Sum: AU. Souji Okita is anything but sane. Chizuru Yukimura is anything but rebellious. Two paths intertwined & what starts as mere friendship morphs into something more...crazy. OkitaXChizuru Romance.

A/N: SORRY for the uber, mega long delay. What can I say? Life. I blame life. But hopefully, this'll make up for it! I hope not to be this late on an update again! ENJOY!

Crazy

Chapter 14: Aftermath

"Are you two alright?"

Chizuru lifted her gaze up to Sanosuke and Shinpachi, both breathing heavily as they met them half way up the stairs. She opened her mouth, ready to explain and apologize for blowing the one chance she had. Why hadn't she kept her cool? Why had she let herself ruin everything? She let the whole frat down after practically begging them to let her go.

She did the one thing she said she wouldn't do—let them down.

She even risked possibly ruining things between her and Okita, risked herself and the Frat and for what? Chizuru knew that Kazama would want some sort of retribution for what she did. She had made him bleed, not only in front of his lackies, but his rival too and in his own room. Sure, she still felt good about hitting him...but was it really worth it?

That dark, angry voice in the back of her head was hissing Yes, but the rational part was shouting No at the top of her lungs.

When she still didn't say anything, Okita's arm wound around her shoulder as he pressed her body closer to his again. Easily, she melted into his side, grateful for the touch."We're alright, but we need to go. Now." There was a loud noise of something breaking at the top of the stairs and they all whipped towards the sound, half expecting to see Kazama or someone rushing at them. Thankfully, no one came and they didn't wait.

The two gave Okita a look that Chizuru felt straight down to her bones, but they didn't argue and instead bounded down the stairs just as fast as they did coming up. She wondered who or what they had heard before they rushed in as their back up. Chizuru felt embarrassed, but didn't have much time to dwell on the emotion as Okita continued to push her onward.

Don't trip, don't trip, don't trip. She chanted to herself over and over. That was the last thing that needed to happen...

Once outside and far away enough from the Student Council house, Chizuru took in a deep, greedy gulp of the cool, crisp air. Suddenly, she couldn't seem to get enough of the cool air into her lungs. Thoughts—guilt, betrayal, failure—started to swirl about in her head at an angry pace.

They, her brothers in the Frat, counted on her to try. Okita, although didn't admit it, also counted on her and she didn't deliver. What would Hijikata say? Her head started to pound achingly in response, her hand smarting as she accidentally flexed them out of habit in frustration.

Could she have done something better to prevent what happened? Anything? Chizuru felt her chest start to rise and fall more rapidly, a low hum seemed to pulse in her ears and she couldn't hear herself take in the quick breathes anymore. Her mind twirled faster and faster like she was on a merry-go-round, her own vision doubling at the small quick breathes.

In the more rational part of her mind, she knew that whoever that girl was with Kazama was not the first. Something in her gut told her that. But...how long had he been doing that to her? How often was it happening? A week? A month? Since he left for college? She felt a whole new wave of embarrassment wash over her. For weeks since she got there she'd seen other students give her weird looks when Kazama was with her, but she didn't scrutinize thinking it had to do with the things said about her and Okita.

How foolish she had been.

And he had the very gull to accuse her of doing the same thing? To sully what she knew was a beautiful thing between her and Okita as something as simple and harsh as 'fucking' was unacceptable and that's what he was doing, but that's not how she did things. The fact that he couldn't keep Okita out of it, even from the very beginning, was one of the reasons she snapped just moments ago.

He could say whatever he wanted to her, about her, but she was no longer going to stand or accept him saying things about someone he knew nothing about. All the things and the warnings he had given her about him were all false, things Kazama had wanted to be true. More anger and disappointment flooded Chizuru and it continued to swirl around inside her until she was sick from it.

The shortness of breath had nausea clawing it's way up her air-deprived throat and she dove, well actually more like fell, for the nearest bush to hurl in. The ringing in her ears was still loud, blocking out all other sounds and she was sure Okita was trying to say something to her. She felt his arms around her as she fell hard to her knees, his hands in her hair to keep from getting in the way of her vomit.

Her supposed light lunch from earlier had come up almost instantly, her stomach trying to empty nearly everything else it could in such a short amount of time. It was embarrassing to get sick like that in front of Okita and the others, she was never good when it came to handling...stress. Honestly, she wasn't even sad that Kazama cheated on her—considering she hadn't been all too faithful herself, not just only with the kiss she never told him about, but all the other things too. Like her feelings for Okita that had been more than she let on.

But she was angry at Kazama. Beyond angry and reasonably so. What happened between her and Okita was a mistake, and accident—his words, despite how much they both wanted it, and how much they were both attracted to each other, they didn't act any further than that. What was his excuse? And what about all his 'supposed' Student council meetings? Did he even have as many student council meetings as he claimed?

Then there was the threat he had given Okita. The fact that he more than threw her under the bus just to get his way and win. Had all those years meant nothing to him? Did he really not want her to be happy with someone else? Did he really want nothing more than to devote his life to chasing the Fraternity next door around?

The fraternity...! Her mind cycled back to that problem. She so wanted to be a hero to them, wanted to prove herself that she could be useful and trusted. Even if Hijikata trusted her now, she could still sense the apprehension for Okita's new girl. She frowned and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Air was still tricky to get into her lungs. Why couldn't she just calm down?

She felt sick. So, so sick. And hurt. Was there an emotion beyond that? Humiliated. Embarrassed. Let down. Disappointed. Duped, fooled, overall an idiot. She, her family too, fell for every lie, every excuse and reason Kazama ever told her, from his 'late nights' to his 'i love you.' There she had been, feeling guilty everyday for her blatant growing feelings for Okita and thinking that her loyalty to Kazama had been the better bet, the safe bet.

Yet, he was the one who betrayed her because he felt he could get away with it and here Okita was holding her hand through everything else. Chizuru felt Okita's fingers run up and down her back in a comforting way, his deep voice whispering comforting sounding words that were more like garbled sounds than actual words.

Her head still spun and she lifted her head slowly, frowning at Okita as she ran a hand across her wet cheeks. Was she crying? When had that happened? "I'm...so, so sorry." she finally mumbled, voice hoarse and cracking. Chizuru knew she'd be saying that a lot tonight. She knew she must of looked pitiful right then and knew it probably even seemed like she was all upset about Kazama, of all things. Ugh. Why couldn't she do anything right?! "It's not...I—"

Okita shook his head, his features not at all annoyed or angry at her or her reaction. "You don't have to explain anything," He told her simply, but what he didn't realize was that she did have to. Chizuru shook her head harder, her mouth opening to protest but the head shake had her head rattling and the nausea came right back up. She threw her head back towards the bushes and felt her whole body quiver and shake.

Suck it up, girl! She scolded herself, trying hard to push through it. Slowly she lifted her head back up and her eyes glanced at the Frat house and she frowned. She wasn't sure she could face the others just yet. Chizuru was sure Sanosuke or Shinpachi had already let the others know that she failed and it was time for plan B—maybe even plan C considering Kazama was now most likely out of blood.

All because of her.

Her stomach roiled dangerous again. "Can you just...take me to my dorm, please...?" she asked quietly, avoiding his eyes.

Please, just say yes.

Angrily, Kazama swatted the hand that held tissues up to his still bleeding nose. Fuck this! With a flick of his wrist, he snatched the tissue and continued to press the wadded up tissues to his nose, while his other hand continued to pinch the bridge of his nose. He never would've thought Chizuru would be the one to hit him, never thought she had it in her.

Honestly, he had been hoping Okita was going to do it. When he came in and stood behind Chizuru, the gleam in his eyes were murderous. Stupidly, Kazama figured that all he had to do was say the right thing to get him to throw a punch his way. He hadn't even gotten to the part of his speech where he insulted him or Chizuru before she came at him—fists flying.

