Timeline: Shuichi's dating Akemi.

Jodie's blue eyes glimmered as they explored the place around her. They drifted from the large windows to the dark walnut tables with flowers on each one of them. A delicate live piano music reached her ears as she followed the restaurant Receptionist to a table. Not so long after, a waiter appeared asking if she wanted to start with something to drink "some Champaign would be lovely" She answered.

Jodie took in a deep breath once he left. There she was sitting to the table she booked one week in advance right after James left to the US for some FBI meeting, today is her birthday and with James away she had no one to celebrate it with, it made her sad at first as Shu crossed her mind, but then she couldn't possibly ask him to come celebrate her birthday with her, it's been two months since he broke up with her during which none of them tried to contact the other, he had his own life now, with a new girl in it, Jodie thought as she gazed at the menu in her hands.

James was always like a father to her and when he left, it made her realize how lonely she was. Eventually, she called and asked for the reservation in an attempt to treat herself for being patient through everything she has been through, to add a touch of celebration and happiness into her gloomy life. Jodie went inside the restaurant lightly leaving all her heavy thoughts outside, today was her day and only her day.

She finally decided what to order and lifted her head up to take a look around, on the table next to her sat a couple, a man with black hair whose face she couldn't distinguish as he had his head turned to the other direction where the lady sat, Jodie couldn't see the lady's face either as his head hid it, she couldn't see their faces but it wasn't hard to realize that they were passionately exchanging kisses. It reminded her of Shu, but it didn't pain her, almost everything reminded her of him anyway to the point that the thought of him would bring her numbness instead of pain, she thought it's because she started getting over him at first, only to realize that it was just the stage of being helplessly, deeply in love with someone who's no longer around.

She didn't mean to intrude but her eyes kept on drifting back to the same couple, the man had a body shape similar to Shu's and Jodie was missing him so much, two months apart was the longest they've never talked and the longest they've spent without seeing each other.

They stopped kissing and Jodie was finally able to see the lady's face as she sat parallel to her, and half of the man's face who sat by the Corner of the table. He had his black hair slicked backward in a way that suited his clothes and the restaurant in general. Once she saw him resting his back against the chair, it was confirmed furthermore that he had the same shape of Shu, he even had the distinguished cheekbones of Shu, in fact… he was Shu.

Jodie's eyes grew wider to the realization that she was sitting less than two meters away from Shuichi and his new girlfriend. So that's how she looks like, the lady who stole her Shu from her! She thought as she tilted her head downwards in search of her purse.

"This was imported to our restaurant from France" the waiter showed up again holding a bottle of Champaign.

Jodie picked up her purse "I'm sorry but I have an emergency, I'm gonna have to leave now" she said almost sounding like whispering "here's for the Champaign and, and everything…" she stood up before she placed some bills on the table, way more than she had to.

"Aren't you going to drink any?" he asked.

"Shh! N-no I have to go" Jodie whispered when Akemi looked at her, and it didn't take long after for the green eyes with the charming bags underneath them to send her one of their usual intense, mysterious gazes.

"Oh crap" Jodie muttered to herself as she looked Akai back. He looked so handsome all dressed up and without his knit cap, she wished time could freeze so that she could keep on staring at his face, but in reality that would risk his mission along with putting her in a weaker position in their break up war. Three seconds where enough to feed a little portion of her miss, she took her eyes off of him before she turned around and left leaving the waiter with a confused look on his face.

"Do you know her?" Akemi asked with her face turning serious all of the sudden.

"No, why?"

"I don't know, I felt like there was something in her eyes…" Shu just looked at Akemi in silence waiting for her to say more "Never mind I'm just, imagining" she smiled.

Jodie threw her body on the couch, she felt exhausted and it was more of a psychological than a physical exhaustion.

Why does he keep on hunting her every second of every day? Why does she keep on thinking about him? He had clearly moved on and found a new love as she celebrated her birthday alone, God even her birthday turned into a reason to feel sad, why did he have to be in there?

