A/N: Hi everyone! :) I'm really sorry that it's taken me so long to update this story! Please rest assured that I have every intention of finishing it, no matter how long it takes me. Thank you for all being such dedicated readers and for continuing to review and ask for updates – you guys really keep me inspired to continue writing!

I'd like to dedicate this chapter to these amazing artists who have created artwork inspired from my stories (in previous chapters of my story, I've posted links to some others, as well as links to them on my profile page, so be sure to check those out too!). You have no idea how cool and surreal it is to see parts of my writing depicted in artwork. I love you guys! FF. net hates links in stories, but for all of these links below, just copy and paste these into a browser and it should be enough to give you a google result match. Or you can just go through DeviantArt and search for these users.

1) First up is DeviantArt user CrimsonSummer for this incredible FANG piece with Natsuki looking ready to kick some butt with an ice sword and Shizuru ready to hypontize anyone who dares to look at her :D

crimsonsummer . deviantart art / Let-the-battle-begins - 331538967

2) Second is DeviantArt user Imya-o who has drawn all the main characters in Back-to-Back in these 3 pictures. It's honestly so cool to see them all looking super professional and bad-ass in their work clothes!

imya-o. / art / BtoB-MH-characters-298564344

imya-o. / art / Back-to-Back-264323588

art / Elite-team-429254586

And this one is by the same artist, but is a comic-style depiction of the scene where Natsuki and Shizuru run into some 'technical difficulties' in Natsuki's hospital bed. ;)

imya-o. / art / BtB-chpt8-scene-301551424

3) And last, but not least: DeviantArt user winded-wolf who drew this hilarious comic about Natsuki's being completely oblivious, as always hahaha. :D

art / Back-to-Back-A-Comic-330529389

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy it! :)

Chapter 10 – Playing House

"Mom, I um... I need to tell you something." Natsuki's voice sounded far more confident than she felt. Her eyes fell on the staircase in the front hall. Shizuru had headed upstairs a few moments before – presumably to get things ready for her mother's arrival. Natsuki adjusted the phone against her ear nervously. "You just have to promise me you won't freak out, okay?"

"Natsuki, why are you being so secretive? Where are you?" her mother replied. Natsuki couldn't decide if the tone ringing through her cellphone was more anxious or annoyed. Not that either of those options was particularly preferable.

"I'm seeing someone," Natsuki blurted out. Her face flushed as she spoke.

There was a moment of silence on the other line. Natsuki waited breathlessly for some sort of reaction.

"Are you being serious?" her mother asked bluntly. Natsuki couldn't help but roll her eyes. Her mother continued before she had a chance to reply. "Natsuki, that's wonderful! Who is she? Do I know...well I suppose I wouldn't know her considering you moved out to the middle of nowhere. At least this means something good came out of it."

Natsuki couldn't help but wince a little. There was the judgemental undertone her mother seemed to specialize in.

"Mom, I wouldn't exactly call Garderrobe the middle of nowhere. And if you recall, I did get a job out of it too." Natsuki shook her head a little when she realized she was getting off track. "Anyway, mom, I'm not at my apartment because I was planning on staying over at her place tonight. I'm there now, actually."

"So this is serious then?" her mother commented, the words more a statement than a question.

"Well, I haven't known her for that long," Natsuki said truthfully. "But she's... " Her gaze fell on the staircase in the hallway once more as she searched for the right words. "She's pretty incredible," she finished – her voice catching a little in her throat.

"Oh, Natsuki," her mother said softly. Natsuki's chest tightened when she heard the smile in her voice. "You have no idea how happy this makes me. I was starting to think you would never... well, that doesn't matter now. When can I meet her?" Her words cut into Natsuki like a knife, and the navy-haired woman had to take a deep breath before continuing.

"Well, that was actually why I had to call you back," Natsuki replied. "I talked to her and she wants to meet you too. She even has a spare room over here that you could use for the night."

"Are you sure?" her mother asked hopefully. "I really wouldn't want to impose..."

Natsuki couldn't help but smirk at that one. "Oh, no, mom. You never want to impose. Yes, I'm sure. Do you have a pen handy? I'm going to give you her address."

"Um... I do in the car. Just one minute." There were shuffling sounds as her mother started walking. "I hope I can find the house alright. This is my first time here." There was a beeping sound in the background, and Natsuki could imagine her stepping off of the elevator. "Maybe you could just want to meet me here and then lead the way?"

"Just plug it into your GPS," Natsuki said quickly. Her eyes skimmed the large front room and hallway. "Trust me, it's pretty hard to miss."

"Should I bring something?" her mom asked suddenly. "I should bring something, shouldn't I? A nice bottle of wine maybe? Does she like wine? ...Natsuki, you never even told me her name!?"

Natsuki felt a smile creep across her face. "Okay, calm down. You don't need to bring anything, mom. And her name is Shizuru. Viola Shizuru."

"Oh, pretty name," her mom cooed. "Is she pretty? Well, I'm sure she is," she added with a small laugh. "You have no idea," Natsuki couldn't help but think. "What does Shizuru-san do?" her mother asked. Natsuki could hear the faint sound of a car door closing in the background.

"Actually, she works with me at the agency," Natsuki replied. "She showed me around on my first day of work."

"Oh, that must be nice then. To see her at work too." There were some faint rustling sounds in the background.

"Yeah, it's really great," Natsuki replied – distracted when Shizuru reappeared at the top of the stairs. The brown-haired woman met Natsuki's gaze as she began descending the stairs. She offered a small, reassuring smile, which Natsuki returned.

Shizuru brushed past Natsuki and headed for the kitchen. She hadn't planned on cooking anything too fancy, but she would have to prepare something suitable for Natsuki's mother. There wouldn't be much time for cooking though. Maybe something like gyozas would have to do. But did she even have the ingredients for that? Shizuru felt her heart beat run away from her a little as she scanned her cupboards and fridge. "Ara, look at me," Shizuru thought to herself. "The elite agent who goes out to dinner with prospective murders getting worked up over meeting a coworker's mother."

