Old Friends

xxxxxx

Kagura was somewhere at the edge of unconsciousness when the phone rang. She tried to will it away, just a sound from a dream that was surely taking form, but the second ring jarred her back into reality, followed by a third, the digital sound grating on her fogged mind as she sat upright. In front of her, the T.V. was still on, its volume turned to an almost inaudible level as an old Kung Fu movie played on the screen. She squinted and blinked her eyes a few times to refocus them as she let the thin blanket covering her slide away. Her mouth was dry, though that was her own fault due to having had several mixed drinks without any water earlier that evening.

Fell asleep on the floor again, when here I'm leaning against a nice soft couch, she sighed inwardly as she rotated her spine and rolled her head from one side to the other, trying to work out the kinks that had formed from sleeping in an awkward position. She swallowed and attempted to kick start her saliva glands to remedy her dry mouth.

The sound of the phone ringing caught her attention again. Kagura looked over in its direction, pondering her options. Part of her wanted to get up and answer and another told her not to, especially after looking at a wall clock illuminated by light from the T.V and seeing it was just past 0100. A third part wanted to answer the phone and scream at the caller for calling at an inane hour. Especially if it was someone drunk-calling her.

Kagura sighed and haphazardly stood, absently wondering again why she always ended up on the floor. She stumbled across the room as the rest of her body slowly woke up, barely missing stepping on a game controller and knocking over an empty glass that sat on the carpeted floor next to it. She finally reached the still ringing phone and rubbed her eyes, trying to clear some of the haze that still clung to her thoughts. Taking a deep breath to keep her temper in check, she calmly lifted the cordless phone to her ear.

"What?" she spoke into the mouthpiece, a little terser than she intended.

"Um…Kagura?" a quiet, even voice replied. In an instant, Kagura's irritation at having been pulled from sleep vanished, and her demeanor softened.

"Sakaki? What…it's the middle of the night, what's going on?" she asked, leaning a shoulder against the wall.

"I…I'm sorry for waking you. You said I could call if I ever needed anything and-"

"It's ok, I wasn't asleep," Kagura quickly said, stifling a yawn. It was technically true, her having not been completely asleep. She stood on her toes and arched her back, feeling her back muscles loosen up as the aches from the floor disappeared. It then occurred to her that Sakaki must have had a very good reason to call at this late of an hour. "So what's up? Is everything okay?" she asked as she relaxed her stretch.

"I'm fine, I just can't sleep," came the reply. She heard Sakaki sigh before she continued. "I broke up with Hayate."

It took a second for that last line to register with Kagura. Hayate? Who…oh yeah, him. "You did? When?"

"Yesterday," Sakaki answered. "It didn't go well. Things got rough before I could leave."

Kagura bolted upright, ignoring a small barb of pain from a lingering ache. "What did he do?" Venom dripped from her words.

A short pause. "Nothing. It was…hard to convince him that I was serious…" Sakaki trailed off.

Kagura frowned. Things got rough yet nothing had happened? She wondered what Sakaki meant by that as she unconsciously clenched her free hand into a fist while pondering possible scenarios. If what I think happened…. A few moments passed in silence. "Are you sure you're okay?" Kagura asked.

"Yes," Sakaki said. "Well, maybe…I don't know."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kagura prodded.

"I do, but…" Sakaki paused. "It would be hard to explain." Silence again.

"I doubt that," Kagura said. "If even some of what you told me of him was true, then you did the right thing in leaving him. I'd be jumping up and down for you if I wasn't half-asleep." She decided to leave out the part about the drinks she'd had earlier. "Look," she continued, "if you want to talk, I'll listen. If not, I've still got your back."

"Thank you, Kagura," Sakaki replied. A few more seconds of silence followed. "Um, about talking…"

"Yeah?" Kagura asked.

"I know we both have classes tomorrow…well, today, and you probably have practice, but…can you come over? It'd be easier-"

"Sure, I can come over," Kagura interrupted. "I can be at your place in a few minutes. Besides, there's no practice tomorrow, or this weekend at all. And I've been to every one of my classes over the last few weeks, so I think I've earned a skip-day."

