Chapter 71

"Hitomi." Ayane said as they stopped in front of the table. Her eyes found the Chinese's. "Leifang."

Leifang in turn didn't say anything while Hitomi was all smiles and sat down at the table.

"Been a while." saying that she looked at Ayane's arm that had been broken back when they had seen each other the last time. "And all healed up. Hayate wasn't kidding."

Ayane in turn narrowed her eyes before looking to the side, obviously avoiding looking at Hitomi as Leifang noted. "Well you're all healed up too, so what's it to you?"

Leifang threw her a glare when she heard that but Hitomi didn't seem to be fazed by it. "I'm glad. So what brings you here, did Zack manage to send you an invitation too?"

"Yes, but I hadn't planned on coming here. But then Master Hayate convinced me otherwise, telling me that I could use a little time out...and since he insisted I accepted." Hitomi had to bite her lip as she saw the small blush forming on the Kunoichi's face, and that one sure wasn't because of the heat.

"Well it's good that you're here an-"

"Don't you think she wants to be alone right now?" Leifang interrupted her, making Hitomi turn her head to look towards her girlfriend and noticed that she was still standing. And giving Ayane a death glare.

"Is something wrong?" Hitomi asked.

"How about you ask her?" Leifang said pointedly. Ayane in turn didn't seem to care what was just being said.

Hitomi opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again, stood up and gently dragged Leifang away until they were out of earshot from the young girl. "What's with you?"

"What's with me?" Leifang asked. "More like: what's with her? Do I have to remind you that the last time you had something to do with her this," she poked Hitomi where she had been stabbed, making the German flinch a little at the memory. "happened. And you just waltz over to her like it was nothing and act all buddy-buddy while she doesn't care one bit."

"Leifang..."

"Don't 'Leifang' me." her eyes became soft, almost a little sad. "You nearly died because of her."

"I told you that it wasn't her fault. It was my decision to help her. She might not even be here if I hadn't help her. So if you want to blame someone then blame me."

Hearing these words made Leifang avert her gaze. "You know perfectly well that I can't blame you for being yourself."

"Listen," Hitomi sighed. "I know what happened isn't exactly normal by any standards and I'm not forcing you to be her friend or to go and play Volleyball all day, but I'm not going to ignore her every time I happen to stumble into her. So can you at least be civil?"

Leifang didn't do or say anything for a few seconds, then looked her square in the eyes. "Alright, I'm going to be civil."

"Good." Hitomi smiled. "Let's go back."

"Sorry, but I'm going for a walk. I need a little bit of time for myself now. Don't worry, I'm not mad. I just want to think." Leifang reassured her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, before Hitomi could respond, and walked off.

Hitomi wanted to go after her, but instead of doing so just let out a sigh of resignation and walked back towards Ayane, who was still sitting there like nothing had happened.

"Sorry about this." Hitomi said as she sat down once more.

"Not like it's any of my business, but did you two just have a fight because of me?" The Kunoichi asked, fixing her crimson eyes on Hitomi.

"No, well not really anyway. It's because of, you know, what happened last year." she shook her head. "She just needs a little bit of time for herself."

With that said Hitomi was all smiles again "So what are your plans for today?"

But Ayane knew a fake smile when she saw one. Yet she played along for a moment, talking about her plans and then listened to the German talk away, all the while keeping her gaze on her.

After about an hour of talking Hitomi said her goodbyes and headed off towards Niki Beach, probably looking for someone to play Volleyball with or to rent a water scooter. She watched her the whole time until she was out of sight, then got up from her seat and walked off. What the hell am I doing here!? Ayane asked herself.

The Hajin-mon Kunoichi had to hand it to the Chinese, she knew how to make herself scarce for a while. But Zack Island was exactly that, an island, so eventually Ayane would find her. She was very good at finding things.

After a good two hours she had found her on the small beachhead that Zack had jokingly labeled as Bass Island. Why? Hell if she knew. She never even tried to understand what went through Zack's head. God knew she had more important things on her mind than that.

Actually she had more important things to do than to mend the friendship of some two girls she didn't even know that well. But here she was, because she felt that it was her obligation to do so. Like it or not she owed Hitomi her life, and if this was the least she could do, then she would do it.

The Kunoichi found Leifang sitting on the sand, the sandals that she had worn placed neatly besides her, gazing out at the vast ocean as if its mysterious depths held all the answers. The young woman took a deep breath and exhaled it. Here we go.

She slowly drew closer to her and was surprised when all of a sudden Leifang addressed her. "Did you follow me here?"

For a moment Ayane was completely speechless. "How did you know I was even here?"

"In Tai Chi you learn how to differentiate and feel another person's Chi."

Ayane cocked an eyebrow and put a hand on her hip. "Seriously?"

"No. The wind blows in this direction and I could smell your lavender perfume."

"Ah." Of course, she had applied it after her beauty care treatment, shortly before she had encountered Hitomi and Leifang. "Still, good senses."

"That is something you learn in Tai Chi. If you have your eyes closed it's important to hone your other senses." Leifang half turned to face her, a neutral expression on her face. "So what do you want?"

Ayane gave one of her custom shrugs. "Talk, I suppose."

"You suppose?" Leifang cocked her head to the side.

