Mikau: Hello! Oh my gosh! People liked this after all! Thank you so much to all of the reviewers: bourbon, Lady of the Shards, shouldbeworking, piggyninja, and Alexandra Becker! I wish you anonymous guys had accounts so I could communicate with you. ^.^; But, really, I can't thank you enough for encouraging me to continue. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well. I'll try to keep going as long as the reviewers support this. I've got a lot of fun in store for the future! ^o^

Disclaimer: If I owned it, the sexy barista would have come in sooner. I'm really loving this character. He needs his own spin-off series so we can watch him do cool things all the time.

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Chapter Two: The Schemer and the Seductress

"Azusa-chan!" Misa called to her friend as the other waitress walked through the door.

Misa had been working at Poirot for the past six months, and she'd become instant friends with Azusa. Misa was an amicable, pretty girl who enjoyed shopping, preening, gossiping, and spending time with her boyfriend "Kuro-chan" (better known as Kujiro-san, a rough-and-tumble young man who worked in the kitchen at Poirot).

Misa was a traditional Japanese beauty with modern style. Her hair was long and as black as ink while her skin was the very color of pure ivory. Her lips were almost permanently stained cherry red, and her clothes were always straight out of the latest magazines.

She was vain and shallow, but she was fun to be around and actually a very nice person so long as you didn't have newer clothes than she did.

"What happened last night after Amuro-san took you home?! Did you invite him in for coffee?" she snickered, latching on to Azusa's arm and pulling on it like a child begging for candy.

Azusa laughed as she pulled away from Misa in order to grab her apron and put it on. "Oh, nothing much. We talked a lot on the drive there about music. It turns out that we have the same tastes. And I did invite him in since the rain was coming down so hard by the time we got to my place, but we had tea and cookies, not coffee."

Suddenly a thought occurred to Azusa, and she began to panic. "Do you think I should have offered him coffee instead?! It was much too late to be drinking something with that much caffeine, I thought. Oh! But he had such a long drive ahead of him late at night when the rain finally let up and he was able to leave! The caffeine would have probably done him some good, keeping him awake," the waitress fretted, waving her arms wildly. "And what if he doesn't actually like sweets and was just forcing himself to eat them to oblige me?! Oh no! Misa-chan, what have I done?!" Azusa wailed, burying her face in her hands in despair.

Meanwhile, Misa looked on, not really surprised, but a little disappointed in the innocence and purity of her friend. Still, in her heart she had to admit that Azusa's reaction was really cute, if not what Misa had intended.

"Azu-chan? I honestly think it's okay," she tried to calm the other girl down before she started hyperventilating. "Amuro-san was probably just happy that you invited him and offered him something. It would be super rude of him to turn up his nose at your hospitality, and, really, if you think about it, that wouldn't be like Amuro-san at all, would it?"

Azusa blinked, coming out of panic mode. She thought about it for a moment before enlightenment hit with a profound, "Oh. No. No, that wouldn't be like Amuro-san at all."

"Right?" Misa chuckled at the adorable expression on Azusa's face. "So you're fine," she declared decidedly, clapping her younger friend on the back.

Azusa laughed sheepishly, sweeping a bang back behind her ear. "Yeah. I guess so. Thanks, Misa-chan."

"What are friends for?" Misa preened. She loved Azusa. Azusa always made Misa feel good about herself, like a doting older sister. "And one more thing."

Azusa's ears perked up. "Hm?"

Misa gave her "younger sister" a sly leer as she snickered, "Before, when I asked you if you'd invited him in for coffee, I didn't mean actual coffee."

Azusa's head slowly tipped to the side. She blinked in confusion, waiting for Misa to explain.

Misa smirked. "It's a euphemism. You know. Invite someone over for coffee."

No response or look of understanding from Azusa.

Misa frowned and tried again. "You know. Have coffee?"

Nothing.

Misa was about ready to bang her head against the wall. How had Azusa come this far in life and yet remained largely untainted?

It took a very suggestive tone of voice and some accompanying vulgar hand gestures for Misa to get her point across.

When she did, Azusa's face lost all traces of color before exploding into a scarlet so red it would make Santa's suit look pale pink by comparison. She gasped and made drowning fish faces for a minute or so before she could shriek, "NO! Absolutely not! I-I would never! And Amuro-san i-isn't the kind of guy who would—! It just…No! No. Just…No."