"You mean now?" Sakaki asked. "I meant-"

"Why not? We're both awake, and you can't sleep. Besides, something tells me you need someone right now." Kagura smacked her forehead. Ok, that came out wrong. "You would feel better if you could get it off your chest sooner rather than brood over it," she quickly added.

Several seconds passed in silence. "Do you still have my address?" Sakaki inquired.

"Hold on a second." Kagura lowered the phone and, going by light from the T.V., she found a light switch and flipped it on, biting back a curse as she clenched her eyes shut for a few seconds. Holding up a hand to shade her eyes, she went into her apartment's small kitchenette and grabbed an address book from a drawer. Flipping it open, she raised the phone again and asked for Sakaki's address to verify she had the correct one.

"Ok, see you in a few." Kagura said after confirming the address.

"Alright. Use my apartment number on the call box, and I'll let you in."

"Got it," Kagura said. She hung up and dropped the phone on the counter. She reached into a cupboard and grabbed a glass. Turning to the refrigerator, she took a water pitcher from it and poured herself a glass and quickly drank it. A second and third soon followed, but her mouth still felt dry. It'll pass. Always does, she told herself as she replaced the pitcher.

Putting the glass next to the sink, Kagura turned and headed for her bedroom. Grabbing the first things within reach in her closet, she quickly dressed, ending up in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Her socks didn't match, but she didn't care.

She strode to the front door and slipped on a pair of shoes. She took her keys from an end table next to the door, flipped the lights off and headed out.

xxxxxx

Kagura knocked on Sakaki's apartment door and waited, thumbs hooked in her pants pockets as she leaned against the wall opposite of the door. She didn't have to wait for long before he heard metal scraping and then the door swinging inward. She stood upright and smiled when she saw Sakaki standing before her. The taller woman was dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants and was barefoot. She looked tired, which wasn't surprising, considering her recent breakup and the early hour. Kagura went forward and drew her into a quick hug. She felt Sakaki stiffen momentarily before relaxing.

"Good morning," Kagura said, releasing her. "Sorry it took so long to get here." 'A few minutes' had turned out to be almost half an hour.

Sakaki smiled faintly and returned the greeting. Stepping to one side, she motioned for Kagura to enter. "Thank you for coming," Sakaki said as Kagura took her shoes off.

"Not a problem," Kagura replied as she kicked off her shoes. "These things are easier when you've got support."

"Mm," was Sakaki's response. A coarse meowing caught their attention, and both looked down as Maya padded between them, circling around Kagura's feet and looking up at her as he rubbed against her legs. Finally he stopped and stood on his back paws, leaning on her right leg and stared up at her. "Maya seems to remember you," Sakaki commented.

"Hey, kitty," Kagura said, leaning down to scratch his head. "You taking good care of Sakaki?" Maya purred in response. She looked up at Sakaki, whose cheeks had turned a faint shade of pink. "How're you holding up?"

"I'm managing," her friend replied. She motioned Kagura to follow. "Please, come in."

Kagura looked around at Sakaki's apartment as she followed her friend into the living room, with Maya following at their feet. It was a quaint setup, if somewhat minimal, yet still projected a feeling of warmth. Definitely makes my place look like a wreck, Kagura mused. The only thing that appeared out of place was an oil painting that hung on the wall left of the couch. It depicted a field of magenta flowers under a blue sky, with what looked like dragonflies flying through the air. To Kagura, knowing of Sakaki's penchant for all things cute, it seemed an odd choice of art décor.

Kagura dropped herself on the couch and watched Sakaki pick Maya up before she sat down. Despite her friend's fatigued appearance, she still carried herself with a fluid grace. The girl's tougher than she gives herself credit for, Kagura thought as her eyes followed Sakaki's movement. She averted her gaze a second later when she realized that she was studying her friend's lines a little too closely.

"So, from the beginning…what happened?" Kagura asked once Sakaki had gotten comfortable.

