For disclaimers, please see Part I.
Author's Notes:
First off, I'm sorry. I have been helplessly stuck on anything ShizNat for the past few months. I only regained my Mai Hime-dom bearings somewhat after a quick fic about the Girl Friends manga a few days ago.
In other news, I'm uncertain if the EEOC has any legal footing in Japan, but I was sadly unable to find an equivalent for it in that part of the world, though I'm sure there is one. If anyone knows the name of it, let me know and I'll change it. For those who don't know, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is a US federal agency that deals with discrimination cases as well as claims of sexual harassment. I'm sure you can figure out which one of those Natsuki refers to later on.
Thank you for reading.
A Million Reasons; part VII
Strength of the Body
When Natsuki opened her eyes that morning, she had to spend a few seconds looking around in sleepy confusion. While she took in the unfamiliar surroundings that she found herself in, her half-asleep brain apparently decided that now would be a prime time to reboot itself and remind her of exactly where she was.
Right. She yawned and scrubbed a hand over her face. Shizuru's place.
They'd ended up staying at her sister's house until way too late in the evening, and even though most of the extra time there had been spent with both her boss, her sister and her ever-attentive brother in law teasing her until her head was about ready to burst, it had been... well, fun, really. Shizuru had outright clicked into place as if she'd never been meant to fit anywhere else, and even the three-on-one 'Let's Make Natsuki Impersonate A Cherry' Festival that had followed that little revelation hadn't stopped her from enjoying the sight.
Too much, anyway.
It had been well past midnight by the time she'd driven Shizuru home, and due to her own fatigue, she hadn't exactly put up a whole lot of fuss when the older woman had invited her to stay over for the night. So here she was.
Natsuki pushed herself onto her hands in the dim, gray light of pre-dawn, and took a few seconds to quietly curse her inner alarm clock. It seemed that even when she could afford to sleep in, the early-morning habit that she'd developed since starting college refused to let her do so.
Oh well. She shook her head and slipped free of the covers, adjusting the sleeping kimono that Shizuru had kindly lent her the night before. If memory served her correctly, the owner of the house was even more of an early bird that she had become, and she really didn't want to imagine just what kinds of schemes that Shizuru could devise to wake her up with if she ended up sleeping for too long.
She shivered faintly in memory. Ice water and nice, warm beds really, truly did not mesh well.
Speaking of that... wonder if she's up yet? Natsuki ran a hand through her hair, the motion settling the dark strands into something that at least resembled order as she pushed the door open and peered into the hallway beyond. Silence met her, and she had only the barest of light to guide her steps as she quietly padded down the carpeted corridor in her bare feet. The door at the end was closed, and as she could hear nothing from the room on the other side, she deduced that she'd apparently beaten even Shizuru to wakefulness.
Well, there was a first time for everything, she surmised as she turned and wandered down the stairs. The only problem was that now she'd have to figure out what to do with herself until her host did decide to join the land of the living. Taking care of breakfast was an option, but she had no idea where Shizuru stored her supplies, and didn't really feel right in snooping around. If she remembered correctly, the preference for a warm morning meal was a trait that the two of them shared, and depending on when Shizuru woke, it would be a shame if anything she did make would end up going cold.
So that was out. Natsuki paused and drummed her fingers against the wall as she thought. But... her eyes shifted and glanced out of a nearby window at the expansive grounds outside... she could always work up an appetite for breakfast, couldn't she?
It was fortunate that she'd long since grown accustomed to keeping a fresh set of both regular and workout clothes in the compartment beneath the Ducati's seat, she acknowledged as she slid a pair of slippers onto her feet before ambling onto the concrete floor of the garage, where the bike was parked next to Shizuru's Toyota. Now, she gathered up both small bags and slung them over her shoulder before returning to the inside of the house and closing the door behind her.
A quick survey of the first floor soon yielded a comfortably sized bathroom, and she switched the kimono for a pair of deep blue mesh pants and a white tank top with practiced efficiency, then ran a brush through her hair and tied it back before wetting one hand under the faucet and scrubbing it over her face to clear away the last of her fatigue. A soft, sweet-smelling towel helped her dry her face, and she leaned against the counter on one hip as she secured a set of weighted bands on her wrists; then bent to settle a matching pair around her ankles. A low grunt of satisfaction followed as she straightened, and she decided to leave the remainder of her clothing behind for later use.
