are you his friend or something?" Mairu asked.
"No, I wouldn't say that." Tamina said. So these two were his sisters...
"Good, because he's a real twat waffle." Mairu said with some relief.
Tamina couldn't contain the laugh that that caused. "He definitely is."
The girls started to collect their things. "To be totally honest you're the only person we've interviewed that wasn't insufferable or an old hag." Mairu started to explain while Kururi jotted things down on a piece of paper. . "On top of that, I'm always looking for female bed partners, and you're super cute! I can't wait to have you in our home!" Tamina recoiled a little when Mairu started to invade her space. "What do you wear when you sleep at night? Can we agree now to an 'open door' bedroom policy?-OW!" Mairu whined when Kururi grabbed her by her braid and yanked her back and out of Tamina's face.
"We start cram school in a few weeks to prepare for the Raira Academy entrance exams." Kururi explained monotonously. "You'll move into our spare room and be responsible for cooking, cleaning, laundry, errands and help with our school work." She handed Tamina a piece of paper. "This is the address."
Tamina nodded, taking the paper. "Thanks a lot for the opportunity. I hope I'm a good fit for you guys."
Overly excited with the outcome of the days escapades, Tamina stopped by the store to pick up supplies. She'd decided she would straighten up Erika's apartment and prepare a dinner for her and the boys. It was the least she could do after all they'd done for her. Erika's small kitchen was rather barren, so she had to grab most of the essentials. Spices, garlic, soy sauce, rice. Then some reasonably priced meats.
She pulled her phone from her bag when she felt it vibrating and promptly answered it. "Hey Erika."
"Hey, where are you?"
"On top of a building..." Tamina replied sarcastically. Her new circle of friends had kept close tabs on her for the days since the whole incident, but she finally felt comfortable enough to joke about it. There was a long pause on the other end though. She concluded that perhaps her sarcasm hadn't been obvious. "I'm kidding! I'm at the store." She assured her friend.
She heard Erika breathe a relieved sigh on the other end. "Come on. Don't scare me like that."
"Sorry, sorry. Actually, I had a job interview today," Tamina began the check out process, holding her phone to her ear with her shoulder to free her hands.
"Oh, that's great! How did it go?"
"Really well. I got the job."
"Wow, you're having a pretty stellar day, huh?"
Tamina was unable to suppress a smile. "I even ran into Shizuo Heiwajima..."
An excited squeal erupted from the other end of the line. "You bad girl!"
She laughed, grabbing her two hefty bags of groceries. "Stop it. We just exchanged numbers."
"You got his number? Hurry back here so we can gossip! I can give you a crash course in tasteful sexting too if you're interested..."
"Baby steps, Erika. Baby steps. I'll be back soon." Tamina stopped momentarily to slide her phone into the side pocket of her bag after she ended the call.
She was smiling a while after on her walk. She started to contemplate whether it would be appropriate to text Shizuo now. It was kind of soon, but she could tell him she had gotten the job. He'd probably be happy to hear it. It was a good ice breaker and might segway into casual conversations. She was curious about him. What kind of work did he do? Bar tending, she assumed.
Then, a cool feeling coursed through her. 'Stop.' Her inner monologue urged. 'Stop thinking like that.' Because even if he told her all about himself, could she truly believe him? Could she really trust him? Or would she always have this nagging feeling in the back of her mind. This horrible jaded feeling.
Her thoughts were interrupted when someone's arm came and slung over her shoulder. Under the touch she tensed. She didn't need to look up to know who was suddenly walking so close and touching her with such familiarity.
"Miss Takeda!" Izaya Orihara greeted her warmly. "I hadn't expected to see you around Ikebukuro! To be honest, I hadn't expected to see you around at all." He admitted smugly.
She didn't dignify him with a look, keeping her eyes forward. "Go away, Izaya."
He laughed. "Aw, don't be like that. What are you mad at me for?"
She scoffed, shrugging his arm away. "You lied to me, slept with me and tried to make me kill myself."
He didn't mind her shrugs or hostile tone in the least. "Yet here you are, alive and well, feathering a nice little nest for yourself in Ikebukuro. Seems things worked out just fine. Resilience is a quality in humans that so often fascinates me. Mostly because of how subjective it is from person to person."
She rolled her eyes at his twisted logic. "You can leave now."
This only provoked a toothy grin from him. "Oh, suddenly you're Miss "hard to get"? Come on, let's be friends."
Her arms were tight to her sides, carrying the bags. "I don't want a friend like you."
"And why is that?"
"Because your little experiment is over and I don't want anything to do with you." She told him sternly, jerking herself away from his arm.
He released, but kept pace with her. "So I toyed with your feelings a little bit. Can you honestly say you're not in a better position now because of it?"
She was unwilling to entertain his logic. Regardless of how things had turned out, she refused to see redeeming qualities in anything he'd done.
He then felt the need to add. "At least your step daddy's dirty hands aren't sneaking up your skirt anymore."
Tamina stopped in her tracks, turning to finally look at him. She hoped the venom could ooze from her stare and strangle him where he stood. He was heartless. He was worse than heartless. She'd stomached his invasive presence until now, but she wouldn't stand for him treating the things she'd confided in him like a punch line.
He watched her and didn't say anything. He thoroughly enjoyed watching her gears turn.
"You're a monster." She told him, eyes tight and narrow.
This only made him smile. "There are a lot of monsters in this city." He told her, "But I'm not one of them."