She could faintly hear Natsuki say her address into the phone from the other room. The brown-haired woman grabbed her peeler from the cupboard drawer, and began methodically peeling carrots. The repetitive motion was almost soothing. Shizuru began running through a perspective-taking exercise she had been using for years. The goal was to imagine yourself in someone else's shoes as they meet you for the first time in an attempt to smooth over the process. It was mainly used for undercover infiltration; she had never pictured herself using the exercise for something as mundane as meeting Natsuki's mother, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

Shizuru allowed herself to take on the perspective of someone pulling into her driveway for the very first time. Any initial impressions would be based on her house's appearance. Judging by Natsuki's comments upon seeing her house, Shizuru presumed that Natsuki's mother would also think her house was quite big. Ridiculously big, even, for someone living by themselves. She may not understand how Shizuru could afford it. She would most likely assume, correctly, that Shizuru had been born into a fair amount wealth.

Depending on Natsuki's mother's own struggles for financial independence, that could lead to anywhere from intimidation, happiness for Natsuki, or even a little resentfulness. Just in case, Shizuru decided she should make sure to seem approachable and go out of her way defy the uptight image her house probably gave her.

She would, of course, have to tell Natsuki why she was able to afford the house. That would save Natsuki from surprise if her mother asked. The thought of lying had crossed her mind. But there was a chance that Shizuru would see Natsuki's mother again. Maybe even have a close relationship with her. Her grip tightened on the peeler a little. "Careful" she warned herself, when she realized where her thoughts were heading. One of the most important rules of working undercover was not to get too caught up in the persona.

Shizuru faintly heard Natsuki say goodbye to her mother. A few seconds later, the navy-haired woman appeared in the kitchen doorway.

"She's on her way here," Natsuki commented – eyes falling on the massive pile of peeled carrots on the counter. "How's it going?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Shizuru asked. Her hand halted in mid-scrape, as she followed Natsuki's gaze. "Oh, I suppose that should really be enough carrots," she laughed. Her cheeks tinged faintly. She began shoving the rest back into the plastic bag they had come in. "I'm making gyoza dumplings. Do you think that's alright? They're not too fancy, but..."

"That sounds great, Shizuru," Natsuki cut her off with a soft smile. "Is everything taken care of upstairs?"

Shizuru walked over to the fridge and put away the large bag. "I believe so. I moved all of my more... unusual pieces of exercise equipment into storage. I put out fresh towels in the secondary guest room, and moved some of your clothes over to my room."

"W...wait, what?" Natsuki blurted, though she had heard the older woman quite clearly.

"I moved some of your clothes over to my room," Shizuru repeated with a raised eyebrow. "I hope you don't mind, but we don't really have the time for courtesy. I moved your pyjamas and toothbrush too. I don't think there's time to move everything, but if your mother opens the door to your room and asks why some of your stuff is in there, feel free to tell her that my extensive clothing collection doesn't leave much room for your own."

"...Right," Natsuki replied with a forced laugh. There were so many things Shizuru had just said that made her nervous. For some reason, it had never occurred to her that would be sharing a bedroom. Of course, it made perfect sense. They wouldn't be sleeping in separate bedrooms if they really were together. "Wait, what pyjamas did you move over?" she asked – a sudden thought occurring to her.

Shizuru hesitated for a moment as she tried to remember. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I believe they were black. I just saw the 'sleepwear' tag and grabbed them."

Natsuki paled a little. Those were definitely the pyjamas Mai had given her. The very short, robe-like, curve-hugging pyjamas. To be honest - like all high-quality lingerie – Natsuki loved them; Mai had great taste. But the thought of wearing them in front of Shizuru... "Oh my God," Natsuki cut herself off mid-thought. "I didn't shave my legs," She realized with horror. When would she have possibly had time to shave?! She was locked up in the infirmary! "Okay, calm down," Natsuki instructed herself. Maybe Shizuru had brought over a pair of sweat pants or something similar that she could use instead. This whole day was turning into a complete and utter disaster.

Shizuru didn't seem to notice the internal conflict going on inside the younger woman's head. Instead, the brown-haired woman was struggling with internal conflicts of her own. "Natsuki, before we continue with the preparations, I have to tell you something."

The seriousness in her voice demanded Natsuki's attention. "It's about my house. Why I live here, and why I can afford it." She paused for a long moment under Natsuki's gaze.

Natsuki studied the small frown crossing her lips and knew immediately that she was uncomfortable. When Natsuki forced the other woman to meet her gaze she identified something that she had only seen Shizuru display once before, when they had spoken after Natuski woke up in the hospital – vulnerability. "Shizuru," Natsuki spoke softly, "you don't have to tell me..."

"I think I do," Shizuru cut her off. "Please. In case your mother asks... you should be able to tell her the truth." Before she lost her courage, Shizuru forced herself to speak. "I inherited this house from my parents. My father was a prosecutor who worked on a lot of high profile cases, and my mother was a forensic psychologist. They met in a courtroom when my mother discussed the fallibility of eyewitness testimony as an expert witness." Her gaze softened a little as she smiled. "Her testimony lost him his case. Or at least that's what he claimed for all those years," she laughed a little, though her smile faded before she continued.

"Anyway, Natsuki, my parents were quite wealthy. When I was in Kyoto beginning my level one training, they purchased this house. They had only had it for a couple months, when I got a call telling me that my parents..." Shizuru paused to inhale a shaky breath. "...that my parents had been in a fatal car accident. They left me the house along with everything else, and I had myself transferred to Garderrobe. I moved into a house I had only ever seen in pictures, telling myself it would only be for a short time - while I could find a place of my own and a realtor to sell it for me. But when I got here... all of their possessions were still there. My dad's case notes were still on the kitchen table and everywhere I looked I could just picture my parents..."

