Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Fire Emblem, but any original plot belongs to me so please don't steal.

The Co-Workers.

"You are a terrible human being."

"Z-Zero!" Kamui startled, swinging her head round to stare wide-eyed at the young man glaring at the back window of her car.

The action almost unbalanced the strange dance of simultaneously locking her door and juggling her umbrella Kamui had found herself unwillingly participating in. Mr Jondrette had evidently opted for the smarter option of donning a waterproof parka. The weather, it seemed, was intent on punishing England for yesterday's day of stolen sunshine. It was raining so hard and so relentlessly that Kamui had to wonder if it'd ever stop.

"What are these?" Zero muttered, his lip curling with disgust.

Curiously Kamui teetered over to his side. Upon catching sight of what he was scowling at so ferociously, she was confused, "They're teddies. My older sister buys one for me every time she's serving overseas."

"Does she hate you?" Zero replied blandly.

"No! Of course she-"realisation dawned when Zero's expression only grew drier, "That was a joke at my expense, wasn't it? Is there something I could help you with, Zero, or did you just stop to say hello?"

"I was just wondering what all the spoilt, little rich kids were driving nowadays," Zero replied unapologetically. Seeing as Kamui was driving a hand-me-down Fiat, the statement rang rather hollow.

"Then I suppose this a little anticlimactic, huh?" Kamui giggled.

Zero snorted at that, flashing her a quick smirk that-for a moment-felt as they were laughing together rather than at her. Despite the rain he proceeded to light a cigarette, the little orange flame spluttering to light the recesses of his hood a moment before the man exhaled in pure bliss.

"What do you drive?" Kamui asked curiously, trying to shield Zero under her umbrella as the pair began to cross the carpark towards the main entrance.

"What's with the questions?" there was something sharp in his tone. Something that made Kamui's mind ring with 'leave it alone'.

Kamui blinked, "Oh…erm, I-I was just trying to get to know you better, we are team mates after all."

Zero chuckled at that, "trust me, princess, I'm not worth knowing."

The statement made Kamui reassess the man beside her. She knew her look was vaguely pitying, and she hated herself for that. He looked smaller, more vulnerable-wounded-than the office letch he'd masqueraded as the day previous. Everyone's got their issues. Zero clearly didn't fancy discussing his with a practical stranger. But that didn't stop Kamui's rush of concern. He's 'the enemy' she reminded herself, a potential spy, and yet again the curt reprimand slid from her natural compassion like oil from water. It was only her second day, and she was already finding it far more difficult than she anticipated. She pulled her coat tighter about herself. Ryoma was counting on her. If she could trust in nothing else, she would have to have trust in his faith of her.

"You may think that, Mr Jondrette, but I certainly think you're worth knowing," Kamui replied.

Zero gave her a derisive look, another plume of cigarette smoke framing itself around his face, "you were sheltered as a kid, right?"

"H-how did you know that?"

"Just a guess," he smirked.

"But some people really aren't worth knowing," he shrugged, "unless you'd like us to get to know one another more intimately?"

"Erm, I-I didn't-"

He laughed.

Kamui once again found herself the butt of his joke, and with a shiver of premonition realised that this was likely something that'd happen often. The pair finally reached the double doors, and Zero paused to smoke down what was left of his now decidedly bedraggled cigarette. Other workers passed them, heads down, collars turned up against the rain and gaze focused dead-ahead; no good mornings or even an acknowledgment of their existence. It was like being a ghost in a crowd. Zero smirked at her obvious discomfort.

"Why are you talking to me?" Kamui asked.

Zero mulled it over, his gaze listing past her entirely. He sucked at his cheeks as if tasting her question, it was a childish gesture for a man who had otherwise seemed anything but.

"….I don't know," he finally answered, "I haven't decided what to make of you yet."

He stubbed his cigarette before she could properly process his answer, and slipped inside. She stared after him, caught in limbo between reacting and dismissing his surprisingly honest response. 'Some people really aren't worth knowing'. Kamui didn't believe that. She didn't want to believe that. She had been chastised endlessly for that same weakness. Kamui had a self-destructive tendency towards getting too wrapped up in other people's lives; to the point that when they fell apart, so did she. Knowing that meant also knowing that she should remain detached, getting involved would only cause further complications and give her fears something else to prey on. But knowing something and doing something were two very different creatures, and in the end she'd never been very good at just leaving something well enough alone.