Off to the front door she went, where she slid off the slippers and traded them for the pair of sneakers that she'd forgotten to switch back out of before they'd left the Yukimura family home the night before. As she tied off the shoes, she wondered whether or not she should have uncovered her zip-up hoodie to ward off the morning chill, but once she unlocked the door and stepped outside, the air that met her was only mildly cold.
So that was alright, she decided while taking care to ensure that the door wouldn't automatically lock behind her. As long as she kept herself warm through movement, at least.
Natsuki continued around the side of the house; past the garage to where she'd determined the better part of the gardens to be. One hand absently slipped into the pocket of her pants and fished out a slim, battery-powered device with a sleek, black cover, and she clipped the MP3-player onto one side of her waist before slipping the earpiece into place. One only, because while she certainly enjoyed listening to music, there was also something about the sounds of early morning that she didn't want to miss out on.
Like the first chirping of birds. She smiled as her free ear picked up exactly that noise over the sound of her own feet against the neatly raked gravel path she was following. Not exactly the kind of thing that she'd have picked up on a few years ago, she idly reminisced as she inhaled the cool, clear air and tasted a faint hint of dew on the back of her tongue, but it was nice to lead the type of life that allowed you the time to appreciate the little things in it.
"Wow." She stopped and rested one hand against the side of the house itself as she turned the corner completely. "I'd hate to see the bill from the gardeners."
It was no wonder that this particular house seemed so far removed from its rear neighbors when compared to the other buildings in this neighborhood, she privately decided as she scanned her eyes over the expansive garden. From what she could see of the surrounding homes from here, Natsuki was fairly certain that Shizuru's property covered two plots of land rather than just one, which meant that the gardens attached to the home would be better described as 'the grounds'.
The area was shielded by tall trees of varying kinds on three sides, with the fourth being protected from curious eyes by the house itself. More trees were dotted around the large expanse of neatly trimmed lawn, along with meticulously kept flower beds. A narrow stream wound its way across the space about two thirds of the way to the end of the lot, separating the more Western-style landscaping from the traditional rock garden she could make out beyond the cheerfully burbling water.
"Hm." She made a note of the stone pathway that disappeared behind a grouping of trees a short distance in front of her, and glanced down as she turned on the music player and scrolled through her list of songs. "Very modern, but with a definite touch of traditionalism." Her lips quirked as she hit Play and settled the device back into place. "Just like Shizuru, I guess."
An energetic drum beat began pounding softly in her ear, and was joined by a smooth guitar solo as she pushed away from the wall and headed towards the path. The slow jog that she tended to start out with in order to warm up gave her plenty of chances to look around as the flat stones continued to lead her between the trees and – near as she could tell since her view of the garden was mostly blocked by them – along the edges of the grounds. Beyond the trees, she could see the stone wall that encircled all the properties in this part of town. Or rather, she could see where it was. The bricks themselves were hidden behind foliage; much of which was a type of ivy.
That struck her as a bit odd. The height of the trees should effectively block out most of the sunlight, thus preventing anything from really growing below them. But in spite of that, the pathway was surprisingly well lit even this early in the morning, and she could see no lamps anywhere that could explain it.
A curiosity.
Now thoroughly intrigued, Natsuki veered off the path and navigated between a few green shrubs until she reached the base of a tree that looked suitably climbable. She paused there, hopping slightly to keep herself from cooling down as she regarded the tall birch. The nearest branch was a few feet above her head, and she listened to the Korean singer crooning in her ear as she mentally plotted a path up along the trunk, then nodded in satisfaction.
The first bit was always the hardest part, she reminded herself as she crouched and jumped up, closing her hands around the branch and curling her arms with a grunt. But she took more than a little pride in keeping herself in the best shape she possibly could, and in this situation, it was as much the momentum as it was her own strength that allowed her to pull her body up and over the branch until she had her belly resting against the side of the white bark, with her palms braced against the top of the wood for balance.
One hand made a quick grab for the next branch up, and her fingers settled around the limb just as she felt herself begin to slip slightly. Natsuki, however, only chuckled triumphantly and grabbed on with her other hand as well, then pulled herself up once more until she could curl her legs and settle her feet on the first branch.
"Heh." She grinned smugly as she straightened, bouncing a little in place just to hear the leaves rustle. "Old obasan, my ass."
"Who's there?" The rough bark surprised her, and she glanced down at the ground below, but saw no one. "Show yourself!"
Oh. Duh. Natsuki rolled her eyes at herself and kept a loose hold on the upper branch as she took a few steps towards the wall that lined the property. Of course it had to be one of the guards outside. She pulled a layer of leaves aside and poked her head out into the open, only to be met with the sight of a buff, black-clad man standing on the sidewalk below with a gun pointed at her.
