one of my [best] pieces of fiction.

[love_ribbon]

[[ Backdated to February 29th. ]]Given that Bakura was usually at work around this time of day, Miho was glad to have someone to eat lunch with. She didn't know Shizuka well at all. They didn't know each other past a few words exchanged online. At least Miho was aware that she was someone to be trusted -- she was Jounouchi's little sister. For that

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[love_ribbon]

Her plan had worked, and Miho turned around to face Shizuka with a large smile. She was actually amused by how bundled up the red-haired girl currently was -- Miho herself had on a skirt, shirt, and a heavy jacket, but she hadn't felt the need for anything more (though she was currently regretting not bringing gloves). "Hello, Shizuka-chan!" she greeted. Then, politely, she added, "It's very nice to meet you face to face! Jounouchi-kun used to talk about you a lot."

She sighed, slightly surprised when she found her breath was visible -- maybe it really was colder than she'd estimated. "Mm, maybe we should hurry inside." Her brows furrowed slightly as she made another puff of air, just to watch it. It was something simple that shouldn't amuse her so much, but she hadn't spent much time outside this winter. She was given some leeway, though she doubted she was making a good impression on Shizuka.

"Is there anywhere in specific you wanted to go?" She'd offer to let Shizuka choose first, given that she had promised to take the girl out and not the other way around. If that failed, she had a couple of suggestions up her sleeve.

[redhairedbird]

Shizuka managed to stifle a giggle, but only barely. Miho seemed rather entranced by the cold mist her breath created, and Shizuka almost didn't want to interrupt her. How the girl was out without more layers of clothing on was a mystery to Shizuka, but there were often things she didn't understand, and she wasn't impolite enough to voice any of them.

Or to point out that Miho's fascination was charmingly child-like. That would have been downright rude.

Chewing on her lower lip, Shizuka stared intently at the concrete beneath their feet as if it held all the answers in the world. Mentally, she was perusing a map of the immediate area - or what little she knew of it - trying to pinpoint a restaurant that not only served tasty food, but was within a very short walking distance.

Despite gloves, her fingers felt numb.

"There's a pizzeria that way," she said, pointing, "and a diner..." She was uncertain what the girl wanted to eat, so she said nothing further.

[love_ribbon]

Both suggestions sounded good to Miho, but given how hungry she was at the moment (she'd skipped breakfast, unintentionally, to finish dusting Bakura's apartment before noon), she imagined anything would have sounded nice. Drawing what she knew from the area as well, she replied, "Then let's go to the pizzeria." It was closer than the diner, and closer was certainly better.

Burying her hands in her pocket, she nodded in the direction Shizuka had pointed and started walking. "... how's your day been so far?" Small-talk was incredibly awkward, more so when you barely knew the person you were with.

[redhairedbird]

The girl was certainly polite, which Shizuka found almost automatically endearing. "It's been...quiet," she said after a moment, searching for the right words. She didn't want to discuss her day, or her week, with someone she barely knew, but avoiding the question entirely would have been rude.

Shivering a little, Shizuka moderated her pace to match the other girl's, wondering how she could suggest that they move a little faster. Miho didn't seem to mind the cold as much, which likely explained the slower pace, but Shizuka felt as if she would freeze before they got there.

She was determined to eat her pizza as hot as she could tolerate it, just to attempt to replenish the warmth she was losing.

"What about you? What have you done today?"

[love_ribbon]

"Quiet as well," Miho sighed, completely oblivious to the girl's discomfort, though she did quicken her pace as they crossed the road. The pizzeria they were after was one Miho had been to only once or twice before, but she remembered its location with ease. Thankfully, it was close enough that their walk didn't last long at all and before she knew it, she was holding the door open and ushering Shizuka inside.

She was regretting going out to lunch with someone she didn't know now, for the simple fact that it just really did feel abnormal. They knew each other through a mutual acquaintance, but without that acquaintance there, neither of them knew where to steer the topic of conversation. Miho, herself, had always had trouble coming up with something to say around anyone but close friends. This was... not her territory.

It was better than being cooped up in either her or Bakura's apartment, though, and she smiled at her. "I haven't done much," she replied, deciding to start small. They'd talk about little things until something clicked, right? ... Well, she hoped something clicked. "I really just did some laundry -- er, well, Bakura-kun's laundry -- and tidied up. It's too early in the morning to have done much."

[redhairedbird]

Shizuka blinked before recalling that this girl did all of Bakura's cleaning and such. Sort of like Kaiba's army of maids, only this girl actually wanted to help Bakura out, likely out of some form of fondness.

She'd always found the boy rather strange, but wasn't one to judge. Obviously if such a sweet girl liked him, there was some worth to him. He was just so quiet.

Frowning slightly, Shizuka fished for a response, but was saved when a girl wandered up to them, her almost painfully skinny frame clad in the uniform the workers were forced to wear.

"Like, do you want a seat, or are you ordering to go?" The girl popped her bubble gum and smiled at them.

[love_ribbon]

Fondness was quite the understatement when it came to what Miho felt for Bakura. It was a blind infatuation, in which she had thus far been able to overlook everything that would probably make a normal relationship fall apart. She was aware it was there, but wasn't she more content pretending that it wasn't?

She smiled back at the hostess before answering, "We'd like a seat."

The girl popped another bubble as she fetched two menus, hugging them close to her chest as she walked over to a table. Miho took a seat, smoothing out her skirt as she did so. "What do you wanna drink?" the girl asked almost as soon as they sat down.

"U-uhm, sweet tea would be nice," came Miho's answer, violet eyes settling on Shizuka.

[redhairedbird]

Rather distracted by the almost monumental bubbles the girl was managing to blow, Shizuka simply stared at her for a moment before being jolted back to reality.