He grunted under his breath and worked his jaw angrily. Pulling the tissue back he threw it away and grabbed another clean one. The bleeding was slowing down, at least but his anger and annoyance was still flaring. A more accurate statement would be that his ego was severely damaged.

Did he care that Chizuru broke up with him for trash? No, he pitied her and he hated feeling like he was losing, or like he lost. Kazama wasn't done with Chizuru, thus, she couldn't break up with him. His feelings for her had all been calculated accordingly. Having her father in his corner was very important. Admittedly at first, he did care about her deeply, but that soon came to a halt when excitement fizzled within months.

She was no longer the shining girl-next door, but just simply the girl. She was nice, wholesome, proper and loyal—all qualities that were good in a girlfriend, someday wife. But he just wasn't...into that. If he broke up with her, his future plans would be ruined. And people cheated, that wasn't uncommon in this day and age. His father had, his grandfather too, and it was done well into both of their marriages.

The girls he had under the radar weren't the type to bring home or brag about her. They were simply there for sex. Once he indulged, he was good to go back to his wholesome, proper girlfriend. What was love but a simple word that others made up to justify a relationship? What was marriage but a sham for better living—on both ends? His parents weren't in love, it was simply a union brought together for the sake of an heir and money. Didn't she understand that?

Things had been working very well for a very long time, but now?

Kazama shook his head, hands fisting. Now, things were all fucked up. He glared at Amagiri, "Where the fuck is Shiranui?" he gritted out, he was just one short second away from blowing up and taking down the entire Student Council house with his rage. "He was suppose to be keeping watch!"

Amagiri didn't even flinch at Kazama's rising tone. "He's on his way up." He told him calmly and the fact that he was so damn calm only further irked Kazama.

"Get him here now." He seethed.

Just as Amagiri was about to turn, Shiranui strode in—his features pinched with his own anger. Kazama narrowed his eyes even more, his finger raised as he tried to keep from exploding again. He was sure the entire house was stirring now from his earlier outburst of injustice. "Where the fuck where you?" he demanded, eyes staring intently. Kazama was almost half expecting Shiranui to lie to him...

Shiranui didn't even flinch, instead he crossed his arms and glared right back. "I was keeping watch like you said, then—"

Kazama stormed up to him, eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't you lie!" he hissed, teeth practically grinding together.

Shiranui tsked loudly, "I'm not." He shook his head, "I was keeping watch, like you wanted, when I saw someone moving around in the back. I followed the damn shadow and wouldn't you know it? It was that damned Sanosuke from the Frat next door! Punk was loitering around, after all that happened in here, I assume that it was done on purpose to distract me."

Amagiri frowned, "Obviously it was very well thought through." He glanced at Kazama. "I have sent the others in the house back to their rooms, but I suggest we sweep the area and lock the entrances for now."

Kazama grunted and waved his hand in the air angrily, "The door should've been locked to begin with! Why the hell wasn't it done before?"

Shiranui rolled his eyes, "It was never done before because no one's ever had the balls to bust in on us..." He sighed, "Can we retaliate now? Can't we go after them for hitting you?"

"No we can't." He grunted out angrily, practically hissing.

"Why the hell not?" Shiranui shook his head, "We've been practically waiting for an opening like this to come by!"

Amagiri sighed, "It wasn't a member of the fraternity who did this..." he answered simply and Shiranui simply stared at them both.

It didn't take long to connect the dots and Shiranui had to fight himself to keep a straight face, when really he wanted to laugh. Placing his hands on his hips he lowered his head so Kazama wouldn't see the grin. "Well...that's embarrassing." He mumbled, shaking his head. It was no wonder why Kazama was especially pissed off.

"Not another word, Shiranui." Kazama growled, instantly waving them off. "Just go do what Amagiri said. We'll discuss our plan of action tomorrow." Instantly, the two nodded and went off. Shiranui glad to be away from him to finally laugh to himself.

Man, oh man. Never thought that chick had it in her to stand up to Kazama, much less hit him! Fuck, I'm pissed that I missed that! But as much as it was a hilarious situation, it also meant that there would be endless work and endless demands from Kazama. Shiranui glanced sideways at Amagiri, who was silent as ever. "We won't be hearing the end of this any time soon, will we?"

Amagiri shook his head, "Unfortunately, no."

Shiranui sighed and tipped his head back, "Fuck, what a pain."

"Can you just...take me to my dorm, please...?"

Chizuru's plea hit Okita square in the chest. He hated seeing Chizuru this way and he especially hated how useless he seemed to be. He was a mess when it came to crying girls—he wasn't use to them! He wasn't even around his older sister enough to even know where to remotely begin.

Okita could tell—could see—the guilt and the sadness that Chizuru was feeling about the situation. He would've fought even harder to keep her away from Kazama if he ever thought she'd react that way. Of course, he was beyond amazed, turned on and proud of Chizuru for throwing an excellent right hook—but he, of all people, knew what she just started...

There would be no peace after that. Kazama was going to come after them more so now then he had originally intended. He'd be going for the kill.

Kazama deserved the hit and Okita had been more then ready to go against his word and hit Kazama himself, but Chizuru beat him to it. It all happened so fast, even now thinking back on it, he never saw her move until it was too late. He could, and did, stop her from possibly doing more damage. The solid hit to his nose was the least amount of damage she could've done, but the bruise that would appear would linger.

That was going to fuel Kazama's anger. As soon as he had a moment with Hijikata and the others, he would tell them his thoughts. They needed to put a plan into motion to protect her and them as soon as they could. Time was against them now.

"Please...?" Chizuru whimpered again, tears in her voice.

Okita frowned as he glanced down at her, his hand slowly continued to trace up and down her back. She was still crouched down and was now shaking lightly as her body dry heaved here and there. Nothing more was going to come up, but he could tell Chizuru wasn't so sure. He wanted nothing more than to cradle her and hold her to him, but he was sure she'd push him away. Not because she didn't want to be held, but because she wanted to be tough.

He knew that she wasn't crying or fussing over Kazama or their now destroyed relationship—he'd have to be pretty petty to think that's what her whole spiel was about. No, he could tell how much it meant for her to be included in his frat, to be given such a task and to hold the responsibility. He could see how crushed she was, how guilty she felt for letting them down. Out of anyone, he knew how exactly how awful that felt.

But he was more than use to it by now. Chizuru didn't seem like the type to let others down often enough to be use to it. And as much as he wanted to comply with her request to take her back, he just...couldn't bring himself to do it. How was he going to rest and stay calm if he couldn't watch over her? If he couldn't, somehow, make her feel better?

Okita may not know what to do to make her stop crying, or to comfort, but he was a master at distracting. Surely there was something he could do to take her mind off of things—something appropriate. Gently, he moved his hand up her back and let his fingers trail down her face.

"Sorry," he mumbled and Chizuru raised her shiny eyes at him. "I can't take you back." She shifted, her eyebrows furrowing with confusion and he shook his head. "I know it's selfish, Chizuru, but I can't take you to your dorm in this condition...I won't be able to leave you there. I need to make sure that you're going to be alright." Involuntarily, his eyes slide to the Student Council house next to them. "Be mad at me if you have to."

Chizuru gave him a weak smile, her eyes shifting back down to the ground. "...I'm not mad, I just—" She shook her head again and trailed off.

"You don't have to explain it to me, I understand." Okita had said it before, but he could tell she didn't believe him. Did she not yet realize the kind of strange connection they seemed to share? Or the way her eyes relieved just about everything she was feeling and often trying to hide? Her eyes were open doors to her mind and while he may not always know the extent of her thoughts, he usually got a decent idea to what was ticking behind her big brown eyes.

He slowly coaxed her to stand, her legs shaky but nothing too bad. Chizuru kept her eyes glued to the ground and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his side. He may not have known what to do to keep her from crying, but he did know what to do to show her how much he cared and how much he understood. "I know you're upset, probably even nervous to go back in there and face them...but trust me, no one is going to blame you. It isn't your fault."

