DISCLAIMER: Mai-Hime doesn't belong to me *sniff* and so does Shizuru *sob*sob*
CHAPTER THREE: COMPLICATED?
Natsuki jolted from her deep sleep. She struggled for breath as she tried to wake herself. She was sweating hard as she frantically loosened and tightened her grip on her blanket.
Not again. Why won't you leave me alone?
Her mind shouted. She tried to wrestle away the memories of her past. Memories of filthy hands stroking her body, suffocating her. The buzzing of panting breath and the ripping sound of her clothes being torn. Her breath hitched; her heart clenched excruciatingly as she drew in air. She tried to fight away the panic that slithered through her whole system.
It's safe now, Natsuki. Get a grip.
She blinked rapidly to chase away the blankness in her sight and overcame the sudden panic attack. She gripped her eyes shut and counted to ten to calm herself down. Slowly, her breath became even. After a few more seconds, she opened her eyes to see what time it was and noticed it was still dark when she glanced out the window.
Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark and she saw the silhouette of the woman above her. Some of her hair tumbled off the bed and was hanging above her. Trembling, she reached for some brown tendrils that escaped from the woman's pillow. Soft auburn locks of hair curled and tickled her freezing skin. Natsuki wondered how a mere strand of Shizuru's hair could warm even the coldest part of her being. She withdrew her hand to wipe away the sweat gathered around her forehead and felt her clothes cling to her damp body. She slowly pushed herself up to find something to alleviate her parched throat. As she sat up, she took a momentary look at the sleeping woman and quickly noticed that the man beside her was missing. Forgetting all her brief worries, she listened for any signs of movement in the room. Hearing nothing, she decided to locate the Kaichou.
She slowly stood up and trod softly out of the room. She peeked into the bathroom for any sign of her client. Upon hearing nothing, she decided to check for him around the house. After opening the door, she left it slightly ajar to avoid making any noise. She sneaked towards the kitchen, to the living room and the other parts of the house. She quickly fought the panic rising within her when she could not find the man and continued her search until she heard a voice talking over the phone. She slowly moved towards the source of the noise and found that she ended up at the window where she could overhear the conversation. He was standing outside the veranda. When she took a peek and saw a frustrated Reito, she concealed herself immediately, hearing him hiss into his phone as she did so.
"I'm a man of word. I won't back out in our deal so you better do the same." Reito gritted his teeth. Natsuki couldn't hear the reply of the person on the line but she could see that it pissed off Reito more.
"You better do that or I'll make sure that you'll regret messing up with me." Reito growled when the line of the phone hung up.
Natsuki jumped slightly when he suddenly punched the pillar near him. I knew it. He was definitely hiding something.
Her neck prickled as if she was being watch and she inspected her surroundings. Her whole body tensed when she heard Reito walk towards the front door. She quickly ran back to the stairs and slipped inside their door. She was panting slightly when she heard Reito ascend the stairs. She silently closed the door and slipped inside her futon, rolling onto her belly to hide her heaving breath.
No later than a second, she heard the door open and suppressed footsteps echoed around the room. She closed her eyes when Reito crawled inside the blanket and waited a few minutes to make sure that he wouldn't notice that she was awake. She slipped her hand under her pillow and grasps her phone. She moaned a little as if she was awakened by something, groaning as she pushes herself up and quickly slipped her phone into the waistband of her boxers. Still pretending to be in a sleep like state, she rouse from her bed and walked towards the bathroom. As she slowly closed the door, she took out her phone from the waistband of her boxers. She sat down on the toilet bowl and quickly typed a text message to her Sensei.
"Movement spotted. It seems like he is guilty but I need to gather more evidence to support the theory."
After sending it, she erased it from her phone. She took a pee and flushed it loudly to convince the man that she just used the bathroom. She slipped her phone back to her waistband and inhaled deeply. She opened the door slowly and walked back towards her futon. She glanced at Reito and saw that his back was turned to her. She crawled inside her blanket and sighed deeply.
That was a close call. She thought. I have to be more careful. I wonder if Shizuru knows what Reito was talking about.
She peeked at said woman. Shizuru was still in the same position when she left her. She looked adorable when she was completely off guard. Natsuki chuckled when Shizuru snuggled to her pillow. There was a time when Natsuki couldn't get out of bed because Shizuru wouldn't release her from her embrace. They always ended up spending the entire day in bed. She sighed wistfully. She didn't need this. She needed to focus on her case and she had to save those girls. She prayed to god that those girls were still alive somehow. It didn't matter if something happened to them as long as they were alive; she was sure that they would get by somehow. Just like her. She closed her eyes and willed her nightmares to leave her for today. She inhaled deeply to wrap herself with the scent of the woman beside her and slowly drifted back to sleep.
