So it's something about the reviews you guys have been giving me combined with my free time that has me updating so regularly. In any case, enjoy (:

It's not as though everything goes back to peachy the moment you decide to get back together with someone. There's still the overly cautious tip-toeing that we do around each other. It is as though we're afraid one small move might cause a breakup. I suppose that is something that will last for awhile before we can swing back into our normal girlfriend routine.

Shizuru still has breakfast with Tomoe. She says she enjoys the company and finds it lovely. I am slightly jealous, but not about to deny Shizuru good company and friendship just because I am feeling irrational. Also, I no longer sneak down to the dining hall to catch them in action—because I actually sleep nowadays. It's pretty much a miracle, sleep is amazing. Sleep is the only time where I receive oblivion from everything. From the things that haunt me every waking hour and from myself.

Mai is happily over the moon, for us. I had reluctantly found some time to text her that everything was back as usual. Of course, that was because of Shizuru's prompting. She tactfully suggested, that I tell Mai, that I no longer was a walking zombie. When I commented on it, Shizuru simply replied that anyone within a mile radius could tell that I was literally a zombie during the break-up period. Apparently, the eyebags weren't the only give away. It was the way I dragged my feet, the way my eyes looked at the world along with the weird timings I suddenly appeared to keep on facebook.

"At 6am in the morning, usually I'm the only one awake. The only other people awake on facebook are my friends who are living on a different time clock in the world. But you my dear Natsuki, somehow were awake at 6am on facebook. Chat settings don't lie especially when you can't be bothered to set it as offline," Shizuru said.

I refrained from commenting about that. It wasn't that I didn't think of setting my status to offline such that I could hide behind it. I had wished that by being online so early in the morning, that perhaps Shizuru would notice and take that time to talk to me. To me, people are either chatty really late into the night, or really early in the morning. Of course I didn't care to tell Shizuru that my online status in the early morning was partly a vain hopeful attempt to get her to talk to me. Still, I am pleasantly surprised that she had taken note of that. Then again, this is Shizuru we are talking about. I wonder if I really have anything to be surprised at.

I have class at twelve today. For the first time, I am revved to go for it. I scour around for my phone that in my hurry to get dressed, I have misplaced. I locate it in a crevice of my crumpled blanket. As I tug my jacket on, I send a quick text out to Shizuru.

'Mai wants us to have dinner at her place tonight. It beats dining hall food. Free to go?'

I tuck my phone into my jeans pocket, grab my file and bag before swinging out of the room. I catch the lift, and hurry across the campus to class. I make it to class just before the bell rings. Sliding into a seat next to Tomoe, I acknowledge her with a 'hello'.

The class proceeds as it always does. The teacher goes through the tutorial then divides us into groups to discuss answers. This time, I have no aversion to being grouped with Tomoe. There is something that still seems a little off about her, but for what it's worth she hasn't proven to be anything but nice.

I check my phone surreptitiously as Tomoe proceeds to talk to the group.

'Anything beats hall food. I'll meet you at your bike at 6pm?'

"Breakdown of carbohydrates huh? The mannitose and sucrose pathway are important. It does link up with the Xanthine pathway though, which you then have to follow through with Adenosine." Tomoe taps the blank A4 in front of her. She pushes one to the two students in our group. "You all can do the mannitose pathway." She passed another piece of paper to the other two students, "Settle the Xanthine pathway. Me and Kuga will deal with the sucrose and fructose one."

There is no argument as we break up into our usual groups. Tomoe's an efficient leader and much as I hate to say it, she is brilliant. She knows exactly what is important and sieves out that information faster than I can snap my fingers. "So Natsuki, what do you think is important in the sucrose pathway?"

"Uh…it breaks down to fructose, which is then broken down by the oxidative cycle and produces energy?"

"Actually…" Tomoe pauses and studies me. "That would be the glucose pathway. The glucose is converted to a form of fructose. Glucose-6-phosphate becomes fructose-6-phosphate. However, this is fructose-6-phosphate, not fructose itself."

"I thought they were kinda the same." I raise my eyebrow. To me, anything that looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, is a duck.

"No. You see fructose by itself actually becomes fat. It plays a role in triglyceride synthesis. And while your body metabolizes glucose and glucose actually makes you feel full. Fructose on the other hand doesn't add to that effect at all. So no matter how much fructose you consume, your brain would still be asking for more. All the way your fructose would be adding up to become fat in your body." With clean lines, Tomoe dashes out the pathway of fructose and sucrose metabolism.

