A/N: Hello, hello. I write when I need an escape and right now is when I need one.

So this is an AU story. I haven't written something like this for a while now, but hopefully it'll be interesting and hopefully, I won't lose interest in it. I have most of the mechanics, dynamics, etc fleshed out already, so it should be a smooth ride for the most part.

I got the idea for something like this from the culture festival episode when Kumiko's class did the maid cafe thing and Reina came over to solicit Kumiko. so yeah. this was born from those glorious 10 seconds or so.

I hope you enjoy it! Please review if you'd like more.

Red String of Fate - I

It was sudden, unexpected, and completely instant. Kumiko didn't understand what was happening and all she could do was stand there and let herself be taken in by the music. The stage lights were blinding and bright, focusing on the soloist that rendered the entire room speechless. Awe enveloped the room. It spread through the lounge as the hauntingly full timbres of a brass instrument reverberated off the walls. It was a sound that conveyed the deepest of human emotions, a sweet melancholy that felt strangely nostalgic.

Kumiko was frozen to the spot, standing at an empty table, a damp cloth in her hand. She clutched it reflexively against the tabletop, frozen in inaction. She felt like her heart was going to burst. The music was so beautifully deep, evoking an emotion that she couldn't put her finger on. She was transfixed on the trumpet player standing on center stage. For a split second, she locked eyes with a pair of beautiful amethyst ones. They shone with such life, with such promise, and Kumiko couldn't help but think she was being pulled in. It was like a Siren's song, a mysterious force that was dragging her into the deep waters. Despite that, she didn't care. All she wanted was to relish the feeling, to reach out and…

And then it was over. The magic was gone. A round of applause sounded and the girl on stage curtsied gracefully before exiting stage left with her trumpet in hand. Her pin straight black hair fluttered behind her, following the train of her flowing black cocktail dress.

The magic dissipated, but Kumiko found herself still staring. She stayed entranced with the woman who held herself with such confidence, her strides slow and sure as she disappeared into a back room.

Kumiko could still hear the tones of the brass melody playing over and over in her head. She had always loved music, but she knew this was on a different level. Her heart was beating erratically and she was enthralled, enraptured, and this sensation was foreign and breathtaking.

The strange thing was that Kumiko wasn't sure if she was talking about the music anymore.

She clutched the cloth in her hand, still not knowing what to do.

"Hey...I hope you're not having a stroke over here or anything…"

Kumiko whipped around, her cheeks reddening as she realized how stupid she must have looked. She turned to find her co-worker staring rather judgmentally at her, an eyebrow raised in questionable concern. Her big yellow ribbon flopped around as she took a step towards the brunette.

"C'mon...Work with me here. I don't want the ambulance to haul you out on the busiest night of the week."

"Uh. No, I'm fine. Just...That was a really...amazing performance. I've never seen that trumpet player before. She's really good." Kumiko regained her consciousness long enough to preserve her dignity, closing her gaping mouth.

"Huh…? That's what got you all spaced out like that? Never pegged you for a jazz fan, but you'd better get back to bussing those tables." The blonde girl brushed her hair back with a sigh. She glanced over her shoulder, noticing a crowd gathered at the counter. "I gotta get back to the bar."

"Sure, Yuuko…" Kumiko trailed off. The older girl was already long gone, skulking back behind the counter to dole out more drinks for their nightly patrons. "...talk to you later."

Her voice sounded small even to herself, but Kumiko was too preoccupied to care. She only rattled it off anyway. After all, it was just part of social standards to say something like that, right?

Sighing, Kumiko turned back to the already clean table. She moved onto the next, adjusting her skirt all the while. While piling up the dirty plates and wiping up the crumbs left on the tabletop, the young brunette sighed. She hated how these uniforms were so restrictive, but that's what she got for taking a job at a five-star hotel.

It wasn't like she disliked the whole black and white scheme. The skirts were cute and the long button up shirts were made of a really nice material. So..Maybe what Kumiko wanted to say was...Well...Maybe it was more a denial of the fact that she must have gained some weight. After all, she had been wearing the same getup every day and the size hadn't bothered her until recently.

Sighing, the brunette looked to the stage again. It was empty, the last performance of night already packed up. There were still a few more hours until closing, the Friday night still abuzz with life, the smooth jazz music playing on the speaker system.

