Author's Note: Schwarz should be coming in soon... (Finally)! Let's get some evil in here!

Chapter Eight:

Yohji turned from watching the strange witch girl stalk off into the forest with her roses. He didn't even feel a 'you're welcome' from him would be acceptable. Shivering, he pushed off from the pink thing and watched Nami closely. "I hope you're not planning on committing lover's suicide with me, cause I got work tomorrow," Yohji said lazily, opening the driver's door with a screech. He really needed to get that fixed. And wait… he had just used work in a situation that implied he may enjoy it. No way in hell. He flopped into the pollen-infested seat and heaved a sigh. "Yeah, sure, no problem, but don't tell me you want to drive there in this!"

Nami chuckled, sliding into the passenger seat. "Well, this obviously has to go back to the shop. We can walk from there to my apartment; it's not far. Then you can get your sunglasses." Nami had not failed to notice Yohji's grasp for the non-existent object. Nami settled into the seat, not minding the pollen. The sun shined a little bit brighter as she looked at Yohji with a sly smile. "And besides, Yohji, I can't commit lover's suicide with you. We're not lovers." She looked away from him and stage-whispered the last part. "Not yet, anyway."

"Damn you got me," Yohji purred, flooring it and spinning the tortured piece of metal around in the opposite direction they had come from. "That'll have to change soon." He managed to make it back to the flowershop safely, priding himself in his fabulous motor skills. Walking didn't sound very exciting though... He pouted and hopped out, throwing the keys back onto the key rack by the front door that led to the garage they were now in. Yohji looked forlornly at his Seven and frowned in sadness. He wanted to drive it! Giving up, he dragged his feet all the way up to his room. He grabbed his sunglasses off his table and slapped them over his eyes, ignoring the excitement pouring from the short blond's mouth. Something had Omi back in high spirits...Well, that was good. He ignored the actual words coming from his mouth about the soccer league or some shit and the dark ones with shadows clinging to them Yohji knew belonged to their leader. He returned back to Nami with a crooked smile. "Ready to go swimming?"

Nami stood outside the shop, smiling. Maybe this day would have a happy ending after all. She blinked when Yohji mentioned swimming. "Swimming?"

Yohji pulled the shades down from his emerald eyes and smirked, flashing perfect teeth. He didn't expect her to get his joke; they never did. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to sweat my ass off. It's still hot out even with the sun setting."

Nami gave Yohji a disgusted look, laughing. "Oh, Yohji. Gross." She reached out and grabbed his hand. "I have air conditioning. Come on!" She laughed and started walking at a quick pace, pulling Yohji along with her

"That's not how it works, Rani," Aya muttered, looking even more annoyed somehow. If Ken left Weiss, they probably would never see him again. That is, if Ken could leave Weiss. They were kind of stuck now… He sat up and glared at the clock. "Ken's not home. I'm ordering subway." And with that, Aya rose to his feet and headed for the doorway that Omi was currently blocking.

Rani just looked at her brother, shaking her head. She then looked over him towards Omi with a puzzled look. {Why is Aya so bent out of shape about all this?}

Michelle arrived home as the sun was setting, the blood crusted onto her face and arms. She wearily opened the door and let it fall shut behind her. She sighed heavily, trooping up the stairs. She started a hot bath and as soon as the tub was full and slid in. She had kept the roses nearby and now gazed at them with sadness and a touch of anger. Slowly she picked up one rose and began to gently pluck the petals. She continued this until all the roses were naked and all the petals floated in the water. With a shudder and tears in her eyes she slid in deeper, the water coming over her ears and face, leaving her nose and mouth out. She let the utter silence underneath the water consume her.

Yohji gave his trademark grin, holding her hand softly as he followed after her. He wondered briefly what she was planning, but he was willing to play along whatever it was so he didn't ask. It was only a matter of time before they made it back to her place and actually Yohji wasn't thatsweaty. The air conditioning was a life-saver though!

Nami smiled at Yohji as she let them into her apartment. "It might be a little messy, sorry." She smiled fondly at her crazy apartment. Her living room was filled with a collection of strange objects, clearly from all over the world. She pulled on Yohji until he came towards the couch and with a gentle push, made him sit. She then sauntered off to the kitchen. "Want something cool to drink?"

"Yes, please, anything," Yohji said softly in a voice he didn't use very often. He looked around at all the things, smiling a little to himself. He crossed his legs and flopped back into the couch he found strangely comfortable.

Omi blinked awkwardly at Aya before stepping out of the way. He gave the older man a nervous look and then glanced to Rani kindly. "Well, I'll have cheese and turkey, what about you Rani?"

"Um... the same." She said off-handedly. Something really was different about her brother and she wasn't sure how much she liked it. She then blinked once… twice... and smiled at Omi. "Omi, want to watch a movie while we wait for the food?"

"Yeah sure! Great idea~" Omi chimed, trying to lighten the mood like he always did with his overly cheery voice. Cerulean eyes fell on Aya as he watched the redhead 'hn' and then disappear down the stairs. "I still have to introduce you to some of my friends at school. It's probably lonely here all by yourself. Anyways, what movie would you like to watch?"

"That would be great!" She said with a smile as she bounced up. "I'm hoping Aya will get me enrolled in school for next term. I'll have to study this summer so I can catch up to everyone my age… Anyway, let's watch something funny?"