She trailed off as her eyes searched in the distance as she struggled for words. "They were all that I had, and after I gave away of most of their belongings I couldn't bring myself to sell the house. I'm sure my mother would throw a fit saying that it wasn't healthy, holding onto the house like they're going to come back to some day... but I just...it's foolish really..." She trailed off as her eyes stated to water. Shizuru mentally cursed herself for losing control.

"Shh," Natsuki hushed her. Shizuru forced a smile and started to take a step back. Natsuki stepped forward, taking a deep breath before reaching out to envelop the taller woman. "That is anything but foolish, Shizuru." Shizuru stiffened at the sudden contact, but allowed herself to conform to the way Natsuki's arms wrapped around her. She hesitated before letting her head lean on Natsuki's shoulder - steadily exhaling to calm herself. Her eyes drifted closed as she savoured the warmth emanating from the younger woman. The sensation was wonderfully comforting.

"My dad gave me this small stuffed dog the night before he left me and my mom," Natsuki spoke softly. "I didn't know it was a goodbye present at the time, but after a couple weeks I put it all together." Shizuru's eyes opened as she registered what Natsuki had said. Her grip on the navy-haired woman's shirt tightened. "I started taking that stupid dog with me everywhere that I went. I don't know... I think I thought maybe one day he would come back and if he saw that I still had it he would know how much I missed him. And then of course he would stay with me and mom and all that, maybe even buy me a real dog to make up for it all," Natsuki said with a laugh. "Anyway, I threw it away long ago, but that's the logic of an eight-year-old for you."

The younger woman straightened up a little, as she pulled away. She took a full step back as if she was just then realizing that they had ever been so close at all. Shizuru could tell from the faint blush on her cheeks that she was embarrassed. "I think sometimes stuff just has more meaning for us than it should."

Shizuru felt a lump form in the bottom of her throat. "I think you're right," she forced herself to say with a smile. Natsuki uncomfortably ran a hand back through her hair, making it bounce back when she took her hand away. It took every ounce of self-control that Shizuru had to stop her from telling Natsuki how beautiful she was in that moment.

"Okay," Natsuki said after clearing her throat, "now that we've gotten all of the big stuff out of the way, is there anything else we need to do to prepare?" Natsuki glanced back at the kitchen counter. "Other than the food, I guess."

"I'm afraid everything else will simply have to be improvised," Shizuru replied. "We'll have to watch your mother carefully to make sure that she's not suspicious and adjust our behaviour accordingly. And you'll have to limit your movement as much as possible so that she doesn't notice you favouring your side." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Other than that, all we really have to do is act as if we're in a committed relationship. I'm...I'm sure you can draw from experience to help you with that." She studied Natsuki's face as the younger woman paled almost imperceptibly.

"Y..Yeah, for sure," Natsuki replied – swallowing a little harder then she needed to. "If I had ever been in a committed relationship before," she mentally added as she masked her panic with a confident smile. Now was certainly not the time to delve into her commitment issues. In fact, as far as Natsuki was concerned, there would never be a time.

"Great," Shizuru said with a smile. Maybe it was Natsuki's emotional involvement in the case, or maybe it was Shizuru's almost frantic attempt to obtain some sort of behavioural baseline for the younger woman, but Natsuki was becoming more readable by the second. For some reason, the thought both thrilled and terrified Shizuru at the same time.

A knock at the door tore through the silence that had taken over the kitchen. Shizuru's eyes snapped up to meet Natsuki's and, wordlessly, the two women made their way to the front door. Without any outward hesitation, Natsuki opened the door.

Shizuru couldn't help but smile when she saw the woman standing on the front steps. She was a few inches shorter than the younger agent, but with the same dark blue hair. Her face was outlined with small creases from age, and a kind, nervous smile played across her features. Perhaps the most startling characteristic was her eyes - the same stunning shade of green as Natsuki's. When the older woman's gaze shifted from her daughter to land on Shizuru, Shizuru's stomach clenched tightly before she could stop it. But the older woman's smile only widened - visibly relaxing as she quickly studied Shizuru. "Oh, Natsuki," her mother said with an approving grin and Shizuru found herself liking the woman instantly.

"Come here," Saeko insisted with a laugh. She tugged her daughter into her arms before Natsuki could react, and engulfed her with a tight hug.

Natsuki's side screamed out in pain, but Natsuki bit her lip to keep from letting anything out. She forced herself to relax against her mother as best as she could. "Mom! Come on," Natsuki scoffed characteristically. She waited the customary three seconds of courtesy she spared for her mom's hugs before disentangling herself from the shorter woman. Shizuru laughed when Saeko seemed to almost roll her eyes at Natsuki's antics.

"And you must be Shizuru-san," Saeko continued – beaming as she met Shizuru's gaze. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Saeko wasted no time before pulling Shizuru into a hug of equal ferocity.

"I assure you, the honour is all mine, Kuga-san," Shizuru replied with a widening smile. As Natsuki's mother pulled back she kept a grip on Shizuru's forearms – stepping back to take a good look at her.

"So you are the woman who has finally managed to tame my Natsuki's heart," she said with a grin, before turning to Natsuki. "And I can see how," she said with a wink.

"Mom!" Natsuki cried out in horror. Her cheeks tinged a light shade of pink. Natsuki told herself she could have suppressed the blush it if she had wanted to, but she had already decided to be as natural as possible – within the constraints of the situation – around her mother.

Shizuru found herself unable to suppress a grin herself. "Ara, Natsuki. Don't look so surprised. It was no easy feat, I'll have you know." She curled an arm around Natsuki's waist – gently, so as not to put any pressure on Natsuki's wound. The gesture seemed so familiar, so natural, that it wasn't surprising that Saeko didn't bat an eye at it.