That morning…
Shizuru was greeted with the chirping sound of the birds. She moaned heavily; she couldn't help but feel lazy. She wanted to burrow herself into the bed with her pillows to sleep all day. She wanted to wrap her arms around Natsuki and snuggle in her chest and—
Wait! She jerked at her sudden thought. Groaning, she buried her face into her pillow. She had to stop thinking of Natsuki. I don't understand why I'm still attracted to her. For Pete's sake, she left me broken. When will I realize that it won't work out? She pinched her arm as if to wake herself up.
"Shizuru? Are you alright?" Shizuru squealed when a hand suddenly shook her. She rubbed her eyes to wipe away the remnants of her drowsiness.
"What time is it?" She answered Reito.
"It's 5:46 am. Why did you squeal? Bad dreams?" Reito yawned and pushed himself up to the headboard of their bed.
More like wet dreams. She grunted at her boyfriend. She rolled onto the right side of the bed to see if the woman she was thinking about was awake. Her eyes roamed around the endearing face of the blunette.
Natsuki was leaning towards their bed while clutching her pillow to her chest. Her midnight tresses were spread out on her pillow, making her look like a fallen angel. Shizuru sucked in air at the breath-taking sight of her ex-girlfriend.
Why did we have to end this way? She thought bitterly.
She remembered the first night they slept together. She woke up when a scream of the younger woman echoed around her apartment. Shizuru remembered how helpless she was when Natsuki reared away from her touch. Her mind was filled with questions as Natsuki ran towards the corner of their room. She watched as the blunette trembled and choked back her sobs. Natsuki covered her mouth and rocked herself while shouting 'don't touch me'. Natsuki's scream chilled her to the bone. It was a scream of a child trapped within the walls of a girl. Shizuru held back a sob as she slowly embraced the terrified girl. Natsuki curled around her arms while whimpering. Even now, she didn't know the reason behind those nightmares. Even when they became a couple, Natsuki never divulged what kind of nightmares she had and Shizuru never asked the young woman. She was afraid she might push Natsuki too far and make her bolt out of her life, but that was her biggest mistake in their relationship. She sighed deeply; regrets wouldn't make their current situation better. It'll only make her think of all the 'what if's' that they never had. The snore of the woman interrupted her thoughts. Natsuki unconsciously wiped her drool and grunted.
"She's a feisty young woman, eh? I can't blame you if you're still attracted to her. She's quite striking, if you ask me." Reito rubbed his eyes and stretched his body.
Shizuru glanced at Reito and chuckled ruefully. "She's one of the most popular girls in our batch, but she's not aware of it." She looked back at Natsuki. "She was known as untouchable and fearless. You could always see her wearing her headphones or reading a book. She was always alone. She was a bright student even though she was always absent. Everybody was curious about her. She didn't care what other people thought about her. Nobody could ruffle her nerves. Everyone admired her but no one dared to approach her. It was like she built an invisible wall around her to keep people away."
"But you broke that wall, didn't you?"
"Hai," Shizuru look at Reito mournfully. "And I lost myself in the process." She stood up and walked towards the door. "I'll prepare some breakfast for us."
Reito sighed as he watched the woman walk away. He stood up and decided to prepare for the day. He shook Natsuki's shoulder to wake her up. The younger woman groaned and blinked at the morning light. "Rise and shine, Kuga. We'll be leaving at seven. Is that okay with you?"
Natsuki rubbed her eyes adorably. Even though she was still sleepy, she nodded at him. Reito straightened himself and walked towards his closet. He opened it and flipped through his clothes to select something to wear.
"Shi-chan is in the kitchen preparing our breakfast. You can eat first if you want." He took out a royal blue long-sleeved shirt and placed it on the bed.
She grunted in response. Her body immediately craved for coffee. Just thinking of coffee made her stand up. As she stood up, she folded her blanket and rolled up her futon. She heard the click of the bathroom door's lock behind her. She stretched her arms and yawned freely. To shake the remaining sleepiness in her, she did a one-arm push up. Balancing herself, she pushed herself up and down. She counted while her sweat started to roll down her face. The muscles in her arms started to ache when she reached 23 then used her other arm. She willed her mind to be empty as she pushed herself more. She started to grunt out loud and her breath became uneven. Her body wanted to stop but her mind wanted more. She pushed and pushed. She ignored the pain and the sweat gathering on her body. Her mind focused on her only goal. She needed to save those kids. They needed her.