Chizuru's eyes locked with his, the tears making her eyes glitter. "But...I—It was all—" She shuttered and Okita gave her a warming smirk.

"Stop over thinking it." He told her firmly, ducking down to rest his forehead against hers. "It isn't your fault. Got it?"

Slowly, Chizuru nodded, her eyes not wavering from his. Reaching up, she placed her small hand over his and gave it a firm squeeze. He only gave her his signature smirk back, his eyes softening just slightly. Okita gently started to guide towards the steps and he felt Chizuru move with him, just as gently. Her hand that held his started to tighten more and more the closer they got to the door and Okita tried not to smile.

He was sure she didn't realize she was suffocating his hand, a sign of nerves, and her breathing started to accelerate. Without much thought, Okita lifted her hand and kissed the back of her hand softly. Chizuru lifted surprised eyes at him and then looked at their joined hands, her choke-hold on his hand softening.

"Sorry!" she told him, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. The embarrassed look was much better than her previous sad one. Okita would take that expression any day, hands down. "I didn't realize I was—I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Okita chuckled, "I think I'll survive." He wiggled his fingers so that their hands interlaced and he grinned down at her, the pink on her cheeks turning deeper. "You might actually cause damage this way, but it'll be worth it." He winked at her with his good eye and Chizuru laughed lightly, her eyes starting to twinkle again.

He could tell that at the moment, her mind wasn't on her worries and he couldn't help but feel proud of himself. Master of distraction. Who said he was useless? Before either realized it, they reached the front door and Okita leaned towards it. His hand was right on the doorknob before he felt Chizuru freeze up next to him.

Okita glanced down at her, "You ready?" he asked her softly. Even if she wasn't, even if she decided to run, he had a plan—all of which was him picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder. Not very tactful or necessarily nice, but she'd thank him for it later. At least, he hoped she would if it came down to that.

Slowly, Chizuru nodded. She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. "Yeah."

"Alright." He paused, turning towards her. "And just remember, this isn't your fault. You wouldn't be the first to make a mistake, the first to act on their emotions. Trust me, I've made more mistakes than you and a lot worse mistakes, too." Chizuru's eyes soften slightly as she stared up at him. She opened her mouth, but Okita didn't let her say anything and instead he raised her chin up, leaned down, and kissed her deeply.

Okita swallowed her gasp and didn't allow anymore rebuttals to leave her. In that short moment before he let her go, before he led them inside, he tried to take away all the hurt she was feeling. All the guilt she felt inclined to hang on to and all the sadness of letting everyone down. He didn't blame her for anything, he knew the guys wouldn't either. Okita would be damned before he let anyone blame this whole thing on her.

It was unfair to unload all the responsibilities on her. It was unfair to expect her to follow through on something that only had a slight chance at succeeding. Kazama was not a fair man and if he couldn't bring himself to actually care about Chizuru and the kind person she was, then he was not going to be an honorable man to listen to her request. But Chizuru didn't know that. Or maybe she was starting to finally see that.

Okita felt Chizuru's dainty hands start to weave into his hair and he groaned against her lips, which earned him a tug from her hands. He felt that tug shoot right through his body, igniting him deep inside and he quickly pulled back from Chizuru before he lost all control. What was it about her that drove him so crazy? That made him crave her more and more?

Chizuru breathed hard, her lips puffy in the most alluring way possible and with the front porch light dimly cast over her features? Well, Okita had to look away before he dove back in for more. She was already his, officially or not, and he'd have all the time in the world to further explore her mind, body and soul, but at the time being, not yet. Right now, he had to get her inside and make sure she was going to be okay.

"Damn," he finally breathed out.

Chizuru couldn't help but smile, "Yeah..." she whispered back, carrying his tone.

"We'll have more time for that later." He told her, making her smile wider and blush again.

She took his hand again, making sure to lace their fingers again. "Good."

She wasn't ready.

Not anywhere near it. In the back of her mind, that angry little voice was still making her feel guilty and upset over the situation. Chizuru knew that Okita was right and she appreciated what he was telling her. She could see the honesty in his eyes, the far away look in his eyes when he told her about making mistakes and how his mistakes were worse.

Chizuru wanted nothing more than to comfort him, to tell him practically all that he was saying to her just to get him to not look so troubled either. She knew that he often joked around, often neglected most responsibilities and she often wondered why—she knew that it didn't matter how well he played it off, Okita did care about the mistake he made and making mistakes, about letting people down.

And even though he kept telling her it wasn't her fault, she still felt like it was. Chizuru could also tell that he felt more to blame and she was sure given the chance, he'd blame it all on himself too but she wasn't going to let him do that. Yes, she was upset at herself for not being strong enough to withstand Kazama's intended insults and betrayal, but she couldn't let that stop her.

Not when she had Okita supporting her and at her side to make everything ok. At least she had him, who was standing by him when he had to endure the down fall of his mistakes? If Okita could face it with a strong face then so could she. She wasn't the girl she once was before. No, now she was part of a Fraternity, she punched her ex for being a cheating asshole and she was in love with a bad ass who was undefeated in the Underground.

Time to woman up and face the consequences of her actions, because there were going to consequences. There was no other way about it. Chizuru was always responsible and knew better than to make excuses for herself. Chizuru glanced at Okita, his dark green eyes watching her as steadily as he could with one eye. She nodded softly again, more confidently this time.

"I'm ready now," I think.

Okita smiled and finally opened the door, leading her inside. The foyer was dark compared to the rest of the house and she gingerly slipped off her shoes as she tried hard to listen to the voices that were still going strong. She could hear the grumblings of Hijikata and she wondered if it sounded angry or upset in some way.

The closer they got the room the more her stomach seemed to flip and flop every which way. She just hoped that she didn't burst into tears or throw up again. Doing so in front of Okita was embarrassing enough, but to do it in front of the Fraternity too? No way. She straightened herself up and vowed not to lose her cool. She was owning up to what she did.

When Okita and Chizuru reached the room that was holding the meeting, she realized it was just about empty. She furrowed her brow in confusion as she searched the room that was once full not even ten minutes ago. Where had they all gone? Okita had mentioned that the meetings could go on for hours...so was this the direct result of her actions?

Hijikata glanced up at the two, "Good, you're back."

Chizuru nodded and stepped forward, "Um, yeah. But it's not all good news..." She frowned and when Hijikata furrowed his brow at her she glanced down at her feet. "It's...I'm really sorry for—"

Okita stepped forward, "We'll need a new plan." He stated simply, crossing his arms.

Hijikata nodded, "It was a long shot, asking you to reason with him. He can be an unreasonable man." His eyebrows pinched and he sighed, "Sanosuke and Shinpachi here have let me know the details and I sent the other members who don't live here home, just in case Kazama acts out tonight. He doesn't need to know what's going on."

Chizuru bit her bottom lip, idly wondering when Okita had the chance to explain to Sanosuke and Shinpachi about what went down. Probably when you were barfing in the bushes and practically hyperventilating. She pushed her thoughts away."I, uh, still want to apologize for losing it back there and not doing what I was suppose to do."

"I don't blame you." Hijikata gave her a kind look, "I've been in his company many times before and it usually takes everything in me not to lash out at him too. And from what I hear, you've made your point very clear." His eyes shot to Okita, "I would've thought for sure it would've been Okita to do the damage, but I'm glad it was you. In an odd way, you really did save us. If Okita hit him, well...I don't want to think about that."

Okita scoffed, "He's just lucky I'm still pretty banged up from the match before." He shrugged.

Heisuke glanced at them and frowned, "Should've taken more people with you...or at least me."

Shinpachi rolled his eyes, "You're just sore about not going and seeing it."

"Of course I am! I would've loved to see Chizuru hit him!" Heisuke threw his hands up, "I've been waiting for someone to hit that douche for a while now!"

