Beautiful

Beginning

Chapter 1

Natsuki locked the door of the bakery, adjusting her walkie clasped to her belt.

"Oh, sorry!" a man said as he bumped into her.

"Tom? Tom Sykes?" Natsuki asked.

The familiar head of sandy brown hair turned to face her as she was met with easily recognisable orange eyes.

"N-Natsuki?! Natsuki Fields?!" Tom said, slightly afraid.

"It's Owens now, actually..." Natsuki rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, a soft blush creeping onto her face.

"Oh! So you and..." Tom trailed off.

"Yeah. I married Yuri." Natsuki nodded happily.

"Yeah... Listen, I'm sorry for what I did to her in high school... I uh.. Didn't realise how bad I may have hurt her until after she graduated and by that point I didn't know how to contact her... So yeah... I'm really sorry." Tom stuttered, tripping over his words.

"Thanks. I'll let her know you said all that when I get home. I'm uh.. Sorry, too. For ya know..." Natsuki trailed off, cringing at the memory of her former self.

"Breaking my nose and dislodging my shoulder?" Tom chuckled slightly.

"Yeah... That." Natsuki winced as she recalled how brutal she had been.

"It's cool. That actually helped me realise things." Tom said, waving a hand dismissively.

"You know, you can't even tell there was anything wrong with your nose anymore." Natsuki said hesitantly.

"Thanks! Yeah, my girl helped pay for the surgery." Tom blushed a bit at the mention of his girlfriend.

"You have a girlfriend? Since when?" Natsuki smirked.

"Since my sophomore year. She was in my grade from being held back and I dunno, we just clicked." Tom shrugged with a grin.

"Speaking of which, here she comes!" Tom waved to someone behind her.

"Thomas Cyrus Sykes! I texted you to meet me at the Planned Parenthood an hour ago! I had to wait for my idiot brother to pick me up instead and he-" Zienna stopped in her tracks as Natsuki turned to face her.

"Zienna." Natsuki said, taken aback.

"Natsuki." Zienna scowled.

"You two uh... Know each other?" Tom butted in.

"Unfortunately." the girls said in unison, refusing to take their eyes off of each other.

"Tom. Let's go." Zienna looked to her boyfriend.

"Right. Bye, Natsuki! It was nice to see you!" Tom said, being tugged by the shirt.

"You too, Tom! I'll let Yuri know I saw you today." Natsuki promised.

"Thanks!" Tom yelped as he was roughly yanked around the corner.

Natsuki turned, walking over to her motorbike as she put on her pink helmet.

~~~

"Yuri, I'm home!" Natsuki called, hanging her helmet on the hatrack and removing her belt with her police items.