"You've never seen this one before, have you?" Yui's hands were behind her back, clutching her purse. She didn't really walk so much as meander, moving one way and then the next. Sometimes, she would press closer towards Gendo, and he would drift away in response. Then she would drift the opposite way, and Gendo would follow, aware of the growing distance.

"No," he admitted, "You were right about the twists. Though I figured it out about halfway through."

"I thought you would," Yui said. "Did you like it, though?"

"Yes," he admitted. It had a charm about it that was hard to deny. The viewing had been in the original English, which both Gendo and Yui spoke fluently. The patter between Audrey Hepburn's character and Cary Grant's would probably have been lost in translation had it been overdubbed in Japanese. The flirtation, the chemistry. Gendo didn't care much for movies, and he cared less for romantic ones. Charade though...he had to make an exception for it, he decided.

"It's always been one of my favorite films," Yui said, drifting towards him again. Gendo moved away. "Not just because I like Paris."

"Have you been there?"

"When I was younger. My father does a lot of traveling in his work, mostly to Europe. Paris was quite the trip. You should go, someday."

"Maybe. I've never had the time, really…"

"Spend most of it getting into fights, right?"

Gendo smirked. "One little fight…"

"Say 'Sousuke.'"

"What?" He stared at her. Who was Sousuke, and why did she want him to say that name?

"Just say it," she pleaded.

"Sousuke." The name whistled grandly, each 's' a tweet. Yui rolled her eyes.

"One…little…fight," she repeated, imitating his tone.

"Don't ruin a nice evening with sniping," he mumbled. She shrugged, still weaving back and forth, pushing him to the edge of sidewalk, retreating to let him back in. She wore a blue dress, simple but very flattering, and a white, cotton button up. She wore black, soft flats, though even she had worn heels she wouldn't have been much closer to Gendo in height. He had actually made an effort to get a nice shirt and pressed pants. They made their way through the outside neighborhoods of Kyoto University, the apartment blocks where students retreated during the night. Somewhere, there was a ramen stand, the smell of cooked food and boiling broth drifting over the warm, early autumn evening. Cicada choirs sang their insect hymns, lulling the world into a dull, happy trance.

"So…why is a biology grad student interested in a little old undergrad like me?" She beamed up at him.

"How many undergrads do you know work as research assistants?" he asked, which was an honest enough question. Yui was more like a post-graduate fellow in her work than a grad student. Partly, that was due to the resounding influence of Seele. Mostly…she was just that brilliant. She had made other people in her field years ahead of her look so insubstantial in their accomplishments.

"Just my smarts? How droll." She pouted, and Gendo swallowed. He was starting to back pedal again.

"You're quite a pretty girl, too," he suggested. It was a shame his voice didn't sound convinced, because he did think her pretty. In fact, she was a very beautiful woman, with a rare spark that he had never seen in other girls he knew. Yui made a face at his tone.

"Just pretty? Not beautiful?"

"You're just fishing for compliments, now…"

"Fine, so I'm pretty. You're not a lech, are you? Going after all the young girls?"

"Now, wait a minute…" Gendo stammered. He wasn't that many years older than her, he thought. Then again, why should he care about the age difference between them? How was she doing this?

"Is it just the girls with Seele connections?" Yui asked. Gendo stopped in place, staring at her. Her expression was still light, flirtatious, and her eyes welcoming. The question, though…the words had left him reeling, slick-sweating. Did she know about his desires? If she didn't, she would now: his reaction to the word 'Seele' not only indicated knowledge of it, but a fear of what that organization was. A smart person…as smart as Yui, for instance…would draw the inference. She would see the slight widening of the eyes, the slight tension of the jaw. Hear the sharp intake of breath. She would have a few theories on which to draw for why that would be. Being romanced would narrow that field. The question itself had indicated a tacit knowledge of Gendo's more mercenary intents.

So, he said nothing. There was simply nothing to say. Yui smirked, and gently reached up and touched the tip of his nose with her forefinger, like pushing a button. "So tense. You look like a mouse waiting for a cat."

"…I think…you have the wrong idea…"

"No, I have the right idea," Yui said, hooking an arm through Gendo's and marching on down the sidewalk. She was very close this time, and Gendo felt the old familiar panic rise. It wasn't that he didn't mind touching people, but he had a higher awareness of what each touch meant. There was the friendly gestures, the sexual contact, the angry or hateful press. These were, in and of themselves, acceptable. He was familiar with them, and in concurrent order, he had found a place for them: feigned, acceptable, lively. This contact, though, was one that felt truly different. It felt possessive. Like she was possessing him.

