DISCLAIMER: MAI HIME doesn't belong to me but if I were given a chance I would definitely own Shizuru *drools*dreamy eyes*gunshot* WHAT A STINGY WOMAN! EVEN IN IMAGINATION I CAN'T OWN SHIZURU?! *explosion*dead*
CHAPTER TWO: A JOURNEY TO THE PAST
Shizuru felt sick. Natsuki was the last person she expected to see. Five years ago, she vowed never to have anything to do with her again. She never forgave the woman for abandoning her when she needed her most. It took her years to rebuild her life.
The gangly student she'd known had filled out nicely. She's sexier. Her shoulders were broader and her arms were leaner. Her cobalt hair was slightly past shoulder-length and hung like soft curtain; unlike before, where it used to fall almost to her waist. Those shy but expressive emerald eyes that couldn't even look at her any time she whispered how much she adored her. Those luscious pink and pouty lips that drew her like an addict. If Shizuru was honest with herself, she would admit that the old attraction between them never really went away. But now, she just needed to ignore it, because she didn't want a re-run of her mistakes.
"Yes, Natsuki. Don't tell me you're our new bodyguard?" Shizuru trembled a little. After all these years, the sweet scent of Natsuki still lulled her like a siren. It affected her so much that it hurt not to sink into her neck and inhale her scent deeply. She tried to blank her mind out and shut away her treacherous heart.
"Y-Yeah." Natsuki looked away. She didn't know what to tell to the other girl. "S-So when did you become his girlfriend? All along, I thought you were a gay."
Shizuru walked to the sink and washed her hands. "We've been going out for months now, but he was my childhood friend before that. He knows that I prefer women but we're trying to work our relationship out. Right now, we're good." Shizuru dried her hands. "Natsuki is curious about my current relationship. Don't tell me you're still single." Shizuru smiled.
"Y-Yeah" Natsuki sighed. "I don't have time for other things."
"Ara, you never had time for other things, Natsuki. Some things don't change, I suppose." Shizuru walked out of the bathroom.
Natsuki closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Guilt creeped at her heart. Maybe time couldn't wipe away all the pain she inflicted on Shizuru. She still remembered those haunted eyes when she decided to break up with her, but at the time, she was convinced that Shizuru was better off without her. After exhaling, she followed Shizuru out of the bathroom. She couldn't ignore the longing that she felt for the woman as she stared at woman from behind.
When Shizuru turned around, she caught Natsuki studying her back. "So does Natsuki know our set-up? Or was she too busy memorizing my body?" Shizuru teased her.
Natsuki blushed. "B-Baka! I-I know all the details!"
"Of my body?" Shizuru giggled at the flustered woman.
Natsuki grunted and strode faster to knock on the door.
"Who's there?" Reito asked.
"It's me. Kuga." Natsuki informed. The Kaichou opened the door and was surprised when he saw Shizuru.
"Oh, Shizuru. Come in." Reito walked back to his desk and started cleaning it. "Hey Shiz, meet Miss Kuga. She's our bodyguard. I informed her about the situation and she's even willing to investigate it. Isn't that great?" Reito smiled at Shizuru.
"Really? How diligent." Shizuru remarked dryly. Reito shot her a questioning right brow, but did not comment.
"So, how was your day?" Reito asked his girlfriend. He noticed that the sandy haired woman seemed distracted, but chose to ignore it for now.
"So-so. I'm done researching the things we agreed to. I've got some new information. Maybe we can discuss it later." Shizuru walked towards Reito and leaned onto his desk. "How about your day?"
Natsuki looked away. She felt out of place so she busied herself with other things on her mind, which caused her to not notice when the couple was addressing her.
"W-What?" Natsuki stammered and blushed.
Reito laughed. "You seem distracted, Kuga-san. Are you hungry? Why don't we get some take out and head back home." Shizuru embraced Reito's left arm, which surprised him but he allowed the tawny haired girl to do as she pleased.
"Kinda. If you're going to go home, I'll follow you in my car." Natsuki stood up to get the backpack that she left in the corner, mentally cursing herself for being distracted by Shizuru.
When Shizuru and Reito left, Natsuki followed them to the parking lot and inspected the surroundings. She made sure that the perimeter was safe and that their car was not tampered with before letting the couple get in. She even popped the hood to make sure that the insides were not re-wired in any way. When she felt it was secured, she let Reito start up the car and followed them in her own. Trying to distract herself from Shizuru, Natsuki called her Sensei to give an update about her undercover mission. After three rings, her Sensei answered the phone. "Yes?"
"Sensei, it's Lone Wolf reporting." Natsuki placed her phone on the dashboard and turned on her hands-free headset.
"Report." The voice became formal.
