A/N: Welcome back, dear readers and lurkers. I'm truly enjoying writing about these side personal dramas that are occurring for Haida and Retsuko. I promise I will return to more 'exclusive' Haida/Retsuko action soon.

~ Chapter 7 ~

Haida woke up with his alarm. No sunlight this morning; the dawn was overcast and grey, and when he checked his phone for the forecast, intermittent showers were predicted. Guess I need my umbrella today. He showered, dressed, and while the coffee percolated and the bread toasted, he called Mom. As he suspected she would, she picked up after the first ring.

"Haida-honey! Good morning," she greeted. Her cheerfulness this early was truly something to behold. No doubt she'd been this chipper already for the last three hours. "I'm glad you got back to me. I worried when you didn't answer your phone last night. Is everything all right? Your pneumonia didn't flare up, did it? You're feeling okay? Sometimes those illnesses linger."

"Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. I was busy last night," he said. "What's the big emergency?"

"Your father and I saw that wonderful picture on Lifebook of you and the pretty girl you're seeing. Why didn't you say you were dating someone, dearest?"

The toast popped up, so Haida cradled his phone between his shoulder and ear to free up his hands. "I said I had a date, didn't I? That was our first actual date."

"How did it go? Tell me everything. Did you take her to our special family spot in Shinjuku?"

"It was great." As he scraped butter on his toast, he decided to put her on a detour. "Hiro and I had dinner last night."

"Really! So soon again?" Her delighted and shocked tone was worth the sudden switch in topic. Wait. What did she mean 'so soon again?' "He had mentioned meeting Retsuko on Sunday."

The information caused Haida to set his full mug down too hard on the countertop, spilling hot coffee on his hand. "Ouch!" He flicked his hand to cool the coffee. "He what?" Flustered, he grabbed a paper towel to wipe up the dribbles before they stained his sleeve.

"Of course he did," she said, all breezy. "He also mentioned another friend? Who was she? Aiyah, you never mention your work friends! Who else are you keeping secret from us?"

A tiny bud of panic sprouted. "What did he say about Retsuko?"

"Well, that she seemed nice and that you two got along," she responded. "I'm so pleased you are out and about, socializing! Your father was concerned you weren't getting out enough to meet people. You always were alone in your room, doing heaven knows what up there."

Not so fast, Mom. "Did you send Hiro over here on Sunday to snoop?"

"Haida, I love you, sweetie, and you don't call often enough to let me know what's going in your busy life," she replied. Everything about her voice was loving and conciliatory, and was meant to distract from what she meant, which was yes, she'd sent Hiro to snoop. "Is it my fault I have to rely on your brother to tell me these things because you won't talk to me?"

"Mom! It's been one date! Stop pressuring me!" he said, a tight knot of hot anger in his chest. Eight in the morning was too early to be in a heated discussion with his mother, defending his choices. "This is why I don't want to talk about my private life! And stop sending Hiro around. I knew it couldn't be a coincidence that I finally have a date, and the next day he shows up, wanting to meet her."

Mom clucked her tongue at him. "No need to get upset, Haida-dear. Dad and I are coming up Saturday morning. We'll spend the day and take you boys to dinner. Invite Retsuko along. We'd love to meet her."

"No, no way," Haida replied. That panic rose up and swallowed the anger. "She won't want to meet my parents after only a week!"

"Darling, this is nothing. It's just a little dinner…it'll be completely casual," Mom said, unfazed and undeterred. "I'll let Hiro know she's coming along."

Haida reached for any excuse. In a high-pitched rush, he told her, "We already have plans this Saturday!"

And to his consternation, his mother outright laughed at him. "Oh," she said, taking a breath, "you are such a terrible liar! Your voice always gives you away. Why don't you want her to meet us? Do we embarrass you? Your father and I worked hard to raise you in a comfortable, steady household, full of quality opportunities to-"

He interrupted before she could continue the guilt trip. "I don't think it's appropriate for her to meet you so soon. We agreed that we'd be a low-key couple and that we wouldn't pressure each other. How do you think she'd feel if I called her up, a day after meeting my brother, two days after our first date, to tell her, 'Oh, by the way, how about dinner with my parents?'"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. He held his breath for his mother's answer. "Is that really how you feel?"

"Yes. Please, Mom, you and Dad will have dinner with her, but not now," he answered. He sat in a chair, his legs watery with relief that she seemed to give in. "Let me work us up to it."

"If that's what you want," she agreed. Haida, covering the phone with one hand, sighed and slouched as Mom continued. "Before I say goodbye, be sure to tell Hiro to call me. I have something I wish to discuss with him."

