Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Maid-Sama series. Enjoy!

Takumi woke up first to something wet melting on his cheek. Sleepily, he sat up to the graying skies dropping their snowflakes. To his right, Ayuzawa slept peacefully, unaware of the snow. Takumi couldn't help but smile when a piece of her hair fell over her nose and she wrinkled her nose in an unconscious effort to move the hair. Even in her sleep she was slightly frowning. It was probably something she did on the regular. It was amazing that her skin wasn't marred from her scowling all the time.

He tugged at her shoulder. "Ayuzawa, it's time to wake up." She snuggled deeper into the blankets, murmuring something Takumi couldn't hear. Probably telling him off unconsciously for waking her. "Seriously, Ayuzawa, or I'll have to carry you like a princess to the castle." He tucked the wayward strand of hair behind her hair just before she opened her eyes.

"Huh? Oh, it's snowing." Ayuzawa yawned before blinking sleepily at the skies.

"Glad you've noticed." Takumi cautiously stood up. Gerard and that hulking butler of his were nowhere to be seen. Still, it was best to be prudent and not be seen with Ayuzawa together, unfortunate as it was. He surprisingly didn't want to part from her so soon. She had a rather cute way of not stealing the blanket and snuggling up to him for warmth instead.

"Should I...go first?" Ayuzawa must have seen what he was thinking judging by the emotions on his face. Hmm, he was going to have to be a bit more careful about hiding his feelings. It was dangerous when someone knew way too much about you.

"Go ahead."

Misaki trudged back to the castle gates through the rose garden, very much aware that Takumi was walking several hundred feet behind her. She was also very much aware that they had slept next to each other. But somehow, the day wasn't that lonely to her. Did it make sense to not feel that lonely when she found someone else was just as lonely as she was?

"Usui? Are you there?" Gerard's voice called out from somewhere in the castle gardens.

Suddenly a flash of color went by her. Misaki only had a few seconds for her brain to realize that Usui had ran past her and scaled over the walls of the castle to where an open window was. He easily slipped inside the window with the ease of a graceful panther. Too bewildered, Misaki stood in place for a few moments before she heard a voice call out. Misaki turned just in time to see Gerard turn around the corner of the path leading from the gardens to the castle door.

"Where could that brother of mine be? Ah, Miss Ayuzawa, is it?" Gerard called out. "I don't suppose you know where my brother has gone?"

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Walker. Do you need him for something?"

"Yes, he's supposed to meet his fiancee."

Takumi slid through the window and turned to shut the window to stop the cold from escaping into his room, catching a glimpse of Gerard talking to Ayuzawa. He ran just in time, then. He didn't turn back around from the window just yet though. Someone else had seen him.

"Why are you in my room, Igarashi?"

"Waiting for you. Looks like the whole castle has been in an uproar looking for you." Takumi finally turned to face Igarashi. The smug bastard was lounging in his couch, looking like he was sitting on a throne. Igarashi was even drinking a bloody cup of tea.

"Yippee." Takumi raised his hands in mock celebration. "You found me. Still doesn't excuse you for breaking into my room."

"Actually the maids were quite kind enough to let me in. Very obedient. That's what I like about proper servants, the ones who know to obey their proper master." Igarashi set the cup down on a table.

Takumi tossed his jacket, the clothing landing neatly onto the back of a chair. "What do you want, Igarashi?"

"Straight to the point as always, Usui. Seems like you and Ayuzawa are indeed very close." Igarashi grinned, his white teeth glinting the light.

"Not as close as you two were, apparently," Takumi shot back. "Might I remind you again to stay out of my employees' affairs? I don't care what you've done with your employees and I don't want to know either. But you have no control over or right to my employees."

"Oooh, sensitive." Igarashi smirked. "Fair enough. I only came to give you a warning anyhow." Igarashi's playful expression vanished. "Stay away from Misaki."

Takumi raised one eyebrow. Now this was interesting from Igarashi. "Misaki, is it now?"

The bastard didn't even flinch. Whether it was a mistake on Igarashi's part to mention Ayuzawa's name so familiarly or purposefully dropping the reminder of Igarahi's and Ayuzawa's relationship to annoy him, Takumi didn't know. If Igarashi meant to irk him, then he had succeeded.

"I can't control what you do, so I can only give you advice. That woman will ruin you." Igarashi said seriously.

"Oh? Has she ruined you? To me, it seems like you're the one who's been trying to ruin her life."

"Then are you the knight in shining armor saving the damsel in distress?" Igarashi challenged.

Takumi chuckled mirthlessly. "I highly doubt that. I said trying earlier because unlike the obedient maids and other women you like so far, Ayuzawa is far too strong and independent to fall to the whims of a man like you."

"Is that so?" Igarashi and Takumi's eyes met in a clash of wills. "It seems like you and I have the same taste in women. Especially the ones I find interesting and you call strong and independent. But I wonder who is it that said I was the one wanted to make that woman suffer?" He got up from the couch to leave. "It's no secret that you're supposedly the man that no woman could ever satisfy. But that woman you think will be your satisfaction will also be your downfall. Choose wisely. Don't say I didn't warn you." Takumi narrowed his eyes at Igarashi as he walked out of the bedroom.

Takumi turned back to gaze at the window. Since the castle was on a hill, the castle was at an advantage of the beautiful surroundings below, including the heather field that he and Ayuzawa were hiding in. From this point at the window, Takumi could see almost exactly where he and Ayuzawa had laid down sleeping.

What annoyed Takumi was not what Igarashi had probably seen. It was that half-assed warning that was probably a threat coming from the snake's mouth. Takumi couldn't see exactly what angle Igarashi was trying to pull. Igarashi hinting that he wasn't the one who not only threw Ayuzawa under the bus when the media caught wind of their relationship but also blacklisted and sued her? It was true that there was a possibility that it wasn't him. Takumi could see it was probably his family who forced his hand to end the relationship, but the litigation against Ayuzawa was seriously uncalled for. And he doubted Ayuzawa was the type to blackmail Igarashi. She was one to more physically hurt Igarashi than hurt through the justice system, a system that only listened to the whims of the wealthy anyways.

So was he warning that Takumi's own family would force him to do the same if a similar situation happened?

But what annoyed Takumi more was the familiarity that Igarashi had in calling Ayuzawa's name. It had fallen so smoothly off his tongue. Takumi doubted that Ayuzawa and Igarashi went any further than cuddling, something that Takumi could one-up on, but that inkling of unfamiliar feeling made him bothered.

Jealousy, was it? That was an interesting feeling. He had never felt so jealous and possessive in his life.

And what about the thing that he had seen?

As Igarashi closed the door, Takumi had caught a glint of something shiny flash on Igarashi's hand. It was only for a brief second, but Takumi knew what it was immediately.

Takumi looked outside the window where Ayuzawa and Gerard were now gone. He wondered how Ayuzawa would feel if she knew about her ex-fiance's engagement.