Note!  This story is based on events and characters from a
previous work, "Secrets".  You should be familiar with that
story, or this one won't make any sense!  To get "Secrets",
or any of my other works, visit my Web Site at:

http://www.geocities.com/coutuva

As always, C&C is anticipated, accepted, and appreciated.
All original Ranma1/2 Characters and Backstory Copyright
Rumiko Takahashi, and are used without permission.

Please Enjoy!
Coutuva.




Friends and Lovers - Part Two             A "Secrets" Prequel
-----------------------------------------------------------------



	Miyoko began to wonder if the girl hadn't fallen in.
        A glance at the clock confirmed that fifteen minutes had
elapsed since her new friend went into the bathroom, which only 
made her more curious.
	She was about five seconds away from investigating when
the door finally opened, and out stepped a stranger.
	"Wow -- no wonder you were so long," she grinned, surprised 
at the transformation.  
	In place of the slightly disheveled girl she had last seen, 
there now stood a perfectly coifed and attractive young woman.  
	Her torso-length hair was immaculately arranged straight 
down her back, save two perfectly equal locks that were drawn 
back from above and slightly ahead of her ears.
	And from its enlivened sheen, it was fairly obvious that
the girl had spent most of her time brushing it out.
	"Do you...  Like it?" she asked, meshing her hands before 
her chest, and looking as if her life depended on the answer.
	"Hai!  You look great, Naganato-san," Miyoko responded, as
she walked over to get a better look.  When she was close enough to
see the back of the girl's head, she wasn't surprised to see the
band locks knitted into an immaculate weave.  "Hell, you're making
me want to go fix this mop," she smirked, running her fingers
through her now unrestrained, shoulder length, dark green tresses.
	"Iya -- you have good, strong hair, Takara-san.  It has
enough body for you to wear it however you wish - not like mine," 
the girl countered, as she reached up and took some in her fingers,
then fanned it out.  "My hair is very, very fine, and the slightest
mistake shows up across the room.  I wish it was as forgiving as
yours."
	Miyoko had to chuckle.  Score one for the pro.
	"Congratulations, Naganato-san.  You must be the only
person I know who can tell someone their hair is a mess, and have 
'em feel good about it."
        As expected, the girl looked horrified.  "Iya, iya!
That's not what I meant!"
        Miyoko broke up.  "Don't worry -- I was only teasing you.
Here.  Slide this on, and let's head out," she laughed, as she 
handed the girl a jacket.
        The girl blinked, then frowned.  "That really wasn't funny,
Takara-san," she pouted, as she took the jacket and slipped it on.
        "Well, I thought it was just hilarious - you should have
seen the look on your face."
        As Miyoko continued to laugh, the girl didn't respond - until
the corner of her mouth twitched.  A heartbeat later, a smile fought
its way through, and she tried to hide her straining face.
        Miyoko wasn't about to let that go.  She leaned down, found
the girl's eyes and did a quick impression of the pout.
        The girl lasted all of five seconds before she finally broke
up, and they were still laughing as they stepped into the elevator.





