"Nat-su-ki."

The tickle of words brush my ears. I simply responded by rolling over and protectively shoving my pillow over one side of my face. Having spent up till three in the morning murdering fiends and vampires, I didn't want to be awoken at the crack of dawn.

But the voice as well as its owner is persistent. My pillow is tugged away, and the irritating earworm has gone back to repeating my name. I contemplate murder with the holy shotgun that I was using last night.

I hear the mechanic roller sound of the curtains being raised. This time I pull the covers over my head and throw my arm over my eyes pre-emptively. Who. Tell me who in the right mind thinks that waking up in the morning to bright piercing sun rays is enjoyable? I have never understood the early risers who take sick delight in getting up at eight in the morning or even earlier.

My covers are mercilessly dragged off me even though I try vainly to pull them to me. The cold ouput from the air conditioner spares not a moment to send goose pimples sprouting over my entire body. "Mmphh…" I try in vain to burrow myself deeper into a bed that is made of sponge.

A warm hand brushes across my brow and sweeps my morning hair to one side. I latch onto that warmth and tug downwards. I am now curved around a warm body and I proceed to smile sleepily to myself.

"Ara, always so affectionate in the morning."

"Mmph shut up. Noisy." The object in my arms turns over and I am passionately kissed awake. Her warm mouth is moving against mine. My lips respond instinctively. A whine escapes when they are pulled away.

"Now that I've got your attention. Get up. It's 12.30PM."

Feeling rejected, I roll away and try to hug the cement wall beside my bed that hopefully retains some of my warmth and reflects it back to me. "Another half an hour."

"That's exactly what you said half an hour ago."

"I always knew my sub consciousness was brilliant," I murmured to myself. I open my eyes tentatively and shield away from the bright light streaming through my windows. Oh right. A date. I promised Shizuru one. I should get up. "I'm getting up."

When I am roused and partially coherent, I find Shizuru seated on the edge of my bed. She looks charming today in a white dress with a brown jacket. "You look pretty," I muttered as I sat up. I dash a hand across my gritty eyes.

"And you are such a charmer in the morning."

"Tis the truth." I swing my legs over the edge of the bed and wobble unsteadily to my feet. I fling my wardrobe door open unceremoniously. I grab my jeans, and the shirt at the top of the pile. Registering the color of the shirt, I then take a minute to pick up out matching lingerie.

"Just got to love the way you choose your clothes." A voice remarks over my shoulder.

I blunder past her to grab my towel as I head for the shower.

An hour later, we are standing together in some shopping centre that I didn't bother to register the name of. It is a weekday so the crowd is rather thinned out. It's the one thing I am appreciative about. Shizuru drags me to the eatery she has in mind.

One of the perks of dating Shizuru in my opinion. Somehow or other I don't have to invest any effort into deciding where to go. Not only does she spare me the trouble of choosing the place, she usually manages to pick one that satisfies both her and my eating habits. Perhaps the only day where I actually have to do some thinking is on Valentine's day. It might apply to our anniversary but since we have yet to cross that mark I have yet to find out. Last Valentine, Shizuru adamantly told me in no uncertain terms that I would have to decide what we would do on that date. Much as I was the willing candidate in such a task, I never expected the amount of trouble I would have in choosing a simple location or a simple itinerary for the day. I spent a good five hours surfing the net alone, another two hours calling Mai up and asking for advice and an hour more sweating the small details. Needless to say, I'm not very good at this.

Today, we are a quaint café. From a brief glance at the chalkboard, I gather there's nothing but sandwiches here. The prices are decent. A point of consideration Shizuru has learnt to take into account. When we first started dating, she picked locations that were completely out of my budget. When I remarked on it, she replied that she had the money so it didn't matter. After we finally had a sit-it-out session on why there should be a compromise, she started picking places where we could both afford.

"Sandwiches?" I scowled. "That's health food. They put too much veggies inside."

Shizuru points to a small section of the chalkboard that I must have missed out on.

"Oh…" Burgers. "I'll take the cheese burger with bacon then."

"Lettuce and tomatoes," Shizuru said.

"What?" I looked around. "That's all you're going to eat?"

"The burger comes with lettuceand tomatoes," She clarified.

"Tell them I don't want it. Or you can eat them for me."

"Ara. Natsuki should eat her vegetables. I think I'll have a teriyaki chicken sandwich and a pot of Earl Grey tea. "

Shizuru waved the counter lady over while I picked out a table. I am particularly fussy about where we sit in a restaurant when I have a choice. An enclosed area such as a corner usually makes me feel less exposed and safer.

When Shizuru slides into the booth across me, I gift her with a small smile. I enjoy dates out with her. It is peaceful and enjoyable, filled with quiet banter and the occasional deep conversation.

"How was your dinner yesterday?"

I lifted the pot of tea the waitress placed on the table and filled up the porcelain cup opposite me. With a nudge, I push it towards Shizuru before I relocate the pot of tea to the right side of the table.

"Thanks."

I watch her take a sip of her tea. The smile that lights up her face is always beautiful to watch. She takes pleasure in the simplest of things. It is an enviable point that I try to apply to my life more. "It was okay," I replied.

"Natsuki knows we've talked about this. 'Okay' is not an acceptable word. The weather is okay. The food is okay. The date is okay. Natsuki is okay. It gives me as much information as the word 'nice'."

She has a valid point there. "The food was delicious but lacking in mayonnaise. The company was below average. Did you tell the lady I wanted mayonnaise in my burger? I…"

"Yes I did." She empties a packet of sugar into the pot of tea.

"Great thanks. I forgot to say that."

"What did you talk about?"

"Studies… and you," I muttered.

