AN: Hey guys! long time no see! My Beta and I have finally gotten through all of my previous chapters so I would suggest to all of the folks who have followed this story re-read them! There's alot of new stuff in them that help explain some of the events in the chapter. Thanks so much for your patience so far!
Wild Hunt
"Lil'Kitty to Silver Wolf, over." crackled in my ear, breaking the stillness of Shizuru's dressing room. I sighed and pressed the button in my ear. "Yes, Nao?" I answered the snarky red head.
Chie, Nao, Aoi and I have been staking out The HiMe Star for the past three nights, trying to catch the person or people who were sneaking into Shizuru's room. They have been getting more creative in their placements and I seriously do not want Shizuru be sent pictures of herself changing. Tomoe was just twisted like that.
The first two nights had been busts and now the others were staving off the boredom by making up call signs. My team is so professional.
"Honey thinks that Silver Wolf should be called Sergeant Grumpy Pants." Chie spoke up over the line.
"I do not! Natsuki, Chie's just being stupid again." Aoi protested over the line. Well, jee whiz, what else is new?
Nao interrupted the impending argument. "Well I was just wondering if SGP has gotten anything from foxy lately."
"Cutie concurs, what's with SGP and the fox?" Chie asked. I have no idea why she had chosen Cutie and Honey for her and Aoi, but whatever it was I am sure it would totally mess with my delicate sensibilities.
I debated on letting them know about the agreement between us since they already figured out our little 'friends-with-kind-of–benefits' situation. Nao had found my hickey and pestered me until I broke down. She of course tattled on me to Chie and Aoi and they've been bugging me about it since.
Might as well bite the bullet. "Nothing." I said over the line, grumpy that it was the truth. Shizuru had been really good at restraining herself, and other than a few hugs and hand holdings, we've done nothing further since the Student Council room earlier in the month.
"Ha! Someone's frustrated! I wonder how the fox would feel if she knew that her bodyguard wants to jump her bones?" Nao asked wickedly. That girl, if she wasn't like a sister to me then I probably would have murdered her by now.
"Thing is I think that the fox is hornier than SGB. Not that I blame her, I don't think she's got any-"
"Chie! Enough! Let's focus guys, I have a feeling that tonight is the night." I seriously didn't want to listen to my friends speculate about Shizuru's sex life.
"You wish." Nao deadpanned. I growled at the empty air. Yeah I actually do wish, in both areas.
Our little timeout was becoming more difficult to uphold. It has only been about three weeks since our little agreement and so far I could count the number of times that I have had to stop myself from jumping Shizuru on both my hands. I am learning quickly that no Shizuru love makes for a very grumpy Natsuki.
I am not sure if that's a good or a bad thing.
"Heads up guys. Suspicious dude heading towards home base. He's got a cleaner's uniform on but it doesn't have any company names or anything like that anywhere on it." Nao's suddenly serious voice put our rather uncomfortable discussion on hold.
"Aoi and I will follow him once he gets into our cameras' range. Don't get too close" Chie promptly responded
A couple minutes of silence enveloped me. My teammates were so good at working together that they worked cohesively without additional chatter. They'd let me know if the man was moving on or moving in.
Without fail, Chie and Nao spoke up simultaneously.
"Boss, guy's in home base, he had a key."
"Yo Mutt, dude's inside but he got in too easy."
Quickly I turned on the small handheld camera that I brought with me and trained it on the door. Even though we were hired as security consultants by Anh and the Fuuka City police, we had to be cautious when we did things like this. If we don't catch the intruder inside the Star, we darn well better have good reason to pursue him.
With the camera ready and placed in a discreet location, I found a patch of deep shadows in the corner of the dressing room between Shizuru's wardrobe and the wall.
I whispered out my next orders. "Nao, head to the side entrance. I need you to man the front doors, Chie. Aoi track him with the cameras and be ready if we need back up." I turned off the earpiece, knowing that they'd do as asked and waited.
Thirty seconds ticked by and the door handle jiggled. I controlled my breathing as the door was wrestled open. So, the man had a key for the front door, but not for the back? Looks like switching the lock only slowed him down.
The man shuffled around in the dark before clicking on the lights. With the room now bathed in light, he moved with the confidence of one who had been there before. I squished further into my corner as I heard him stride over to the wardrobe and throw it open. He was going to plant something in Shizuru's clothes. Or at least that's what I thought, because he moved the clothes around until he found something he liked. With that, he removed the article of clothing and stuffed it in a plastic bag. It rustled as he made his way back to the entrance of the room. It was time to make my move.
I leaped out of my corner and shouted "Freeze, moron!" while training my Taser on him. The dark haired man jumped and whirled around to stare at me. When he realized that I was inching closer to him, he bolted.
I sighed and switch my earpiece back on. They never listen. "Guys he's running." I spoke over our line as I sprinted after him.
I noticed that he was running towards the side entrance and smirked; Nao's going to have fun with this. "Heading towards Nao." I updated them as we flew down the hall.
Cursing as the man shoved the door closed in my face, I skidded to a halt right before I hit it. From the rattling sounds and the fact that the damn thing wouldn't open right, I guessed that the guy had barred it shut. I slammed my shoulder into the door trying to dislodge the obstruction. I could hear Nao shouting at the guy that was cut off by her muffled grunt.
"Nao, you good?" I asked
"Yeah. Dude just threw something really nasty at me."
"Don't worry about me, just go get the bastard." I turned around so I could give the door a solid back kick. It buckled and I heard something crack. One more kick broke whatever was holding the door close and messed up its frame.
Nao's quick footsteps trailed off as I burst through. Cool air of the autumn night slapped my face and the distinct smell of alley assaulted my nose.
"Aoi- I lost Nao and the perp. Do you know where they went?"
"I lost them on the cameras but I hacked into Nao's GPS on her phone. She is moving south on street A. Chie is paralleling them on Street H." Aoi responded calmly, reciting the names that we had given the streets in our pre-op meeting. Japanese streets are usually not named unless it is important.
