Chapter Twenty-Five: Sweat and Lemonade

"Raeger..."

Fluttering into consciousness, the smooth scent of lavender filled Raeger's nose as his lungs expanded. With half his face buried in the pillow, his vision was limited, allowing him to only get a quick glimpse of his surroundings, which were too dim for him to process. Letting out a small grunt, sleep pulled him back into darkness.

Then, a warm hand grabbed his shoulder, shaking him back to life, followed by an angelic tone whispering his name, sweeter than sugar.

"Raeger."

Lifting up his head from the pillow, realizing the voice belonged to his darling love, Akiko, he sleepily gazed into her bright face. Seeing his eyes finally finding hers, she smiled and giggled quietly, stroking his messy hair with her fingertips.

"Good morning, sleepy-head," her voice was soft to accommodate his weariness, "It's time to get up and get to work." His eyes still focusing, he examined the window across the room behind her, noticing the sky was still black, a few visible stars struggling to stay lit. He groaned as he rolled to the edge of the bed, suddenly remembering his promise to help her get the orders prepared and down to the trade depot. Letting out a loud yawn, he swung his legs over the bed, his feet touching the wood of the floor.

Pulling up his pants to his waist, he noticed her float around in the kitchen, fixing up a quick breakfast to get them started, already dressed in a light colored dress decorated with bows and ribbons along the edges of her back like a corset. Her chocolate hair flowed down her back and over her shoulders like a waterfall, shining in what little light was in the room.

'I didn't think she got up this early,' the little voice in his head even sounded stale. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a plain-jane t-shirt to work in over his head as he headed over to the kitchen. Carefully leaning against her from behind, careful not to overwhelm her with weight, he rested his chin on her soft hair. As the sweet smell of her hair and freshly made waffles wafted into his nostrils, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her close to his chest.

"Do you always get up before dawn?" he yawned, carefully moving with her as she traveled to the table with a plate of food in each hand.

"It really depends on how much I need to get ready," she responded, placing the meals on the wooden table, helping him to his seat by softly shrugging him off her, "and today, I have a LOT to get down to the depot! I'm really glad you're helping me out. You sure you don't mind?" Sitting down next to him with a big beaming smile shot a little energy into him, the smile he could never resist. Cutting into the maple-soaked waffled, he returned her big smile with a gentle one.

"Not at all," he responded, sliding food into his mouth.

Heading outside after they cleaned up after breakfast, Akiko asked Raeger to get the horse ready with the cart as she got the produce ready to go. Feeling much more energetic after getting some food in his belly, he took it one step further and fed all the animals as well. Most of them were a still a little unfamiliar with him, so they fled at the sight of him. The only one staying near him was the horse, who followed him like a lost puppy, making it a breeze to strap him to cart, empty and ready for lots of cargo.

Buckling in the last strap to the horse, he felt a gently breeze tussle his hair, making him glance up at the sky, now seeping with splashes of orange. The morning sun had yet to peek over the mountaintop, making the air nice and cool to prepare in. Leading the horse over to the fields, he began to load the wooden box crates she had already loaded full of crops until there were none left. Observing her for only a moment to see how she was doing it so quickly, he took a bunch of empty crates to the row behind her and started getting more ready for transport.

Taking notice of his ambition, Akiko skipped over to him with a clipboard full of papers and explained to him which crops she need to which orders and how many. Pointing over to the crates, he noticed certain stickers across the top board, depicting the same logos at the trade depot. Understanding fully how it worked, she handed a few orders to work with on his own while she stayed in the current field to finish what she needed for her share.

This split of the work made it go faster and smoother, but nearing the end, Raeger began to get a little winded. He really admired how far she has gotten since she first came here. Though she seemed like a delicate woman, she had developed an outstanding stamina and strength to be able to do it all within a timely manner. By the time he had finished what few orders he had received, she was able to complete nearly double what she had given him without breaking a sweat.

Triple checking all her orders, the clipboard firmly in hand, Raeger took this opportunity to take a quick rest leaning against the cart, feeling the now morning sun beat against his brow, enjoying the cool morning breeze before it transformed into the devil's breath. Still watching her as her pen scribbled against the paper, a smile appeared on his lips. Her fair skin began to glow as the warming sunlight caressed her face as her eyes grew brighter. Moments like this made his heart leap in chest as he sighed heavenly.

