'And Then Came A Duke'

In Which The Heroine is Jealous, The Hero Cannot Decide What Is More Disastrous And The First Dance Begins…

Disclaimer: I do NOT own GH...

A/N: And there you go folks! The 6th chapter to the series; I am so terribly sorry for the hiatus but my exams just... engulfed me. I was not even able to contact all my reviewers so I am sorry for all that. ANYWAYS, here you all go!

"There's a devil in your smile that's chasing me…"

–Ready To Run/One Direction

"And the time arrives, dear readers! Lady Mortram's 25th Yule Crush is just a night away. Most have wonder and shall throughout the ages of how an event in the middle of April came to be called a Yule ball. That, readers, is a very long story including the mention of coinciding balls, a duchess with sharp claws, mistletoe and inexplicably, a parrot.

Though the arrival of a certain miss-to-be-future-duchess is incentive enough for everyone to attend. It is reported that she will wear an ivory gown that will have men tripping over one another to be introduced to her. 'Tis a pity that she's betrothed to the Duke of Shibuya.

And she has a man like Lord Davis as her brother-in-law. Bother!" – The Snitch, April 1816.

Out of all the reactions she had expected; this was really the most surprising.

"I thought he'd like some tea? Don't you think?"

The servants in the corridor openly gawked at her.

This morning was just getting even more strange – she had woken up at the crack of dawn, energized to be disaster that Lord Davis so wanted to see her making, she had examined her list and resolutely promised herself that she would do work worth the money.

Then she had prowled the corridors until the clock struck ten, restlessly.

"Well…" Mai stretched the word, raising an eyebrow inquisitively and looking around at the servants. "Will you let me go in or not?"

This had to be the funniest thing about the moment; she had been standing in the hallway where Lord Davis' rooms were located and the servants hadn't budged from the door as if Naru would snap their necks if she put a toe in his room. She remembered what he had written on the list and she admired his capability to use such a trivial thing to his advantage, his plan had to be good judging from the scandalous looks on the servants' faces.

"I – I – " Wendall looked like he would suffer from a stroke if she spoke one more word. "I d-don't really think , absolutely certain that - "

She sighed…

It seemed that snobby aristocrats chose to wake up when half the world was deep in work; lazy behaviour she'd no doubt expected of course, she had served nobility on hand and foot nearly all her life.

She just hadn't expected it from Naru… really, how extremely foolish.

"It isn't proper." The butler finally got the words out of his mouth as if uttering them had cost him all of his breath. "It absolutely isn't proper."

Proper?

"What do you mean?"

Now she was truly perplexed, she thought they were worried that she might make Naru from his sleep but what it had to with propriety – she had no bloody idea.

"What?" She asked again, just in case she had heard incorrectly

"You. Can't. Go. In. His. Room." The butler enunciated, short of breath, eyes wide in surprise. "It would be highly improper."

"Improper?!" Mai laughed, openly. Really? "What is so improper about me taking a cup of tea in his room?"

A maid in the far corner of the corridor looked about ready to faint.

"Miss… that is, Mai." The butler composed himself, standing tall over her. "Here in London, an unmarried lady such as you cannot enter – "

Oh?

Oh…

Uh- oh.

"Oh that." Mai stopped him quickly, sparing him the whole explanation, the tips of her ears burning – the teacup she held trembled in her grasp. "I don't think – haha – really – this is Na – Lord Davis we are talking about – he has shown absolutely, absolutely no interest – "

At that inopportune moment, the oak door to his room opened and there stood the mortal paragon of chilling beauty. He looked as if he had never laid his head on the pillow, his eyes were as alert as ever but the shadows under them had disappeared, Mai noticed cheerfully, not that he looked hideous with them, just more human, less dangerous and somehow more dangerous to her with all the vulnerability in them.

He also looked quite a bit… she stared at his face searching for a word and getting none close to it… happy?

Gasp!