"You're really smart," I blurt out. To be honest, I would never have made the distinction between fructose and fructose-6-phosphate and how the body metabolizes it. It makes perfect sense when Tomoe explains it, and if she didn't I would continue in my world where both molecules are the same to me.

"Unfortunately, not smart enough to get the attention of someone," Tomoe replies.

I blink once, then twice. "What do you mean? Even the professor knows you're smart."

Her pen nip stops scratching on the paper and settles on the end of a letter.

"Honestly, Natsuki. You're not that smart. What is it about you, that attracts Shizuru so much?"

I feel my back rear up against the chair and the ever open raw wound of mine that I'm stupid starts to bleed invisibly. "I didn't think intelligence was the basis by which people forge friendship bonds," I retorted slightly offended.

"Except you and I, and half the world out there, with two working eyes know that you both are more than that."

"Are you having problem with the fact that I'm gay," I hissed at Tomoe.

She pushes the pen into my hand. "Make yourself useful and finish up this mindmap." She folds her arms and looks at me. "Well?"

I sigh as I stare at the smattering of words scattered around the paper, linked with arrows. "I don't know. I always thought they were the same. I'll study this part after class today."

She takes back the pen and starts scribbling. "Intelligence may not be the basis upon which people form friendships, but an idiot and a genius would have a hard time getting along. So I don't get how she can be friends with you. Make that, more than friends."

"You know, Shizuru was right when she said that you're an elitist. Because you sure as hell are." Despite the fact that Tomoe is making my intelligence look like a laughing stock now, I still cannot help but be amazed at the way, the mindmap before me takes shape. It is obvious, that everything in her head is so neatly mapped out that this is at the tip of her mind.

"I just don't understand people who have the potential to be smart, but do nothing about it. In fact, I don't understand stupid people." She leans over and glances at the other two students working on the Mannitose pathway. "You got the lower part wrong," she comments curtly before turning back to our mindmap that she is working on.

The other two students send me a pitying look which I appreciate. "Fine, I'm stupid. Are you going to unfriend me now?"

"Well my mother always said that I ought to learn to make friends with everyone and not just the upper echelons."

"Well thanks, I'm ever grateful," I reply sarcastically.

"You ought to be. I'm doing this mostly because Shizuru asked me to take care of you. You know that. It must be quite pathetic to always be the one taken care of. Do you even know how to care for her? Or do you just like to feel all well and taken care of like a pampered princess."

"Excuse me, if that's none of your business. I'll let Shizuru know that you'll like to be let off your services. Pardon me, for being such a burden, especially one who needs your pity and your help. I can pass my exams just fine without you." I am indignant. Just because maybe say I suck at biology, doesn't mean I'm a complete and total idiot. I can do math, like the best of them, weirdly so. And I can fix anything to do with a bike, has metal steel parts and such.

"Of course. Just a pass. I forget that people like you aim for passes, where Shizuru and I aim for the best."

"Seriously, Tomoe. You're an ass today." I sit back, and mentally try to memorize the mindmap as she completes it. Usually, she passes me the mindmap after tutorials for me to bring it home to revise since I'm usually the one with problems. But today, I am determined to not take it from her. I'm not a charity case.

I stalked my way over to the stranded carpark where my bike was parked and where a gorgeous brunette stood. Her file was placed on the floor next to her feet and she leaned against the wall reading from a small blue booklet. The wind shuffled strands of lightened oak brown hair across her face as wine red eyes scanned the pages.

"Hey Shiz."

She looks up and closes her book with a snap. "Hello, Natsuki." With a quick check to make sure that no one is looking at us, she bends forward and greets me with kiss on the cheek.

"Did you tell Tomoe to help me out in my work?" I demanded.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I did, I thought you wouldn't mind the extra edge," she said smoothly.

"Of course I wouldn't mind. But that woman treats me like a charity case."

"Ahhh…Well, Marguerite-san can be alittle elitist," Shizuru replied placatingly.

"You see, I don't particularly have a problem with people helping me out in my studies. God knows I can do with those mindmaps of hers that are impeccably drawn up." I shove my bag into the back container of my bike and pick up Shizuru's file to add to it. She tosses over the booklet she's holding, and I tuck it in with the other belongings. "But, I will not be treated like a pathetic charity case, and I'm not going to beg for her help."