"Wow!" Akiko exclaimed as she signed off on the last paper, turning over to Raeger with stars in her eyes. "Your help has made this effortless! Thank you!"

'Effortless?!' his eye winced slightly at her choice of words, but before he could respond, her excitement got the better of her as she started climbing aboard the cart, grabbing the reigns. Realizing that was she going to go whether he was on the cart or not, he quickly scrambled up the side, taking his seat next to her just as she set the cart forward. After getting situated in his seat, he glanced over at her glowing face, her smile brighter than ever. 'She sure is happy considering she nearly left me in the dust!'

The breath of mountain air which caressed their cheeks allowed him to unwind as he put his hands behind his head and enjoyed the ride to town. Glancing over at her, her unmatched focus on the road, he saw the determination her eyes, reminding him of how he gets when he cooks for a busy crowd. Unbreakable concentration and over-bearing excitement took over during lunch and dinner rush, making his work look easy to others.

"Is it always like this?" Raeger's voice broke the morning stillness of the forest, keeping his eyes forward. "With work, I mean."

"More of less," Akiko responded, letting out a breath of air as her body became more relaxed, "Summer's always a busy time, especially with all the vendors swarming the trade depot near the end of the season. They want to get as much as they can before the summer storms start to kick off the beginning of autumn."

"Yeah, I know. I just can't believe how much you have to do before you even leave the farm. It was difficult for me to keep up with you."

"Well, I can't say it was easy at first. I cried the first couple busy days I had about a year ago, but I just learned to manage it a little better, so now, it's really not so bad."

"That's amazing considering you do it solo."

"Now you know how I feel about you, when I work with you."

"Huh, what do you mean?" Her remark compelled him to turn his gaze towards her, baffled by her comment. He honestly felt that his line of work was relatively easy.

"I mean, when I help you out in the kitchen, or even just watch you, I can't believe how much you can manage on your own. You're like a cooking machine, and I can barely get one side dish done while you're plating five different meals. It made me feel like I wasn't good enough to work next to you."

Bemused, he continued to steadily gaze at her as the cart made a turn onto the stone bridge over the river. He never realized he made her feel so small when it came to cooking, however, he never felt overshadowed when it came down to manual labor. An ironic grin spread across his face as he faced the road once again.

"Well, I can definitely say I appreciate what you do," he chuckled, "There's no way I could ever out-farm you!"

"'Out-farm?'" Akiko returned his chuckle, then returned his corny joke, "Just like I can never out-chef you?"

"That's not even a proper term!"

"And 'out-farm' is better?"

"No, but out-horse is!" He reached over and grabbed the reigns from her hands, tugging on them just enough to make the horse go faster.

"Raeger, wait!" she shouted with concern, trying to take control again, but he kept the reigns far from her reach. He ignored her tone and guffawed at the sudden excitement, all the way into town. Terrified as the cart bounced all over the road, she held onto the side in fear of flying off at the next turn.

"Thanks again for letting me have access to your flowers, Giorgio! You have no idea how important this contribution is to me!"

"It's no trouble at all, Rish, really. All of your breathtaking research has assisted Rose Wood Farm for the better. You're always welcome here. Now, if you'll excuse me." With that, the blonde haired swoon left Licorice be with her research on that warm summer morning. As she turned around to drown in the sea of flowers, she could hear him from a distance greeting potential customers who had arrived as tourists to see his high-class well-known collection of exotic flowers and other shrubbery.

Each breeze that tickled the flowers made the colors of the rainbow dance as their exotic aromas blended together to produce a perfume-like mist, enveloping her entirely. Her trips to Rose Wood Farm were like walking through a fairy tale forest, seeing flowers never before seen by her own eyes, half-expecting little fairies to be flying around. Nearly every time she came back, there were new flowers to study and explore.

On this day, she was taking samples of the new arrivals and some of the ones she couldn't get to before. Jotting down notes in her binder as she placed leaves and petals inside their own designated flasks, she began to feel excitement with the scratches of her pen. Her research was nearly complete, almost ready to be sent to pharmaceutical companies for evaluation. If it were to be accepted, it would change her life!

