Ummm... *nervously rubs back of head*

So I just wanted to say sorry for being such a slacker and taking so long to update. Even though in the last chapter I was all like, "Nah man, I'll totally update quickly because half of this chapter's already written." But it's not my fault I tells ya! Blame my internet provider. Blame Optus. It was them! I swear! They took away my internet access for weeks. Do they realize that they quite easily could have just killed me? No internet = death for me. Yeah, I almost died. It was awful, just awful. Anyway, if you guys don't hate me just yet, here's the new chapter. :)

The pine haired blader with a new appreciation for hair care and the blokey yet dainty goggle wearer stood side by side beyond the closed door of the bathroom. Either the energy saving light bulbs were playing eye tricks, or the bathtub was starting to look a lot more like death chamber. (I decided on a bath instead of a shower since I couldn't really work with a shower scene without nudity...)

"Well," Madoka started with a shudder and she looked up at Kyouya. "Who's going first?"

"Does it matter? I've already kissed goodbye to my dignity and self respect."

She smirked. "Aw don't be like that. This could be interesting."

He shook his head. "Pervert. Whatever, I'll go first."

"Someone's feeling bold."

"Not bold. I'm just really starting to get tired of this. I want my body back."

He stepped forward and stripped down to his boxers. Previously, the pair had decided that they would, indeed keep their underwear on. He ran the bath and submerged himself. The warm water almost made him forget his surroundings as it slowly rose over his body, until he looked around and noticed Madoka leaning at the basin watching him intently.

"Hey can you maybe like, not watch me like that? It's creeping me out."

"I'm just making sure you don't get carried away with yourself. Not that I couldn't understand, I mean, my body is tempting but I don't want you having your way with me."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Kyoya, I'm not going to have my way with you."

"That's what you want me to think... anyway, just keep your eyes ahead. Don't look down."

"At least turn around. I can't relax while someone's watching me bathe."

"What's new to see? You've seen me in my swimming trunks, and I've seen you in a bikini... actually, I still see it in my nightmares." She touched the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. Her display of horror was rudely interrupted when Kyouya threw a rubber duck at her face.

"Hey! That rubber duck's beak was pointed!"

"Then turn around!"

So rather than run the risk of copping another bath toy to the face, she busied herself by rummaging through the cabinet that hung above the basin. She was amazed at all the strange lotions and potions that were in there. Each claiming to do something different by way of enhancing a woman's beauty. She remembered her own bathroom basin, in which she only possessed one bottle of shower gel, a two-in-one hair wash, deodorant, a toothbrush and toothpaste. 'Why do girls need all this stuff?' she thought.

She pulled out a bottle. "What's this?"

Kyouya sighed, "That's moisturiser."

"I've heard of that," she nodded. "What's this one do?"

"Hair remover cream."

"Uh-huh... What about this one?"

"Foundation."

"What's it supposed to do?"

"It's make-up. It makes you look prettier."

She snickered, "I'd be taking it back for a refund."

"Oh?" Kyouya asked as Madoka finally caught his attention.

"Yeah, I don't think it's working."

She started laughing but Kyouya was less than impressed. He grumbled at her, however part of him was lost in a thought. Despite her joke at his expense, this was the first time she had teased him just for fun. Or to better phrase it, it was the first time Kyouya had relaxed enough to shoot her a shallow insult like that with no real malice behind it. Kyouya was merely playing with her.

'If one's friends do not openly laugh at him, they are not in fact his friends.'

Mistaking Kyouya's silence as an indication that she had maybe crossed the line, Madoka placed the make-up down gingerly before her eyes widened at the sight of a prong-like utensil that looked like some sort of torture device. She held it between her finger and thumb. "And this thing?"

"Eyelash curler."

"It's... it's kind of scary lookin'."

"Get out of my cabinet, Kyouya."

She flung the eyelash curler back on the shelf and closed the cabinet. "Don't worry I won't hurt your precious cabinet."

Deciding he could take no more of the awkwardness, Kyouya quickly washed his hair and face and soaped up. He grabbed a towel that was neatly folded on the bathtub's rim and got out. "Okay, I'm decent."