"Then don't." Shizuru mounts the bike behind me.

I rev, the engine, and maneuver out of the lot. "Of course. I rejected her beautifully drawn up mindmap today."

"Do you want me to talk to her?"

"Oh please. You know, she thinks, I'm stupid and wonders how you and I are together."

"Oh she knows?"

"Apparently, anyone with two eyes knows we're together. Her point is that, I'm so dumb that in her mind, it is inconceivable that you and I can actually communicate. Though she may have a point, I am dumb."

Shizuru's arms tighten around my waist. "No, you're not. Natsuki's not allowed to say stuff like that about herself."

"That's like denial. I'm not living in denial. I am dumb, in comparison to you and Tomoe's standard of intelligence. Oh, except I'm damn good with my hands and I make a great mechanic. So no, I'm not that dumb."

"You may not be as intelligent when it comes to studies. But you're brilliant with handiwork. I for one was rather amazed when you repaired the toilet pump when it broke at Mai's house."

"See that's the point. I can fix almost anything. But apparently, there's a difference between a functose-6-phosphate and a fructose molecule and I'm too dumb to know there is one."

"Of course there's a difference. If not why would the name be different?" Shizuru asked quizzically.

"Thanks Shiz. That's so comforting to know. I mean I just thought they belonged to the same pathway."

"Oh they don't. The fructose pathway leads to the triglyceride one. Whereas—"

"The fructose-6-phosphate is the glycolysis one right. I got that today. After Tomoe made me look like a fool."

"You don't have to accept help from her if you don't want to. I can help you."

"No. You're so busy. You don't have time to teach me. I'll put more effort into my work. I can. I'm just lazy sometimes."

"If you insist. But I'm here. You can ask for help anytime you need," Shizuru said dubiously.

"Nah, forget it. Maybe I wasn't born with this gene that allows me to keep my attention span for more than an hour studying. But I sure as hell wasn't born some plain idiot, who's pathetic at everything. I fix bikes. I fix the aircon. I fix things."

"Yes you do."

"Are you patronizing me Shizuru?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm not!" she protested vehemently. "I'm just glad you're not dismissing it. There would have been a time, you'll just think you're stupid. But you're fishing out your good points now."

"That's cause I'm mad. I'm mad that someone like TOMOE, has the guts to tell me I'm an idiot. When her car breaks down, I'll be the one whistling as I drive by."

"Vengeful much someone," Shizuru commented.

I stopped the bike at the traffic light, and wiped my palms on my trousers before gripping the handlebars. "Seriously? She thinks I'm not fit for you because I don't have that dazzling brilliance of hers. She's lucky I didn't flip her on the table and crack her head against that mindmap of hers."

"You're really pissed huh." Shizuru eyed her love, whom she'd never seen quite so angry before. Well, with the exception of the day she was molested. "I commend your patience by not utilizing some of your more uncivilized moves on her."

"I'll show her. Oh I really will, in a proper civilized manner somemore. For the next week, you're going to see me study my eyes out every day. I'll baby sit my work with a tub of mayo. Then I'm going to own her ass in the test if ever."

"I'm sure you will," Shizuru said smoothly.

"Are you patronizing me? Now you really sound like you do," I accused.

Shizuru giggled. "Natsuki, even with a tub of mayo, I doubt you can spend an entire day much less a week studying."

I swung the bike into the parking lot at the entrance of Mai's apartment. "So you don't believe I will huh? I'll show you. I'll show her," I mumbled under my breath. I dismounted and lifted the helmet off Shizuru's head. Smiling at her messy hair, I ran my fingers through them causing them to untangle. "You believed in me Shizuru, when you said you'll love me enough for two. Nobody ever loved me through my flaws, or expected nothing from me. But you did. And for once in my life, I feel like I can do anything with you behind me."

Shizuru raised an eyebrow at me and smirked. "Does that mean you'll embark on your week of studying and own Tomoe in the upcoming quiz?"

I passed Shizuru on my way to the back of my bike, and whispered into her ear. "You bet your ass, I will."

"Then I'll look forward to it," she smiled.

It was a confident smile. It was a smile that showed her belief in me. It was warm and reassuring and completely sure. I slid my hand into hers and let our fingers entwine. "Let's go up."

I fished the key out of a boot on the shoe rack, and opened the door to Mai's apartment. "We're here."