She was still exercising when Reito got out of the bathroom. He was stunned at the exercise routine of his bodyguard. "You've got an amazing tolerance, Kuga. Even I can't do that for long." She only grunted in response.
When she realized that the man was waiting for her to leave him in privacy, she relaxed her arms and pushed herself up. Her arms were screaming due to exertion. She wiped the sweat away from her face with her right arm. "I'll be downstairs. Just call me if you need anything."
The guy just nodded as she walked towards the door to go downstairs.
While walking towards the kitchen, she was assaulted with the aroma of egg, bacon and toast. Her stomach growled at the smell. She decided to eat something heavy because she would definitely need it for the busy day ahead. She was greeted by an apron-clad Shizuru. Her heart flipped at the sight of the tawny-haired woman. She couldn't help but feel jealous of Kanzaki. If she hadn't let go of Shizuru, she would have been in his place. She would have been the one who held Shizuru at night. She would have been the one who made Shizuru catch her breath. She would have been the one who made love to the woman until they were both breathless.
She gritted her teeth. Kuga, think about those kids. For fuck's sake, they need you.
She accidentally pulled the chair forcefully. Natsuki grimaced at the annoying sound it made and quickly grumbled an apology. She slumped onto the chair and took a deep breath.
Shizuru quickly noticed that the younger woman was irritated. She knew firsthand how moody Natsuki was and it was best if she stayed away from her. She continued cooking the bacon and ignored Natsuki. She tensed when Natsuki stood up and walk towards her. Her breath hitched when she felt Natsuki's arm brush her own. She watched as the blunette reached out for a mug in the cupboard above her. She wrestled her lust as she noticed Natsuki's bare stomach peek out when she stretched out for the mug. She looked away guiltily.
Think of Reito, Shizuru. You're not a hormonal teenager anymore. Reito needs you! She mentally scolded herself. Shizuru cleared her throat. "There's hot water in the kettle. Help yourself."
Natsuki nodded at her. "Where's the coffee?"
"It's in the right cupboard." Once again, Natsuki reached out to the cupboard to her right, repeating the whole "torture" process. Shizuru shut her eyes and whimpered helplessly. Why do you have to do that Natsuki?
Natsuki thanked her and walked back to the dining table. The blunette helped herself to some coffee. She scooped half a spoon of coffee and ignored the sugar. Shizuru mentally grimaced at the her ex-girlfriend's tastes. She wondered why the emerald-eyed woman would waste perfectly good water if she could just scoop the coffee directly into her mouth.
Natsuki moaned as the caffeine hit her system. She rolled her shoulder to ease the ache that gathered there due to her exercise routine. She continuously sipped from her mug. She secretly stole glances at Shizuru and was completely enthralled at the sight. Her sandy hair was tied into a loose ponytail and she was wearing an orange apron, making her look desirable and homey at the same time. She choked on her coffee when Shizuru suddenly looked at her. She hastily looked away to hide her flushed face.
Shizuru fought a wave of tenderness when she saw Natsuki's unguarded gaze. Those lethal emerald eyes that made her breath falter. The look she'd gotten from Natsuki almost stopped her in her tracks. Shizuru felt her mask slip away. She wanted to run into Natsuki's arms and forget all that happened to them. She gripped the plate she was holding, took a deep breath, and forced a smile.
"Where's Reito?" She placed a plate full of bacon strips and eggs on the table.
"He's in the bedroom." Natsuki watched Shizuru place another plate with toasted bread in front on her. She was about to ask for mayo when Shizuru placed it beside her coffee. Natsuki smiled gratefully to the older woman.
"We wouldn't want Natsuki to throw tantrums, right?" Shizuru wink at the blunette to conceal her chaotic emotions.
Natsuki scowled at Shizuru. She took the mayo and scooped a huge amount of the condiment to her bread. She ignored the woman when Shizuru pulled out a chair in front of her to sit. She placed bacon strips, an egg and more mayo to her sandwich. Shizuru visibly recoiled when she took a huge bite.
The two women glanced at Reito when he showed up in the kitchen. He was fresh from a shower and currently tying his necktie. Shizuru quickly walked towards the guy and relieved him of the task.
"There." Shizuru smiled and patted his tie.
Reito ruffled her brown hair and walked towards the table. He clucked his tongue at Natsuki's sandwich. "How is your mayo sandwich, Kuga?"
"Are you done with the mayo remarks, guys?"
The couple laughed.
"I'll prepare myself. I'll be in the bedroom." Shizuru took off her apron and left the kitchen.
"Tea?" Reito gestured at the mug in front of him.
Natsuki shook her head and showed him her coffee. Reito grimaced at her coffee.
"What?"