"I didn't do anything at first. I wanted to make sure I was ready for confronting Hayate, so I avoided seeing or speaking to him for several days. Saying you'll do something is…different than actually following through with it…and I was nervous," Sakaki said. Kagura nodded in understanding and remained silent. Sakaki continued. "I knew that the longer I waited, the less likely I'd be able to have gone through with it. So finally, yesterday…well, two days ago now, I went to his place. And in short, told him I wanted to end our relationship."

"Straight and to the point, and he wasn't happy about it, I'm guessing," Kagura said matter-of-factly, putting her feet up on the coffee table.

Sakaki nodded. "He tried to tell me I was joking, but when he finally realized I was serious, he completely changed. He called me a bitch, saying that I had no right to end it and that I would only…" She paused and flicked a glance down at her hands. "And that's when I struck him."

Kagura looked at Sakaki and raised an eyebrow. "You slapped him?"

"No," Sakaki said. She looked down at her hands again. Kagura followed her gaze and saw her friend's right hand balled into a fist. Kagura raised her eyebrows as her friend went on. "I don't know what came over me," she said. A faint change of pitch entered Sakaki's voice. "What he was saying…intoning…something in me decided that enough was enough. I'm not sure how else to describe it." She kept her eyes down and rubbed her hand. Kagura noticed Sakaki's eyes were misting over.

"What did he do in response?" Kagura asked with an edge to her voice.

"Nothing." Sakaki sniffed and took a couple deep breaths. She stopped massaging her hand and opened and closed it a few times. "He didn't get up right away. I think the hit disoriented him-"

"Wait, you floored him?" Kagura interrupted, surprise and disbelief laced in her words, her eyes wide. She had never seen her friend throw a punch, but she didn't doubt that if Sakaki did, she was capable of putting a great deal of power behind it. But the very thought of Sakaki knocking someone down… "As in, he was out cold?

Sakaki shook her head, keeping her eyes down. "He lay on the ground holding his cheek. I think I panicked; I would have helped him up, but what if he…returned the gesture? Instead, I took the opportunity to get out, so I told him that I never wanted to see him again, and left before he could regain his feet."

"Wow," Kagura finally said after a few seconds, a smile creeping on her face. "I'm proud of you, for taking a stand and giving that asshole what he had coming."

"Mm," Sakaki mumbled as she stroked Maya, who had fallen asleep in her lap. She didn't look up. "It had the desired effect. But I think it could have been resolved differently."

"Maybe," Kagura shrugged, her smile fading. "Maybe not. I don't blame you for what you did to end it. Though I wish you would have said something sooner about this. To me or anyone, so you wouldn't have had to endure the last few months alone."

"Like I said last week, I didn't know what to think or do, or who I could talk to about it." Sakaki finally looked at her friend. A single tear trickled down her cheek. "It's hard…wanting to do something yet being afraid to do it. Even if it means saving yourself. What you said finally made me accept that I had to act. Much as it hurt, it needed to be said, and I needed to hear it."

"I'm not sorry for saying what I said," Kagura stated. And she wasn't. "Sometimes the harshest words come from those closest to you." She nudged Sakaki's leg with her knee and smiled again. "And I'm glad to see you're back as a result."

Sakaki smiled faintly and wiped the tear away. "Yeah," she said. She sniffed and stifled a yawn and ran a hand through Maya's fur again. "It's getting late, and I've got an anatomy exam at 0930 I can't miss."

"Ah hell, why didn't you say anything about that?" Kagura groaned, also yawning as she stood. "We could have met later today, I didn't mean to keep you up"

"It's all right," Sakaki said, shaking her head. "I would have been up late anyway contemplating the past couple days." She also stood up, taking care to hold Maya close. The wildcat yawned and shook his head at the sudden movement before falling back asleep.

"If you say so," Kagura said with a shrug. She reached out and scratched Maya's head before turning toward the door. "Alright then, I'm going to head out and let you sleep. Think I'll still take today off, though."

"You can stay here, if you want."

"Hm?" Kagura looked back at her friend.

Sakaki gestured at the couch. "Since you're here and it's so late and…um…" She paused and glanced to one side, seemingly out of words. "For a friend?"