I grinned. I knew that those two streets would merge in a couple of blocks. Chie and Nao were trying for a pincer move. "Ok, Nao, Chie keep me posted on any sudden changes. Aoi can't track you fast enough."
"Roger," both voices huffed in my ear.
They were ahead of me by about a block, but lucky for me, I knew a short cut.
With a running leap, I grabbed the bottom rung of the fire escape and hauled my body up to the building next to The Hime Star. I sprinted across the buildings, trailing my teammates and the intruder. I had almost caught up to them when Nao's frustrated voice snapped through my speaker.
"Damn it! He's cut through Street C. He's probably gonna backtrack on Street G!"
I looked down at the small back alley street that radiated from the six floor building that I was currently on. Sure enough the man had rounded the corner and was headed straight for me. Fatigue was setting in; he had slowed down and was leaning against the concrete wall for support. That gave me enough time to get off this building and find a decent hiding spot.
I shimmied down a pipe and skirted the shadows so I was pressed against the wall around the corner from where my prey would be coming. With any luck I could get the drop on him without him even knowing.
With his panting breaths coming ever closer, I counted down from ten. I saw his elongated shadow cast by a flickering neon light.
Wait for it. I told myself tensing.
Now! Pouncing on the poor man, I shot my leg out in a quick kick to his groin. He went down in a heap, gasping for breath.
I stood over him and crossed my arms, "You should have just let me take you at the club."
"Bitch." He wheezed.
"Yeah, you would've saved your balls. Ya dumb fuck." I winced at Nao's abrasive tone as she and Chie rushed up to the scene.
She rolled him over and sat on him, and I could see she was wearing her favorite gauntlet. It was made of a lightweight material and extended past her fingers to form razor sharp claws. Currently those claws were playing with the soft part of the underside of the man's chin.
"Now, sweetie. You and I will be great friends. Right?" Nao cooed.
The man squeaked and attempted to squirm out from under her, but she pressed her claws into his neck hard enough to draw blood. He froze. "Aw. You don't want to play?" Nao pouted and began to unzip the man's uniform, revealing the man's street clothes.
Chie and I went about our business of searching through the plastic bag. Nao was righteously pissed at having to run so much and having whatever it was thrown at her. We knew to stay out of her way when she was like this.
Chie pulled out Shizuru's clothes and tossed them at me. My eyes grew wide. It was her 'Stereo Love' costume. It had been so popular that first night that she ended up dancing to it almost every night.
Chie turned to tell Aoi that we had caught the guy. I held up the clothes to Nao. She was idly trailing the poor guy's driver's license up and down his torso.
"Nao quit playing. Ask him why he took this costume." I ordered her.
"Kill joy." She whined, then pressed herself against him and whispered something in his ear. The clawed hand was dangerously close to his manhood.
"Alright! You crazy bitch! I was asked by Tomoe-sama to steal the clothes because she thought that Viola was too exposed when she danced to that song. She also thinks that Viola dances specifically for that bodyguard of hers!"
"How does Tomoe know about Viola's dance routines?" I interjected sharply.
Claws pressed against his tee shirt. "I-I put a camera on the stage so Tomoe-sama could see all of Viola's dances."
"That's much better. Have you been the one who's been placing all those little toys in Viola's room? Nao purred, inching her claws closer to his soft flesh.
"Y-Yes!" He squeaked out. "Are you going to let me go now?"
We all laughed. Chie recovered first though. "Sorry, pal. You were just caught trespassing and stealing from a very well-known nightclub. The owner is highly respected in this town and you happen to take things out of the room of the club's most popular employee. The police are going to love you."
Nao sensuously got off of him and allowed Chie to roughly pull him to his feet. She pushed him face first into the wall so she could tie a zip-strip around his wrists.
Knowing that they had things under control, I radioed Aoi to tell her to fire up the van so we could get him to the police station.
"Guys I'll meet you at the police station, I gotta get that camera and lock up the place again." I turned and jogged back to the club so we could be done with this night.
A couple days later, I was seated at my favorite table at the Café across the street from my apartment, working on my files for this case. Nao, Chie and Aoi should be here at any moment - we were planning our next moves to tag another proxy. Today was Shizuru's and my day off of school so I was making good use of it.
I glanced up from my laptop to allow my eyes a rest. I had just been staring holes through the monitor, hoping that something would just click in my head. The thrum of people in the busy seating area had gone quiet and I looked towards the door curiously.
There was Shizuru, dress immaculately in a pair of very, very tight jeans, a long gray cardigan and high heeled black boots. She was politely ignoring the once over that the employees behind the bar kept giving her as she waited for the barista to finish with her drink. It was probably that green tea latte that is all the rage now.
When she was handed her drink on its little tray, she turned gracefully and strutted over to my table. My eyes widened as I watched her approach. How'd she know that I was here?
Woman's got radar. I decided.
She paused at the open seat and sang out "Excuse me, is this seat taken?" in her teasing Kyoto accent.
"It is always open if you want it to be." I said with as much sweetness as I could muster, gesturing at it with my hand. I ignored the sighing sounds from around us. Does everything we do have to be watched?
She flashed me a bright smile as she slid gracefully in to the bench. "Why thank you. Natsuki is ever the gentleman."
I chose not to respond to that, since she thought it was hilarious that I acted that way around her sometimes. Instead I asked, "How the hell do you manage to move in those jeans?"
She blinked, "Don't swear, Natsuki. I manage well enough." Her red eyes twinkled mischievously as she grinned. "Ara, has Natsuki been checking me out? Doesn't that go against our little agreement?"
I looked down at my laptop, "Well, for one it doesn't say anything about not looking. Two, have you noticed that everyone looked? You freaking stopped traffic!" I grumbled, jabbing a little too roughly at my keys as I typed out a note. "Three, you're too damn beautiful not to look!"
"Ara." I looked up at the breathy utterance. Shizuru's eyes had gone soft and she was smiling from ear to ear. I blushed and looked away, realizing what I had just said. Damn it I always get tricked into saying stuff that I want to keep to myself when I'm around her.