"I know exactly what you mean, Shizuru-san," Saeko replied with a knowing smile. "Do you see what I have to go through – even just for a hug – from my own daughter? It's despicable, really. I certainly hope she's more affectionate with you than me."

Natsuki rolled her eyes – her heart beating a little quicker as Shizuru rubbed her hand against her side gently.

"Ah, I've learned a trick for dealing with her, you see," Shizuru replied – lowering her voice to an almost whisper. "As with any wild animal, the key is peak her interest just the right amount..." Shizuru began as she leaned her head so close to Natsuki's that she was sending her hot breath down the back of her shirt. Natsuki bristled and tried to maintain her composure. But as quickly as Shizuru had increased their proximity, she was gone – releasing her grip on the younger agent entirely. "...and then wait for her to come to you," Shizuru finished with a small smile. Natsuki felt her face burn as her mother broke out into a fit of laughter. Though her instincts screamed for her to stifle any reaction, the rational part of her mind reminded her that she was actually supposed to react with an uncontrollable blush. Shizuru would never know it was real.

"Oh, I like you already, Shizuru-san," Saeko said with a devilish grin. Shizuru couldn't help but laugh.

"Please, just call me, Shizuru," she said kindly.

"Shizuru," Saeko repeated with a smile. "Likewise, please call me Saeko."

"As you wish," Shizuru replied with a smile. "Please, make yourself at home." She gestured to the living room as an invitation to sit down.

"Arigato," Saeko replied as she bent over to remove her shoes. "You have a beautiful home, Shizuru."

Before Shizuru could reply, Natsuki cut her off. "Okay, if you two are done bonding at my expense, let's go sit down." She took advantage of her mother's preoccupation with her shoes to quickly walk over to the nearest couch. Shizuru followed closely behind - threading her hand in Natsuki's and then wrapping the younger agent's arm around her shoulders. From there, she lowered both of them onto the couch – taking as much of Natsuki's weight as she could – before Saeko even looked up. The motion was so smooth that Natsuki barely felt it.

As Saeko sat down in the comfy-looking chair across from them, Shizuru shifted a little on the couch. "May I get you anything to eat or drink?" she asked politely. "I'm afraid I'm just in the process of starting dinner now, I could get you a snack or a drink in the meantime?"

"Just some coffee would be great," Saeko replied. "Arigato. I've been on the road for a few hours now, so I could use a little pick-me-up."

Shizuru nodded with a smile. As she moved to get up, she rubbed Natsuki's shoulder affectionately before heading to the kitchen. Natsuki gave a warm smile in return – not allowing herself time to consider the new level of physical intimacy they were mimicking.

As soon as Shizuru was gone, Saeko leaned in excitedly towards her daughter. Natsuki, she's amazing! So polite and friendly! Not to mention gorgeous. Does she own this house?"

Natsuki couldn't help but grin at her mother's approval. For a dangerous moment, she even let herself be tricked into feeling proud. "I am quite aware, mom. And yeah, she does," Natsuki replied. She lowered her voice a bit before continuing. "Her parents left it for her. They were killed in a car accident a few years ago."

Saeko's face fell a little. "Oh, the poor girl," she replied. "She lives here all by herself?"

The two women startled a little – as if caught in a conspiracy – when Shizuru set down a tray with a plate of cookies, some cream, and sugar on the coffee table between them. Saeko immediately looked as if she was about to apologize for being tactless, but Shizuru gave her a sincere smile that stopped her in her tracks.

"When Natsuki's not here, I do live alone," she replied – not sounding in the least disheartened. "That's probably why I'm able to keep things at least a little presentable," she added playfully. The brown-haired woman shot Natsuki a playfully reproaching glance as she bent down to pick one of Natsuki's sweaters off of the floor by her mother's chair. "Honestly Natsuki, you'd think the entire house was a laundry hamper."

Natsuki, not missing a beat, threw up her hands in a mock surrender. "It was hot in here," she explained with a grin. Her eyes met Shizuru's briefly as if to say 'nice touch', because that sweater – until fifteen minutes ago – had been tucked away in her dresser. Shizuru felt a smile tug at the edge of her mouth as she sat back down beside Natsuki on the couch.

"That sounds like Natsuki," her mother replied with a small roll of her eyes. "So, ladies, I have to admit I've been dying to ask how you two met."

Natsuki and Shizuru both began to speak at the same time. Shizuru stopped a split second before Natsuki did and simply gave her a small smile. They didn't want to appear too eager while selling a lie.

"Sorry, did you want..." Natsuki started to ask Shizuru.

"Oh, no, you go ahead," Shizuru replied with an encouraging rub to Natsuki's knee. Natsuki tried not let the sensation distract her while she formulated her thoughts. "She won't admit it, but she likes telling this story," Shizuru informed Saeko – lowering her voice a little.

Natsuki's face scrunched up in disagreement. "What!?" she replied. "Only cause you tell it wrong!"

Shizuru's eyes widened a little at the accusation, and she allowed a look of feigned surprise to play across her face. "Ara, what an accusation."

"Pfft," Natsuki scowled. "If you must know, mom, this is what happened." She turned to her mother, who seemed to be quite enjoying the little display going on. "I arrived at the temp agency on my first day of work, and I walked up to the secretary at the main desk to find out where to go. Shizuru was there filling in while the secretary was somewhere else." Natsuki shrugged her shoulders as if that was all she was going to say. And, to be technical, it was all she was going to say without encouragement. Natsuki never really voluntarily told her mother anything this gratifying. There would have to be at least some coercing to make it realistic.

Her mother, ever so inclined to play her usual part, raised an eyebrow. "Really Natsuki, that's the best you can do?"

"That's how we met," Natsuki replied. "What do you want me to say?"

Shizuru couldn't help but sigh a little and exchange an exasperated look with Natsuki's mom as she did so. "You're really leaving me no choice, dear," Shizuru said in a singsong voice. "So you have no right to be upset by the outcome."