She looks up from her tea and lifts an eyebrow at me. "Me?"

"Just a general thing on how well you are doing in school." I waved off the comment as the lady placed my meal before me. The burger looks delicious. I see the crispy end of a slice of bacon poking out from the bun. I lift the hat off my burger and scowled when I saw the tomato sitting on the dollop of mayonnaise. "Didn't you tell the lady I didn't want any vegetables."

She hummed in acknowledgement of my question as she examined her own teriyaki sandwich that in my opinion was more vegetable than animal.

I roll my eyes at her lack of an answer. She is deliberately forcing me to eat my vegetables. "Fine. I'll eat it." I consider it a trade-off since she remembered my mayonnaise.

"I am only doing well in school because of you."

I fork the crispy cut fries into my mouth. "How is your studies and me related?"

"Ara, isn't it obvious. I want Natsuki to be proud of me as her girlfriend." With delicate and skilful finesse she cuts off a corner of her sandwich with a fork and knife in hand.

Is she kidding me or is that a joke? Doesn't she see how perfect she is? There is no need to do anything to make me proud of her. "But you're so perfect. You, my dear Shizuru, don't actually need to do anything to make me proud."

"That is a big compliment indeed. I wouldn't say perfect. Natsuki is much more admirable. She is excellent in sports, she is witty, she doesn't care what most people think of her."

"I notice you mention nothing of my studies," I reply wirily.

"Studies are but a small ill representation of intelligence. I find personality much more attractive."

I watch her sandwich wobble and threaten to fall apart as she cuts off another slice of it. To my amazement it retains its form although she is more than halfway through it. I realize all I need is a small prod from my knife and it would fall over. "I'm glad you like my abrasive personality then."

She grins at me. "I am constantly enchanted by it."

I grin back at her. I reach out to poke her sandwich but apparently she foresees my intentions as her fork traps my knife neatly.

"What are you trying to do my Natsuki? I doubt my veggie sandwich interests you."

"Ahhh….For a moment I must have been overcome by my herbivorous tendencies."

"That is about as common as a blue moon; which is once every thirty years."

I give her a sheepish smile for lack of an answer. Watching her cut her sandwich is like watching someone play Jenga.

"By the way, should we make time to meet Mai-han this week? I am feeling apologetic for missing out on dinner last week. Don't give me that look Natsuki."

"What?" I glowered.

"See. You're pissed off now."

"I'm not pissed off. I'm just angry. Who isn't bound to get angry when they find their girlfriend in a spot just about to get raped."

"Which I didn't," Shizuru countered. "I know martials arts as well. It would do you well to remember that."

"You were helpless when I found you," I shot back.

"Which when he made his move and became distracted; I would have effectively disabled him and gotten away."

"Are you completely going to discount the fact that you were crying?"

Now it is Shizuru's turn to glower at me. "I was relieved when Natsuki came to get me. That is all."

"You were afraid of what could have happened. That means that you knew subconsciously you could very well have been raped."

"Fear does not in any way differ the outcome of the situation; which would have worked out in my favour. I am an excellent fighter. Guaranteed not as good as you, but certainly good enough to hold my own."

"I am not questioning your ability to beat that ass up. I am just unhappy over the fact that you could have been raped."

"Which I am trying to tell you is impossible. I would have gotten away."

"Are you now an oracle? Who knows what could have happened if I hadn't found you."

"Then let's stop talking about what if's because you found me."

"Fine."

"Are you being sulky?"

"Why would I be? I'm not the one that almost got raped." I flipped my cell phone open and typed out a short message and sent it. "I've asked Mai if this Friday is okay."

"You didn't ask me if I'm free on Friday," Shizuru replied incredulously.

"Well now you know. Make yourself free," I replied flippantly.

"You seem to think I will push aside all other appointments for you."

Her voice was dark, the words spoken softly. Delivered like the poisoned apple to Snow White.

I was quiet for a moment. I picked up the pot of tea, and refilled her cup for her. "Don't you?" I finally said.

"Ara. You're not wrong." Now she smiled. It is scary how fast she changes. "For my Natsuki, of course. Although I would prefer it if she asks me if I'm available next time."

I am being chastised subtly. "Next time," I replied. I lifted the cover of her tea pot. The leaves are settled at the bottom with trace amount of liquid. "Do you want more hot water?"

"That would be nice."

I waved the waitress who has been staring not too subtly at Shizuru for the past half an hour over. "Could you help me top this up please?"

"Of course."

When she left I whispered to Shizuru. "She's been ogling you the entire time."

"I am well aware of that."

"At least she's a woman. If it were a guy, I'll probably send a few death glares flying in that direction."

"Shouldn't you be more worried if it's a woman? Since it is pretty obvious I swing the other way?" Shizuru asked thoughtfully.

"Nah. Girls stare at other girls and mostly it's just cause they are trying to catch some nice male fish out there. And they just wanna know how to look good. In their brainless bimbotic way they think that if they stare at your flawlessly pretty face, or at your silky hair long enough, apparently it'll become contagious and it'll transfer to them."

"Natsuki."

"Hmmm," I look up from my near empty plate of fries. The burger has long gone made its disappearance into my stomach.

"You'll make a good conspiracy theorist."

I chuckle to myself as I drown the last fry in mayo. "I know right. I know right. Where are we going after lunch?"

"I thought about the beach."

My face lights up instantly. I miss the beach. I miss the sound of the waves crashing into the ocean, the briny smell of the sea. I miss digging my feet into the soft sand. I miss watching the sun set into the ocean, watching the sky turn from that azure blue to a pale orange. "Sounds good to me."

Next up. The beach. :D I hope you enjoy the lighter turn of the story for now.