(NOTE: I've reposted this because I've changed some things...mainly, I've added a part at the end. The chapter doesn't end where it did originally.

That is all.)

Miku.

There's about one month left, and it's been hell coming and I know for sure that it'll be hell going. I'm in a parking lot at the local mall, struggling to get out of the car.

Now, that could mean a ton of things but over here, it only means one.

"When should I pick you up?" Kaito's got his arms wrapped around me and I've got one foot out of the car.

"Like I said, you don't have to..." As busy as he was, he somehow managed to find the time to drop me off at the mall. My girlfriend and I had planned this trip out and we were going to rendezvous at the food court before going on a shopping spree.

"Mm..." He pauses and I squirm out of his grip, spinning around and planting a quick kiss on his cheek.

"Luka and I will take her car," I smile at my husband. "You should get back to work. There's a lot of things you need to do before the trip, right?"

He nods and reaches forward, taking some of my hair is his hand and bringing it close to his face, feeling it against his skin. "Take care, okay?"

"I will," I say, finally getting out of the car. He looks at me and pouts, like he doesn't want me to go. My heart skips a beat. I get back into the car and press my nose to his. I lightly peck his lips and pull away.

"See you," he smiles. I sigh and exit the car, turning around and walking across the parking lot. I can feel his eyes on me as the car rumbles to life. My cheeks take on a faint pink hue. The corners of my mouth tug upwards.

There's someone I love, and he loves me.

I know exactly where to find my girlfriend in the food court; there's a small seafood shop that she frequents, because of her unhealthy obsession with tuna and other sorts of fish.

I spot her table, surrounded by a sea of crowded ones. Her lashes flutter to her cheeks as she pinches a piece of what looks like fish between two ebony chopsticks. I giggle and wave to her. She pus the whole thing in her mouth and chews slowly, eyes still closed as she relishes the taste. She's so into it that she doesn't even notice me.

"Hey," I playfully smack my handbag against her head of pink hair. She squeaks and spins around, swallowing the bite.

"Miku!" She half-scolds. I snicker and sit down next to her.

"Did I interrupt your fish-eating?" A wry smile paints my lips.

"You could at least let a person eat in peace," she pouts. "Your husband gives very short lunch breaks, you know."

I bite my lip. "Well...he gave you today off, didn't he?"

"It's Saturday!" She waves her hands in the air.

"But he's not taking the day off."

"Well..." She pauses, "he's really dedicated. But you and I both already know that," she ends this with a giggle and I bite the inside of my cheek.

"Can we talk about shopping?" I say suddenly. She smiles smugly and leans close to me.

"Right," she whispers. "Sorry. Forgot that he's yours now."

I don't like how she says that. I scowl and she cackles with laughter.

"I'm teasing. Miku!" She manages to say between giggles. Meanwhile, I'm fuming. "That diamond ring looks really nice on your finger..."

My eyes flicker down to my hands, resting on the table. The diamond shines and I quickly slip my hands under the table.

"Stop," I say, trying to keep myself from saying something that I'd regret. "Don't say things like that, okay?"

"Geez, Miku...I was just kidding around with you," her eyes are wide and she gives me an innocent look. That look of hers makes me feel horrible.

"I'm sorry," I mumble. "I'm being...weird," I finish, finding myself at a strange loss for words.

She pats my shoulder, quickly shoving the last piece of fish into her mouth before wiping her face and getting to her feet. "It's nothing, okay?" She says after swallowing. "You know I could never hold anything against you."

I purse my lips. My eyes are set on my ring. "Right," I whisper. "Sorry. Okay. Thanks."

She doesn't seem to mind that my speech is a bunch of stilted one word sentences. "Let's shop," she smiles. Her tone is distinctly jovial and girly. She looks more mature than me when in actuality, she's the childish one.

I nod slowly. "Right, right," I force a smile but it slowly becomes more and more authentic as I meet her eyes and she grabs my arms, pulling me towards her and then dragging me out of the food court.

Later that day, as the sun dips west, I stumble up the doorsteps, my hands occupied with about ten bags full of clothes and hair accessories and things. Huffing, I drop the bags and start to search my purse for the key when the door clicks and opens. I look up. Kaito peers at me. My eyes are wide and he smiles.

"You're early," I say, slightly out of breath. He shrugs.

"As it turns out, there wasn't nearly as much stuff for me to sift through as I had thought," he says. "And besides...I was kind of hoping you'd be home."

I let out something that sounds like a sigh crossed with a laugh. He opens the door completely and carries the bags in. I help.