"Something funny would be great. I need a laugh." Omi smiled, walking from Aya's door area and towards the stairs to where their large movie selection awaited. "I'm sure Aya would do anything you asked...almost. And I can help you, anytime!" Omi said excitedly. He really was a genius who loved schoolwork and took pleasure in it...Don't laugh, he knew it was weird.

"Great!" Rani smiled, looking rather excited herself. She couldn't wait to ask Aya about being enrolled in school. Although... maybe she should wait until he was in a better mood. "You should pick the movie, Omi! I don't know many of the new ones."

Eventually, Omi and Rani decided on an awesome comedy movie called 'Kong Pow' and replaced the worn DVD in the machine of a soccer game Ken loved watching with the pristine disc that they had bought recently. Yohji had said it was really good, so Omi had wanted to see it. He hoped Rani would enjoy it also...

Nami smiled to herself and rooted through her fridge. She came up with a jug of lemonade and quickly poured two glasses, putting a couple ice cubes in Yohji's. She replaced the jug in the fridge and brought out the glasses, handing one to Yohji. Holding hers in both hands, she sat on the cushion opposite him with a smile. "There, extra cold. Just to make sure you don't sweat your ass off."

"That wouldn't be good," Yohji said with a laugh in his voice as he began to gulp down the lemonade eagerly. It was only a matter of time before the whole glass was drained and he emitted a sigh. "That hit the spot."

Nami couldn't help but laugh, glancing between his empty glass and her glass that was still 3/4 full. "Would you like another? Or would you say you're satisfied?"

"I'm good for now, but thanks," He said with a calm smile, running a hand through the shorter pieces of wavy hair in the back. "I really like your place." Green eyes glimmered from beneath the sunglasses he still refused to remove (as they were a part of him).

Nami smiled, taking a sip of her lemonade. She looked around her apartment, her eyes sparkling. "Thanks. A lot of the stuff was my parents. Stuff we picked up from every place we lived." She glanced at the picture on her side table next to her. Two smiling faces peered up at her, waving at the person taking the picture. "They eventually settled back home, well, home home. When I moved out here they told me I had to take pieces of home with me." She laughed, shaking her head. "I think they were just dealing with too much clutter."

Yohji nodded at her comment, his eyes focusing on the picture she was looking at of her family. His eyes turned sad before he was aware of it and he became glad of the shades covering over the unYohji-like emotion. Then he laughed also, quickly dispelling the brief moment.

Nami smiled, standing. She took Yohji's empty glass and her half-full glass and brought them into the kitchen. She put his glass into the sink and hers into the fridge for later. She paused a moment, taking a deep breath. {Come on, Nami. You brought him back here for a reason.} Nami cringed inwardly at herself. Yeah, she knew the reason she had brought him back. But she also knew there were a lot of things up in the air between them—like the stadium episode and what happened with Michelle. And being called a 'spy.' So, of course, what she really wanted would only complicate things further. But there was just something about Yohji that she couldn't help but be drawn to. So if this was the last time she ever saw him again (in case something drew them apart)… she was at least going to enjoy herself. She strode from the kitchen back into the living room. She sat down on the couch, next to Yohji this time. She leaned into him with a small smile. {Now to gauge his reaction before I make my move...}

Yohji watched her get up and then made himself more comfortable on the couch, stretching his arm out against the head rest for when she sat back down. He really didn't know what Nami was planning for him at all, but he was expecting a serious conversation...and hated the idea of it. After his mini-fight with Aya, he felt sick to his stomach with dread. What if Aya had been right? The paranoid bastard did have a point after all. Yohji had in fact been an idiot in the past and had major trust problems. The man frowned to himself, sliding his sunglasses to the top of his head as he observed Nami entering the living room once more. He couldn't resist his sloppy trademark smile as she sat back down beside him and he let his arm fall from above her to around her shoulders. "What are you thinking about?" He asked in a seductive voice, but his green eyes remained sincere and sparkled serenely at her.

Nami leaned her head back and to the side, so she could look up at his face. She felt her heart flip-flop. Yeah, there was definitely something about him. The things they needed to talk about were just looming in front of her, but she chose to ignore them. Right now, she needed this real moment. She smiled slowly, her eyes shimmering with various emotions. "You," she murmured, reaching up to run her fingers down his cheek before letting her hand fall in his lap.

"Me?" Yohji asked in a smooth voice, running a quick hand through her soft hair absentmindedly. His eyes gleamed with hidden incentive as the same callused hand slid to her cheek. He broke the small distance between them, their noses moments from touching. Yohji placed his other hand firmly over hers that rested in his lap, stroking her fingertips. His smirk increased and he leaned in to capture her lips. Fuck Aya, Neu can burn in hell, and Asuka...well, Yohji was the kinda guy that needed happiness or he would die. Any form of happiness—whether it hurt him later or not.