"How can you stand that strong blend of coffee? That would hurt your stomach." He slowly sipped at his own mug.
Natsuki shrugged. "It's not that bad. It became a habit ever since I became a bodyguard. There were times that I had to stay alert for twenty-four hours and coffee became my constant reliever."
Reito nodded. "You have a point there."
They resumed eating and casual conversation floated at the table. After two sandwiches and three mugs of coffee, Natsuki excused herself to prepare.
She walked her way to the bedroom and knocked twice. Upon hearing no response, she opened the door. Natsuki faintly heard the running shower and wanted to dash away instantly. She chastised herself for being affected by Shizuru's presence. She move towards her bag beside the bed and took her polo shirt. She rummaged inside her bag for her underwear and toiletries. After taking what she needed, she pulled her pants. No way was she going to dress in the same room with Shizuru. Her body went rigid when the bathroom door opened.
The room was instantly filled with Shizuru's lavender shampoo. She sucked in a breath as she avoided looking at the freshly showered woman.
Don't look. Don't look. She repeated to herself. Natsuki cleared the lump in her throat. "I guess it's my turn now."
Shizuru was battling her own inner desire when Natsuki spoke to her. "Be sure to lock the door, Na-tsu-ki."
Natsuki walked towards the door while she steered clear of the sight of Shizuru. She was trembling hard when she locked the door. She needed a cold shower. Now. Natsuki stripped off her shirt, quickly followed by her underwear and boxer shorts. She hissed when the cold water sluice down her body. Natsuki gripped the handle of the shower to seize her sudden need for Shizuru. She struggled to tame the growing emotion in her chest.
This isn't fair. Why am I the only one affected here?
She dragged another breath to calm her beating heart. Natsuki slowly leaned her forehead on the tiles in front of her and banged it softly. She needed to get a grip or the whole operation would be compromised.
Irritated with herself, she furiously rubbed her face and blindly reached for the shampoo. She squeezes a dollop of it in her palm and massaged it to her hair. She cursed under her breath when she realized that it was Shizuru's personal shampoo.
How can I get Shizuru out of my mind when her lavender scent lingers in my hair?
She sighed deeply. Natsuki ducked her head into the shower to wash it away. She efficiently lathered her body with soap and showered methodically. After a few more minutes, she turned off the shower and dried herself.
After drying herself, she was hesitant to step out of the bathroom. She strained herself to listen for any sounds coming from the bedroom. Hearing nothing, she walked out of the bathroom. She released a relieved breath when nobody was in the bedroom except her. She quickly dressed herself. She slipped on her jeans and her blue polo shirt. After buttoning her shirt, she slipped on her sneakers. She brushed her hair quickly and took the plastic bag with the evidence out of the drawer.
She strapped her pocket knife to her legs and hook on her gun holster on her shoulders. Natsuki took one last look in the mirror and slipped on her black leather jacket and some shades. When she walked downstairs, Natsuki heard the distinctive laughter of the woman. Bracing herself, she strolled inside the kitchen.
Shizuru hissed at the sight of emerald eye beauty. Scarlet eyes roamed the rugged woman's form. Natsuki's sexuality was oozing from her outfit. Her leather jacket hugged her broad shoulders as if it was made for her and the color of her blue polo shirt made her jade eyes more prominent. Shizuru's mouth went dry as her gaze traveled towards Natsuki's lean legs and butt. She jerked when Reito suddenly spoke.
"Are you ready?"
Shizuru felt guilty. Here was a good man beside her. The one who took care of her, who supported her when she had no one, who needed her help. But with one glance at Natsuki, her self defense crumbled and Reito was completely forgotten.
Shizuru cleared her throat. "Let's go, Reito, or else you'll be late."
Reito nodded at Shizuru and picked up his briefcase. "So you'll follow us in your car?"
Natsuki pocketed her hands. "Is it okay if I'll drive you in your destination? It'll be much faster for me to respond in case something happens."
"I was hoping you'd say that."
Reito took Shizuru's hand and they proceeded to the garage. Shizuru breathed in her own lavender shampoo as Natsuki inspected the car for any suspicious tampering. She battled her memories as it tried to resurface. There was a time when they used to take a shower after they made love and they always shared the same shampoo. Shizuru swallowed a lump of emotion and watched the rugged woman inspect their car. After making sure that it was safe, the blunette gestured them to ride. Reito opened the door for the sandy-haired woman at the back seat. Natsuki gulped when she caught a glimpse of Shizuru's creamy legs.
Shizuru was wearing a cream-colored sundress designed with little flowers. Her soft brown hair curled around her shoulder and swayed as she moved, as if teasing her to touch it. The sound of a closing door shook her from her thought. Natsuki immediately climbed into the car. The engine rumbled when she started the ignition.