Damn. The green eyes widened. These boys play mean out here. "Whoa." She slowly raised one hand, but instinctively tensed her legs just in case the guy had an itchy trigger finger and she needed to duck. "Careful where you point that thing."
The guard didn't move, but kept his own gaze firmly trained on her. "Step onto the wall and come down here," he told her. "Slowly."
"What?" Natsuki stared at him for a few seconds, a puzzled frown drawing her brows together. "Since when does climbing a tree get you held at gunpoint?"
"Are you Fujino Shizuru?"
A blink. "Hell no."
"Precisely." The man jerked the barrel of the gun briefly towards the ground before aiming it back at her. "So kindly come out here as this property belongs to her, and you are trespassing. I doubt Fujino-san would be climbing trees." His sneering expression told her exactly what he thought of that particular activity.
A dark eyebrow curved upwards. Bet she would if I asked her, you little... But since mouthing off to someone who had a gun on you was a bad idea at the best of times, she bit her proverbial tongue and inclined her head before carefully making her way onto the top of the wall. She crouched and settled her hands against the thankfully flat surface, then pushed off and landed on her feet in front of the guard.
"Look..." Natsuki held her hands out away from her body and did her best to keep her annoyance out of her voice. "I'm not a burglar, alright? I'm a guest. Shizuru's a friend of mine."
The man holstered his gun with noticeable reluctance before grabbing her by the arm and marching her down along the road. "Then I suggest we go ask Fujino-san if you are telling the truth," he growled. "Somehow, I doubt someone like you could ever be her friend."
Oh, great. Natsuki shoved down the desire to break free and counter the rough handling with some of her own variety, and focused instead on walking fast enough that the man had to hurry in order to keep up with her. A fanboy. And an armed one with the manners and brain power of a Dead Sea snail, to boot. "By all means." A jerk on her arm made her stumble, and she gritted her teeth as she slowed down to match her unwanted companion's pace. Arrogant ass.
The guard's hand closed tighter around her upper arm as they approached the house, as if he was warning her to not run away, and she turned her head enough that he couldn't see her roll her eyes. Security was all fine and dandy, but seriously, who would break into someone's house disguised as a jogger? In this part of town? Natsuki had no trouble admitting to herself that she would've turned this guy into her personal punching bag long ago if it hadn't been for the other guards wandering around. Their eventual involvement would only lead to bruises on her part, and possibly a night or two at the nearest precinct.
Not her ideal way of spending the weekend, she mused as the man knocked on the door. So she'd be good.
For now, anyway.
The front door was tugged open, and Shizuru emerged onto the porch. She'd been up for a little while at least, Natsuki decided, judging by the gi and hakama she was clad in. Hardly sleepwear, even for a Fujino.
"Teema-han." The CEO bowed slightly to the guard. "What can I do for y--" The red eyes flitted to one side, and the lashes fluttered once as the gaze settled on her. "Ah. Good morning, Natsuki."
"Yo." Natsuki touched two fingers to her temple in a miniature salute, and took care to school her face into a dryly bland expression as she heard the guard's jaw click shut. "Lovely day, isn't it?"
"Indeed." Shizuru sent her curious look before turning a polite smile on the man next to her. "Is there some kind of problem, Teema-han?"
"Fujino-san." The guard had obviously been knocked off stride by the casual way in which the two women addressed each other, and took a few seconds to regain his mental bearings. "You... know this person?"
Natsuki sighed. Honestly, did he have to sound that surprised?
"Of course." The older woman smiled charmingly, though the look in the crimson eyes had grown a bit more steely after they'd flicked to the firm hold the guard had on her arm. "Kuga-han is one of my dearest friends."
"Ah..."
"...ha," Natsuki finished for him, albeit under her breath. His hold had slackened quite a bit, so she didn't have too much trouble tugging her arm free and plodding over to the door, where she crossed her legs at the ankles and leaned against the frame on one shoulder. What was it Kaori had always said?
Ah, of course.
"Oi, Shizuru?" She waited for the executive to turn towards her, and tilted her head. "When was the last time you climbed a tree?"
A blink. "Well, I can't really remember," was the somewhat puzzled reply. "I'm not certain that I ever have, to be honest."
"Wanna try it sometime?"
"If Natsuki wishes."
"Great." She smirked at the now red-faced guard, and crossed her arms as she watched the man politely excuse himself and walk off.