Ken stumbled through the door in wreck of exhaustion—as always. He walked past the kitchen—unlike usual—and glanced despondently at the flashing movie on the screen. "Hey guys," He chanted at Omi and Rani, his dulled aqua eyes catching the light on the TV. "Mind turning it down just a bit, I'm heading straight to bed?" That was lie; Ken already knew of the long night awaiting him. He knew that despite how much his winning team had tired him out at the celebration dinner, he had to find out if the professional soccer league really asked for him back. He knew looking for the mail or even the newspaper would result in failure so he settled with the computer. Not waiting for an answer from Omi or much else, the soccer fanatic vanished into his lair where he dug around for his abandoned laptop in a pile of clothes. Opening the pristine object, he began to search until he found articles. The truth struck him harder than when he had first heard it out of Hoshi's mouth...because it was truer. Maybe he didn't trust people, but it was so trueee! The excitement was a wave of energy that had Ken laughing to himself like he had lost his mind. The brunette forced himself to regain composure and pulled out the business card Hoshi had given him, glancing at the clock on the wall that had soccer balls for hands. Ken didn't think it was too late at night, in fact he was hoping he could actually meet with her tomorrow. The shop was still closed, and they didn't have a mission...so, what better chance? He dialed the number and listened to the annoying monotone ring of anticipation.

Aya had long devoured his subway hoagie and currently was sulking in his room sharpening his sword with cold eyes. He ran his fingers along the silver blade affectionately as he wondered how long their make-shift family would really last. As quick as the leader was able to make decisions during a mission, he was having trouble now. It was better for Rani to live in a safer environment considering what happened to Sakura... It was like losing a more distant sister, and in order to prevent anything like that in the future, it would be better to quit. He shuddered at the thought of leaving Weiss. It was like finding a key to unlock the bars that caged him in for years. The whole situation irked him and Yohji wasn't making things better. Aya didn't need to kill anymore...Rani was awake. And Ken, well, Ken didn't need to either. Ken's past caught back up to him and reopened its doors. Omi was almost finished high school and his future was just beginning to start. Yohji, well... Aya shrugged to himself and sheathed his sword, placing it onto its stand. Could they ever go back to a normal existence? Would not-killing haunt them—would they not chased by the shadows left behind? It didn't matter; all that mattered to Aya was Rani's happiness and safety.

Omi opened his mouth as he paused the movie, but then realized Ken was gone. He blinked at the spot the older boy had once occupied. He turned to Rani and shrugged, turning down the volume that had once been blaring. The youngest Weiss member crumpled his hoagie wrapper and tossed it with ease into the trash can next to the couch. That had been nice of Aya to buy them both dinner. Omi beamed to himself, unpausing the movie.

Nami breathed an internal sigh of relief as Yohji moved closer to her. {Thank goodness!} She could feel the corners of her lips turning up in a large smile as she closed the rest of the distance between them, letting their lips touch. She let her mind go blank; nothing else mattered right now except this moment.

Yohji soon became lost in his instincts, his warming eyes closing into the eternal kiss. He opened his mouth to hers and his head spun with the intensity of his feelings. When was the last time he felt like this? He couldn't be too rough or she would break, and he couldn't be too light or she wouldn't feel anything. They ex-playboy slid from his seat next to her and pushed his chest against hers, his breath growing subtly ragged.

Nami felt completely and utterly surrounded. All at once the world was a blur and then in the same second, totally in focus. She could feel her own breaths grow heavy and her eyes closing as Yohji's body pushed closer to hers. She could feel him enjoying this as well and she wanted to let herself fall into him. But she didn't want to be completely seduced. Nami couldn't let Yohji think he was entirely in control of all this. She gently began to shift to put Yohji slightly off-balance. When she felt she had a good hand, she broke the kiss, and eyes sparkling, pushed him so that he fell flat on his back on the floor.

It seemed like ages before Michelle rose from the tub. She let the water slowly drain as she wrapped a towel around herself. Using another towel to dry her hair a little she moved from her bathroom into the master bedroom. She went around the room lighting candles until she was bathed in a gloomy light. She paused to gaze at herself in the mirror, seeing the wounds as the light flickered over her. She sighed heavily, stepping out of the towel and throwing a nightgown over her head. Her body felt heavy and it ached. She laid herself gingerly out on the bed, sighing as she settled in. This was the price of magic. And sometimes… how she loathed it. She let a lone tear roll down her cheek as she closed her eyes. She prayed that sleep would come quickly and strong, but she doubted it would do as she asked.

Someone answered! "Ken Hidaka," he said with a calm voice, trying to hide his hyper personality and sound somewhat cool...well, at least over the phone. "I decided to accept," he blurted out, surprising himself. Wait...had he really? Shit, too late. It wasn't a question though...soccer was his life, and if he said no, it would be like throwing himself off a cliff. Hell, he might as well do that if he declined the amazing request. "I couldn't find the envelope, but I'm going to call tomorrow, would you like to set up a meeting afterwards?"

Hoshi blinked. {Oh, wow. That was fast.} "Congratulations, Mr. Hidaka. I'm sure the league will be happy to have you back." She made another mad roll to her other bedside table to grab her planner. She quickly opened it to the following day. "Is there a specific time you would like this meeting to be? My schedule is open after one PM."

"I hope so... after they falsely accused me," Ken said with a frown lingering in his tired voice. "Ah, well any time is fine. I'm free all day since work is closed."

"How about two PM, then? I'll look forward to hearing all about it tomorrow." Hoshi tried her best to remain all business even though she felt like she would burst with questions. She gave herself a mental slap in the face. {Careful! This story will get you that promotion! Don't screw it up!}

"Sounds good to me," Ken nodded to himself, realizing only half way that she couldn't see through the receiver. "I'll see you then. Have a good night." And then he hung up rather abruptly as he was known for. The goalie fell back onto his bed with a stressed sigh. Life was so hard...and yet awesome. Closing his eyes, he eventually fell asleep.

