Eyes opened slowly in the unfamiliar room and looked around.
"Where..." came a murmur from the youth before a door opened and an all to cheerful nurse skipped into the room.
"Good morning!" she chirped as she moved over to the curtain that had shielded the view of the other half of the room.
The youth's hazel eyes blinked rapidly as sunlight hit her eyes, and momentarily blinded her.
"Awe, he's still asleep," gushed the nurse.
The girl looked over to see a young man with blue hair laying in bed. His forehead head wrapped in some bandages.
"Why.." started the girl, intending to ask why she'd been put in with a guy, but was interrupted.
"All the nurses are talking about you two." the nurse chirped. "First he comes in with a head concussion and then you were brought in from a fight. Oh, congratulations on winning."
The girl, Billie, blinked a moment and then winced as she remembered the previous night. She'd been at a bar and had accidentally bumped into another girl. Unfortunately, she'd been dressed like a guy, and above that, the boyfriend had noticed. Billie had tried to explain she was a girl, but her lack of chest made it difficult.
So she'd fought back when he landed a punch to her nose. Billie crossed her eyes and looked at the large bandage between them. Of course it had been broken, she'd bled enough. She returned the hit with one of her own to his face. Then he'd grabbed a chair and smashed her across the room, and then chased her around a few seconds before she'd swung around and used a back kick to slam him into a wall. Sirens had broken them up and he'd taken off, promising a rematch.
"So how is you chest feeling?" inquired the nurse.
Billie blinked and then looked down.
"Where's my shirt!" she exclaimed in shock as she saw bandages wrapped around it but no shirt.
"It's in the closet." said the nurse giggling. "The doctors had to take it off to take care of your broken ribs."
"How many?" asked Billie, blushing slightly.
"Only four."
"Only?" asked Billie, her eyes flashing.
"The doctors had thought you'd have at least eight last night when they brought you in."
"Oh swell." murmured Billie.
"You did pretty well considering you were so much smaller than the guy from what I've heard." said the nurse. "And you only got a broken foot, nose, and a few ribs."
Billie's eyes rolled and she wished she could kick the nurse out of the room.
"And I though I had a tough time." said a voice.
Billie and the nurse turned and saw the blue haired boy smirking.
"At least I had sense enough to take on someone my size." he commented.
Any trace of a smile was wiped off of Billie's face and she looked at the boy with a cool gaze. Then she looked at the nurse in disgust as she began to giggle at the smart remark.
"I don't suppose I can be moved to a different room." asked Billie, after the nurse had finished.
The nurse and the boy looked at her in surprise.
"We don't have anymore more room. This was the last room free for overnight patients."
Billie looked away towards the wall with a sigh.
'Just my luck. I'll have a nurse that's a hyena in training and the smart mouthed guy, both who think I'm a guy. Could this get any worse?"
"So what's your name?" asked the guy, breaking the silence.
Billie didn't answer.
'Take a hint. I don't want to talk.' she chanted in her head.
The nurse made a sighing noise and left the room.
"Don't like girls?" inquired the guy after a moment.
Billie rolled her eyes and looked back at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. The boy sighed as if he'd expected no answer and then smiled.
"Ok. Let's try something else. My name is Rowen Hashiba. I and a friend of mine got into a big fight at a bar, while drunk and I ended up here. What's your name?"
Billie smirked despite her best intentions and then grew serious.
"Folks call my Billie. We'll keep it at that. I merely had a run in with a guy who thought I was after his girl. I tried to explain I wasn't interested in her, but he slugged me and I fought back. Me one, jerk, zip." said Billie.
"Don't do girls?" asked Rowen, not looking too shocked to hear that coming from someone who looked like a guy.
"No. No girls." she answered.
"What about guy..."
"No!" said Billie quickly, not wanting to get into that.
Rowen looked at her quietly a moment and then smiled.
"So...."
~~~~~ Billie watched as the nurse left the room. She growled softly, and looked over at Rowen who was asleep. seven days down and she'd decided Rowen was an all right guy. Her parents would have been thrilled with him. So far he'd done most of the talking, she'd only talked about herself briefly.
'If I make a friend, I just loose him.' had been her thoughts during his few questions.
She closed her eyes as she remembered the visits from his friends. They had been ok for friends, they'd tried to talk to her, but she'd been silent. They left her alone now when they visited, which was just fine with her.