"Luka didn't bring any cash." I kick my shoes off and saunter into the living room, plopping down on a sofa and lazily fumbling with the top button of my coat. It's autumn but the wind is harsh outside.

"Oh?" Kaito sounds mildly amused. He sits down beside me and gently pushes my hands away. He starts to undo the buttons, one by one.

"She brought her credit card. We ended up buying way too much."

"Well, you know I can afford whatever it is you want, don't you, dear?" He looks up from the buttons and into my eyes, cupping my face with his right hand and caressing my cheek before kissing it.

"I know, but sometimes..." I pause and get to my feet, shrugging the coat off and walking towards the closet. I stop and turn to look at him. "It's just a lot of stuff. And today, she..."

I press my lips together and turn towards the closet again. It's quiet. I hang my coat and start to close the closet door when two arms wrap around my torso.

"She what?" Kaito nuzzles my neck. My posture stiffens slightly before I relax in his grip, turn around and press my forehead to his.

"Nothing," I say.

"Tell me," he whispers, tilting his face and bringing it closer. His lips are parted and I can feel his breath against my small mouth.

"It's stupid." My eyes flicker downwards to watch as he trails a hand up along my shirt, stopping over my heart. It's pounding and I know that he already knew that, but he just wants to be sure. "She was teasing me about getting married to you."

"Hmm," Kaito lets out suddenly, meeting my eyes. His mouth curls into a small smile. "Is that so?"

"Y-Yes," I say. He pins me against the wall and brushes the side of his face against mine, laughing softly. The hairs on the back of my neck stand upright. He breathes into my ear.

"Fuck her."

"W-What?" I'm surprised by the tone of his voice. It's relaxed and contemptuous, both at once. "It's okay, I...she's still our friend and she's your..."

"She's just a secretary," he almost growls the words. "I'll fire her."

"No, no," I shake my head. He grabs my face and starts to pepper kisses along my jaw. "It's okay, Kaito...she was teasing. You know how she is. I'm over it. It's not like...like it'll change anything between you and me, hmm?"

He drags kisses up my cheek and ear, staying mostly silent. Then, he pauses over my lips.

"Right," he murmurs. I close my eyes and he kisses me. Step by step, kiss after kiss and caress by caress, he sweeps me away from reality and the whole incident with Luka becomes a hazy blur.

I like it that way.

Luka.

Monday morning. Steam billows from behind the peach shower curtain as I wash my hair. Water sprays across the ceramic surface and peppers my back. My hands work quickly in the sudsy mass that my hair has become.

I wash it out and then step out, grab a towel and wrap it around myself. Silently, I exit the bathroom and start to dry my hair. After that's done, I pull my clothes out of the closet and get dressed.

It's the same as always. A white blouse and black skirt. I hum as I get dressed, my eyes set on the old picture frame set on my bedside table. There are three people in the photograph, two girls and a boy.

One married couple. And me.

I walk into the building. It's big and fancy, I guess. Made of glass and everything's polished so that I can see my little face. I'm used to it, though, so I guess I'm looking forward to the trip that we've got planned for the future. I imagine Miku's not too excited, though; I guess I wouldn't want to leave him behind, either.

But he's not my husband. He's my boss. And my friend. Well, sort of. These sorts of friendships become awkward once the guy starts seeing someone. To me, they do.

"Luka," I'm surprised to see Kaito in the elevator. He looks sharp, dressed in a suit, as usual. It must be a pain, though, having to put on a tie every damn day. Maybe that's just me. Maybe Miku helps him. She probably does. Either way, I can't stop looking at the man. His hair's combed and everything, and while it looks nice, I feel an urge to run my hands through it, ruffling it.

Of course, I can't do that. It'd be weird.

"Mr. Shion," that's how I'm supposed to address my boss. He's not 'Kaito' or 'dude' or 'buddy' anymore, and he sure as hell will never be 'darling' or 'babe.' I blink once or twice, looking dorky. Then I realize how angry he seems.

"W-What is it?" I ask.

"What happened with my wife? On Saturday?"

It's not like 'Mr. Shion' to blend business and personal matters. This has him pissed off. Oh yeah. He still looks mighty nice when pissed off, though.

"You know how it is, Kaito, I was just teasing her." Since he brings personal matters to work, I bring his first name to the table.

"You hurt her."

"And I'll bet you fu..." I stop myself. He eyes me silently, his lips pressed together into a frown.

I clear my throat. "Sorry," I mumble. "You know I didn't mean it."

He sighs. My heart wants to hammer its way out of my chest. "It's okay," he says. "I understand. She's sensitive. I just wanted to talk about it with you, that's all."

I'm sure it is.