Lucky you guys (and girls). I went and caught a nasty cold, so I'm home sick today. With nothing better to do, I finished this chapter in record time. Let me explain something. This chapter doesn't get very far. There is some important stuff in it, but it's kinda boring. Oh well...more stuff will happen in the next chapter...I think...

Shizuru saw Natsuki's face through her tears. It was confused.

"Shizuru…What do you mean?" She asked her voiced filed with apprehension.

I mean what I said. God…maybe I should just let her believe…no…I have to tell her the truth…but can she handle it?

Shizuru took an unsteady breath. She couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face. "I mean, it was you, Natsuki-chan, who came onto me. It was you."

Oh my God…

Natsuki could remember now.

They were both incredibly drunk. Natsuki was sprawled on the floor, an empty Champaign bottle loosely gripped in her hand. Shizuru was sitting on the floor next to her; legs crossed, and her back against the couch. An empty wine bottle was lying near her knee.

They were out of alcohol.

"Sh-hic-zuru," Natsuki told her, "why'd dyou drin-hic all the wine? I wanded ssome."

"Sssorry, Natshuki" Shizuru told her.

"I shtill wan some." Natsuki's inebriated mind came to a decision, "come 'ere." She reached up and grabbed Shizuru's sleeve. She gave a drunken tug and Shizuru toppled over. Shizuru was practically on top of her, their faces only centimeters apart. "Gimme some wine!" She could taste the wine on Shizuru's breath. She leaned forward and-

Oh god…no…why would I do that!

Shizuru watched Natsuki's face. It was twisted in a grimace of horror.

She remembers now.

She turned her face away. Carefully, Shizuru wiped the tears from her eyes. With all her years of practice at hiding her emotions, soon there was no trace on her face of the tears she had shed. She replaced her lost mask, and was once more hidden under her guise.

When Natsuki's face finally calmed a bit, Shizuru spoke.

"You should probably stay here for a few more days; get your strength back, before going back to your apartment."

Natsuki looked up, her eyes wide with shock. "Shizuru?" She asked quietly.

"Oh right I forgot to mention," Shizuru put on her smiling mask, "I continued paying your rent for you, so all your stuff should still be there. No need to pay me back; I was glad to do it." She carefully got to her feet. "Now, I'm sure you are hungry, I'll go fix you something; something with mayonnaise, yes?"

"Um, uh, yeah…" Before Natsuki could figure out what to say, Shizuru slipped out of the room.

…What? ...I don't…oh…was it because…

Natsuki figured it out as she thought back to 'the morning after'.

"Good morning sleepy-head!" Shizuru said from her left.

"GACK!" Natsuki let out a shriek, and pulled the sheet up. "What the Hell?!"

"My Natsuki-chan doesn't remember?" Shizuru was smiling, her eyes sparkling, "I-"

"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS THIS SHIZURU?!?!" Natsuki screamed. She yanked the sheet she was wrapped in off the bed, landing on the floor. She spotted her clothes and, dragging the sheet with her scurried to pull her clothes on.

"Natsu-"Shizuru began, as Natsuki pulled on her jeans, but stopped at the fiery green gaze.

"Shizuru, I won't forgive you for doing this to me." Natsuki said quietly.

She pulled on her shirt and left the room, Shizuru still lying on the bed, tears beginning to stream down her face.

Oh god…all this time, I've blamed her...it was my fault…I have to apologize to her…

She sat for a long time.

When Natsuki finally ventured out of her yellow room, she found herself in a light green hallway. She could smell something delicious coming from the right, so she went that way.

She found herself in a small kitchen. On the table was a plate of some fried-something and a bottle of mayo.

Why does she have mayo? Shizuru hates mayo…

Shizuru wasn't in the room.

I'll apologize when she returns. In the meantime…I am awfully hungry…

Natsuki eyed the hot plate.

Shizuru watched her monitor as Natsuki looked around for her, then sat down, dumped half the bottle of mayo on the plate, and began chomping down the greasy pile on her plate. She looked pleased.

I'm glad you enjoy it, Natsuki-chan.

Shizuru's impenetrable mask was more firmly in place than ever before.

You…don't hate me…but…I disgust you…you…you who are just as sick as I am, with that weird addiction to mayo. I'm addicted to you…maybe we're both addicted to what's bad for us? Perhaps…no…perhaps you…just need some time? Or perhaps it was never meant to be?

Shizuru was in her meditation room. Only she had ever entered it; only she ever would. She called it her meditation room, but that was only part of its purpose. She had cameras hidden throughout her home, and in here was her security monitor. It was tucked into the corner with her computer. The middle of the room was empty, only a soft mat covered the floor. Along the walls, weapons hung. Chijiriki, naginata, bisento, yari, tetsubo, masakari, no-dachi, katana, wakizashi, ama goi ken, tanto; these were just a few of the hundreds of weapons hanging proudly on the walls. She knew how to use them all; but most of them were just for show. She preferred her naginatas to all the other weapons.

Although they were not as good as her Elemental Naginata; the three she had on her wall were top quality. One was black, one blue, the other a deep green. She chose the deep green blade and began to practice.

The longer she practiced, the faster she went. The blade was swooping gracefully through the air at frightening speed. She continued the routine far longer than normal. When finally she hung the blade up, she was breathing hard; sweat glistening on her forehead.

I will win your heart, Natsuki-chan, somehow.

After checking the monitors, and seeing Natsuki sitting at the table, the large plate empty, a look of contentment on her face, Shizuru left the room, carefully locking the door with the key that hung around her neck.