"You're welcome," I muttered then asked, "What are you doing here, Shizuru? I was going to meet the terrible trio here but this is certainly a pleasant surprise."
Shizuru shot me a questioning look as she sipped her tea. "I thought you had invited me here."
An idea flashed through my brain. I put my finger to my lips, signaling Shizuru to be quiet, and then fished around the table caddy. Grinning I yanked a small microphone out of the sugars.
"You know eavesdropping can be very bad for your health ladies." Was the only warning I gave them before dropping it on the ground and crushing it. We both turned to look out the window at the muffled yelps coming from just under the window. Sure enough, my nosey teammates all popped up out of the bushes, gave the two of us sheepish waves and slunk off in defeat.
Shizuru's silvery laughter erupted from her side of the table and I turned to watch her, smiling all the way.
"You must tell me how you became friends with those three. The stories must be highly amusing." Shizuru said as her mirth died down.
They were in a way. Closing my laptop with a light tap, I took a sip of my iced coffee. "Sure, I'll tell you about Chie and Aoi first since theirs are the shortest. And I don't really know much about them since I haven't asked yet. All I know is that Chie is ex-military and Aoi is a hacker and computer whiz. They've been a couple well before I joined ARTEMIS."
I launched into the day when Chie and I worked on a client together for the first time and Chie had flirted with me for the duration of the job. One of those days, an overeager fan had coldcocked Chie in the head and she went to the hospital with a concussion. Aoi was informed and she rushed over. Meanwhile, I had gotten the client safely to the hotel and asked if I could check on my partner. I made it there before Aoi and Chie thought that I was her. She surprised me by trying to drag me in the bed with her. Aoi caught us in a rather uncompromising position. She was so enraged that she wouldn't talk to Chie and me for almost a full month. Reito had to give her the reports that we had written to convince her that it was all a mistake. She then made me a cake and scolded Chie for flirting with me instead of doing her job.
"My, they seem to not have changed at all." Shizuru remarked through her giggles.
I shrugged. "I've only known them for about six months or so. I've been back in Japan for just under a year. Chie and Aoi are kind of like crazy cousins, you can only take them in small doses."
Something cool brushed at my leg, under my tight cargos that flared at the bottom. I yelped and jerked my knee up, smacking it against the underside of the table.
"Ow!" I hissed, rubbing at my poor knee.
Shizuru winced, "Ara, such a strong reaction! I'm sorry!"
I rolled my eyes and looked under the table. Sure enough, one of Shizuru's boots was lying next to her crossed legs, her bared foot bouncing in the air. Looking up I shot her a glare. She returned it with an innocent smile and shrugged.
"Anyway, you've probably figured out that Nao and I are very similar, right?" I asked.
Shizuru nodded. "Yes. You two have quick tempers, and dirty mouths. You seem to control yours a bit better."
I sighed. "Yeah, Nao lost both of her parents when she was young. I essentially lost both of my parents, too. I haven't seen my father since he brought me to my Aunt Koika's house when I was nine. Nao's father was an American Marine who married her mother while he was on one of the bases here. Then he went to Aghanistan and was killed in a roadside bombing."
Shizuru gasped. "That's so sad."
I nodded. "That's not the half of it. Her mother had been battling cancer for a while. She even was able to go to the States to get treatment. Unfortunately, it had gone terminal when Nao was only fourteen. Nao essentially had to watch her mother waste away.
After that she was bounced around in the foster system. No one seemed to be able to handle her sharp wit, sharper tongue and violent temper. So she would take it out on criminals. Nao met Reito when he saw her wipe out an entire gang of thugs by herself. He asked her to use her talents at his agency, she agreed and that's where I met her.
We bonded over a case that involved a rather lecherous client. Turns out he liked red heads and she happened to be just his type." Shizuru made a face. "Yeah, he filed a complaint against her when she handcuffed him to his bed and walked out on him. Reito was not impressed with him, so he sent me in with one of Aoi's little cameras to document everything. Sure enough, he groped Nao then he tried to do the same with me. I dislocated his wrist. Reito sued him twice for sexual harassment. We've been friends since."
Shizuru's eyes were wide and she shook her head. "My, you sure got a lot out of her. If she's like you then she would rather look after her own business."
I reached over and placed my hands over hers which were wrapped around the empty mug of tea. "Yeah, I only got her to tell me her story after I told her mine and gave her lots of alcohol. Please, don't tell anyone else?"
"I wasn't planning to. Thank you for telling me." She responded solemnly, bringing her eyes up from our hands to my own eyes. They were so red.
"Beautiful," I murmured as our gazes locked. I had no trouble losing myself in the swirling reds.
"Ew! Can't you two get a room?" Nao had caught us.
I broke first. "Why would we need a room, Nao?" I asked, glaring up at the short redhead.
"Because you were having sex with your eyes." She responded dryly.
Shizuru shook herself and quipped. "So says the resident sexual deviant."
"Whatever, Fox. I need to take the mutt to see the boss man." She turned to me. "He said he's called like five times, and texted a couple times too. What gives?"
I shot Shizuru a quick glance. "Sorry, I have the phone on vibrate and I must not have felt it. Nao go on ahead, I'll catch up. He's at the police station, right?"
"Yeah, you'd better hurry. He's a little upset because of that incident a couple nights ago." With that she spun and marched out of the Café, towards the police station.
Shizuru gave me a curious look, "Why would Reito-san be upset about something that occurred two days ago?"
I grunted as we stood. I gathered up my things while Shizuru took our used stuff to the trash. When she came back I answered shortly. "We may have caught the guy who has been planting those bugs in your room."
We headed outside. Shizuru was silent until we hit the sidewalk. "So, you were staking out my room for a number of nights I take it?"
"Yeah, only three though. The third night someone had gotten in." I responded lightly.
"Why wasn't I told anything of this?" She asked a little sharply.
I knew this was coming; Shizuru is another who doesn't like to have her problems taken care of for her. "Well, I didn't want you to worry and the fewer people that knew of this the better."