Then, a shadow consumed her sunlight. Looking over her shoulder, she jumped a little at the sight of Kamil hovering over her with an amused smirk. Being so focused on her work, she didn't even realize how long he had been standing there. Tripping over her supplies, she fell onto the soft green grass, nearly breaking a few of her samples in flasks.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kamil chuckled nervously, never expecting to catch her off guard, offering his hand to help her up, "I really didn't mean to startle you and I certainly didn't intend to make you fall, I just wasn't sure if it was really you. I never see you here, so I came over to investigate for myself."

"It's been a while since I've visited," Licorice responded, reluctantly taking his hand, disgruntled that some of her work was nearly wasted, "what are you doing here?"

"Are you crazy?" he snickered. "Giorgio's flowers are the only ones I use for anything. I'm known for my top quality work, so only top quality specimens will do. How about yourself?"

"Oh, you know," her eyes rolled slightly as she was hesitant to even explain herself, assuming that being neighbors for so long, he would be able to put two and two together, however, she did feel foolish for asking a flower arranger what his business was in a flower garden, therefore she felt obligated, "just adding more notes to my research. The foreign plants Giorgio grow here broaden the spectrum."

"Broadening the spectrum, eh? That's a very unique way to put it, but I agree. My customers are always amazed with my work with these flowers, keeping them coming back for more. You could say, this place keeps me in business."

Feeling as though the conversation couldn't get anymore interesting, Licorice decided now was a good time to end it and get back to work before morning became too hot to bare. She also didn't want to lose track of where she was with her notes.

"Right, anyways, I should definitely get back to-" she started to turn and walk off in the other direction, securing her break away.

"How was your date with Nadi the other night? I do hope it went well."

Her eyes widened in disbelief as her legs froze, her head whipping around back to him. A bead of sweat slid down her face as she gazed at his teasing smirk.

"H-how did you know about that?" she demanded, thinking that she had kept the date private from the entire town.

"Where do you think he got those nice clothes?" giggling innocently as he revealed Nadi's own little secret. "He really wanted to look nice for you, so he asked me for a small favor. It was no big deal, really. I was happy to help."

Licorice's face flushed pink as her fingers clutched the edges of her binder, pulling it closer to her pounding chest. Memories of that night flooded to her mind, making her heat dance until the tips of her ears felt hot. Even now, she longed to be next to him or in his arms.

'He wanted to look nice... for me?'

"Wow," her voice was a soft murmur as she turned her face away, embarrassed, "well, thank you for doing such a nice thing. I didn't think you'd ever really do that..."

Kamil's playful and happy expression suddenly turned puzzled as he raised a questioning brow. Before he had a chance to respond to her odd remark, she continued.

"I wasn't exactly the nicest person to you," her embarrassment became shame, "when you were constantly fawning over Akiko, it drove me crazy, and yet you still-"

"Those weren't my best moments, either," he interrupted abruptly with a serious tone, completely changing the mood, "Your actions were completely understandable, so there's no need to apologize. You were just being a good friend to her, something I could never hope to be."

"You had every chance to be, but you just couldn't understand that she wasn't in love with you. That made it difficult for her to even be around you."

"It's been hard on me, too. I want to be her friend, I really do, but I don't think I can yet. So, until then, I'll just do what I can for her from afar for now.."

The sounds of the rustling plantation and distant calls of wildlife couldn't break the awkward silence that followed his statements. Neither knew what to say next as they stood there, avoiding eye contact with one another.

"Kamil," Licorice's stern voice broke through, getting his full attention, "you still have feelings for Akiko, don't you?"

"I'm in a relationship with Elise now," he responded, playing off a seemingly forced smile. "She's been really great to me, and I'm thankful that she's an important part of my life now."

"That's great and I'm glad you're happy, but you avoided my question..."

At the Trade Depot...

Akiko and Raeger were exiting the Trade Depot after an eventful day of delivering every order to every vendor, the heat of the early-afternoon sun beating down on them. They arrived with a full cart of produce and were now leaving with a cart full of supplies. Still overwhelmed with the excitement of the day, Raeger was relaxing in the back, lounged out over a few sacks of seeds for comfort with a wet towel over his face to protect it from sunburn.

"I can't thank you enough for your help!" Akiko called back as she steered the reigns in the direction of the mountain trail. "This was probably the busiest day I've had all year and you've made it easier to bear."

