Shuuhei was amazed that two people could work in the same division and still go a month without seeing each other. He'd tried to talk to her several times but she was always gone when he went to her desk or her quarters. He'd even gone back to the club to hear her sing. She never came out to get a drink. She still sang 'Girlfriend', and he hated to hear her sing it to someone else.

"He's not here today," the manager noted. "Something happen between you two?"

"No," Megumi lied, not looking at him. She hadn't looked at her manager in a month. The contacts irritated her already red eyes, and she hadn't worn them.

The manager eyed her. "Fine. None of my business. Who's it going to be tonight?"

"Pick someone. I don't care." Megumi walked out of the room and backstage to finish getting ready for her performance.

It had been hard at first to sing 'Girlfriend' since she thought of it as Shuuhei's song, but it got easier each time she sang it. She'd gone back to singing three times a week, and she was almost starting to feel normal again. It was only late at night when she couldn't sleep that she felt the ache in her heart. She loved him and he didn't love her. He'd said the words but hadn't meant them. Megumi would have never thought Shuuhei would carelessly toss around words like that. She was trying every day to close her heart even more; to walk away from him and the pain. It wasn't easy. Megumi took a deep breath, wiped her eyes and went out to perform.

When she walked backstage after her song, she couldn't find the water she had left with her stuff. With a sigh, she headed out to the bar.

"Hey there good-looking." The bartender handed her a water bottle.

"Hey," she replied back as she took a long drink.

"You never come visit me between your songs. Neither does your friend."

"Sorry."

"Excuse me," someone said to Megumi. "I want to know why you didn't kiss that guy on stage."

"I don't kiss guys I bring on stage," Megumi replied, not looking at the woman.

"That's not true."

Megumi turned around to face the woman. Shock washed over her as she looked at Shuuhei's ex-girlfriend. "Hatsu?"

"I wondered if you knew me. You kissed my boyfriend on stage. Was it something you laughed about after I was gone?"

"No. He never talked about you."

"Liar! I loved Shuuhei and you stole him from me."

"I'm not dating Shuuhei," she said quietly, ignoring the pain in her heart.

Hatsu slapped her. "Quit lying to me."

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the bartender warned.

"No. Not until she tells me why." Hatsu grabbed a handful of Megumi's hair. She pulled the wig and Megumi's hair underneath. "Why did you tell him to leave me?"

"I-I-I didn't," Megumi stammered. Pain seared at her scalp.

"We were happy. I've been gone for a while but I realized while I was gone that Shuuhei hadn't wanted to break up with me. It was all your fault." Hatsu jerked Megumi's hair and the wig came loose.

"He told me he wasn't happy."

Hatsu hit her again and Megumi saw stars as she fell. Her head hit the ground with a sickening thud.

"That's enough," Shuuhei said, grabbing Hatsu's hand. It had taken him too long to get through the crowd.

Hatsu looked at the wig in her hand and then at the woman on the ground. "What's going on, Shuuhei?" she asked, tossing the wig on the bar. The bartender slipped it behind the bar onto a shelf.

Shuuhei didn't hear her. "Megumi," he whispered. "Can I have some ice?" he asked the bartender. The man nodded. Shuuhei bent down and cradled Megumi against him, holding ice wrapped in a thin towel against her head.

Something was wrong with her. The manager knew her well enough to know that something hadn't been right the last month. She hadn't talked to her friend between songs and the friend hadn't approached her while she was here. Tonight the manager had seen him while she had been performing and he wondered how he had missed the man before. He watched from the room above the stage as the singer walked over to the bar and was confronted by the woman. Then he watched his singer fall, pale blonde hair spilling out from under a chestnut and pink wig.

The manager rushed down to the bar. "Bring her to my office," he instructed Shuuhei. "You're coming with us," he added, grabbing Hatsu's hand. "I should throw you out for attacking one of my performers."

"She convinced Shuuhei to breakup with me."

"She had nothing to do with our breakup," Shuuhei told Hatsu. "Ending our relationship was my decision."

"She sang that song to you, and you broke up with me."

"I thought about it before she sang to me."

"But Shuuhei, we loved each other."

"No we didn't. I wasn't in love with you."

Tears ran down her face. "But Shuuhei..."

"It's over Hatsu. It was over months ago. Why are you attacking her now?"

"I was gone on a mission. They sent me away shortly after you said goodbye. I wasn't ready to leave you. I love you."

"I'm sorry. I can't return your feelings," Shuuhei told her. He looked down at Megumi and gently ran his hand over her cheek. She'd have a bruise there from Hatsu's slap. He moved the ice from her forehead to her cheek. He wished she would wake up so he could talk to her. There was so much he wanted to say.