Hoshi stared at her phone. "Uh… bye." With a shrug of her shoulders, she shifted back to her laptop. She had another article she needed to finish up. She ended up working late into the night, falling asleep in front of her laptop (although she managed to shut it before she fell asleep).

Rani was curled in a ball on the couch, sound asleep. Her arm was tucked underneath her head. She hadn't moved for a while, not realizing that the credits had stopped rolling and the screen was blank. She had thoroughly enjoyed the movie, laughing and forgetting her cares for a little while. You could tell she had been laughing as she fell asleep because a small smile was evident on her face.

Omi hadn't realized Rani fell asleep until the movie ended. He smiled sweetly at her and tucked their softest blanket around her. Not bothering to put the movie away, Omi retired to his own room and strangely had a nightmare about Subway monsters...

A dumbfounded Yohji stared back at Nami from where he fell off the couch and onto the floor. "Wha...?" He blinked at her, panting slightly. She didn't seem angry, in fact, her breathing was almost equal to his own. Yohji smirked to himself. This girl was plotting something...

Nami looked down at him for a minute, just smiling. She figured she looked like a lunatic, her smile was that huge. She stood slowly and moved towards where Yohji lay on the floor. She nonchalantly straddled him, settling herself on top of him. She leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. "Well, hey there." She said with a wink as she quickly pecked him on the lips.

"Aaa~" Yohji chimed, winking at her closed eyes. "You like it on top." His professional hands caressed her from her shoulders to her hips where they rested. Green eyes narrowed and he turned his lips to her neck.

Nami laughed and let the laughter fade away to a soft sigh as Yohji put his lips on her neck. She remained there under his ministrations for a few minutes. Just as suddenly as she had pushed him on the ground, she pushed herself off him. She grabbed onto one of his hands and laughing at the confused look on his face, pulled him to his feet. "Come on. I can think of somewhere more comfortable than the floor." She tugged until Yohji was in her bedroom with her. With another laugh, she kicked the door shut behind her as she went up to Yohji, looping her arms around his neck. "Now then, where were we?"

Aya woke up with his body aching. Apparently, last night he had taken to practicing his draws, whipping the blade around his room and causing havoc. Now he needed new curtains. Lazy violet eyes creaked open to focus blankly on the pristine ceiling. He made no effort to move despite his katana's sheath digging into his back. After he achieved a grip on his thoughts, the redhead rolled off the sword and kicked it out of the bed. It clanked to the ground loudly and Aya cringed, shutting his eyes. He regretted that. There was no motivation to get up, nothing was drawing him forward, life was becoming stagnant, and there were no more goals... What now? He felt he knew the answer; in fact, it was as clear as the pain in his back. Aya just wasn't ready to admit it to himself let alone anyone else.

Michelle awoke with a start, breathing heavily. Her eyes snapped open, realizing that despite it being morning it was pitch black in her room. With a groan, she sat up and got out of bed. Walking over to the bay window in her room, she threw the curtains open, letting the light wash over her. More nightmares again—more chilling dreams of things to come had caused her to toss and turn all night. Stifling a yawn, she moved downstairs to make herself some breakfast. After the ordeal in the forest she hadn't eaten and she was quite hungry.

Rani blinked a few times as she came slowly awake. She was confused at first as to why she was on the couch. Then she remembered watching the movie with Omi the night before. She must've fallen asleep. With a loud yawn she stood, folding the blanket Omi had so kindly thrown over her. Stretching, she went up to her room to clean herself up and put on a fresh change of clothes. She was hoping as she went into her room that maybe Aya would be in a better mood than yesterday.

At this early hour, Omi was currently in the flowershop, arranging a few flowers for the next day when the doors would finally open again. It felt like forever since the attack of the wild fan girls consumed him... All well, he wasn't complaining! He sprinted around, doing the usual chores of carefully watering the plants. They all seemed happy this morning...all so green. It was probably because it was so humid in there. Omi pulled at his shirt that stuck to him and wrapped the hose back up with a sigh. The guilt was stronger today...tomorrow was going to be Sakura's funeral. At least that was what Manx had written him in the e-mail this morning. Tomorrow was so sudden to let go of someone they had known for so long... Omi stretched his arms high into the air as if layering himself with his normal happiness. Sakura was kidnapped and killed and it wasn't Weiss' fault; it was an accident. Omi knew very well that not everyone could be protected. No one was all-seeing—no one could predict what would happen. Now he just had to face it in his own way. Omi knew...he just knew that Sakura would want them all to go on smiling for her. And Omi would do just that.

Shayla smiled and laughed as she walked into the penthouse with Hoshi. They had just spent a couple hours running and, well, taking in the air. She waved at Hoshi as they went their separate ways in the apartment so they could shower. As Shayla stripped out of her shorts and t-shirt, she couldn't help but keep smiling. It was nice to have someone around again—someone a little closer to her own age. She hopped into the shower, knowing that she had a full day ahead of her. She had more unpacking and arranging to do until Omi called her. Her heart skipped a tiny beat as she thought about spending the day with Omi, exploring Tokyo. He really was a good friend and was becoming dearer to her by the day.