"Well it seems you got a problem with me, and," she hesitated for a moment and averted her gaze. She really wasn't the most social person, even though it had gotten way better than two years ago. "It's not right that Hitomi should have to be caught up in it."

The Chinese said nothing, just kept her gaze on the Kunoichi, sizing her up and judging her all the time, the expression on her face completely neutral. She then turned her attention back to the sea, taking a small seashell and throwing it into waves.

"I don't have a problem with you personally. It's what you're reminding me of."

"What's that supposed mean?" Ayane asked with an irritated tone in her voice and placed her right hand on her hip.

"When I see you my mind goes back to that night. The night when she saved you...when she got hurt saving you." Leifang explained, her voice becoming small so that Ayane could only follow her because of her own trained senses. "You weren't there in the hospital, those agonizing hours that I had to wait, hoping that she would be alright and fearing that she might already be dead."

She took a moment to gather her thoughts. "You couldn't believe how happy I was when the doctor said that she would be alright."

"You're her friend, of course you would be relieved."

"I'm not simply her friend," Leifang told her. "I'm her lover."

If Ayane was shocked by what she just heard she didn't show it.

"It hurt so much to see her lying in that hospital bed, all beaten and hooked up on an IV-bag. The strong girl I didn't even knew that I loved back at the time. The girl that had time and again proven her resolve, that I believed there was nothing that could stop her once she made up her mind, unconscious and broken and I wasn't able to do anything but wait for her to wake up." Leifang let out a hollow laugh. "Can you actually believe that I kissed her for the first time since we were together that night?"

"God, I'm making a fool out of myself here, aren't I?" Leifang asked after she had finished her rant.

A few years ago the lavender-haired girl would have told her that she was doing exactly that just to rile her up, but now...things weren't as simple anymore.

"I haven't forgotten what Hitomi did that night, even though I told her that she shouldn't get involved. But the truth is that I might not even be here today if it wasn't for her." Ayane crossed the distance between them in small steps until she was standing behind the Chinese. "And I'm grateful. I may not be vocal about it, but I'm still grateful and I think Hitomi knows that too."

"I doubt she would even care if you were thankful for what she did; the most important thing for is that she could help you."

"She's a good person." Ayane said.

"The best person I know."

"If it helps, I can keep clear of you two if the reminder of what happens is too much."

"No," Leifang shook her head and stood up, brushing the sand away from her skirt and legs as she did so. "It's not necessary. That's not fair to you and I shouldn't be so hung up about it anymore. Hitomi is alright and what happened cannot be undone anymore."

The dark haired girl turned on her heels, grabbed her sandals and walked past Ayane. The Kunoichi could make out the smallest smile on her lips and couldn't help but return it for a short moment before slipping her usual mask on.

"I dunno about you," Leifang said. "But I'm going back. And while I love swimming I'd rather not be here when the tides come." the last part she said in a joking tone. But there was no answer from the Kunoichi, so Leifang looked over her shoulder but found nothing. Only thin air where the girl had stood before.

Damn Ninjas.

After her encounter with the Ninja girl Leifang had searched around for Hitomi, but she was nowhere to be found. She had asked Tina and Mila if they had seen her, but they too hadn't seen her around. And if she wasn't around any beaches or the pool she was either doing a little bike tour up the hill, walking somewhere around in the small jungle that the island hosted or she was back in their cottage.

The Chinese placed her bet on the last one and as soon as she stepped in their cottage she knew that she was right. A look towards the terrace revealed her girlfriend sitting on the wooden floor, her legs dangling over the edge and doing exactly the same thing that the Chinese had been doing not too long ago.

Without announcing her presence she made her way towards her and joined her on the floor beside her.

"Hey sweetie." Hitomi greeted her and looked at her, smiling a little.

"I'm sorry about earlier." Leifang apologized but Hitomi only shook her head at that.

"I understand. So did you get to think about it all?"

"Mhm." Leifang nodded and sought out Hitomi's hand with her own, intertwining their fingers. "You were right. And I don't think this situation with Ayane will be a problem from now on."

"How so?" Hitomi asked. But Leifang didn't answer the question, instead she just leaned her head against the German's, and once more looked out towards the vast sea. When Hitomi was about to ask again Leifang placed a finger on her lips.

"Shh, let's just enjoy the moment."

The couple fell silent for several moments, just watching the horizon and enjoying the closeness of each other until Hitomi decided to take the initiative, turned her head, gently grabbed her girlfriend's chin and kissed her. Once their lips parted she looked at the Chinese. The events from today had gotten her to think as well. She didn't want Leifang to go through something like that ever again. She knew exactly how Leifang felt during that night, knew how it felt to lose someone important in an instant, but could she really just stop helping people in need, even if she was putting her life on the line in the process?

She didn't know. She just knew what she felt for the girl in front of her and that she wanted to spare her any type of pain.

"I love you. You're everything to me, you know?" she told Leifang and brushed her thumb across the soft skin of her cheek.

"I love you too." Leifang responded with an amused look, but that could hardly hide the flushing of her face. "And what brought this on?"

"I felt like it was the right thing to say."

"You sometimes say the most romantic stuff, you know?" Leifang giggled and gently pushed Hitomi onto her back, leaning over her, their lips only inches apart. "I like that."

And their lips met for another, much longer kiss.

*sniff*
Leifang matured so much.
So and now that the drama is out of the way the fun parts can start. Until next week friends!