Kumiko felt drained. She worked everyday this week, pulling a few doubles. Friday night closing was never her standard gig, but she was glad she took it. After all, Kumiko was quite familiar with the musicians that came and went, but tonight's performance was a first. The music was one thing, but Kumiko was sure that there was something special about that trumpet player. She was certain she had never seen her before. There was no way such a stunning woman could have gone unnoticed.

Pausing, Kumiko looked out the window, smiling as she knew she would never tire of the view. She was grateful to be working in one of Tokyo's most upscale hotel bars. It was a place she never would have imagined to find herself. The city lights shimmered below, a sight so drastically different from what she was used to back in Kyoto.

Her thoughts drifted again as she watched the moving headlights fill the highway ramps.

She wished she could have asked for her name.

She wanted to ask her about anything and everything. No one had ever caught her attention like that and Kumiko was intrigued.

"Excuse me, miss waitress."

The girl in question froze.

Speak of the devil.

She didn't know how she knew but she had no doubt that it was her. It was the confident lilt and the sweet voice that told Kumiko it had to belong to that impossibly attractive woman.

Steeling herself for an embarrassing encounter, Kumiko took in a deep breath before turning around. As she suspected, she was right on the dot.

A young woman with snow white skin stared back at her, her violet eyes darkening in the dim lighting. The sheer contrast of her jet black hair and her blood red lipstick was heart stopping. Kumiko could have studied the girl's face for an eternity, but she knew better.

Or so she thought.

"Y-yes? H-How can I help you, uh-uhm-ma'am...uh-miss?"

The girl raised her eyebrow at that last bit, definitely feeling that it was too forced and more than awkward.

"Don't tell me you greet everyone like that…?"

"...Only the pretty ones." Kumiko let the words tumble out in a squeak. She swore under her breath, her eyes widening as she realized what she just said.

But the young woman in front of her just laughed, her voice ringing out like wind chimes.

"If that was a pickup line, I think you have a lot of room for improvement." The woman smiled, her eyes crinkling with the gesture. She brushed a lock of hair behind her ear but it simply fell out of place again, her tresses trailing along her exposed collarbone. Her sweetheart neckline drew Kumiko's eyes to her well endowed chest and her figure hugging dress.

Kumiko blushed, the sight too much for her. She had never seen such a beautiful woman up close. It was like meeting a celebrity in person.

"I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be awkward. It's just that you really are… gorgeous. I feel intimidated just standing next to you."

A polite smile, but no reply.

Kumiko didn't know what fueled her to continue, but she opened her mouth, the words hitting the air before she knew it.

"Your playing. I've never heard anything like it. I'd like to hear you play again."

The girl stared at Kumiko, a perplexed expression on her face before she masked it with a forced smile.

"I've only known you for two minutes, but is it wrong to think that you're interested in me?" The girl took a step closer, holding Kumiko's gaze intensely. She was searching for something as her eyes narrowed in concentration. "There's something about the way you're looking at me that says you're not like the others…"

Kumiko's breath hitched in her throat as the girl took another half-step towards her.

Too close. They were almost touching.

"We're definitely strangers, but I get the feeling that I'm interested in you too."

"I don't see how that makes any sense…" Kumiko mumbled to herself, feeling self conscious under the woman's gaze. She fought with herself to maintain eye contact, feeling those dark purple orbs boring into her soul.

"Your eyes. They're such a rich golden color, so warm, but so full of a cold detachment that I just want to…understand."

Kumiko felt her head spin. She could smell the woman's perfume. Rosewater and peaches. She took a step back reflexively as this beautiful stranger breached all manner of personal space.

"Miss, I think you might have-"

"What's your name?"

Kumiko only paused for a split second before she complied.

"It's Oumae Kumiko."

"Kumiko. That's a nice name."

No honorifics and no holds barred. It was said in an almost intimate way.

"Kousaka Reina. I'll be seeing you around, miss waitress." Reina smirked at the stupid expression on Kumiko's face, flipping her hair as she stepped away from Kumiko. She turned to leave.

Kumiko was dumbstruck as she stood frozen to the spot again, left staring after the woman who struck up such a strange conversation. Why did she even approach her in the first place? Why did a complete stranger say something so abstract and… insightful? Kumiko wasn't sure. No one had commented on her aloofness before, especially not on a first encounter.