"Yeah, no problem," Raeger attempted to hide the weariness in his voice, "but did your busiest day also have to be the hottest?"

"I'm really sorry about that... I know! I have homemade lavender lemonade chilling in the fridge back at home. That should help!"

"Mmmm, that sounds refreshingly delicious..."

Smiling at his response to the suggestion, she turned back to the road, recalling the recipe for the refreshment in her mind as the cart passed over the stone bridge, knowing that the entire pitcher will be empty after he got to it. Just as they turned the corner, they began to pass by Rosewood Farm, noticing Kamil starting to leave with Licorice close behind him. Puzzled by the odd pair, she brought the cart to a halt.

"What the-!" Raeger shouted as he unexpectedly shifted around the back, ruining his comfort. Steadying himself, he grabbed on the outside of the cart to pull himself up to ascertain the reason for the sudden stop, looking to Akiko, concerned that they had crashed. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"Sorry!" she apologized, "I just.. didn't know how to react."

"React to what?" Observing their surroundings, he noticed the odd pair walking out of the flower plantation, nearly side by side. Taken aback by the sight, he shook his head before widening his eyes to assure the sight wasn't false. As he did so, Akiko hopped out of the cart and walked over to them, smiling brightly as she normally did to hide any suspicion she felt.

"Licorice!" she shouted, waving out to her, catching the two off guard. Surprised at first, Licorice glanced over at Kamil with a questioning glare before turning it into a smile as she walked over to meet her friend half way.

"Akiko, how are you?" her greeting hid any uneasy feeling with ease, matching Akiko's smile. "I didn't think you'd finish your orders so quickly! I thought you were booked solid!" Just as she made the statement, she noticed Raeger approaching from the cart.

"I had an amazing helper today," Akiko smiled up at Raeger as he appeared at her side, wrapping his arm around her waist and subtly pulling her close to him in defense to Kamil's presence. "Without him, I'd still be there baking to a crisp!"

"We can't have that!" Raeger joked as he pressed his cheek against the top of her hair in a sort of half hug. The two girls giggled, but Kamil stood there silently, avoiding any eye contact with any of them.

"It's been a while since I've seen you, Kamil" Akiko stated calmly, taking notice to his standoffish attitude. "How have you been? I hope-"

"I've been fine," Kamil responded harshly, making brief eye contact before turning his attention to Licorice, "I should get going."

"Oh, right, see you," Licorice made her goodbye quick, glancing over at Akiko who was astonished at the strange behavior as she watched Kamil leave so swiftly. Raeger, on the other hand, could care less.

"Did I... say something wrong?" Akiko turned to Licorice for answers as confusion set in deeper.

"No, not at all," she sighed, "he was just upset that, uh, the flowers he needed weren't quite ready yet."

"Oh, I see.. well, how's the research going?"

The subject quickly changed, taking a huge stress off Licorice's chest. She didn't want to remain on the subject of Kamil with Raeger around; it made her nervous as she wanted to avoid any sort of conflict. Taking advantage of the newly lightened mood, she discussed her excitement with her friends. All that was left to do was put all her notes together professionally and start sending them major corporations. Akiko returned the happy mood as she defined the satisfaction of the vendors, all of which was made a smooth process with her special helper.

"We should get going," Akiko sighed as she looked up at Raeger. Though he was wearing a smile, she could see the fatigue in his eyes as he gazed down at her, his arm still wrapped loosely around her. "I don't want to hold you up from your work, either."

"Right, I need to be heading back, too," Licorice sighed heavily, wiping away the sweat from her brow, "I'll see you around!"

Gleefully hopping back into the cart with the seeds, Raeger was excited to be heading back up to the farm to get his promised lemonade. Giggling at his silliness, Akiko steered the cart back up the mountain.

"Onward, faithful steed!" he shouted with a ridiculous accent. "My beverage awaits!"

The couple made silly jokes in foreign accents about beverages and other refreshments as they approached the farm. Once they had arrived, Raeger helped take the empty wooden crates out from the back while Akiko unlatched her horse and led him inside the barn, taking the opportunity to visit with her other animals for a few moments.