That slightly mollified her, because the next question out of her mouth came from way out in left field. "How have you been sleeping?"
I blinked and stuttered out, "O-Okay, I guess. You?" I've been sleeping terribly since she and I haven't been sleeping together on a regular bases. I still haven't told her about my insomnia.
"Oh, well enough I suppose." She shot me a devilish smirk. "I slept much better with a certain black haired biker in my arms. I was merely hoping that she felt the same way."
Yes! Me too! I wanted to scream out but I had to play it cool. "If a certain brown haired heiress is able to keep her paws to herself, then the biker may agree to a sleepover."
I was rewarded with a bright smile and twinkling eyes. "Okay, I'll hold you to it then. I'll be over at nine. I only have rehearsal so it won't take long. I want details on your little search and destroy mission."
"How about this - I'll pick you up after rehearsal and we can have food. It'll be my treat."
Shizuru surprised me with a quick hug, running her fingers slowly down my back to my waist and murmured in my ear, "I'll be looking forward to it," before taking a quick nibble at my sensitive earlobe. Abruptly she let go and started to head for the train station.
I nearly whimpered. I was trying to be a good girl and here she was pushing all my buttons. Traitor.
"Zuru! That's not helping!" I yelled at her retreating back.
I sighed as I leaned against my bike, waiting for Shizuru to exit The HiMe Star. I parked it across the street in the shade, because I knew that Shizuru would most likely be trying to get Anh to spill the beans on what went down a couple nights ago.
Reito was royally pissed off that Nao had essentially sexually harassed the guy who stole Shizuru's clothes. Nao had remarked that this was the first time she's heard of someone trying to file a complaint against the police department for sexually harassing them into confessing a crime. Reito had to apologize to the police even as they arrested the man for trespassing and stealing. At least we didn't mess that up.
I watched the passersby with little interest until I noticed a familiar spikey head weaving its way towards me.
Damn it. A low growl escaped my lips.
Takeda Masashi had taken to showing up at odd places on campus. The poor kid either chose not to notice or did not realize my total lack of interest in him. I had turned him down flat about five times since our little encounter. Maybe he thinks I've been playing hard to get.
I plastered on a wide fake smile as he noticed me and honed in on my position like a guided missile. Wishing that I could duck and cover, I sent him a quick "Hi," as he strutted up to the rail separating the pedestrians from the street and leaned on it.
He smiled what he thought was his most charming smile, "Fancy meeting you here." He raked his eyes down my body and then snapped back up to my face. He was finally learning that Natsuki's face is most definitely not below her neck. I should throw him a bone or something.
I suddenly wished that I hadn't worn my really tight cargos and black V-neck fitted tee that showed off the tops of my breasts under my tight leather jacket. I chose it because it had "Ass Kicker" slashing diagonally across the front in bold gothic writing. "Yeah fancy that." I responded in a slightly sarcastic tone.
He looked at my silver bike not noticing the biting tone in my voice. "Nice ride. How many do you have anyways?"
"Um, just the two." I answered. This conversation is dying a slow and painful death. Hopefully, he takes the hint.
Takeda suddenly had an epiphany, "So you're waiting for someone, then?" Pure brilliance.
I nodded and was about to respond when my phone vibrated. Shizuru sent me a text.
All done u ready?
I shot her an affirmative reply. Then I panicked. If Takeda sees her here he could be trouble for Shizuru. Most of the students on campus may know her as the dancer in one of the most popular clubs in town, but they hadn't spoken up yet. Takeda was so dense that he'd announce it everywhere. That includes the circles that his dad and her dad ran in, too. If I didn't do something quick she'd could be in deep shit.
"But, you know, Masashi-kun, I would love it if you could keep me company until my friend comes back." I said in my most seductive voice as I sauntered over to the railing.
"G-great!" he stuttered out as I slid off my jacket and slowly turned to sit on the top rung of the railing. For good measure, I threw back my head and shook out my long hair, giving him a lovely view of my neck.
With my hair properly tousled I tucked in my chin and sent him a sultry look and husked. "It's good that you came around. I'm always afraid of creepy guys coming on to me." God, I felt like I was a pinup model.
He gulped and straightened, completely forgetting that I'd thrown a knife at him. "Well, don't worry I-"
A car honked, startling him to glance at the street just as the door to The Star opened.
Oh crap!
I panicked and pulled on the lapels of his light jacket so his face was level with me. I crushed my lips against his, all the while, watching as Shizuru paused outside the door, spotted us, and then start walking quickly towards us.
I am so going to pay for this somehow. I thought as I felt Takeda sloppily returning my kiss. Gross.
Pulling away and whispering in his ear "Thank you, my knight," I hopped off the railing and turned to Shizuruwho was glaring daggers at me.
"Ara, I see Takeda-kun has found another conquest. Although I am sure that Natsuki has her reasons." Her tone was light and teasing but her eyes spat crimson fire.
"Huh?" was Takeda's intelligent reply.
"Ikezu, Natsuki-chan! You've struck the poor man dumb!" Shizuru feigned concern and began to rub his arm. "Don't worry Takeda-kun many in the past have fallen for her feminine charms but they have been able to pick themselves up and move on." She gave him an encouraging smile. "Now carry on brave sir, I'm sure you'll be back to normal in no time." She pulled on his arm and let go as he began to shuffle in the direction he came from.
I almost felt sorry for him. But when Shizuru turned to me, smile falling off her face, I was beginning to feel sorrier for myself.
She vaulted over the railing and marched to my bike, picking up the spare helmet I had stuck on the handle bars and jamming it on her head. I eyed her as I followed suit, shrugging on the jacket before mounting the machine. One of her hands snaked under the leather and I jumped as fingers pinched my flesh hard.
"My place. Now." Shizuru demanded flatly. Her voice was almost alien to me. No matter how upset she was, she always maintained that lilting quality that I loved so much.
I nodded, not daring to speak, and revved my engine. She held on to the safety bar and not me as we pulled out into traffic.
