…I must REALLY like this pairing. Normally, I would do like, one story with three chapters at max. Now, here I am, second story while the other has 6 chapters(7 in progress). I must freaking ADORE this pairing. Now, this takes place in a dimension where my other story is null and void, so they're not connected in any way. Warning- yuri(two girls), crack pairing, no smex in this story. Maybe some passionate kissing and whatnot, but no smex. Hints, but no scenes. Enjoy! PS- NOT RELATED/DIFFERENT TIMELINE AS OTHER STORY.
Seishun wasn't entirely sure when it started. All she knew was that suddenly the princess's affection and praise meant more to her, more than it had before. It was odd. As soon as Seishun had turned 17, she had started noticing slight changes in Hakuei's behavior- more small talk, the occasional joke, and the way they collided when they sparred. Seishun always ended up on the ground during sparring, as Lady Hakuei could take on four armed guards at once without breaking a sweat.
It was on one such occasion that Hakuei began to notice Seishun's change in behavior. It was nearly seven months after Seishun's 17th birthday, and they had just finished their last sparring match. By 'finished', that meant Hakuei had accidentally sent Seishun flying into the low branches of a tree, and was running to make sure she hadn't gotten injured. She found Seishun half dangling from a tree branch, trying to unhook her robe. Upside down.
Hakuei couldn't stop the laughter that followed- the sight of Seishun hanging upside down from a tree branch and wiggling around was hilarious. After she calmed down, she looked up just in time to see a flash of blue, then heard a thud. Leaning over the prone figure, she poked Seishun in the side, then gently turned her over. Seishun squinted up at the sun, raising a hand to cover her eyes and groaning. Hakuei smiled down at her, stretching out a hand.
Blushing, Seishun took and stood, thanking Hakuei. "So, s-should we head in milady?" Seishun asked, rotating her shoulder slowly. "Perhaps... It's getting dark out, and my Djinn is back in my room…" Hakuei paused, turning to look back at Seishun. Seishun caught her look and backed up a step as Hakuei began to approach her. "L-Lady Hakuei? Is something w-wrong?" Hakuei shook her head and got closer to Seishun, standing right by her shoulder. Narrowing her eyes, she stared at Seishun's face for a moment.
Internally, Seishun was starting to panic. W-What did I do? Is she mad at me? Please, no! she thought, desperately trying to remember if there would be a reason Hakuei would be mad at her. Suddenly, Hakuei sighed, shocking Seishun. "Drat. It is as I thought. You're my height now, Seishun. In a year, you'll be taller than me." Hakuei turned around, huffed, and began walking back towards the castle. Seishun covered her mouth as she grinned, realizing the princess was jealous of her height(I like pretending Seishun is 1-2 inches taller than Hakuei. Dunno why, I just do).
Unable to bite back her laughter, Seishun tried to catch up to Hakuei as she giggled into her hand. Hmpf-ing slightly, Hakuei sped up, making Seishun have to jog to catch up. As they neared the palace gates, Hakuei suddenly slowed, turning back to Seishun. "I just remembered- After we get back, Seishun, I will have to go to the main hall for a conference. I'm afraid you can't be inside the hall during the conference, but you may sit outside the doors if you wish, or stay in our room until I return." Seishun nodded, choosing to stay outside the conference hall's doors.
After the meeting was over, Hakuei was one of the last ones to leave. Before she could reach the door, however, she heard one of the guards outside exclaim something loudly. "I said watch it!", she heard someone snarl. "I-I'm sorry, Ryosai-san, I wasn't th-thinking…" said a soft voice she distinctly recognized. As she pushed her way to the door, she felt her stomach sink as she saw the scene- Seishun was down on one knee, hands clasped together and head bowed respectfully, with Ryosai standing over her. "I can say what I want, so don't go around acting like you can correct me!" Obviously quite angry, he planted his foot on Seishun's shoulder and shoved her over, scoffing as she skidded backwards.
Hakuei began walking forwards, but before she could make it to either Ryosai or Seishun, a hand on her shoulder stopped her. It was the Emperor's personal guard. "His Highness told me to tell the both of you to stand down or leave immediately- you're causing quite the ruckus." With that, he turned and closed the doors to the hall, leaving a tense silence behind. Hakuei walked over to Seishun, who was propped up on her elbows. She gestured down the hall and continued walking, hearing a shuffle of feet behind her. "This isn't over, girl!" she heard Ryosai mutter darkly.
When they got back to their room, Hakuei turned to Seishun. "What happened?" Hakuei's tone indicated that this was not an optional question- it was an order. Seishun grit her teeth and looked down, avoiding Hakuei's gaze. "I… I was feeling odd, and Ryosai-san passed by, and then I just-just lashed out for no reason. I'm deeply sorry for causing you worry, Highness." Seishun bowed her head, bringing her hands together. "Seishun. Why would you try to lie to me?" Hakuei asked. She sounded almost disappointed.
