Shizu was full of rage from what had happened with Hibari in the Disciplinary Committee room, but she refused to show it to Mukuro. She kept her face expressionless, as she had been taught by Isabelle's parents and the tutor they had assigned to her. Show no anger. Show no fear. The girl drew a deep breath and released a sigh. But I knew he would do that. All men are like that; they want something. More than what they're willing to let on. Her amber eyes shifted to Mukuro now. "What do you want from me?"

"Kufufu~ What do you mean by that?"

"Every man has an ulterior motive. Why are you really here? You said that you don't live in this area. So why are you here?" Her teeth gritted as she prepared for a disgusting confession that would make her skin crawl. She expected the worst because by doing so, anything less would seem wonderful. Don't set yourself up for disappointment.

He frowned, but it was not genuine. "Such harsh words~"

"Just answer the question. What do you want?"

Now the boy tilted his head. "I wanted to walk with you a while. I was in the area to meet with someone and when I saw you leaving the school, I decided to join you. What's wrong with a little company, Shizu?"

Lies. All lies. Just like what that bastard Xanxus told Isabelle. Her fists tightened, her nails sinking into her palms. "So what you're saying is, I'm a way to kill time?"

Mukuro raised an eyebrow. "I didn't word it that way."

"But it's what you're thinking. I'm just a way to kill time until you meet with that person, right?" She lifted her gaze to his bi-colored eyes. "But what's wrong with that? Just be honest. Don't lie to me. I hate liars." Shizu took a deep breath again and released it, half-closing her eyes in an effort to stay calm. "I'm going to the store. It's going to be boring."

"I just wanted to walk with you a while," he replied. The boy paused and waited for her to turn in confusion. "What happened to your face?"

Shizu's frown deepened and she absently licked the split in her lip. It stung a little. "Hm. I got in a fight. Isn't it obvious?"

"Who were you fighting?" Mukuro saw her shake her head and he smirked. "Kufufu~ Did you kill them at least?" Seeing the corner of her mouth lift, his pleasure grew. "That saves me some trouble then."

"As if you would have killed them. You hardly know me. Why should you care?" Shrugging off his strange statement, she continued down the street. "So? Who are you meeting up with?"

"Just a couple of friends. You want to meet them, little Shizu?"

"Are they boys?"

"They are."

"Then no." Shizu proceeded to the grocery store, feeling him close behind her until she reached the register area. At this point, he stepped outside to greet two other boys. She watched the clerk scan her items, seeing Mukuro point at her from the corner of her eye. When she went outside, he was waiting for her and half-smiled. One of his friends had blonde hair and a scar across his nose and cheeks. The other wore glasses and had a barcode tattooed on his left cheek. He gave her an icy stare that made her uneasy. "Uh…hey."

"Shizu, this is Ken and that's Chikusa," Mukuro introduced her.

The blonde took a few quick steps toward her and tilted his head, looking her over with golden-brown eyes. "Your name's Shizu?" he asked, revealing sharp canine teeth when he opened his mouth. "You look like a yakuza kid."

She suddenly felt very self-conscious and took a step back. "Nope. Just not a prissy brat," she retorted. "You look like an American with that hair." Seeing irritation ignite in his eyes, she half-grinned. "In a cute, puppy sort of way. What was it? Like a golden retriever?"

To her surprise, his cheeks flushed pink and he also took a step back. He ran fingers through his blonde hair and glanced over his shoulder at Mukuro. "Yeah, whatever. What do you have in that bag?"

"Dinner. For my friends. What? Jealous?"

"I'm hungry."

"We'll get dinner on the way home," Chikusa stated, trying to put an end to the odd exchange between Shizu and Ken.

The girl heard her phone ringing and glanced at the screen. "Damn it. I have to hurry." She glanced up at Mukuro, who displayed a casual half-smile. Shit. I don't trust them. I hate guys. But he was pretty nice to me. Ugh. And Ken seems nice enough for all his stupid teasing. Sighing in frustration, she tucked her phone away. "Er…my friends are leaving. Well two of them are. I guess if you don't mind hot pot, you could have some. But only because Mukuro-san has been nice to me! If any of you mess with my roommate, I'll kill you. Got it?"