"Gimme a second," Mai yelled back from the kitchen. "Food's almost done."

"Hey Tate," I sprung myself onto the couch next to where he sat watching television. Shizuru took her place on the armchair.

"Sup" He shifted over to give me more space.

"Animal planet?"

"Something about mermaids being real and governments hiding the data." He yawned as he crunched on a couple of peanuts that he held in his palm.

I whistled through my teeth. "Sounds like a conspiracy theory to me."

He shrugged. "Maybe. You want me to change the channel?"

"Leave it. Mermaids are fine with me." After watching for five minutes, I decided to head to the kitchen to see if Mai was done, and to look out for some opportunity to swipe some mayonnaise.

"Smells good." I peered into the pot. "I love ramen."

"You ought to love me, since I'm the one cooking it."

"I'll love you more, when I get an extra scoop of mayo inside." I reached for the spoon to taste some of the soup when Mai tapped her ladle sharply across my knuckles.

"Hey!" I protested. "I just wanted to try the soup."

"Don't touch anything. In fact, get out of the kitchen. With you around, my pot might suddenly explode."

"Sheesh." I left the kitchen and wandered over to the packet of poker cards on the shelves. "Hey Tate, want to play poker?"

"Sure."

"Shiz?"

"Shh Natsuki. I'm trying to watch the documentary." With raptured eyes, Shizuru stared at the screen as though it was the prey and she, the predator.

"Seriously? Mermaids?" I asked as I shuffled the deck of cards.

"It's fascinating," she replied distractedly.

I rolled my eyes and brought the deck of cards over to the sofa and started dealing on the table.

I was winning my second hand when Mai brought the food out. With a whoop, I crammed the cards back into the box and hurried over to the table. With hopeful doe eyes, I scanned the four bowls for one that would have mayonnaise.

"Mai. Where's—"

"Your mayo? It's coming. Patience." She appeared in the doorway holding a small bowl that held the white creamy substance that I craved.

"Thanks." I dished three huge spoons of mayonnaise into my soup. Contemplated, and decided that I could do with the whole bowl of mayonnaise inside. So I proceeded to dump it all in.

"Shiz, food." I turned around to catch the guilty and conflicted look on Shizuru's face.

"The documentary. It's really good, you know," she looked at me somewhat pleadingly.

"Seriously Shiz. Manners." It's the one thing Shizuru always is. Polite. No matter how much she can like a show on television, she has better manners than to eat in front of the TV.

With a somewhat guilty sigh, she got off the armchair and seated herself at the table. I nudge her over to my seat and swapped places so that hers would be facing the television.

She gifted me with a brilliant smile before she thanked Mai for the food.

Halfway through the meal, I requested for another bowl of mayonnaise and wasn't stopped by Shizuru. I gave thanks to the gods that mermaids on television was distracting Shizuru from controlling my mayonnaise diet. Mai didn't bother to object since it was her food that I was enjoying and retrieved a second serving for me.

"Hey Mai, do you think I could get one of those tubs of mayonnaise you have to take home?"

Mai shot a look in Shizuru's direction and was alittle puzzled that there was no comment. Just a raptured expression of fascination directed at the television. "Whyever?" she asked.

"I'm studying. And I need mayonnaise to help me study. You know like how the occasional snack helps you concentrate."

"You. Studying?" she blinked twice, and shot another look in Shizuru's direction.

"It's a personal challenge. I'm going to become 'Shizuru number two'. I'm going to attempt to reach her god-like level of concentration."

"And somehow you've employed mayonnaise to be your partner, in achieving your uh…new godly status?"

"Well duh. So can I get one?"

"Sure. I mean if Shizuru doesn't seem to be against it. It's fine. She's the one regulating your diet anyway. I'll pass it to you later."

The night ended with Shizuru babbling about mermaids and evidence and bone structure while I listened with half a ear open. The other part of me was literally prancing around at the idea of an entire tub of mayonnaise.

When we got back onto the bike, Shizuru all but cuddled up against my back. "I had a lovely night tonight, Natsuki."

"It was the mermaids right?" I replied.

"That and the food, and the fact that we're okay and we had dinner at Mai-han's place."

"I had a lovely night too."

"It was the mayonnaise right," she murmured sleepily into my back.

I started the engine. "That and the fact that we're okay and we had dinner at Mai's place."

Warm hands enveloped my waist, as I took off into the night.