/

Kamui's second day went about as well as her first, which is to say not very well at all. Being already over-tired from working overtime the night before, she soon found herself the victim of what felt like a domino line of rookie slip-ups. The system-thankfully-held, but this minor victory did little to drive back the new barrage of mistakes. By Lunch time she'd already sent several files to the wrong department, broken the photo-copier, supplied a client on the telephone with Hoshido information and managed to somehow lose several Design Blueprints into the recesses of the Nohr Network.

Kamui's only redemption from further disaster was the team safety net, otherwise known as Leo Nohr. At first she had been hesitant to bother her superior with questions, doggedly sticking to her earlier conviction of proving self-reliant but sometime after the photo-copier started screaming at her (before that day and everyday hence, Kamui has never heard a machine make a noise like that photo-copier did) her previous declaration slipped away. The fact that the young man could simultaneously complete his own work to such a high standard and keep an eye on the rest of his team's was admirable. If a little intimidating. Being in the presence of someone who can just instinctively deal with life with such competence-Kamui discovered-had never been the best for building confidence in your own skills. It was really little to no surprise that she ended up clinging to him like a raft in a shipwreck, metaphorically speaking of course.

"We're going to have to restrict your phone until you memorise the new information," Leo informed her in his usual indifferent, business-like tones.

"Right," Kamui nodded, "er, sorry about that again."

"It was a mistake," something about the way he said it made Kamui wonder if he were reminding himself instead of her.

"What does-"

"Don't-"

A screech of static rent through office, triggering an overly dramatic display from Odin and another condescending look from Zero. Kamui sunk further into her seat.

"-press that," Leo finished with a sigh, carefully lifting Kamui's hand from the phone and depositing it on the desk, "Zero, remove her phone."

"Right, boss," Zero replied with clear relief.

"I'm very sorry," Kamui blabbered, "Honestly, I really shouldn't be taking up so much of your time with these basics. I won't touch the phone again without your explicit say-so, I'm sorry I'm disturbing everyone's work and you've been so helpful."

She rushed to help Zero but unfortunately her current string of bad luck was still fully functioning. Several lights on the device flared, somewhere down the corridor an alarm began beeping with increasing distress, and a voice Kamui did not recognise began nattering away in the speakers.

"I don't see why she was having a fit about it anyway! Gawds! If she'd only done her damn job properly in the first place, I wouldn't had to have come down there and done it for her! Urghh, how hard can dog-walking be, you literally just have to walk with a couple of dogs, for fu-"

The irate woman cut off as Leo smoothly snagged a socket from the wall. Kamui's ears were still ringing, her phone being handed to Zero seemed particularly loud. Or perhaps that was aided more by her embarrassment than any damage to her ear drums.

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled, face bright red and eyes glued to her desk.

"Its fine," Leo replied dismissively, "everyone makes mistakes."

It was at once the most reassuring and disappointing thing he could have said. On one hand, it meant that Kamui wasn't being judged too harshly for her mistakes. But on the other it meant that Kamui was not worth judging for them at all, that her failures were expected when she had wanted to prove her aptitude instead.

"Don't lose heart, Kamui," Odin's voice was muffled due to the small plethora of designing pins he had sticking out his mouth, "I, too, once found the machinery difficult when I was a young novice."

"That's…." Kamui sighed, "That's very nice of you to say, Odin, but not very reassuring."

Odin looked confused as to why anyone would find being compared to him 'not very reassuring,' but opted for a sagely nodding his head. Any further attempts by Odin were halted by the sound of soft knocking at the door.

Leo straightened from where he'd been leaning over Kamui's desk, "enter."

A soft-faced young woman with sombre bearing mutely stepped into the office, her slight frame almost eclipsed entirely by the mass of dark hair hanging loose down her back. Her suit was impeccable and there was a certain air of professionalism in the way she held herself, and yet Kamui could not help thinking of when she'd dress in her mother's clothes as a child.

When she spoke, Kamui was immediately shocked at how…old her voice was, far older than her appearance would have you believe. Truthfully she didn't look a day over Sakura's age.

"Excuse me, Mr Nohr, your brother is asking for another review from the Finances Department," she said.

Leo appeared visibly frustrated for a very brief moment but almost immediately took control again with practiced ease.

"I understand," he nodded, "Thank you, Nyx, tell him I'll be there shortly."