He heard the disappointment edging her words, so he said, "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. I happened to speak with one of my former colleagues at UTokyo the other day, and she expressed some…concerns with Hiro's recent work ethic. I'd like to straighten things out with him," she said.

It could have been because Hiro had shown a renewed interest in being a brother, or it could have been because he opened up about his schooling, but Haida sensed an opportunity to soften a blow for him. "Hey, Mom, go easy on him, okay? He's working really hard to make you proud."

"I understand, Haida-honey, but medical school is not a place where slacking off is acceptable," she responded. "I better let you go. I don't want you to be late for work. Have a fantastic day, sweetie, and I love you."

"Love you, too. Bye."

After they hung up, Haida didn't wait to send Hiro a warning text: Mom thinks you're slacking off with your studies. Call her to 'straighten things out'.

Then he had to hurry to eat, pack his gym bag, and catch his train downtown. While he'd be be on time to work, there wasn't enough time to purchase his yoga mat. He'd do that after work, he supposed, as he climbed the stairs to the glass doors. After his morning greetings to his coworkers, he rode the elevator and didn't stop a grin because of his rising excitement to see Retsuko.

As usual, he caught up to Fenneko and Retsuko in the hallway. They greeted each other and walked in a loose group to the work area. Haida tried, but failed, to avoid a glance at Retsuko's knees as they winked at him under the hem of her blue work skirt. Then, when an impulse ran across his brain to slide his hand up her thigh, he shoved his fists into his pockets. Not at work. Not. At. Work.

"Haida, I could use your help in the Tea Room," said Retsuko. "See you in a minute, Fenneko."

Fenneko winked at them. "Are you sure you don't need a look-out?"

"No…I need someone who can reach the top shelf, and I didn't think you qualified," replied Retsuko with a level gaze. Even then, a nerve twitched in Retsuko's forehead. "That's all."

"If you say so." Fenneko gave a shrug and a dismissive wave. "See you in a few."

He and Retsuko stepped into the Tea Room, and he became aware as he walked behind her that she smelled fantastic. Had she worn perfume before and he'd never noticed? This seemed like a pleasant new development. The scent was light, sort of peppy and sweet, but not saccharine- -a soft floral note somewhere in there, but not a flower he immediately recognized. Maybe gardenia? Violet? Hm, not sure. What was it?

"So what do you need?" Haida asked, as he abstained from sniffing at her.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you about yoga. Were you still coming tonight?" she asked. She had an adorable line between her eyebrows that showed her worry.

"Sure," he replied, "but I'll have to meet you there. I need to run down the street for a yoga mat after work."

"That's fine. No worries," she said, and she peered up at him with those irresistible brown eyes. "Um, as a reminder, Washimi and Gori will be there." Under the influence of her gaze, she could be telling him that the apocalypse was happening, and he would have shrugged it off as no big deal. "They're sort of…looking forward to meeting you."

When she reached out to fiddle with his collar, her fingers brushed against his neck, and a wave of heat rushed through him. He absolutely should not pant, tongue lolling, in front of her, and he controlled himself.

"I'll try not to disappoint," he said as he oozed to the tile in a puddle of goo instead. I might need Fenneko to peel me off the floor. "Was there…anything else?"

She beamed that cutie-pie smile he adored. "No, that's everything. Thank you."

When she left, a wake of her perfume wafted behind her, maddening him, and Haida floated through it into the hall to their work area. However, outside of her presence, a sudden anxiety reared up to ruin the happy place he inhabited. Washimi? Gori? Soon at the end of the workday, he would face two of the most important professionals in the entire building. What am I supposed to say? How should I act?

He and Retsuko had said no pressure, but with such high-flying friends, how could he not feel pressured to make a good impression? Retsuko talked about Washimi and Gori so often that it was clear how much she admired their opinions. That said, if he screwed up with them, there was a distinct possibility that they'd convince Retsuko to leap out of a relationship with a nerd like him! Maybe he should ask Retsuko what to do. They were her friends, after all, and surely she could shed some light on how he was expected to behave. With that thought in mind, he settled in to get his work started.

Not much time passed until Mr. Ton and Tsubone loaded Retsuko up with ever-increasing stacks of paperwork, and even as she smiled and said, "This is okay," he could tell she was upset with it. So, when lunchtime was called, he decided to make his move. He scanned the office. Mr. Ton and Komiya replaced their golf clubs after practicing their swings the entire morning. Tsubone was at her work station, facing away. Everyone else didn't pay any mind. He glanced across the tops of the computers to Fenneko; she caught his look and when he inclined his head towards the bathroom, she rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Retsuko, you mind coming with me to the bathroom before lunch?" Fenneko said. "I've got something I want to show you."