Kagura had a pretty good idea of the real reason Sakaki wanted her to stay, but she kept it to herself. No need to bring him up again tonight…er, this morning. Another thought started forming, but she brushed it aside. "Sure, I'd love to," she said. "Besides, my apartment seems to have a magnet in the floor." Sakaki gave her a bewildered look. "Nevermind," Kagura said, waving a hand.

"Right. Let me get you a blanket and pillow," Sakaki said. She set Maya down and went to her bedroom, returning a few seconds later with the aforementioned items. "Will you need another blanket?" she asked. "Winter's over, but it still gets cold in here sometimes."

"No, I'll be fine," Kagura replied. She took the offered bedding and looked at her friend. "Well, good luck on your test tomorrow."

"Mm, thanks," Sakaki said. She yawned and flipped a light switch next to her, turning off the overhead lights, leaving a solitary lamp on an end table next to the couch lit. "And thank you for coming over, and for listening." Kagura nodded once in response. The two women looked at each other for a few seconds before Sakaki turned back toward her room. "Well, good night."

"'Night."

Kagura watched Sakaki retreat to her bedroom with Maya in tow. A few seconds later, the light was turned off and Kagura was alone. She sauntered over to the couch and dropped the pillow on one end before laying out the blanket. Satisfied, she lay down and pulled her socks off and dropped them on the floor. She then pulled her keys and wallet from her pockets and deposited them on the coffee table before reaching up to turn off the lamp. Moments later, her eyes adjusted and she let out a long breath as she stared at the ceiling. Light from Tokyo's nightscape filtered in through cracks in the window blinds, casting an eerie glow about the room.

As she stared at the ceiling, various thoughts crossed her mind, foremost among them that her friend was okay, despite her forlorn demeanor and apparently sore knuckles. She was certain that Sakaki hadn't told the whole story of what had transpired, but Kagura knew that just sharing the basics was hard enough for her. For as long as she could remember, Sakaki had always been a reserved, if not withdrawn, person, and Kagura knew that if she wanted to share more of what happened, she eventually would on her own volition. She clenched her teeth at the thought, but shoved aside any contemplation of causing bodily harm to Hayate; Sakaki had taken care of that. There was also a thought that tugged at the back of her mind, one that she hadn't reflected on in awhile until recently, and a few minutes ago, it had almost come back again. In a different time, spending the night at Sakaki's…

Kagura mentally berated herself a second later. This isn't the time for that. She needs a friend right now. Reminisce of the past on your own time. Sighing, she looked at the wall separating Sakaki's room from the living room.

"Good night, Sakaki," she whispered before wrapping herself in the blanket and rolling over to find a comfortable position. At least her friend's couch was far softer than the floor.

xxxxxx

Kagura woke up as she rolled off of the couch and hit the floor. Startled, she thrashed around, but was tightly wrapped up in her blanket and only ended up becoming more entangled. After a few seconds, she managed to work herself free. She climbed to her feet but quickly fell to a sitting position on the couch, her sense of balance off-kilter from the rude awakening. She threw the blanket aside and leaned forward and rested her forehead in her palms for a few seconds. Looking up, she noticed the unfamiliar surroundings, and had to pause and think for a moment before it came back to her.

Right, Sakaki's place. She offered me the couch, Kagura thought as she blinked a few times. She shook her head and sighed. The tornado dream again. And this time I didn't even have a bat…

Movement caught her attention. Turning to look, she saw Maya peeking around the corner of the couch, warily staring at Kagura.

"Weird dream, Maya. It happens every now and then," Kagura said. She frowned and blushed. Wait, I'm talking to a cat, she realized. I wonder if Sakaki does this, too.

Maya meowed questioningly.

"I'm pretty sure I'm fine, I'm just disoriented from hitting the ground." Emphasize 'pretty sure', if I'm having a conversation with an animal, Kagura mused. She stood and stretched before wandering into to Sakaki's kitchen. A note on the counter caught her attention:

I'm on campus taking that exam I mentioned last night. I didn't want to wake you, so help

yourself to something for breakfast. I apologize for the sparse selection, I haven't been to

the market for a few days.

Thank you again for coming over. You were right; I do feel better.