Accepting his acquiesce, she stepped demurely from view again, leaving Leo to rapidly collect his belongings, "I'm not sure how long I'll be, please try not to cause too much trouble while I'm gone."

"Of course not, boss," Zero leaned back in his chair, "we're not children."

Leo gifted his comment with a dry look, "Miss Hoshido?"

"Yes," Kamui turned to him attentively.

"Could you…"he faltered, beneath his cool mask she could almost see his brain scrambling for the correct course of action for her, "…just don't touch the phones. You still have to familiarise yourself with our main suppliers and who they come into contact with, please do so."

"Of course," Kamui nodded, "Oh! And Leo, I really am sorry about the photocopier."

He winced. There didn't seem anything appropriate to say about that particularly grisly demise, so he settled for, "Yes. Well. And Odin, no helping her. You're luck with computers isn't much better."

"I would never!" Odin protested, scandalised.

Leo smiled to himself and shook his head, "goodbye."

"Good luck!"

"See ya."

"Fare journey!"

As soon as the door was shut Zero swivelled slightly to face Kamui, arms still dangling languidly above his head and fingers waggling to get her attention. He smirked, pointed discreetly at where Odin was watching the door in a manner reminiscent of a cat watching a spot of light, then began counting on his fingers. Intrigued, Kamui frowned as her eyes darted between a fidgeting Odin and Zero's countdown.

One.

Two.

Three.

"Quickly Kamui, let's see what the issue is!" Odin almost dislodged half his desk in his haste to scramble over to Kamui's. She may have shrieked a little at the display, pushing away from her desk as Odin rushed to occupy much of the space.

"B-but Leo said-"Kamui attempted to protest.

"I can't allow you to falter any longer!" Odin argued passionately, "You are my comrade and in need of my assistance! Now…where's your space bar?"

"It's…er….on the keyboard," Kamui answered haltingly, "where it's always been."

"Ah….Right! I knew that!"

"Give it up, Odin," Zero chuckled, "Boss was right, you're just jamming up her hardware."

Both Kamui and Odin coloured at that, the former with embarrassment and the latter with righteous fury.

"B-but I just wanted to help," Odin whined, "is there not anything I can do, Kamui?"

"Well…"Kamui paused in her task of re-righting her desk what little of her desk she could get to with Odin still there, "You've already been a big help."

"I…have?"

"He has?" Zero echoed with disbelief.

"Yes, you've been very welcoming and that, in itself, is incredibly reassuring in a new company," Kamui smiled, "Both of you have, so thank you."

"W-well, when you say it like that," Odin muttered.

Zero, however, feigned disinterest as he cut in, "He's only doing it because his wife asked him to."

Odin hissed and Zero smirked, both anticipating hurt looks from Kamui. The young woman however had focused entirely on the wrong part of Zero's sabotage, "You're married?"

"I…am," Odin answered, still braced for angry accusations, then repeated with more confidence, "I am!"

"Really? What's she like? How long have you been married? How long have you known her?" Kamui asked, "She wants you to look after me? Why? Do I know her?"

"A light in the eternal darkness!" Odin enthused, "The Queen of the darkness in my heart-"

"Wait…erm, is she light in the darkness then or is she the Queen of darkness?"

"-She is my true love, my soulmate, the mother of my child!" he continued, still furiously tapping away at her keyboard.

"You're a father too?"

"By the Gods," Zero growled, "stop asking him questions!"

"Zero, you will understand when you too, one day, experience the illustrious joy of fatherhood," Odin replied in a voice clearly designed to appear wise.

Zero apparently doubted that wisdom, "don't patronise me."

"I-" Odin beamed, but got no farther than that. What little of the screen of Kamui's computer they could make out through the thicket of pop-ups, had turned an unhealthy yellow colour and an unhealthier gurgling noise started gaining volume.

"Should….should it be doing that?" Kamui whispered.

"Great. Boss has been gone five minutes," Zero stated flatly, "and you've made her computer gargle."

"Hang on, I'll fix it," Odin replied determinedly.

"No!" Kamui put a valiant effort into hauling the her far taller, far larger co-worker away from the machine, "Please, Odin, it's fine! Just stop touching my things!"

"Heh," Zero smirked, "I don't even have to try with that one."

"W-wait Kamui, I think I've got it…Yes! It all becomes clear to me now, the path to victory is at hand!"

"Stop! I appreciate the help, I do, but please-why is it fizzling? Computer's aren't meant to fizzle!"