Misa was having a hard time not dropping to the floor to roll around, she was laughing so hard. Wiping a tear from the corner of her eye and getting control of herself, she sniggered, "Oh, Azu-chan. You're the best. I know. I know nothing like that would ever happen. It was just a joke. But I wanted to make you understand it so that you would flip out on me like that. You're just so funny. I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. I know it's wrong to tease you, but…" Misa smiled sweetly, batting her eyelashes at Azusa in hopes of being forgive as she always was.

Azusa frowned, giving her friend a whap on the arm, but her irritation didn't last long. Azusa had always been bad at holding a grudge or even just holding people accountable for their words and actions. She never seemed able to hold anything against anyone, so in this case too she quickly let it go and was back on good terms with the other waitress.

"Don't tease me like that, Misa-chan. You know how high-strung I am, how worked up I get," she pleaded as she tugged on Misa's arm.

"But you're just so cute," Misa argued, puckering up her lips and speaking in that baby talk that adults normally reserved for children and small animals.

Azusa sighed, resigned to her fate. With a shrug, she set about her work, getting things ready for the morning rush.

"So you guys like the same music?" Misa fell into step beside Azusa, filling the sugar dispensers and making sure there was cream at every table.

"Yeah. We do," Azusa chuckled happily. "That was the first time I'd met anyone who was as much of a fan as I am. I mean, I've met people who like my bands, but…I've never been able to talk for two whole hours about music with someone before, so that was really neat."

Misa paused right in the middle of straightening a place setting. She looked up at Azusa and blinked. "Two hours? Gosh."

"Yeah. Between the car ride and at my apartment." Azusa shrugged with a bit of a blush.

"Gosh," Misa repeated, going back to work.

"Well, you know how music means a lot to me. It means a lot to him too. We actually have a lot in common…as far as what music we like and what role it's played in our lives, so…" Azusa explained, knowing that Misa couldn't possibly understand.

Her relationship with Misa was good and satisfying for what it was, but it wasn't deep. Misa didn't know about Azusa's parents or her brother or her struggles. Misa and Azusa went shopping together, talked about movies they'd seen, and gossiped about celebrities and boys…with Misa doing about ninety-nine percent of the gossiping seeing as Azusa did not have a love life or a very comprehensive knowledge of the various stars that were currently in vogue.

They were friends, but they weren't as close as they appeared. At least…Azusa hadn't let Misa see her as she really was, even though Misa was pretty transparent with Azusa. Then again, Misa wasn't a very deep person, so there wasn't much there to delve into.

"Do you guys have anything else in common besides music?" Misa prompted as she endeavored to pour the sugar without spilling it.

Azusa pursed her lips and tried to recall their conversations. "I don't know," she finally decided. "We…sort of just talked about music the whole time." She smiled sheepishly, scratching at her cheek.

Misa gave her friend a deadpan expression. "Seriously? That's impressive. Well…you guys really clicked on that, didn't you? So would you want to get to know him better? You two might have more in common. I mean, did it seem like you guys had chemistry, or…?" A wry smile took over her cherry red lips. "I guess if you can talk for two hours about music, that's kind of indicative of chemistry, isn't it?"

Azusa squirmed a little as she filled up a carafe. "You know, I really would like the chance to talk with him more. Here at work, we don't really talk about anything besides work…and, well, Mouri-tantei and the Shounen Tanteidan's cases, but…it would be nice to find out if Amuro-san likes videogames or manga…what kind of movies he watches, what books he reads. I think it would be fun to be better friends with him. He really is a cool guy."

Misa gave her naïve friend an indulgent look. "Yeah. Better friends would be a start, but…Azusa-chan, don't you think he's handsome?"

Azusa gave a start and almost dropped the carafe. "W-What?" she yelped.

Misa rolled her eyes and came over to take the carafe from Azusa. "Amuro-san's attractive, don't you think?"

"Misa-chan, you have a boyfriend! What about Kujiro-san?" Azusa hissed, scandalized at her friend's mental infidelity.

Misa sighed, thinking her schemes hopeless unless Azusa wised up a little. "Not for me, you dope. I mean you. You and Amuro-san."