"Hai, I was able to check out the establishment and learned that the whole building is wired with CCTV cameras. There are too many roaming guards, as if they were waiting for or hiding something. I'll talk to the security head when he comes into work. Maybe we can see something in the past videos from the cameras." Natsuki explained.
"Could you get some pictures?" The voice suggested.
"Hai, I'll send it to you as soon as possible." Natsuki said.
"So how was the set up? Did you meet the girlfriend yet?"
"H-Hai, it was S-Shizuru, Sensei." Natsuki stammered. She couldn't lie to her superior. Before they were accepted as agents, they had to be thoroughly investigated. The FBI knew every dirty little secret she had, including her ex-girlfriend.
"How ironic, neh?" Her sensei chuckled. "It seems that fate has finally intervened with your past mistakes, Lone Wolf."
"But I can't do anything about it now, Sensei. I don't want to risk the case." Natsuki replied helplessly.
"Don't worry, Kuga. Kami-sama will give you enough time to correct your mistakes with her." And the line went dead.
Sighing, Natsuki resumed driving. Natsuki continuously looked in her rear view mirror to see if there were any suspicious cars following the Kaichou. After thirty minutes, they arrived at the grandiose house of her raven-haired client.
Pausing, she waited for the Kaichou to open his garage through remote. After opening the garage, she pulled in beside the Kaichou's car. They all exited at the same time, but she signaled for them to stay where they were as she went in to ensure that the house was safe.
Natsuki moves stealthily in the door. After she was able to herself from gawking, she checked the entire house from bottom to top. She made sure every bedroom, every closet, every crack and crevice was looked at and deemed safe before she returned to the couple.
The couple was whispering to each other when Natsuki came back. When they saw her, they immediately stop talking. "So is it safe, Kuga-san?" Reito asked her.
"Hai, you can come in now." Natsuki noticed that the air seemed tense and Shizuru seemed in deep thought. She took her belongings and followed the couple inside the house.
Reito paused in front of Natsuki and smiled. "Well, welcome to my humble home, Kuga-san."
Kaichou's house consisted of three spacious bedrooms with their own bathroom, large den, formal dining room, living room, and open kitchen with modern appliances, and a two-car attached garage. It included whirlpool tubs, walk-in attic storage, and security system. The deck overlooks a large fenced-in backyard.
"I thought we were getting take-out, Kaichou?" Natsuki asked Reito.
"Ahh, Shizuru volunteered to cook something for us. Isn't she sweet?" Reito smiled at her.
Natsuki just shrugged at the Kaichou. "So where is your room, Kaichou?"
"It's on the second floor, Kuga-san." Reito loosened his necktie while Shizuru walked past them to the second floor. Natsuki gazed at her as the older woman walked away.
"I'll drop my things there first. Then, I'll inspect the house again." Natsuki walked her way to second floor and saw Shizuru. "Neh, Shizuru where's Kaichou's bedroom?"
"It's our bedroom, Natsuki. Don't be afraid to say it." Shizuru gestured to a white door and opened it.
It was a large white room with lots of space. There was a table beside the white queen-sized bed. A huge closet for his clothes and a medium size closet for his shoes. There were no personal things in his room, which made Natsuki wonder. She placed her backpack near the bed while Shizuru sat down on the bed.
"What's the problem, Shizuru?"
Shizuru was startled at Natsuki's question. "Ara, Natsuki is worried about me?" Shizuru smiled.
Natsuki looked away and pocketed her hands. "I never stopped worrying about you, Shizuru. I'm not that cold-hearted."
Shizuru felt the color rise through her face and her gaze softened at the sweet words of the young woman. She knew that back then. Natsuki loved her in her own different way. She may appear independent in all aspects in their relationship, but Shizuru was sure that she was the only one who got through her tough emotional walls. Natsuki was a proud woman who couldn't easily admit her feelings to other people.
"I'm okay, Natsuki. I'm just thinking of something." Shizuru stood up.
"Regarding your work?" Natsuki asked her.
"Hmmmmm. So what does Natsuki want for dinner? I'm pretty sure that whatever I prepare will be drowned in mayo." Shizuru giggled.
Natsuki blushed. "O-Oi! I'm not drowning everything in mayo! And d-don't exaggerate it, I don't mayo in everything!" Natsuki pouted.
Shizuru mentally squealed at Natsuki's pout. "Ara, it seems Natsuki can't outgrow her cute blushes and pouts." Shizuru smiled at her.
"B-Baka! And you can't seem to stop teasing me with everything." Natsuki huffed at Shizuru.
Smiling, Shizuru walked towards the door. "I'll prepare dinner for us, Natsuki. And I hope she will appreciate it by not spoiling it with her precious mayo."