"I'm calling IT," Zero inputted, completely collected in the face of the others' panic.

"Aha!" Odin cheered triumphantly, right before the monitor gave one last pitiful wheeze and blacked out. Zero arched a brow, Kamui looked like she was on the fringe of crying. Perhaps an exaggeration but, to Kamui, it felt like nothing was going right. She'd failed consistently all morning and the moment her supervisor left the room, she managed to make her computer gargle and blow up. She missed her old boss and her old desk and her old work load. She missed going to the gym with Oboro. She missed the friendly atmosphere at Hoshido. She missed the small talk. She missed the wide, open spaces of the building. At that moment what she missed most was the ability to confide in Kaze how much she was missing all those things. It wasn't her finest moment and Kamui knew that it was an over-reaction, but honestly she felt very close to just packing the entire thing in. Why had she been chosen for this? Why was there a need for this at all?

How calmly she sat down surprised even her. The churning whirlpool of panic, self-pity and homesickness had formed a tight knot in Kamui's throat, one she swallowed with difficultly.

"Kamui…." Odin said with real remorse, "I'm sorry, I was trying to help."

"Its fine, Odin," she gave a watery smile. Her co-worker's expression only crumpled further at the bravado, enough so for Kamui to feel a hammer-blow of guilt. Her next smile was surer, "I understand. Actually you called IT already, right Zero?"

He nodded.

"So they should be here soon," Kamui continued, "in the meantime, I can go over the printouts Leo gave me."

Odin drew taller again, "A noble soul, if you need any more assistance just ask it of me and I shall endeavour."

Kamui's own smile felt a little more stable when bolstered by Odin's, "Thanks Odin…but I don't think that's necessary."

She tried to remain firm at Odin's slightly crest-fallen expression.

"Fiver says the IT guy's got a ponytail," Zero added.

"That's a bit stereotypical," Kamui replied, quietly she was thankful for the change in topic.

Zero shrugged, "we'll see."

Five minutes later and a knock heralded the arrival of the IT guy. Kamui had managed with some wavering success to push her longing aside in the face of her workload, while Odin had calmed sufficiently enough to proudly list the exploits of his two year old daughter, Ophelia. He still hadn't divulged his wife's name or the reason for her asking him to protect Kamui, but she found that trying to keep Odin from veering into a tangent was like trying to collect water in a sieve. The whole atmosphere in the office was a jarring change from the calm, amicable efficiency of Kaze and Orochi, though not an unpleasant one. Zero and Odin verbally jostled between each other in a constant contrast of idealism and cynicism that somehow managed to level out. As much as they bickered, Kamui secretly suspected that the two were actually quite close. Odin's efforts in integrating her into the group only redoubled, something she felt was likely spurned by his earlier 'murder' of her computer software. Granted he'd also appeared rather pleased that another romantic had joined his ranks. In fact both of them had been arguing vehemently with Zero about how Valentine's Day was most definitely not a waste of time and/or money, when the IT consultant walked in.

"It's a corporate gimmick," Zero curled his lip.

"It doesn't matter, it's just important to let someone you love know how much you mean to them sometimes," Kamui rebuffed.

"Agreed!" Odin banged a fist on his desk.

"I know it's hard," Zero smirked, "But can you resist the urge to bang everything you see."

"Y-you're changing the subject again!" Odin yelled, re-faced.

A disgruntled cough pulled their collective attention back to the man glaring at them from the doorway. He kicked the door closed with the heel of his shoe in a manner far more aggressive than the action really warranted. Then he proceeded to narrow his eyes, as if the very existence of the office offended him on some deep, personal level. He was tall and lean and dressed impeccably, purple eyes cutting in their open hostility and silver hair tied back in a- "damn", Kamui thought-ponytail.

"Pay up," Zero lazily stretched out a hand and flexed his fingers at her. She begrudgingly fished a fiver from her purse and handed it over to him, trying to ignore his very smug smirk. Zero's smile brought the expression 'the cat that'd caught the canary' to mind.

The IT guy's eyes zeroed in on Odin, and his already intense scowl grew more daunting.

"You," he growled, "If you've broken the bloody monitor again I'm going to ram it so far up your-"

"I-it's not my computer!" Odin defended, "….Well, this time. It's Kamui's."