As she walked outside, she left the barn doors open; it was such a beautiful day, it would be shame to keep them locked up. The bunnies ran around her legs before hiding in the tall grass as the chickens were quick to pick out any small seeds hiding in the dirt. The cow and sheep mixed in their herds, quietly grazing away. The sight was peaceful, bringing a soft sigh to escape her lips.

Shutting the wooden gate behind her, she looked around for Raeger, but saw no sign of him. The wooden crates were neatly stacked against the side of the barn along with the large wooden cart. Assuming that he had gone inside to rest, she made her way towards her house, secretly hoping that he didn't consume all the lemonade before she had any.

Carefully opening up the heavy oak door, she took a quick glance around and spotted him resting up against the counter, the pitcher of lemonade resting on the table with a poured glass adjacent to it. He didn't have a chance to respond to her as he was preoccupied chugging down a full glass.

"Aaaah!" he exulted, throwing his head back, the cold mixture of lemons, water, and lavender drizzling down to his stomach. "That really hit the spot!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," she giggled, picking up her glass which was now covered by condensation and taking small sips as she watched him head over to the pitcher, pouring himself another full glass, "I got the recipe from Eda. It's perfect so exhausting summer days like this."

"I'd say! You might have to make a huge batch for me to take home."

"You want to put it on your menu? It'd sell out fast!"

"Huh? No way, I can't share all the good stuff!"

"You're so silly!"

The two drank until the pitcher was nearing empty. Cooled off, he wandered over to the couch and plopped his weary body onto the plush cushions, his head flopped back against the top with his arms sprawled out, allowing him to become more relaxed. Cautiously approaching him from behind the couch in fear of disturbing his tranquility, she stood above him with her hands resting on the couch on either side of his head. Reacting to the movement of her hands, he opened his eyes to find her looking down at him with a gentle grin. Matching her smile, he gazed up into her eyes and started to become lost in them.

"I know I've said it a thousand times today," her voice was soft to match the relaxing atmosphere, moving sweat-drenched strands of his hair out of his face, "but I really can't thank you enough for your help today, Raeger. It means the world to me."

His name tasted like honey as it passed her lips, the angelic tone of her voice giving him goosebumps, gazing deeper into her sparkling eyes. Leaning over to kiss his forehead, her dainty fingers stroked his neck, feeling his clammy skin. The sensation of her touch sent waves of pleasure through his body. Pushing his head up slightly, he reached behind him to the back of her head and pulled her down a little farther, catching her lips in his. The edge of her chin grazing against his nose as their tongues danced with each other momentarily. Her small moans excited him more, entangling his fingers in her hair, still warm from basking in the sun.

"You work very hard," he whispered as she pulled away, gently tugging her lip before leaving their kiss completely, "and you always lend me a hand when I'm working. I don't mind at all... But..."

"But?" she stood up a little straighter, distancing her face from his as her hands ran down his neck to his shoulders, the smile never leaving her face.

"We need a break," a wide grin appeared across his face as he gazed up at her, examining her now confused expression.

"What do you mean?" she carefully watched him get up off the couch and stretch his arms.

"I mean, we need to relax. Let me treat you to a grand dinner tonight."

"Oh, I see. That sounds great! I love our dinners together! Do you want to eat here or at your house? I have plenty of vegetables, so a side dish would be pretty easy-"

"Akiko, that's not exactly what I meant."

Confused once again, she stared at him as he walked around the couch and took her hands in his, gazing into her eyes as if penetrating to her soul, his handsome smirk remained on his face. Not knowing how to respond to him, her hands tightened in his grip as she awaited an explanation. Growing nervous, she swallowed a lump in her throat, never breaking her gaze.

"Uhm," the mousy noise wasn't even a word as she opened her mouth; no matter how comfortable she felt around him, there were still times that he intimidated her a little, just enough to make her feel as though he could easily overpower her. Although that thought was often arousing, it was also terrifying. He knew she felt this way about him, too, so whenever he would see her back down as she just, he took advantage of the situation to tease her. In an attempt to do so, he leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"I mean, let's go out for dinner," Raeger's husky tone sent a chill down her spine as his breath tickled the skin of her neck, sending her heart ablaze.

"Out? You mean, out-out? As in-"

"As in, I'm taking you out-out to a nice dinner in the city tonight."