        "Yeah, I guess I don't mind working there.  The club's been
pretty good to me since the new guy bought it.  The only thing that
makes me crazy is that he keeps changing our uniforms.  The old 
owner was just a pig.  He'd sit in the bar and stare at us all day."
        "That must have been awful.  Couldn't you do anything?"
        "Why?  Sure, it was creepy to have him doing it, but he
never did anything worse.  Plus, I needed the job, the money was
pretty good, and figured if he didn't bug me, I wouldn't bug him.
Besides...  And I know this sounds bad, but...  I'm kinda used to
it.  Been at the club for a couple years now, and it happens all
the time."
        "That doesn't sound bad, Takara-san.  Not the way you
say it."
        "Thanks, but believe me, I could tell you some
stories - then again, you probably know exactly what I mean."
        The girl flushed, then averted her face.  "Hai..."
        "Figured.  Especially after what happened at the park
today," she grinned back, then, as she turned her gaze forward,
stopped in her tracks.  "Hey!  Look where we are!  I know the guy
who runs this building!  C'mon, Naganato-san -- if he's got 
anything open, I might be able to get you a place right now!  This
guy owes me."
        The girl stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide.  "Really?
You mean...  My -- my own apartment?"
        "Yep!  Well, in this kind of building, your own room is
more like it.  They're small, but they're cheap and usually clean.
Want me to talk to him?"
        Her face sobered.  "I...  I guess you should.  I'm...
Going to need one, I suppose."
        Miyoko wasn't surprised at her reticence.  "Don't worry.
This is a pretty good area, and it's close to the places you might
end up working.  Let me talk to the guy, and see what he says first.
Could even turn out to be a false alarm."
        Despite the uncertainty simmering in her eyes, the girl
nodded.  Miyoko smiled.  "Let's go."
        Miyoko knew that she wouldn't have any trouble convincing
the building manager.  Especially since what he 'owed' her was 
compensation for drooling over her on his regular visits to the 
club.
	The only thing that concerned her was whether or not he 
had any units open.
        As it was only about four o'clock in the afternoon, she
knew that she'd likely find him in his office, and walked around
the building to find it.  When she did, she stopped and turned
toward her friend.
        "You wait out here until I talk to him.  He's an okay
guy, but he gets...  'Distracted' real easy.  I'll be back in
about ten minutes," she instructed, then smiled.  "Wish me luck."
        "Hai, Takara-san.  I do," the girl nodded, then stepped
back against the wall.
        Miyoko tossed her a wink, then stepped into the lobby.  It
didn't take her long to find her objective, as he was sitting
alone in the adjacent office - playing a game on a computer.
        "Konnichiwa, Keiji-san.  I was hoping I'd find you here.
Mind if I bother you for a minute?" she sang, as she sauntered up
to the desk.
        He almost fainted.  "Ah-Ah-Ano...  T-Takara-chan?"
        Her smile twisted imperceptibly as she fought down the
lurch in her stomach, and put her plan in motion.
        Thankfully, it really didn't take much effort, aside from
slinking herself onto the corner of his desk - and the odd
strategic bend, finger drag or pout.  In fact, he turned out to be
most cooperative.  Not only did he have a unit, but he even forgot
where he put his waiting list.
        She had a feeling that it might have had something to do
with certain coincidence -- the kids playing outside the windows
were the ones in the picture on his desk.