She thought she had hid it well enough.

Pushing that distressing thought out of her mind, Kumiko focused her attention back on the present. She continued to stare as the trumpeter made her way to the elevator.

Reina was beautiful, her classy cocktail dress leaving slit that showed her slender legs, her feet clad in a pair of stilettos. Kumiko's eyes wandered, her collar feeling tighter by the second.

"Kumiko!"

She looked up at her name, spying an irate Yuuko calling out for her from behind the bar. She made a wild gesture to the room, mouthing words that looked like...

'Get to it.'

Or maybe it was get tulips. Kumiko suppressed a grin at her internal dialogue. It was lame, she knew, but she was in a weird mood.

Her head was filled with thoughts of the beautiful trumpeter.

As Kumiko carried on with her duties, she found a name on the tip of her tongue and she repeated it like a mantra in her head.

Kousaka Reina.

"Yo. Want some leftovers? We ran out of sugar cane, so we had to 86 the shrimp apps. But I just threw them together in a stir fry."

Kumiko put down the stack of dirty dishes on the bar counter. She stared at the brunette who learned out of the kitchen window. Her chef whites were slightly grungy, smeared with something that looked like tomato sauce. Her hair was done up in a ponytail, her orchid colored eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Are you sure that's okay, Natsuki? I know Haruka-san was-"

"Hey, hey. It's fine. Fried rice. It's one of our Friday rituals. The boss wants wants some too, so hurry up with the cleaning. It's gonna get cold and I'm sure Yuuko isn't going to wait for you."

"Why is it that I feel so uneasy when I hear my name coming from your mouth…?" Yuuko sighed as she trudged over, a weary look in her eyes as she idly dried a freshly washed highball. Her shirt sleeves were rolled up past her elbows, her black vest unbuttoned in the front. Yuuko already undid her bowtie, the loose ends hanging around her neck.

Kumiko mused, wondering why it was just the wait-staff who had to wear ties.

"That would have been so perfect for some innuendo, but since it's you, I'll pass." Natsuki grinned as she disappeared into the kitchen.

"W-what is that supposed to mean!?" The first blonde puffed out her cheeks in annoyance, a faint blush on her face. She stormed into the kitchen after the brunette, the swinging door flapping back and forth as she pushed through.

Kumiko laughed nervously, pausing before she retreated back into the empty dining room to finish cleaning. She could still hear their bickering through the door, carrying out into the now empty restaurant. Those two were as close as ever, like an old married couple. In a way, Kumiko envied them.

It wasn't like she had many friends herself, much less anyone from high school or university. She wasn't from Tokyo after all and Uji wasn't the most popular town out in Kyoto.

Getting ready to indulge in a late night dinner, Kumiko finished clearing the last of the tables, making her way back to the kitchen.

"Kumiko-chan!"

It was an older woman who approached the waitress now, tonight's locked register tucked under her arm.

"Ah. Haruka-san."

"What did I tell you? Just Haruka is fine!" The woman smiled sheepishly. She never did well with formalities and it showed on her face. "Great job today. I really want to thank you for picking up extra shifts this week. It's just unfortunate that both Takuya-kun and Riko-chan are out with the flu."

"Oh, anytime, Haruka...san." If Kumiko had to guess, she knew the woman just wanted to be everyone's friend. Not like it was hard for her.

Haruka made a face, but didn't correct the girl again. "Well, I'll see you in the kitchen in a bit. Natsuki's fried rice smells so good! My mouth is watering!" The excited woman stifled a grin before she waved. She took off towards the back, heading to the safe in her office.

Kumiko sighed as she shook her head. Socializing was a real pain, especially when everyone was so nice to her.

"Kumiko! Stop dawdling and get over here! Yuuko's already stuffing her face."

"Mruph! Mmhn not!"

Kumiko undid her apron as she jogged over, a smile tugging at her lips. She could get used to Friday nights. It wasn't like she had anything else to do anyway.

In fact, after tonight, she was excited to go to work again. After all, she was hoping for another chance to talk to Reina.

The next day, Kumiko was back for her early morning shift. However, her demeanor was completely different. There was a skip in her step, an unmistakable smile constantly on her face. Her apprehension was translated into a nervous energy, one that woke her up at the crack of dawn this morning.