Hoshi rolled her eyes a little as Shayla went off to her bathroom to shower. That girl was a ray of sunshine, and that was no mistake. Still, it was nice having her around. So far anyway. Shayla kept Hoshi from falling too heavily into her work, which she had a tendency to do. Thank goodness it was summer break otherwise she'd be even more stressed out. Shaking those thoughts from her head, she took a quick shower. She did have a meeting this afternoon. Even though it wasn't until two, she had to go into the office to hand in her article and get some more information. She wasn't going to blow this. She stood in her towel, her wet hair up in a messy bun. She needed to look professional, but casual. "Arrgh..."

Ken exited a cloud of water vapor, his hair dripping wet and a towel hanging very loosely around his hips. Having forgotten about the existence of a girl in the household, he froze when he spotted Rani. He was blocking her path into her room. He stepped tentatively away, blushing a bit. Ken continued to pause briefly from horror before he found himself darting into his room behind a slammed door. Panting, he bit his lip and then went about getting dressed. Today was his meeting with Hoshi... he had to wear something other than a soccer jersey, but what?

Nami awoke to her body feeling sore, but in a good way. She sighed softly and rolled over to hit…flesh. Her eyes snapped open with surprise, but the expression quickly became a soft smile as she realized who it was. Yohji was next to her, sleeping quite soundly. She watched him sleep for a few minutes before she decided to rise, realizing that she was somewhat indecent. Blushing to herself she quickly threw on shorts and a tank top. Leaning over the bed, she placed the softest kiss on Yohji's head before exiting the room, letting the door shut silently behind her. She walked into the kitchen and began to rifle through the cabinets and fridge.

Ken gave up after a few seconds, and checking to make sure that Rani was nowhere to be seen, he slipped from his room and down the stairs to the kitchen. Now...what would be for breakfast? He dug through the fridge and found...eggs. Eggs and milk seemed to be the only thing they had left. The place was really lacking a women's touch. Ken sighed sadly, thinking about Sakura. She was always dragging one of them out food shopping with her... It was usually Ken because everyone else was apt at escaping except him. Aya went too...rarely. The soccer fanatic had received the e-mail from Manx about the funeral last night when he was surfing the web for articles on himself. The amount that turned up was shocking. He really had to call and confirm the offer they were making him... Suddenly a voice made him jump and nearly drop the egg he was holding. That's right, Ken was contemplating something for once.

"Ken...why are you in a towel?" Omi stood before him, all wet himself, but sweaty with some dirt clinging to his clothes. He had his hands on his hips and a strange look in his blue eyes.

"S—so what if I am?" Ken stammered, his teal eyes glowing darkly with anger. He had hoped he could have eaten breakfast in peace, but noooo Omi just had to interfere. "Why are you here anyway?" Ken frowned, the disappointment clearly in his features.

"What? Why am I here...?" Omi asked, his own voice sounding angered now. "Excuse me, I was working while you lazy bums do whatever the hell you want! The flowers all could have died for all you care!" He looked down after his outburst, saying in a soft voice with traces of sadness clinging to it. "Something has to be kept alive..."

"I care," Ken said in a calmer voice that also took on a soft quality. He turned from the frigid air and placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Omi. I know how you feel." His eyes were filled with care and his own deep-rooted sadness that was evidently spilling over into his words. "I'm in a towel because I can't decide what to wear."

Omi suddenly burst out laughing, his sunshine returning. "So you're prancing around the house like that?" He cracked up, holding onto the counter for balance. "I sure hope Rani didn't see you like that!"

"Uh..." Ken looked sideways and gave a frustrated sigh. "She already did, but whatever!" He crossed his arms, still holding the egg. "Now, I'm trying to make breakfast dammit!"

"Good luck. I hope your towel doesn't fall down," Omi smirked, chuckling and as he turned to leave, his eyes captured Ken's fiery gaze. "Sakura's funeral is tomorrow..."

"I know." And then Ken turned back to grab more eggs to throw into the pan he took from the bottom drawer. These were going to be freaking amazing eggs, dammit!

Hoshi was in the process of making breakfast herself, but unlike Ken, she was dressed. A professional job warranted professional clothing; she was wearing a black pencil skirt with a navy button-down blouse. Her black pumps click-clacked across the floor as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. She had to admit as she sat down to eat her cereal, dressing in business casual made her look a lot older than her 19 years. Which was good... it meant she got more respect in the newsroom. She tucked an unruly strand of hair behind her as she ate, making a mental checklist of everything she still needed to do before leaving the house.

Shayla bounced into the kitchen barefoot, wearing a long, teal bathrobe. She had put her long, red hair into two braids, letting them fall down her back. She grabbed a bowl of cereal for herself, as well as a glass of apple juice. She slid into the seat across from Hoshi. "Wow, Hoshi. You look so different."

It took Hoshi a minute to snap out of her checklist to respond to Shayla. "Um. oh. Yes. Thanks" Hoshi laughed a little. "Being one of the youngest non-interns means you have to strive to prove yourself in every way. Including how you dress."

"That makes sense." Shayla ate a bite of her cereal before speaking again. "I'm glad I don't have to worry about things like that for a little while."

"Yeah, enjoy your time now." Hoshi laughed. She stood to put her empty bowl and glass into the sink, sighing, frustrated. "Stupid hair." She tucked yet another strand behind her ear.