"Why are you all standing outside my door and causing such a din?" His eyes raked over all of them, the servants, Wendall and finally stopped when they caught her gaze, as if he had his answer in her form. "Yes?"

Her pulse skittered… just a bit.

His eyes weren't completely blue, they were ringed with black and speckled with barely noticeable flecks of grey.

They were mesmerising.

"I bought you tea." She mentally congratulated herself on her imitation of the most lofty voice ever, even in the face of his devastating eyes. "I hope it is to your liking."

She did not know what she expected, but for the second time that day, she was surprised.

He raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes coldly acute as he mentally analysed the situation. She could almost guess what he was thinking; why she was here, what flavour the tea was, with what motive she made it and why she was staring at him so strangely – exactly in that order.

Then his eyes flashed…not dangerously… just so wickedly.

Suddenly, he took the teacup from her hands with a dexterity that left her speechless and banged the door in her face, completely ignorant of her indignant sputtering at this cavalier treatment. As if she was one of his servants and not a guest of his mother's, as if conversation with her this early in the morning was noxious.

And then he vanished into his room…just in time to let her see the devilish smirk that played on the edge of his lips as he shut the door. As if the world was at his feet.

As if the obnoxious man owned her…

For a moment, they all stood confounded, a bewildered look apparent on their faces, shooting curious glances at each other until it finally dawned on Mai.

"What the - ?"

. . . .

Then all she was red. A dark, livid hue flashing in front of her eyes, swirling with anger and fury and indignation.

The devil!

"Naru…" She growled low in her throat before she started pounding his door with her small fists. "Come out! Come out you arrogant, obnoxious, insufferable man!"

The servants tried valiantly to hold back but she continued her rant until she had ensured that she had run out of all possible swear words invented in the English language. Her hand itched to claw out the oh-so mesmerising eyes she had earlier praised internally.

"Go away Mai." He called from inside the room when she started kicking at the door that wouldn't budge. "Do you have nothing else to do than pester me?"

"I'll have my revenge, you, you – "

The maids covered their ears as she unleashed another string of curses before stomping her feet and stalking away to her chambers.

This particular aristocrat would be the death of her; she had just done him a huge awakening favour and he had done what to express his gratitude.

Oh yes – he had shut the door in her face. How very thankful of him.

But her vengeful plotting stopped when she saw the Duchess sailing across the corridor with Fleur in her wake, the most indignant expression on her imperial face; eyebrow arched perfectly.

Oh Dear God, no…

"Mai Taniyama…"She inquired in her softest, deceptively cunning voice. "What did you just do?!"

Breakfast… he decided, savagely amused with the whole situation, was now officially his favourite meal of the day.

"…And you thought it prudent to kick his door!?" His mother hollered over toast, each word a sharp rebuke to the girl who sat at the table across him. Mai's head was bowed, hands clasped in her lap as she winced at every word. "And then you swore?! Is this how a lady behaves in the face of cavalier treatment?! What have I taught you child?!"

Mai flinched a little but he took perverse pleasure in her discomfort. If he was suffering, he'd let her have some taste of her own medicine.

"Mother would you pass that tray…"

She shot him a look which clearly indicated that she was supremely irritated, though she gave him the tray all the while glaring at him and Mai.

Mai fidgeted under the scrutiny… he buttered his toast.

The only thing that stopped him from interlacing his fingers and cackling evilly was the last shred of dignity she had spared him. It had to be the tea, it was actually making him look forward to the rest of the day – a thought he'd never really had for quite a long time. He knew now what his wish was – he wanted to make Mai angry, a dangerous thought indeed but honestly better than his lust-driven thoughts about her. He'd met legions of women and none of them abandoned their composure at a snap of his fingers – Mai did, with any type of snap from him, really. It was more amusing than signing the stack of papers piled up high on his desk.

So he relaxed in his chair, just a bit, to enjoy the drama as it unfolded.