"Did you forget anything? Once we opened the garage, we'll have to proceed fast to avoid a tail." Natsuki asked the couple.
Reito glanced at Shizuru and her hair swayed a little when she shook her head. "No. Let's go."
Natsuki shifted gears as Reito opened the garage. Natsuki quickly reversed the car and drove out of the garage. The couple conversed casually while Natsuki drove. She constantly checked her side mirror for a tail. After running into some traffic, they eventually pulled into the parking lot of Reito's company.
Her sharp jade eyes meandered at their surroundings to check if the perimeter it was safe for her clients to come out. Not sensing any threat, she opened the door and the couple followed her.
The guards greeted them. "Good morning, Kaichou. There is someone waiting for you in the reception area."
Natsuki tensed. "Did they give you their name?" She asked warily.
"Easy, Kuga. It's just me." A woman with short cherry hair with bright lime eyes approached them.
Shizuru's nose twitched. A sudden pain clamped at her heart. She quickly recognized it as jealousy. Coldness ran through her veins and her gut churned. She fought the rising bile in her throat and tried to focus on the conversation in front of her.
"Nao! What are you doing in here? I thought we were to meet at the lab? And what in the name of Jesus are you wearing? Is that alive? You'll blind someone with that color!" Natsuki swallowed a laugh.
"FYI, mutt, fuchsia pink still exists. I wonder where I can buy some fashion sense so I can give it to you for free." Nao muttered.
Natsuki pulled her shades from her breast pocket and slid them into her eyes. "There. I am now safe to look at you. So why are you here?"
Reito laughed at the exchange of the two women. "May I interrupt?"
Natsuki apologized. "Sorry. This is Kanzaki Reito. Yuuki Nao, a friend of mine from forensics."
"Lovely meeting you, Miss Yuuki." Reito shook hands with the woman.
"Likewise, Mister Kanzaki. You're much prettier in person," Nao purred. "And this is?" Her lime eyes gaze at Shizuru's feminine body.
Natsuki growled. "That's Fujino Shizuru; now, can you tell me why you are here?" Nao took Shizuru's hand and kissed her soft knuckles.
"What stunning eyes, Miss Fujino. No wonder you're a sore subject with Natsuki." Nao whispered sensually.
Natsuki reddened at Nao's comment. "Shut it, Yuuki, or I'll pull out your tongue and choke you to death with it." Natsuki hissed.
"Ara, what a charming woman. Ookini for that sweet compliment." I think. She was a painful subject to Natsuki. So that's all I am to her? She asked herself bitterly. She swallowed another wave of pain.
Nao huffed. "Always threatening to hurt me. Didn't you miss me?"
A soft growl came out. "We are out of time here. In case you haven't noticed, Kanzaki is due in," She looked at her non existing watch at her wrist. "Oh, now. So spit it out."
"You're so eager to be alone with Kanzaki, eh?" Nao stepped back when Natsuki took a step forward. "Okay, okay. I just came to personally get the evidence. Is that a sin? And I kinda miss you, mutt."
Natsuki gritted her teeth. She pulled out the plastic bag from her jacket pocket. "Here. Now scram."
Nao pouted. "And you want me to rush this as a favor? Where is your heart?"
When Natsuki was about to smack Nao's head, she heard a commotion. Her elegant right eyebrow arch at mild interest. A man was running towards them as he dodged, evaded and shoved his way through the crowd with two policemen on his toes.
"This is definitely worth watching." Nao murmured.
Shizuru stiffened beside them. "Maybe we should go inside."
"This will only take a minute, Kanzaki." Natsuki mumbled absentmindedly.
She saw the triumphant grin of the thief as he outran the police. Her whole body tensed as the man veered to her right. For a brief second, emerald eyes met with his bright brown eyes shimmering with excitement. You wish.
She swiftly pivoted and gave him a short-armed punch straight to his face. His body came to a halt as the momentum of her punch threw him backwards, skidding on asphalt to a stop. Blood gushed out of his nose and his eyes rolled back. The two police officers who were chasing the thief caught up with them.
"Thank you for saving us the trouble, ma'am." The police man was panting with exhaustion.
Natsuki gave him a curt nod. "No harm done."
Natsuki gave Nao a lopsided smile. "Well, you have to thank this thief for saving your ass or I could have hurt you." Nao released an amused chuckle.
Shizuru's heart twinged at Natsuki's smile. It's been a long time since she saw a genuine smile from the blunette. She couldn't believe how much it hurt because she couldn't make her smile like this anymore.