"Water with lemon, please." Kaiba had told her she was drinking too much soda, which was bad for her teeth and an awful influence on Mokuba, who quite honestly ate and drank whatever he pleased and couldn't care less what Shizuka imbibed. But she'd listened all the same, as she usually did, and thus had cut it straight out of her diet.

But she'd be damned if she stopped eating pizza.

As the girl wandered away, and Shizuka idly hoped she actually remembered the drinks ordered, she met Miho's gaze and smiled.

"So, are you going to school?" She had a feeling they'd had this discussion once before, but for the life of her, she couldn't recall.

[love_ribbon]

Miho gladly returned the smile though it fell quickly at the mention of school. "O-oh, no," she replied hesitantly, shaking her head. "I'm working, though. Trying to save up enough money."

That was a bit of a lie, as she barely made enough money to pay all of her bills. It, however, made her look considerably better than saying she'd given up on her education altogether. "You're in school, though," she commented, recalling the fact from one of their previous conversations. "Have you had any luck on deciding on your major?" It hadn't been that long since Shizuka had expressed distress from being unable to pick something; it wasn't a very likely expectation that she'd decided overnight.

[redhairedbird]

There were times - rather frequently - when Shizuka wished she could recall conversations she'd already had with people so she could avoid the embarrassment of bringing the topics up again. Kaiba constantly teased her about it, claiming she had the memory span of her brother, while she immediately pointed out that Jounouchi actually remembered things far better than she did.

He'd yet to let her live that one down.

"I'm thinking history for my four-year degree, then archeology for my Masters." It would require a lot of schooling, a lot of work and, most worrisome, a lot of money - especially considering she refused to let Kaiba pay for any of it - but it was what, at the moment, she wanted to do.

"Your work..." It was best to change the subject; Shizuka did not wish to dwell upon the schoolwork waiting for her at home. "You clean for Bakura-san?" She couldn't imagine that paid well.

[love_ribbon]

History? It wasn't Miho's favorite subject, but at least it sounded like Shizuka had a plan. It was more than Miho could say for herself. Being an archeologist had its appeal, but it wasn't a job Miho could see herself doing.

"That sounds good," she nodded. "A least you have a general idea, hmm?" She giggled softly, before the subject was changed to her. "O-oh, yes. I clean and... sometimes I cook him dinner." It wasn't much of a career. "He doesn't pay me too much, but it's nice."

She smiled at the other girl, "He sort of took pity on me, I think, because I was having trouble keeping a steady job."

[redhairedbird]

It would hardly be polite to pursue this topic much further. It would likely lead to Miho explaining why she couldn't hold a job, which was really none of Shizuka's business, though she was already wondering if she could talk Kaiba into finding a position for the girl. It would help if she had any inkling of Miho's abilities.

Cleaning wouldn't exactly cut it, nor would cooking.

She was saved by the presence of the waitress, who looked strangely disheveled.

"D'ya know what you wanna drink?" she asked, bouncing lightly on her toes.

Shizuka stared for a moment, then said quietly, "Orange soda."

[love_ribbon]

If asked, Miho wasn't sure she could have even pin-pointed her strengths, and especially not strengths that would have helped her out in the corporate word. Her main talent was sewing, and that wasn't something that would get her anywhere (or at least, she couldn't see it getting her anywhere).

As the waitress returned, Miho flashed her a large smile and ordered, "Coca cola, please!" She paid no attention to the waitress' appearance, finding it easier to ignore these things than to think about them.

... but hadn't they ordered their drinks already? No, no. They must not have...

As the woman walked away, Miho looked back to Shizuka, scrunching up her nose in distaste. "She's a little strange."

[redhairedbird]

"I wonder what sort of qualifications you need to work here," Shizuka mused as she watched the girl go, wondering if their drinks would arrive or even if their food would go to the right table. She was just happy she wasn't with Kaiba; the man likely would have snapped at the poor waitress and made her cry.

If she wasn't oblivious to the insults, that is.

There was something to be said for going to eat with someone seemingly as polite as she was. Even Shizuka's friends got annoyed by her politeness on occasion, but Miho might actually surpass her.

Shoving the thoughts of the waitress out of her head, Shizuka giggled, covering her mouth girlishly. "I'll bet onii-chan eats here." Her brother likely ate everywhere so it was a safe enough bet.

[love_ribbon]

Miho couldn't help but giggle at that. "It doesn't look like they look for much, does it?" That was probably a little rude, but the waitress did seem a little loopy. "Oh, well, so long as we get our food, Miho-chan will be happy!" Even if it wasn't in a timely manner, neither of them was in a hurry, right?

Well, she didn't know that -- Shizuka might have somewhere else to be.

"Probably," Miho agreed. It'd been a while since she'd seen Jounouchi, but if he was anything like he used to be, she wouldn't doubt it. "He just got back from the States though, recently, huh?"

[redhairedbird]

"Yes." There was delight in her tone; after being away from her brother again for so long, it had been almost therapeutic just to know he was back in town. He had been busy as late, of course, but Shizuka didn't even mind that.

He was her brother, and he was back, and that made her immensely happy.

Face lighting up, she said, "I'd almost forgotten that you knew onii-chan. It's strange, how you're friends with that whole group and I never met you until now." Of course, Shizuka didn't even say Miho's name had never been mentioned, or if it had, in such an offhand way that Shizuka had quickly forgotten it. It didn't seem right, the way they'd apparently overlooked such a nice girl.

The waitress came back, actually carrying their drinks on a tray. Setting them down - Shizuka's drink in front of Miho, and vice versa - she took out a pad of paper. "Did you look at the menus? Know what ya want?"