Retsuko broke from her concentration on her work. "Sure. Haida, you'll meet us at our table?"

"You bet," he told her.

He waited until they rounded the corner before he stood and stretched. By this time, Mr. Ton, Komiya, and Tsubone had left the immediate vicinity. His heart pounded in anticipation, and he swallowed around a dry throat. Okay, be cool. No big deal. I'm taking some of my papers to Retsuko's desk to cross-reference the figures. There's nothing suspicious going on. He leaned over her desk, and after one final scan of the office, he scooped up a large stack from the nearest corner. Using a quick hustle, he stepped around to his own workstation, opened a bottom drawer and dropped the pilfered stack in it. After lunch, he would bring the stack up like it had been there the entire time.

"Haida!"

In his surprise, he slammed shut the drawer with a resounding WHAM! Guilt-stricken, he twisted around to see who called his name, and horror of horrors, it was Tsubone. Her green skin was taut over her stern features, and as she marched towards him, her pink tongue flicking around her red lipsticked mouth, Haida saw his doom approaching. Heart seizing in his chest, blood running cold, he gasped a shuddering breath.

"Yes, ma'am?" The squeak was suspicious, so he cleared his throat and tried again. "Uh, something the matter?"

In reality, she responded the next second, but to Haida's hyper aware state, it seemed like ten years. Her sharp eyes seemed to bore into him. "Would you mind opening this jar for me?"

Haida refrained from a complete collapse, and as he took the jar from her, he said, "How's your wrist?"

"Oh, that's so sweet of you to ask. I have a few more weeks left with this cast," she told him. Her arm hung in a sling, her forearm from elbow to fingers encased in the white plaster. "To tell you the truth, it itches like the dickens."

"That's good. It means your bone is healing," he said, studying the jar. These stupid jars had defeated him too many times to count, but he'd give it another shot. He took a pair of scissors from his desk and whacked the handles of them around the rim of the cap. After that, it popped open when he twisted it. "Here you go. Enjoy your lunch break."

"Thank you. You are a dear."

When she turned away, Haida sank into his office chair and reminded himself how to breathe. That was too close. After a few minutes of slowing his heart-rate, he got his lunch and met Retsuko and Fenneko at their usual table. Lunch happened without any further issue. He and Retsuko enjoyed their light conversation; Fenneko contributed every now and again, but had her nose pressed to her phone screen- -surprising, since he thought she'd at least rib him about joining yoga with Retsuko. Before she rose from her seat, Haida nudged Retsuko with his elbow.

"Hey. About Washimi and Gori," he said, and when Retsuko's sole attention was on him, he felt like he couldn't continue without crashing into a flaming wreck. "I, uh, was wondering. Is there…anyway I can impress them?"

Retsuko shared another wholesome smile with him. Her hand again lifted to fool with his collar- -the heat rushed, again, into his chest and up his neck. "They'll want to know you as a person, not a subordinate. I promise you have nothing to worry about. Just…be yourself."

I want to marry this woman and spend the rest of my life with her. He had known he was in love her. He knew that, but this additional fact, this simple life truth, burst into his brain from somewhere deep under his heart with the emotional seismology of a nine on the Richter scale, and through sheer willpower alone, he nodded his head and didn't blurt what was on his mind. She got up, oblivious to his personal revelation, to throw away her trash.

"You coming?" she asked when he didn't move.

"Yeah. In a minute."

"Oh. Okay. I'll see you soon."

"Yeah."

As he watched her walk away, he fought the compulsion to leap up, sweep her into his arms, and leave this horrid place forever. He'd live with Retsuko on a tropical island in the middle of the ocean where they could make out on the beach and drink fancy fruit cocktails and swim in turquoise waters. Impractical, yes, but it was a lovely daydream. He was not a man who suffocated or clung to others; he liked alone, he liked being solitary, he liked peace and quiet away from everyone. At this moment, he promised himself that he was not letting Retsuko get away; he was going to hold onto her with both hands.

He rose from his chair, a bit unsteady as his heart threatened to burst from its fullness, and went back to being a corporate zombie for the time being. Even with Retsuko's extra stack of paperwork, he managed to complete everything before the end of the workday. Retsuko had one or two more files to check, but she would be done with those in a few minutes. Tsubone did not even glance at the report he handed her, so with that issue resolved, he gathered together his umbrella and gym bag to head out.