-Sakaki

Kagura smiled faintly as she read the note again. Looking up, she scanned the small kitchen and settled on a few bananas sitting next to the sink. Grabbing one, she peeled it and started eating. As she chewed, she noticed Maya looking at her, his head tiled to one side as if questioning her action.

"Sakaki said it was alright," she said between bites, tapping the note with a finger. Maya continued to stare at her as Kagura took another banana and ate it as well. After a short search, she found a garbage can and dropped the peels in. Looking up, she saw that Maya was still watching her every move, his tail lazily swishing back and forth. He meowed at her.

Without thinking about it, Kagura wordlessly approached Maya and picked him up, cradling the wildcat like a baby. He wriggled a little until he was in a comfortable position, and began purring a few seconds later as Kagura scratched his head. She walked back into the living room and eyed the strange oil painting for a few seconds before walking a slow circle around the room, Maya purring contently.

"Sakaki should be better off now that she's away from Hayate." The corner of Kagura's mouth twitched as she said his name. She paused at the window and pulled open the blinds and stared outside. Urban sprawl reached as far as she could see, ending at Tokyo's skyline, which was barely visible in the still, hazy air.

"You know, sometimes I wonder what might have happened if I'd figured some things out sooner, how different things might have been…" Kagura said as she gazed at the landscape before her. She looked down at Maya. He was nearly asleep, judging by his slowed breathing and barely-open eyes. She set her jaw to one side as a thoughtful look crossed her face. "Sakaki was special to me," she finally said. She smiled. "I guess I still think she is."

Kagura turned from the window and circled the living room again before stopping next to the couch. She gently laid Maya on one of its cushions. He sat up and yawned before shaking himself and jumping down to the floor and sauntering off to the kitchen. She watched the wildcat wander off. "Well, thanks for listening," Kagura said to herself. She picked up her socks from under the coffee table and slid them on.

Kagura happened to look up, and saw Maya had turned his attention to the front door. She couldn't help but notice that his fur stood on end, and his ears were turned back, as if he was about to attack something.

She was about to say something when someone knocked at the door. She froze, and Maya crouched, a barely audible growl reaching her ears a second later.

Ok, he's either pissed at or scared of whatever's on the other side of the door, Kagura thought. She wasn't about to answer the door; it wasn't her residence and Maya's behavior was making her nervous. Maybe he just does this for strangers, she contemplated.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a thin white rectangle sliding under the door, and then the sound of footsteps slowly walking off. Curious, Kagura left the couch and approached the object, noting that Maya seemed to have calmed down. He sat up and licked a paw as if nothing had happened.

Picking it up, Kagura saw it was a folded piece of paper. It had no outward markings. Probably a flyer or something, she pondered. She considered opening it, but then decided against it. Then she thought of Maya's reaction, and decided to see what was inside. Besides, if anything, a simple refolding would hide any evidence of snooping. Opening the folds, Kagura saw that it was a note. Or more accurately, a letter, as she began reading.

Several seconds later, her eyes narrowed she skipped to the bottom of the page. A single romaji character marked the end. H.

She looked up sharply at the door. I wonder if I can still catch him before he leaves, she thought as she reached for the doorknob. A dark pit was opening in her gut, but she shoved any thoughts of malice aside. Just going to talk, she told herself as she left the apartment. Looking to each side, she saw a figure, a man with his back to her, at her right approaching a stairwell.

Without realizing it, she was moving down the hall at just below a sprint. The man didn't seem to hear Kagura as she approached. She gripped the letter tightly in one hand. Just going to talk…

"Hey you!" Kagura called out, slowing to a walk. The man stopped and turned. Kagura breathed evenly and kept her expression neutral while she looked him over as she approached him. He stood several centimeters taller than her, but still below Sakaki's height. His coffee-colored eyes were framed in a boyish face, and he had dark brown hair. But his eyes drew most of Kagura's attention; they were the type that one could easily get lost in, soft as they appeared. He looked well built; not exactly bulky, but he definitely was no weakling, either. He was rather handsome, in a refined way, and she could easily see why Sakaki had fallen for him. If she knew nothing about him, Kagura knew that she could also have been taken by his appearance alone. She grimaced internally at that last notion.