"This is absolutely disgraceful! You let him rouse your catlike emotions, you let him –" His mother shot him a dirty look which he returned with his most indifferent gaze. "- him, break your valuable composure…"

"Your Grace, but I only uttered a few swear words…" Mai protested and he saw the child-like facet to her squirming. "I swear I did."

"The swear words you used made the footmen blush, girl." Luella took a dainty sip of her tea, hawk-like blue eyes directed at Mai all the time. "Anyways, that is not the point. What I fail to comprehend is how you let him destroy the teachings I gave to you?!"

There went his mother, yelling at Mai once more.

This time he did cackle albeit internally as he lifted the teacup to his mouth.

"What I fail to understand is why you didn't kick him in the – " She made vague motions in the air with her hand. " – and, and just stood there gawking!"

He almost spluttered in the teacup.

Mai coloured and choked on her toast.

"There is no need to blush." His mother calmly buttered her toast never minding the appalled look from Mai and the cough from his direction. "I expect you to have a fair grasp of anatomy to understand self-defence."

And there, at the breakfast table went his mother, explaining self-defence in relevance to male anatomy to Mai, of all people; as if she was discussing the weather…it will rain for two more days, the pavements are wet, the sun never shines in London, you should have kicked my son in the…

"Mother…do stop, please." He knew uttering 'please' would make his mother do exactly as he desired. "This is not exactly conversation for breakfast."

His mother rounded on him.

"Oh…" She raised an eyebrow. "Now my son shall teach me breakfast manners. Excellent! Shall we get started with the lessons son?"

"Mother." He sighed exasperatedly. "There is no need to be – "

"Caustic?" She shot at him. "Well, if I am being caustic…what have you been for the past two days?"

A quiet enveloped the table before Luella spoke up again.

"Tonight is Lady Mortram's ball." She looked around imperiously. "We all must do our utmost best to ensure that Mai has a smooth introduction into society."

He nodded. That was his only escape.

"You both shall stay away from each other as much as possible, because whenever the two of you stand within two inches of each other, there is bound to be disaster."

He made a mental note to stand at Mai's side, the whole evening – no matter how boring that may prove to be.

"After you leave, Mai will work with me on her presentation." She shot him a look that meant he must leave the house. "It is too early to do anything but pray that the ton will like her. I do hope we had more time…"

And he saw that it was the exact moment to drop the news.

"Speaking of time limits." He folded the newspaper back after the quick perusal. "I'm decreasing the time limit I gave to you. It's two weeks – not a month."

There, after lengthy debate with himself this morning, he had decided that this was in his best interests – he couldn't lean on Mai alone to deter his mother, he needed to make this task impossible and stressful.

He finally stood up, shrugging into his coat, completely ignoring the wide-eyes from Mai and the gasps of outrage from his mother.

"But Noll! You c-can't possibly mean to -!"

"Good day, Mother." He paused a bit, his hand resting on the crest of the chair, eyes lingering on Mai. "I hope you refrain from causing any more trouble."

"You can only hope." She mumbled, biting viciously into a muffin after she shot a look at his mother as if communicating something of vital import.

Luella patted Mai's hand sympathetically, a look of vengeance in her eyes directed at him.

God deliver him from revengeful mothers.

"I know Mai, dear. I know…" She leaned back in her seat, the dragon of a woman with cold-blue eyes. "I'll forgive you this time for not hitting him there. It's rather out of reach, I admit."

He turned on his heel and walked away from the evil cackling of one woman and the abashed exclamations of another.

Women.

"What –" Mai gritted her teeth, her outstretched arms flailing as she tried to maintain her balance. "- is the point of making me walk as if I owned a palace."

The Duchess who had been sewing calmly, looked over her embroidery, put down the hoop and interlaced her fingers.

"The point is to make you feel like you own a palace." She explained. "It is so you are not crushed by the haughtiness of the ton. Continue."