"What?!" Akiko gasped, taking a step away from him, his grasp on her hands still firm as to prevent her from fleeing. She had never been on a 'fancy' dinner date before. Truth be told, she didn't feel deserving of such an exquisite luxury, even from him. A million and one thoughts began racing around her mind, spurts of sentences escaping her mouth to counteract his proposed date. "But what if- I don't know if I have- you don't need- we could just-"

Stopping the overflow of words from her mouth with a gentle finger to her lips, Raeger chuckled at her sudden anxiety, wrapping his other hand around waist, pulling her close to him. His eyelids lowered as his smirk grew, never breaking away from her eyes to observe her reactions.

"C'mon," Raeger beckoned, slowly spinning themselves around as if they were dancing, "we never been out like that before, and it's going to be a perfect weather tonight."

"I know," she averted her gaze to floor, assuring that their small dance wouldn't result in a crash into furniture, "but, I've never been to a nice restaurant before... and what about tomorrow? Shouldn't you get ready for work tomorrow? Not only that, You don't need to spoil me. You already do enough for-"

"That's going to be a rule on tonight's date. No worrying, about anything. You can't tell me we don't deserve a nice night out, can you? Besides, I know a lot of has been going on lately, so it's a great chance to just let everything go and have an exciting night together."

He had her there with that. She had been worrying about a lot of things lately, with Fiona and overflowing orders, the heat was no help. She saw this as a chance to really start over, putting all the stressful and worrisome ideas behind and move forward with him, stronger than ever. Deep down, she also felt that this would be a good opportunity to show Raeger that, in case Fiona did somehow break through to him, that she herself was a much better option than that trash who calls herself a woman.

"Well, how does that sound?" his husky tone snapped her out of her thoughts. "Exciting, high-class dinner with a side of worry-free?" Smiling up at him, she nodded, making his heart leap, extending out his arm and twirling her around. Bringing her back in towards him, he held out her hand while keeping a firm hold around her waist, gently dipping her down. Her cheeks blushed at his gesture, turning her face away to hide her face, she left her neck open for him. Gladly accepting her unknowing invitation, his lips found their way to her collar as he lifted her back up.

Enjoying the feeling of his soft lips against her skin, she giggled as she tried to playfully push him off.

"Raeger!" she squealed.

"Oh, right," he said, pulling away from her neck and straightening his posture. "It's not very chivalrous to leave anything before before we go out, is it?"

"Not exactly," responding with a lure in her tone, "but I still enjoy it."

"That's too bad," reacting to her seduction, he pulled her in close as his playful smirk grew, "I've got be good now."

"As do I," wrapping her hands around his neck, she rested her head against his chest, feeling his beating heart against her cheek. "I'm starting to get excited for our special night on the town."

"Great! Now I know it's not traditional, but just meet me at my house at four, and I'll have a taxi pick us up around then,so-"

A sudden thought hit her like a brick; she didn't have any idea what to wear! With only a few hours to prepare, she started to get a little worried.

"Wait, wait a second!" she exasperated, separating herself from the embrace with a panic. "How should I dress? I don't even think I have anything that's 'fine-dining' appropriate and I only have a couple hours to get anything..."

"Okay, the worry-free part of the date starts now," Raeger demanded jokingly, secretly finding her cute as she began to fret, "I'm sure you'll look amazing, no matter what you choose to where."

"That doesn't help me out..."

"Alright, well, just think clean and proper I guess."

She let a disgruntled sigh, none of this was helping her out at all.

"I know you'll look fantastic," he assured her, "but I need to get back home. I still need to get ready myself. Don't forget, four o' clock!" Giving her a quick hug goodbye, she could feel the excitement rush from him to her from mere contact before he left.

"Yeah, four-," was her delayed response as she watched him nearly run down the trail from her window. Then, lightening striking her thoughts, she ran over to phone and dialed faster than ever before.

"Hello? Lillie? I need your help!"

Half-skipping all the way home, Licorice headed towards the western side of Oak Tree Town. She needed to stop by Agate's house who told her that she could use her laptop to put together her research. Each step just made her more excited and pleased. Everything just seemed to be going good for her; her career was facing a possible upgrade and she couldn't be happier to have a possible relationship with Nadi.