It might have had something to do with the fact that she loved weekend brunch service. There were always leftovers and Natsuki made the best eggs Benedict. Even after working there for so long, Kumiko jumped at the chance to have a free Western style brunch. She had fallen in love with it ever since that time her sister took her to Los Angeles.

Doing up the last of the buttons on her collared blouse, Kumiko strapped the apron over her outfit. She shut her locker. Taking one last look in the mirror, Kumiko practiced her smile. She immediately grimaced at how forced it was, sighing. She knew she had come a long way, but it still didn't seem like it was enough. Sighing again, the brunette tied her hair up into a high ponytail, smoothing out the sides before she left the locker room.

She nearly ran into Yuuko, who was just coming in.

"Oh, you're early." There was a slight arch of the older girl's eyebrow that conveyed her surprise.

"Haha… yeah. I couldn't sleep." Kumiko quickly moved out of the way, catching the look the blonde flashed her before entering the change room. It was true though.

Sighing yet again, Kumiko looked out into the restaurant. It was still early, but she knew in an hour, all the tables would be filled. A grin twitched at her lip as she wondered if the mystery trumpeter would show up today.

It wasn't long before the brunette became buried in a constant barrage of orders and quickly piling up outgoing dishes. Yuuko was on the floor with her today and even Haruka was helping out, but they were particularly slammed on this busy Saturday morning.

Rushing around the floor like a madwoman, Kumiko plastered her fake smile on, but felt it cracking as the hours drew on. The problem with working in such a fancy hotel wasn't the clientele, but the standards that she was expected to uphold. These thoughts rushed through her head as she quickly cleared a table. She stacked the half eaten plates in one hand, mopping up the crumbs on the tabletop with the other.

"Excuse me."

Kumiko took a breath and readjusted her stuffy facade. She turned at the voice, her service-friendly smile already plastered on her face.

"Yes, how can I help you-" Kumiko suddenly stopped, frozen as she realized who was beckoning for her.

"Could I get a menu please, miss waitress?" The woman smiled, her lips curving up in a cat-like grin. Leaning comfortably against her chair, Reina called to Kumiko from a few feet away. She was in the middle of shrugging off her long winter jacket, draping it over the back of her seat by the window. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink from the cold, and she stripped off her leather gloves before waving to Kumiko.

"I-I'll be right back with that...Kousaka-san." Kumiko scrambled back to the kitchen with the pile of dirty plates in her hands. She was shaking with fear, with excitement. She rushed out of the kitchen, passing Natsuki and Yuuko without a second glance.

On the way back to Reina's table, Kumiko grabbed the menus from under the front counter. With shaky hands, she laid the menus out on the table, setting them in front of the woman who sat comfortably with her legs crossed. There was a small metal placard on the table that read 'Reserved'.

Reina gladly took the menus, mouthing a 'thank you'. Kumiko simply stood there, watching as the woman scanned the options on both their a la carte menu and their full service one. The brunette was rooted to the spot, her eyes wandering. The young woman was clad in a smart casual wear, with her slim fitting white dress shirt, tapered khaki pants, and high heeled boots. Kumiko couldn't help but notice the woman's shirt was unbuttoned to be rather revealing, the sight of a silver chain visible against her skin, the telltale lace of brassiere peaking out.

Reina suddenly looked up, catching Kumiko off guard.

The waitress was suddenly flustered, afraid that the woman noticed that she was staring down her shirt. It wasn't the only thing that Kumiko was fixated on, however. Above Reina's natural beauty...there was one thing that stuck out about the trumpeter's appearance today.

Everything about her outfit screamed expensive.

"What do you recommend? It's my first time eating here."

Kumiko stared dumbly at Reina, definitely noticing that the girl looked stunning no matter what she wore.

Reina arched an eyebrow in question, prompting Kumiko silently.

"O-oh uhm. Recommendations. I-uh...Everything is really good here. Our chef is really young, but she's definitely talented. She can even make fried rice taste amazing. She's already earned a few Michelin stars and she's a really nice person and…" Kumiko trailed off, her cheeks coloring a bright red. "And...I'm rambling, but..uh honestly. Everything here is really...good…" Kumiko choked out those last words, feeling like she wanted to crawl under a rock and die from embarrassment.