Azusa's mouth dropped open. She was left speechless as she tried to wrap her mind around the idea.

"He's hot, right?" Misa urged, seeing that she had struck a chord. "And he's a total gentleman. There's no harm in getting closer to him, getting to know him better, and seeing if you two really click, right? I bet he would be a super good boyfriend, and you two look so good together!" she encouraged. "Yesterday when he swept you off of your feet and carried you like a princess, it was absolutely gorgeous! I can totally see you guys together. What do you think?"

Azusa was kept from answering by the back door opening to admit the young man in question.

Amuro waved to his coworkers, giving them a general greeting before directing his attention towards Azusa in particular. "Good morning."

He smiled warmly at her, and she could feel her face heating up.

"G-Good morning, Amuro-san," she returned awkwardly, thoughts of her conversation with Misa clouding her head.

He really was attractive, and he'd been a perfect gentleman to her, going out of his way and terribly inconveniencing himself for her sake. He was a good man who understood her deepest, darkest feelings and accepted them without judgment because he had his own dark past that she had yet to fully learn about. They got along well so far; who was to say that they couldn't be something more than work friends? It was worth a shot.

But…if things didn't work out…it would make life at work difficult if it ended badly. Well, if that did happen, she could always ask to be put on different shifts than him. The Master was very reasonable, very kind, so it probably wouldn't be too much of a problem.

So it was worth a try. Maybe then Azusa wouldn't be so lonely when the work day ended. She'd have someone to spend days off with, someone to call when she was feeling down, someone to text when she was bored…someone to hold her when she felt like crying, someone to wipe the tears away…someone to smile at her and tell her they loved her.

It could be him. She wouldn't know until she tried, but…she could see it: Those hands cupping her cheek, those lips smiling at her, those eyes gazing at her lovingly… It could be Amuro Toru.

Trying not to let her thoughts show on her face despite the rampant blush, Azusa inquired as naturally as possible, "You didn't have any trouble getting home last night, did you?"

"None at all," he assured as he reached for his apron, putting it on and tying it with professional precision. "The storm was heading towards your house, so driving back into Beika, it was pretty clear."

"Oh good," she sighed in relief. "I was just really concerned about you last night, and I felt so bad, dragging you all the way out there. Are you sure you won't take any money for gas?"

He chuckled amusedly at her earnestness. It was honestly endearing. She was a sweet girl to worry about someone like him. If she only knew what he was really like. …He wondered if she would still be able to look at him, think about him the same way. Or would she shrink back? Fear him? …He wondered.

"I'm sure, Azusa-san. And for the millionth time, it really was no trouble on my part," he assured, setting about his morning duties. He took out the soufflés, pastries, and bagels that Misa had earlier put into the oven and set them on the counter.

"Besides," He looked up at Azusa and smiled.

There was something…different…in the expression. Flirtation? Good-natured teasing? She couldn't place it. Her head was still spinning with everything Misa had said. Her judgment was compromised.

"…I really did have fun spending time with you." The look—whatever it had been—was gone and replaced by authentic gratitude. "I don't get the opportunity to just hang out and talk much, I'm so busy with work, so that was a nice change of pace. You did me a favor, inviting me in and keeping me company."

"O-Oh," Azusa giggled a little nervously as her heart fluttered. "I'm glad. I'm the same way, so…"

"Hey, Amu-chan!" Misa called out as she bounced into the kitchen.

Amuro didn't bother wincing, knowing that a reaction would only encourage Misa's bad behavior. "Yes, Mizutani-san?" he replied civilly, balancing her overfamiliarity with a dose of propriety.

Misa stuck out her bottom lip, expression saying, "Call me 'Misa-chan'" so that she didn't have to. Her pout only lasted for a split second before it morphed into a sly, cat-like smirk. "You really hate when I call you that, don't you?"

"I do," he confirmed, serene smile never wavering.

Her grin only widened. "But you put up with it and never say anything. You're such a gentle, good-natured person, Amuro-san. You're like the family Rottweiler that's so used to the children pulling on his ears and tail that he never even thinks to snap."

Rottweiler was a good analogy for him.

"Wan wan," he replied, beginning to transfer the baked goods from the cooking trays into the case. "Did you need something, Mizutani-san?"

