Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime.

Another fic of my favorite pairing: MidorixYouko or "Midouko!"

Also, with this, I wanted to pent out frustrations at everyone who thinks Midori is an incompetent drunkard. True, she does have many of those moments but there are some times in the series where it shows that she makes a really good leader and has the ability to take on leadership responsibilities. (That and Youko is actually more of a drunkard than Midori. ;3)

Before you begin, I want to apologize if Youko seems a bit out of character toward the end. I know she's a woman who makes wise decisions after analyzing the situation, but sometimes the body reacts before the mind can comprehend. ;D Please read and review. =)

I walked into my apartment's living room and sat down on the plush, red couch. I placed my drink of the coffee table and glanced to my right, watching the self-proclaimed seventeen-year-old sitting Indian-style in just her tank top and panties. A beer can was in her left hand, a wide grin plastered on her face as she watched the game show play on the television.

I couldn't help but look on in amusement for a few more seconds, trying to see if the glare of the TV even came close to how bright her smile was. She certainly acts like she's still seventeen, I mused.

I leaned back into the couch, sighing contently as I settled in. I turned my blue gaze back to the glowing box before us, the only real source of light in an otherwise gloomy room, "Why do you always come over here on weekends, Midori?" I asked, not turning my gaze back to her.

"Huh?" She turned her head, her fiery red hair swinging over her shoulder. Truly a lion's mane with how unruly it is… I finally looked over and watched as she placed the beer can down onto the table and gained a thinking pose.

"Well, your place is cleaner!" She finally answered, giving me a cheeky grin.

I raised an eyebrow at her answer. Was I really expecting anything more? I shook my head a little, some small strains of brown hair blocking my vision. I brushed them back behind my ear, "You know, your place could be a little cleaner as well, if you just picked up after yourself a little more."

Her frowned gained a mock serious look, "Cleanliness is not a key factor in leadership."

I chuckled a little at her antics, turning my eyes back to the television. So like Midori… But then I started to think over her words, 'Leadership'… Her explanation about what had happened only three months ago, the 'Hime Carnival' or something, came back to me and I could feel something akin to fear well up and clench my heart. A weird lump found itself in my throat, making it hard to get the next words out, "Doing something as rash as forming the 'Hime Sentai' to battle those creatures… If only you'd told me, Midori! I could have helped!" I turned my gaze over to her, searching, for what I didn't know.

Her green eyes looked alarmed as her eyes met mine, but only for a second. They slowly melted into a torn look filled with regret. She quickly leaned toward me and grabbed my shoulders, twisting me and pulling me back into her, her front against my back. She crossed her arms over my torso as my head laid upon her chest. "Please don't look at me like that." Like what? "Don't look at me like you're going to scold me." Scold you? I didn't mean it like that. "I can't go back in time and undo what I did. Even if I could, I wouldn't."

I leaned up a little, forcing myself to push away from the inviting warmth I was subconsciously indulging in. I looked into her deep green eyes from up close, our faces a mere six inches away from each other, "What do you mean?" I asked, once again searching.

"I did it so you wouldn't have to get involved." Her face shown with so much raw, delicate emotion that I found myself stunned. Her expression gradually thawed into the warm, cheeky smile I grew to tolerate, "Everything worked out in the end though, right? No need to worry about it now."

I frowned, "You could have died."

Her grin only widened, "But I didn't."

My frown furrowed deeper as I tried to get out of her embrace but she just chucked and pulled me closer, "Where do you think you're going?"

I couldn't see it because my face was pressed into her collarbone, but I could sense the mischievous smile. I sighed, figuring I would just give in. It's too late for this kind of crap. I turned so I could get comfortable in this predicament. My mind wandered back to college days when Midori and I shared a dorm room; there wasn't that much space, so we often laid down together so we could fit when watching TV.

Suddenly, another question just popped into my head and I had to ask it, "If cleanliness isn't a key factor in leadership, what is?" I smiled a little, imagining Midori to go into a passionate rant about a subject she loves.

Her answer came, "The commitment and drive to do something you truly believe in."

I blinked, getting caught off guard by that straightforward answer. I turned my head upward, hoping to catch her eyes, "Midori?"

She turned her gaze downward, looking at me with a passionate flame burning deep within those emerald eyes, "That's the number one key factor in leadership."

She looks so… Had they looked upon her face at that moment, anyone would have been convinced that Midori was the leader of an army. "What about you?"

"Hm?" A red eyebrow came up a little, her confusion shining through.

"What did you truly believe in?"

She frowned a little, her eyes losing a bit of their luster. She turned her gaze away, looking through the couch to nothing, "Do you really wanna know?" I could feel her embrace tightening a little, but not uncomfortably so.

"That's why I asked the question."

She frowned, this time to steel herself, before looking back, "I wanted to protect you." Her voice was deep clearly one of command, one any soldier would follow.

… Protect me? Her words. They must have done something to me because my eyes widened a little and my heartbeat picked up. My eyes, which were already at eye level with her mouth, were suddenly drawn to her lips. Why, I couldn't understand, but my heart picked up a little more. Who knew they were so pink?

I willed myself to look away, scared by this foreign sensation, even as she continued to talk, "I wanted to protect you and all you loved: the students, the teachers, the school, your family. I wanted to protect the ground you lived on and the Earth where you were born."

The words ran through my ears, fueling the pounding blood I heard in the background. I gazed at her lips, wanting to place my lips onto hers and kiss her feverishly while caught up in the moment. I gulped, trying to force the lump down my throat as tears weld up in the corners of my eyes.

I was confused, scared and desperate all at once, her words bringing forth an emotion I hadn't known had been dwelling there. For how long? I wondered, knowing I wouldn't get an answer. Then, the most important question surfaced into my consciousness, allowing me to tear my gaze away from her mouth, landing it on the coffee table instead: What's going on? I took a few deeps breaths, trying to calm down. It wasn't like me to act without thinking. I would calm down and identify what's going on before I—

"Youko."

"Yes?" I looked up in response.

"I love you," She brought her lips down to mine, giving me a short chaste kiss on the lips. I was stunned at first, but found myself becoming relived soon after, molding my mouth into hers as an automatic response.

She pulled, looking more like a frightened kitten than the steadfast lion I knew. Her eyes flickered about, a nervous habit, and her mouth quivered, trembling before she attempted to apologize.

I frowned at the lack of pressure on my lips, finding myself heated once again, frustrated by how her quivering lips weren't quivering against mine. "Youk—!" I leaned up, as best I could with her arms still wrapped around me, in order to capture her lips in mine, not being able to do much else from lack of knowledge. Midori fell onto her back and my lips moved a bit; I bit back an irritated sound when I realized Midori was still paralyzed in shock. I willed her lips to move with all the thoughts I had and almost sighed when she started up once again.

I had long realized I had no control over my actions by this point. Apparently, a flood had opened and these are the consequence for leaving it dammed so long, but that's okay. I'll just let it run its course and found out what this emotion is tomorrow.

Though I seem to recall Midori mentioning something about 'love'… Oh well.