Again, Kumiko was met with Reina's clear laughter, a light-hearted sound that made the brunette's heart skip a beat.

"You're really interesting." Reina punctuated her sentence with a chuckle, her eyes sparkling with a genuine smile. "If everything's good, then what's your favorite thing to eat here?"

"Eggs Benedict." Kumiko mentally berated herself with how quickly she replied. "Uhm. I really like it. The hollandaise sauce that Natsuki makes is really creamy."

Reina paused, studying Kumiko's face as she said this.

Kumiko looked away abruptly, feeling self-conscious. She wasn't always such a mess, but around this woman, she just couldn't seem to help herself.

"Then I'll have two orders of the Eggs Benedict."

Kumiko snapped back to reality, nodding as pulled out her notepad to scribble the order down. She didn't really have to write anything for something so simple, but she just needed something to keep her mind busy. "Okay. Two orders. Are you expecting someone, Kousaka-san?"

"Yes, I am."

Kumiko mustered up a polite smile, nodding as she registered the information. Honestly, she felt a bit disappointed, but a beautiful woman like Reina must have had a significant other, a boyfriend, a husband...

Someone.

"Understood. Would you like us to take their name so we can show them to your table when they arrive?" Kumiko lapsed into her work mode, remembering that Reina was just another rich customer that she needed to please.

"That's alright. Thank you."

"Understood. Would you like anything else? A drink?"

Again, Kumiko fastened on her mask even tighter. She offered a polite smile, one she knew didn't reach her eyes no matter how much she practiced.

"No, that's fine, thank you."

With a small bow, Kumiko turned, heading back to the kitchen and getting back to work. Her heart was still beating hard in her chest.

It was 15 minutes later when Kumiko took the two hot plates of Eggs Benedict out from the kitchen. She balanced them expertly, one in each hand as she made her way towards Reina's table. The black haired woman was staring out the window, the seat across from her still empty.

Kumiko set down the plates gently and Reina looked over, a smile on her face as she saw the brunette.

"Here you go, Kousaka-san. Would you like anything else?"

With an expression that Kumiko didn't know how to read, Reina smiled invitingly. She gestured to the seat across from her. "Please, sit down. Have brunch with me." There was no question, no suggestion in her voice. It was simply a demand. Gentle, but affirmative and there was no way Kumiko could refuse her.

But she had to.

"I-I'm so sorry, but I'm still working. I-I...I can't. I would love to, but I can't." Kumiko muttered under her breath, feeling silly at the way her heart leapt into her throat. She wasn't a child anymore, but that's how she felt at the moment.

Again, that grin, full of confidence.

"Please, sit. I already spoke to Ogasawara-san about you taking your break a little early."

Kumiko blinked, still standing at the tableside.

"But...I couldn't...I…"

"You can. It's on me." Reina fixed Kumiko with a stare.

"Please." She urged her to comply, her eyes darkening slightly.

With a shaky inhale, Kumiko pulled the chair out from under the table, taking a seat.

There was a moment of awkward silence as Kumiko avoided eye contact, opting to stare at the steaming plate of poached eggs topped with creamy hollandaise sauce. Her eyes widened slightly as she noticed that Natsuki used her favorite sourdough today. She was salivating. Kumiko skipped breakfast this morning, her stomach turning traitor as it begged her to indulge in this stranger's hospitality.

"Don't hesitate."

Kumiko looked up. Reina had her elbows on the table, her palms folded together as she rested her chin in her hands. She studied Kumiko with a closed smile on her lips. With her eyes, she picked apart the traces of hesitation and reservation on the brunette's face.

"I…" Kumiko looked into Reina's eyes, but decided that she wasn't going to argue. "Thank you." Wordlessly, she picked up her fork and knife, digging into her favorite dish cautiously as she gauged Reina's reaction. She took a bite, the silky and savory flavors filling her mouth. She resisted the urge to let out a hum of delight at the treat.

She expected the woman to start eating, but there was just silence. Reina was still staring.

Kumiko swallowed and looked up warily. She licked her lips. "Aren't you going to...eat?"

Reina shook her head, an amused smile on her face. "I'm not really fond of Eggs Benedict."