With a Bible balanced perfectly on her head, Mai linked her arms in front of her and continued to descend the marble staircase with the poise of a genteel lady.

"So, Miss Mai…" The Duchess inquired in a false imitation of an English lady. "We heard that your father is a farmer, is that true."

"Indeed it is true," Mai replied as placidly as the cows on her farm, minding her feet, her agony evident on her face. "But he owns a lot of land, so we are naturally a rich family."

"Oh for God's sake, smile child."

"I am smiling…"

"Frankly," The Duchess took off her spectacles. "You look as if you would like to tear this lady to pieces."

Yes and more… perhaps incinerate the shreds or drive a dagger through her heart, whoever the hell she is.

Mai merely growled low in her throat…

"Hmph. Well, what are your accomplishments?"

"Uh…" Mai paused, carefully adjusting the Bible on her head as she prepared to ascend the staircase. "Sewing, reading, making tea –"

"Tut…" Luella sighed in exasperation. "No mention of tea-making or cooking whatsoever."

"Alright." This was pure torture. Pure, unadulterated torture. "Sewing, reading, playing the pianoforte – wait a minute, what if they ask me to play the piano?"

"Play."

Mai raised an eyebrow, pausing in her grand walk.

"I don't even know how to play!"

"Well then pray, play and then act as if you're the next Mozart."

"Oh, right…easy for you to say."

They continued in this fashion for the next two hours until the Duchess dragged her off to the dressing room, Fleur chasing after her with the curling papers.

And at seven in the evening, Mai could not even recognize herself.

There was a lady sitting in an extremely graceful poise, her gloved hands interlaced, resting in her lap. The honey coloured gown shimmered in the evening light and curled in falls just before it reached her feet and the small flower buds in her chignon glinted in the lantern's glow.

She gleamed in the room, decorated so simply yet somehow so intricately that everything about her felt like a lie.

She felt like a fraud.

Mai turned away from her reflection just as the Duchess took a pearl necklace from the tray that Fleur held and fastened it around her neck, so tenderly as if Mai was her own daughter.

The thought very nearly made her cry… she was cheating this woman in the very worst way, by robbing her of all hope.

"Your Grace…" Her voice cracked at the end a bit. "I'm so – so terribly…"

The Duchess brushed a tear from her eyes and stopped her with a trembling hand.

"Stop, child." She waved her handkerchief in the air, sniffing. "This is not the time to be indulging in theatrics. We need to leave, immediately."

And so dragging Mai, she led her down the staircase.

Mai stopped for a moment, looking down the winding staircase, her heart in her mouth.

It all started tonight.

But just as she was about to descend, her hand gently laid on the railing, a strange vision assaulted her.

She would walk down that staircase, graceful in every light, her poise speaking of elegance and he would be standing at the very end, awaiting her. His indifferent expression changing to wild curiosity as she descended.

It shattered when she reached the end of the staircase , widening into the silent main hall, with no one anticipating her.

Somehow, her heart lurched and then a corner of it broke.

"Are you alright?" The Duchess sailed ahead of her. "Do you need any assistance?"

"No." Her voice was pathetically weak. "No, Your Grace. I'm ready."

The Dowager turned over her shoulder, a smirk on the edge of her lips.

"I know. But are you ready to face the truth?"

"Noll, man!"

Oliver was on the verge of turning away from the setting and blocking the fact that he could see Yasuhara sauntering in his direction, his wife on his arm but it was too late. Yasu had already spotted him and was hollering the pathetic nickname his brother had given him for all of London to hear.

A few simpering girls to his right, giggled and cooed adorable at the idiotic sobriquet. He wished them to Hell.

Along with Yasu.

And his wife.

"Oliver!" Yasu nearly yelled as he patted his shoulder. "I knew we'd find you here."

He raised an eyebrow.

"He means he knew we'd find you in the middle of a feminine throng." Lady Masako explained offhandedly and then curtsied gracefully. "Lord Davis."