"Sato Hayate, I'm guessing?" Kagura said.

"I might be. Who's asking?" Hayate replied. Until now, Kagura hadn't believed that a honeyed voice could be real. But here now was a perfect example of one. She noticed he was sizing her up as well.

"Doesn't matter," Kagura said, keeping her tone formal and ignoring Hayate's look. She unfolded and held up the letter. "Did you write this?"

Hayate's demeanor faltered. "That's private, how'd you get it?" he demanded as he reached for it.

Kagura held it out of his reach and sidestepped. "I'll take that as a 'yes'." She put out a hand and stopped a second attempt at grabbing the letter, pushing Hayate back. She glared at Sakaki's ex-boyfriend, her brandy-colored eyes barely concealing her opinion of him. "Why'd you write this? Sakaki wants nothing more to do with you."

As if nothing had happened, Hayate regained his composure and smiled. "It was a misunderstanding, that's all. We just had an argument over something silly and said some things we shouldn't have. We'll be good within a day or two." His smile broadened as he held his hands out at his sides. "Just leave the letter with her."

"Yeah…do your arguments normally involve taking swings at one another?" Kagura asked. She had just noticed a faint bruising on his upper lip. Damn, Sakaki really did clock him one, she thought, doing her best to hide her surprise. A little more to the left and he'd have a broken nose, easily. Lower and he'd have a split lip. She narrowed her eyes. "Sakaki's a sweet girl-"

"Yeah, she is. And I just want to set things right with her," Hayate interrupted, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Kagura tilted her head to one side, and lunged forward and grabbed a surprised Hayate by the collar and yanked him down so he was at eye level with her. The letter in her free hand drifted unnoticed to the floor as she released it. Keeping her grip, she jabbed a finger in front of his nose and leaned in close, close enough to notice he likely hadn't brushed his teeth.

"You listen to me," Kagura said in a low voice, "and you listen good." She formed her pointing hand into a fist when Hayate opened his mouth, which he quickly shut when he saw the dark look in her eyes. "You don't get it, do you? Stay away from Sakaki. Don't even think of coming near her or trying to contact her again. A piece of shit like you doesn't deserve someone like her."

"Hey, what-" Hayate began.

"Interrupt me again, and I'll finish what Sakaki started," Kagura snarled, bringing her fist very close to Hayate's mouth. He quickly fell silent again. She breathed deeply, keeping her deathgrip on his jacket collar. She was pleased, in a cruel way, to see a flicker of fear in his eyes. "I'm going to make it simple:" she said evenly. She leaned in close enough to whisper in his ear. "Don't fuck with my friends. Or you deal with me." She leaned back and released Hayate.

Hayate blinked at Kagura as he straightened his posture. His expression turned hard. "Who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to make this call when you know nothing-"

"I've known Sakaki longer than you," Kagura retaliated. "I may not know everything that you did to her, but she's not your little plaything anymore. And I know that if she had known who you really are, she would have run from you, so fast that there'd be no way you could hope to catch her."

Hayate shrugged and crossed his arms. "Maybe you don't know her as well as you think you do. She's always come back to me, and she will this time, too."

Something snapped within Kagura. She wasn't sure what happened next, and even days later as she reran the moment through her mind, there were a few hazy seconds that could not be recalled. One moment she was staring at Hayate, incredulous at his haughtiness, the next, he was lying on his back, with Kagura kneeling on his chest and her right hand tightly wrapped around his throat. He gasped for air, and she noticed her grip was slowly increasing. She stopped, but kept enough pressure to hold Hayate's head down.

Kagura's mind was a cloud. Now I think I know what Sakaki felt. She hardened her expression. "I'll say this one more time," she growled, barely keeping her voice from cracking as she leaned over him. Her right arm twitched slightly as adrenaline coursed through her body, and she pointed again with her left. "Sakaki and you are through. Come near her again…and you will answer to me."