Kumiko scrunched her eyebrows together. She couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of her mouth.

"Who doesn't like Eggs Benedict?"

Reina smirked and Kumiko's eyes widened. She cursed herself for being so careless with her words, with her tone.

"I-I didn't mean to say it like that. I meant…it's just that…" Kumiko blushed, averting her eyes.

"I was right. You are interesting. A bit weird, maybe, but interesting all the same."

"No…I'm just normal…maybe you're the weird one with bad taste if you don't like eggs Benedict..." Kumiko muttered mostly to herself, her cheeks a burning bright red that spread to the tips of her ears. She had already dug her own grave, so she might as well lie in it.

Reina chuckled, leaning over as she reached for Kumiko's hand. "It's refreshing to have someone speak their mind."

Kumiko jumped at the sudden contact of soft skin against her hand. She looked up, meeting a forlorn look that glazed over Reina's eyes. It was something that prompted Kumiko to want to know more about the woman.

"All you want to do is tell the truth, don't you? But it must be hard with today's world being full of lies and polite indiscretions."

Kumiko gulped, Reina's words settling in her gut. "That's exactly it." She found herself replying, agreeing wholeheartedly.

There was a strangely electrifying atmosphere between them. It was thick with unsaid desires, with unasked questions. The two women seemed to be drawn to each other for no apparent reason. They had seamless chemistry and they were both painfully aware of it.

Kumiko could feel Reina's hand tighten around hers and there was pressure on her skin where Reina's fingers pressed. She looked down, her breath catching as she noticed the diamond studded band around the woman's ring finger.

Reina noticed Kumiko's gaze on her hand and she loosened her grip. She held out her left hand in front of her face, fanning out her fingers. "It's a shame that I've got this, right? Is that what you were thinking?"

Kumiko opened her mouth to tell a lie, one that would hide her disappointment, but she didn't.

"Yeah."

Reina scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm glad you were honest just now, but whether or not this ring means anything to me is the least of your problems. It wouldn't do you much good to be hitting on your boss."

"W-what do you mean?" Kumiko furrowed her brows, confused at the barrage of mixed signals and new information she had to process.

"Let me introduce myself again." Reina turned and rummaged through her jacket pockets. She pulled out a small leather wallet, opening it to find her business card. She handed it to the dumbstruck waitress.

Kumiko took the card gingerly between her fingers, her eyes resting on Reina's name centered on the piece of cardstock. However, the printed title stopped the brunette cold in her tracks.

Kousaka Reina, CEO.

"I'm Kousaka Reina, heiress to the Kousaka International Conglomerate. Our company just purchased this chain of hotels last week."

Kumiko blinked, unsure of what she was supposed to make of this. Was she supposed to believe that this beautiful woman was not only was a talented musician, but was owner of the largest corporation in Japan? The Kousaka family owned countless pharmaceutical companies, bioinformatics plants, orchestras, and hotels.

It was hard for the young brunette to believe, but she did already make the mental note earlier about Reina's attire. The woman was clothed in Versace, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, and other brand name articles that Kumiko was unfortunately well-versed in.

"Regardless of whatever I've said, I hope we can get along, miss waitress." Reina leaned back in her chair, getting comfortable as she uncrossed and crossed her legs.

Kumiko was distracted by the action, her eyes drawn to the cut of the woman's khaki dress pants that accentuated how long her legs were.

"I…"

Setting the card down, Kumiko only had one thing in her mind. She held Reina's gaze, adamant on getting one thing across.

"I do have a name, you know? And I don't think it's very nice of you to keep calling me 'miss waitress', Kousaka-san."

Reina burst into laughter at this, bringing a hand to her face as she daintily covered her mouth.

Kumiko shrunk down in her seat, wondering if she had lost her mind. Even after discovering what power Reina held over her petty job, she still couldn't help her loose lips. She waited until Reina's laughter pattered out, feeling even more ridiculous to see such a graceful woman laughing at her expense.

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind." Reina licked her lips, her eyes full of mischief. "If you'll call me Reina, I'll use your name, Kumiko."

"I don't know if I can do that…" Kumiko paused, drinking in the sultry way the other woman said her name. She wanted her to say it over and over, the sound of her voice sending a ripple of excitement through her.

But she couldn't.

"Kousaka-san."