Shizuru closed the door and Natsuki was left with Shizuru's lavender scent. Inhaling deeply, Natsuki sat on the sofa and closed her eyes. How the hell was she going to cope with having Shizuru back in her life? She scolded herself for being affected by Shizuru's teasing. She had to be fully alert to her mission. She still didn't know if Shizuru was involved with the Kaichou's plans but she was sure that Shizuru wasn't capable of doing those kinds of things. Either way, she had to be cautious because even if Shizuru wasn't Kaichou's accomplice, but she was sure that Shizuru will protect the people she love.
Just like she did with you.
Her mind whispered to her. Swallowing bitterly, she ignored the lingering memories that threatened to surface. She decided to check the perimeter.
Natsuki checked the backyard first; there was a Sakura tree just outside the white picket fence. She watched the leaves as they were carried away by the wind. The neighborhood was eerily quiet. Very few people and cars were present. She saw the alley that the Kaichou talked earlier and decided to inspect it. She leapt across the fence and casually walked to it. The alley was not that broad and the light from the post flickered, making it look like an alley in a ghost town. Natsuki could see the other side of the road from where she stood. She tried to imagine the Kaichou's demise in this alley. Based on her observation, it would take a big person to drag the Kaichou here because he was fit and capable of protecting himself.
"So why did he have to hire somebody to protect him?" Natsuki asked herself.
She looked around some more until something caught her eye. A shiny silver dollar laid by the trash can. Her eyes furrowed and she decided to pocket the dollar. She did another quick scan of her surroundings before returning to the house to check the windows, doors and the garage. Satisfied, she sought out the Kaichou.
Natsuki looked for him in the living room first, but to no avail. She found similar results when she searched in the kitchen, dining room, and den; so, she decided to wait for him at the bottom of the stairs. Not later than a minute, Reito and Shizuru left their room at the same time. Natsuki sighed and look away from the perfect couple.
"So did you find anything, Kuga?" Reito asked the bluenette.
"I found a dollar near the trash bin."
Reito snickered. "This must be your lucky day Kuga."
Natsuki ignored the joke. "Can I see the death threats that were given to you?"
Shizuru giggled. "I told you she is a serious one."
Reito pouted. "Well, err… it's in the garage. I'll go get it." Reito walk out to the living room.
"You told him? Are you talking about me behind my back?" Natsuki asked the giggling Shizuru.
"He asked me if I knew you and I told him that we were best friends in college."
"Did you tell him that I was your... your ex-girlfriend?"
"I told him your name before we became a couple, but I do not know if he remembers it. If he remembers, I won't deny it but right now he doesn't need another burden to shoulder."
Natsuki felt like she was slapped. Her gut clenched because of Shizuru's indifferent attitude about their past relationship while she was acting like a lovesick fool every time the older woman approached her. Worse, her body seemed to have developed some kind of radar that made her react to the ruby-eyed woman. Natsuki tried to swallow the lump growing in her throat when Reito came back with a box, saving her from answering Shizuru's remarks.
"Here Kuga, I indicated the date of every letter that was left to me. I disposed the dead cat but the hair with blood is in the plastic bag. I wasn't able to preserve the finger prints on the objects since I thought it was just a practical joke." Reito gave her a medium-sized box.
Natsuki opened the box. While looking at the letters, she pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. "Which came first? The letters or the calls?" Natsuki pulled the very first one that arrived.
I know you're alone. Watch your back. Or I'll scar that beautiful face of yours.
Reito sat down with Natsuki. "The letters came first. It's still on my answering machine."
"It seems we've got a glimpse of her personality." Natsuki said dryly.
"Personality? With just one letter?" Reito seemed impressed.
"Hai. This person is highly vain and most probably a girl."
"Ara? But how can you explain the one who dragged Reito?" Shizuru inquired the blunette.
Natsuki opened the remaining letters to inspect its contents. "Based on your statements, somebody dragged Reito into a black van. Meaning, there should be a driver, a muscle man, and a mastermind. The one who wrote this letter is a woman. She's the mastermind. On this letter, she was focused on Kaichou's looks because she unconsciously admires or probably thinks that she's good enough for the Kaichou. There is a high probability that she stalked Reito before because she knew that he is living alone."
Shizuru raised her right eyebrow and Reito coughed a little at her explanation. "Oh my, that was some explanation. Are you a profiler as well?"
"We were required to take behavioral science in the academy to anticipate the next criminal move of the target. Can I ask for a plastic bag? I'll take it to forensics."
"Why do you have to bring it to the crime lab? You managed to form a conclusion based off of what you read, so I don't think we will get anything from it. You've handled it and god knows how many other people handled that letter."