Rowen had been growing slightly depressed as he kept waiting for some friend named Sage. She figured it was his girl friend since he talked about Sage so much. About how Sage would listen to him and talk to him about stuff.
The door opened and Billie opened her eyes to see a young man with blonde hair that fell over one eye walk into the room. They locked eyes a moment and Billie was taken in by his maroon eyes. After a moment she broke off and pointed towards Rowen's bed, as if she hadn't been unnerved by the eyes.
"If you're looking for Rowen he's there."
The blonde looked towards the bed and then walked softly to the bed that held Rowen without giving Billie a second glance. Billie watched a moment, thinking about how interesting he looked and then blushed and looked away. She didn't even want to think about it!
She looked towards the wall, as she'd often done when Rowen had his visitors and began to image patterns and images, going into a light meditation. She was like that for a time till she heard Rowen say her name.
She turned slowly and looked at him sitting up with Sage standing behind him.
"It's about time. I called your name five times!" said Rowen in amusement.
Billie didn't answer, but raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Billie, this is Sage."
Billie blinked in surprise and a tiny blush came over her face.
"I thought Sage was a girl." she mumbled before she could stop herself.
Sage's face faulted and turned slightly red and Rowen burst out laughing.
"No. Sage is a guy." said Rowen, when he'd calmed a bit.
"I can see that." mumbled Billie, embarrassed.
"What?" asked Rowen, grinning at Billie.
"Nevermind." said Billie coldly.
She reached over to the curtain to try and close it but wound up slipping from the side of the bed and down to the tile floor. Her head connected hard and she flushed red as Rowen began to laugh.
"Are you ok grace?" he asked her amidst helpless laughter.
Billie pulled herself up angrily, trying to ignore the throb in her foot and looked at Rowen.
"Shut-up." she hissed and grabbed the curtain. She quickly closed it around her bed, limping the entire way around and then collapsed onto her bed.
"Come on Billie," Rowen called, "I was teasing."
"Just leave me be." said Billie in a controlled voice.
She covered the lower half of her body and closed her eyes as she straightened slightly, ignoring the ringing in her head and slowly fell asleep.
~~~~~
Billie spent another six agonizing days with Rowen, never speaking to him. Sage came more frequently, and each time she shut her curtain. On the ninth day as she sat reading a magazine she'd gotten the nurse to bring her she heard Sage and Rowen talking.
"The doctor said I can come home tomorrow" said Rowen.
Sage said something that Billie couldn't hear and she returned to her magazine. She snapped out of her thoughts as Rowen said her name.
"...I shouldn't have laughed. I hurt his pride."
"That thing has pride." said Sage's voice in jest.
Billie growled slightly and clenched her fist, resisting the urge to struggle out of bed to bash him over the head.
"He's not what you think. He's really withdrawn, almost as if he's afraid of something."
Billie frowned and mumbled some abscenities about how it was none of Sage or Rowen's business about her attitude.
"You know, Billie is a lot like you. He's so uptight he hasn't spoken to me since," said Rowen, sounding genuinely upset.
"Has he always been quiet?" asked Sage when silence had descended a moment.
"Around visitors," said Rowen. "But he was getting a bit more talkative to me."
"Has he had any visitors?" asked Sage as if it had been an afterthought.
Billie's eyes narrowed and she decided that she'd had enough. She sat up and began to make coughing noises, instantly quieting the duo. Then she struggled off her bed and walked towards the door side of her curtain and pulled it open.
She grabbed the two crutches by the door and opened it.
"Billie?" asked Rowen.
Billie looked back to see him leaning against the window with Sage next to him. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I'm going for a drink. Finish talking about me before I get back please."
She turned and left before he could respond and made her way down the hall.
"Hello Billie!" chirped a small teenage girl.
Billie wanted to glare at the girl to frighten her off like the others, but she remembered that this was the only nurse that had been unflirty with her so far, and had been the one to show mercy and get her a magazine.
"Hello Sora." Billie greeted, her countenance softening.
"Going somewhere?" inquired Sora walking over.
"Yeah. I was going to get a drink."
"Can I come? I have some free time," said Sora sweetly.
"That would be nice," said Billie truthfully.
They walked to the water fountain and Sora watched as Billie drank some water.
"You're not a guy are you?" she asked suddenly.