        When she had accomplished her 'mission' and stood up to
leave, she noticed her new friend standing near the outside 
windows.  Smiling, she motioned her to the entry.  
	When they met up, Miyoko wasted no time.
        "Good news, Naganato-san!  He has a unit, and it's open 
right now.  If you don't have enough money, I might be able to get
you a break on your first month - at least until you can get work.
Either way, you can sign the lease right now."
        Her reaction was a far more subdued than Miyoko expected.
        The girl meshed her hands and bowed.  "Arigato,
Takara-san," she stated, her voice sounding almost as sad as it
did when they first met.
        Miyoko huffed into a frown.  "You don't like the place?"
        "Iya, iya -- I think it looks all right.  I...  I just..."
        She had to bite her tongue.  "I already told you.  Don't
worry about it.  At least this will get you a place to sleep, and
once you get work, you'll have the time to look for something
yourself.  I know it ain't the Palace, but you're not gonna get a
better deal."
        The girl seemed to flinch at her words, then school
herself.  "Hai.  I'm sorry, Takara-san.  I didn't mean to seem
ungrateful.  Of course I will take it."
        "Great!  Let's get you signed up while he's still in a
generous mood," she smiled, despite her confusion.  She could
plainly see that there was hurt in the girl's eyes, but had no
idea why.
        The manager already had the forms out when they walked 
in, and after a few quick introductions, the deal was done - or
so Miyoko thought.
        Right after signing the lease, the girl stunned everyone
by pulling out a huge wad of bills, and laying out her first three
months in cash.  And even more surprising was how she did it with
no more concern than if paying for a bowl of ramen.
        It took everything Miyoko had to hold her tongue, but only
until they were safely back out on the street.  
	"Kuso, I wish I'd have known you had that much money on 
you!   I wouldn't have had to go through all that crap!"
        The girl looked stunned.  "What do you mean?"
        "What do I mean?  Look, Keiji there is just like most men.
The only thing he likes more than a cute ass is fresh mint.  Hell,
with your looks, that money and the right smile, you probably
could've bought the damned building."
        "I...  I could?"
        "Hai.  I know him from the club.  He's the type that turns
into a slobbering hentai when you wiggle the right things - like a
lot of the men that go there.  
	It gets worse when you combine that with money - then it
seems like they go brain-dead.  All you would have had to do was
walk in there, flash that roll and ask nice -- I had to put on a
whole freaking act."
        The girl's astonishment melted into a wide smile, which
she then tried to cover.  "I-I'm sorry, Takara-san.  I had...  No
idea," she sputtered, in an attempt to sound apologetic.  It didn't
quite come off, however, as her smile had been accompanied by an
equal reversal of her mood.
        "It's...  Okay, Naganato-san - I didn't exactly ask,
either," she responded at length, a bit taken aback by the
uncharacteristic reaction.  "By the way - am I missing something
here?"
        The girl shook her head.  "Iya -- I was just relieved that
you...  Didn't embarrass yourself."
        She smirked.  "I still ain't too sure about that yet."
        "I saw it -- you were sexy, but not in a bad way.  I 
thought it looked very...  Real."
        "You did see it?  Kuso, I'm surprised you're even still
talking to me."
        "No, I'm serious -- I thought you really liked him."
        Miyoko couldn't respond - she was laughing too hard.