It was a good thing that the coffee hadn't finished brewing yet, because if Natsuki were in mid-drink, she definitely would have choked when Shizuru referred to her with a term of endearment for the first time. For a second, things were a little too real for her, and her cheeks started to flush. "She probably calls you that all the time," Natsuki quickly reasoned with herself. "I mean... would... would call you that all the time." When Natsuki had gotten her composure back, she even began to worry about just how far Shizuru might try to take it with the terms of endearment.

"If I recall correctly, it was around 8:00 on a Monday morning," Shizuru began, taking over the role narrator for the sake of Natsuki's mother. I had just gotten off of the phone after taking down the specifics for a position one of our clients needed filled. To be honest, he was a little lewd over the phone with me and it had made me feel a little defensive."

When Natsuki snapped out of her reverie, she couldn't help but smile a little. "Yeah, I remember he said he liked the way you talked to him or something." They had said that they were going to be as truthful as possible for the sake of continuity, and now Natsuki was almost feeling a little nostalgic thinking about it.

Shizuru turned and met Natsuki's gaze with a smile – pleased that she had remembered. "You had come in through the door just before I hung up the phone. And, no, you did not wait for me to finish, Natsuki," Shizuru teased a little before turning back to Saeko. "Natsuki walked right up to the secondary doors and tried to use her employee key-card."

Natsuki gaped a little when she realized where this was headed. But there was no stopping Shizuru when she had such a victorious grin on her face. "Unfortunately, our security system is a little antiquated, and, shall we say, Natsuki was... unsuccessful in opening the door on her first few attempts."

"Why are you telling her this?" Natsuki demanded with a slight blush forming. In part, she was acting, and in part completely serious. "For that matter, why would you think I would tell my mother this?" Natsuki asked – referring to Shizuru's previous comment.

"Ara, please bear with me," Shizuru replied with a laugh. "I'll get to the part where you swoop in heroically later, I promise."

Natsuki opened her mouth to reply, but was honestly a little too curious about what Shizuru meant by that to stop her from continuing.

"As I was saying," Shizuru continued, "I had just gotten off the phone with a rather... trying customer, and when I turned around the first thing I saw was someone trying to break into the main office. Quite unsuccessfully." A grin spread across Saeko's face as she delighted in the (brutally, in Natsuki's opinion) honest abstraction of what had really happened.

Shizuru turned to meet Natsuki's eyes and smiled softly in an attempt to make Natsuki's scowl let up. Shizuru let herself be taken back to that moment in her mind, remembering the encounter in quite vivid detail. She wanted to be as honest as she could reasonably be with Natsuki's mother, and while that meant leaving out details which gave away anything about their line of work (which, in Shizuru's option were inconsequential right now anyway), it meant leaving in a lot of things Shizuru would never dare say to Natsuki under normal circumstances. But in the scenario she was enacting, she was involved with Natsuki. She had fought for her. Somewhere along the line, she had taken risks, and acted on desire, and truly opened her heart to someone for the first time in years.

Somewhere along the line, she had been foolishly brave. And so perhaps to truly be in character, she would have to have to do so again.

Without dropping Natsuki's gaze, Shizuru continued. "I walked over to you to offer my assistance. But when I finally got close enough to actually get a good look at you, it took me a moment to find the words." Shizuru's gaze shifted down from Natsuki's nervously, though she forced herself to look back up. "I think what I was trying to say may have come out a little more antagonistic than I had intended. And I regretted saying it when you replied a little bit defensively. I like to think I'm usually a little more polite during introductions, but I was a little... flustered." Shizuru hesitated again, biting her lip a little before continuing. "Because I knew in the instant that I saw you, you were... undeniably the most beautiful woman I had ever seen."

Natsuki blinked a couple times in shock before fully registering what Shizuru had said. A full blush formed on her face and she tried desperately to memorize everything about the moment before she could stop herself. Her training kicked into overdrive, as Natsuki searched every part Shizuru's expression to find something – anything – that would indicate deception. And when she found nothing to indicate anything but absolute honestly, Natsuki forced herself to look harder. Because if she didn't find anything, she'd spend the next three weeks replaying this scene over in her mind as if it actually meant something. And she couldn't let herself sink down further into this fantasy than she already was.

Shizuru felt a little bad that she had probably embarrassed the younger woman. Natsuki was good at faking emotions, but a full blush was definitely one of the more difficult feats to pull off. Natsuki stopped meeting her gaze, and Shizuru wondered if it was because of the intensity which had accompanied her admission, or the fact that Natsuki really didn't know how gorgeous she was.

"Natsuki, very reluctantly, allowed me to show her how to use the key-card properly. And if I recall correctly, stormed off as soon as she had an idea of where to go. I really do think we got off on the wrong foot," Shizuru said with a laugh. "But then three days later I was in the break room around lunchtime and a coworker approached me. He had been trying to get me to try out a new fast food restaurant that had opened up a few blocks down for quite some time. And, as I'm sure Natsuki will tell you, I'm not much for fast food," Shizuru added with a small grin. For her part, Natsuki added a small nod in her mother's direction.

"Natsuki walked in right as he asked me if I had plans for lunch, and I looked over at her in a desperate attempt to escape. Despite our previous encounter, she took pity on me, walked directly up, and asked if I was ready to go to the sushi restaurant on the corner. I sheepishly explained to the man that, yes, I did have lunch plans. And thanks to Natsuki, he believed me and tactfully bowed out."

Saeko beamed at Natsuki. "Good for you Natsuki," she spoke with a grin. "You know, she used to be so shy," Saeko continued – speaking directly to Shizuru. "Especially with girls. Always waiting for them to come to her. So it's good to see her approaching someone else for a change. Even if it wasn't to directly ask you out."