Sanosuke chuckled, "We've all been waiting for it. But even Shinpachi and I missed that glorious moment. I for sure thought Okita would've been the one to crack."

Heisuke leaned forward, "Okita, please tell us about it...did the bastard cry?" He leaned his head back and pressed his hands together in a praying form. "Please, please tell me that he cried!"

Hijikata sighed loudly, "How about you just tell us everything. I'm assuming you probably skipped over a few details when you told Sanosuke and Shinpachi." He seated himself down.

Okita glanced at Chizuru and smiled. Chizuru could only blush. She was glad that they weren't mad, a bit upset sure, but not angry or let down like she automatically assumed they'd be. She was now only embarrassed that they wanted to hear the story of how she punched Kazama. Speaking of which...Chizuru glanced down at her still slightly swollen right hand. Okita caught her mixed expression and he furrowed his brow just enough to let Chizuru know that he was worried.

"Sure I'll tell you, but someone's gotta get ice for Chizuru's hand." Okita gestured down to it.

Saito stood up swiftly, "I'll get it." He told them before walking out, Chizuru nodded with appreciation before taking a seat where Okita pointed to. He sat on the arm of the couch she sat on and she rested her good hand on his thigh.

"It all happened so fast," he started, tipping his head back as he thought back to what happened nearly half an hour ago. "I blame my swollen face and that stupid henchman he has—the tall red haired ass. When we got there, he tried to keep us from entering the room but Chizuru managed to get past while I kept him from getting to her. And well," He glanced down at Chizuru and she could see the fury in his eyes. She only nodded at him to continue, "Well, Kazama was otherwise...preoccupied with someone other than Chizuru. Caught with his pants down—literally."

Saito returned with an ice pack and handed it to Chizuru who thanked him before she placed the bag on her swollen hand. She breathed out harshly at the slicing pain that throbbed her hand, but the pain soon passed to acceptable. Chizuru looked up at Okita and he continued.

"Well, there wasn't much Kazama could really say to explain that. Not that he actually tried for very hard to do so. He instantly jumped to calling me out and before I could even glare at the bastard, Chizuru charged at him and bam! Right dead center." Okita pointed at his nose for emphasis and the others chuckled. Chizuru, on the other hand, blushed and ducked down slightly in her chair.

"That's one way to break up with him..." Sanosuke gave her a charmed grin and she felt Okita bristle just slightly beside her.

Chizuru leaned forward and shrugged, "I...I honestly don't know what came over me."

Heisuke smirked and stood up, "Yeah, well, I say good riddance!" He crossed the room and nudged Chizuru playfully. "I've been telling Okita here since day one to tell you about that cheating ass scum and what he was doing behind your back but—" Heisuke managed to catch Okita's sudden death glare and trailed off.

Chizuru stiffened as Heisuke's words sank in, and she frowned deeply. They all knew that Kazama had been cheating on her? She shifted towards Okita, trying hard to keep her voice and emotions level. "You knew...?" she asked quietly.

She watched as Okita opened his mouth, but then closed it. What could he say that wasn't already said? He had no excuse. Or at least, he was caught, and he couldn't lie. So instead, he nodded firmly and Chizuru felt her heart sink.

She pushed up from her chair, nearly colliding into Heisuke who instantly backed up with wide eyes. Chizuru stared at Okita, eyebrows furrowed. "You knew and you didn't tell me?" she shook her head. How did that make sense? Why wouldn't he tell her this? She had been fighting with her morals for days! Weren't they friends? Wouldn't a friend tell her something horrible like that? It really could've saved her from ruining everything!

Chizuru felt her face start to burn and her eyes sting. Okita frowned deeply, "It wasn't my place to say anything, Chizuru." He finally answered, reaching out to try and pull her towards him. She dodged his hand and shook her head again. Chizuru was not about to be distracted.

"Not your place...?" She felt her features pinch with scrutiny, "But it is your place to keep things from me? To-to lie to me? That's okay to you?!"

There was tense silence around them and Chizuru noticed Heisuke shift uncomfortably in her peripherals. Hijikata coughed slightly, "I think it's best we give these two some time alone..." He gave the others meaningful looks and they quickly rushed out of the room without objection. Chizuru felt even more embarrassed, but she couldn't stop the hurt and anger that coursed through her.

Once they were left alone, Okita spoke up again. "I didn't actually lie to you..."

Chizuru furrowed her brows and pursed her lips, "A lie by omission is still a lie! The fact of the matter is you didn't tell me! I spent all this time feeling guilty for having these—these thoughts about you, about us, and the kiss we shared while he was over there constantly doing that? It would've cleared up a lot of things real fast!" Chizuru felt her heart start to pound as she raised her voice. She found it so hard to be angry at him, to be angry in general, but she couldn't help it. Chizuru was angry at Okita and at Kazama.

Okita pushed himself to his feet, "Well, who would you have believed if I had told you?" He glared down at her, his own eyes turning a dark green as they sparked at her. "He was your boyfriend of how many years? You knew him! He was familiar to you! Would you really have believed me over him? The stranger you had just met? Uh? Do you really think Kazama wouldn't have tried to twist that around on me?"

Chizuru stared, speechless. He was right. He really was right. As much as she would've liked to deny what he was telling her, she knew she wouldn't have believed him. In fact, she probably would've listened to Kazama's warnings about him then and there. But that didn't mean she wasn't angry about it. Wasn't angry at everything. She looked like a fool and felt like it too.

"I...really must have been so easy for you...wasn't I?" Immediately she regretted the words that left her lips and she pressed a trembling hand against her lips. The pain and anger that shot through Okita's eyes hurt and cut her way worse then seeing Kazama with his pants down.

Slowly, she started shaking her head, feeling dreadful and surprisingly alone. She wrapped her arms around herself and bit her bottom lip to keep from sobbing out loud. She hated that she wanted to break down again and she hated the horrible feeling that was crawling through her stomach. But Chizuru really hated what she said to him the most—Okita had never been anything but honest towards her. How could she say that? How could she even accuse him of something like that?

Chizuru knew she needed space, needed time to think by herself, even though the thought scared her to death. Maybe Sen was back at the dorm? If she was, she hoped that she would be up and ready to talk to her. Maybe Sen could talk her down from the emotional ledge she felt perched on? She opened her mouth, ready to tell Okita that she was leaving—but her mouth only hung open, no sound or even a bit of breath came out.

Tears pooled in her eyes and she instantly felt Okita's arms wind around her small frame and pull her towards him. His taller build easily engulfed her and warmed her body quickly. Okita ducked his head down at the crook of her neck, "Don't go, ok?" he mumbled against her skin. "You—we—can be upset in the morning, but...not right now."

Slowly, Chizuru gave a nod back. Why not let her mind turn off? She was tired, she was fed up, and she was feeling very emotional. The toll felt too much and she was more than happy to ditch the emotions for the time being. Morning would be another day...

Chizuru allowed Okita to practically carry her out of the room, up the stairs and to his bedroom. Thoughts flitted through her mind, but she was too numb to really address them. What was another night spent in Okita's bedroom? She knew he wouldn't do anything to her, she trusted him.

Do you really though? Her hateful thoughts rang through her head and she was quick to push them farther from her mind. Not now, not now.

She continued on with her motions. Chizuru let Okita set up the bed and let him undress her—reasonably so—and redress her with one of his over sized shirts for bed before he went ahead and tucked her in his bed. Her body felt especially heavy once she was tucked in, but sleep seemed very far off. Her mind didn't seem to want to wait until morning to tackle her thoughts.

Chizuru squeezed her eyes tightly and started to mentally count sheep, but it only seemed to get worse. Softly, she felt the bed dip and she slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head a bit to glance at Okita. He was dressed in simple sweats and his face was void of any specific emotion. The look unsettled Chizuru deep inside and she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking about. Was he thinking about her words to him? Was he regretting wanting her now?