He didn't like it.

"You see," she was saying, "Being, in my modest opinion, a young, pretty girl with a mind like a steel-trap tends to draw a lot of the boys. I never had an interest in boys, Gendo…they have very one-dimensional minds, and very simple desires. Being my father's daughter has also closed some doors, as well as opened others. You have a lot of people who would like to take advantage of that connection. He spoiled me rotten, you know, but he always locked the gates when someone came calling. No idea if it was for me or him, you see." Gendo nodded, a reflexive motion. He was less afraid of where she could be leading him than the contact itself. Perhaps some thugs would appear from the dark and his body would be found in a park somewhere. Perhaps it would be a longer death than that. He accepted this when he began his efforts to court Seele. Better to die and tried than to never have tried at all.

The possessive arm made him squirm, though.

"So you think that's why I approached you?" he asked.

"I know that's why you approached me, Gendo Rokubungi," she giggled. "Don't worry! I don't hold it against you, or anything."

"That's reassuring…"

"In fact, I find it endearing. I heard you were a devious sort."

"…I have heard those rumors."

"I believe them. Which makes your blundering around me all the more pleasurable." She popped up and kissed him on the cheek. He shivered at the contact, feeling the rush of pleasure it brought. "It speaks of honesty to me."

"How is that 'honesty?'" he asked, suddenly angry. He felt hurt, but didn't know why. He shrugged her off, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. She stopped, caught off guard by the motion and watched as Gendo continued to walk, slouching and radiating irritation and resentment. Yui cocked her head, as though looking at a puzzle spread out on a table in front of her. All the pieces were there, but they just fit together so badly.

"It means you genuinely like me, whether you realize it or not," she said. "I find that refreshing."

"I don't 'like' you!" he snapped, stopping and whirling on the sidewalk. "You're a means to an end, nothing more!" He felt only the slightest surprise at what he said. How had she goaded him to the point of saying that? Even more surprising was her reaction. It was a girlish giggle.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh!" she managed, "It's just that you're lying to the wrong person right now. You seem to do better at lying to everyone except me." Gendo narrowed his eyes.

"I don't follow."

"Then I'll let you figure it out," Yui said. She closed the distance between them, slow and innocent, like she was approaching a wary dog. Something on his forehead caught her eye, and she gently reach up and brushed a lock of hair back into place. The motion felt…warm. Gendo swallowed, and looked away, feeling ashamed. "You are bad news," she teased. "That's okay. I like a challenge."

"I'm a challenge, am I?" he mumbled.

"Yes. Now, walk me home. If you behave the rest of the way, I might even let you kiss me good-night. Only if you behave, that is." She laid a finger against the side of her nose, and winked at him. For a moment, Gendo did nothing. He felt trapped, and wanted to turn around and call the whole thing off. He was done with it. That's all there was to it. He would be running again. Always running. He would die running.

Wiping his chin with his hand, the gesture convulsive and evasive, he studied the woman in front of him. She simply smiled…waiting for him to decide. To decide for himself.

Seele. He needed it. He needed it more than anything. Gendo cleared his throat, and nodded to Yui. Her smile widened, and she steered him back to their original path. For a time, the walk was in silence, and Gendo realized they were going in circles. Yui's apartment was not in this neighborhood: she was deliberately prolonging the walk. He glanced at her, and she just seemed…happy. Was the silence something she enjoyed? Odd.

"So…" he ventured, breaking the spell. "You had me from the get-go?"

"Mmm-hmm," she replied, cheerfully. "I was warned about you by my father. It sounded like he wanted to…do 'something' about it. I interceded."

"Given your enjoyment of Charade, I'm surprised you didn't drag it out more."

"You were doing so poorly at hiding your intentions!" Yui countered. "Believe me, I would have loved to drag this out a bit more. I'm sorry, Gendo, but you are no Cary Grant." She sniffed, a sound of disappointment. "Maybe you would have figured out how to play this game, but it would have frustrated you. Don't worry, though…there are other games for people like us."

"Like us?"

"Gendo, I might be a bit more devious than you give me credit for," she chirped.

"I think I'm giving you just the right amount of credit now, Yui," he retorted.

"Of course you are now. I just shot down your whole operation. Here's my apartment, but I imagine you know that already." Yui gave him a rueful expression. "If you wanted to know where I lived, all you had to do was ask."

"Everything I did was that transparent?"