When we parked at the entrance of her building, she leapt off the bike and pulled off her helmet, giving her hair an angry toss. She cocked a hip and placed the helmet on it. She made angry look sexy. I think that this is what models call their 'fierce' look.
"Well Natsuki, are you going to do your job?" She asked, her Kyoto accent creeping into Kyoto-ben. Her voice was musically seductive again, dangerous undertones making it menacing.
I sighed, knowing that the biting comment had come from her being angry with me. This was one of the problems that I was hoping to avoid when I asked that we backed off. We hardly knew each other. For all I know, Shizuru might think that I actually wanted to kiss the idiot.
I couldn't help but watch her ass as I climbed up the stairs behind her. Those jeans are really tight…
"Really, Natsuki? I catch you kissing that lecherous man, and now you are checking me out? Are you trying to piss me off?" Shizuru bit out from above me. What the hell? Is she a friggin mind reader?
I was so stunned that the only thing that popped out of my mouth was "Holy Shit! You just swore! And besides, I don't think you get to tell me who I kiss." I added defensively, rushing to catch up with her. Her heels clacked angrily against the cement of her floor as she made her way to her apartment.
Shizuru froze in front of her door and turned to face me. Eyes blazing she snarled. "You know what? Don't come in. I'll see you tomorrow." She jammed her key in the lock and turned it, opening the door and disappeared into the apartment. It was slammed shut with enough force to shake the frame. She didn't bother to give me back the spare helmet.
I hung my head. I know that if I had caught her kissing someone I would have been pissed off too. Besides I was a total jack ass. I deserved to be thrown off the building.
I absently took the long way back to my apartment. When I got to my little room, I flipped open my laptop and scrolled through my emails, eager to get Shizuru out of my head. I got an email from Koika saying that she and Mo were going to Skype me sometime next week and was wondering when the best times were to catch me. I shot her a reply, giving her my schedule, and writing that she could choose any free time.
Then I texted Shizuru. It was a simple "I'm sorry," but I hoped that she would give me time to explain myself.
I didn't sleep that night. Or for the next two.
Anh called me into her office about a couple days after Shizuru and I had our little falling out. Apparently, the entire club noticed that the star and her body guard were not talking to each other and rumors were flying.
"Misaki-chan, please sit." Anh gestured to the plush chair in her office as she moved to the door to lock it. I slouched into the cushions.
"I'm going to start with this: you look like shit, have you been sleeping?"
"Nope, I'm going on four days without sleep. I messed up bad." I responded flatly.
Anh sighed, "Is it as bad as I think it is?"
I barked out a bitter laugh, "Yeah, maybe worse. I kissed Masashi Takeda in front of her. Then was a total ass when I brought her home."
Cerulean eyes hardened, "Natsuki, why in the name of heaven did you kiss that horny sack of shit?"
Whoa, she must really hate Takeda or at least his family. "I was waiting for her to finish practice and he came up to me to flirt. Shizuru came out of the Star and I thought it would create a scandal if he saw her. I panicked." I put my head in my hands and closed my eyes.
"You moron." She rapped the top of my head gently with her knuckles. "If that was all that you worried about, you didn't need to. Takeda Masashi is aware that Shi-chan and I are close friends. He also knows that I own the Star. He wouldn't have looked twice if he saw her come out of the club."
I choked out a "What" as I absorbed this little piece of information. My vision blurred. "Anh, how do I fix this? She might think I am attracted to Takeda. He has been coming after me ever since he caught me changing into my riding gear at school. I have told that bastard 'no' so many times."
Anh sighed and rubbed my back. "You kids are going to be the death of me. I can tell you this: Shizuru was probably more upset with herself for over-reacting. She and Takeda go way back and something happened between the two of them. I won't tell you more, but I know that she has come to care for you more than she thought she would and I'm not sure she knows how to act."
"Yeah, me too. I am sure that Reito has told you about all of the team's little quirks, yes?" I looked up to see her nod.
"Well, according to my Aunt, who has a PhD in psychology, my temper is linked to a very acute protective instinct. While my anger may stem from my past, my protective nature is something that is always evolving." I paused, searching for the right words to describe what I was feeling. "Shizuru's told you about my violent outbursts?"
Anh huffed, "Yes, and Natsuki, if you hurt her I will personally make your life hell."
"Impossible. Anh, when I crushed that man's nose, it was the first time I had reacted so violently since high school. It totally goes against my instincts to attack the one that I want to protect."
"Ara," Anh whispered. "So, let me get this straight, if I was with you and those men had accosted me in the same manner, you would have reacted with more restraint?"
I nodded. "Of course I would make sure that they would regret trying to mess with you but I wouldn't snap like I did with her."
A sharp rap on the door interrupted us as Anh began to respond. She walked over, poked her head out and I heard murmured whispers. I was too wrapped up in my misery to pay attention.
When the door clicked shut and she walked in front me, I looked up. "Anh, what I am about to tell you, do not repeat to Shizuru. Please."
"Oh this had better be good."
"Shizuru is the first person that makes me want to be better, not for my sake but for hers. I wake up every morning thinking of ways to make her smile, just so I can watch her eyes light up. And when she does, she makes me weak in the knees. When she is sad or upset I just want to hold her until she feels better." I took a deep breath. "Anh, I think I might be in love with her."
"Oh my. Shizuru's right, you are a romantic at heart." She smiled gently and reached out to rustle her fingers through the fake hair of my wig. "I haven't known you for long but I know that you have a big heart. And I haven't seen Shizuru shine so brightly. You must be doing something right. Just give her time and she'll come around."
I nodded as I stood up. Giving her a hug, I said, "Thanks Anh. I really needed that."
She chuckled and patted my shoulder. "You're welcome. Now go home and sleep. I'll have Nao take over for today."
I went home, but I sure as hell didn't fall asleep. Carefully taking the wig off and shaking out my hair, I began to undress. My Misaki clothes were strewn about the apartment but I didn't care. In my light PJ pants and a sleeping tank, I flopped on my couch. Downing a huge coffee, I picked up my sketchbook and pencil and began to draw the image that had burned in my head since I left the Star.