Madoka turned around and inwardly shook her head. The sight of Kyouya with a smaller bath towel wrapped around his head like a turban seemed awfully girly, but whatever. She emptied the bath and began to run fresh water.

For a moment, Kyouya felt uncomfortable in the knowledge that his body was half naked in the hands of someone he didn't completely trust. Then, he saw Madoka's new clothes piled in a heap on the floor. He picked them up and threw them in the laundry basket condemningly.

"Kyouya! Dirty clothes go in the laundry basket, not on the floor."

Madoka climbed into the tub, seemingly more content, and waved her hand at Kyouya. "They're not dirty. I only wore them once. Bought 'em today, remember?"

He opened his mouth to protest but snapped it shut when a thought speared into his head like a bullet from a hunting rifle. 'If he came back in different clothes,' he thought. 'He would of had to take my old ones off. And that means...' He slapped his hand over his mouth.

"What?" Madoka asked, wondering why Kyouya had just almost knocked his teeth out with the force applied to his mouth by his own hand.

"Nothing, nothing. You just stay here and get clean. I'll go and find some spare clothes." He left the bathroom and closed the door behind him and then he smiled to himself, rubbing his hands together diabolically. If Madoka wanted to pull a stunt like that and try to see something she shouldn't have seen, then Kyouya had every right to do the same.

So, he walked into Madoka's bedroom and stood before the wall sized mirrors that covered the closet. If he heard the bathroom door's knob turn, he would know Madoka was coming and he'd have time to feign innocence. It seemed like a plan, and as long as he didn't hear that knob turn, he was safe to exhibit his curiosity and revenge.

He dropped the towel. (Reminding you that Kyouya's pride IS still covered by his underwear.)

And he was truthfully quite impressed. He'd seen this muscle bound and lean upper body before, plenty of times. It's owner never truly refrained from ripping off his shirt when he felt the need to, but to see it up close with permission to observe was something different. He lifted his right arm on a upward right angle and flexed, pouting his lips as he did. He did the same with the other arm, making 'oohing' sounds. In his head, he was no longer prancing around in his boxers in front of a mirror. Kyouya was suddenly the main attraction of an extreme body building contest and he was showing off his muscles to a hoard of fangirls.

"What are you doing?"

Kyouya screamed and pulled the towel back up over his torso, tripping over his words. "How? But you, the door..."

Madoka was wrapped in her own towel leaning on the door with her arms folded. "I was careful not to make a sound when I came out so you wouldn't know I was out here checking on you and my body."

"I... I"

"Wait a minute. You were checking out, weren't you?"

"No!"

She smirked. "Did you like what you saw?"

"Well... I mean, no!"

"Oh you so did. You loved it."

"Get out!

Madoka and the smug look on her face wasn't going anywhere. She proceeded to dance around in her towel and taunt him with a chant in the same way a brother might tease his sister. "Madoka is a pervert, Madoka is a pervert!"

Kyouya leaned over to the bed and picked up a pillow. He threw it across the room with far too much force than he had intended, he still didn't know his own strength yet.

With her eyes closed, Madoka was blissfully unaware of the object that would be her fluffy doom maker hurtling towards her, she continued to chant. "Madoka is a perv-UHGGGG!" The pillow connected with Madoka's face and she went stumbling backwards out of the door. Kyouya ran forward, slammed the door shut and pressed his back against it before Madoka could charge back through.

His body vibrated as Madoka started banging her fists on the wood.

"Open the door you pervert!"

"Oh, I'm the pervert, huh? Riddle me this then; you came home in different clothes. How did you manage to change if you didn't see me half naked?"

The banging stopped. "... I had my eyes closed. As if I'd want to see you half naked!"

"Don't lie, I know you!"

BANG BANG BANG BANG

"Stop it, Kyouya! You're gonna wake everyone up and what will they think when they see this?"

"You're gonna have to let me back in because your clothes are in there! So open the door or I'll go strut my half naked but downstairs and really give Gingka something to smile about."

"You wouldn't," Kyouya hissed back through the door.

"I think we both know that I would."

He threw the door open, ripped her inside and pushed her over to the closet. "I hate you."

"I hate you more," she replied offhandedly as she opened the closet to inspect the selection. Instantly, her face wrinkled in disgust. "Man, why so much pink?"