Billie coughed into the water and looked up at Sora abruptly. Sora looked around and then smiled.
"Don't be too surprised. My cousin Haruka dresses like a guy, and there are some things I've noticed that she can't hide."
"Can we go somewhere private?" asked Billie.
Sora giggled slightly and took her to one of the nurse's break rooms. She locked the door and turned to Billie who now sat looking at her in surprise.
"Was I that obvious?" asked Billie at last.
Sora shook her head, "No. I've just been noticing things. Your sleeping with your curtain drawn was the main thing. And then the way you drink," she smirked, "You were either a girl, or a guy who acted very girlish."
Billie smiled and sighed, "In all truth, I'm sort of glad someone knows."
"Why didn't you tell anyone?" asked Sora.
"Well, for one. I woke up in Rowen's room and the nurse started the gushing thing. Before I could say anything he woke up and from there it was going to be pretty embarrassing to explain it all."
"Well, at least you have good morals. I know a lot of girls who'd like to be in your position," said Sora.
Billie wrinkled her nose, "No thanks. That's why I'm on my own now."
"What do you mean?" asked Sora in concern.
"I'll tell you since you're the only decent person in the building, but you've got to promise me you won't tell any of those nitty girls."
"I promise," said Sora solemnly.
"Ok," said Billie and took a breath. "When I was sixteen I had breast cancer, and lost both."
"That's why you were mistook as a guy," said Sora in surprise.
Billie chuckled and nodded, "Yes. When I was better, I was sent off to a girl's school. My parents wanted me to act more girlish or something. But I made friends at the neighboring guys school and the girl's thought of me as a freak. When I returned home my parents tried to get me hooked up."
"Ew." said Sora.
"Precisely. I finally got sick of it and had a fight. They disowned me and kicked me out of the house with some of my belongings. I've been on my own since."
"So, are you a les..."
"No." said Billie blushing. "I'm just not into any type of relationship."
"You never even thought of it?" asked Sora indecorously.
Billie thought briefly of Rowen and even briefly about Sage and then pushed the thoughts away.
"No."
"Where are you staying now?"
"Waterside," answered Billie, not delving into it.
Sora shifted and then noticed a clock, "I have to get back to work."
"Yeah," said Billie sullenly. "Sora."
"Yes?"
"You won't tell right?"
Sora bit her lip, but nodded, "I won't."
"Thanks," said Billie and got up.
Sora handed her the crutches and Billie placed them under her arms.
"Billie."
"What?"
"If you want a ride anywhere, let me know."
"Thanks Sora," said Billie, giving a genuine smile.
Sora blushed and nodded. Together they left the room and went off in different directions. It had been half an hour since Billie left the room and she decided to head back, hoping the two were done talking.
She was almost there when she saw Sage walking down the hall towards her. Her once cheerful look faded away and was replaced with her cool gaze as he approached. He stopped when he reached her.
"He's sorry about laughing. I suggest you talk before he leaves tomorrow" said Sage simply and then brushed past her.
"Blond Bimbo," murmured Billie, and smirked with some satisfaction as she heard Sage's footsteps pause a second as he heard her.
She walked with some satisfaction to her room and then steeled herself as she entered it. The curtain was drawn open and Rowen smiled at her.
"Welcome back. Nice drink?"
Billie shrugged and walked over to her bed, not looking at Rowen. Rowen made an exasperated noise and stood up.
"Billie, for the past few days you've said nothing despite my best efforts," he exclaimed. "Now, I've tried to be patient and nice, but you're not making it easy!"
He moved over to the side of her bed and crossed his arms. Billie was silent a moment and then narrowed her hazel eyes, focussing on his dark blue ones.
"Neither are you."
Rowen blinked in surprise.
"Do you think I'm not here when you and him are talking about my life! I didn't tell you that stuff just so you could talk to him or anybody else about it!" she said coolly, with an edge that told Rowen that Billie was trying not to yell at him. "Just because I closed the curtain doesn't mean I can't hear what your talking about!"
Rowen felt embarrassed and pinked slightly, not speaking.
"Well?" she demanded, "Do you think I have a right to not speak to you?"
"No. You should have told me," said Rowen defensively, and then became apologetic. "But I'm sorry. I thought you were sleeping since you'd closed the curtain. You're always closing it when you're going to sleep."
Billie closed her mouth and looked down at her hands a moment, slightly ashamed for telling him off.