Her smirk dimmed at the second repetition of her surname. "Yeah. I want you to come to karaoke with us this Friday."

Azusa gave her friend a startled look. After all, Azusa hadn't heard anything about karaoke.

Amuro too was a little taken aback by the request, but, unlike Azusa, the surprise didn't show on his features. "Oh?" He didn't look up from the croissants. "And who exactly is this 'us' you mention?"

Misa shrugged, going over to lean on the counter so that some cleavage showed. She did it reflexively, not really to seduce him in particular but rather in the habit of showing off how attractive she was at every opportunity. "Me, Kuro-chan, Azu-chan, and Satoko-chan. We're all off by eight on Friday, so I thought we could go after I finish my shift. I mean, I still have to ask everybody, but my Kuro-chan will go if I tell him to, and Azusa-chan never has plans. Satoko-chan will come if the rest of us do, so…?"

Karaoke? Furuya Rei did not do karaoke. Well. Not in mixed company like this. He'd gone a couple times with the guys when he was at the academy, but…that was years ago.

Bourbon certainly didn't do karaoke either. That nutjob only had death, revenge, and deception on his mind.

Amuro Toru…he wasn't so sure about. It might make him less suspicious if he had friends and actually did something with his life beyond working and sitting at home alone. Something like this might lend credibility to his adopted persona. Right now, "Amuro Toru" was a paper-thin mask with no substance behind it. He had a manufactured paper trail and a digitally fabricated past, but… Going out with friends might give his alias depth, make him seem concrete, more real…and that was in service of the mission, wasn't it?

He cast a glance at Azusa who was biting her lip and crossing her fingers behind her back. She wanted him to come, wanted to spend more time with him.

Huh. Interesting.

"Eight o'clock on Friday? Sure. I have time," he responded with a nonchalant shrug…and then watched an excited grin light up Azusa's face.

Cute.

"…"

He mentally kicked himself. Hadn't he decided to ignore his loneliness and condemn all weak thoughts of this nature? What happened to not getting attached, not letting a woman distract him? His head still wasn't on straight. The triathlon this morning hadn't done it. He'd do two hours of Bikram yoga tonight. Two hours focusing on his form in the intense heat would help him clear his mind.

…And maybe karaoke this Friday, spending some time with other human beings instead of isolating himself, would help clear up his longing for companionship.

He had to do something. He was losing his focus.

…

Friday came and so did the much anticipated karaoke event. The group of young people met up at Beika Station and walked the few blocks from there to the karaoke box.

Amuro arrived second after Yukimura Satoko—a tall, stylish young woman a year or two his junior. She was nice enough to your face, but he had overheard her bad-mouthing her supposed friends a number of times. She had all of Misa's flaws—vanity, imprudence, pride, etcetera—with none of Misa's redeeming qualities (gentle good-humor and genuine affection, for example).

Satoko only cared for herself and anyone who could further her ambitions (but only for as long as they could do so). Amuro saw through her despite the friendly veneer she wore.

She was as fake as he was…perhaps even more so. It annoyed him, but he kept his mask in place. "Amuro Toru" was a gentleman. He was kind to all women, a respectable, respectful young man.

"Good evening, Yukimura-san." He bowed in greeting to her, dreading the interval between now and when the next person arrived. He'd rather drink lighter fluid than have to play nice with her for more than a minute or two. But still…he kept his "Amuro Toru" persona glued on.

"Aww…why don't you ever call me by my first name like you do the others?" she simpered coyly, giving his arm a playful swat as she batted her overly makeup-ed eyes at him.

She'd had work done to give her the double eyelid that western girls had and eastern girls envied. He was guessing that she'd had a few other little nips and tucks done here and there too. Probably a new nose, some breast augmentation. Hers didn't look real.

"You'll forgive me. I'm very shy," he lied, hoping she'd leave him alone, praying that Azusa and the others would come to his rescue soon.

"That's okay. I like shy boys," she giggled, touching his arm again. "You're so cute, Amuro-san."

She was trying his patience, but he persevered. It would be very inconvenient if he blew up at her and ruined "Amuro Toru"'s established temperament. Because she would be sure to tell everyone in great, extremely exaggerated detail.

