Disclaimer: I do not follow the Manga in this story, and I do not own the characters. Sorry this took so uber long!

Chapter 11: Restaurants and Confessions

Mii pulled up to a restaurant and stopped the car. She gave Shigure another shy smile, first dates, no matter whether one knows the person's feelings or not, can be nerve racking. Especially with someone a person has known for years. Shigure returned her smile, and offered her his arm. With a small laugh she draped her arm over his and allowed him to escort her into the restaurant.

"My, what an expensive looking place! I had no idea we were going someplace so fancy!" Mii sounded astonished as she spoke.

"Ah, well, only the best!" Shigure replied with a coy grin, "And you shouldn't act so surprised! You drove after all! You knew where we were going!"

"True, although I didn't realize it was such an elegant restaurant." She blushed softly, feeling slightly foolish for even commenting.

"As I said, only the best." He smiled sweetly as he opened the door for her. The low light glinted off her silver earrings. Shigure took her thin white jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door. Then the waiter led them to the table that was reserved under Shigure's name.

He waited till she was seated and then took a seat across from her, smiling broadly. The two could not help grinning as people do when they are in a freshly forged relationship.

"What do you want to drink?" The waiter asked them, his dark brown hair falling into his eyes as he looked down at the couple.

Shigure ordered some sake, Mii asked for some water, since she would be driving, and didn't want to risk an accident. The waiter walked away and the couple took to examining their menus.

Shigure peered over the brim of his menu at his editor, his large dark eyes soft and tender as opposed to the usual devilish gleam they carried, "Mii, have I told you how lovely you look tonight?" He grinned as he let his eyes drift over her.

"Oh, I think you may have mentioned it in the car once or twice," She blushed softly, not used to having him be so complimentary. In truth, he was uncharacteristically nervous, and unsure of how to conduct himself around her. He felt his usual pervertedness might offend her, and did not want to risk ruining the evening.

The drinks came, and they placed the orders for their entrees. Mii stared at the table in front of her, nervous and blushing. Shigure cleared his throat several times without saying much of anything in between. They sipped their drinks and sat in awkward silence.

"So…" Shigure began softly at length, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Very much." Mii responded, blushing a little more.

"To be honest…" Shigure continued awkwardly, "I've…liked you for quite some time…" A rare blush crossed his cheeks lightly at this admission.

"You…you have?" Mii asked in disbelief. He had always taken such joy in tormenting her, that she had never thought he might feel that way about her.

"Why, yes I have. Since we first met, actually. You were so cute, all flustered like that. It's why I began to torment you on a regular basis!" He felt more comfortable with his confession now, and the pink tinge of his cheeks faded.

"So that's why!" She said with an odd little laugh, "And here I just thought you wanted to drive me into an early retirement!"

"That was certainly the farthest thing from my reason!" Shigure said, feigning that he had been wounded by her words.

"So…" Mii began hesitantly, "Why did you never tell me?"

"Well…I…erm…" Shigure coughed softly and looked away, thinking a moment before responding. He couldn't very well tell her that for all intents and purposes he was forbidden from falling in love. So, he went with his secondary reason for not admitting his feelings, "I was certain you would view it as a breach of professional conduct."

"Well, I would have. I mean, I did. That's why I never told you how I felt. I was determined not to allow it."

"Ah!" Shigure beamed mischievously, "So, you have long harbored a forbidden desire for me as well!" Mii simply blushed and nodded, "That's why you showed up blushing on my porch your first day on the job! I knew you couldn't resist my charm!"

Mii couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, "Who could resist your childish antics."

"Childish? My behavior is most certainly not childish! I'm quite mature!" He mocked indignance and pouted, earning another giggle from his editor. The novelist gave her a roughish wink, "You see? You find me beguiling, admit it!"

"Fine, you do have a certain charm about you." Mii conceded with a shrug as the waiter came and set their meal on the table before them.

The two began to eat, chatting idly over his latest ideas for manuscripts, and other aspects of shared interest. It was amazing just how well they clicked. They didn't necessarily share a great deal in common, but their differences were what had attracted them to each other.

When in some random snippet of conversation Mii confessed that she adored dogs, Shigure froze, his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, "You don't say."

"Well, yes. I really do like dogs, very much." The young editor blinked, confused as to why this particular piece of information should intrigue him so.

"How interesting." He said, leaving it at that as he went back to eating.

Once more Mii simply blinked at him, utterly confused by his interest in her love of dogs.

When they had finished eating, and Shigure had paid the tab, they made their way out of the restaurant. Shigure retrieved Mii's jacket from the closet near the entrance.

As they walked through the door, a voice that was all too familiar to Mii came from the shadow of the overhanging roof of the building, "If it isn't Mii." Her date from the night she had come to Shigure in tears stepped from the shadows and addressed the novelist, "I certainly hope she's behaving better for you than she was for me." He said with a smug little grin. Mii growled in contempt, and Shigure knew instantly who this man was.

Uh-oh. The cliff just popped out of no where! They never saw it coming! Sorry this took so long to update, I certainly hope you liked it. The Jerk is back, but I don't know what to name him, if I bother giving him a name! I don't know many Japanese names, other than what I've seen in Manga and Anime. Any Ideas for a name let me know! And it may take me awhile to update. I just got the new Harry Potter book, and while I am a fast reader, I can only read it after 10 o'clock at night, cuz my little sister reads it during the day. No time to thank reviewers individually, so thank you all!