"Don't hate the pink."

"Don't you have anything more manly?"

He joined her side by the closet and pulled out a silk, pink night gown adorned with a little bow on the neckline. "Put this on."

She stared at him, dumbfounded. "Madoka, listen to me and listen good because these things on your chest are really starting to hurt my back and it makes me impatient. I may be stuck in your girly body. I may have been hit on by a guy, gone shopping, and gotten my hair done. Hey, I might even be like that last part, but there's no way you're getting me to wear a dress."

He rolled his eyes and stamped his foot. "Just put the darn thing on, Kyouya."

She unwillingly snatched the dress from his claws. "I'll get you for this."

He ignored her as he headed for the room's exit. "I'll be back. One of the shirts and tracksuits you left here one night is in the guest room. I washed and folded them; I'll go put them on."

"You washed and folded my clothes?"

He turned away before she could see his blush. "Yes..."

"Oh... well, go get them to come back in here. I don't want you alone with my body."

She heard Kyouya mutter something as he made his way down the hallway and then she gurgled a few curse words under her breath as she slipped into the dress.

She heard someone approach to door, and using the logic that Kyouya was the only one awake, she thought it could only be him. "You know what? Girl's clothes are so much more comfortable than guys clothes. I may have to get me one of these. You know, minus the pink and the low neck line."

"Madoka..."

She froze. 'Uh-oh, that's not my voice.'

Upon turning around, she saw Gingka standing in the doorway rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand.

Kyouya came back with his clothes in his grip, but paused at the sight of Gingka. He shot the redhead an awkward smile while Gingka had to double take. Clearly, he was wondering why Kyouya was just chillin' around in a towel, and why he was about to enter the room where an equally unclothed Madoka was.

"Um, Madoka," he began. But he was looking at Kyouya as he spoke. "I need to tell you something."

Madoka turned to Kyouya. His face seemed to beam, but Madoka's eyes were pleading. She knew what Gingka wanted to tell her.

Gingka put his arm gently on Madoka's shoulder and ushered her out into the hallway. He stopped and made her face him, Madoka noticed he seemed fairly nervous with the way he was wringing his hands and how he was having trouble keeping eye contact.

"Madoka, I-" he stopped mid-sentence and looked over her shoulder. Madoka turned to see what had distracted him, only to find Kyouya lurking behind her, hands clasped together, eyes wide and mouth grinning.

"Kyouya, can you please go put a shirt on or something. I don't wanna be rude, but I need to talk to Madoka in private."

Kyouya simply stared at Gingka for a moment, until his expression fell into a more serious one. He coughed. "Oh, well, yeah... of course." He then trotted off into Madoka's bedroom with an obvious bounce in his step. Gingka lent over and closed the door.

"Okay, so what I was trying to tell you is that… hang on, I'll start over."

Madoka glanced around frantically trying to find a way out. She decided to pretend Hikaru had called to her. "What was that, Hikaru? You need me downstairs? Hold on, I'm coming."

"I didn't hear Hikaru."

"You didn't? Oh, that's okay, everybody makes mistakes. Coming Hikaru!"

Hikaru called up the stairs, sleep still heavy in her voice. "What?"

Madoka went to walk away but Gingka grabbed her. "MadokaIlikeyouandIwanttoknowifyou'llgooutwithme!" he blurted and took a long breath in. From beyond the door in Madoka's room, they both heard a shrill, high pitched squeal come from Kyouya. Madoka just stared at him blankly, not really knowing what to say.

Then they both looked to the door where Kyouya could be heard chanting "Yes, yes, yes, yes!"

It was only when Gingka rubbed the back of his neck and questioned, "So? How about it?" that Madoka felt like it was now or never.

"No..." was all she said, and try as Gingka might, he couldn't find a trace of doubt in her eyes.

"Sorry, what?" he asked.

"I said no," Madoka replied quite simply.

"Oh... uh..."

Silence.