"If it'll save your ego, I did have to put out some feelers after you approached me. So, no, you aren't. In fact, you're quite good at it. Bear in mind, though, that I was raised in a world like that. You just seemed to appear in it very recently."

"I've lived in it," Gendo retorted.

"Maybe. I'd like to see what you could do with the resources my family has, though."

"Touche."

"It's not a contest," Yui quickly added. She seemed to feel that this was pushing down on Gendo, pushing him into himself. "I wasn't trying to one up you. All things considered, you've made it a lot farther than others who've tried."

"So why am I different?" Gendo asked, genuinely curious. Yui gave an enigmatic shrug.

"You just are. Here's my apartment, but I'm sure you already knew that." Gendo glanced up at the three-story structure.

"I decline to answer," he said flatly.

"Don't start pouting," Yui said. "You've been well-behaved up until now. I think you've earned a kiss." She gently touched her right cheek. "Just here, though. We've only started dating."

"I beg your pardon?" Gendo asked, confused.

"Well…this was a first date," Yui said, scoffing. "It just follows that there'll be a second one, yes?"

"I…ah…well…." He kicked at the ground, shaking his head. Finally, he found his words. "After all that talk about…after me admitting…" She laid a finer on his lips, and he froze. She stared deep into his eyes…her eyes were so green. Only they were not the casual green of a sea foam, or the slate green of cool jade. They were deep, almost a velvet-black. Like fine hills in the evening. Gendo felt his mouth go dry, and he shivered again.

"There's always something more to us than we care to admit," she said. "I've got you pegged. Remember that." She closed her eyes, turned her head, and offered her cheek. Gendo studied her face in outline. He had been with several women, and some of them had been far more visually striking than Yui. More glamorous, more exotic. And yet, something about Yui…maybe it was the sum of her parts, the symmetry, the strange knowing that drove her actions…something about her made her worth more than everything to him, in that moment. More than a nebulous future with Seele.

More than himself.

She gasped quietly as he cradled her head gently in his hands, and he lightly brushed his lips on her cheek. Slowly, he retreated, and let his hands drop. For a few breaths, Yui remained still, her head turned and eyes closed. Then, she opened those brilliant eyes, and smiled at Gendo.

"You got my heart pounding there," she admitted. "I'm actually quite dizzy. Bravo, Gendo."

"I'm not completely lost in the woods," he said, his default smirk returning comfortably to his face.

"Makes me wonder how you got the practice," Yui sniffed, crossing her arms. Gendo narrowed one of his eyes, but the smirk remained.

"Keep complaining, and you might not get another chance to judge," he said, his tone insulting.

"Oh, my…I think I touched a nerve," Yui teased. "I'm not too worried. You'll be around. When is our next date?"

"So sure of yourself," Gendo said, shaking his head. He had moved back into a position of dominance with himself, and he felt comfortable, at ease once more. He felt…how did he feel?

"With you, I am," she said. "Three days from now, I think you should take me out to eat. I know of a nice restaurant not too far from here. Walking distance, even. You cover the meal, and I'll cover drinks and dessert." Her eyes rolled to the top of her head, and her finger perched carefully on her chin, and exaggerated thinking pose. "Six o'clock is a good time to pick me up, I think. You should probably be here ten minutes early: it's always a good way to leave a first impression."

"I'll pick you up at six-thirty. I should be around at six-forty," he said, crossing his arms.

"I should have never let you kiss me. Now you're all rebellious and big-headed," Yui sighed. "Well, we have time to fix that. Six o'clock, this Saturday. Don't keep me waiting, Gendo." She turned slowly and walked into the apartment's lobby. At the door, she said over her shoulder. "I would hate to have to reassess my opinion of you." She curtsied, still with her back to him, and disappeared into the building.

For a few minutes, Gendo just stared at the door, wondering if, perhaps, Yui would come out again. It would be nice if she did, he thought. His face felt numb, and his tongue almost felt…too big for his mouth. Like it burst with words, overflowing with letters and sounds that he wanted Yui to hear. He swallowed again, and scratched his arm. How old was he? He sometimes forgot.

Twenty-six. And Yui was…nineteen, going on twenty. She was a kid compared to him, but she had him feel so young. So inexperienced. And he…liked it. Having someone walk circles around him. Teasing him, but not judging him. Dominating his space without chasing him away. What a strange power she had.

How did he feel? Happy. That's what it was. He felt happy. So strange to feel that way over a kiss on the cheek. In time, he turned to walk back to his own spartan flat. He walked very slowly, the warm night air cradling him in his thoughts, his hidden feelings. They weren't so hidden anymore, he decided.