"I'm very sorry," Kamui added, "if there's anything I can do to make your job easier, please just ask…"

The IT glanced dismissively in her direction then, in a complete emotional U-turn, all his previous irritation just blanked off his face as if it'd dripped from him. In fact all normal behaviour appeared to desert the man. He blinked like he'd suffered sudden blunt head trauma then very slowly and very deliberately turned back to her again, though this time with the addition of a powerfully red blush.

Unsure what else to do, Kamui just smiled sheepishly while he gaped at her, "I-is there anything…I can do, I mean, Mr….?"

He jumped back to life, lowering his head to avoid her gaze before mumbling, "J-Jakob, Jakob, my name is Jakob."

"I'm sorry," Zero drawled with a malicious glee, "what did you say your name was again?"

If looks could kill, the glare Jakob shot him at that moment would have left a bloodstained splatter and little else. However Zero remained completely unfazed by it, if anything Jakob's ire only increased his amusement.

"I'm Kamui, it's nice to meet you," she smiled.

He nodded awkwardly and took a moment to collect himself, before striding towards her desk with reinstated grace, "what seems to be the issue, Miss Kamui…may I call you that?"

"Oh! By all means," Kamui nodded, a little bewildered and a little tickled by the extreme politeness (even by her standards).

"Thank you," he smiled, "Could you please tell me what happened before it all went…off?"

Kamui barely managed to open her mouth before Odin cut in, "This tragedy is no fault of Kamui's! I take full blame here, the screen did turn a mysterious hue of accursed otherworldly dairy products and then, lo, it did-"

Jakob whirled on him with the ferocity of a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

"Did I bloody well ask you!" he hissed. It was not a question.

Odin gulped and sat back down so quickly he almost broke his chair. Kamui blinked, naked shock on her face as her gaze flicked back and forth between Odin's pale face and Jakob's frankly terrifying scowl.

"….Er, w-well," she replied shakily, still casting a concerned look back at her co-worker, "We were trying to get it working and a lot of pop-ups appeared, then the screen went yellow and it started making a…fizzling noise, does that make any sense?"

"Absolute sense," he smiled serenely, "That was very helpful, thank you. This should take just a moment."

"Oh!" Kamui exclaimed with pleasant surprise, "That quickly?"

"Of course."

"Wow, that's impressive," she smiled, "thank you, Jakob, you're a life-saver."

His face turned such a painful-looking shade of red at her words that he was forced to duck his head.

Eventually he mumbled, "….Y-you're very welcome."

/

Five seconds into entering the office, Leo Nohr was bombarded by his high-energy colleagues. With the type of cool proficiency only born through years of practice, he smoothly evaded Odin's mad dash to occupy his attention. Scanning the office quickly to ensure no major damage had been wrought in his absence, Leo sat and finally faced his Team.

"Boss, you are not going to believe this!" Odin began.

"What is it?"

"The IT guy's got a crush on the new girl," Zero reported flatly, "and it's disgusting."

"I-it's not a crush!" Kamui coloured, "We don't know that, maybe he was just being pleasant?"

"Trust me," Zero smirked, "No one's that 'pleasant' unless they want to see you naked."

"Zero!" Odin gasped, scandalised, "Not everyone can scour the same heights of depravity as your soul can."

"Besides," Kamui frowned, "we're not children."

"Oh, that I am well aware of," Zero's smirk grew to lupine proportions as he pointedly eyed her bust.

"….As much as this goes against my nature," Odin began carefully, "in these circumstances, I must admit that the ominous knight from hours past did seem to harbour romantic feelings for fair Kamui."

"He wanted to hardwire your hardware," Zero cut in.

"What does that-"Kamui's asked, frowning with confusion.

"Clean your monitor."

"Eh? How does-"

"Open up the back and fiddle around inside," Zero continued.

"Zero. Sexual Harassment Charges," Leo reminded him. Zero promptly closed his mouth with a soft click.

Leo sighed and resisted the urge to massage his forehead…barely, "….and this is significant because?"

"We can use this," Zero replied.

"Eh?" Kamui breathed with shock, "E-even if Jakob did have…that sort of…interest in me, we couldn't just use his feelings so cruelly."

"Did I ever give the impression that I'd have a problem with that," Zero replied. His tone was flat, factual. Lifeless.

Kamui gave him a look that said she didn't entirely believe him on that account, a look that Zero also chose to ignore. That brief exchange heralded the end of the working day. Odin and Zero began their ritual of shutting down computers and hiding away any belongings they didn't want the cleaning staff getting to. Leo and Kamui did not move.