"How do you seal your letters, Kaichou?" Natsuki asked him.
"I lick—oh." Reito was rendered speechless.
"DNA can be retrieved from the saliva and if we're lucky, we might even get a decent fingerprint from it. If anything yields, we can do a search of the criminal records from the Police Department's database. It's a start."
"Why, I never had an idea."
"That's why I am the bodyguard. Do you have a suspect?"
Reito cleared his throat. "I have no idea. I'm a businessman, so it's normal for us to have competition. I managed to fish several contracts from other companies but someone who will hold a grudge against me? I really don't have a clue."
"Is there someone who is overly friendly? Someone who asks a lot of questions? Think hard."
"I've been thinking about this, Kuga. I've been going over this in my mind since the first letter and I can't think of anyone."
"Okay. Don't worry. We'll figure this one out. Now, the plastic bag?"
"I'll get it." Shizuru volunteered. Natsuki selected a few letters and picked up the hair as she waited for the plastic bag. After a few seconds, Shizuru emerged in the kitchen with a clear medium-sized plastic bag.
Natsuki placed it inside and she tied it in a knot. She took out her phone and dialed a contact. After two rings, the line picked up.
"Yo, Yuuki here."
"Nao, it's me, Kuga. I'm bringing some evidence in the crime lab tomorrow. Can you rush it for me?"
"Now it's NAO. After threatening my life, you're asking for a FAVOR, Kuga?" Nao sneered.
"Don't be ridiculous, Nao. If that was serious, I'm pretty sure that you'll never see the sunrise again. Quit whining and be serious. It's for my current employer." Natsuki huffed.
"The Kanzaki Case, eh? I heard that an ex-flame reappeared, so spill!"
"How the heck did you get that information?!" Natsuki whispered furiously. Reito and Shizuru questionably raised their eyebrows at the blushing woman.
Nao deviously laughed at the flustered woman. "Sensei told me. I volunteered to assist you in any way but was advise to lay low and wait for your signal. She's worried that you'll be too distracted to think alone."
Natsuki gripped her phone a little. "There's nothing to be worried about. I can handle this and if not, I'll call you, okay? Arigato Nao."
"B-Baka! I'm not telling you this to be sweet! I want you to focus in the case! Stupid mutt." Nao scoffed while blushing at the gratefulness of her friend.
Natsuki chuckled. "Hai, so about the evidence, I need it to be processed right away. Is that okay?"
"Just bring it to me tomorrow. I'll personally work that one. See yah tomorrow, asshole."
"Yeah, yeah. See you too, dimwit." Natsuki mumbled before hanging up her phone.
"So your friend is going to help us?" Reito inquired.
"Yeah, she's a forensic expert. I'll bring it to her tomorrow."
"Good to know, Kuga. Arigato for the hard work. I'm glad that you became my bodyguard."
Natsuki blushed at the kind words. "No need to thank me, Kaichou. I'm just doing my job."
"Just call me Kanzaki, Kuga. Stop being so formal."
Shizuru stood up and patted Reito on his shoulder. "I'll prepare our dinner."
Reito nodded at her gesture. "Hai, I'll help you out. You want to tag along, Kuga?"
"Sure. I'll set this aside for tomorrow." Natsuki stood up and walked towards the bedroom to hide the evidence that will be tested tomorrow. As she walked towards the kitchen, she couldn't help but feel like an outsider. Yes, she had a past with her the older woman, but this was her life now.
When Natsuki arrived to the kitchen and saw how the couple worked together, she couldn't help but feel insecure. In the past, she didn't even help Shizuru in the kitchen. She was always too exhausted from the odd jobs that she accepted. Even though Shizuru knew that she was accepting those jobs for them and she was very understanding of it, seeing the older woman with someone who truly supported her hit home.
Natsuki always knew that she was bad with relationships. That was why she always steered away from any possible closeness but one look, one smile, and Shizuru reeled her in. Hook, line and sinker. Her heart yearned for the happily-ever-after that she never experienced in her family but as usual, the blood, the DNA that ran through her veins fucked up the possibility of a happy life with the only woman who made her believe that there was a goodness within a Kuga. "Is something wrong, Kuga?" Natsuki was startled at the sudden question. Reito was holding a spatula while Shizuru was wearing an orange apron. They both looked domestic, as if they were made for each other. Maybe she made the right decision to let Shizuru go.
"Nothing, Kanzaki. So what's cooking?" Natsuki peeked at the ingredients on the table ignoring the sudden pain in her heart.
"Carbonara. Don't bother with the cooking duties. Just sit down and relax. Shizuru has the best Carbonara in town." Reito moved to the stove and stirred the white sauce.
