Sebille was thinking that she should get back to her habits, and get up all pretty today.

No more moping and being afraid.

The hairpin would be a good start, wouldn't it?

All of a sudden she felt pressure on her upper arm and jumped up. She knew who the hand belonged to: only one person could sneek up on her like that. But did he have to do it when she was still jumpier than usual?

"Geez... why can't you ever make any sound to warn me..?"

Did he really enjoy startling her so much?

She turned around glad to see the tall man, although it wasn't very rare for him to be home anymore.

"And where have you been?"

Null didn't answer and there was something... strange in his eyes.

"...And what's this?"

Sebilles insides twisted into a knot.

"Null... what have you been..."

A very uneasy knot.

She turned around and it seemed like she wanted to escape as fast as possible.
"Wait right here. I'll be right back."

She didn't really like what she'd just seen.

And okay, maybe she was just as sick as Null was said to be but... she was really curious about his 'injuries', as well.

She practically rushed back but took on an attitude that wouldn't show her curiosity.

"Give me your hand"
" ..."

Null obeyed her silently. She could feel him looking at her but Sebille refused to meet his eyes.

"I trust that you have an explanation for this?"

The bloody knuckles had already told her what he had been doing, but to whom?

"It was him."

Sebille stopped abruptly. The way Null said 'him'... she was rather sure who he was talking about. But how could that be...

"Him? By him, you don't mean that asshole who beat me?"

Null's visible eye turned to meet hers: yes, it was him.

"But... why would you...?"

Null hadn't gone looking for him... right? He wouldn't do something like that, right? That made no sense to her. Okay, yes, he'd been irritated... even angry about it, but going after someone like that just wasn't like him at all.

"He followed me... with others."

Oh...

"Hmph... How stupid."
And also, so much like him... bringing up a gang to get rid of his competition. Too bad for him, she was seeing Null.

"And you just let him do that, did you?"

Sebille knew Null had noticed them -he always did. He had probably even led them somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed. That's men for you; always needing to show how manly you really are.

But wait---

She looked up hastily: "You didn't kill him, did you?"

"No..."
There was the kind of pause that always forebode something, and then, he continued:
"But next time..."

Sebille bit her lip and turned away from him.

She knew that idiot, and he would most likely get himself killed. But it wasn't her problem... or so she kept telling herself. He was the one that dug his own grave and she should just let him fall into it, if he really wanted to be an idiot.

But still... the thought of Null doing him in just made the knot inside her tighter.

Her voice was quiet:
"There... they're as clean as they'll get now..."

Null had been looking at her kind of apologetically, but Sebille couldn't take it right now.

"Seb, I--"

"I'm sorry." She interrupted him before he could say anything.

"I'm sorry... but not because this is my fault, or because I've gotten you into this. I don't want to keep blaming myself for things that can't be helped. No. I'm sorry because you had to do it... and because you might need to do something more."

Sebille doubted that that man had learned his lesson yet.

" ..."
Null was quiet.

Sebille liked to think that she took things well. At least considering how a normal person should react. She was probably twisted and with very loose morals but she'd never said that she was a saint, or anything.
Killing people should bother her much more, but she couldn't help the fact that it didn't; unless she had to see proof of it or was close with the person getting killed.

The touch of a killer should be revolting to her and she should keep her distance.
But still, she was strangely drawn to Null. Maybe because she knew he was a good man deep down inside and she could reach him there. Or maybe she was just as cold as he was.

"But why... bare hands? That's just so... brutal."
"Didn't have anything with me..."

Of course. She almost laughed.