Nao cleared her throat. "Can I talk to you for a sec?" When Natsuki raised her brow she added, "In private."
"Can you wait here, Kanzaki?"
Reito nodded at them. They distanced themselves from the couple.
"Why did you come personally?" Natsuki asked her.
"Sensei called me to check the target. She wanted you to gather more incriminating evidence. I managed to take pictures of the place." Nao smoothed her collar pretending to be sweet to Natsuki to avoid being suspicious but her voice hardened. "Another girl is missing, Natsuki. The whole task force is in an uproar. They want Sensei out of it but she refused to buckle because you're already inside."
Natsuki's mind went numb. She was supposed to stop those abduction. She should have protected them. She should have saved them. Her whole body shuddered. She instantly leaned into Nao for support. "Shit, Nao. I texted Sensei. I told her that I caught Kanzaki talking to someone and it seemed like he was guilty."
"Yeah, she told me that. They are keeping a tight lid on this, Natsuki. Let's pray that the media won't catch this abduction or else they'll demand information from us."
Natsuki sighed. "Copy that. I'll do my part here." Nao nodded and straightened herself.
Nao smiled devilishly. "You're ex-girlfriend is scorching, Kuga, and she still have hots for you."
Natsuki blushed. "Shut up. If that wasn't obvious to you, she's taken. And that's impossible, Nao. So forget it."
Nao giggled at Natsuki. "You are so dense, mutt. Can't you see that she's jealous of me?" She wrapped her arms around Natsuki's shoulder and whispered in her ear. "Come on, take a look." Natsuki blushed but took a peek at Shizuru. Her breath heaved painfully.
Shizuru was nuzzling Reito's chest. Reito's face was buried in Shizuru's auburn hair while his arms were around her waist. Pain pulsated in her heart and jealousy consumed her sanity. Her jealousy was so intense, she wanted to beat the heck out of Kanzaki. He shouldn't touch her; he was nothing but a damn criminal. Natsuki restrained herself from pulling Shizuru out of his arms and clenched her hands to her side.
"Chill, Kuga. You didn't catch her looking at me like she wanted to rip off my throat. Trust me on this one." Natsuki gently pushes her and shook her head.
"Forget it, Nao. She doesn't want me back. I've hurt her so much. She loathes me, Nao." Pain clouded her jade eyes.
Nao sighed. She was out of time so she let Natsuki thought whatever she wanted."Whatever. I'm going now. I'll call you if anything comes up." Nao let her go and waved at the couple. "Hey guys. Gotta go now. I'll call Natsuki with the results."
Reito waved back at them. When Nao was out of her sight, she walked towards the couple. Shizuru's face was void of emotion while Reito wore his usual smile.
"Let's go." Shizuru said.
The guards along the hallway greeted them as they walked through it. Only a few employees lingered in the hallways because it was only seven thirty in the morning.
When they arrived to the elevator, Reito noticed something. "Shizuru, did you used too much shampoo? The whole elevator smells like a field of lavender. I can't even smell Kuga's scent."
Natsuki stifled her groan.
"Kannin na, Reito, dear. I might have used too much." Shizuru voice was flat but her accent was noticeable. Shizuru was still quiet when they arrived to Reito's floor. Fumi was already at her desk when they arrived.
"Good morning, Himeno. Did you have a good night?" Reito greeted his secretary as he opened the door for them. Natsuki examined his office for any threats. Reito went straight to his table and laid his briefcase down while Shizuru sat at the sofa. Natsuki walked towards the window and leaned into it, waiting for further instructions from her client.
"The usual night, Kaichou. I had a great time with my book and tea. How was yours?" Fumi laid a cluster of folders in front of him. "Your signature is required in these documents."
Reito grimaced at the stack of folders. "I had a great time, but that seems so far away now."
"Well, it's not my fault that you're such a rich man."
Reito gave her a toothy grin. "For that, I shall forever be grateful."
Both of them laughed. Natsuki clenched her jaws to prevent herself from hurling a sarcastic remark to the man. Admit it Natsuki, you wanted Shizuru for yourself.
A loud shrill interrupted them and Shizuru answered her phone. "Hello?" Even though Shizuru's mask was still intact, an inexplicable emotion crossed her scarlet eyes. "I see. I'll talk to you in a minute. See you at the same place." She placed back her phone in her purse and stood up.
"What's the matter Shizuru?" Reito asked. Natsuki noticed that the Kaichou was tense. He was gripping his desk as if waiting for a bad news.
Shizuru swiftly crossed the remaining space between them and hugged his head. She stroked his black unruly hair. "It's nothing, sweetie. Relax, okay? I'll talk to you after I check some things in my office." Shizuru kissed his hair. Reito hugged her fiercely and murmured something in his breath.