"Mom!" Natsuki replied in an exasperated voice. For a brief second she wondered if Shizuru had noticed that what her mother was implying basically contradicted the idea that Natsuki would ask Shizuru out first.

Of course, Shizuru, being an elite agent, did notice. But she was kind enough to pretend that she hadn't. Though Natsuki had obviously matured a bit since living with her mother, and so her mother wouldn't necessarily know if Natsuki's habits had changed.

"So Shizuru," Saeko began with a mischievous look that made Natsuki tense up a bit, "what's your opinion on marriage?" she finished.

Natsuki choked on her drink a second time. Shizuru, for her part, managed to swallow her sip without visibly looking shocked. "Mom!" Natsuki exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?!"

Shizuru couldn't help but laugh a little at both the forwardness of the comment and Natsuki's response. "Ara," Shizuru murmured. "Well, I…"

"You don't have to answer that," Natsuki cut her off, turning to glare at her mother in the process. "Really, mom! And you wonder why I didn't tell you about Shizuru earlier. It's cause you'd scare her away within the first three seconds of talking with her."

"Okay, okay," her mother laughed sheepishly. "I apologize, Shizuru."

Shizuru laughed lightly in response. "That's quite alright," she replied, before leaning in as if about to tell a secret. "Between you and me, I think Natsuki was far more terrified by your comment than I was."

Natsuki was pretty sure that her mother had never smiled so genuinely in her life; Shizuru was responding perfectly to everything that was thrown at her. "I wouldn't be surprised if mom's already picking out baby names," Natsuki thought bitterly to herself.

She knew that she should be relieved that her mother was so blinded by the elaborate fantasy that they were painting, but she couldn't help but feel guilty and envious. Guilty, for lying to her mother and putting Shizuru through this interrogation, and envious, so envious, of the persona she had adopted.

A gentle hand on her leg snapped Natsuki out of her train of thought. Her eyes traced the arm to Shizuru, whose warm smiled anchored her to the conversation once more.

"Could you pass the rice, mom?" Natsuki asked. Saeko wordlessly handed the bowl over, completely immersed in conversation with Shizuru. The three women were seated at Shizuru's dining table with the dinner that Shizuru had been able to cobble together on such short notice.

"Kyoto has always been a very popular destination at my agency," Saeko spoke with a nod. "Especially during cherry blossom season. I've always wanted to go myself and visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove."

"Oh, it's gorgeous," Shizuru beamed, "My parents brought me there once when I was very small and it made quite an impression on me."

Natsuki studied Shizuru's face at the mention of her parents and saw her smile falter for a brief instant before falling back into place. The twisted feeling that had settled deep in her stomach turned even more.

"Natsuki, we could take a trip there when we get some time off. If you'd like to see it," Shizuru offered. "I don't know if I'll remember my way around, but I'd love to see it again."

"Yeah, that'd be great, Shizuru," Natsuki said with a forced smile. The brown-haired woman was startlingly good at this. Natsuki's mother seemed to love her and conversation flowed effortlessly between them. "So, mom," she spoke in an attempt to change the conversation to anything that didn't involve future plans for a fake relationship, "are you still seeing that guy you met grocery shopping? Sorry, I forgot his name…"

"Ugh, I'm trying to forget his name," Saeko replied with just a hint of bitterness. "Let's just say that it didn't work out."

"Did he do something to you?" Natsuki frowned, visibly tensing up.

"No, no," Saeko replied with small smile. "Nothing nearly as vindictive as you're imaging my dear. He was just… unable to commit. And the whole relationship just felt…fake."

Natsuki and Shizuru both stiffened at the word choice. "…Fake," Natsuki replied slowly.

"Yes fake," Saeko replied. "And if there is one thing I know about relationships, it's that I can tell when someone is just going through the motions, you know. My body may be feeble, but my mind is as sharp as ever." Shizuru smiled, trying not to let any shift in her body posture give away her reaction to the comment.

"Whatever you say, mom," Natsuki grinned, enjoying the irony of her statement a little. "Or should I call you 'feeble old woman' now?" she added with a smirk.

"If you do, my dear, I can guarantee you'll never live to be as feeble as me," Saeko replied with a glare, though she was clearly enjoying the banter. Shizuru couldn't help but smile a little as she watched the exchange.

"Would anyone like anything more to eat?" Shizuru asked.

"Arigato, but no," Saeko replied with a pat to her stomach. "I've probably eaten more than I should have already. But you set a very lovely table, Shizuru."

"Arigato," Shizuru smiled warmly. "Natsuki?" she asked with a turn to the navy-haired woman. She tried not to draw attention to the fact that Natsuki had eaten very little all meal. It was a little concerning, considering Shizuru had previously seen first-hand Natsuki's ability to eat enough for four people.

"No, I'm okay," Natsuki replied. "Arigato, Shizuru."

"As you wish," Shizuru replied, smoothly getting up from her seat. "Please, allow me," she said, reaching to take Saeko's plate from her to clean up.

"Here, let me help," Natsuki replied, stacking Shizuru's plate onto hers. Natsuki moved to stand up – temporarily forgetting her injury – and was stunned by the pain that tore into her side. Inhaling sharply, she stifled a cry as she felt Shizuru's hands push firmly down on her shoulders, forcing her to stay in the seat.

"No," Shizuru said firmly. "I will clean the dishes, and you stay here and get caught up with your poor mother, who tells me that you don't call her nearly often enough."

"If you insist," Natsuki groaned – even pouting a little for effect. Her mother scoffed at the reaction and nodded her thanks to Shizuru. Natsuki mentally breathed a large sigh of relief as the pain slowed to a dull ache. If it weren't for Shizuru's quick thinking, that could have been very bad.