        The difference was amazing.  Within half an hour of their
arrival on the strip, Yoriko had become a different person.
	Overall, she smiled more, joked, and even teased on 
occasion - and her new mood even rubbed off.  Miyoko found that 
just being with her made it easy to forget she was actually 
shopping.  
	And she couldn't remember a time when she'd laughed as 
much.
        As the excursion progressed into one of the malls, it
became obvious again that the girl had never hurt for money, as
she didn't bat an eyelash at dropping 40,000 on an imported spring
dress.  The situation troubled Miyoko for a number of reasons, but
one in particular stood out.
        She was sure the girl had bought it just to please her.  
        Miyoko had seen it in a window, and quipped that it would
look nice against the girl's hair and eyes.  Two minutes later the
girl was trying it on, and as soon as Miyoko told her it looked
very pretty, she was at the till.  She didn't even ask the price,
which left Miyoko shaking her head.
        Afterwards, they hit every remaining store in the mall,
including a fancy little boutique that featured all kinds of girl
stuff, such as manicures, massages, facial packs and mud baths.
	It took forever for Miyoko to talk her way out of a 
session, but even as they stopped to catch a breather and a drink,
her new friend kept trying - she even offered to buy.
        She finally got the girl to back off by chasing her up the
mallway with a chocolate shake, threatening to give her a mud bath
of the instant variety.
        Toward the end of the evening, as they storehopped their
way along the third level, they encountered an unexpected bit of
excitement.
	Just as they had walked a few stores past a small music 
shop, someone ran out its doors, followed a moment later by the 
agitated, shouting clerk.
        While the person made a dash for the down escalator and
began to run it, the clerk yelled for someone to stop him, saying
he'd snatched an armload of CDs.  
	Without a thought, Miyoko handed off her bags and leapt 
over the plexiglass railing wall, too intent to heed her friend's
horrified shriek.  
	Once clear, she angled her descent to score a perfect 
two-point at the bottom of the escalator.
	As the thief shook off his gape and continued toward her,
he'd turned and raised his elbow to jam his way past.  Miyoko
responded by dodging the elbow and following through with a short
shot to his upper back, which sent him face-first to the terrazzo.
	Before he could scramble to his feet, she dropped a knee
on the back of his neck, and wrenched his arm up over his back.
	Within moments, security arrived, and after they'd stopped
laughing at him, thanked her and led him away in cuffs.
	As she stood chuckling and straightening her clothes,
Yoriko came running up to her, her face a picture of utter panic.
	She'd found it hard to keep from laughing as the girl 
checked her over from head to toe, sure she'd broken a leg or an 
ankle.  Her restrained smile had fled quickly, however, when she 
saw the very real fear and worry in the girl's eyes.  
	She instantly felt bad, realizing her impulsiveness had 
very nearly undone everything she was trying to accomplish.
	Several heartfelt apologies and solemn promises later,
Yoriko relaxed, but even so, Miyoko thought she noticed the girl
sticking to her even more closely.
        After a few more shops, Miyoko noticed that it was getting
toward nine p.m., and suggested they start heading back to the
apartment.  She had to work a morning shift, which meant a seven
a.m. start.  The girl agreed readily, saying she was also getting
tired, but her mood seemed to dampen as they made their way back.
	When they arrived at the apartment, Miyoko wasted no time
in helping clean and set up, at least enough that the girl could 
make it through the night.  
	Thankfully, the job wasn't too big, given the size of the
unit and that it was already relatively clean.
        As it progressed, however, Miyoko couldn't help but notice
how the girl kept coming up with things she wanted to do, and
usually just as something else was being finished.  It was when
she suggested washing down the walls that Miyoko finally had to
draw the line.
        "Iya, Naganato-san.  I can help you with it later, but not
tonight.  I'm way too bagged to get into that now," she begged off,
noting it was well after ten.
        "Then at least please have a tea and relax, Takara-san.
You haven't done that all day," she responded, looking almost
panicked.
        "Hai.  That actually sounds good.  I could use a chamomile
right about now," she relented, the look making her feel guilty.
        The girl's bright, pretty smile came right back.  "Hai, hai!"
        A short while later, the girl had two cups of tea and a tray
of cookies whipped up, and was setting them down beside Miyoko.  She
handed over a cup, then stood up and began to fidget with her hands.
        "Takara-san...  I...  I don't know how to say this, but..."
        Miyoko could just feel what was coming, and quickly cut her
off.  "Then don't.  Because if you say it, I'll have to acknowledge
it, and I don't want that."
        The girl was flabbergasted.  "But... Takara-san..."
        "Iya," she countered, rising to face the girl.  "I like you,
Naganato-san.  I consider you to be my friend, and I don't want
any of that debt and honour crap to ruin that - and I know it can,"
she stated, hoping the girl would just accept it.
        The girl's face melted, and for the longest moment she stood
in silence, her lip trembling and eyes shimmering.  Just as Miyoko
was sure she was going to burst out in tears, she wiped her eyes
and politely cleared her throat.
        "Then...  Then I hope you will at least permit me to thank
you...  For being such a wonderful, caring friend," she sniffed, at
which she opened her arms and stepped forward.  
	A split second later, Miyoko found herself wrapped in a 
huge, emotional hug.
        "Domo arigato gozaimasu," the girl whispered, the waver in
her voice tugging at Miyoko's heartstrings.
        "Shimata," Miyoko smirked, as her arms reflexively closed
over the girl's slender form.  "Leave it to you to find a way, ne
Naganato-san?" she teased, returning the hug with a gentle squeeze.
        As the girl's warm body melted against hers, she was struck
by how well it seemed to fit - despite the fact that they were
almost the same height.
        The girl sniffed, then raised her misty eyes and smiled.
"Yoriko, Takara-san.  Please...  Call me Yoriko."




====================================================================
END - Friends and Lovers - Part Two     A Ranma1/2 Fanfic by Coutuva

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coutuva@vecdev.com