"Lady Masako." He bowed stiffly and tipped his head in Yasu's direction. "Yasu."

"I'm an aristocrat too, Noll." The bespectacled man petulantly retorted. "Yet my beautiful wife gets the respect. Tut."

"Act like one and I'll acknowledge that you're a viscount."

"We're very surprised to see you here." Masako spoke again, her expression as neutral as ever. "The surprise is not very pleasing, I must add."

He gritted his teeth and smiled at the couple.

Yasu grinned.

Masako merely glared at him.

"I was also hoping that the two of you wouldn't be here." He retorted. "Wishing fervently."

Masako sniffed, nose in air. "Hmph. Well I hope you're supremely disappointed."

He flexed his hand… hoping he could channel away his irritation somehow.

"My wife." Yasu looked at his wife, adoration and worship in his gaze. "A lioness, indeed."

Oliver kept his jaw clenched in a false smile.

"So," Yasu looked at him, breaking the terse silence. "Are you finally wooing a woman?"

Hundreds of heads (all belonging to women) turned in their direction.

He almost prayed for divine intervention.

It did come…

Suddenly everybody in the hall stopped talking, thousands of heads turned to the doorway and it seemed as if a silence had gripped the room. The candlelight flickered and he craned his neck to look who had entered.

He almost lost his wits. Almost.

He saw a familiar woman, dressed in a gown that almost blended with the colour of her skin. Her hair shone in the light, the pearls glimmered and she took one step forward.

Mai.

His mouth turned dry.

Then she curtsied so bloody elegantly that he felt the ripple of tension that ran through the men. They stared at her, sizing her up, assessing her, mentally planning courtships, the depraved thoughts that ran through every single man's mind.

He wanted to snap their necks, make them carnage.

He had warned her…

He took a step forward and then two more, making his way through the crowd as it parted for him, naturally.

When he reached her side, he felt a red, livid haze envelope his mind and without thinking he took her gloved hand and tucked it in the crook of his elbow, leading her away to some corner he couldn't even clearly see yet.

A tremor ran through her and he analysed the crowd as the men craned their necks to stare at her; he glared until all of them turned away. Then he cracked the knuckles of his other hand, making the gesture loud and clear – this woman was under his protection, if they even took a step in her direction, no matter how innocuous it might be, he would…

"Naru." She whispered placidly, an unnaturally bright smile on her face. "Uh… I hope you know that you're causing a scene."

"I'm not." He bit out the words, almost snarling. "You caused a scene."

She did not even flinch. Instead she laughed as if he had made some great big joke and he understood what she was doing – playacting.

"Naru." She tried to convey her anger when she pinched his arm. He barely felt the pain through the sleeve of his shirt, he did however feel the scrap of her glove against it. "Let me go."

Bloody hell.

They reached the terrace and he whisked her away to the farthest corner of the room.

"I told you to wear something less inciting." He tightened his grip on the railing as he towered over her. "I enunciated so clearly that I couldn't protect you against the men in the hall. Did I not?"

She was not even intimidated one single bit. Instead she stared at him as if he was a lunatic.

Which he was… considering the situation.

"I don't need protection by you." She harrumphed. "I can do it myself."

For a moment he was seized with the desire to show her all the ways he could ruin her tonight, all the ways she couldn't protect herself from him, from men who were thinking along the same lines, to show her that his ways of ruination were permanent.

Instead he distanced himself from her…

Was that a faded bruise on her neck?

"Fine." He clenched his jaw, he would ask her about it later in the library. "Have fun charming half the ton. Don't come to me running after you're ruined."

He thought he heard a sniff but he didn't turn back. He was too furious, too wrapped up in his own wants and priorities.

So he walked away.

He thought that he was paying her to be a disaster… all she did was charm the snobs of England.

Without conscious effort, it seemed.

She was like a butterfly, flitting from group to group, her smile a bright glow against the background of the orchestra, against the din of laughter. Mai was undoubtedly a success.