Okita leaned over and she suddenly found it hard to breath. With his fingers he gently started to tap her forehead, trying in vain to smooth out the creases she was causing by furrowing her brow. "Don't over think it." He mumbled softly before pressing his lips against her forehead. Instantly, Chizuru felt calm and she gave a small nod of understanding.

How was it that he was able to do that? How did he know that she was over thinking it?

Chizuru watched as Okita shifted and settled next to her, but above the covers. "I'll keep my hands to myself, ok?" he gave her a small smirk that Chizuru couldn't help but smile at. Despite her horrible thoughts and her awful mood, he was still able to make her smile like nothing was wrong.

Turning onto her side so she faced him, she watched him for a moment. Okita stared back, his green eyes softening in a way that had her heart both melting and racing in her chest. Slowly, she breathed out in an attempt to slow her heart back down, but it didn't work in the slightest.

"Good night." She finally whispered. Okita smiled down at her, brushed a strand of hair that had fallen in front of her face before he kissed her forehead again.

"Night."

Chizuru hunkered down in the warmth of the blankets and let herself drift off to sleep that was, surprisingly, not that far away.

"Hurry up, will you?!"

Heisuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead, huffed. "Will you calm down? I said that she's fine! Okita wouldn't let anything happen to her—"

Sen's eyebrows furrowed, her hands instantly flying to her hips. "Either way, I want to see her!" She shook her head, "It's not about Okita, I believe you on that, but from what you said, Chizuru needs to be with girls. With friends!"

Heisuke made a face, "We're her friends, too!"

Kosuzu tipped her head, "We know that. I think what Sen means to say is that she needs girl time. Do you know how to console her? Has Okita, or any of you, ever dealt with a girl in her situation?"

Heisuke paused slightly, his head tipping back in thought. "Well...I suppose you got a point there." He stopped at the bottom steps of the Frat house, "And I know she was really hurting. Me and my big mouth." He shrugged, looking slightly embarrassed by that fact.

"It's not your fault," Sen gave him a comforting smile, "She was going to find out eventually. I think it's good she knows it all now. Everything's out in the open and there's room for them to overcome it. Which is why she needs to be with us right now. I'm sure she's confused! Chizuru's a very sweet soul and she's never been through something like this."

"It's a tough situation for even the most experienced! I can't imagine what she's thinking..." Kosuzu frowned, "When Sen called me, I knew I had to help! It's been long overdue anyhow."

Heisuke gave them a wide grin, "She's lucky to have you two looking out for her."

Without another word, he led them both up the the stairs and into the house. Heisuke glanced around at the silent and seemingly empty house, hoping that no one happened to choose that morning to walk about in the buff. He felt like an idiot now, considering he didn't even think to call ahead. But really, he had no time, considering once Sen found him she all but rushed him to the Frat after he told her about what happened to Chizuru.

"You guys stay here, I'll go and see where she is." Heisuke ducked around the corner before Sen could object and left them alone in the foyer.

Sen glanced at Kosuzu, "He doesn't know who he's dealing with." she mumbled conspiratorially.

Kosuzu gave her a small smile, but fought it. "Sen! Just give him a chance! He's doing us a huge favor by bring us here, plus from what Ryuunosuke has mentioned, their Head Chair brother or something is super strict. We can get in a lot of trouble!"

"I don't want to get him in trouble..." Sen pressed her lips together, "I'm just anxious to see her."

Kosuzu chuckled, "What else is new?"

Sen gave her friend a mocking pout before they both burst into hushed giggles. Kosuzu recovered first when she noticed someone coming down the steps, a girl right around their height with wide brown eyes. She placed her hand on Sen's arm and she glanced over her shoulder, a smiling brightening up Sen's face.

"Chizuru! Hey-"

Chizuru hesitated slightly at the bottom step, her eyes sweeping over them both. "Sen! Oh!" She rushed down the remaining few steps and flew into her friends arms. "I'm sorry I didn't text you or call you last night! It was...well, just hectic and I just-" Chizuru shook her head softly.

"I know, Heisuke told us about it."

"Heisuke?" Chizuru tilted her head. She hadn't seen him yet and had only meant to sneak away for a few seconds to get some water before Okita woke up. Chizuru had no idea that she'd find her best friend downstairs waiting. Had someone let her in?

"Yeah, he brought us here...didn't he tell you that?" Sen pursed her lips and glanced at Kosuzu, "You know what, never mind! We have to get going!" Quickly she hooked her arm through Chizuru's and started to drag her towards the front door, Kosuzu in tow.

"Uh-wait, I have to-" Chizuru struggled in vain as Sen promptly ignored her.

"No excuses, Chizuru! You are in desperate need of a girls day! Oh! And this is my friend Kosuzu! Kosuzu, this is Chizuru!" Sen flashed them both a brilliant smile, "We're going to be the very best friends on campus! Just you wait and see!" Chizuru quickly gave up her struggle and instead let Sen pull her away. She was right when she said she needed a girls day. Chizuru needed one desperately, especially after last night! She cast one last look over her shoulder and bite back the frown and urge to run back upstairs to the still sleeping Okita, but she didn't.

I'll text him later, let him know. She thought, nodding to herself. Okita, though he would never verbalize it, probably needed a bit of time to himself too. Chizuru hated the thought, but choose not to dwell on it.

"Erm," Chizuru twisted her body slightly to look at Kosuzu, remembering that Sen had mentioned her a few times before. "Nice to meet you!"

Kosuzu gave her a beautiful smile back, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you!"

Sen finally loosened her grip on Chizuru's arm, but only slightly. "Kosuzu has an in on the Frat too, ya know! Plus, she's part of the Sorority here."

Chizuru nodded politely, "Are you seeing one of the Frat members?" she asked.

Kosuzu's pretty face flushed and her smile grew, "Yeah, I am. His name is Ryuunosuke...I'm not sure if you've actually met him yet. He's doesn't live in the house since he's only a pledge." Her pretty eyes lit up with a love that Chizuru felt in awe of and a little envious. "He's a little rough around the edges, hot headed even, but he's a great guy. His heart is always in the right place!" Kosuzu giggled softly and glanced at them, "In fact, the first time we met I actually slapped him!"

Sen threw her head back and laughed, "You slapped him?!" She shook her head, "What'd he say?"

"Oh, it was so impulsive-I mean, I have never lashed out like that before-much less to a stranger!" Kosuzu pressed her hands over her blushing face, "To be honest, I can't even remember what he said! I just remember feeling so angry and then...bam!"

Chizuru smiled as she thought of all the unorthodox things that had happened so far with Okita. She completely understood what Kosuzu was talking about. There were times that Chizuru felt so much deeper than normal and the reason behind it was definitely due to Okita's influence. Okita made her feel so alive, she couldn't explain it.

"Did he apologize?" asked Chizuru, her head tipping to the side.

Kosuzu smiled again, her hands lowering from her face. "Yeah, he did." She glanced up, that far away look in her eyes. "It took him several times to actually say the words out loud, but he tried every day for about a week. It sort of became routine to see him first thing in the morning, stumbling over his words as he tried to say 'I'm sorry.' It was...cute."

Chizuru laughed softly, "So I guess it's a common trait for the guys at the Frat to have a hard time apologizing, huh?"

"A trait? It's more like a requirement!" Kosuzu laughed, "Those guys are so stubborn!"

Sen sighed longingly, "Listen to you two, I've gotta say I'm rather jealous!"

Chizuru smiled brightly at her and she hooked her arm through hers, "Oh, Sen!" she leaned her head on her shoulder, "You'll find someone! Hopefully not as stubborn as ours..."

Kosuzu mimicked Chizuru and leaned on Sen's other shoulder, "Like Chizuru said, you'll find someone! Someone who can handle how stubborn you are."

"Me? Stubborn? Ha!" Sen retorted, her chin raising ever so slightly in mock protest. Chizuru and Kosuzu laughed and Sen easily joined them. "Now, let's go and have some serious girl time! I'm dying to hear every little detail that Heisuke just couldn't provide!"