Hayate nodded in fearful understanding, his breathing ragged and his eyes wide in terror as Kagura released her grip, leaving a perfect impression of her hand on his neck. He looked like he was about to say something, but then thought better of it when he saw Kagura's expression. Hayate groaned as his assailant stood and stepped to the side. He slowly climbed to his feet, Kagura making no effort to assist him, and took a few steps back and into the stairwell, holding his palms up in surrender. Without a word, Hayate disappeared down the steps, keeping a wary eye on Kagura, lest the short woman come over the railing after him.

Kagura watched him go, and listened as his footsteps went from walking to running as he went down the rest of the stairs. A slamming sound several seconds later told her that he had exited the building.

Kagura fell into a squat as the adrenaline rush dissipated. She rested her elbows on her knees and brought a palm to her forehead as she fought off a wave of lightheadedness. She looked at where Hayate had been lying, suddenly repulsed by what she had done.

Ever since Sakaki told me of him, I've wanted to thrash him for what he did to her, she thought. Her emotions were in conflict; a large part of her was satisfied that she got to mete out her fantasy in a way, but the other part was still in astonishment that she had actually carried it out. Well, almost. What is wrong with me? she suddenly asked herself. No, she answered a second later, frowning. I did it for Sakaki's sake. I take care of my friends. Her frown faded. But I've never snapped at someone like that before. Gods, what would Sakaki have said if she saw us?

She pushed the thoughts away and stood. It was done and over with now. Looking behind her, she was relieved to see no one else in the hallway. She knew that her and Hayate's exchange would have been a challenge to explain. She knelt and picked up the letter and turned and walked back to Sakaki's apartment.

Reaching the door moments later, she grasped and turned the doorknob. And turned again. Puzzled, Kagura looked down at it, then at the number on the door. Seeing that it was indeed Sakaki's residence, she rattled the doorknob for a second as a sinking realization set in. You've got to be kidding me…

With a groan, she leaned her forehead against the door with a dull thud. From inside the apartment, Kagura heard a faint meow.

"I don't suppose you can unlock doors, can you?" she said through the solid wood. Maya meowed again in response, and Kagura heard a faint scuffing sound on the door.

"Thanks for trying, at least," she sighed. She turned and leaned against the door. No shoes, no keys, no way to get back inside or into her vehicle. She patted her pockets down. No wallet either; that was sitting on the coffee table next to her keys.

Kagura sighed again and sat down in front of the door, crossing her arms as she leaned back and settled in to wait for Sakaki to return.

xxxxxx

Kagura guessed that it was around mid-late morning when she woke up, but Sakaki had given no indication to when she would return. As she sat against the door, waving off the odd look the occasional passing resident gave her, Kagura's thoughts eventually returned to her friend, and what had crossed her mind the previous night, much as she tried to push it away and concentrate on the present. So focused did she become on it that she didn't notice an approaching figure.

"Kagura? What're you doing out here?"

Jarred from her thoughts, Kagura looked up and saw Sakaki standing next to her. Her friend was holding a few plastic bags and had a backpack slung over her shoulders.

"Uh, I locked myself out. Long story," Kagura added before Sakaki could ask why. "Need help with those?" she asked, extending a hand and gesturing at the bags.

"Yes, thank you," Sakaki said as she handed off one of the bags so she could dig her keys out of a pocket. Opening the door, she paused to remove her shoes as Kagura edged past her and dropped the bag she held on the kitchen countertop.

Kagura was about to ask Sakaki how her test went as she turned to face her friend, until she saw her kneel and pick something up. She quickly recognized the letter from Hayate as Sakaki stood, which Kagura had completely forgotten about in lieu of Sakaki returning home. Sakaki had a curious expression on her face as she started unfolding it one-handed. Thinking fast, Kagura quickly stepped forward and deftly snatched the paper from her hand.

Sakaki gave her a confused look. "What's that about?"

"It's probably best you don't read it," Kagura replied as she stepped back. "It's…" She wanted to think up a lie, to say it was nothing, but she had already painted herself into a corner when she snatched it away. So she went with the truth. "It's from your ex."

Almost imperceptibly, Sakaki jerked. "He was here?"

"This morning. I'm sorry for prying, I didn't know what it was. It was slid under the door and I thought it was a flyer or something," Kagura said apologetically. She took a deep breath. "When I saw what it was, I went after him, to talk. I told him to leave you alone."