An hour flew by and I had just begun to fill in the details of my focal point, a lone wolf sleeping peacefully under the protective branches of a large maple tree, when my computer rang. I glanced at it and saw that it was my aunts, Skyping me a day earlier than what we agreed on.
I carefully placed the sketchbook down on the coffee table and moved to pick up the laptop. Clicking the receive button as I settled back into a comfortable position on the couch, I waited for the images to buffer.
My Aunt Koika's exotic face appeared on the screen. "Hello, Koko. It's good to see you." I said using her old nickname. At ten, I thought it was funny to name my favorite family member after my favorite drink: hot cocoa.
Hazel eyes danced merrily as she husked out, "Hey there Chibi-chan. How's my favorite niece?"
Aunt Koika's actually a Native Japanese speaker, because my father's family had moved to Japan when she was very little. She and dad are both half Japanese but my dad's Japanese heritage was hidden behind the American genes. Aunt Koika looked like an exotic blend of her western and eastern heritage. Her hair was perfectly straight and had an interesting blend of colors. I would describe it as cherry dark chocolate. It was cut with sharp layers in the front to accentuate her penetrating hazel eyes. They were wide and canted and set in a strong featured face. Currently her generous mouth was stretched into a warm smile and her full lips only had lip balm on them. She never wore makeup because her skin was sensitive to it. Frankly, she didn't need it, she was naturally beautiful.
"I'm fine Koko, just haven't been sleeping much." When I saw her face scrunch up, I hastily added, "You know, because of work. I am with the client every day."
Her hazel eyes, which were glowing warm amber in the light, narrowed at me.
Crap, I don't think she bought it. I prepared myself for a lecture.
"Natsuki, you are not okay. It looks like your insomnia has flared up again. Not only that, my brute of a wife has told me that you have been beating up poor innocent people. Have you even been making sure to keep up with your calming routine? It's that Fujino girl right? Has she been causing you trouble?" She fired up more and more questions as she got more upset.
I sighed. "Koko, yes my insomnia is flaring again but it's because I can't be near Shizuru as often as I like now, and because I did something stupid." She opened her mouth to speak up and I cut her off. "No! Let me finish. Mo was exaggerating. I've only lost my temper a couple times but I took it out on scumbags and a couple of idiot fans. And I was doing my job too. Yes, I have been doing my calming exercises, but not as often because I've been with Shizuru so much."
I let Koika read between the lines. She's really good at figuring out what I want to say without me actually having to say it. Unlike Morgan, who has to be hit with something equivalent to a sledge hammer, Koika's good at subtle.
"Oh. Oh! My little Natsuki has found herself a girlfriend! That's great Chibi-chan." She paused. "Do you want to talk about why your insomnia is flaring?"
"I know why. Shizuru's pissed off at me because she caught me kissing a guy that she's had history with. I think she hates his guts. And instead of apologizing right away, I made it even worse by acting like a total asshole." I said bitterly.
Lean pale arms slipped over Koika's head as Morgan's pixy like face appeared on the screen and she planted her chin on top of Koika's head.
"Top o-the Mornin' to ya!" She greeted cheerfully. Morning people can suck sometimes. Then again, I'm not really a morning person. Or a night person, since I don't sleep often.
I switched to English, because Morgan really hadn't grasped the nuances of Japanese. "Morning Miss Mo."
She grinned, her ice blue eyes dancing merrily because she knew that she had just interrupted something important. Koika's eyes flashed as she growled low in her throat.
Two guesses as to what side of the family I get my temper from. I thought, watching Koika as she struggled to calm down. She'll snap in 3, 2, 1…
"Will you get off me, you deranged Tinker Bell wannabe! I'm trying to have a serious conversation here!" Koika yelled in her accented English. The computer was jostled as she stood up and twisted, her long hair flashing in the camera's view finder.
I waited patiently as Koika chased her spouse around the house. Morgan and Koika were complete opposites in not only their looks but in their demeanor. The only thing that they had in common was that they both could model, although Koika's small five foot two inch frame might bar her from the profession.
Because of Morgan's height and her penchant for wearing gothic clothes, people really thought she was a pixie from hell. She even wore her ashy blond hair in a short pixie cut, with her bangs spiked down over her large blue eyes. It was a good choice, because it only served to highlight her delicately sharp facial features. When she lost a bet against Koika, Morgan had to dress up as an elf queen and crash a comic convention. She not only crashed it but ended up getting her picture in one of DC's newspapers; her costume and looks were just that eye catching.
Koika was the down to earth, get it done now type. Morgan was a mischievous, go with the flow type and had a wicked sense of humor. Her favorite hobby was tormenting Koika. It certainly made for an interesting time growing up, that's for sure.
Finally, Koika and Morgan both sat in front of the computer, sucking in breaths of air.
I chuckled. "Done yet?"
"No."
"Yes."
Morgan shot her wife a look, which was pointedly ignored, "Baby, I could go all day." She drawled.
"Morgan!" Both Koika and I shouted.
"What?"
Koika slapped her shoulder, "This is not the time. Besides, what's with telling me that Natsuki has been beating up innocent people? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
Morgan opened her mouth, but knowing her, she was going to say something dirty, so I interrupted her. "Koika, do you want to see my recent sketches? I have lots of them." Drawing was one of the things that Koika suggested I do, once she found out that I was good at it and that I liked to do it, to help filter some of my anger.
"Sure thing, Chibi-chan."
"Oh, I love your sketches, Nats." Morgan piped up eagerly.
I reached over the top of the laptop and grabbed my sketchbook. When I sat back down, I noticed both my aunts had identical looks of concern on their faces.
"Why do you have a line running down your arm?" Morgan asked sternly.
Shit. "Um, Shizuru's stalker attacked me with a knife." I said sheepishly.
Koika pressed closer to the screen, "Your arm, I want to see it. Now." Not being able to say no to that tone, I held up my arm to the camera. I slowly turned it so they could see the full extent of the wound. Koika gasped and Morgan's eyes narrowed in on it, her features hardening.
