Not going to try and big it up; this is a complete and total filler chapter. I'm sorry *hangs head*. It's just basically setting up the scene and relationships that will develop in the next few chapters. I promise that the next chapter will be more interesting!

Chapter 4- The Warmth of Red

It had been two weeks since Aoi had arrived in Japan. Her cousin had been somewhat merciful, allowing her some time to adjust to being in Japan again before she began work as a barmaid at Homra, though that time would soon be up. She only had a few more days and then she knew she was in for a rough ride. Izumo was a monster when it came to his bar, and them being related wouldn't change a thing, except maybe to make him harsher towards her.

They had even been to buy her uniform, though Izumo had been a lot more enthusiastic about it than Aoi. He was convinced that the sight of her in the uniform would bring new customers in; a complete contrast to his behaviour on the evening of her arrival and every moment since where boys were concerned.

Now she sat, her nose buried in one of her favourite novels, Alice in Wonderland, trying to reacquaint herself with kanji in the least painful way possible. She was settled in one of the booths in the corner of the bar, her bare feet up on the seat opposite her, and as she turned the page she heard her stomach growl.

"Perfect timing." Aoi looked up at the sound of a voice to see Tatara stood wearing a large smile and a flowery apron, a plate of cookies in his hand. "I was just wondering if you'd try these for me?"

"Sure." Aoi grinned, setting the book down on the table. Tatara sat diagonally opposite her and put the cookies down, taking one for himself and offering her one. At the same time they took a bite, and Aoi hummed in delight. Chocolate chip were her favourite.

Still warm, the biscuit snapped and crumbled in her mouth, the chocolate oozing out and heating her mouth.

"So? What do you think?" Tatara's voice was eager, obviously having liked the biscuit himself and ready for her response.

"Great!" She nodded, polishing off the biscuit and taking another between two fingers. "You make good chocolate chip cookies."

"I have a talent for them." Tatara agreed, smugly, also taking another. "What are you reading then?"

"Alice in Wonderland." Aoi told him, helping herself to a third cookie and wishing Tatara lived with them above the bar too. "Again. Just in Japanese this time."

Tatara slid out of the booth, his earring flashing as it reflected the moody lighting, and placed one hand on his chest, holding the other up in the air above his head. "If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't."

From one of the sofas across the room, Anna looked up in interest. Well Aoi thought it was interest; her eyes were wider, and she was no longer looking down at her marbles, but that was all she could see, really.

Aoi laughed and clapped Tatara, who was now mock bowing to her.

"Perfect! You'd make a brilliant Alice." She teased. Tatara sat down with a pout that she didn't believe in, and took another cookie.

"How rude!" He cried, putting one hand over his heart as if wounded. "Just like Kusanagi-san. I can tell you're related."

Aoi simply laughed and popped a biscuit into her mouth whole. She had been told she was chatty before, but she had a feeling that with Tatara really took the biscuit with this one; pun intended, thank you very much.

"Listen, Aoi, you like Alice in Wonderland don't you?" Tatara leaned forward, taking her hands in earnest. Aoi swallowed, aware that nobody looked attractive from that small a distance while eating.

"Yes?" Tatara stood up quickly, letting go of her, and ran over to the other side of the bar. In a flash he was back, an iPod and a long cable in his hand.

An iPod? What in the world-

"So do I! Maybe we have the same taste in music too!"

How does that correlate?!

Aoi heard a sigh from the other side of the room and guessed that Mikoto wasn't a fan of the whatever music Tatara liked.

"S-sure!" The teenager stuttered, settling down in her seat to listen. A movement on her left caught her notice, and Aoi realised that Anna had moved from her seat beside Mikoto and now knelt at Tatara's feet, looking up at him in eager anticipation.

"Right!" Tatara grinned and plugged the player in.

Saruhiko pushed aside his shirt to scratch absently at the bandage over his chest. He wasn't supposed to touch it yet, but he always did. He was staring out of the window of the twenty-four hour shop opposite HOMRA, his eyes directed at the bar but unseeing.

"-sir?"

"Hm?" Saruhiko looked around at the sound of the annoying voice, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Oh."

He took the bag that was offered to him over the counter and left the shop without another word. He couldn't even remember what he'd bought, he just knew he'd used Scepter 4's credit card to do it. Upon inspection he found he had bought two packs of chewing gum, a can of cold coffee, a packet of tissues and a magazine about cars.

With an irritated click of his tongue he threw the magazine away, took a seat on a bench around the corner and opened the coffee.

From here he couldn't see the bar, but he couldn't afford to be spotted by one of Mikoto's dogs, particularly considering how they knew him. He'd give it a few minutes then walk past; tomorrow he'd find somewhere to stay during the day using Scepter 4's authority.

"Tch." Saruhiko took a swig of the coffee and propped his chin up on the back of his hand, elbow on the bench arm. It was all a big waste of time if you asked him which, of course, the Captain never did, nor would he listen if Saru voiced his opinion. He wouldn't, though; that would require effort.

With a groan he pushed himself to his feet, crumpling the empty can and throwing it in the bin, along with the rest of his purchases. Shoving his hands into his trouser pockets, Saruhiko began to walk.

It wasn't long before he passed the bar. The lieutenant ducked his head, lest he be recognised, and glanced inside surreptitiously. The girl in question, Aoi Tanaka, was stood with Tatara and Anna in front of Mikoto, who was slouched in his usual position on the sofa. Tatara was talking manically, Aoi was laughing and Anna was staring at the King beseechingly. Mikoto himself refused to look at any of them, he had his eyes closed and his chin tucked in towards his chest, but there was a reluctant yet almost playful smile on his lips, exposing sharp teeth.

Saruhiko clicked his tongue and moved on. The girl, Aoi, seemed to get on well with those present, though he couldn't gauge how close they were or what relationship they had from here.

Turning away, Saruhiko started the long walk back to Scepter 4. His right hand picked away at his bandage incessantly and finally he ripped it away to scratch at the half-healed burn covering the Homra tattoo on his chest.

"Goodnight!" Aoi waved at her cousin and Mikoto, her other hand covering the door handle of the door to the stairs. Even as she spoke a yawn came out and, embarrassed, she raised both hands up to cover her mouth.

"Night, Aoi." Izumo chuckled from the bar, waving his cloth at her. Mikoto gave a half-hearted wave and a mumbled 'night'. Aoi didn't mind; she didn't really expect much. With a smile and another wave she left the room and headed up the stairs, rubbing at her eyes with her book tucked under her arm.

Despite being exhausted previously, by the time she got into bed Aoi was wide awake again. With a sigh, she covered her head with a pillow and groaned loudly, though not enough to wake Anna in the next room.

Rolling over, Aoi frowned, reflecting on the day's events.

Today had been a weird day. Fun, but definitely weird.

Tatara was the main source of the oddness. Once or twice she had caught him referring to Mikoto as 'King', a strange nickname from one fully grown man to another, she had decided. Anna had been giving her some funny looks too. It wasn't the marbles, Izumo had explained that to her, but Anna had looked at her as if she was some sort of mystery that needed solving, as if by staring at her she could figure out the meaning of life, the universe and everything (which, in Aoi's opinion, was forty-two).

Dismissing these suspicious thoughts, Aoi removed he pillow from her face and out it back under her head. She was probably overreacting. People gave their friends lots of weird nicknames, and Anna was likely just trying to adjust to having a stranger around, as well as another female.

Yes, she was probably just overreacting.

Probably.