Madoka hung her head and closed her eyes. "Well, this is kind of awkward, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Gingka looked to the side, his eyes half lidded. Gingka was feeling far too many emotions all at once, and that made it impossible for Madoka to read his facial expression. His lips were pouted to the side and twisted, his brow furrowed and his shoulders seemed to slump. Then, the redhead turned back to Madoka and feigned a smile that was so obviously fake, and he said, "We both better get some sleep. I'll leave you and Kyouya alone. Goodnight, Madoka. See you in the morning."

Gingka made a turn and descended the stairs, not caring that he was dragging his feet. Madoka could only watch, and something she hadn't felt in a while stung her chest. Was it guilt? And whatever did he mean by "I'll leave you and Kyouya alone"?

She didn't have much time to contemplate however, as Kyouya flung the door open and pounced on her, knocking her to the floor. He wrapped his hands around her shoulders and got right in her face, his eyes were fuming, his face was red.

"You!" he seethed. "How could you do that? Have you got any idea how long I've been waiting for that to happen? Do you? No, you wouldn't because you only care about yourself!"

She tried to turn the tables on him by flipping her off, but it was no use. Kyouya was just too strong and she hated the sudden weakness that had been laid upon her due to the body switch. "What did you expect me to do? Say yes? If I did that, I don't think I'd be able to live with myself anymore! And use your head for once in your life. What would happen if he found out about the body switch and realized he'd asked me out. NOT you?"

He lent down further to yell at her from a closer distance. "That doesn't matter! You couldn't do it for me? I can't believe I thought I was starting to see a better side of you."

Madoka's expression drew a blank, and this alerted Kyouya to what he had just said, He scuttled off her and sat on his knees. She propped herself up on her elbows.

After a short silence, Madoka asked, "Why do you care?"

"Haven't you ever been in love?" he replied quietly while he glanced at the carpet. "When I'm with Gingka, I feel like I'm special. I love Gingka, you just ruined any chance I ever had at getting him to love me too..."

For one second, one split second, Madoka thought she was about to say sorry. Then, somebody coughed, interrupting her.

"Hold the phone. You love Gingka?"

Both of them turned to the head of the stairs to see a groggy eyed Hikaru. One of her eyebrows were raised while she set a confused glare on Kyouya.

Kyouya stood up and pointed at Madoka who was still lying in the middle of the hallway. "That's right, Madoka! As I was saying, I love Gingka's scarf. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed!" And with a triumphant huff, he spun around quickly and stomped off into Madoka's bedroom.

Madoka shrugged at Hikaru. "Gotta admit, the kid wears a nice scarf."

The Aquario user put a finger to her chin. "I think I've finally worked out what's wrong with you two..."

Scrambling to her feet, Madoka gulped. "What do you mean?"

"That's why you two have been so suspicious lately. Sneaking around together, always whispering to each other. Though, it is a little puzzling as to why Kyouya would have opened up to only you and not me too..."

And there was something in Hikaru's eyes that made her suspicions clear to Madoka. Hikaru didn't even have to finish her sentence. "WHAT?!" The surprise knocked Madoka over. Literally. She stood up again and declared, "Kyouya doesn't swing that way, man. So whatever you're thinking, you're wrong, you hear me? You're so far off it's not even funny!"

"It's alright, I won't judge him. But as girls, I think he needs our support right about now. I'm gonna go talk to him."

Hikaru walked towards the door to Madoka's bedroom as Madoka watched helplessly. She didn't know what to do, so she decided to simply follow Hikaru and pray that things would turn out okay.

Inside, Kyouya had thrown himself onto the bed, face down with his head buried in pillows. Madoka kept her distance while Hikaru slowly approached him and sat on the bed next to him. She touched his shoulder.

"Kyouya?"

He pulled a pillow over the back of his head. "Go away!"

"Kyouya I just want to talk to you..."

"Well I'm not in the mood to talk!"

"It's alright now, you don't have to hide your secret any longer. I know."

A gasp came from beneath Kyouya's fortress of pillows. He turned his head and moved the pillow just enough to reveal one shocked and tear laden eye. "You know?"

Hikaru nodded.

Pillows were suddenly thrown everywhere as Kyouya lept out of his fortress of bed linen and wrapped his arms around Hikaru, sobbing drastically on her shoulder. Hikaru pat his back in a comforting gesture. All the while, Madoka stood back shaking her head and rubbing her forehead.