"Lady Cordelia." She curtsied perfectly. Her eyelashes fluttering in a shy manner as she spoke to the old widow. "It was a delight to meet you."

His mother looked as astonished as him, she gaped as Mai made numerous contacts around the hall, tipping the ton over their heads with her charm and vitality.

"I must say London is as refreshing as I have heard from my dear cousin." She was saying to someone, the crystal flute in her hand glinting in the candelabra. "I am so enjoying it."

He couldn't understand why she was doing this.

Masako and Yasu were looking keenly at her, the lady of the night and when she caught their gaze, her eyes widened and something in her stance somehow slumped as if she was exposed. Beside him Yasu's eyes widened in evident surprise and Masako gasped.

Mai froze and then after what seemed like an eternity, hurried over to them.

"Yasu." She whispered in fear as she curtsied. "Lady Masako."

Naru noted that this was the exact way he had addressed the couple and then it dawned on him.

They knew each other.

Yasu's smile could light up the whole room.

He wanted to smash all of his teeth.

"Mai." He looked around and then swallowed as if surprised. "You are to be the next Duchess? Of Shibuya"

Mai nodded feebly.

"God." Masako shook her head as if to clear a fog. "Is it really you?"

"I'm sorry. This wasn't exactly planned. It just came as a surprise to me as well."

He looked at the trio, back and forth, trying to delve deeper into the situation.

"Oh my." Masako reiterated, stunned as if she had run out of word. "You look stunning."

"Thank you."

He couldn't understand why she looked near to tears when Masako said that and at that exact moment, Yasu looked at Masako and then nodded as if he could understand what she was silently telling him.

Then he took Mai's hand and spoke as if making some grand gesture.

"Miss Taniyama." He bowed over her hand, kissing the air above her glove. "Can I have the pleasure of this dance?"

Oliver restrained himself from maiming the man; he was married for God's sake. He watched, his eyes narrowed at the couple as they danced, Mai laughing pleasantly as they both spoke in hushed whispers.

Then he cast a glance at Masako who was standing beside him, her posture taut, so lady-like as if the idea of her husband dancing the first dance with a woman who was not her, did not bother her in the least. Perhaps she was used to the rakish Yasu straying from their marriage, as unlikely as it seemed.

He was disgusted.

"How are you so assured about his fidelity?" Tearing his eyes from the scene, he inquired, disdain evident in his voice.

What she said next surprised him…

"Because I know where he is every night." She glanced meaningfully at him, a smirk twisting her lips. "With me."

And with that she strode away as the dance ended, leaving him with the torturous knowledge that it was going to be a very long night.

Mai did not even hear when he entered the library and gently closed the door behind him.

She just danced around the room, humming to herself, arms outstretched in the stance of a waltz. Her mind whirred, a haze of colour and noise, the contagious laughter ringing in her head, the tinkling of crystal reverberating in her mind.

Tonight had been a dream. Her dream. The best night ever since she was born.

No pain, no pressure, no work, nothing but delight, laughter.

Acceptance…

She laughed to herself and started singing as she circled the room- so it was no surprise when she almost jumped out of her bones when two strong hands stilled her in the middle of her waltz.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Everything inside her froze, her heart clenched as she stared up into his face, the harsh angle of his cheekbone, the predatory glint in his eyes, the tingling in her shoulder where his hands had been.

She took a deep breath and pulled herself to her full height.

"I was just…" She gestured lamely around the room, unable to look him in the eye. "… you know, looking for a book!"

He snorted to himself.

"Oh yes." He looked around the room. "And it requires you making strange gestures as you circle the room."

She clamped her mouth shut.

"I was dancing."

He feigned surprise. "Oh really."

For a moment both of them stopped and looked at each other. He, with a wariness that she wanted to chase away, she with barely hidden admiration. His eyes raked over her appearance and stopped on the chignon she had insisted that she didn't want Fleur to undo. She wanted him to see her closely in it.