"It's a waste of breath to get angry, Kuga-san." Kaori had smirked at her and closed one lime-green eye in a quick wink. "Besides..." A flash of long, white-blonde hair as she flopped back onto the grass. "... getting even is much more fun."
"That line of thinking must be a family trait," she'd commented wryly.
"Yup." An impish grin. "But most of us are a bit more subtle than my dear cousin."
"Natsuki?" The sound of Shizuru's voice pulled her from her recollections, and she turned her head to see the CEO holding the front door open with an expectant expression.
"Sorry." She pushed away from the frame and followed the older woman into the house. "Just thinking."
"Will wonders never cease?" her friend teased gently as she closed the door behind them. "And what on earth happened out there?"
"Mrf." Natsuki scowled as she pulled off her shoes and straightened. "The Last Action Hero back there..." She jabbed a thumb over her shoulder towards the door. "...stomped all over my last nerve and had UPS ship it to Backwater Village Capitol, South Nowhere."
"Doesn't one of those tend to exclude the other?" Shizuru pondered philosophically.
The younger woman felt her lips twitch. "It's not even seven in the morning yet," she related dryly. "I'm not exactly at my best."
"Ara." A calm smile as the wine-tinted gaze briefly traveled over her. "I take it you were out exercising?"
"That was my intention, at least," she admitted. "But apparently those guys get a little nervous when you start climbing trees in this part of town." She cocked her head at the older woman. "What about you? You look like you just stepped out of a book on the history of martial arts."
"Ah, such kind words." Shizuru waited for the green eyes to roll, and chuckled when they did. "I was unable to sleep any longer, and thus about to start my own morning routine," she then confided, and gestured towards the stairs. "Would Natsuki care to join me?"
"Sure." Her assistant amiably fell into step beside her as they climbed upwards. "With my luck I'll probably get arrested if I poke my head out of the door before nine, anyway."
-----
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Natsuki asked about half an hour later as she studied the polished, simple staff in her hands with a dubious expression. "I'm more of a hand-to-hand combat kind of girl."
Shizuru settled her naginata over one shoulder and considered the question. The two of them had just finished a very efficient warm-up session spent trading off on the various pieces of equipment in the gym, and were now standing in the center of the large room with their respective weapons, preparing for a sparring session. She'd convinced Natsuki to try her hand at the staff, but maybe it did unbalance the scale a bit when she was using an actual blade. "Would you prefer that I switch to a staff as well?" she offered. "Or at the very least a wooden naginata?"
That earned her a crooked grin. "No." Natsuki settled one end of the staff on the floor and leaned against it. "I figure you've spent enough time using that thing that if I don't manage to block in time, you can stop or divert your swing and not cut my head off."
The executive inclined her head in wry agreement. "Probably true."
"Me, however...." The younger woman went on as she straightened. "I'm worried that I'll make a badly rehearsed move and knock you silly by--" She swung the lower end of the staff into the air, and smirked when her boss neatly ducked under the blow and caught the weapon against the side of the naginata's blade with a solid thunk. "But maybe I shouldn't be."
"Perhaps you shouldn't," Shizuru conceded bemusedly as she settled her weapon back onto her shoulder. "But just in the interest of being fair... let's say that we work with these for a while, and then go hand-to-hand later."
"Fine by me." Natsuki hefted the staff in both hands and shifted her grip to better balance the heavy wood. "But don't get too enthusiastic if we end up grappling," she cautioned mildly. "I'd hate for you to have to face the EEOC on my account."
The young CEO coughed softly and sent a glance through the open balcony doors. Natsuki certainly was different in private as opposed to in public – like at the office. She'd initially noticed it the night before when the younger woman had given every bit as good as she got in regards to the pointed teasing from her family, but to have it aimed at her was – apart from the sly comment the morning before that – a new occurrence.
And one she'd better find a countermeasure against, she decided as she felt the light heat in her own cheeks and heard her assistant chortle.
"Hell, Shizuru," the younger woman commented. "That's twice is as many days. You're slipping."
"I suppose that I'm still getting used to Natsuki's more, ah... direct approach," she acknowledged diplomatically, and shifted the naginata into a fighting stance with a smile. "Shall we?"
-----
"I still say you cheated."
"I most certainly did not." Shizuru affixed a mildly offended look and gave her friend a stern glance. "You cannot expect to beat twenty years of experience with luck and brute strength."