"I'll do it!" Shayla let her spoon fall back into her bowl. She stood and practically dragged Hoshi back into the seat. As Hoshi yelped in surprise, Shayla began to nimbly french braid Hoshi's hair. "Is green your natural color?"

Hoshi was confused but as she felt Shayla beginning to tug and braid her hair, she relaxed a little. If she could make her own hair look good, Shayla could probably succeed with Hoshi's. "No..." She laughed, trying to keep her head still. "I lost a bet with some friends at school. One more day and I can dye it back to my natural color." She stood when Shayla had finished, feeling the work gingerly. "Wow... thanks Shayla!" She grinned at her before dashing off to her side of the house. "I've got to rush now, though!" Within five minutes she had grabbed her laptop bag and purse and was out the door with a wave to Shayla.

Shayla laughed and waved after Hoshi before sitting down to finish enjoying her cereal.

Nami smiled as gazed down at the mixing bowl on the counter. She had successfully made chocolate chip pancake mix. From scratch. Okay, not entirely from scratch. She had found a half-full box of pancake mix and a huge bag of chocolate chips. And it just seemed to make sense. She took out the biggest pan she had and stuck it on the stove, lighting the flame underneath. As she let it heat up she turned to her coffee maker, flicking the switch and letting it do its thing. She turned back to the stove and taking out a ladle, began to make some pancakes. As she cooked she hummed to herself, smiling absentmindedly.

Rani felt refreshed after washing her face and changing clothes. She had dug around in the drawers filled with clothes bought by the boys. She was a little disappointed to see it was mostly filled with jeans and t-shirts. She sighed a little. She really needed a girl to go shopping with. She frowned, thinking about Sakura.. the girl who had been around only for a short time since she had woken up. She shook her head, throwing on jeans and a green t-shirt. She would need to find something to wear to the funeral, whenever that was. She decided to ask Aya, throwing her hair up in a ponytail as she padded down the hallway. She knocked quietly on her brother's door, in case he was still sleeping.

Aya eventually left his room, dressed in casual all-black cotton pants and a muscle shirt. He opened the refrigerator, closed it, and then went about making tea. They really needed food in the house. He frowned at the thought and decided it had to be done today or they would starve. Picking up breakfast too wasn't such a bad idea... Once the tea was ready, he poured himself a mug and downed it. Aya placed the empty thing in the sink and checked on the plants in the flowershop only to find that they were already watered. Sighing, Aya went back to his room to check his e-mail as he always did once a day in the morning, but he barely got the website open before a knock dragged him from his duty. Turning in his leather computer chair, the redhead blinked at the door. "Come in?" It was probably Rani... no one else would bother him in the morning.

Rani opened the door and peeked her head in. "Morning Oniisan." She smiled a little, glad to see he was awake. "Can I come in?"

…and they were freaking amazing eggs! After Ken inhaled them, he decided to actually put on clothes. Unfortunately...they didn't match. Ken thought they did because, to him, soccer jerseys matched everything. Unfortunately, a red soccer shirt will never match brown jeans... He exited his room, running his hands through his damp hair. For some reason it seemed wavier than usual... maybe it was the intense humidity outside? "Oi Omiiii?"

"Hm?" Omi looked up from the magazine he was skimming to meet Ken's teal-colored eyes. He scowled upon sight. "Ken you looked better in a towel."

"Thanks. I'm turning on the air, so if there're windows I'm not aware of, close them." He turned from the younger male and straight to the buttons on the wall next to him. The meeting with Hoshi was approaching and he was getting so anxious! Shit, maybe he had turned the temperature down too much... Was negative two too cold?

Aya nodded, turning the monitor off and putting his feet up on the bed. The light from the hallway outside his room made him squint, his irises vanishing into violet. He wondered what this could be about, but decided to wait to ask...

Rani smiled, coming in and shutting the door behind her. She plopped down on his bed and looked at him for a moment. She was unsure how to start so she just kind of went in. "Ummm... Aya. I uh, well, I like the clothes you guys bought me, but... I need some more, girl's clothes." She looked up innocently, her eyes sparkling. "Can I go shopping?"

Nami turned off the stove, smiling happily at the huge pile of steaming pancakes on the counter. She looked over to see the coffee machine had finished and hot coffee had filled the pot. Breakfast was ready! However... she was at this point, alone. She went into her bedroom to see Yohji, still sound asleep in her bed. She went over to the bed and gently shook him on his shoulder. "Hey… Yohji..."

Under normal circumstances the shaking would result in nothing, but Nami's natural smell wafted into his sleeping mind and dragged him from the dark world into the morning. Bleary emerald eyes creaked open slightly and then shut. The ex-playboy felt around for her arm and pulled her to him. He kissed her neck softly, a very slight smile on his lips. "Afternoon, beautiful."

Nami laughed, wiggling out of his arms and kissing him on the cheek. "Morning, actually." She bounced up with a grin, tugging his arm. "Come on! I made breakfast!"

Aya's eyes widened with surprise and then he uncharacteristically laughed. He reached over and grabbed his wallet off the table. The chain attached to it jingled as he pried the snaps open. He grabbed all the money in it and handed it to her. "You don't need to ask." A ghost of a smile lingered on his lips. "Just don't spend it all in one store."

