---I do not own Ayashi no Ceres—

--oOo—

Are they together now? She shook her head in disbelief. That can't be. When? How? Why?

The shower door just opened. Aya hid the phone behind her back.

"Aya, I thought you were already in bed. I'll be there in a minute."

Aya was looking at him with sharp eyes as if trying to read his mind. You know what? you did look for Suzumi when you first got back. And most of all, I think she was the one you were talking to on the phone that morning before breakfast.

"Tooya-" she called out to him in an almost commanding tone, "what did you talk about when you went to the Aogiri main branch?"

"About the mission that I took. Why do you ask? Is something the matter?"

Aya ignored the question completely. There was only one thing she wanted to know. "Was Suzumi there? What did you two do?"

"Yes, she was there." I knew it! I knew it! "I drove her home before coming to the fair." You two timing cheat! Instead of picking me up you drove someone else home? Tooya looked at her worriedly afraid that something was wrong with Aya, with her looking and talking to him like that.

Aya saw the expression on his face. You're worried huh? But I already know what you've been up to. She put up an angry, almost deadly look in her face, before going to bed without saying anything, leaving Tooya guessing in the hallway.

Aya intentionally stomped her way to the bed and made every move as noisily as possible. You're so numb Tooya! Sometimes I even wonder if you have feelings at all! You are totally insensitive!

Their eyes met again as Tooya entered the room.

Tooya still hadn't reacted like she had imagined. Why aren't you explaining to me? You should be in your knees right now begging for my forgiveness!

She couldn't take his disinterested response. She channeled her rage to the phone she was holding. What luck to have read this message! I wonder what other secrets Tooya's hiding from me? She gasped in disbelief as she scrolled down. Almost all calls made by this phone were either from or to Suzumi. Aya was shocked to see her name appear only once. Like a soda bottle shaken for too long, she stood up, and looked straight at Tooya's eyes. I should've known! She intended to shout at him at the top of her lungs, telling him to stop acting so innocently. But she just couldn't.

"Tooya, I—" she forcefully said to him, trying to contain her anger. "You—Tell me--"

Aya said trying hard to find the words for what she felt. "Are you—Do you--" Tooya was looking at her with a rather puzzled face. You must look pretty stupid now Aya, be brave and ask him already!

All of a sudden, Tooya went to her and held her hands . "Why won't you tell me what's wrong?" He whispered to her. "Tell me what to do. I don't know what to do. I feel so lost and powerless. I'll do anything. If it makes you feel well, I'll do anything."

Aya's heart skipped a beat. What am I doing?

"Tell me what's been bothering you? I will make it go away Aya. Trust me, I will.

--oOo—

Aya couldn't eat breakfast. What did I do? What in the world did I do?

"I cooked your favorite; I hope it'll make you feel better." Tooya told her with a smile. She couldn't even look at him straight in the eye anymore, ashamed of how she had acted last night. She wanted to say sorry so badly but the night's events were still fresh in her mind.

"I'll be back, Aya."

"Where are you going?" she asked, still with her head bowed to her plate.

"For a walk. I'll be back when you finish your plate." Tooya told her, kissed her on the forehead, and then went on outside.

Aya was now staring at her food. What should I do? Was this how you felt Tooya? Lost and powerless? A part of her still didn't want to believe that Tooya didn't love her anymore. But remembering that Tooya told her himself that he would lie to her, made her feel unsteady and confirmed all her doubts.

--oOo--

"Tooya hasn't answered my calls. Maybe he didn't want to get through with the plan after all." Suzumi was having the breakfast that Yuuhi prepared.

"Those missions again, oh I hate that stuff! Can we just please talk about something else. What a way to start the morning!"

"Why Yuuhi…aren't you worried at all?"

"Why should I be worried about him? He'd be fine." He said with a smirk.

"Not Tooya, you silly. Aya. I'm talking about Aya."

Yuuhi's expression has changed. "Oh yeah, right, Aya. I bet she's worried right now."

Now it was Suzumi that looked disheartened, "Aya doesn't know. He hasn't told her yet. That's what I'm worried about."

"What? Anyone hasn't told her? What fi she just found out? Then you tell her Sis. Call her right now!" Yuuhi handed her the phone.

"I can't. Tooya told me not to. The only condition he set to carry on today was for Aya not to know. I guess he doesn't want to make her worry."

"Well why would he do that? Aya will definitely be more worried if that's the case."

"I don't know why he would do that."

Yuuhi had just had about enough. A friend wouldn't let bad things happen to a friend. "That's just great! Nobody will tell her… I'll tell her then, so we can stop all this madness!" Yuuhi speed dialed to call Aya. Suzumi tried to stop him but Aya had answered it already.

--oOo—

Aya's trance was broken when the phone rang. She hurriedly went to the phone to see who it was. It read "Aogiri" in the caller ID. SUZUMI!

"Hello! Hello!" She shouted.