"Free food!" Ken grinned fully and held out a hand to carry her bag.

"Yeah, I don't think so. I'm carrying this." Shizu started down the street and soon found Mukuro at her side, his friends behind them. I can't believe I'm letting them come over. But it might make Isa happy at least. She likes it when guys compliment her. Ken seems like her type almost. And Chikusa seems calm enough. Her eyes wandered to Mukuro now. He had been watching her and gave her a smile meant to be reassuring, but it sent a shiver down her spine.

"What about Chrome?" Chikusa spoke up after a while.

"She'll be fine! She has instant ramen!" Ken protested. "Come on! I'm starving!"

Arriving at her apartment, Shizu found that Hana and Kyoko had already left. Isabelle came out of her room and, seeing the three boys, blushed pink. "Sorry for not warning you," Shizu said in Italian as she took the groceries to the kitchen. She started to make dinner, directing the guests to the living room.

"Shizu, you couldn't bother to call first?! I mean, I didn't have time to change into something really cute! I just put this on when I got home! Look how cute that boy's friends are! The blonde one especially!" Isabelle stood in the kitchen with Shizu, speaking to her in Italian and glancing over at the boys every so often.

"Yeah well I just didn't have time."

"You look cute the way you are," came Ken's voice from the other room.

"They understand?!" Isabelle blushed red.

After a sufficiently awkward dinner, where Isabelle continuously flirted with Ken and made everyone feel uncomfortable, Shizu was feeling a little better. Maybe I can trust them, she thought as she washed the dishes. The boys had left and Isabelle had retired to her room for the night. I mean, they were nice to her. All of them. I wasn't expecting that. Chikusa seemed so cold when I was introduced to him. Maybe Isa could even be happy with Ken. They look good together anyway. He was really nice to her and she seemed genuinely glad to have him here.

She finished tidying up, locked the apartment door, and went to her room. Shizu locked the bedroom door and took off her school uniform. Looking in the mirror, she examined the deep scars on her back. I don't need a boyfriend. That thing with Hibari can't happen again. No one can see these scars. If he wanted to take things further…not like I would ever want to with him. The girl frowned. Her arms were crossed over her chest as she examined her back in the reflection, but now her eyes wandered down to her bust. Did I get…bigger? Do I need to start binding my chest? They might get in the way when I fight. She put on her pajama pants and a t-shirt before crawling beneath her blanket, curling up into a ball. Tears were forming in her eyes and she hated it. Shizu had forgotten how wretched the marks on her back were. The marks from her training. The marks of discipline. Just the sight of them made her feel like a child again. Her twelve-year-old self that had been brought into the Capello house; scrawny, bruised, hair matted, scabs on her dirty-smudged skin from fighting for her meals on the streets.

The first kind embrace she had felt was that of Isabelle. The blonde-haired princess had hugged the boyish peasant close and wiped away her tears. She had told Shizu that everything would be alright. To this day, Isabelle didn't know what had happened during Shizu's training sessions. The cruelty of her tutor, the pain she endured, just to protect the kind blonde princess. She would do anything to keep her safe, even if it meant her own life ending. It's what I owe her. It's my duty to protect her and make sure she's happy. My pain doesn't matter. The mantra that had been drilled into her head since she was twelve.

Shift P.O.V

He was almost certain that she was having a nightmare of some sort. Her body was trembling beneath the blanket and he drew close to the side of her bed. Tears dotted her pillow, her arms wrapped tightly around something. When she turned over, facing him yet not knowing he was there, he could see that she was holding a small pink teddy bear to her chest. It was surprising, but sweet. She looked so innocent just then; not at all like someone who could kill. But he had seen it with his own eyes. Shizu had murdered and it had not bothered her.

Now he knelt beside her bed and ran fingers through her short black hair, brushing it away from her face as she slept. From what he had seen, she seemed to think she was boyish. He had seen the girls in her class give her the cookies, as if she was a boy, and when she had patrolled the halls she had acted tough. He knew better though. Her tears, even in her sleep, were beautiful in a tragic sort of way. They seemed almost natural on her pale face and it was made all the more sad by her bruised eye. Sitting beside her as she slept, absently running his fingers through her hair, he tilted his head.