"Sweetie, you don't have to compliment me to make me cook for you." Shizuru purred at him. She walked towards Reito and took the spatula from him before stirring the sauce. Then, she used a spoon to scoop a portion of sauce.
"Taste it." Shizuru gestured the spoon towards Reito.
"So?" She asked while he was busy savoring the sauce. Shizuru saw Natsuki look away at her gesture towards Reito. Natsuki shouldn't be affected unless the young woman still felt something for her and that thought scared her.
"It's fine now. I'll prepare the table." He took off his own apron but stared at it for a couple of seconds before hanging it up. Natsuki noticed the haunting look on his face and wondered why the Kaichou would generate such a look.
Shizuru grasped Reito's shoulder to convey a silent message before the couple prepared the table. Natsuki sat awkwardly as they set up the table around her. Reito took out the forks, plates and glass cups. Shizuru scooped sauce to a glass bowl and gave it to Reito to put on the table. Next, she drained the pasta while Reito retrieved cheese in the refrigerator.
"I'll take the pasta." Natsuki volunteered as she stood up to walk towards the sink, but Shizuru grasped her arm. "Don't worry, Natsuki. Reito and I got it." Awareness ran through Natsuki's body as Shizuru's hand enveloped her arm. Her whole body tensed at the sudden electricity that coursed through her. Natsuki felt her mouth run dry and she gasped softly at the familiar warmth.
Shizuru felt the younger woman tense under her touch and couldn't help but feel the same way. She still remembered how those muscles quivered under her touch. She could remember Natsuki touching her much more intimately and it sent a shiver of pure lust through her. She stopped herself from withdrawing her hand from Natsuki.
Natsuki nodded wordlessly as she stepped out of the way. She couldn't trust herself to speak rationally for fear of making a fool out of herself. She watched helplessly as the couple continued their task. No later than a minute, they all sat down to help themselves to the carbonara.
"Hmmm… it's good." Natsuki said, hoping to cover up the previous awkwardness.
"Told you so, Kuga." Reito smiled a little and continued eating. Natsuki wanted to point out that she knew Shizuru was a good cook because they lived together before she became his girlfriend but decided against it.
"So you were best of friends in college. What course did you take, Kuga?" Reito asked her while slowly chewing his food.
"Mechanical Engineering." Natsuki answered.
"Whoa, that means you're good in mathematics and science."
"I'm not that good, Kanzaki." Natsuki blushed at his excited face.
"She does always have a knack in academics. Even though she was always late, always caught sleeping in the class and—" Shizuru enumerated.
"O-Oi! I'm not that bad!" Natsuki countered the teasing.
"Is that bad? But Natsuki told me before that it's normal for a teenager to behave like that." Shizuru feign innocence.
"Why? Does she always get into trouble?" Reito snickered at the exchange of the women in front of him. Natsuki didn't stand a chance against the Shizuru's teasing.
"But not that kind of trouble, Kanzaki! Sometimes, Shizuru exaggerates too much, making me look like a delinquent on the run." Natsuki growled at the older girl.
"Ara, but there was a time that the school guard caught her ditching class and she had no choice but to jump from second floor to shake off the guard. Now I realized that all along Natsuki is destined for something greater." Natsuki was beet red from the teasing while the couple chuckled.
"You two seem to share a lot of memories I'm glad that I've found someone from Shizuru's friends. She's always serious and busy with her work. Has she always been like that?"
Natsuki choke onto her pasta. She coughed and reached for the water to stop the pasta from killing her completely. Shizuru seem amused at the young woman's reaction. "Ara, no need to ask her difficult questions, sweetie. Just because I was able to manipulate Haruka to do all the hard work doesn't mean that I'm not serious with my work. Let's just say that my charm is an asset that greatly helps me from time to time."
Reito laughed. "I always admire that about you, Shi-chan."
"Likewise, you've done the same thing, Reito. Don't pretend otherwise."
Natsuki grunted. "So birds of the same feather REALLY do flock together." The couple laughed at Natsuki's words and continued eating. After a hearty meal, Natsuki insisted on washing the dishes and the couple complied at the request. While Natsuki washed the dishes, Reito took care of the table and Shizuru boiled water for the tea.
"Tea?" Shizuru asked Reito.
"Nah, I'm good. I'll take a shower." Reito nodded at Kuga and ruffled Shizuru's hair.
"So both of you like tea?" Natsuki asked after Reito left to take a shower. Shizuru stood up and walked towards the cupboard to pull out a mug.
"Hai. We enjoy drinking various kinds of tea." Shizuru turned off the stove after the kettle whistled and poured the boiling water in the mug with the tea. After a few seconds, the aroma of the tea surrounded the kitchen.