"Yay!" Rani grinned, taking the money enthusiastically. She smiled, folding it up and putting it in her pocket. She frowned a little, thinking about the other thing she needed to ask. "Um... I was wondering…do you know when Sakura's...?" She trailed off, not really wanting to finish the question.

"Sakura's...?" Aya really had no idea what she was trying to ask, but he could tell that it was a sensitive topic. The mere mention of her name ran sorrowful fingers up and down his spine.

"Her… funeral..." Rani whispered, feeling horrible for even bringing it up.

"Haven't heard..." Aya said darkly, switching his monitor back on. His eyes wandered over the various e-mails until he noticed one from Kritiker. Ah... He clicked on it and scanned it quickly. "The funeral's tomorrow."

Yohji's eyes shot open and he turned in every which way to locate a clock. When he didn't find one immediately, he stared at her in shock. "Wha…what? Morning? Is the world ending...?" The prospect of breakfast made the bum of a man slid from the covers and to the carpet dressed in just his boxers. He hadn't eaten breakfast since the dawn of the dinosaurs. This woman used some sort of magic... he knew it! "Damn it's humid today..."

Nami laughed. "I'll turn the air conditioning on." She chuckled and left her bedroom, going to the little box in the living room. She dropped the temperature down enough to kick-start the air. She then went over to the kitchen, grabbing a couple plates, coffee mugs, and forks. She set up her small table nonchalantly, waiting for Yohji to emerge.

"You mean the air's not even on!" Yohji asked, horrified. "I probably sweat to death and now I smell bad..." He frowned as he followed after her into the kitchen, yawning loudly. "I'm still tired, why am I awake aga—" The smell of coffee made him drool inwardly. He emerged to the small table with a crooked smile. "You're too perfect."

Rani nodded, standing. "I'd like to go…" She smiled faintly at Aya and hugged him tightly before leaving his room. She went downstairs to eat a bowl of cereal before going out on her shopping spree.

"Alright..." Aya said as she hugged him and he turned back to the computer with a bored expression. So many e-mails to page through... and the only one that had any meaning was the very simple one sent by Manx: 'I'm very sorry for the loss of Sakura. I know how important she was and that she died because of leaked information on the mission... We take responsibility and the funeral is to be held tomorrow morning nine PM at the shrine, please try to be early if you are attending. - Manx.' That was it... Everything else meant nothing really. His heart stirred for the thought once more of never being able to see her again. She'll never run, never water the plants. The thought hurt more than Aya could understand and he found himself staring at the monitor as if in a trance—a trance of memories for someone who was no longer in this world...

Nami laughed and shook her head. "Not really." She gestured for Yohji to sit down as she brought out the pancakes and put them on the table. Then she brought over the coffee pot and filled the two mugs to the brim.

Yohji frowned like a scolded child and sat down as he was commanded. Looking tiredly at the pancakes, he looked back up at her, pouting in his most manly way. "Nami, you shouldn't brush that off; I was being serious..." He trailed off, his voice sounding slightly whiney, but also raspy as it always was in the morning. He took his freshly poured coffee and began slurping at it until half the cup was gone. He placed it back on the table and began to cut his glorious pancakes. "To me, you are perfect." He would never mention his other thoughts to her. But Nami was just like Asuka except different; they weren't the same person... just the same sort of feeling. Yohji's heart was beating fast as he chewed the pancake right off the fork. Fear—he was beginning to feel the on-comings of fear and it scared him.

Shayla took a flying leap from the entrance of her bedroom onto her bed, reaching for cellphone on the bedside table. She was still in pajamas, but decided to call Omi anyway. She punched in the numbers and listened to the phone ring, her smile growing.

Omi threw the magazine he was reading at the wall with a frown and stood up. He followed after Ken's ten-minute-old shadow and reset the air conditioning before it broke. It was set on negative two... He sincerely doubted if that was even possible, but they would all freeze to death if it was...or it would break the expensive thing he had programmed himself. The boy shut the box in the wall and scurried back to his place on the couch, flipping on the television to watch the news he had just read. That was when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Excitement raced through him as he flipped it open only to see that it was the insurance agent. He sighed angrily and hit ignore, turning back to the TV. It insisted by vibrating against his leg yet further. Omi pulled it out and flipped it open. "Seriously Yoshida! I already told you I switched over. Give it a rest already!"

"Yoshida? Ah, so there's someone else, is there?" Shayla laughed, standing and going to her closet. "Really Omi, you should check your caller ID before you answer." She tucked her head onto her shoulder, the phone in between. She began shifting through the mess of clothes in the closet, trying to find something to wear.

There was a moment of silence as Omi registered what was going on. "Crap!" He hissed quietly before sighing. "Sorry..." The blond-haired boy murmured sadly. "I've been having a stressing morning... And no, it's the old insurance guy." Omi laughed nervously, flopping over on his back on the couch still, with the TV flashing in the background. "I wouldn't cheat on you in a million years... but we'd have to date first," Omi said with a cheerful laugh in his voice. He only hoped that Shayla knew what he was saying... He hadn't known she could speak Japanese and had been slightly surprised to find that out since they had only spoken in English online.

Shayla stopped short in her search for clothes, trying to formulate what Omi had just said. "Umm…" She chuckled nervously. "You speak quickly, you know that? Because I could've sworn you just asked me on a date and then said you would cheat on me with an old guy, but only in a million mornings." She reached into her closet and pulled out her denim skirt and threw it on the bed behind her and began to look for a shirt.