"Hello, Aya? Hey what's up?" Yuuhi answered on the other line.

Aya couldn't believe what she was thinking. Oh Yuuhi, it's only you…and I thought…

"I just called to check on you…actually, there's something I want to ask you…"

Oh Yuuhi…how come you're always there when I need a friend?

"Oh Yuuhi…I feel so bad!" she said, ignoring Yuuhi's answer altogether. "I was angry at Tooya about something and I shouted at him…I feel so bad…I'm such a bad person. He didn't even know what I was angry about…And I acted so coldly infront of him!"

Yuuhi didn't even get a chance to speak.

"He was so worried…He's really trying to understand me…I can see, I really can…Now I think that he isn't really seeing someone else…Am I going crazy? I should sound desperate to you! How can I fix things Yuuhi? I'm not sure about all this! What if I was wrong? Tooya would definitely hate me!"

Yuuhi, surprised of the sudden burst of emotion, couldn't say anything. The only thing that he recalled was about something Aya said about…

"HE"S WHAT? SEEING SOMEONE ELSE! That little prick!"

"Yuuhi! Don't say bad things to Tooya like that!" Aya scolded her through the phone.

"What? You're defending him now?" Yuuhi said trying to make up his mind.

"Well, it's just that…you should have seen him…he was so confused…he really didn't know what to do…oh, he looked so innocent and helpless…" Aya said, now trying to contain all the emotions.

"Never mind that! He's got you, what more could he ask for?," Oh Yuuhi… "Who's he replaced you with anyway, this should be interesting…"

Aya almost fell from her chair, realizing how difficult that was to answer. Thinking again, it was really a stupid suspicion to think of Suzumi and Tooya together. Suzumi and Tooya? What was I thinking? Wasn't he the man that gave up eternity for me? How could I doubt that? That alone isn't enough for my assurance. It's just impossible!

"No one…" she answered.

"What? Suzumi!" Yuuhi bellowed.

"Hey…I didn't say anything!"

"What?"

"I mean…hey, you know already, she told you?" Aya questioned.

"What? I was talking to Suzumi…but WHAT? HER?" Yuuhi gasped.

"OH!" Aya realizing her mistake.

"She was just telling me she'd be out to meet...Tooya?" He paused. "OH MY GAHD!"

Aya and Yuuhi both almost dropped the phone.

--oOo—

"I guess you're really not hungry." Tooya suddenly appeared. He was back from his early morning walk. He checked to see if she's finished breakfast but he was disappointed.

Aya was caught off guard. She had the phone to her ear.

"Aya! Aya! Want me to follow them! I just gotta see this for myself." Yuuhi was whispering but it was obvious that he was as frantic as her.

"Umm…call you later bye!" Aya hang up quickly.

"No, I was just talking to Yuuhi for a minute…" she quickly turned to her plate.

"You don't have to make excuses…it's entirely my fault, I don't mean to force you…I'll just…" He said before taking her plate.

Aya, gathering up the courage, stopped Tooya from taking her plate. "I'm not finished yet…where have you been?" Calling her again?

"I took a walk. Want me to warm it up for you?"

"Where exactly?" Why won't you say? What are you hiding from me again?

"Just around the house."

Aya was a bit skeptic at first and then she let it pass.

"Aya."

"What?" What now?

"I'll be out today. Don't expect me by dinner, okay?"

"Where are you going? What are you going to do?" Aya was a little frustrated as she was always the one asking questions. Oh Tooya…can you at least try to explain things to me…why am I always the one forcing at out of you…why can't you just tell it to me…

"I'm going to this company to settle an issue. It'll take long so don't wait up for me. Your food is cold, want me to-"

"I'm fine. Just go already." Aya cut him off. She knew her responses were a bit cold. Tooya gave her a kiss in the cheek for goodbye. Aya felt a little remorse in watching Tooya leaving feeling so sorrowful. Tooya…you were always the quiet type…I never needed words from you…just being with you, having you around was enough…so why am I acting like some needy girl who's always complaining? I used to love your mysterious personality, your incomprehensible mind…don't I still?

She watched him walk out of the house. This is weird, he didn't take his car? And he brought this small unusual package with him.

"Aya…"

Ceres? Aya thought she has just heard Ceres call her.

"Now is the time Aya…now's your only chance…his only chance Aya…"

It was Ceres, still telling her the same message- to stop Tooya. Aya remembered the warning Ceres was always telling her. She has no clue of whatever that meant. But this time, it seemed to make a little sense. Stop him huh? Then Aya had this unsettling feeling that something bad was going to happen. Something that will threaten Tooya's life and their relationship. She knew she had to do something.

She picked up the phone near her plate.

"Hello? Hello?" Yuuhi immediately answered.

"Yuuhi, it's Aya. I'm going to tail Tooya. Can you follow Suzumi?"

--------------------------------------------

iannetine: well, that took ages…so I was planning to end awake in the twilight in the next chapter. Thanks for reading and please review!