"Natsuki, why didn't you tell us?" Koika demanded.
I winced, "Well I didn't want to worry you. It doesn't hurt anymore." I said softly.
"Natsuki, we worry about you every damn day. We love you." Morgan's southern accent drifted softly over the speaker.
Koika nodded, "You are like a daughter to us, not just someone who has been dumped on my doorstep. I know you like to fight your battles yourself, but please, at least keep us updated." Her eyes shone, bringing out the grassy green that was also a part of her in-between shade.
I whipped through my notebook. I had a drawing of something that they would appreciate. It was one of the few colored ones I did, but it was one of my favorites. "I know but I don't want you to feel like you have to protect me all the time." I flipped the notebook so they could see it.
Twin gasps of air were heard as my aunts took in the picture. I knew what they saw. A large wolf, with red tinged, chocolate covered fur and green-gold eyes was standing next to a tall silver haired elf. The elf was wearing a long black gown and one of her hands rested in the fur of the wolf's back. They were standing in the middle of a glade, sun shining down on them. The elf's ice blue eyes were staring forlornly at a smaller, ebony furred wolf. Its head was held high as it walked towards the unknown.
"I drew this right after I got hurt." I said.
"It's beautiful, Natsuki. I miss you so much." Koika turned her head into Morgan's shoulder and began to sob quietly. Morgan wrapped an arm around her wife and leaned her cheek on the top of her head.
Morgan's eyes shimmered as well, "Baby doll, thank you. But next time call us, or have that Shizuru do so for you if you can't. I miss you, too."
I shook my head, this was nothing, "You guys are the world to me. You took me in when no one would. Thank you so much."
Koika just sobbed harder and Morgan chuckled. "Natsuki, has anyone told you that you're a sap?"
"Yeah, all the time. I tell them I get it from my Koko." I grinned as Koika's hand balled into a fist and she punched Morgan in the stomach, still bawling her eyes out.
"Ow! Woman! I'm getting soaked by hurricane Koika and she punches me." Morgan feigned an annoyed growl.
"Th-That's for giving Natsuki the opening to tease me. I'd hit her too but she's half way across the world!" Koika wailed.
I burst out laughing and Morgan followed suit. Koika looked up at Morgan, then at me through watery eyes, and then added her smoky chuckles into the mix.
"Chibi-chan, make sure you fix whatever you broke so you can sleep again. We have to go, we're meeting Bo and Sue at the park later to play with Natalia."
"Yes, Ma'am." I saluted at her. "We should do this more often, it's fun."
Morgan rolled her eyes, "Duh! Natsuki, I don't know where you get your stupidity from; certainly not from me."
I hung up on them bickering over who gave me my attributes. I chuckled, it's good having parents. Sure, Koika and Morgan haven't legally adopted me, but I'm theirs in every way but the law.
I rubbed at my wolf locket and then opened it with a snap. "Mama, they are good people. I didn't realize this before, but I am a lucky girl. I have one mother watching over me in Heaven and two more keeping an eye out for me here on Earth."
I stumbled over to my bed. I don't even think I felt my head hit the pillow.
Eagerly, I waited for my unsuspecting messenger to appear. I was pacing the DJ's nest at the Star, dressed in my Misaki best. The outfit was completely black from head to toe. My buttoned up shirt's sleeves were rolled neatly up above my elbows. Its last two buttons were left undone and snaking loosely around my neck was a white skinny tie. A black fedora rested atop my head. My black pants were held up around my waist by a thick white belt with silvery trim.
A wolf whistle sounded off behind me and I spun to face JUN of all peopled. "Hey. What's up?"
He eye balled me. "Mm. If only you weren't dating my girl…" He trailed off, looking like he wanted to jump me.
"Down boy, you know I don't swing that way." I said truthfully.
JUN chuckled, "Yeah, but it doesn't hurt to look." Slowly, he inspected me from head to toe. "Maybe it is. Misaki, you are the only person I know who can pull off that look."
"Um. Thanks?" I said hoping he would go away. I liked him, he was a good person, but his constant advances were getting a little tiring.
"Mi-chan!" We both looked at the door to find Arika standing there, staring at me in awe.
"Wow! You really look like a prince today!" Arika said excitedly as she rushed over to throw her arms around me.
JUN gave me a wave and slipped out. I patted Arika's head as she snuggled into my chest.
"Hey, Bug. How's it going?" I asked softly. I'd given her the nickname because she was so small for her age.
She looked up at me with big shining eyes. "Shizuru nee-chan is really sad and she hasn't come out of her room all day! I just came from there and she said that she misses her wolf. I don't know what that means, though."
I sighed and knelt so I was looking up at her. "Could you deliver this for me?" I handed her my sketch which was framed with plain card stock and wrapped in forest green paper. "Can you ask her if it's okay for me to come and visit?"
She nodded solemnly. "I don't know if you're her wolf or whatever, but I like it when she's around you. She's like a fairy princess then."
I smiled up at her. "Thanks, Bug. Now go on." I watched as she spun and walked briskly away, carefully holding the present in front of her.
Sitting down on the stool that the DJs use, I pulled of my hat and ran my fingers through my fake hair. I propped my chin in my hand and waited. And waited.
Finally, I heard light footsteps rushing up the stairs towards me. Arika skidded to a stop in front of me. I waited patiently for her to catch her breath.
"She says yes!" Arika shouted excitedly.
Stuffing my hat back on my head I walked as fast as I could down to Shizuru's room. Akira trailed behind me.
When I reached the door, I looked at Arika. "Thanks Bug, I think I can handle it from here." I gave her a wolfish grin and winked.
She turned pink and said "Voila nee-chan said that I should come so you won't do anything weird."
Oh, well. I really don't care at this point. I thought as I knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Shizuru's melodious voice filtered through the door. After only five days or so of not hearing it, it hit me like a hammer.
Shaking my head, I answered. "It's Misaki."
"Is Arika there with you?"