Omi fell off the couch and the thud echoed into the receiver as he struggled to keep it on his ear. "Hahahah! What on earth are you talking about?" He blurted out, realizing he was talking fast again. He never really noticed, but he was a rather quick speaker. He figured it was because his brain always moved quickly. "SHALL WE TRY ENGLISH?" Omi asked completely fluently. "I was surprised you could even speak Japanese. I said: 'I wouldn't cheat on you in a million years... but first we'd have to date.'" Omi smiled to himself, picking himself off the plush carpet and back onto the couch.

Even though Rani felt sad that she had a friend's funeral tomorrow, the prospect of clothes shopping was cheering. After all, it had been three years. She walked around at a leisurely place going from store to store and just window shopping for a little while. She didn't want to spend the money too quickly; the clothes needed to jump out at her before she would think about buying them.

Nami just shook her head with a small smile, refilling Yohji's mug. She sat down opposite him and began to eat her own pancakes, chewing thoughtfully. She couldn't quite understand why Yohji felt she was perfect. She was far from it and she knew it. Still it was nice to be appreciated. Maybe it was a good sign for their future. After all, they still had a lot of things to talk about and any number of those could completely ruin everything. Shaking off those negative thoughts, she looked at Yohji, taking a sip of coffee. "Did you sleep well?"

"No, I believe the question is: 'did you sleep at all?' Someone kept me up all night." He winked, green eyes shining at her from through his dirty blond hair. "Not only that, but someone also woke me up before the designated hour of waking." Yohji smirked, drinking half of the coffee again and eating another pancake.

Nami gave him a look, raising an eyebrow. "Excuse you. I will admit, I woke you up. Never knew you had a 'designated hour of waking' so I decided that morning was good enough." She took a bite of her pancake before replying to his earlier comment. "And as for that, I believe you kept me up all night. Not the other way around." She fought a smile, trying to look bothered.

"If it was me, I would have kept you up 'til mornin'!" Yohji laughed, smirking at how flustered she looked. He finished off his food and coffee and let out a breath. "Ah, that was so good!"

Nami rolled her eyes and laughed, finishing off her pancake and coffee. "I'm glad you liked it." She started to clear off the table. She hated leaving a mess; better to get it done right away then leave it 'till later.

This was where Yohji was supposed to step in. He was slightly reluctant though and hovered at the table until Nami reached the sink. He strutted over, emanating chivalry. If he was going to do it, he'd do it in style. Whipping out his sunglasses from nowhere, Yohji slipped them over his eyes and reached for a plate, turning on the water and sprinkling it with soap. "I got it. Why don't you go plot what we're doing after I finish—like sleeping some more..."

Nami smiled and standing on her tiptoes, kissed him on the cheek in thanks. "I'll be in bed." She said with a chuckle, walking back into her bedroom and sliding in between the sheets with a small yawn.

Shayla laughed, switching to English as well. "That makes muchmore sense. Yeah, I started learning when I discovered I was moving to Japan. I speak it pretty well, if I do say so myself. But I'm still not great at understanding it. I'd like to try sticking with Japanese when we go out later, but you'll have to speak slowly for me." She laughed again, giving herself a mental {ah ha} when she discovered the maroon and gold striped tank top she had been looking for. She threw it onto the bed on top of the skirt. "So, what time do you want to meet up today?"

"Please save me from this boredom I beg you!" Omi whined from atop the couch. "I've read the paper and now I'm watching the same thing on TV...I'm going to lose my mind!" He switched the annoying buzz in the background off and placed the controller on the coffee table. "And yeah, I'll speak slow, but tell me if I'm going too fast for ya."

"Bored already? How long have you been up?" Shayla laughed as she grabbed her gold flats from her closet and began to pull out some jewelry to go with her outfit. "How about at 11:30? That'll give me time to finish up some things and let you writhe a bit more in boredom." She carefully put in her gold hoop earrings as she waited for his reply.

"Eh...not sure," Omi replied, fiddling with the remote and brushing the dust off of it between the buttons. He looked up at the clock in the kitchen and smiled. "Yeah, I think I can survive until then... but the writhing part doesn't sound exciting. I think I'll defrag my computer..."

Shayla laughed. "Sounds like a plan. Where should I meet you?"

In bed? Was she serious...? Yohji blinked after her in surprise before turning back to the dishes he was attempting to clean. He didn't even notice the fact that she kissed him because he was so hung up on the fact that she was actually complying with what he wanted. Was the world ending or something? He turned the faucet off as he finished and dried the dishes, setting them in a neat pile—or what he perceived as neat—and headed to the bed room.

Nami smiled to herself as she pulled the covers up to her chin, rolling onto her side so her back was to the door. She wasn't a person who normally went back to bed after getting up, but she figured she could make a few concessions. Besides, she did enjoy sleeping with Yohji and doing it again did sound appealing.

Of course, Yohji hadn't been expecting this as he opened the door and saw her under the covers. To his pleasure, he slipped beneath them with her and shut his eyes. Wow... not even Asuka had let him sleep. Life was looking up!

"There's a coffee shop called La Fleurs, want to meet there? My treat!" Omi flung the controller down and switched off the TV.

"Sounds good to me! I'll see you soon then!" With a smile, she hung up her phone and began to get herself ready for a day out in the city.

To be continued...