From her seated position atop the kitchen counter, Natsuki gave her a wry look over a gently steaming bowl. "Not what I meant," she pointed out after swallowing. "I knew you were gonna kick my ass with the naginata. But in hand-to-hand? Come on!"
Shizuru chuckled at the indignant tone in the younger woman's voice and leaned back against the cooking island, selecting a piece of fish and cheerfully nibbling on it while the sound of the morning news churned softly from the small TV nearby. "Perhaps that was Natsuki's first error," she commented. "Assuming that I had no experience in that area."
"Yeah, yeah." Natsuki settled back against the wall and chewed another mouthful of her own breakfast. "But you wouldn't have won if you hadn't tickled me at all the right times. That's cheating."
"I prefer to think of it as making use of all of my previous experience."
A smirk. "I'm sure you do."
The sound of the anchor droning on in the background was the only thing to interrupt the comfortable silence that fell as they focused on their respective meals. Both were recently showered and dressed - Shizuru in pale gray slacks and a deep red top, and Natsuki in comfortably worn jeans and a black polo shirt – and were now taking the time to replenish some of the energy they'd expended earlier.
It certainly had been a productive couple of hours, the CEO decided as she closed her chopsticks around a vegetable and studied it. Sparring with her assistant had added a new level of challenge to her normal routine, and while she'd been careful due to Natsuki's inexperience during the time they'd actually used weapons, once they'd put them away, she had soon realized that in unarmed combat, the younger woman definitely had the advantage.
Perhaps she had cheated a little, she considered with a swiftly hidden smile. But it had certainly been both an enjoyable and efficient workout, and one that ended with them both having to take a few minutes to let their breathing even out.
"That was fun, though." Natsuki slid down in her seat a little, stretching her legs out and curling her toes against the edge of the cooking island. "Usually when I work out with someone else, I hit the pool with Akiko or Morio, or chase Kaguya around a park." She dug through her bowl and ended up with a bit of fish, which she neatly bit into. "If the last one can be classified as an official workout." She cut her gaze to the TV, and quirked an eyebrow as footage from a cosplay event was shown. "Well, now."
"Hm?" Shizuru looked up from the stockinged feet resting next to her hip, and turned her own attention to the TV.
Then she blinked. "Ara." She tilted her head slightly and studied the screen. "Well, he pulls it off fairly well."
"Mm." Natsuki bit the end of one chopstick and regarded the man on the screen with a critical eye. "I think he shoulda shaved his legs before putting on the fishnets, though."
"Perhaps." Shizuru gave the TV a bemused look and shook her head. "I suppose there were no disasters to report on today."
"Hn." Her assistant chewed thoughtfully. "The news are probably a pretty apt commentary on our society, if you think about it," she mused. "Either it's a complete war zone, or just people generally being silly. Hell on Earth or 'super happy wai wai'. Doesn't really seem to be any middle ground."
"Not on television, at least."
"Yup." Natsuki watched the footage for a moment longer, then turned her head to face her. "But yeah, the sparring was fun. We should do that again sometime."
Shizuru had been thinking along the same lines, and so merely smiled her agreement. "We'll have to see if we can work out some sort of schedule," she offered. "In the meantime, may I ask you a question?"
"You just did," Natsuki joked faintly. "But sure, shoot."
The CEO shook her head at the old joke. "I walked right into that one," she muttered, and used her utensils to gather up the last of her breakfast. "Why were you out climbing trees earlier?"
"A tree," the younger woman corrected as she leaned slightly to one side and deposited her empty bowl in the sink. "Singular. It's not like I was running around the lot like a demented squirrel."
Shizuru almost inhaled a bit of rice at that mental image, and swallowed hastily before she ended up choking. "Very well." She cleared her throat and snuck a sip of tea from her cup. "Why were you climbing a tree earlier?"
"Well..." Natsuki crossed her arms and let her head fall back against the wall with a soft thump. "I was out on the path that... I guess it follows the edge of the property, right?"
Knowing which path she was referring too, the executive nodded and held out her bowl, which her assistant agreeably took and settled in the sink beside her own.
"Right." Natsuki wiggled her toes idly. "Anyway, me on the path. Jogging, music, bird song, good times." She sent a cursory glance out of the window. "But then I started noticing that with how low the sun was in the sky, there really shouldn't have been as much light as there was, you know? So I got curious."
"And climbed a tree."
"And climbed a tree," the younger woman cheerfully agreed. "And that's when your fanboy noticed me, called me out and stuck a gun in my face."
Shizuru froze with her cup halfway to her mouth. "Pardon?"