I sighed. "Yes! Arika, say hi. She isn't going to open it unless you say something."
"Yes sir! Hi Viola nee-chan! I hope you and Mi-chan can be friends again."
The door opened wide, revealing a slightly annoyed Shizuru. "Misaki, you didn't coach her did y-"
I couldn't take it anymore. Quickly I stepped in the room and gently held her face as I leaned in for a kiss. Luckily, we were so close in height that I really didn't have to waste any extra movements that would telegraph my intentions.
I put all I had into that kiss. She stiffened at first, initially trying to push me away weakly with her hands at my shoulders. Finally, she responded, her hands tugging me closer to her. My nerves were singing as I felt her lips soften against mine.
A sharp cough from the doorway caused us to break apart, each of us breathing heavily. Shizuru looked at me, her eyes a dark burgundy and leaned in, her hands still on my shoulders.
"You are going to pay for that." She husked seductively in my ear.
I turned around sharply and looked at Arika to avoid answering her. Her face was red, but her eyes shone in admiration.
"That was so romantic." She sighed. "I guess that Mi-chan is your wolf?"
"Yes, he is also so terribly clichéd at times." I snorted, she loves clichés. "Arika-chan, I need you to not mention what you just saw. There are people who might not take kindly to Misaki and I being together."
"You got it, Viola nee-chan. I'll leave you guys alone." Arika bolted.
She let go of my shirt and pushed the door shut. Locking it, she sauntered towards me.
"That, Natsuki, was totally uncalled for." She whispered. "What happened to the whole 'let's slow down and be best friends' thing?"
"Zuru, I realized that I like being friends with you, but I love being whatever we were before." I said truthfully.
"And Masashi?" She asked sharply.
I looked down sheepishly, "Zuru, do you really think I'm attracted to him?"
"Honestly? Yes, I do."
I looked up, locking my eyes with her burgundies. "Well, I'm not. I am only attracted to girls, more specifically, a crimson eyed princess."
"That doesn't explain why you kissed that man and why you acted that way in my building." She responded with an edge in her voice.
I sighed. "Look, I thought that Takeda would see you come out of the club and cause a scandal, so I distracted him. I don't know why I reacted that way when you were so obviously upset. We aren't even officially dating and because I wasn't attracted to him, so I never even considered that as cheating."
Suddenly, her eyes narrowed and she jabbed a finger at me causing me to step back. "You're telling me that you wouldn't have felt the same way if you caught me kissing someone else? Besides that, you asked to slow down and a month later I find you kissing someone that I highly dislike. What was I supposed to think?"
She backed me to the couch and I was forced to sit down on it with a thump. Then she took my hat off and perched it on her head. She placed her hands on her hips.
"Oh." I realized the extent of my error. "Um, sorry. I only wanted to slow us down so we could get to know each other better." Leaning forward I grasped her waist and pulled her into my lap, ecstatic that she let me do so. "You know what? I realized that I can take your anger, but being completely cut off from you is pure torture." I said as I hugged her.
She pulled away and I gave her my wide eyed stare. "Ikezu. You know I can't resist those eyes." She murmured as she ran the pads of her fingers down my face. "You are forgiven. I know I kind of overreacted and I am sorry for being so angry. I got used to the idea of having you all to myself, so it was a bit of a shock."
"Shizuru, do you know that wolves mate for life?" I asked, plucking my hat off her head.
She giggled and said, "But we haven't even mated yet," as she watched my face go red. "I love your drawing by the way."
"Thanks. Is that sleepover permanently off or just postponed?" I asked eagerly.
"Postponed. I meant what I said; you help me sleep better." She nodded to her new picture, which was currently resting on the couch next to us. "And I am guessing that I do the same for you?"
"Yeah. Oh and that kiss I gave you, think of that as payback for that little stunt you pulled before this whole fiasco." I grinned up at her as her eyes widened in surprise.
She slapped my shoulder. "Okay, we're even. But you do realize that Arika is going to have trouble keeping her mouth shut."
I shrugged it off, there had been rumors circulating about us for a very long time. "Yeah, but I don't really care."
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. She tapped on it to put it into speaker mode. Anh picked up.
"Hello, Anh nee-chan. I was wondering if I could take the rest of the night off."
"And why would you want to do that?" Anh's voice echoed through the room.
"Hello Anh." I spoke up.
"Ah, made up I see? Okay, just because I know you guys need the break. And get some sleep. No hanky panky." She hung up before we could protest.
"You heard the lady, let's get out of here." I said, eager to shed my disguise.
"Ara, such vigor." She grinned as I led her out of the club.
We zipped along the city streets. I drove as fast as I knew Shizuru was comfortable with, towards her apartment. When we got there we quickly undressed and hopped into bed. We heaved simultaneous sighs of relief as we snuggled up together. I tiredly played with the ends of Shizuru's soft hair.
"Zuru, did I ever tell you that are really comfortable?"
"Nastuki, go to sleep." I did exactly that.
I woke up the next afternoon to find that Shizuru was still in bed with me, reading a book.
"Good morning, my Natsuki."
Boy did it feel good to be claimed again. "Morning."
She put down her book and said, "While you and I were not talking, I decided to do some research." She took a deep breath and added, "I found out Tomoe's identity."
I sat up, "Really? Who is she?"
Shizuru shook her head. "I'll tell you, but I want something in return."
I hesitated. Shizuru drove a hard bargain. "Okay, shoot - what do you want?"
"I want to be put on the team."
AN: Hey! This chapter was a little hard to write but It was worth all the bumps and bruises! I hope you all liked it as much as I liked to write it. I may keep the one and a half to two week release schedule so I can really get into the nitty gritty of the thing. Any mistakes are my own- as my beta gets just about everything.
I am going to try to distinguish from now on between Shizuru's accent and when she slips into Kyoto-ben (the dialect) since they will be heading to Kyoto in the next chapter.
Koika's nickname for Natsuki (Chibi chan) could be translated as "little one" - Chibi means small in Japanese.
Reviews are always welcome!