Seishun stiffened, then straightened back up. "I-I'm not lying, Your Highness, I simply do not know the cause of my actions. I wish I could provide a better reason, but I only have my lack of control as an excuse." Seishun began to bow again, but Hakuei placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her, gripping her shoulder hard. Seishun's eyes widened as she looked up in surprise. Hakuei was looking away from her, crossing her arms. Oh no. She's mad. Seishun thought, fear trickling down into her stomach.
Hakuei turned back around and suddenly advanced, shocking Seishun slightly. She backed the younger girl up until her legs were pressing up against the bed, Hakuei barely an inch away from her. Staring her down angrily yet… kindly. Seishun gulped nervously and tried to look away, but Hakuei placed her hands on Seishun's cheeks, forcing her to look up at the princess. "Seishun. If you don't tell me what happened, I will have to punish you for lying to me… and I know neither of us want that." Seishun searched her eyes, knowing it was true- Hakuei had only had to seriously punish her three times in nearly ten years, and neither of them had enjoyed it-Seishun because it was painful, Hakuei because she didn't like seeing her in pain.
Hakuei herself had moved to end the punishment system a few times, but had been overwhelmingly shot down. Seishun wouldn't allow her to break the laws for her sake, and had once purposefully made the princess madder so she would do what she had to. Unfortunately, it had worked pretty well.
Seishun took a deep, shaky breath, and closed her eyes. "I… I apologize for lying, your Highness. But I-I cannot seem to remember exactly what made me lose my temper… therefore, I cannot change my answer." Seishun opened her eyes, hoping she had conveyed her meaning. Hakuei sighed- she understood what Seishun was doing, but she couldn't let it pass. "Very well, Seishun. Come along." Seishun trailed Hakuei out of their room and down the trail to the training area.
No one was around it at this time of night, so Hakuei lit the torches and locked the door. She went over to the weapons rack and waved Seishun over, pulling out a length of rope. Seishun cringed, but stood by while Hakuei tied her left arm behind her back. Tightening it, she placed Seishun in the middle of the ring, then went back to the racks. Seishun shifted from foot to foot as Hakuei drank something, then walked out into the ring. "The goal is simple. We have a match until one of us in no longer able to fight- but this time, I do not mean down and dazed. The other must be unconscious for it to be considered a win. Understood?"
Seishun nodded, taking a defensive stance. She knew she couldn't beat Hakuei, especially with her arm tied behind her back. Hakuei advanced, starting with some quick jabs, which Seishun managed to block. She began circling, forcing Seishun to move or change her position. Darting in, Hakuei reeled off a high kick and quick punch, which caught Seishun's elbow. Off-balance, Seishun took two step backwards, holding her block up as Hakuei pressed her advantage. Focused on blocking the attacks in front of her, she didn't notice the wall behind her until it was too late.
Bumping into the wall, Seishun started, not realizing how far they had moved. Hakuei threw a roundhouse kick, and Seishun managed to duck under it and come up on Hakuei's left. Throwing a jab and a quick kick, she backed away again, determined not to fall quickly.
Four minutes later, however, Seishun crashed into the weapons rack, breaking several things. Gritting her teeth, she opened one eye, only to shut it when Hakuei (not-to-gently)put her foot on her stomach. Seishun tried to shove herself up with one hand, but received a kick to the torso for her efforts. Gasping, she felt another blow on her shoulder and fell back, crashing through more spears. Muscles screaming, Seishun lay where she was, wheezing in pain. She managed to turn onto her side and prop herself up on her elbow, hunching her shoulders.
"Y-You win, m-milady." she said, digging her fingers into the dirt. Seishun yelped as something slammed into her stomach, sending her back another two feet. "The only way I win, Seishun, is by you *hic* confessing to me, or by me rendering you unconscious. I *hic* don't really care how this goes, but we both know which way I'd prefer." Seishun opened her eyes in surprise, hearing a slight slur in the words. Oh gods, she must've drunk- she drank alcohol right before the match! Seishun almost wanted to do a face palm, but settled for dropping her head on the dirt in exasperation.
She was snapped out of her thoughts by a poke to the stomach, follow by a foot nudging her arm. "Well, Seishun? What do you *hic* want to do? I'd rather not send you to the infirmary." Seishun grunted as Hakuei pressed her foot down, pushing her chest into the ground. "I…" Seishun trailed off, trying to gather her thoughts. She yelled in surprised when a hand grabbed the back of her neck and lifted her up, turning her so her feet couldn't touch the ground(y'know, stereotypical bad guy holding good guy out in front of him with one arm by the neck. Think Tobi v Konan). Kicking slightly, Seishun felt her airway begin to constrict.
"Tell me, Seishun. Tell me now or I'll dismiss you." Seishun's eyes shot open, and she finally let her muscles go slack. Hakuei noticed, and loosened her grip slightly. "Are you *hic* going to tell me?" Hakuei asked. Seishun nodded, feeling crushed. Hakuei dropped her, crouching down next to Seishun as she began coughing and gulping down air. "Now, tell me what Ryosai said, and how you responded." Seishun took her hand away from her throat and nodded, looking down at the floor.