Passing by the antique shop, she glanced over at Klaus's house, gazing at it for a few moments. Taking a deep breath, she felt free from the obsession she had for him, trapping her in a swirl of unrealistic expectations for herself and from him. As she turned back towards Agates house, she stopped once again in her tracks, catching sight of Klaus walking towards his home. Judging by his upright posture and peculiar fast stride, she figured he didn't even notice her and assumed he was in a great need to get home.

Continuing her way to her original destination, she kept a careful watch on him in her peripherals, but when he approached his door, she turned her head completely, feeling safe to look. Watching his figure disappear beyond the frame of the door, she also happened to catch a glimpse of a woman. She was sitting on his couch with her bare legs crossed. Licorice couldn't make out who it was from afar, but she had a feeling it wasn't Iris; she wasn't the type of woman to wear skirts. Knocking on Agate's front door, she started shaking off the uneasy feeling she felt in her stomach, swallowing the fact that it was really none of her business. Without warning, the door swung open in front of her.

"Rish!" Agate greeted loudly. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"It's great to see you, too!" Licorice squeaked, matching her excitement. Inviting her in, she sat on a chair as she waited for her to retrieve her laptop. While she waited, she observed the room around her, seeing several dresses hung up along a door frame while others were neatly hung over random chairs. Along the floor were many different pairs of shoes ranging from stiletto heels to simple sandals. She raised an eyebrow to the odd closet-cleaning scenario.

'What in the world does she do when she's out of town?!'

"By the way, you should stay awhile!" Agate shouted from upstairs, still scrambling to find the laptop.

"I'd love to, but maybe you should, uh, tell me why you've an entire boutique scattered around your living room!"

"Akiko just called and she's coming down with Lillie!" Agate shrieked with excitement as she ran down the stairs with the laptop clutched in her fingers.

"Really? So, is it like a dress up girls night or something?"

"Even better! Akiko called and she needs something for a hot date tonight with Raeger!"

"A hot date? Well, that's a little, uhm..."

"Yeah, we've got to get Akiko dolled up for sexy night on the town!"

Failing to fish up a reaction to what Agate just said, Licorice's expression said it all with eyes wider than a full moon, then burst into laughter. The scenario didn't even sound real, so she decided to stay to see what was really going on.

"Well, this should be fun!"

Back at the Inn...

Kamil sprawled out on his bed, the conversation with Licorice still fresh in his mind.

"Kamil," Licorice's stern voice broke through, getting his full attention, "you still have feelings for Akiko, don't you?"

"I'm in a relationship with Elise now," he responded, playing off a seeming forced smile. "She's been really great to me, and I'm thankful that she's an important part of my life now."

"That's great and I'm glad you're happy, but you avoided my question..."

It was true, he dodged her question because he didn't even know how to answer it himself. After a long, exasperated sigh, he found the courage to speak.

"I didn't think I still did," he mumbled.

"But?" she pressed for a full response.

"But, the feelings I felt for her back then haven't changed, but I swear, I'm not going to try anything. I'm really glad she's found someone who makes her happier than I could ever hope to."

Those words felt muddy as they slipped through his teeth. Part of what he said was true; he really was happy for her and he wasn't going to attempt to win her affections any longer, but it killed him inside that she still chose Raeger over him. He could never wrap his head around it.

'What made him more compatible than me?' his thoughts pounded in his head as he rolled over onto his back. 'What did he do different? What did you see in him that you couldn't see in me? I don't understand...'

'Do I have feelings for Elise, my darling flower? Yes, so then why does she still penetrate my thoughts? Akiko...'

"Hey, Kamil?"

Looking over, he heard Nadi calling for him through the closed door, disturbing his thoughts. Getting up to answer, he straightened out his clothing and hair before opening the door to greet Nadi.

"Nadi, what a surprise," Kamil welcomed him in, but Nadi refused, holding out his hands which held a nice shirt and slacks. "Oh, thank you! You even washed them, that was nice."

Nadi simply nodded, then turned around to head back to his own room. It didn't surprise Kamil that he wanted to cut it short, but he did have one thing he needed to ask before he disappeared into his room.

"I'm taking that the date went well?" he inquired.

Without even looking back to reveal the large grin that appeared on his face, Nadi called back to his neighbor.

"Very."