The door closed and Shuuhei realized that the manager had seen Hatsu out. "I began to wonder about them. You talked to my singer a lot and you were never here with the blonde when she was here."

"I tried to get Megumi to come listen to her. She was never free. Finally I realized why."

"How is she?"

"Bruised but she'll make it."

"Do I need to stay here until she wakes up? Is she going to be happy to see you?"

Shuuhei gave the man half a laugh. "I doubt it but I can take care of myself."

"She used to say that. I was worried about someone she brought onstage hurting her but I should have been worried about the girlfriends."

"She made it habit not to pick a man who was on a date."

"She picked you. Did she cause your breakup?"

Shuuhei shook his head. "No. I had been thinking about it before she sang to me."

The manager nodded. "Tell her she still has a place here if she still wants it. I'd be stupid to fire her just for being a shinigami. I'm not sure why she hid it from me." The manager walked out of the room.

Shuuhei flash stepped to her quarters. He sat on the couch holding her and moving the ice from her cheek to her forehead.

She shivered and snuggled in closer to him. Shuuhei wished he had a blanket for her.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

"You're welcome." He smiled. "We haven't spoken in a month and the first thing you say to me is thank you."

"I don't have anything nice to say to you."

"I'm so sorry, Megumi."

She shrugged and was quiet for a while. Her heart felt heavy. "I miss you," she admitted quietly. She hadn't meant to tell him that. She didn't want a repeat of what had happened before.

"I missed you." Shuuhei shifted to put the towel on the table. The ice had nearly all melted. He wrapped his arms around Megumi hoping that this wouldn't be the last time he held her.

"Your hand is freezing."

"I've been holding ice against your injuries for a while."

"My injuries? What did I...What did Hatsu do to me?"

"She slapped you," he began.

"I remember that. She hits hard."

"Hate is a strong emotion." Shuuhei sighed. "She grabbed your wig and hit you again. You fell and hit your head on the floor." He had been so scared when he saw her fall. "You have a couple of bruises." He looked down at her. "I'm sorry she hurt you."

"It wasn't your fault."

"It was," Shuuhei replied quietly. He felt guilty about it. "Every time I tried to talk to you, you were gone or avoiding me. You haven't been coming to the bar to get your water between songs. Tonight I snuck backstage while you were performing and I took your bottle. I need to talk to you. I had no idea that Hatsu was there. I had no idea she was going to attack you."

Megumi stood up, clutching her head when the room spun. Shuuhei stood and reached out for her. "I think you should go," she said, jerking away from him.

"There are things I need to say to you."

"I have nothing nice to say to you, Shuuhei." She couldn't be near him. She couldn't risk her heart again.

"You just have to listen."

"Just leave me alone."

Megumi walked past him and opened the door. With a sigh and a heavy heart, Shuuhei left because he thought she needed it. Leaving her tonight would either be the most idiotic thing he'd ever done or the bravest.

...

"You look better than you did last time I saw you," the manager noted.

"Makeup is a wonderful thing," Megumi smiled.

"I thought it might have been something your boyfriend did."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"But he was."

"He was but he's not now."

"That's too bad. He's been smitten by you since the first time I saw you two together. I would say he still is."

"It's his fault," she shrugged. Megumi didn't want to talk about Shuuhei. She hadn't slept well in the last couple of days. When she did manage to sleep, she dreamt of him. "I'm sorry I didn't come by sooner to get my stuff."

The manager shrugged. "You're not coming back to sing?"

She looked at him, shocked. "You still want me to sing?"

"Of course I do. I'd be stupid to let you walk out of here. He didn't tell you?"

"No. He didn't mention it."

"You still have a job here if you want it."

"When do you want me back?"

The manger smirked. "When do you want to come back?"

"A couple of days from now. I want to work on a few new songs. I don't want to sing any of my old songs." She didn't want to sing love songs or about men for a while.

"Are you still planning on bringing someone on stage?"

"Maybe if it fits the song."

He shrugged. "Either way. Although after the other day, I'd almost prefer you not bring anyone on stage."

"I'll think about it."

...

After her meeting with the manager, Megumi walked back to her desk in the ninth division. She frowned at the vase of flowers on her desk. He wasn't going to win her over with flowers. Picking up the vase, she carried them to Shuuhei's office.

He grinned when he saw her, hoping at last they'd be able to talk. "For me?"

"I'm returning them to you. I don't want them."

"Returning them? They aren't from me."

"Then keep them. I don't want them. I especially don't want them if they are from you."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Do you hate me that much?"

"No. Maybe. I don't know." She turned and ran but not before he saw the tears in her eyes. Shuuhei wasn't sure if his heart ached for her or for himself.