After purchasing his yoga mat, he again found himself at Yogi's Yoga, and despite Retsuko's pep talk, despite his unwavering commitment to her happiness, he found he was unable to cross the threshold. In there would be Washimi and Gori! Washimi! Gori! Out here was safe. And though he had no reason to be terrified of them, they were intimidating as hell. He would say something to embarrass Retsuko; he would offend one or both of them, or he would be a complete and utter moron, and they would hate him. Here he remained, examining the psychedelic advertisement, stalling for time as he worked up the courage to enter the studio.

"Protein! Protein?" Climbing up the metal staircase was Yogi himself. "Protein."

"Uh, hi! I'm just, uh, arriving." Lame! "Sorry. Here you go."

Haida stepped aside to let Yogi pass by, but the buff kangaroo opened the door and maneuvered Haida in ahead of him. Not content to let Haida off the hook, Yogi escorted him to the men's locker room and deposited him behind the door, where Haida had no choice but to change into some workout clothes and store his bag in a locker.

Okay. You can do this. He stepped out of the locker room with a confidence he didn't feel and scanned the arrivals. Retsuko hadn't shown up yet, nor did he see Washimi or Gori. Maybe they'd miss today.

Yogi was nearby, his arms crossed. "Protein." He tugged Haida's arm and steered him to an open spot, where he pointed with a stern forefinger. "Protein."

"Oh…okay."

The choice made for him, again, Haida rolled out his mat and felt a little lost as to what he was supposed to be doing. Mostly everyone stood around in conversation, so he hung out, spying details around the studio to prevent a serious freak-out session. A few more women arrived, and among them, a couple other men who shot Haida a thumb's up, which boosted his confidence. When the yoga instructor issued a two minute warning, Retsuko entered with Washimi and Gori from the women's locker room. She spotted him, her face crinkled in a way that lifted him, and she hurried over to set up next to him.

"Haida, this is Washimi and Gori. Gori, Washimi, this is Haida," she said.

Don't be a dork, don't be a dork, don't be a dork…"It's nice to meet you," he said, taking first Washimi's offered pinion and then Gori's hand. "I've heard some incredible things about you two. All good, of course," he added, with a laugh.

"It's nice to finally meet you, too." Washimi smiled at him, but that smile didn't reach her penetrating gaze. It was difficult for Haida to endure; he shifted under it. "Retsuko's been filling us in. I'm sure your ears were burning."

"You would think with these big things that I'd get great reception, but the radio stations are lousy," he said as a joke.

Gori and Retsuko laughed; Washimi's smile became less brittle and more natural. Gori said, "I think it's very open-minded of you to come to yoga with us. Not many men would try it out."

"It never hurts to try new things," he said, glancing at Retsuko. "I'm learning how to step out of my comfort zone."

At the front of the studio, the yoga instructor hit a gong to indicate that class was starting. He, Retsuko, Gori, and Washimi separated out to their mats. Haida spent the next hour watching and listening to the instructor; he wasn't flexible, but the instructor assured the class that flexibility would come with time and to do what they could with the more advanced poses. He found his mind cleared to concentrate on each pose, and when the yoga instructor took them through some light finishing stretches, he was amazed how quickly the hour had passed.

As they picked up their mats, Retsuko turned to him. "What do you think?"

"You were right. It was fun," he said, and he spoke the truth. "I can tell I'm going to be sore though. My muscles don't move much these days."

"I know what you mean. Be sure to drink lots of water," she replied. "It'll get better the more you come."

He reached out his hand to hers. "Thanks for letting me tag along."

"I'm glad you did," she said and accepted his hand with a squeeze. He wasn't sure whether the flush in her cheeks was from happiness or exercise. "It means a lot to me that you tried."

"So do you two want to come out to dinner with us?" Gori asked. "There's a fantastic noodle place around the corner, I hear. We can get to know each other even better!"

"Is…that okay?" Haida asked Retsuko. "I don't have dinner plans."

She hesitated. "Sounds fun," she said at last. "Let's go change and meet up in a few minutes."

Washimi didn't say anything, but rather Haida felt she reserved her opinion for private- -during the hour, he had felt her eyes on the back of his neck, his hackles prickling with the intensity of her study. Those nerves gathered in the pit of his stomach; had he passed her test? Gori seemed pretty easygoing, and really, anyone who laughed at his dumb jokes was in Haida's good graces. Washimi, on the other hand, seemed more difficult to convince.

He supposed he'd give it his best shot at dinner.

A/N: Gotta love Washimi and Gori. Hope you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time. BTW...is everyone okay out there? Very few of you reacted to the last chapter, so I now I'm worried about you all.