...*awkward silence* Eh-heh... Well... *turns away from the subject of author's blatant stupidity and laziness* I'm so happy with all the reviews I got for the last chapter! Honestly, I thought I did terribly with Misaki's character towards the end, but all the reviews I got were positive! Thank you for that! The positive reviews are what keep me going strong on this story! :D Please enjoy the third chapter! Oh, and just so you know, this takes place before they get together.

~-~-~-~-~~~I do not own the rights to Maid-Sama~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Misaki took a deep breath as the tears at last began to subside. She blinked quickly, doing her best not to get anymore tears and snot on Usui's nice dress shirt. Peering down, she realized it was pointless to worry about it at that point. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and they went even redder when Usui reached down to wipe stray tears from her cheeks.

"Are you okay now, Ayuzawa?" Takumi murmured with a gentle smile.

Misaki began to nod her head out of habit, but quickly switched to a shake. No, she was not okay. She was still a terrible person. The only other person she knew who could lead someone on, never letting them know if they were going to return their feelings - whether those feelings were good or bad - , was her father. And she was just like him.

"No, I'm not okay. I'm a terrible person." His hand, which had been rubbing in soothing circles around her back and shoulders, stopped abruptly. She kept her head bowed beneath Takumi's gaze, not even daring to raise her eyes.

Usui sighed. "Ayuzawa, listen to me -"

"No, I won't listen!" Misaki's hands clenched into fists. "Nothing you say can change the way I've treated you. It won't make it right."

"Ayuzawa -"

"Over and over again, you come to my help. You accept me. You don't lose patience with me. You cheer me up. You're clearly the best friend I have, and yet I never acknowledge it." Misaki felt a couple more tears of shame stinging at her eyes, and she scrubbed at them harshly. "I don't even deserve to be comforted by you right now."

"Ayuzawa."

Misaki started at the firm tone of Takumi's voice. Before she could move, he had lifted her head with his fingers beneath her chin and was gazing intently into Misaki's eyes. Her heart seemed to slow in her throat.

"I all ready told you: I like you the way you are. I would never ask you to change, not even the smallest bit. And don't you ever begin to think you don't deserve to be by side. That's the last thing I want you to think."

Misaki looked away, pulling her chin away from his fingers. "But -"

Usui gently turned her face toward him again. "Ayuzawa." He gave her a crooked, loving smile that instantly had Misaki feeling relieved and guilty at the same time. "It's okay." Before she could protest any more, he pulled her to his chest and put his arms around her. Misaki's cheeks flushed scarlet once more. She hesitantly drew her right arm around to his back, reddening even more from shyness at the close contact.

Takumi went on as if everything was perfectly normal. "So why were you outside my apartment?" His arms were loose around her, holding her gently.

Misaki sighed, more drained than ever, and even less enthusiastic about explaining her predicament. "Well..."

After she was finished explaining, Usui slid back a little, a hand going to his jaw in thought while the other settled absently over Misaki's hand. "So what you're worrying about is that he will come back home, get your mom's hopes up, and then leave again?"

Misaki nodded, staring intently down at her hands. "It's like I said before-my mom is too trusting. And she forgives so easily, too..." She put a hand to her face as her mind continued to spin with nauseating worry. "One way or another, I just know she'll get hurt. And I have no idea when they'll be back... And who knows what could happen to them while they're gone..."

Usui let out a small sigh. "Ayuzawa-san didn't give you even a faint idea about when they would be back?"

She shook her head and ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "No."

After a moment of silence, Takumi stood and placed a hand comfortingly on Misaki's head. "Don't let it worry you too much. All that you can do now is wait and see, right?" Misaki gave a nod of reluctant consent. "Will you be okay managing the house by yourself? Or do you need me to come sleep beside you all night?"

Misaki's face blared as red as a traffic light. She flung Usui's hand away from her and bounced as far back as the couch would allow. "Shut up, pervert! I'm not a little kid! I don't need help!"