How nostalgic. Natsuki breathe in the scent. There was a time that the apartment they shared was almost smelled like tea leaves. Even Shizuru's breathe smelled like tea. She smiled softly at the thought.
"I'm glad that you were able to find someone, Shizuru." Natsuki's emerald gaze held her scarlet eyes.
Shizuru didn't expect this. "Please, Natsuki. I don't want to talk about us." She couldn't help the slight snap in her voice.
Natsuki mumbled an apology. "Gomen, Shizuru. I guess you're not ready to forgive me."
"Kanin na, Natsuki but I'm not yet ready. I don't know when I will be ready to talk about this. I'm not even sure if I can talk about it."
"I guess we'll have to screen off the topics that are absolutely off limits."
"At this rate, we're going to have a whole herd." Shizuru mumbled.
Natsuki sighed. "I guess so, but we can't help it. You became a huge part of my life." You became my life. She added in her mind. "So I reckon that leaves us the weather, the investigation, and tea. Would you like to choose?"
"Investigation, I think." She said.
She wanted to say the same thing. Natsuki became her everything. Even though her family was against their relationship, she fought for them. But everything crumbled when Natsuki broke up with her. Everything. Shizuru gripped her mug so tight that her knuckles went white. Memories of her gasping for air surfaced. She closed her eyes and inhaled shakily to wrestle the demons away.
"Shizuru? Are you alright? You look pale." Natsuki clasped her shoulder.
Shaken, Shizuru shrugged off her hands. "I'm okay, Natsuki. Just a little tired." She rubbed her palms to her mug to chase away the coldness that numbed her senses.
Natsuki looked unconvinced but decided to drop the subject. "So when did you move in with Kanzaki?"
"Ara? Let me think. It's after the attempted kidnapping. I decided to move in because I was worried about him. Honestly, he didn't want me to, fearing that I might be in danger."
"So it's been a month. Did you notice anything?"
"Ever since I moved in here, the letters slowed down a little, but they're still coming."
Natsuki became thoughtful. "So they knew, but what would be the motive? Other than being a suspect to the missing girls, he's a businessman. But he doesn't look like a guy who will hurt other people for his own gain. I saw many articles about him and it seems that he's one of the fairest businessmen. So it's either that rumor or his profession." Or he's really a fake. Natsuki mentally added.
Shizuru sipped her tea before commenting. "I think it's the rumors. Maybe one of the families of the missing girls is avenging their child because the rumor is the only lead that the police has."
"Yes, there is a huge possibility that is the case but let's see what we can find out about those letters and hair." Natsuki watched Shizuru as the older woman relished her tea. "I'll bring the letters to the lab after I take Kanzaki to his office safely."
Shizuru nodded. She didn't know how to act around Natsuki. She masqueraded herself by teasing Natsuki. She always steered their topic to a safer ground and pushed the woman away emotionally whenever Natsuki tried to dip into their past. She secretly watched the other woman mull over the information that they talked about. She struggled to remain composed to hide away her inner turmoil. The discussion continued until Reito appeared in the doorway. She silently thanked god for saving them again from the awkwardness.
"I took out the extra futon. Sorry to tell you that you'll have to sleep on the floor, Kuga. The couch is extremely uncomfortable so it's out of question." Reito leaned on the doorway. He was wearing a white sleeveless shirt and black boxer shorts. His hair is slightly rumpled from his shower, giving him the boy-next-door look.
"It's okay, Kanzaki. I've slept in worst conditions. What is your schedule tomorrow?" She asked.
"I'll be staying in the office the whole day, so I guess you're free to bring that evidence to the lab." He straightened himself when Shizuru stood up to wash the mug in the sink.
After washing it, Shizuru approached him. "I'll just take a shower." Then, the older woman disappeared into the bedroom.
"I'll check the alarms and doors." Natsuki stood up to ensure that the alarm was activated and the doors and windows were locked tight. Pleased with the security, she returned to Kanzaki and reported what she did.
"You'll be taking a shower too?" He asked. She nodded and followed Reito towards their bedroom.
Man, this could get ugly.
She mentally cringed at their sleeping arrangement. She definitely looked like the third party in this couple. She mentally uttered a prayer to heaven to help her prevent the couple from being sappy in front of her or she'll be forced to sleep outside of the bedroom.
Reito opened the door for her. She saw the rolled light blue futon on the left side of the bed, but Shizuru was nowhere in sight. She headed towards her bag to dig up some comfortable clothes for the night. She decided to wear a black sleeveless shirt and black boxer shorts. She also took out a change of underwear and her toothbrush. After putting the clothes and toothbrush beside the bag, she pulled her favorite blue polo shirt. She brushed out the wrinkles, folded it and placed it at the top of her bag. After taking care of her things, Shizuru emerged from the bathroom.