Sakaki looked at the shorter woman. "'Talk'?"

"I told him to leave you alone, that's it," Kagura repeated. "It took a few minutes to convince him to, though," she added. "He's definitely an arrogant bastard."

Sakaki didn't respond. Instead, she maneuvered around Kagura and walked into the kitchen and set her bags on the counter next to the one Kagura had carried and started unpacking them. Kagura followed a second later and sat on one of two stools next to the counter and started unpacking, too; not knowing where anything went, she stacked various items on the counter for Sakaki to put away.

"Something tells me you did more than 'talk' to Hayate," Sakaki said matter-of-factly after a few moments, not looking at Kagura.

Kagura looked up, a nervous sense coming over her. "Hm?"

"A feeling, is all," Sakaki said. She looked up and stared ahead, a thoughtful look on her face. "I feel as if I should say something about it…but for some reason, I don't care."

"'Don't care'?" Kagura asked, confused.

Sakaki didn't respond. The corner of her mouth twitched as she looked down and pulled a receipt from the bag she was unpacking. She balled it up and tossed it to the floor. Maya, who had taken a seated position behind them, lunged at the paper ball and swatted it into the living room. Sakaki smiled as she watched him chase after it.

"What do you mean, you don't care?" Kagura pressed.

Sakaki glanced at her for a few seconds, and then at the folded letter from her ex-boyfriend; Kagura had placed it on the counter before she helped unpack. Picking it up (Kagura didn't stop her this time), she turned it over in her hands, but didn't open it. After studying it for several seconds, she held the letter up in both hands and tore it in half. She tore the two pieces again, and the smaller pieces again, until she held a small pile of shredded paper. She unceremoniously dropped it onto the counter and crossed her arms.

"I should have handled him, not you," Sakaki mumbled as she looked down at the shredded letter, her usual demeanor returning. She sighed heavily. "But what's done is done. I'm not going to concern myself with him anymore."

Kagura's nervousness abated. "You're welcome, I guess."

After a moment, Sakaki nodded once before returning to the task before them. They spent the next couple minutes in silence unpacking and putting various food items away. When they finished, Sakaki came around the counter and sat on the other stool. She nodded at the ground. "Your socks don't match."

Kagura looked down and wiggled her toes. One sock was white with a gray tip, the other gray with a red stripe over the toes. She looked at her friend and shrugged. "It's my day off. Who cares?"

Sakaki looked back at her, and then at Maya, who was still prodding the paper ball around the floor. After a couple minutes, she stood. "You probably haven't eaten. I'll make us a late lunch."

"Free lunch?" Kagura said, glancing at Sakai as she walked back into the kitchen. "I have to come here more often then. I'm barely surviving on my own cooking as it is."

"You're more than welcome to," Sakaki replied. "It would be nice to reconnect, since…I've got time now."

"Reconnect…" Kagura said distantly, resting her elbows on the counter and staring at the torn up letter. She looked up after a moment with a mischievous grin. "If I knew how to cook anything beyond a grilled cheese or a bowl of cereal, I'd challenge you to a cook-off." She sat back, one knee under the countertop to keep from tipping over, frowning. "Wow, it's been awhile since I challenged you to anything. We really do have some catching up to do."

Sakaki, digging through a cupboard and unseen by Kagura, smiled. "Yeah," she replied.

xxxxxx

A/N: And the story continues (needs a better description though, I'll think of something later). Caged Wolf was originally going to be a one-shot, but after I read it again a few weeks after posting it, an expanded storyline started taking shape of its own accord, and I decided to see where it would go. The story is more or less completed in outline format, now I just need to stop being lazy (and letting real life and work interfere) and sit down and write it.

As a side note, my 'ideal' mental image of Kagura was one of her casually standing with her thumbs hooked in her pockets and with a smug/nonchalant expression on her face. Then I found the 10th anniversary supplement pages over the summer and saw her chapter insert…a perfect, spitting image of the one I'd formed. My head asploded from the awesomeness.

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the story thus far, and thank you for reading.