"That's very kind of you, Yukimura-san," he replied in a tone that would convey how uncomfortable she was making him. "Thank you."

He had a hard time believing that she was actually interested in him personally. He was aware that he was attractive. It had helped him out many a time in procuring favors, prying information from lips that were supposed to be sealed, and being let into places he shouldn't have been. He was an eligible bachelor—good looking, young, athletic, kind, attentive, mysterious—but he didn't think she cared for him personally so much as she was going after him for sport.

Should he give in and fall for her, he would be just one more conquest—a notch in her belt, a trophy on her shelf. This was a game for her, but she took it very seriously. His resistance was a dire insult. She was determined to get his heart even if she had to pull it, still beating, out of his chest.

Women these days weren't what they used to be. Modesty was dead; propriety, extinct. Purity and innocence were labeled as prudishness and, as such, attacked and persecuted until they were stamped out.

He knew all too well that he could never love a "modern" woman like Misa or Satoko.

Akemi…that was a different story. There was the ideal woman right there…only she had been soiled by that man and murdered by that fiendish Organization.

Both would pay.

While Amuro was caught up in his thoughts, Satoko chose that moment to have a bit of a fainting spell…or maybe she tripped over her stilt-like high heels. He wasn't so sure, but before he could comprehend what had happened, she fell with a gasp befitting a period romance heroine and landed in his arms.

He blinked down at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck to support herself, pushed her chest—yes, definitely fake—against his, and looked up at him with doe-like eyes. Her lips parted slightly as she tried to look alluring.

"O-Oh," she gasped, sounding like an actress in one of those pink films his buddies had delighted in back at the academy. She did her best to look distressed and vulnerable. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I suddenly felt so light-headed."

Ah. So she was going the "fainting spell" route. He would have tried the "Sorry. I'm such a klutz." tactic… You know. If he were the one playing seductress. He didn't get to use that ploy very often, though, because he was taller than the average Japanese male, and it just didn't work, a tall guy like him falling all over a shorter man.

"Maybe you should sit down. There's a bench over there, and then I can go get you some water?" He tried to push her off, but she clung, trying to convince him that she'd be fine in a moment if he'd just hold on.

And so he was stuck.

But that gave him time to analyze the situation. There he was, currently suffering terribly from a weakness of the heart called loneliness. And a busty, loose young woman was literally all over him, his for the taking if he really just needed another warm body to free him from his solitude. And yet…he felt nothing. No physiological reaction or anything…beyond mild revulsion.

This should be exciting, shouldn't it? It should be pleasurable, but…nothing. Apparently in his desperation for companionship, his subconscious still felt it had the freedom to be choosey because Yukimura Satoko slathering herself all over him like gravy on pork did absolutely nothing for him.

And at the same time, one shy look, one brilliant smile from Enomoto Azusa made his heart flutter, his pulse race. With her guileless charms, she made him pour his heart out more readily than any torturer ever had. She muddled his thoughts and sent him pining for comfort, a confidante…love.

Shit.

This was bad. How long had she had such an influence over him? Not too long, he hoped. If the attachment was still fresh, he might be able to talk himself out of it, exterminate his affection for her before it was too late and he did something incredibly stupid that ended up getting her, himself, or the both of them killed, but… How long had he been under her power?

…A better question at the moment: How long had Azusa been standing but a few yards off, staring in slack-jawed horror as Satoko stuck to him like a wet t-shirt?

Things really had a way of going from bad to worse, didn't they? Now, when he had just found he was beginning to have…feelings for Azusa, he was at risk of losing her due to a misunderstanding.

…But…wouldn't it be better if she walked away now before things got any farther along? Before he could really lose his mind and act on these feelings for her?

Would it really be such a bad thing to "lose" Azusa now before she could truly mean anything to him?

…Yes. Yes, it would. It would be horrible.

And that was when he realized that he was stuck in some serious fecal matter.

…

Mikau: Thank you for reading the second chapter! I'm so glad that you liked it enough to tune in a second time! …Hopefully you're still enjoying it? Well, let me know please. I'll try to continue so long as people are liking it, but this looks like it's going to be a lot longer than I had originally anticipated, so…I need to go back to my other projects if people aren't reading this. So thanks in advance for reading and reviewing and letting me know you're out there and enjoying my work! See you soon?