A loud crack ripped and echoed through the city streets. Tamina jumped. It was an unnaturally loud snapping sound that caused her head to snap back and jerk around to find it's source. "What was that?" She asked with some urgency.
"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear." She heard Izaya say.
She followed Orihara's gaze. Her eyes focused on the figure down the street making it's way toward them. It was someone familiar. She could make out the blonde in the bar tender get up from this distance, making his way up the block in their direction. But when she took in the whole image, something just didn't add up. He marched toward them, carrying what appeared to be a street light post in one hand over his head effortlessly. Her eyes widened, unsure if she was seeing things clearly. Everything in her brain screamed to her that it didn't make sense. It had to be a joke or a trick. Something like what she was seeing couldn't be real. It defied all logic. It was like a scene from a movie, that required special effects and hours of computer editing.
"IZAYA!" Shizuo's voice came booming. He was more than angry. He was furious.
Izaya took such enjoyment, watching Tamina draw an audible breathe, clearly startled. He loved it when people looked at Shizuo in such a way. Like he was a beast or a rabid dog. He took the opportunity to snake an arm around Tamina from behind and pull her back to press against him. She was so busy trying to process what she was seeing, she didn't protest his touch. She actually felt some comfort in it now. His voice came close to her ear. "Based on your reaction I'm guessing you've never seen this idiot in action." With his free hand he reached into his coats inner pocket and pulled out his knife. "I've been suffering him for years but he could probably kill a small girl like you with less than a slap." He flicked his wrist to snap the knife's blade into place and pointed it over her shoulder at the raging animal stomping toward them.
Tamina wondered if Izaya would really protect her if he had to. When she'd been warned about Shizuo Heiwajima, she imagined the stories must be crazy exaggerations. How strong could the 'Strongest man in Ikebukuro' really be? 'Ungodly, apparently.' she was thinking now. And he looked so incredibly angry. The kind of anger not easy curbed or restrained.
"Now, now Shizu-chan!" Izaya called to the raging man. "You've got my friend here terrified!"
"What a gentleman you are, using her as a human meat shield." Shizuo barked back.
"To be honest, I'm not confident you wouldn't hit us both!" Izaya retorted then spoke close to Tamina's ear again. "You see Miss Takeda, these are the kinds of monsters you really have to worry about. I find it most comparable to an animal with rabies, thrashing and snapping at everyone and anything."
"SHUT UP!" Shizuo shouted, slamming the end of the light post against the ground in frustration. The lamp at the end popped, glass shattering everywhere. The metal became embedded in the ground, caving the concrete there.
It was pure instinct, the way Tamina's hands released the bags that they carried and clutched to her chest protectively. The groceries spilled all over the pavement but she couldn't even mind that. She was so gripped with fear. She'd never in her life seen such a demonstration of strength and it had her literally shaking. It seemed to be something deeply rooted inside her. Something she couldn't help even if she tried. She had never felt so small in her life. So fragile. She pressed back into Izaya further, fingers gripping his arm. Izaya pulled her tighter to him in response. He could feel the fear radiating from her very being and he loved every second of it. The pleasure he got from feeling her tremble at the sight of the beast was intoxicating. He locked eyes with Shizuo, wearing a devious smirk all the while.
That's where the stand off remained for some tense moments. Shizuo couldnt describe the feeling seeing that flea holding Tamina gave him. It pissed him the hell off, of course, but it was more than just that. He had really thought he'd made a connection. He would've worked up the courage to text or call her eventually. There were things he had wanted to learn about her too. But all of that hope felt diminished seeing her in that bastards arms so familiarly. The worst was the way she looked at him. How afraid she was. She looked truly disturbed by what she'd seen. It was a look Shizuo was all too used to.
Izaya would be content like this for some time. He basked in it really. But all good things had to end, and he was a busy man, so he decided to cut things short. "You should get ready to run." He told Tamina.
"What?" Tamina asked.
Izaya suddenly threw his knife, sending it hurling toward the blonde. Shizuo reacted quickly. It was too fast to avoid completely, but he pivoted so his shoulder would take the blow rather than his chest or heart. Shizuo grunted when the knife sunk deeply into his flesh, blood quickly beginning to soak through his white shirt from the wound.
In that brief moment of confusion, Izaya roughly released Tamina and took off running. "See you soon, Miss Takeda!" He called back to her as he made his escape. Tamina was momentarily off balance, but didn't realize what was going on quick enough to make a run for it.
"Hey!" She heard Shizuo shout as he hurled the light post after Izaya with just one hand. She remained frozen as it flew over her head and soared an impossible distance. It just narrowly missed Izaya as he continued to flee.
When Tamina turned back, Shizuo had come to stand in front of her, but kept some space between them. Izaya's knife still stuck in his shoulder and his blood was now traveling down his sleeve, but he payed it no mind, as if it weren't even there. Even if she knew what to say to him, words couldn't come out. The whole incident left her in a soft shock.
Shizuo couldn't stand the way she was looking at him. People had looked at him like that his whole life. Like he was a freak. A monster... He noticed the bags and groceries she'd dropped in all the commotion. Vegetables were scattered and an entire bottle of soy sauce had shattered and now trickled it's contents down the street, staining the pavement. With that, he decided he should just leave. He'd caused enough trouble obviously and he couldn't take much more of that scared look on her face.
"Sorry." He mumbled to her as he passed, rifling through his pockets. He needed a cigarette. Now.
Author Notes: Just when things were looking up... Yay for conflict!
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