"Yeah." Natsuki grinned a little. "Surprised the hell out of me, but I can kinda see why he did it." She shrugged one shoulder. "He had no way of knowing that I wasn't some psycho with a gun of my own, after all. I mean... yeah, it pissed me off at the time, but I guess I can understand why he acted the way he did. It's his job to look out for that sort of thing."
"Well, that's certainly true," the CEO agreed. "But perhaps pulling out a weapon was a touch on the excessive side."
"Nah." The younger woman waved her off. "Shooting me out of the tree would've been, but ordering me down and onto the sidewalk? Eh." Another shrug. "Not really."
"Hm." Shizuru slowly drained her cup and let her mind worry at the information. Perhaps, she considered, it would be a wise idea to have a talk with the head of security and have the guards informed that Natsuki was allowed on the property - and in the trees growing on it – no questions asked. After all, she wouldn't want too many instances like this one to scare the other woman off from visiting again. A repeat of the company she'd enjoyed this morning certainly wouldn't be unwelcome.
And on that subject...
"Are you free for the rest of the day?" she asked after catching her guest's eye. "I know that you have school tomorrow and Tuesday. Do you need to do any studying?"
Natsuki scratched her chin and seemed to consider the question. "Hm... not really," she replied after a few seconds. "I usually take care of that during the week so I can have the weekend off." That dark head tilted slightly. "I do have a few more pages to read, but nothing I can't handle tonight. Why?"
"Consider it a selfish request," Shizuru admitted wryly. "I've enjoyed today this far, and so would like to extend it a bit longer."
"Ah." The younger woman's lips quirked. "Sure. Any plans?"
"Well, nothing concrete." She crossed over to the sink and set about rinsing their bowls and her own cup. "But I suppose I need to go shopping, so perhaps a trip to Tsukomori would be in order."
"Sounds good." Natsuki hopped down and snagged a small towel from a hook on the wall, slinging it over her shoulder and leaning back against the counter next to her boss. "Junior's birthday is coming up, and since I haven't bought her a present yet, I could probably do that while we're out there."
"Probably," the executive agreed as she finished the rinsing off and set about the actual washing. "Do you have any ideas as to what to get her?" A pause. "And when is her birthday, by the way?"
"June 15, and yes. They put out a new version of Guitar Hero that she's got her eye on. You can get the game itself, the game with a new guitar controller, or the game with a drum set, a microphone and the new guitar."
Shizuru glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "Something tells me that you'll be looking for the full set."
She got a low chuckle in response. "I'm her aunt," Natsuki noted. "It's my job to spoil her."
"And one you seem to greatly enjoy," Shizuru returned with a smile. Really, watching Natsuki interact with her niece had been one of the cutest things she'd ever seen. "Can you afford it, though?" she then prodded lightly. "I'm certain a set like that doesn't come cheap."
"Oh, sure. The bundle costs a..." A smirk. "Well, a bundle, but my bank account's pretty happy. I haven't had to dip into my inheritance at all since I started working for you. You guys pay almost ridiculously well, y'know."
The CEO nodded. "Company policy," she explained. "People who worry less about things like their personal finances tend to be happier, and thus more efficient workers. And the corporation is doing well enough that we can certainly afford to pay our employees more than a starving wage." She set one clean bowl aside, and sighed softly as her assistant deftly snagged it up. "Natsuki..."
"I know, I know." The younger woman eyed her. "I'm a guest. But I've already spent the night, used your gym, your water and eaten your food, so hush and let me dry the damn dishes, alright?" A dark eyebrow quirked. "If you're that worried, let's say you buy lunch in Tsukomori and call it even. Deal?"
"A lunch date with Natsuki?" Shizuru somehow managed to keep her lips curved in a charming smile rather than a wide grin as she watched her friend blush. "Ara, I feel so honored."
"I'll take that as a yes," Natsuki muttered, and studied the bowl she was currently drying. "By the way..." She turned the bowl over and held it out to her boss. "Missed a spot."
"Nitpick."
"Slacker."
-----
End Notes:
For those wondering who Kaori is... you'll find out later. Right now, you're getting nothing out of me. I'll never talk!
And yes, short chapter. I figured I'd cut one part into two and get it out sooner, because I'll be busy with my grandfather's birthday present until late April/early May. Have been busy with it, actually, but after three weeks of an average of three hours of work on it a day and me being only a fifth of the way done... Yeah. I'da gotten further if I hadn't messed up and had to redo large patches, but what's a girl to do?