"Yes, yes," Usui said with his old, teasing grin. "But I would stay up with you allllllll night if-"

The teenage boy was abruptly cut off with yet another pillow projectile. "I said shut up. Geez, how many times will I have to hear crap like that come out of your mouth?" With their familiar banter suddenly thrown back into the conversation, Misaki was able to gain back her poker face. She stood and did her best to straighten out her clothes. Suddenly remembering the food that Takumi had brought out, Misaki glanced quickly down at the table. It would be stone cold by then.

"...Do you want me to heat it up?" Usui asked, noticing her gaze.

"No, it's fine," Misaki replied, taking a seat again and reaching for the plate. But before her fingers touched it, Usui took the plate from her reach and headed toward the kitchen. "Usui-!"

"It'll take just a minute. And after you eat, I'll take you home."

Misaki's face flushed once more, and she turned to gaze out his apartment windows with her brows curved in embarrassment. "You don't need to do that," she mumbled.

"I know." Takumi smiled to himself as he glanced over his shoulder, watching her as she stared out the window.

~~~~~~~lalalala~~~~~~lalalalala~~~~~~~~~~oh, look, it's a break~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, after Usui had dropped her off at her home, Misaki woke with a start at the sound of a loud crash. She froze for a moment, listening intently for any other noises. When there were none, she lay back down. Probably just a thunder storm... she thought drowsily. But even as she thought it, a floorboard creaked out in the hall, and Misaki's heart picked up in double time. She sat up again, rigid with fear, and watched her door. Sure, she could take them down, but it was the middle of the night, and she was in her own house, where it should be safe. After a few moments, Misaki let out a breath and slipped out of her bed covers, edging towards the door and forcing the fear down her throat. She could her slow footsteps echoing down the hall.

Maybe it's just stupid Usui... Dammit, if it's him, I'll kill him.

Misaki reached for the door knob and twisted, slowly swinging the door open. "U-Usui?" she called out uncertainly.

She suddenly found herself face to face with a masked stranger pointing a knife threateningly in her direction. He was tall, with muscular arms branded with tattoos that twisted around his skin like barbed wire. Even with her strength, Misaki could easily be overpowered by him if she wasn't careful. "Make one more move or sound and I will kill you," the man snarled, his guttural voice coming from beneath his mask. "Now give me all the money you got, and you won't get hurt."

Misaki took a deep breath, giving the burglar a stony glare. "I'm sorry, but you picked the wrong house. We don't have anything that you would want here."

"You're a lying brat!" The thief took a threatening step forward. "Hand it over!"

"We're dirt poor! There's nothing for you here!"

"Liar!" He lunged forward, reaching to grab Misaki's arm. She nimbly dodged and slid into a defensive move, grabbing the man's arm and beginning to twist. But before she even knew what had happened, the tables had turned and the man had swung around and pulled his arm across her neck, cutting off her oxygen. She was facing the inside of her room, so there was only a slim chance of her being able to get away even if she pulled out of his grasp-he was blocking the doorway. "You have one more chance, kid, or I'll slice your little throat right ope-"

The man was suddenly ripped away from Misaki, and the knife clattered loudly to the floor. Misaki stumbled, whipping her head around to look behind her to where the man had gone.

She was stunned into silence at what she saw.

"You dare touch her again, and I will be the one to slit your throat open," Usui growled, his eyes flashing dangerously as he held the robber violently against the ground.

"Usui!"

Takumi glanced up at Misaki, his features relaxing in relief upon seeing her unharmed. "Ayuzawa, go call the police. I can handle him."

Misaki nodded mutely and ran off in search of the phone, wondering just how many awful things could happen to her in less than 48 hours.

~~~~~~~~~~~yay~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~yay~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yay! The third chapter is finally up! ^^ I'm so happy-I finally came up with some more scenes for the story! I never thought it would go in this direction! I hope you like it... Please, PLEASE review! It nourishes my soul! :)