Chizuru rolled her eyes, "Alright, alright! But only if we promise not to focus solely on me, deal?"

Sen and Kosuzu nodded, "Deal!"

Chizuru smiled at them, not really believing them, but not really minding. She was just happy to feel at ease for once...and glad to have something take her mind off of the events from the night before.

A loud buzzing and not so hushed mumbles stirred Okita from his dreamless sleep. He was troubled, if not a little tense from the events of last night. But despite that, he still slept rather well and he chalked it up to having Chizuru sleeping next to him. He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes-momentarily forgetting his injury.

Okita hissed out in pain at his tender black eye, his eye throbbing at the unintentional force. Quickly remembering he wasn't alone, he shut his mouth and glanced beside him, hoping that he hadn't woken up Chizuru.

At first, he thought his black eye that could barely be kept open was playing tricks on him, but when he turned his good eye to look, he noticed that it wasn't a trick. The space beside him was empty. Immediately, he pushed himself off the bed and began to pull back the sheets-as if she was going to be under them, but he couldn't help the sudden need to check regardless.

Okita couldn't keep his mind from starting to race and jump to conclusions. Last night, Chizuru was very troubled and he had managed to convince her to just sleep through it...but now? Well, he didn't want to even think about what this whole thing could possibly mean. She was angry and he didn't blame her one bit...but did she really just up and leave him? And when? Did she plan to come back or was that it...? Was his silence on what he knew about Kazama going to be the thing that broke them?

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed out, his eyes darting around the side tables, searching for a possible note or...something that explained her disappearance. Okita dug out his cell phone and hoped she had sent a text, but upon seeing that he only had a missed call from Heisuke, he felt his anger rise again.

How could he not have been more vigilant? How could he have slept through her leaving? Okita thought that he made the right choice to handle the situation-her anger, their anger-for later. Now? Well, he wasn't quite sure of anything at he moment. And his head pounding wasn't helping. For the first time in a long time, he realized just how sore he was.

Okita's muscles were practically screaming for him to just lay back down and even probably sleep some more, but his mind was buzzing. Where was she? Was she still angry at him? Did Kazama get to her? How was she feeling? The thoughts swirled and mixed in his head until it made gave him another headache-one that had nothing to do with his injuries.

"Fuck!" he shouted angrily, kicking his mattress and only regretting it slightly.

"Okita...?"

Okita spun towards Heisuke and glared at him, "What?" he snapped.

"Dude, what the hell got up your ass?" he asked, eyebrows slamming down.

"Nothing. What do you want?" Okita wanted nothing more than for Heisuke to leave so he could wallow in his own thoughts for a moment longer. He needed to call Chizuru, even if she didn't want to talk to him, he at least had to know she was okay. "I'm busy." he added, turning so he could grab his cell phone again.

"Sure it's nothing." Heisuke scoffed, "Anyway, I'm looking for Chizuru. I figured she'd be here with you though..." Okita turned back towards Heisuke, his curiosity raising. Now he had his attention.

"Why are you looking for Chizuru?" he asked, watching him closely.

Heisuke shrugged, "Well, I'm not technically. Sen is, her roommate. She's downstairs with Ryuunosuke's girl waiting in the foyer and-"

"What?"

Heisuke raised his hands up, "I know that girls aren't suppose to enter the Frat house without permission from a Senior or Hijikata, I told them that, but they were very persistent! Dude, that Sen sure is a ball-buster...but it's ok! I made sure that the guys were about so it's-"

Okita didn't even wait to hear him finish but pushed past him to rush down to the foyer, "Why didn't you start out with that?" he asked, picking up his pace. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Okita was asking himself when had he become that guy. The guy whose whole world, whose whole mood could change by that one special person.

When had he become such a sap?

At the moment, he didn't really care if he was, he only cared about Chizuru. So long as she was okay, he was. Heisuke quickly followed him, trying hard to keep up with his long strides. "You didn't really give me much of a chance to start out that way, remember? You were too busy biting my head off..."

Okita rolled his eyes and Heisuke caught up, "I'm not a morning person. You're lucky that's all I did." He pointed at his eye, "Or else we'd end up matching."

Heisuke scoffed, "I'm not that weak you know!" he nudged him with his elbow, "I can hold my own!"

"I'll believe that when I see it, kid." Okita stopped as he reached the foyer and looked around. He couldn't hear any whispering, breathing or giggling nor did he see anyone. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying his hardest not to appear as distraught as he was. Okita already knew how pathetic he was, he didn't need anyone else catching on. "The foyer, huh?" he asked, turning his glare towards Heisuke.

Heisuke frowned, "This is exactly where I left them, I swear. I told them not to move!" he walked to the front door and back, his eyes sweeping the location. "Where the hell did they go...?"

Okita huffed, his patience long gone. He turned away from Heisuke and went to his phone, Chizuru already brought up and dialed. Heisuke quirked an eyebrow, side stepping so he could see what Okita was doing. "Dude, who are you calling?" Heisuke pursed his lips, "You're not going to rat on me, are ya?"

"No, I'm not." Okita shoved Heisuke and put him at arm's length, "But I will beat you if you don't shut the fuck up! I just need to talk to Chizuru..." Quietly, Heisuke obeyed and simply watched his friend. Though he tried to hide it, Heisuke had known Okita long enough to see when he was worried. Heck, he was worried about Chizuru too. She was quickly becoming such a permanent fixture to their group...and not to mention, making a permanent spot in Okita's heart.

"Hello? Okita?"

Just at the sound of her voice, Okita relaxed, his previous thoughts a blur. Well, she can't be that mad anymore if she answered, right? "Chizuru...hey." Okita was suddenly aware that Heisuke was still near him. Quickly he shot him a look that only took him five seconds to figure out. It was almost comical how fast Heisuke booked it, almost.

"Is everything okay? What's going on?"

Okita paused only slightly, sighing. "You tell me if everything is okay. I woke up to find you gone..." Okita almost rolled his eyes at himself. He could hear every word he had just said and he nearly made a fool of himself! "You know, it can really hurt a guy's ego to be ditched like that! Especially when said guy was on his best behavior all night."

Chizuru laughed so lightly it was almost a sigh on his end. He could practically see Chizuru holding her phone, a soft beautiful smile on her petite face. Her dark brown eyes sparkling with her soft laughter...Okita shook his head to clear it.

"Sorry, I sort of got...well, kidnapped-or rather, friend-napped. Sen is here and-"

Okita pulled his phone away at the sudden silence, checking to see if his phone dropped the call but it hadn't. He pressed his phone back up to his ears, "Chizuru?"

There was muffled sounds before a voice came back on, "Okita? It's Sen, how are ya?" she asked, her voice bright and cheerful. The sound made Okita want to smack his head into the wall, she was obviously a morning person.

"I'm fine. How about you hand the phone back to Chizuru, yeah?" Okita's patience was dwindling, again. Didn't Chizuru's roommate understand their situation? Could her roommate watch out for her like he did? Calm down, she's just hanging out with friends. Okita took a deep breath and kept reminding himself of that. Kazama hadn't retaliated just yet, she was still safe.

"Can't do that, Okita. You see, today is going to be Girl's night, something you know Chizuru really needs, and she'll be AWOL for about...24 hours. At this time tomorrow, she will call you and check back into reality. You can trust that she's in good hands!" Sen lowered her voice to a whisper, "Listen, from what Heisuke told me, she really does need this. It's just something that us as girls need from time to time. Don't worry, ok? She'll come back to you feeling confident about everything, you'll see!"

Okita sighed, hating that Sen was right. She did need time away from him and everything that had just happened. Chizuru needed to be in the presence of her friends and girls, instead of a Frat House full of immature guys. And yeah, maybe he had been unknowingly fearful that if she had time away from him, she'd think differently about him and their relationship. That she'd regret breaking up with someone as 'stable' as Kazama and regret taking a chance on a wild card like him...