She slowly glance at the woman and struggled for breath as the alluring woman walked towards them.
Dammit Natsuki.
She mentally chided herself. Shizuru was wearing a red camisole that hugged her voluptuous figure. It made her look so soft and touchable, to the point where she had to clench her palms to stop herself from acting on the urge to pull her into her arms. This was crazy. She shouldn't want to hold her, touch her, kiss her until they were both dizzy. But seeing Shizuru like this made old desires flood all the way back.
Natsuki almost jumped when Reito cleared his throat. Blushing, she quickly looked away and grabbed her clothes. "I'll just take a s-shower!" Natsuki almost ran into the bathroom.
After Natsuki closed the door, Reito questionably raised his right eyebrow to her girlfriend. "Am I missing something?"
Shizuru only shrugged before walking towards the bed. He eyed the sandy-haired woman as he waited for further explanation.
Shizuru sighed. She knew Reito was waiting for an explanation. She took off the comforter that was covering their bed and crawled inside before stealing a glance at the guy and sighed. "She's my ex-girlfriend, Reito." She closed her eyes when her boyfriend cursed. "I didn't expect this, Reito. If I only knew—"
Reito cut her off in the middle of her apology. "It's not your fault, Shi-chan. We never anticipated this. It's not our fault. Can you still do this?"
Shizuru laughed ruefully. "I've been in worst conditions."
His heart twinged at the woman's heartbroken eyes and he clenched his jaw. "You know what I'm talking about, Shizuru. She broke your heart, she left you. If we weren't in this kind of situation, I would gladly beat some sense into her. You have the right to tell her what she did to you. You—"
"For what, Reito? To remind myself how I foolishly believed that she'll never leave me? To remind myself that all along, my family was right about her? To remind myself that my whole world blew apart and she wasn't there to help me?" Shizuru swallowed hard. "Please, can we just leave this now?"
Reito sighed and sat beside her. He gathered her in his arms. "Don't worry. We'll get through this, Shizuru. I'll be here." He tightened his arms around the trembling woman. Kami-sama, Shizuru doesn't need this now. He thought.
Shizuru struggled to hold her emotions. "You've always been here, Reito. You're the only one who helped me when everybody left. You even saved my life. For that, I'll do everything to help you now."
"Arigato for everything, Shizuru. We'll never forget this." Reito brushed her hair as if to soothe away the pain that resurfaced. A sound of an opening door made them turn around. He wanted to confront the emerald-eyed woman. He wanted to shake some sense into her but chose to abide by Shizuru's request.
Natsuki looked away. Pain flickered across her face. She knew that one day, Shizuru would find someone, but she didn't expect that she'd have to watch it unfold in front of her. Maybe this was her punishment for hurting Shizuru. If that was the case, she would bear it. Even if it killed her.
Shizuru glanced at the Natsuki's stricken face. She steeled herself from any reaction from the younger woman. She couldn't afford to let herself fall for Natsuki again. "Sweetie, not in front of Natsuki. Maybe when we're alone, but for now, let's just settle ourselves with a hug." She patted his shoulder to make him ease away from her, which he complied. Reito snickered at Shizuru's remarks. So that's why she mocks Kuga. Interesting. He thought.
"Gomen Shi-chan. I'll try to behave." And he gave Shizuru a toothy grin.
"Ikezu." Shizuru giggled.
Natsuki growled at the two and moved towards the futon to unroll it. She gulped.
Holy shit.
She'll be sleeping beside Shizuru. Well, technically, she would be on the floor but she would still be sleeping beside the girl. She huffed and unrolled the futon. While fixing her bed, the couple prepared themselves to sleep. They settled inside the comforter. Then, Shizuru rolled to Natsuki's side which made the woman more uncomfortable.
"Could you please turn off the lights, Kuga?" Reito asked her.
Natsuki nodded and moved towards the switch. She turned off the lights and walked towards her futon to sleep. As she settled herself, she couldn't help but glimpse at the outline of the face of her ex-girlfriend in the moonlight. She studied how the moonlight danced around the porcelain skin of her face.
Gorgeous.
She sucked in air when she met scarlet eyes.
"Goodnight, Na-tsu-ki." Shizuru murmured softly.
"Goodnight, Shizuru." And that night, for the first time after she left Shizuru, she slept peacefully.
To be continued…
OMAKE:
After taking care of her things, Shizuru emerged from the bathroom. She slowly glance at the woman and struggled for breath as the alluring woman walked towards them.
Dammit Natsuki.