"Hikaru, I'm so glad you found out. All I've wanted to do is tell you, because I knew you'd be the only one to understand. Only a girl could understand how hard it is to be stuck in a guy's body when all you want to be is a girl."

"I can imagine," Hikaru soothed. "It must be so hard for you to feel like you're in the wrong body. You don't have to hide it any longer, okay? You can be a girl if you want to."

"But how?! I'm stuck like this!"

Madoka fell back against the wall. A barely audible groan left her lips, but inside her head, she was screaming. 'Their wires are so twisted! Madoka thinks Hikaru knows about the body switch, and Hikaru thinks I actually want to be a woman!'

"Who cares? Wear a dress if you wanna, Kyouya. Wear make-up, get your hair done... anything."

"That's not my biggest issue, Hikaru," Kyouya replied as he finally pulled away from her. "Gingka will never love me like this."

At that comment, Hikaru didn't really have any words. she hummed in thought. "Well, it might take him some time to get used to the idea but you never know..."

'Enough of this, I can't do it anymore!' Madoka pressed herself off the wall, opened her mouth wide and shouted, "I DON'T WANNA BE A GIRL!"

Hikaru's jaw near about hit the floor. "Whaa?"

"Listen, you!" Madoka pointed at Hikaru from across the room. "I'm actually a guy. That sobbing mess there is actually a girl, and I'm done with hiding it! If my name is about to get slandered in a such a way, you're gonna have to know our secret."

Kyouya sprung up. "Wait, you mean Hikaru doesn't know about the body switch?"

"No, idiot!"

"Body switch?"

Madoka advanced towards her two dumbstruck friends and hunched over them, her teeth bared maliciously. "That's right, body switch. I'm Kyouya Tategami! That body snatcher there is Madoka!"

Kyouya hung his head. "I screwed up, didn't I?"

"Oh you have no idea. Now what are we supposed to do? She knows!" Madoka gestured with an open palm to Hikaru.

"I think we can trust her. Right, Hikaru? We can trust you?"

Hikaru didn't answer. Her gaze, now directed off into nothingness, was blank. She processed each of their words slowly, and her cheek twitched a little.

Madoka waved a hand in front of her face. "Hey spacegirl, come back to Earth. We needa know if you'll go snitching on us. 'Cause if you do..."

What happened next was very sudden. Madoka didn't get to finish her sentence, because Hikaru abruptly sent her palm flying straight across Kyouya's face. There was a loud SLAP followed by an "Ow! What was that for?! You can't just hug somebody and then slap them!"

"Pervert!" Hikaru screeched. "You... back at the store... the changerooms... YOU SAW ME IN MY UNDERWEAR! I'm gonna rip you a new one!"

Kyouya threw his hands up in front of his face. "Stop Hikaru, please! That wasn't me! It was him!" he pointed to Madoka. "Body switch remember!"

"Oh..." she mumbled. "Sorry Madoka, I'm so sorry. This is a lot to take in and I don't even know how I'm believing it, but it's you right? You wouldn't lie to me like this. I slapped you on instinct. My brain just went into 'Kill Kyouya' mode and well... I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. It's just really good to have someone I can talk to now," Kyouya returned with a smile as a large, red mark swelled on his cheek.

Both 'girls' turned a deathly glare on Madoka. She put one hand in her pocket, saluted with the other, and gave a nervous smirk. "Well, I'll be off then."

Hikaru chased her tail right out of the bedroom while Madoka scooted down the stairs. The goggle sporter tried to make a break for it through the main entrance and she was so close too. With an outstretched hand, she reached for the door handle.

But then, Hikaru grabbed her shirt and yanked her back. She threw the brunnette up against the wall and pierced holes into her flesh with the amount of venom that radiated heat from her furious eyes. Madoka threw her hands up in defence. "Now, now Hikaru. Think about what you're doing here. It's true that I'm actually Kyouya... so I won't be easily defeated by a girl. Slap me all you like, it'll do nothing."

"Let's test that, shall we?" Hikaru smirked. And then she sent her open palm flying across Madoka's face.

Madoka fell into a state of shock as she touched the area Hikaru had slapped. 'It hurt,' she thought. 'That actually hurt.'

