"Are you sure you don't want lunch? I can whip up something quick if you're hungry," Yumi had her hand loosely wrapped around his wrist, hoping he would stay. It was almost noon, and he had gathered his coat to leave. She was stalling, and she knew it.

He smiled, but shook his head, "I really have to get back to work," almost out the door, he turned around. "Hey, I'll give you a call later, okay?" He had his hand on the door knob, his head peaking through the door.

"It's a deal." She closed the door, leaning her full weight onto the wooden frame. As someone opened the door, she stumbled forward.

"Oh! Are you okay? I didn't mean to," Ulrich paused when he noticed her giggling, which turned into a fit of laughter. Puzzled, he could only laugh along. When the commotion finally ended, Yumi had ended up sitting in the arm chair in the other room, and Ulrich had found himself on the loveseat across from her.

With one last giggle, Yumi took a deep breath. "So, why'd you come back?" Ulrich just smiled, and chuckled at his stupidity.

"I didn't get your phone number," his companion made an "oh" shape with her mouth, and took out a piece of paper and a pen. Scribbling 7 numbers onto the paper, she folded it neatly into a paper football and flicked it playfully into his lap. He picked it up, and slid it neatly into his suit pocket.

She stood up and gave him a small peck on the cheek before opening the door for him. His expression turned into a half sided smile, before waving goodbye and closing the door gently. She had half expected him to rush back, but relaxed a bit when he hadn't.

She hadn't felt that way in years! He could make her smile, almost on command. What was it about him that made her so loyal to him like a dog? It must be those eyes, those dark green eyes. Yumi walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Taking a sip, she eased herself down into a nearby chair. Thoughts of elegant dresses and candle light dinners floated around in her head.

Ulrich had climbed into the company rented car, mumbled at the small size, and started back to the office building. It wasn't a long ride, five minutes at the most, but being stopped at every red light added at least five more. He had been going through his cell phone, scrolling past business number and co workers. He stopped as he landed on the oddest of names.

Odd.

Pressing the call button, he listened to the dial tone, and the three rings that followed. After the first half of the fourth ring, an out of breath voice answered in slow gasps.

"Hel..lo…I'm…Here, don't….hang…up." Ulrich chuckled, and smiled to himself. He walked through the revolving doors, déjà vu from the day before. Showing the security guard his badge, he made his way up the two flights of stairs.

"Odd, have you been on one of your svelte routines again?" Ever since middle school he had been taunted, called scrawny. He had always insisted, however, that he was indeed svelte.

If there was such thing as a mental glare, Ulrich was receiving one. "For your information Ulrich, I had left my phone in the living room, and I was down stairs in the basement looking for it when it rang…" there was a long pause. "No matter how stupid that sounds, it makes perfect sense to me."

The brunette snickered, "I'm sure it does Odd, sure it does." Unlocking his temporary office, he turned the handle and stepped inside. Plopping himself down in the computer chair, he put his feet on the wooden desk.

"So, why'd you call? I haven't heard from you in forever."

"Well, I was in Japan and just thought I'd call to pile up the bill with roaming fee's, not to mention long distance." Holding the phone with one hand, he unzipped his briefcase with the other, "Oh, not to mention I saw Yumi today."

There was a slight gasp from Odd's end, before a quick "You saw who?"

"Yumi Ishiyama, she was going to be the tour guide and translator, but she kinda passed out when she saw me." He grabbed his laptop and placed it on the desk. "So I carried her up 14 flights of stairs to her apartment, and waited two hours for her to wake up," Opening the machine, he pressed the power button and waited for it to load.

Odd sighed, "You just had a reunion with the love of your life, and you're complaining?"

"I wasn't complaining Odd, I called to ask for your help," Ulrich was fighting the urge to continue with small talk, he had always hated asking for help. "You see, I want to take her out but-"

"You're too afraid and don't know how to do it. Man, you really need to work up some self esteem. But since I'm such a good friend, I'll help you buddy," Odd, he was still as cocky as ever, "But I'm going to need her phone number first."

Ulrich typed away at his keyboard, snorting quietly and saying a quick "Mhmmm" to his friend before unfolding the paper football. Reading off the numbers, he pressed the send button on the newly written e-mail.

"Message sent to: know, pretty short, but I've been putting it off for a while:/.Don't hate meeeee. X.X.

So yeah, read and review please:P. A new one shot –may- be coming, not sure. I started it, but didn't like where it was going. No promises, people.