Before she had drifted into sleep, he remained hidden. She had thought he was gone, but he was still there after his friends left and he had seen the scars that riddled her back. The girl knew suffering and it made him feel strange to know that. It gave him a sense of sympathetic melancholy, knowing that she had endured such pain. And she was only seventeen so it had to have happened when she was still a child. He had gathered enough information to know the basics; her mother was dead, she had been adopted by the Capello family in Italy and raised to be their only daughter's bodyguard.

The girl shifted in her sleep again, a frown forming on her pale pink lips. The bear fell to the side and her arms were splayed to either side of her. He tentatively reached to her right forearm and traced her tattoo, frowning. Her friends were getting too close to her for his liking. Even the two girls in her class who had given her cookies. Seeing it had made him strangely angry. He smirked and laced his fingers with hers, feeling her hand tighten on his as she continued to sleep. "No one else can have you, little Shizu~" he whispered in her ear. He knew he had to leave soon, but he lingered a bit longer to watch her sleeping frown fade. "Only I can see you cry. Only I can know your fears. Only I can sooth your pain." Mukuro pressed a kiss to her forehead and reluctantly pulled away from her. The sound of her voice made him glance back at her when he was halfway to the door.

"…Gokudera…" she muttered in her sleep. The girl curled up in a ball away from him as hatred sparked in his eyes.

Shift P.O.V

"How do I look?" Isabelle turned in a circle, her sky blue eyes full of hope.

Shizu looked over from making her omelet and half-smiled reassuringly. "Absolutely adorable as always," she recited. "For breakfast, I made an omelet with rice and cut up some fresh fruit. Lunch is onigiri with veggies, teriyaki chicken, and a small salad."

The blonde sat at the table, beaming. "Where's your food?"

"I already ate." She sat across from her friend, sliding the plate to her. It was a lie, of course. Shizu rarely ate breakfast, but Isabelle asked about it every morning. It was their routine. She sipped her green tea and sighed.

"You look tired. Did you stay up late?" Isabelle inquired, frowning.

"No. I went to sleep early. I just didn't sleep peacefully."

"Nightmares again? I heard you muttering in your sleep."

She raised an eyebrow. "Do I do that often?"

"Only sometimes. I've never heard you mutter a guy's name though. You usually just say 'Okaasan'." Isabelle went back to her meal, her smile returning quickly. "The omelet is so fluffy today. What did you do differently?"

"What name did I say, Isa?"

Her friend lifted her eyes to Shizu's amber ones, sparkling with amusement. "Gokudera. Do you have a crush on him? It's okay if you do. I don't care if you want to have a boyfriend."

The dark-haired girl shook her head. "It's not that. I don't remember him being in my dream. Why was I saying his name?"

The blonde giggled. "Maybe it's telepathy. Maybe he was dreaming of you and you picked up on it."

"That's ridiculous." Shizu yawned and stretched, feeling her bones pop pleasantly.

"You already did your morning workout?"

"Mm-hm. Just waiting on you, Isa."

She rolled her eyes. "You can go without me. I can walk myself to class. Besides, don't you have that stupid club to go to?"

"The Disciplinary Committee? I'm not going there today. Or ever again."

"But really! I could walk myself to school, Shizu." Isabelle bowed her head, poking at her omelet with her fork. "I know you and my parents are worried about Xanxus trying to get revenge, but I wouldn't mind seeing him again." She sighed and tightened her ponytail. "You probably think I'm stupid for thinking that, huh? Forget I said anything."

Much as she hated to say it, Shizu knew it had to be said to keep the girl happy. "If you like him, it's fine. That's how you feel. You can't help it, Isa. I won't scold you for liking him." On the inside, Shizu was seething. How could you like that womanizing bastard?! He used you and then threw you out in the rain like garbage! How could you want to see him again? This, in turn, got her thinking about what would happen if he did appear. Surely his revenge would be on Shizu rather than Isabelle. After all, the blonde hadn't been the one to storm his base and attack him with a spiked baseball bat. Remembering her fight, Shizu grimaced. If I was born a boy, I might be stronger. I might have been able to actually beat him and avenge Isabelle's humiliation. Why was I born so weak?