"Even if you were still Kyouya, I could beat you up with one hand tied behind my back. But seeing as you're in Madoka's body, I'll have to wait. I don't want to hurt Madoka."

Kyouya had been standing back, doubled over in laughter as she watched the whole thing. "Don't worry about me, get him again. He completely ruined any chance I had with Gingka. Get him, Hikaru! Get him!"

Hikaru dropped Madoka onto the ground. "What?"

"Gingka asked me out," Kyouya explained. "And he just plain out said no!"

Putting her thumb and forefinger over her chin, Hikaru rubbed at an imaginary beard and concluded, "So that's why Gingka looked so sad when I passed him on my way up the stairs earlier..."

"Did he say anything?" Kyouya asked.

"No. I said hi, and he barely even returned the courtesy. I thought it was unusually rude of him, but this explains it, huh? He left, I guess he must have gone home."

Kyouya didn't have to reply. The look on his face said everything. Even Madoka, who honestly still felt like she'd been hit with a cinder block, felt bad. 'Damn these girly hormones!' Madoka thought.

"Look," Madoka began. "It's pretty late. We'll deal with Gingka in the morning. By then, Tsubasa will be back and hopefully he'll have some useful information. There's nothing we can do while we're this tired. We all better get some rest."

Nodding, Hikaru agreed. "So that's what 'secret business' Tsubasa was doing back at the WBBA. Okay, I'll get cab back to work. I've got to try and help Tsubasa somehow. I can't bare to see my friend like this." She gave a sympathetic gaze Kyouya's way.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Madoka objected.

She didn't honour her with an answer. "Get some rest, you too. Tsubasa and I will be back in the morning."

Madoka touched two joined fingers to her forehead, "Later." Yet she really wanted to say something along the lines of, "Good, get out of here you maniac!" She kept such thoughts to herself, though. She'd just had her first run in with Hikaru's wrath, and quite frankly, she didn't feel like going back for seconds.

After Hikaru left, Kyouya went to the sofa and collapsed onto it, too exhausted to go upstairs to Madoka's bedroom. He was dog tired, every part of him screamed for rest, but his mind just kept revolving around one person.

"Gingka..." he whispered almost mutely. It was long after he heard Madoka crawl up the stairs and close the door to the bedroom that he finally fell asleep. He didn't even care that she'd stolen his bedroom for the night.

Later that night, Madoka lay in bed, deep in sleep and worn out from the day's events.

Suddenly, a tapping at her window ripped her from her sand land and she sat up with a start.

"Crack," the window tapped again.

"What on earth is that?"

"Crack."

She got out of bed to investigate. She pulled the window up only to receive a pebble to the forehead.

Madoka clutched her face. "Ow! Why do these things keep happening to me!?"

"My bad!"

Someone was standing down on the pavement. Madoka looked down, this time holding her hands in front of her face, to see Nile with a handful of pebbles.

"Nile?"

"Ooh, your forehead looks like it's gonna bruise, I can see it from here. Sorry..."

"Nile! What are you doing? Is this where you go at night? To wake people up and throw rocks at their faces?!"

He put his hands behind his head, rubbing the nape of his neck. "No, not usually. I understand that this might seem a little weird to you."

"Nile, nothing in this world could possibly seem weird to me anymore. What are you doing here?"

"You never called me, I came to see you in person."

Madoka groaned, put her back to the wall next to the window and slid down it.

"Hey, Madoka? Where'd you go?" Another pebble came flying through the window and bounced onto the carpet.

She laid her head in her hands. "This can't be happening."

Firstly, I wanna clear up the part where Hikaru first suspected Kyouya was gay, or perhaps simply wanted to be a woman. I have nothing against gays. My cousin is 'flaming' as some might put it, and he's quite possibly one of my favourite people on Earth. Our shopping trips are the best!

Now, I wanna wrap with story up soon and I have an ending in mind. But if you guys have any suggestions about what you'd like to read in this, feel free to let me know! Of course, I'll give you full credit to whatever idea I might use. :) And sorry if this chapter was disappointing, especially considering the long wait.

I hope I'm forgiven! Man, I really need to make my A/Ns shorter...

Thank you so much for reading, guys!