"Alright." he finally mumbled, "Tell her, I'll talk to her soon then. And to have fun." And Okita meant it, though he may not completely like it.

Sen laughed, "I will! And don't worry, we will have fun!" Before he could even breath, the line went dead and he sighed softly. Now what? Okita glanced over at Heisuke who was drifting towards the den, he reached out and cuffed him by the back of his shirt.

"Aw, come on, Okita!" Heisuke wiggled and tried to pull away, "Don't take it out on me!"

Okita grinned down at him, he was sure even with his busted lip, he looked intmidating. "Gather the guys, I'm calling an impromptu meeting for just us few who live here. We have much to discuss."

Heisuke stopped his struggling and gave his friend a coy smile, "Can do." Okita let him go and watched Heisuke leave. Chizuru had the blessing, thank goodness, to be distracted, but he couldn't. Okita was well aware of the danger they were still in and he was going to make sure that Chizuru was going to stay safe.

No matter what.

Kazama stared angrily at his reflection, the bridge of his nose was a deep angry red that matched his emotions perfectly. The deep red alone wouldn't be so bad, but that color was only the beginning of several on his face. The deep red faded into an ugly deep purple color that extended outwards on his cheekbones and under his eyes. It made his eyes looks sunken in and compared to his swollen nose, his face just looked off.

He hated it.

Kazama was, admittedly, quite a vain person. He was the face of the Student Council and he met with important people that would have a say in his future on the regular! He couldn't just go about looking homeless-or in this case, beaten up. He wasn't some lug head Frat boy who regularly got into fights and he was beyond pissed that he looked just like that.

His reflection looked like every irresponsible thug he hated. He winced when he scrunched his nose, the pain zinging. Kazama hissed quietly under his breath and he turned away from his reflection. He couldn't waste anymore time standing in front of the mirror, short of trying to wear make up to cover up the bruise, there wasn't anything he actually do.

But his anger served as good fuel, already his mind was churning with an idea. Straightening himself, he held his head up high and walked out of his bedroom. He couldn't just hide away in his room all day when there were things still left to do. But, he did ask Amagiri to rearrange a few things so he kept his meetings from within. There was no way he was going to give next door the benefit of seeing the damage Chizuru had dealt.

Among being vain, Kazama was extremely prideful. Of that, he was extremely aware of, but he wouldn't be where he was in the world if he wasn't so. He didn't see any problem being prideful, it was the way his own father dealt with things he was extremely successful.

Kazama worked hard to ignore the curious stares of his fellow Student Council members, he wasn't sure what was going around quite yet. He had also given Amagiri the task to cover the mishap of last night. When he entered his office, he was pleased to see Amagiri and Shiranui already there waiting for him. Rightly so, neither made a comment about his unusual tardiness nor his face.

He pointed at Amagiri as he stode past and sat in his chair, "Go."

Amagiri nodded and stepped forward, "I have done everything you've asked. Meeting will be taken place here for the afternoon rather than at the school and I have rescheduled with the more important heads for a later date." He glanced down at the open calendar on Kazama's desk, "I've also informed the house that we are to keep doors locked and to check in any visitors. They are aware that there was a break in and that you were unfortunately, hit by one of the intruders. The suspect is unknown and the matter is still being investigated. That is all."

Kazama nodded in agreement, pleased. "Good." He turned waved him away and turned towards Shiranui, "You?"

"Nothing unusual on my end." Shiranui held up his cellphone, "I've put up the security and surveillance cameras where you requested."

"Good." Kazama folded his hands together, "Set one surveillance to keep tabs on next door. They're going to mess up again soon. Amagiri, I need you to tail Chizuru as much as you can. Shiranui will cover your duties here, if need be."

"Sir?" Amagiri furrowed his brows, "Why the girl?"

"Yeah, isn't that considered stalking and harassment?" Shiranui cracked a grin and crossed his arms, "Especially when it comes to ex-girlfriends?"

Kazama slammed his hand down on the table, to which neither reacted, it almost pissed him off all over again. "I am not through with her. She's just not seeing clearly. That loser has her brainwashed. Either way, I'm confident she'll be the one to help us with our cause. If Chizuru is anything, she's naive. She won't expect us to be watching her." He smiled, his mind already going through the scenarios. In almost every way, she was the key.

"But what about the others?" asked Shiranui skeptically, "You really think that she'll be alone that often?"

"Ah, you see, Shiranui, that's why we'll have one camera on the house. When you see her walk about on her own-which she will if Okita is still fighting-you inform Amagiri. He'll handle the rest." Kazama sat back, pleased with his plan. "They'll regret making me look like a fool. Then we'll take out the Frat. And all's well that ends well."

The two nodded, solemnly agreeing with their President. "Is there anything else you need from us?" asked Amagiri, his facial features gave nothing away.

Kazama waved them both away, "No. You can go on. Keep in touch." The two didn't waste anymore time and left him alone with his thoughts. He turned in his chair, staring out the window. If all went well, he'd have them all by the end of the month.

Perfect.

Chizuru stirred and stared at her ice cream, it was almost all melted by this point-but she didn't want to tell Sen or Kosuzu that sweets weren't really her thing. Both of them were doing this whole thing for her, she didn't want to spoil it. It was the thought that counted, anyway. Slowly, she took a spoonful of the triple fudge chocolate ice cream and she hummed at the coldness of it. For all that it was nearly melted, it was still quite cold.

Sen turned towards her and smiled, "So, are you up to spilling your guts yet?" she asked. There was a sympathetic gleam in her eyes that made Chizuru feel safe and comfortable with her friend.

Kosuzu looked up from her spot, "No rush, though!" she set her own ice cream pint down. "We can watch a movie first, or go make some cookies down in the kitchen? The girls here aren't typically home during the weekend day light hours and usually keep to themselves anyway-at least, most of the time!"

Chizuru had been, admittedly, nervous to go to Kosuzu's room back at the Sorority house she was part of. She wasn't sure she wanted to run into girls like the ones from her class...but thankfully, the house had been quiet when they entered and thankfully, Kosuzu had her own room. Kosuzu had explained that most pledges don't get their own room, but she was a legacy. When Chizuru asked what that meant, Sen explained that a legacy was that her mother had been part of the Sorority years and years ago.

Kosuzu was basically royalty in the Sorority, but she didn't like to focus on that all too much.

Chizuru smiled at them both, feeling okay to push her ice cream away. "I'm okay, actually. Ready and willing to spill...that is, if you two are ready to be bored."

Sen leaned forward, clasping her hands together. "I am begging you to tell us already! I really doubt that it's boring!"

Kosuzu stood up from her chair, "I'll go get the wine coolers, then you can start!" Quickly she darted from the room and returned shortly after with a 6-pack of Strawberry Daiquiri Wine Coolers. Sen passed one to Chizuru, who was slightly thankful to have the liquid courage.

Taking a tiny sip of the delicious alcoholic drink, she sighed. "Well...I think I have to start at the beginning then." So she did. Chizuru told them about how her family knew Kazama's, how their relationship began and how in love with him she thought she was. She told them about her first day on Campus, she hesitated to tell them about the mugging, but she did. Chizuru told them about Okita, how he had rescued her, helped her and how from then on, he'd made his impact on her life.

"Looking back at that moment now, I think I was hooked right then and there." she whispered, her eyes shining. "Of course, I was in such denial..."

Sen smiled brightly, "You really were. Even I could see it, sweetie."

Chizuru was beyond glad that she snapped out of her denial. To think, she could've been happier than she'd ever been if she only just realized her feelings sooner. She continued to tell them the events that happened after all that.