"Good," Shizuru replied, only a little unnerved that Natsuki was so distracted. I suppose it must be very hard to remember you're working while eating dinner with your mother. She felt the sudden urge to bend over and give Natsuki a gentle kiss on the head. Instinct kicked in and she supressed it with almost volatile force. Logic followed after. "I'm allowed to act on these sorts of impulses for the time being," she reminded herself – the realization causing her heart rate to quicken even more. She bent over and lightly pressed her lips against Natsuki's hair –inhaling the intoxicating scent—before straightening up and carrying the plates into the kitchen.

With heat from Shizuru's breath lingering, Natsuki fought hard to fight the blush creeping up her neck. That was definitely the most intimate motion Shizuru had ever made towards her. Natsuki watched as the other woman began putting dishes away as if nothing had happened. 'Because to her, nothing did happen,' Natsuki thought stared for a while longer, until she felt her mother's eyes on her. When she turned to face the woman across from her, Saeko gave her a soft smile.

Later that night, the three of them were curled up in front of Shizuru's large screen TV. They were almost finished watching a ridiculously unrealistic (in Natsuki's opinion) spy movie. Saeko seemed to love every minute of it though. "Do you think it's really possible to do that on a motorcycle?" she murmured thoughtfully.

Natsuki and Shizuru exchanged amused glances. "No," they both said with a small laugh.

"Natsuki's always wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Haven't you Natsuki?" Her mom asked, turning to her.

"Yeah," Natsuki replied a little sheepishly.

"She knew exactly what she wanted. Down to the model, colour, even what kind of seat she wanted. She was always going on about one bike in particular…what was it now?" Saeko murmured thoughtfully to herself.

"A blue Ducati?" Shizuru filled in for her.

Natsuki had to hide her shock as she turned to meet Shizuru's gaze. How the hell did she figure that one out?! The brown haired woman's lips curled up in a tiny smile, making her eyes sparkle with a look that Saeko interpreted as amused. Natsuki, on the other hand, quite correctly interpreted it as a "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Ugh, yes, the blue Ducati! That's it," Saeko nodded with a laugh. "She used to go on and on about it. She wasn't even legal age and I was half terrified she was going to cash in her life savings and go out and buy one of the things.

"Okay, that might be a slight over-exagger…" Natsuki's sentence was cut off by a loud explosion sound effect as the large warehouse on screen was enveloped in a massive, computer-generated ball of fire.

Saeko's attention snapped back to the screen. "No!" she gasped as the credits rolled on the screen. "That is not how this movie ends!"

"It's a cliff-hanger, mom," Natsuki laughed. "But don't worry, there's a sequel." Her eyes narrowed as she looked at her mother with a small smirk. "…And only one of them dies in that explosion anyway."

"No!" Saeko gasped again – eyes wide.

"Natsuki!" Shizuru laughed. "Ara, that was mean."

"Okay, fine," Natsuki laughed. "Mom, you're just going to have to watch it and find out."

"But I'm so tired, Natsuki," Saeko replied with a sigh. Her lips pursed into a small frown. "It was a very long drive."

"Yes, perhaps we can all watch it tomorrow," Shizuru spoke with a nod. "It is getting very late. Saeko, I'd love to show you the guest room, if you wish."

"Arigato." Saeko nodded in return. "I think I'd better call it a night." The older woman slowly extracted herself from the couch and stretched her arms out with a yawn.

Shizuru started to get up, while Natsuki remained seated; both women were waiting for Saeko to move toward the stairs or look away – anything that would let Shizuru get Natsuki to a standing position without arousing suspicion.

"Are you coming, Natuski?" Saeko asked with a frown.

Thinking quickly and trying not to panic, Natsuki faked a sleepy yawn herself. "Yeah, I'm coming," she said mid-yawn. The navy-haired woman nestled down further into the comfy couch cushions and started to let her eyes drift closed. "Just head up without me."

Shizuru tried not to get too caught up in how adorable Natsuki looked when she was sleepy, or rather, when faking being sleepy. Saeko, unfortunately, seemed determined not to head upstairs without her daughter.

"Natsuki," Shizuru chuckled. "You're going to fall asleep there." Her mind and heart racing, she walked over to the edge of the couch where Natsuki was sitting and took the younger agent's hands in hers. "Come on, sweetheart," she murmured – wrapping Natsuki's arms around her neck and then using her upper body strength to help leverage her up off the sofa. Natsuki caught on very fast and did her best to take as much of the weight as she could bear.

"Thank God that worked," Natsuki thought as she tried to straighten up, but was met with the soft resistance of Shizuru's chest pressed against her own. The sensation - mixed with the panic of her mother almost finding out - sent her heart pounding. Natsuki tipped herself back a little to look at Shizuru, very aware of the brown-haired agent's hands wrapped tightly around her waist. Natsuki's eyes locked with Shizuru's as the older woman smiled softly – the subtle change manifesting the most as a sparkle in her eyes.

"Let's get you to bed," Shizuru whispered softly. The two women locked eyes and, in that instant, Shizuru thought she might not have believed anyone if they had said that she and Natsuki were not together… that this was all an act. Not because of the way that Natsuki's arms around her neck shifted until Natsuki started absent-mindedly playing with Shizuru's hair. Not even because of the way that Natsuki's brilliant green eyes were fully dilated.

It was because when Shizuru's slid her hands up Natsuki's waist, breaking contact only to gently tilt Natsuki's face upward, there was such little effort involved. And when Shizuru turned her head slightly and let her eyes drift closed, each motion was so smooth, so precise. Even Natsuki's lips were almost frictionless as Shizuru gave her a chaste kiss, savouring the feeling for as long as she could before pulling away.

It was if every factor had contributed to making this moment the easiest one that Shizuru had ever experienced. She hadn't consciously decided to kiss the younger woman. It was unadulterated instinct. It was muscle memory. It was as if they had practiced the movements thousands of times and had finally managed to distill what seemed like years of longing into a kiss that lasted for less than three seconds.

