Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-HiME; Sunrise, Inc. does. I have merely taken the idea and expanded on it into my own plotline.

Author's Notes: This is the second half to my story Need-To-Know Basis, and takes place about a year after the first chapter. Much love to Kyra Rivers for her beta-ing; she is amazingly kind and helpful. nods

Strictly Confidential

When you see the finger-shaped marks on his forearm, your first instinct is to summon Kagutsuchi and find the offender. You barely check that impulse, and instead ask with strained casualness, "Takumi, what happened?"

He blinks in confusion and you clarify by pointing at the bruises, partly hidden by his long-sleeved jacket. He blushes and says, "Oh, this? It was an accident."

Like hell. You want more information, but Akira-kun's icy expression gives you pause. Perhaps whoever caused the "accident" was in one of their own; you grudgingly let the matter go. But a month later, while spending quality sibling time together, you catch a glimpse of another mark. You repeat the conversation and this time Akira-kun's not around to guard him.

"Don't lie to me!" You jerk the side of his T-shirt up… and scream bloody murder at the sight of his torso, littered with discolored bruises. "What happened to you?"

"It's nothing!" he snaps back, yanking the hem from your fingers. "You don't have to protect me, Onee-chan. I can take care of myself."

Normally, such a reaction from your good-natured brother would leave you in tears, but you're so worried about him that after you two part ways, you go for advice. You talk to Chie, and she promises to get to the bottom of this. You're a worried older sister, so it's perfectly acceptable to be a little over-the-top from time to time.

Just you wait.

The next morning, Chie breaks down your door and shoves a cell phone in your face. Your sleep-clouded eyes slowly make out an image of Takumi and Akira-kun.

… in the middle of the forest

… wearing next to nothing

… in a very compromising position that explained how Takumi could get bruises in those places.

Oh yeah, you're wide awake now.

"What's going on here!" you shriek, snatching the phone from her fingers.

"Take a wild guess, Mai-chan."

"… Oh my god they're having SEX!"

"And I thought you said Takumi didn't swing that way!"

You don't remember flying across campus to confront them, nor heading towards the woods after realizing they're not home. You're on a mission now, and unanswerable questions race through your head: Where could they be? What are they doing? How long have they been doing it? And how the hell did Takumi ever convince you to let him and Akira-kun, a cross-dressing tomboy but still a girl, live together for the past two years?

He's so dead when you find him.

You stalk through the forest with a sniper's deliberation, and by chance you hear -

"Ah, shit! Takumi, stop!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't -"

"Goddammit! I've told you a hundred times; don't treat me like a friend when we're doing this! You're only going to get better if you take me seriously!"

That phrase echoes in your head as you reach the clearing and see them sitting together. Despite the October chill, Takumi is wearing nothing but sweatpants, and Akira-kun's stripped to her chest bindings and boy-cut shorts. The bruises on your brother's chest are painfully obvious, but you see that Akira-kun has her fair share of them, too. For some reason, you're proud to see that Takumi can apparently give it as well as take it. God, you're weird.

Your brother runs a hand through his hair, a definite sign to his discontent. "I'm sorry, Akira-chan. Don't know why I'm been so… hesitant today. Maybe I'm over-thinking."

She affectionately punches his shoulder. "Yeah, no surprise there. You gotta get over that and let your body think for you."

"Can we try again?"

"Feeling up for it?"

"Oh yeah!"

Then she kneels behind him and tightly pins his wrists. "Then your ass is mine."

Your scream shakes the whole forest, and their heads whip in your direction as you scramble into view. But to your surprise, they aren't upset or embarrassed by your presence. Rather, Akira-kun just drops his wrists while Takumi gives you a sweet but bemused smile. "Onee-chan. What're you doing here?"

You're so relieved-worried-angry to find them that accusatory words fall from your mouth in no coherent order. Both are utterly baffled, but then Akira-kun curses and smacks her forehead. "Oh, God… Mai-san, what do you think we're doing here?"

"Uh, aren't you two having… uhm…?" and you can't even finish the sentence because oh my god they've been having –

"Sex," Akira says bluntly.

Takumi's eyes widen as he finally understands why you're blushing so badly. Then he's laughing so hard he's crying.

You, however, see nothing amusing about this situation; neither does Akira-kun, who gives a long-suffering sigh. "Mai-san, we're not having sex. I've been teaching him ninjutsu. We've been doing grappling and throws for the past two months."

… Not having sex?

Well, martial arts would explain the bruises. And the "suggestive" picture on Chie's phone. And a whole bunch of other things that make so much sense now that you know they're not having sex thank you GOD!

Still, you ask, "But… why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we knew you'd react like this."

It takes you a few seconds to understand before embarrassment cold-cocks you. Way to give the yaoi fangirls more gossip! You babble out your most sincere apologies before running back to the dorm, knowing you owe them big for the hell they're going to catch.

For the next six months, you firmly convince the school that no, they aren't doing that, and yes, you implicitly trust them. So much so that you ask Fumi-san and Yukino-chan to give them one of the more private rooms in the newly constructed dorm apartments come the following school year. It's your going-away present to them.

And the day after you graduate, you find out some of those bruises weren't in any way, shape, or form related to martial arts.

------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- -------------