Jodie felt somehow pathetic as her blue eyes stared at the ceiling, she was thinking and didn't notice time passing by until her door was knocked on finally bringing her back to reality. She didn't feel like answering it, she felt awful and the high expectations she had since it was her birthday only contributed to making her feel worst.

After some more knocks, she pushed herself up and headed to open the door "what are you doing here?" she dryly said examining the man at her door.

"Hello to you too, Jodie" Shuichi calmly said.

"What if one of them is following you? What if she's following you?"

"No one is following me," Shu said as Jodie stuck her head out looking around, once she made sure no one was around, she moved back inside "Umm, can I come in?" he asked, it's not a question he'd usually ask but Jodie was blocking the entrance.

Her answer came in the form of a sigh followed by her heading inside back to the couch, Shu followed her and sat next to her.

"what brought you here Shuichi?" she asked dryly again, avoiding their eyes to meet.

"I came to check on you"

"Oh please, you haven't contacted me in like two months so don't say you're here to check on me"

"I wanted to come but I was busy"

"Yeah I see, you were too busy swallowing that woman"

"It's not like that, the organization finally assigned me my first mission"

"Really!" Jodie's head turned towards him fast with all her muscles changing shape "that's great!"

"Yeah I guess, but it's just a little mission so it's going to take a long time to climb up and get close to vermouth" Shu replied.

"That's what we've been expecting"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" Jodie replied looking away from him.

"In case you're still wondering why I'm here, I came to wish you happy birthday"

"You remember!" she suddenly looked him back and it was only then that she realized how close they were sitting.

"Of course I do," Shu said as their eyes met again "I'm sorry I couldn't bring you anything, but I owe you a fancy dinner, maybe we can go someday"

"Yeah, you do" Jodie replied, their faces were so close as she gazed back at him, she missed him so much through the past months that she was enjoying every second of staring at him. It seemed like he had gained a couple of pounds, but it all went into his muscles. He looked good as always but he seemed to be healthier and Jodie wasn't sure whether it's because she was missing him or because of his slicked back hair that she found him more handsome than usual.

The familiar smell of his aftershave mixed with cigarettes and some whiskey reached her nose, she adored that smell, she adored the way he looked and how he looked her back.

He was so close and Jodie couldn't hold it any longer, within a second she drew closer and kissed him.

Shuichi froze with his eyes wide open, he was shocked at first but then with the glass of whiskey he had before coming to her place, and a pinch of instinct and hormones, he found himself kissing her back.

He missed Jodie, in fact he loved her, but he was sure he loved Akemi so his feelings towards Jodie were something else, something different he just couldn't explain, she was less than a lover but more than a friend.

Jodie wrapped her arms around his neck and it was then that Shu's green eyes opened, no matter how good this felt it was wrong. It was so hard but he somehow forced himself to grab her shoulders and push her away.

They both gasped for air looking at each other without breaking eye contact.

"This is wrong" he breathed.

"But..."

"This wasn't supposed to happen Jodie" he shook his head.

Jodie looked confused and somehow embarrassed, she knew that she wasn't being fair to him, she knew she was going to regret it, and that he'll be avoiding her in the future. But then she thought it was completely worth it.

Shuichi got to his feet suddenly "I have to go now"

Jodie stood up but didn't move from her place next to the couch, she followed Shuichi with her eyes as he rushed to the door and opened it, he then turned his head sending her one last glance "I'm sorry" he muttered before closing the door behind him.

Jodie thought of what he said much through the three months that followed -during which she hadn't seen him nor heard of him except from the reports he'd send to James about his mission development. She couldn't understand what he meant by sorry, after all, she was expecting him to be angry with her for kissing him and the fact that he hadn't contacted her confirmed this theory.

Actually, Shuichi apologized for kissing her back, he felt like he was the one to be blamed for the kiss, he was the one with the girlfriend and the kiss wasn't fair neither to Akemi nor to Jodie.

Eventually, the three months have passed and they retrieved talking to each other, they even got to meet in some discreet location and it was mainly professional, time was enough for Jodie to learn to hold back her feelings.

Hey, I'm sorry it took me so long to update but I'm struggling with exams, wish me luck :p and don't forget to leave me a review.