This was getting silly… this infatuation on her part.

"I want to know what you meant to do by charming half the ton today."

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to search for an excuse, finding the perfect one.

"I'll cause disaster, after they come to like me." She spoke as matter-of-factly as possible. "It will be more permanent that way."

His piercing eyes assessed her, analysed every gesture she unconsciously made.

Then he nodded and she almost cried out in relief. This man scared her, more than she would like to admit; more than she wanted him too.

He finally let go of her shoulders and moved away, seating himself at his usual desk. He poured himself some wine as she scampered away to a corner, a blush dusting her cheeks, her hands growing clammy.

She was clumsy under his watch alone.

Drawing a book from one shelf and barely noticing what it was about, she asked as nonchalantly as humanly possible the one question that had driven her mad with curiosity.

"So," She paused and savoured his surprise as he looked up at her. Lord Perfect. "I heard that… Lady Masako was your fiancee once. Is that true?"

He looked up at her, one eyebrow raised as he set down the cup, a frown on his face.

"Yes." He confirmed.

"So," She took a deep breath. "Did you…actually like her?"

He steepled his fingers and looked cautiously at her.

"Yes."

Mai felt exasperation creep inside her veins.

"What I mean is…" She tried to find an alternative to the cursed word but couldn't find anything. "Did you love her?"

She knew she had surprised him. His lax posture suddenly became taut and he straightened in the chair as if to physically frighten her away from the topic… all she did was look at him resolutely.

"No."

A strange kind of giddiness swelled inside her and before she knew it, she was grinning madly – about what? She had no idea…

"Then why did you want to marry her?"

His answer wiped the grin off her face.

"She was convenient."

. . . .

Oh… maybe she too was convenient for him, just within reach, perfect for all his scheming.

She buried her head within the shelves to hide her from his gaze, the wounded look from her face but his next words pulled her right out of her misery.

"How do you know Yasu?"

He seemed resentful to her stammer and flush at his question.

"W-well I – I was his friend. We did some things together, he owed me a debt."

Naru did not look satisfied with the answer in the least, his questioning gesture just made her stammer all the more as she tried to avoid his look. But his eyes followed her everywhere, like a hawk tracking down its prey and she fidgeted as she searched the shelves for something to read.

"He looked quite friendly to me." Naru's clear voice called out again. "Quite friendly."

"Umm…yes… of course."

They were both silent for a few moments until Naru's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Who gave you that bruise on your neck?"

She dropped her books in surprise.

"Mai. I asked something."

It happened in a flash.

Her breathing became ragged as she was pulled into the bog of her memories, it came to her in short flashes… the memory of her uncle, the rancid smell in the room, the crack of the whip and his voice as he flicked it.

Then flung it towards her.

When she opened her eyes, she felt Naru's presence beside her, his hand on her elbow as if steadying her without touching her.

"It was nothing…" She tried to blink back the tears as they came, trying to stop the tremor from entering her voice. But his hand was warm and he made her feel so secure, just so damn safe. "Just… I just fell."

He said nothing… instead he undid a button on her gown...and then two...

"Naru!" She tried to turn around in surprise, her voice a yelp but his grip on her arm tightened. "Naru! Let go of me, you brute!"

"Quiet Mai."

She pleaded to God that he couldn't see what she so tried to hide from everyone – the marks of her weakness but he did.

He saw through them… through her.

His grip on her arm tightened and she broke down under his touch. Her shoulders trembled as she sobbed under the pressure and the memory of the pain; it came to her again, the voices, the stench, so vivid, so tangible as he traced a bruise on her back, then another one.

And when he spoke next, his voice was deadly; an odd combination of deceptive softness, barely tamed rage… a hoarse whisper.

"What the hell?"

A/N: Did ya like it? Drop a review, a comment, a suggestion, a correction, a rant - anything at all. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

Love and cyber cookie jar,

-borntoflyhigh-