"He w-was passing by, talking to some-some guards, and h-he said "That girl doesn't know what she's doing! I refuse to let some h-high-and-mighty princess brat tell me h-how to run my army!" I got so m-mad when he said that, I just- I stood up and told him that he shouldn't say those things about you. I s-said it was disrespectful. He got r-really mad and started yelling about how I couldn't tell him what to do, and how I n-needed to learn my place. I-I realized I had said some stupid things, so I wa-ws apologizing, and th-then the doors opened, and…" Seishun trailed off, clenching her fists in her lap as she closed her eyes.
She was waiting for some annoyed remark, or a lecture, or even another kick. What she was not expecting was for Hakuei to grab her hands and press them into the ground behind her. She also did not expect for Hakuei to sit on her lap and stare her down. Completely trapped, Seishun could only stare back into Hakuei's eyes, blushing, captivated by the swirl of emotions there. And then it happened. One of them, probably Hakuei, leaned in, and then they were kissing. Hakuei's tongue was teasing her lip and Seishun was moaning and it had just fucking happened.
Fireworks went off in Seishun's mind, feeling Hakuei's lips and her warmth. Hakuei's hands were running up her side and she knew she was blushing badly. They reached her collar and fisted her shirt, pulled her closer and pressing harder. Seishun's arms buckled slightly and she dropped to her elbows, bringing Hakuei down on top of her. Pushing her knees down on either side of Seishun's thighs, Hakuei broke off and pulled her head back slightly. "I've always known, idiot, why didn't you say anything before now? The only things that would've made you lash out at a senior officer willingly would've been treason, an attack, or an insult to me. You're so loyal to me, it was almost inevitable…"
Seishun looked up in surprise as Hakuei trailed off, rubbing her hand along Seishun's neck. Then she was on her again, pressing almost desperately against Seishun's front as she kissed her. Seishun's breathing hitched as Hakuei's tongue went into her mouth, battling her own. Seishun began to go slack from shock, her shoulders leaning back. Hakuei noticed and broke off, sitting up. "Seishun, are you okay?" "Y-Yes, I j-just- a-am I dreaming? Y-You were drunk, and n-now you're…" Seishun blinked as Hakuei smiled, giving her a peck on the cheek.
"You're not dreaming, Seishun. Don't worry. I'm sorry I had to trick you, but it was for the best," Hakuei said, standing and dusting herself off. "Now, should we go to bed?" Seishun blinked slowly, then started. "E-Eh?! I-I- uhh, I'm s-sorry Hakuei-sama, I th-think I'll sleep out h-here…" Seishun's face was crimson- surely she had misunderstood! Hakuei tilted her head to one side in confusion-then suddenly, her eyes widened. A light tinge of pink ran across her face as she brought her hand up to her mouth.
"Oh dear, I didn't- my apologies, Seishun, I think I phrased that rather…badly, I meant, sh-shouldn't we go back to our room and sleep?" she said. Seishun nodded, steam coming out of her ears as she blinked slowly. "Y-Yes, th-that would be wise, but I think I'll just-just lay here." Hakuei looked at her quizzically as Seishun slowly turned over and stretched out on the ground, wincing. Going to bed with Hakuei-sama, going to bed with Hakuei-sama… Seishun shook her head, trembling, denying the thoughts as blood ran out of her nose.
"…W-Well, I think I'll being going back now, then. I'll see you in the morning?" "R-Right. I'll be there when the sun r-rises, my lady." Seishun stammered. Hakuei nodded, the blush fading from her cheeks. She turned and headed back towards their room, casting a glance at Seishun's prone figure.
Seishun, meanwhile, was trying to stop her nosebleed. After she managed to wipe away most of the blood, she turned over on her back, wincing when she found a piece of wood under her. Managing to get comfortable, Seisun sighed, closing her eyes. She coated to ten, hoping when she opened her eyes she wouldn't be waking up. Slowly, she opened her eyes to a familiar figure. Seishun blinked quickly, sitting up in surprise. "H-Hakuryu-dono! Wh-What brings you out here at this time of night?" Seishun stammered, bowing on her knees.
"Nice to see you too, Seishun. I was going to see about practicing a kata or two, then I saw you lying here bleeding with Hakuei nowhere in sight. What happened?" Seishun blushed heavily at the "what happened?", but took a deep breath. Sitting up, she said, "W-We were having a practice match, and th-then I fell into the weapons rack and broke it, s-so I told Hakuei-dono that I'd fix it and see her in the morning." Not a total lie, Seishun thought. She did feel guilty about breaking the rack, even if Hakuei had kicked her into it.
"Ah. I see. Well then, I'll leave you to that, Seishun." Hakuryu pulled Seishun up with one hand, offering a small smile. Seishun smiled back and bowed deeply, wishing him a good night.
After he walked out, Seishun feel to her knees, letting out a sigh of relief. I thought he had seen what happened! I guess I'd better start fixing this… she thought, looking at the splintered rack glumly.
…Okay, I know I said I was done with this pairing, but to be fair, I wrote this like two months ago, so…I wasn't done then! I dug this up and decided to try a more-romance-and-plot-than-smex story for once. Just to try it. And this pairing seriously does not get enough attention. Please R&R, I love getting messages!