If someone had suggested to Shizuru that she and Natsuki were not together in that moment, she would have laughed in their face. But Shizuru pulled away and back to a harsher reality - where Natsuki's hands had suddenly stilled in her hair and the two women untangled themselves from each other under Saeko's gaze.

Shizuru had never felt farther from laughing.

Natsuki tried desperately to keep calm. "This is normal. This is everyday. This is…" Natsuki's thoughts trailed off as she knew undeniably that it was not every day that Shizuru kissed her. Fighting a blush that was making her head spin, Natsuki lowered her left arm so that only one of them was wrapped around Shizuru's shoulders. Shizuru wrapped one of her back around Natsuki's waist and, like that, the two women headed towards the stairs.

There was no pain as they climbed the stairs after Saeko, though Natsuki was pretty sure it was only because of the endorphin rush she was momentarily blinded by. She hardly put any weight on Shizuru as they climbed, though Shizuru nudged her a little to put more on.

"The guest bedroom is just though here," Shizuru spoke to Saeko, opening the door at the end of the hallway. It was the one across from Natsuki's room. "I've put out some fresh towels for you. If there is anything else at all that you'd need, feel free to knock on our door."

"I really can't thank you enough," Saeko replied with a smile. "I'm sure I'll be just fine. Goodnight ladies."

"Night mom," Natsuki said through a yawn.

Shizuru gave Saeko a last smile before following Natsuki into 'their' bedroom. "Sleep well, Saeko."

As soon as the door clicked closed behind them, both women breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh thank God," Natsuki growled. "That was too close."

"That wasn't that close," Shizuru replied with a laugh. "Though I suppose we did have to get a little creative towards the end."

Natsuki laughed sheepishly – running a hand back through her hair. "Yeah, sorry about that, Shizuru," she replied.

Shizuru tilted her head a little at her apology. "Yes, that was just terrible," she laughed jokingly. "Ara, to think I'm not even getting paid for this."

Natsuki scowled playfully, but couldn't help fearing that some truth behind the statement. It was completely not fair to Shizuru to request that she play this role for her. "It must be unbelievably awkward for her," Natsuki thought to 's playful smirk faded a little and an uncomfortable silence fell over them.

"Would you like to have the first shower?" Shizuru asked courteously.

"Oh, no. You go ahead, Shizuru," Natsuki insisted. She eyed the small pile of her clothes that Shizuru had moved over. "I should really move these anyway."

"Are you sure?" Shizuru asked. Natsuki nodded, and walked over to the pile of clothes as if to convince her.

"Yes, go!" Natsuki said with a smile.

"And you promise not to watch me when I come out of the shower?" Shizuru asked, her face completely serious.

Natsuki's heart almost skipped a beat. "W…what?" She stuttered. "Does she actually think… Does she know that…." Her mind raced through about ten different possibilities before she recalled the awkward conversation that they had in the infirmary. Shizuru's mouth turned into a devilish grin as Natsuki rolled her eyes. "Oh, nice, Shizuru" she said sarcastically, though she couldn't help but smile a little. Shizuru laughed as Natsuki blindly grabbed the first item of clothing she could reach and playfully threw it at the brown-haired agent.

Shizuru raised an eyebrow as the item fell short – landing on the ground by her feet. Natsuki followed her gaze to the garment on the ground as Shizuru bent down to pick it up delicately with one finger – letting the lingerie underwear dangle from her finger seductively. Natsuki's mortified face when she realized what she had thrown was almost enough to make the brown haired agent lose her composure again. "Ara," she mused. "I can't say this is the first time this has happened to me. You really could have just said somethi…"

"Give me that," Natsuki groaned, grabbing the underwear out of her hand as Shizuru laughed once more. "Just go," she growled, swatting at Shizuru as the brown haired woman retreated to the safety of being on the other side of the closed bathroom door. Natsuki couldn't help but smile as she heard the other woman's laughter continue for a few seconds before coming to s stop. "What have I gotten myself into?" she wondered.

Natsuki's cell-phone buzzed to life before the agent could completely lose herself in thought. The navy-haired woman walked carefully over to Shizuru's nightstand and picked up her cellphone. She couldn't help but feel puzzled when she looked at the caller-ID and pressed the green answer button. "Agent Helene?" Natsuki asked into the phone. "What's wrong?" It was pretty late for a phone call.

"Oh, good!" The doctor's voice came through loud and clear. "I'm sorry for calling so late, Agent Kruger. I haven't been able to get a hold of Agent Viola, and I know that you're staying with her, so I thought it was worth a try. Is she there with you?"

"She just popped into the shower," Natsuki replied with a frown. "What's going on?" Something pretty serious must have happened for the doctor to make such a late work call.

"It's the chemical analysis for the case we just closed," Yohko replied. "Because it's such a high profile case, the trial got pushed up on us to two weeks from today. Garderrobe wants this to be a very fast and very high profile case detailing how Arai Hirohito's death was the result of someone with a personal agenda instead of the result of a terrorist agenda as everyone feared. Essentially it's a way to calm everyone down."

"I know," Natsuki frowned. "But that's true, isn't it? I don't understa…"

"That's just it," Dr. Helene cut her off. "I just pulled some serious overtime getting results from the chemical analysis of the pills that Arai Hirohito allegedly gave Hinako Omori for her morning sickness."

"The ones that he laced with thalidomide?" Natsuki asked, her frown growing.

"That's just it," the young doctor replied. "The pills that you collected had no trace of thalidomide or anything else that would be harmful to fetal development during the first trimester. Which means…"

Natsuki's fist tightened on the phone as surprise played across her features. "Which means that Miyaki Kanae and Hinako Omori officially have no evidence-based motive for killing Arai Hirohito."

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I really hope you guys liked it and would love to hear what you thought of it!

Sorry that this chapter wasn't as long as some of the previous chapters – I figured it might be better to post a shorter chapter than to have everyone think that I had forgotten about this story!