She mentally chided herself. Shizuru was wearing a red camisole that hugged her voluptuous figure. It made her look so soft and touchable, to the point where she had to clench her palms to stop herself from acting on the urge to pull her into her arms. This was crazy. She shouldn't want to hold her, touch her, kiss her until they were both dizzy. But seeing Shizuru like this made old desires flood all the way back.
Shizuru walked towards Reito. Everyone jumped when a voice boomed.
Rebelionheart: NO NO NO! Not towards Reito! You will walk towards Natsuki! *groans*
Shizuru: Ara? But the script said that I will walk towards Reito. *pout*
Rebelionheart: Not the original script! *gives papers to Shizuru* Here. I want this to happen! *grin*
Reito: *shivers* I've got a bad feeling about that smile of Rebelionheart.
Natsuki: *trembles* Dammit. Shizuru got a huge grin on her face. This is bad. Really bad.
Shizuru: Ara! Let's start! *walks back and saunters naughtily towards Natsuki*
Natsuki: *trembles hard*whimpers*
Rebelionheart: Ow yeah! Come on now! *rolling the camera*
Reito: *sweatdrop* am I still in the script?
Rebelionheart: Sshhh!
Shizuru: *grips Natsukis' shirt* ARA! *ripped it open*
Natsuki: *shrieks* nyaaaaaaaaaaaaa! *blushing* Fuck it! This is not porn!
Reito: *jerks up* I'm pretty sure that this will be a lesbian porn so this isn't a threesome right? I'll scuttle now! *pales and runs away*
Rebelionheart: Don't move too much Natsuki! I can't catch you in the camera!
Natsuki: *blushing*runs towards Rebelionheart while evading Shizuru*
Shizuru: Ara, don't move Nat-su-ki! We have to perform excellently for our fans! *purring*
Rebelionheart: I'm gonna be a billionaire so early now! *singing in the tune of Billionaire*
Natsuki: *captured Rebelionheart*panting hard* Porn eh? Not a chance! This will be your public execution! *growls*torn shirt*
Shizuru: *hugs Natsuki* got you!
Rebelionheart: Errrr? *sweatdrop*pale* May I suggest a threesome? *gulp*
-O-O-
A/N:
Hello again dear readers! Thank you for the warm welcome! Thank you again for reading my story and I also like to thank those who leave their reviews, those followed and favorite it :D you don't know how those simple gestures warms the heart of an author.
I would like to dedicate this story to the authors who struggle so hard to write a story. I know what you're going through. English is not my first language. Everybody mocks me because I'm a slow learner even though I don't have any learning disorder. I was always being bullied for being weird and loner. Even my family, I always have to struggle, to force myself to meet their expectation but alas, no avail. Then that day came, I said to myself "Oh, screw it. I'm gonna live my life the way I like it." Then everybody tagged me as a REBEL. I learned not to listen to the opinion of others. I learned how to love myself as a person and it gave me freedom. I love the feeling of proving others wrong and believe me IT IS SO ADDICTING ;)
I would like to plead to the readers. Please, if you want to review the story of the authors don't bash their works. We, the authors in this website are not professional. We're trying so hard to create stories that will give happiness to our readers but that doesn't mean that you can bash our works. We appreciate constructive criticism because it will make us grow but there is a huge difference from bashing and making an author stop in writing their story. So please. Can you just tone down a little?
I would like to thank my new Beta J Zhang also known as Ookami Desu in FF. Thank you big time Sensei! :)
Thank you chum-sa, PsychedelicMisfit, GhostOfAnEra, DancingFireStar, Mad Angel, StrangerMe, , sammykhann, to all those anons and guest who reviewed my Chapter one.
Thank you 0mauie0, ApersonWithLostSoul, AppleGreed, , chum-sa, Daek angel, DancingFireStar, dArksApphire94, erusan, hime1681987, Ian.23, iHartArtemis, ladye36a, lilkyo-chan, noah114, psycheforeros, Roxiel, sammykhann, TheAmazingCookie, topsy krets (ooohh i know you *giggling*), TykkiMikk, xXStupidTurtleXx, Yuri-Sensei, yurifans21, YuriLover24 for the story alerts.
Thank you YuriLover24, Roxiel, Silver Ice Bullet, TykkiMikk, Yuri-Sensei, hime1681987, ladye36a, lorenrex, xXStupidTurtleXx, xxxbluewolf for choosing this as one of your favorite story.
Calm your tits! I mean calm yourself guys! I assure you, this is SHIZNAT so please don't hurt me i'm weak! and i'm gonna rewrite one more chance because of the grammatical errors so i'll be deleting it for now.
Anyways, hope you love the tension between our characters and I would love to hear anything from you. I'll update RS as soon as possible 'kay? Ciao guys! *wink*