"Rowen. I shouldn't have snapped. Blame the medication," said Billie looking at him finally. "And the hospital. I don't like being cooped up like this."
Rowen looked at Billie in sympathy. He understood the feeling of being trapped places. He was the Ronin Warrior of Space. He needed open air around him. "I know what you mean. And I'm sorry I haven't given you enough space," he said truthfully. "I guess I was mainly glad to have someone to talk to while I was going to be here."
Now Billie felt very guilty and ran a hand through her short silvery hair.
"Don't apologize. You weren't all that horrible to listen to," she admitted, smiling slightly.
Rowen half smiled and locked eyes with Billie, studying 'him.' Then, without thinking he leaned forward and kissed Billie on the lips. Billie's eyes widened in surprise and then found herself relaxing slight as his arms wrapped around her slight frame and pulled her slightly closer. Her hands traveled around him as his tongue moved into her mouth and began to dance about, caressing her tongue, exploring it deeply. Suddenly she pulled away as she realized what she was doing, her face bright red.
"I um.." she stuttered.
Rowen looked equally surprised and he fell back a few steps and sat onto his bed.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have," he said in shock, as he realized the implications of his actions.
Billie couldn't say a word but got to her feet and quickly closed the curtain, she needed to think. Rowen watched as the curtain was drawn and hung his head.
'Why'd you go and do that?' he demanded of himself. "You're not gay and neither is Billie."
Behind the curtain Billie sat stiffly, willing herself into mediation, seeking refuge from the thoughts raging through her mind.
~~~~~~~
Billie woke when a hand shook her gently and she looked up into Rowen's face.
"Rowen?"
"I'm going home now," he said apologetically. "And I want to.."
"Say good-bye?" said Billie sitting up and seeing Sage at the door.
Rowen nodded, "Yeah, and about the..."
Billie shook her head, "Nevermind. It shouldn't have happened. Now go get out of my life."
She half smiled and he frowned.
"No. That's what I do," chastised Billie. "I frown, you smile."
Rowen half smiled and sighed, "I'll be coming back tomorrow. We can talk then."
Billie wanted to argue but he'd turned and walked to Sage.
"Good-bye Rowen," said Billie, her hazel eyes becoming like ice, as she held back any emotion from her face.
"Till tomorrow" promised Rowen and he walked out.
Billie waited for Sage to leave, and was surprised when he shut the door.
"He kissed you?" he said as more of a statement than a question.
Billie nodded, "Yes. I don't really know what happened. I talked to him like you asked and he kissed me."
Sage smirked, "I see."
"Sage, take care of him," said Billie. "I don't think I'll be seeing him again."
"Oh, you'll see him," said Sage still smirking and left the room.
Billie sighed and sat in her bed till Sora walked in with her now clean cloths and belongings. Billie smiled thankfully, glad that Sora had agreed to help her get out of the hospital.
"Ready to get out of here?" Sora asked cheerfully.
"You have no idea." Billie answered and allowed Sora to help her get dressed.
Then they went down the elevator and out to the car.
"Thanks for handling everything for me," said Billie as she was helped into the convertible that belonged to Sora.
"No problem," said Sora with a grin. "So where to?"
"My place," said Billie. "Head to the waterside."
"Ok."
~~~~~~~~
"This is where you live?" asked Sora in a small voice as they looked at the small warehouse.
"Yes, It's better inside from a year of scrounging. Come on, I'll give you the grand tour," coaxed Billie.
Sora bit her lower lip and followed Billie who had flashed one of the rare, genuine smiles to her. Billie opened the door and led her into the dark building. Sora tried to make out shapes in the open area, and heard Billie chuckle.
"Watch your eyes."
A moment later a switch was thrown and the room burst into light.
"Oh my." murmured Sora looking at everything Billie had collected.
"I only took slightly damaged stuff, and things I could buy cheep. It's not as fancy as home was, but it's getting there," said Billie with a proud look.
She held out an arm to Sora in a guyish manor, "M'lady, may I show you around?"
Sora giggled, "Of course Sir Knight."
~~~~~~~
The next day Rowen stat angrily in the hospital lobby.
"He knew I was coming back!" he exclaimed. "He shouldn't have run off!"
Sage stood silently a moment and then turned when two giggling nurses stopped at outside the door.