Chizuru told them how she tried to put distance between them due to Kazama's demands, how Okita stayed away and how she felt so upset by his cold shoulder. She told them about their moments, about their fun conversations and how they had accidentally kissed after her drunken party night fiasco. Chizuru made sure to keep her involvement with the Frat under wraps, but she was sure they had an inkling.

She wrapped up her story with what they'd recently heard from Heisuke, how she found out that Kazama had threatened Okita and his Frat and how she punched him after she caught him cheating and then how she felt betrayed by Okita for his discretion for Kazama.

Chizuru frowned, hating the feeling. "I said some pretty horrible things to Okita yesterday." she glanced up at them, "I was so upset and felt so...betrayed. I completely understand why he didn't tell me though, I'm not even sure I would've believed him if he told me that weeks ago. I think I would've cut him out completely and that thought..." Chizuru shook her head, tears stinging her eyes. "How crazy is that?" she asked.

Kosuzu reached out and touched her hand. "The thing is, it's all crazy but you've handled all of this with such grace!" She smiled at her reassuringly, "I think I would've gone insane by now."

"Who's to say I haven't?" Chizuru sighed and went to take another sip of her drink only to find it already gone. She blinked and put it aside just as Sen handed her another.

"You haven't." Sen nodded at her, "Kazama on the other hand, oh boy." She rolled her eyes and downed the remaining of her drink. "As for Okita, he won't take what you said to heart. He cares about you and he understands what you went through!"

Chizuru nodded softly, almost in a daze. "I'm just...afraid. Not to take a chance on him, I'm sure of that, but rather of ruining things for him. Kazama is an ass and he's not going to rest until he finds some sort of payback for what I did."

Kosuzu narrowed her eyes, "Screw him!" she shouted, much to the surprise of them both. They stared at her with wide eyes and she put her drink down rather forciably. "Guys like him irk me! He's got some nerve, but don't you worry! You've got my help in this and that of the Sorority."

"W-what?" Chizuru furrowed her eyebrows at her friend, "I can't ask that! Besides I-"

Kosuzu shook her head, "No buts! Now, the Sorority here is unlike the others on Campus. We don't blindly follow the Frats around, nor do we blindly follow the Student Council. In fact, we've got quite a list of grievances towards the Student Council President and it won't take much to sway them. We can offer you protection, discretion and the latest gossip."

Sen blinked, "You guys can seriously do that?" she asked, "How?"

She smiled at them both, "You underestimate us-just like the others. They won't know, after all, we're just a Sorority. Girls who only like to party and gossip, right?" she winked at them. "Trust me. I know that the Frat will offer you protection, ours will be a back up, but we can. There's power in numbers and no one thinks twice about girls surrounded by other girls."

Chizuru smiled softly, "I'm sure it won't come to all that," Hopefully. "But it's good to know that there's a back up plan of some sort. I'll talk it over with Okita when I see him next." She reached out and grabbed both their hands. Chizuru squeezed softly, "Thanks you two. How about we stop talking about me and watch a movie?"

They both laughed, "Sure." Sen got up and picked a movie blindly from the shelf of movies Kosuzu had. "Oh, and just so you know, nothing about that was boring."

Chizuru laughed, "Nothing about my story seems real. Almost seems like a bad dream..."

"Well, hopefully, that will be it and once it's settled, you won't have drama for years!" Kosuzu shrugged, "It's a nice thought, right?"

"That's rather optimistic. But I'm hoping!" Chizuru crossed her fingers. Sen agreed and popped the DVD in before she settled back at her spot. She grabbed another wine cooler and raised it up, gesturing for the others to follow suit.

"Here's to no more drama!" Sen clinked her bottle to Chizuru's and then Kosuzu, both repeating her toast. Chizuru settled, her eyes watching the TV but not really registering in her mind. All she could think at that moment was how she really hoped Kazama would leave her, her friends, Okita and the Frat alone. Was that too much to ask for?

Please, no more drama.

"So, Hijikata, what'd ya call this meeting for?" Shinpachi leaned against the door frame, arms crossed. There was much left unsaid the night before, they were all curious about what was to happen next. About what they could do next. They were all aware that the presence of the Student Council was going to be much more of a pain than usual.

Hijikata shook his head, "I didn't call this meeting." he answered simply, much to Shinpachi's confusion.

Okita stepped forward then, "I did." he nodded towards Heisuke, "Figured Heisuke would've told you that much."

Heisuke rolled his eyes with a scoff, "Yeah, like knuckle-head here would ever let me get two words out. All I managed to say was 'Meeting at-' and he was rushing over here." He shrugged, "Figured he'd find out anyway."

Shinpachi huffed, "Knuckle-head?" he stepped towards Heisuke, "Wanna repeat that, runt?"

Sanosuke sighed, stepping between the two hot-heads. "If you want to fight, do it later." Sanosuke glanced at Okita, "So what's up, Okita? Is Chizuru doing okay?"

Okita nodded, "She is. Currently, she's with her friends having a girls night or whatever. I figured this would be the perfect time to discuss tactics to keep her safe. A plan? Ideas? That sort of thing. The less she knows, the safer she'll be."

Heisuke frowned, "You sure? She wasn't too happy yesterday when she found out you were lying to her. How's she going to take this if she finds out?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. Okita glared and Saito nodded in agreement.

"She's smart, Okita and she'll want to know."

Okita rolled his eyes, "Fuck off, guys. If we tell her, she'll want to be involved in any way she can! That in itself will put her directly into danger! That's what I want to avoid. She should be kept safe until Kazama is no longer a threat."

"But who knows how long that'll be for!" Heisuke shook his head, "How do you plan on keeping her in the dark? Like Saito said, she's a smart girl. She's not your usual Barbie-Bobble head."

"We'll figure it out, asshat." Okita shook his head.

Hijikata nodded, "I agree with Okita. She's far too naive and far too deep in the situation to think rationally." He glanced at Okita, "But we don't need to lie to her."

Okita sighed loudly, "So we won't. But she doesn't need to know all the details. She'll only worry more about being a burden." he crossed his arms, "When I'm not with her, there should be someone by her side, if not watching out for her, constantly. I'll write down my schedule, as well as hers, then we'll assign a shadow. I want her to feel like nothing is wrong, like her life is still normal. We don't know what Kazama has planned, but trust that it won't be good. He could go after her or go after me, maybe both! I think he's probably going to get much more bold than usual. Regardless, I don't want her to be alone. Get it?"

The guys nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. "One problem at a time. We have to keep our ears to the ground on this one." Saito furrowed his brow, "I'll do some quiet recon, see if he's been loud about his plans. We should keep up appearances though, act like we're not walking on eggshells. Hopefully then, we'll be able to pin him with something that'll keep him off our backs and Chizuru's."

Okita nodded, feeling much more relieved than before. "Good point. Sanosuke, set up a fight. Shinpachi, start training some of the other members on Security. Heisuke, inform Ryuunosuke on what we talked about. He should be in on this, as well."

Sanosuke pursed his lips, "I know we should keep up pretenses, but a fight so soon?" he frowned, "Isn't that too risky at this time?"

"It is, but perhaps that'll reveal Kazama's plan. Or maybe, it'll make him sloppy." Hijikata glanced at Shinpachi, "Double the Security." Shinpachi nodded.

Okita watched as the guys started to move about and he almost didn't stop them, but he did. "One more thing," he mumbled, trying hard not to grit his teeth angrily.

The others turned back to look at Okita, curious. His features were pinched, his lips tight, it almost looked like he was in great pain-but they could tell he was about to say something he didn't like. He glanced up at them, eyes hard.

"I don't want Chizuru to be at that Underground match."

A/N: dun, dun, duuuun. (isn't it always?) Hope you enjoyed! Please, let me know what you think! I LOVE reading what you think! :) Like I mentioned, my outline for this story is done, it's just a matter of writing. This chapter wasn't as long as my usual ones, unfortunately, but I promise I'll deliver with the next Chapter! See ya then and thanks again for reading! And, of course, thanks again for your patience! :D