"Fare well, comrades," Odin called cheerily as he slipped on his coat.

"Goodbye Odin," Kamui smiled, "I'd love to see those pictures from Ophelia's birthday party you were telling me about."

"I shall bring them on the morrow," he grinned, "It was wizard themed, she loved it!"

"Hehehe, sounds great!" she replied, "have a good day. Oh, you too, Zero!"

"Yeah," his tone positively dripped with disinterest, "See ya. Bye Boss."

"Goodbye Zero."

The door shut behind them, instantly throwing the room into silence. It was not the type of silence that suggested absolute quiet, the room still resounded with the sound of tapping keys and papers being shuffled, but it was the type of silence filled with the absence of sound. Kamui tried not to think about her bag, more specifically the repertoire of unaddressed texts from Oboro, Kaze, Takumi and various others. Should she just tell them? They'll found out soon anyway, in fact it's a small miracle that the gossip mags haven't already snooped out her new job placement already. They'd be upset hearing it from someone else. She really should just tell them. But how exactly? And what possible motive could she give when the truth was out the question?

"They didn't mean to offend."

"Eh?" Kamui blinked as Leo's voice jarred her from her worries.

He had not even turned in her direction, gaze still focused on his screen. She studied him a moment, and found that there was some stiffness-some form of hesitance- lacing what was otherwise the usual tapestry of easy grace.

"Odin and Zero," he repeated, "if they offended you in some way, that was not their intention."

"…. Offended me?" Kamui echoed, her brows scrunched with confusion.

He paused. His eyes flicked to her then back to his screen again. Something in his posture reminded Kamui of eight-year-old Tamaki on photo day at school. A ridiculous comparison considering Leo Nohr was likely only her junior by two years at most, and mentally her senior by many more. But still, as she hastily smothered a smile, Kamui couldn't shake the image of that childlike resignation.

"You seemed worried."

"Oh! No, honestly Odin and Zero have been more than welcoming! I, er, it wasn't…that."

"I see."

It was made clear in his curt reply, that he didn't wish to get too involved. Yet Kamui's previous statement hung awkwardly in the air, a presence that neither wanted to deal with but were also finding difficult to ignore completely. Not saying anything meant stewing in this atmosphere, but saying something could trigger a worse one. Kamui licked her lips and just decided to take the plunge.

"You're working late today, also?" she asked.

"I often do," he replied shortly.

"Oh…does that not make you tired? Having so little time at home?" she asked with genuine concern.

"Not really. I am accustomed to it," he replied with an air of distraction, "Nohr Labels expects a certain standard of performance from its employees, and being Head of the Finance Department also requires added willpower."

"You're the Head of the Finance Department?" Kamui asked with shock, "B-but you're so young!"

He smirked, "as I said. Added willpower."

"Did you always want to work in Financing?" Kamui asked curiously.

"So many questions," his expression when he turned from the computer was a mixture of confusion, suspicion and faint amusement. It was one Kamui was becoming accustomed to receiving from Nohr employees.

"Sorry," she said softly, "I shouldn't pry."

She'd already been reprimanded by Zero for doing so. Just because Odin had reacted enthusiastically to her probing questions, did not mean everyone appreciated her nosiness. Honestly she shouldn't be trying to learn about the home-lives of her colleagues at all. Foremost, it wasn't any of her business. Something that went doubly, considering the reason behind her current position.

"…It's fine," Leo once again snapped her from her thoughts, this time with a sigh. In the space of time she had retreated into her own head, he had already printed and stapled a stack of papers and was preparing to deliver them elsewhere.

He didn't look at her as he said, "though in regards to your own work, Miss Hoshido, the sooner you can stop depending on me, the better."

"Wha-" Kamui's mouth opened but he was already gone. She slumped in her chair, still staring at the door as her stomach mixed with a potent combination of confusion and shame. This time when her bag began vibrating again, she pushed it off her desk with an irritated groan.

A/N: Many, many apologies for the incredibly delayed update. There were some personal issues in the family that needed attention, and after that I found it very difficult to pick up where I was/where I was going with this thing. I'd like to say that'll it'll never happen again and I'll keep a strict update schedule, but then this becomes work instead of fun and then loses its entire purpose -.-

Anyway, I hoped you liked the chapter regardless. It's knocked my original main pairing (Leo x Kamui) out the bloody window, but I guess I'll just see where it goes in that department ;)