"So then Sora just stares at me and protests that she didn't help Billie get out last night," giggled the red head. "But I told her that I'd followed her."
"Oh, it figures she'd get him," gushed the other nurse. "He's been so nice to her for the past few days."
Sage gently cleared his throat and the two girls turned in surprise.
"Excuse me, but I'm looking for a nurse Sora. Is she on duty?" asked Sage.
Rowen looked at Sage in surprise and then understood what Sage was getting at.
"Not till next Thursday," said the other nurse.
Rowen sighed and Sage nodded, "All right. Thanks for your time."
~~~~~~~
Two days later Billie sat in the corner table of her favorite bar, cradling a cup of sake in her hands. Her eyes scanned over the dancers in the middle of the room, taking in the graceful way they moved to the wild rhythms of the music. Normally she would have joined in dancing, but her foot was still in a cast, keeping her movements to walking.
"Hey, aren't you Billie?" asked a girl sliding into the seat across from her.
Billie blinked and then nodded casually, "I go by that name. You need something?"
"No. We just have a mutual friend," said the woman with a smile. "Where are you staying now? Last I heard, he said you were somewhere in the city."
Billie looked at the woman suspiciously, and then her eyes widened slightly.
"You're one of Rowen's friends," she stated.
The girl nodded, looking down slightly, "He's been looking for you."
Billie frowned slightly, "You can tell him that he can leave me alone."
"Why?" asked the woman in surprise.
Billie was about to respond when a shadow crossed the booth.
"Billie-boy," said a familiar voice. "I thought you didn't do females."
Billie looked over to see the large man she'd fought a few weeks ago.
"Leave me alone," said Billie, looking him in the eyes.
The woman looked nervous and began to retreat from the booth but was shoved back down into the seat. The man looked at her a moment and a feral grin came over his face.
"You're the female that hangs around Wildfire and the other Ronins," he said.
The woman looked frightened and backed into the corner of the booth.
"Leave her alone," said Billie, instantly moving to her defense.
"She's of no concern to you shrimp," said the guy with a feral smile.
"She's a friend of a guy I shared a hospital room with," said Billie close to a growl. "Now leave her alone or I'll give you another round of what I gave you a few weeks ago."
"Oh, is the shrimp making threats?" asked the man growing dark.
"Billie, don't," said the woman.
"I am if it considers her," said Billie stiffly.
The man moved swiftly, pulled Billie from her seat and flinging her across the room into the dancers. Her fall was broken by someone unfortunate and screams erupted in the room. Billie got to her feet as fast she could and saw the big guy waiting for her as she approached her booth. She didn't say a word as she lunged forward and tackled him around the waste.
He shoved her off easily into a table and she got to her feet. He ran towards her and swung his fist and she dodged and used his arm to fling him over her shoulder into a table, causing it to break..
"If I beat you before I'll beat you again," said Billie fiercely.
"Billie, you don't know what your getting into," said the woman frantically.
"Yes, I do. I've fought him before, now get out of here," said Billie and turned to see the man getting up.
"You should have listed to the female," said the man.
Suddenly his cloths shredded away from his body and was replaced by an armor.
"What are you?" exclaimed Billie in surprise.
"I am Pril, servant of the Chaos dimension," said Pril. "May my name be the last you hear before you death."
He lunged forward and buried the object into Billie's shoulder, and she screamed in pain and used adrenaline fueled strength to left him and through him off of her and to a lower dance floor a few feet away.
Billie immediately put her hand to her shoulder and placed her hand over the knife embedded there. With a shout of pain she yanked it out and gazed at the bloody knife in her hand before looking back at Pril with half wild eyes.
"Billie, let's get out of here," said the woman grabbing her arm and pulling her.
"No, I have to finish this," said Billie harshly as she walked towards the man who was getting up once more.
"Kento!" shouted the woman.
Billie froze as another armored young man appeared out of thin air and came between Billie and her objective.
"I'll handle Pril," said the guy in orange armor.
Billie frowned and looked over to where Pril had landed.
"He's gone!" she exclaimed angrily.
The orange armored guy turned and looked equally upset. Billie began to run/limp to the exit and heard the woman call out to her to stop. The man in armor still there leaped forward and grabbed her ankle as she was about to run out.
And she responded with a back kick with her bandaged foot into his open face. He shouted in pain, releasing her into freedom.