Natsuki looked away and gritted her teeth. She had to get a grip or she'll end up hurting the guy. Well, I'll definitely calm down if he knows how to keep his hands off Shizuru.
She had to admit, she was jealous as hell. Reining her aggressiveness had always been a problem ever since she was a teenager. She always ends up beating someone to pulp when they ticked her off. That's when she met Shizuru; she was pounding a stranger's face when she heard a soft voice telling her to stop.
Flashback…
Shizuru's burgundy eyes were indecipherable while Natsuki's eyes were full of hatred as she turned to the student council president. She threw the guy at her feet as if disgusted by his presence and raised her right eyebrow, daring her to do something. She walked past the moaning guy and Shizuru pretended that nothing happened.
"What did he do to you?" Her Kyoto-ben accent noticeable as she asked Natsuki.
This was new. She told herself. Nobody asked her reason why she did such things. Everybody just assume that she's just another delinquent.
"Why do you care?" Natsuki countered. She didn't care if she was being rude. She just wanted Shizuru to stay out of her business.
Shizuru tilted her head. "There must be a very good reason why Natsuki is beating this guy, because she doesn't strike me as the type who likes hurting people without a basis."
Natsuki was startled at Shizuru's knowledge of her name. "Yes, there is a good reason." She smirked at Shizuru. "But that doesn't mean I'm gonna share it to you, KAICHOU." She laughed and walked away.
Shizuru chuckled audibly and it ticked off Natsuki. She whipped her head to give the Kyoto girl a good thrash talk when her breath caught in her throat. She was completely mesmerized at Shizuru's hearty laugh. She flushed when she realized she was staring at the girl.
"Ara, it seems Natsuki is one mysterious girl. Don't worry; eventually I can crawl my way into your deepest secrets. Till then—" Shizuru leaned into her ear and whispered. "Na-tsu-ki."
She jerked out of her reverie when Reito grunted. She watched glumly when Shizuru kissed him in the head and said her goodbye. Shizuru nodded at her and walked out of the room. Natsuki missed her charming presence even though she was only civil to her. She sighed deeply and focused at the task at hand. Nao managed to take pictures of the compound and she didn't care how she acquired it. She'd have to wait for the forensic's results to see if there was any clue left to them. The only thing she could do now is to check the CCTV Cameras.
When she was about to ask if Tate Yuuchi finally reported for duty, Fumi called her. "Kuga? Watashi called. He said that Yuuchi came to work today."
Natsuki nodded at her. "Kanzaki, is it okay if I leave you here for a while? I just wanted to talk to Yuuchi."
Kanzaki only nodded at her. Natsuki made her way back to the reception. She took the stairs to check the other route of the building. She was relieved that they had CCTV cameras in here, which made her work easier. She could watch the previous tapes to see if there was anything suspicious. While she was taking steps one at a time, she was perplexed at the structure of the stairs. She noticed a huge gap between the stairs and the elevator of the building. Her mind was reeling fast while she acted as if she didn't notice anything. She mentally cursed.
They have a secret passage to his office. This is bad. There would be a huge possibility that it wasn't equipped with CCTV cameras.
Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she jogged her way to the reception area. The guard saw her and bowed at her. "Hello Kuga. Tate Yuuchi is in his office. It's in that hallway, third from the last door to your right." The guard gestured.
"Thank you." She followed the directions given to her by the guard.
Outside of the door, she knocked twice. A baritone voice answered her. "It's open."
Natsuki was greeted by a blonde man. Tate Yuuchi wore his blonde hair in a clean cut style. A Caucasian guy with startling whiskey eyes. His right ear was adorned with a single topaz earring. He stood up and offered his hand to Natsuki.
"Hello, Miss Kuga. I was told that you were looking for me. Sorry that we've only met today. I had the flu last week and my doctor advised me to get rest. I hope it didn't disrupt your investigation." His voice was apologetic.
Natsuki shook his hand. "It's not really your fault. It's an inevitable part of life."
"Please do sit." He gestured at the chair in front of his table. "So what do you want from me? The Kaichou ordered me to give anything you want to aide in your investigation."
This guy is straight forward. "I want to see the tapes for the past three months. All of them." Natsuki studied the guy as he pondered her request. She gave him a credit when he didn't show any sign of annoyance.
"Do you know how important the contents of these tapes are? They detail the going-ons of one of the most powerful companies in this country. How can I be sure that you're not a spy from another corporation?" His russet eyes were void of any emotions.
