Shadow in my Memory.

Chapter eight

It had been days since Night Stalk last saw Storm Shadow, filling her spare time with constant training. He sometimes came to mind, his face, their friendship, and yet again strange flutters hit her heart. She never understood them, never quite figured out what they were.

Another odd day at work, some little boy asking to buy a book twice his weight while his mother smoked outside. Night Stalk forces a smile and takes his money as he drags "Voyage La Terre Frame" away with him, casually grabbing his mother's hand and walking away.

"Some people are strange." Her coworker comments, walking along side her by the register.

"So is everyone to another's eye." Night Stalk reminds her. The coworker laughs his gravelly chuckle and picks up a stack of fallen items, placing them back up.

"Aye, that be true. I have my 'accent', you have an odd background and friends." He remarks, cracking his back as he bends upwards.

"Not a friend, anymore." Night Stalk corrects. She didn't really like to dwell in her past with others, seeing as her background had to be kept a secret.

"Oh ya? What had been happenin' with ye las' week?" He asks.

"He said something that didn't suit my interests, and I left."

"After he left. Thought ye' were goin' together 'til I spotted the cars." He says, smoothing his shirt. Night Stalk faces away from him and ignores the emotions popping in her chest, odd and unfamiliar still. She needed to name these, because hate, sadness, regret, joy, happiness, shyness, unease, fear, intimidation, comfort, friendship, excitement, and anger didn't fit the shape.

"Yer shift is o'er if ye are wantin' to leave." The man informs her. Night Stalk nods to him and walks into the back, where large stacks of unshelved books waited to be read, and where the employees kept their stuff during shifts. Night Stalk locates her bag and picks it up, trudging out the door and down the block to where her car was parked. She pulls out the key and unlocks it, stepping inside and driving away. She glances at the radio a few times, but keeps it off anyways, her mind still troubled.

It shouldn't be, though. Emotions only brought problems, and a lack of defense.

But she couldn't help it, she was starting to sink deep into this new life of her's, and it wasn't a good thing.

She pulls into her driveway and steps out, locking the door with the sunset on her back. She walks inside her house and sets her bag down, rubbing her face and pulling a bag of potatos out for dinner. She gets the water running and places it on the stove, peeling and slicing potatos in seconds. They simmer for a while in the water, and Night Stalk decides to change. She grabs the handle of the fridge door to take out something else but stops when she spots something on the fridge.

In magnetized letters 'Storm Shadow' and 'Cobra' were spelt out.

He was in her house.

She silently lets go of the handle and pays close attention to her suroundings. He wasn't in this room, because she didn't hear his heartbeat or breathing at all. As she slowly turns down her hall, opening the first room and listening in, stoping often, but she still hears nothing. In confusion she walks into the living room, Storm Shadow sitting calmly on her couch. Night Stalk sets a hand on her hip, making eye contact with him and something inside of her flutters.

"I see you're back." She comments.

"Getting rusty, I see." Storm Shadow jokes, standing up and walking closer to her. Before any of them say anything, she interrupts the silence.

"Only because I have to work at that God damn store everyday with Lucas." She mumbles, running a hand through her hair.

"Lucas, the irish man." Storm Shadow states.

"So you've been stalking me." Night Stalk states, setting a hand on her hip.

"Cobra's orders." He replies, shrugging.

"Good to know. So what are we to do on this fine evening?" She asks, walking into the kitchen where her potatoes were foaming, about to boil over. With a quick blow it calms down, Night Stalk lowering the temperature.

"I was sent to offer you more information about the good side of Cobra, but we know that was a lie." Storm Shadow speaks, watching the woman while leaning against the wall. He wasn't sure why, but ever since they were friends as kids in Arashikage, he's had a strange connection to her.

After a while he recognized it as a form of affection, but he tried to pass it off as a simple crush, but after a while it never went away.

Storm Shadow was in love with Night Stalk.

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