AN: In this chapter I basically dealt with emotional baggage, it serevs as a bridge to re connection of my main characters. For Mika and Raizo to relate to each other they had to first deal with their emotional baggage, they have to come to some sort of realization of their past actions and how it would influence their present.
Sometimes you just didn't know you could miss somebody so much until you saw them standing right before you, Raizo thought to himself whilst bringing a casserole to the table, Henri following behind with the salad dish. Helping Marlene was now a favorite of theirs; it was now a rule that the guys set the dinner table and served meals. Raizo had been reluctant and sulked at first when Marlene kept calling him in his first days to help her set the table with Henri.
It hadn't taken him long to read the situation, that it was Marlene's way of involving him. Coaxing him out of his shell and it had worked finally in the long term. It was the closest thing Raizo had ever had to a real family in his whole life. Now he knew what family was supposed to be and what it felt like. It was nothing close to what Ozunu had said of family. Ninja training had given him survival skills, had made him slightly superior to the ordinary man, had sharpened his senses and his knowledge of people but all it had done was to harden his heart, isolate him from people. It was one of the reasons he had taken residence in Marlene's quarters. He wanted people around him, he was tired of living alone, he wanted to start living his life the way life was supposed to be lived.
Breathing in Mika's familiar scent while she hugged him, Raizo realized just how much he had missed her. She had been the first person he got close to outside the Ozunu world and the second in his life. The first had been Kiriko, the teenage girl who trained alongside him and many others but that had ended in a tragedy that was forever written inside him.
If she anything she looked more lovely and as expressive as always, he had admired that about Mika, she was the most expressive person he had ever seen and her expression always went with what she said. The only time she had lied to him was about her jeans size when he needed to steal some clothes after they were running and Raizo had told her so much to her embarrassment. He told himself they were mostly friendly feelings fueled by their alliance and borne out of convenience to keep each other alive. However they had also formed a bond, they kept saving each other's lives and fighting for each other whilst being on the run from a pack of ninjas hunting them. Their bond had obviously deepened and when he saw her today he realized just how much.
"Thoughtful much Raizo" Marlene said teasing him the table.
"A little" Raizo inclined his head and smiled.
Mika was earlier at work than usual today. She had a restless night, she had kept tossing and turning, tried reading but nothing worked. Raizo's resurfacing had shaken her to her very core. She didn't know why he was back and for how long he was going to be around. Right now it was going to be very different, their lives were not under threat, and they were not running or fleeing. How could they relate to each other on a personal level for now? Would what they had, carry over into this moment, this time.
A small khaki bag was set on her table. She looked up at the man who stood before her, his height imposing as usual. He had on his usual dressing, jeans, no leather jacket this time and to her surprise a grey long sleeved neck buttoned t-shirt, Raizo rarely or never wore light colors as a rule, she now began to wonder what else had changed in his life besides the dead look in his eyes being gone. He must have raised some eyebrows from the ladies with the way his biceps were rippling in hit t-shirt.
"Raizo, you should stop sneaking on me like that" she tried to sound angry
"You should eat, I bought you some breakfast" he gestured at the khaki bag.
"I don't usually eat in the morning"
"You should, it's good for you" he reasoned glancing at her.
"What's in there anyway?" she opened the bag.
"Cheese croissants and de caff" Raizo told her.
"Health freak, I know you don't like caffeine"Mika took a bite of the stuffed croissant and nodded.
"Hmm these are so nice" she said in mouthfuls.
"Marlene makes them"
"Marlene? Who's Marlene?" Mika froze; to hear Raizo talk about someone else, especially a woman was a first.
"My landlady' he explained.
"Land lady?"
"Yes, I uh rent her quarters—I didn't want to live in isolation anymore" he said in a self conscious rare tone, there was a dawning look on Mika's face.
"S o you were here, all along a drive away?" she said incredulously.
"Mika, I wanted you to be safe, away from any reminder of the bad things I bought in your life" he tried to reassure her seeing her expression.
"No, no, no, Raizo, I was the one who made that investigation, who opened a can of worms, I was the one who had a target on my forehead. So you don't get to say stuff like that to me, you didn't do it for me" Mika had stood up and crossed over to him.
"We were not sure if they had gone forever"
"By "we" you mean you and who? Okay I got this-, you and Ryan right? You made this classic plan, the whole "clean break" thing" there were tears in her dark brown eyes.
"I would have been killed already thank you" she snapped.
"I would never let anyone come near you" he growled.
"You know what Raizo, in your country; you say if you save someone's life, you're responsible for them. You saved mine, you decide to leave. I saved yours, how come I didn't have a say in it too?" there was a pained expression on her face.
"Mika, you don't understand, where was my place, I hardly fit anywhere, Mika look at me" he said gently.
"We could have figured that out, Raizo. Together. I would've helped you figure it all out" she looked up at him, her voice earnest.
"I'm sorry Mika" he said sincerely. Raizo outstretched his hand to cradle her cheek then Maslow approached them.
"I need to see the two of you in my office" he said totally oblivious to the atmosphere that surrounded them.