She leaned towards Tate. "I think it's more important to save the life of the man behind the corporation you're talking about. And if you doubt my ability to investigate and to keep the secrets of your so-called company safe, why don't you resolve this one yourself?" Her voice flat and cold.
A muscle twitched in his jaw and his chocolate eyes flashed dangerously. "Obviously, Kanzaki didn't tell me that you played hard." He rose and gestured to his computer. "I'll gather the files you want and give it to you later."
"I want it after lunch, Yuuichi, and I'll be waiting for it." Natsuki stood up and walked out of the room. She smiled to herself as she heard the guy murmur something under his breath that sounded like "little prick".
Well this little prick will make the next few days of your life miserable. Hell, I'll even make Kanzaki's life miserable in a prison cell. She vowed to herself while walking back to Kanzaki's office.
To be continued…
OMAKE:
She continued cooking the bacon and ignored Natsuki. She tensed when Natsuki stood up and walk towards her. Her breath hitched when she felt Natsuki's arm brush her own. She watched as the blunette reached out for a mug in the cupboard above her. She wrestled her lust as she noticed Natsuki's bare stomach peek out when she stretched out for the mug.
Shizuru: Ara, I think Natsuki is trying to suggest something *purr*
Natsuki: I was just trying to reach the damn coffee *sweating hard*
Shizuru: I'll get it. *reaches out for the coffee and kisses Natsuki's head* Here you go
Natsuki: *blush*grunt* Thanks…
Shizuru: *hugs Natsuki's waist* Now that Natsuki got her coffee, maybe we should do what her body suggests *rubs Natsuki's stomach*
Natsuki: *moans*kisses Shizuru's jaw* Now that you mentioned it, I'm kinda hungry *devilish smile*
Shizuru: *squeals*licks Natsuki's neck* I'm hungry too *tugs Natsuki's shirt*
Shizuru wrapped her arms around Natsuki's neck. Shizuru stroked Natsuki's lower lip with her tongue, trying to get it open for her onslaught. Natsuki slid her right palm to underneath Shizuru's shirt and nuzzled Shizuru's lavender-scented neck. They both moan out loud when Natsuki rubbed Shizuru's taut stomach and her hands slowly traveled up just beneath her breasts. Shizuru's nipple instantly became hard. Natsuki watched her lover with unbreakable intensity as she called her name in her fully aroused Kyoto-ben accent. When she was about to take off Shizuru's shirt, she saw a black-haired woman running towards them.
Natsuki: *mouth wide open*hugs Shizuru tightly*
Rebelionheart: *turns off the stove* Goddammit! *growling* This is my chance to finally watch it but this freaking stove ruined it! ASDFGHJKL! #$%^& *stomping her feet*
Shizuru: *blinks coherently* Ara, I'm sorry Rebelionheart. I forgot to turn off the stove. Good thing you're here to save the day.
Rebelionheart: *whimpers*sobs hysterically* Why?! Natsuki was gonna take her shirt off. Why you ! #$%^&* stove have to ruin it! *kicks stove*
Natsuki: She's seriously pissed. *sweat drop*
Shizuru: I can't blame her, she's got PMS and she hasn't been laid for months *chuckling*
Natsuki: *grimaced* So watching us resolves her... errr… horniness?
Shizuru: *shrugs* Please, I don't want to think about what she does every time she's horny *makes face*
Natsuki: *scowls* Oh god, don't put images in my mind! *whispers* Maybe we can continue this in our bedroom * wiggling eyebrows*
Shizuru: Ara, someone needs to get laid *purr*hugs Natsuki's waist*
Natsuki: No arguments there. *kiss* Come on now, before Rebelionheart notices us having a quickie *grin*
Shizuru: *laughs seductively*gropes Natsuki's butt* I've been dying to touch this
Natsuki: In the bedroom! *moan*
A/N:
Whoaaaaaaaa! Here I go again with my never dying monologue lol XD Thank you guys for your overwhelming support! I didn't expect that you'll give me this kind of support after I disappeared. Thank you so much!
To the people who asked me if Reito and Shizuru are really a couple, YES they are together. Sorry guys but its true *grin* I won't divulge information anymore so please wait for the next chapters for the answers *wink* You can guess my plot but avoid posting it as a review and please pm me if you want to.
Sorry if we can't update RS faster. My beta and I are really busy with our work. I was recently promoted that's why I've got more responsibility now than before. Yey for my paycheck! XD I'm really trying my best to write this one faster so gomen for the delay. See yah again next time for the RS04! I have good news! I'm finished with RS04 and RS05 but my beta will be checking it first okay? So expect fast update! XD
Big thanks to my beta Ookamidesu! Happy New Year to you and your family! God bless!