Innocent Starter

By Major Mike Powell III

At around midnight at the Imperial Capital, a lonely figure was standing on the stage of the Imperial Flower Division HQ, otherwise known as the Imperial Theatre, reciting a passionate dialogue.

"I'm no hero…I never was, and never will be" Sakura Shinguji spoke, clad in her usual red hakama and pink-white kimono with a cherry blossom pattern.

"War transforms us…into beasts. Us, soldiers…we are nothing more than shattered containers, with a beast caged within…waiting for that one moment…" the dark-haired girl dropped to her knees in a dramatic pose; one hand clutching at her chest and the other reaching out forward.

"I am just like them. I am a soldier. I am just like the rest…and just like them, a beast is buried deep within me…it is there, patient and opportunist…just waiting for the right moment to come out…" Sakura slowly rose to her feet and looked up with fierce determination.

"I refuse!" she shouted. "I will NOT become a beast that shall bring forth more senseless destruction! That shall NOT be my Fate!" she cried and then swiftly drew a wooden broadsword, which was hanging from her waist.

"I shall keep this beast buried within me, never to come out!" she raised the sword with the tip pointing down at herself. Sakura closed her amber-colored eyes.

"And may the Gods above have mercy on my cursed soul!" she cried and brought the wooden sword down on her side…sticking it below her armpit. Sakura grimaced dramatically and unceremoniously slumped onto the wooden stage floor…and she then got up, letting out a sigh and wiping some sweat off her brow. Sakura looked thoughtful for a moment, but then shook her head in disapproval.

"I need to practice more! My acting is still too…too mediocre! I…I'm just…just not cut-out for acting…" Sakura's soft face fell and she looked down; her dark-blue tresses covering her face. "I can't act…especially not a main role…just like Sumire-san said…" she whispered to herself.

A couple of days earlier, the Hanagumi had been issued the scripts of a new play.

The story was simple: a young woman living at a village was thrown into the middle of a war she didn't want to fight, but a fellow female soldier helped her keep up with the reality of battle.

A story of patriotism, war and love that surpassed petty obstacles…such as gender.

And the lead role (The young village girl), was assigned to the country-side sword maiden.

All eyes in the room had turned to Sumire, who had not 5 minutes earlier been bragging about how she would spectacularly star as the lead role in the play.

And if it wasn't enough of a shock, the secondary role (the soldier that the young woman fell in love with) was assigned to the Kansaki girl.

A few seconds of excruciatingly tense silence followed, before Sumire said in an eerie, calm voice and with closed eyes…

"Congratulations, Sakura-san. I just hope you don't screw up again" her eyes opened and stared at Sakura emotionlessly…but the amber-eyed girl saw the flicker of anger and indignation in Sumire's eyes. The older woman had given her a "superior" look.

"The last time you had the lead role, the play was almost ruined!" she then barked at her, losing her cool composure. "Face it, Sakura-san: you're NOT made for this prestigious stage!" her voice lowered enough, so that only Sakura heard it.

"You can't act"

Sakura had stood there, nearly paralyzed by Sumire's stare. For some reason, Sakura had felt her heart shatter. The girl had bowed her head and muttered a simple… "I'm sorry Sumire-san. You're right. I will not fail again. I won't let you down"

Sakura had cried herself to sleep that night, whispering "Forgive me, Sumire-san…" over and over again.

The following days were a pretty tense affair; Sumire coldly ignoring or avoiding Sakura, for example.

However, Sumire's constant rejection was a motivation for Sakura, who did her very best to improve herself in her acting, and even when her fellow team mates complimented her, Sakura's hope-filled eyes would remain fixed on Sumire's cold face, waiting for the Kansaki girl's approval.

Sakura was always disappointed to be ignored then.

"No! I…I mustn't think about that!" Sakura shook herself out of her thoughts. Her face took on the look of determination she was known for. "I have to keep practicing! Then…if I do things right this time…then…then Sumire-san will-" Sakura gasped when a pair strong yet soft and gentle arms suddenly snaked from behind her and wrapped themselves around her shoulders and belly, pressing Sakura's body against her "attacker's".

"W-What?! Who-?!" again, she was cut-off. This time, the girl was silenced by a pair of plush, smooth lips claiming her own.

Sakura's panicked; wide-open eyes met those of the very reason for her determination and self-improvement. Her shocked mind raced at miles per second for a moment on the "why" and "how" of the situation before Sumire's cool, intense and…loving gaze made Sakura relax into her embrace.

The kiss remained as nothing more than a caress for a few more seconds, until one of Sumire's hands boldly and unhesitant grasped one of Sakura's young breasts and squeezed it.

Sakura gasped and then squealed into the older girl's mouth, and Sumire swiftly seized the opportunity and slipped her tongue in through Sakura's parted lips, to duel with the younger girl's own, shy tongue.

Sakura moaned unabashedly into her first-ever French kiss as Sumire kept softly, agonizingly slowly massaging the country-girl's "captive" breast. Much to Sakura's disappointment, the lack of oxygen made itself known, forcing the 2 girls to break the kiss; a thin string of salive joining their lips for a few seconds.

"Su-Sumire-san…" Sakura whispered weakly and then gasped when the Kansaki girl kissed the back of her neck and then made a thin trail of saliva with her tongue as she licked the side of Sakura's neck, up to her ear, before nibbling on her earlobe. Sakura shivered with a moan when Sumire softly blew on the wet, slick path she had created.

"Sumire-san…" Sakura whimpered, turning her head to face the older woman, staring through heavy-lidded eyes at Sumire's smiling face.

"P-Please, Sumire-san…" she whispered huskily and closed her eyes, lips puckered. The older girl chuckled and put a finely manicured finger on Sakura's lips, teasingly caressing the smooth, pink skin.

"P-Please…! I…d-don't t-tease…" Sakura pouted with an adorable crimson blush on her cheeks. Sumire chuckled again and leaned in, nuzzling Sakura's cheek with her own.

"My! You're so needy!" she whispered huskily into the younger girl's ear. Sakura squirmed in Sumire's grasp, trying to look away in mild shame.

"Su-Sumire-san, please..! D-don't say that…it's, it's embarrassing!" she said, trying to control the blush that wouldn't go away from her cheeks. Sumire giggled and cupped Sakura's chin in her fingers, and turned her head to face each other.

"You're so adorable…" she purred and claimed Sakura's lips with her own, gently nibbling on Sakura's bottom lip to get the girl to part her lips. She wasn't disappointed, as Sakura obediently opened her mouth and Sumire slid her tongue in to caress Sakura's oral cavity.

The kiss ended too soon for Sakura's liking, and she whimpered out loud her disappointment. Sumire laughed softly and leaned down to Sakura's neck, caressing and kissing the tender flesh, and giggled every time the younger girl moaned, gasped and squirmed after each kiss.

"So adorable…" Sumire purred in between kisses. "So adorable…" she leaned down and to a side to kiss and then nibble on Sakura's windpipe.

Sakura's mind was now like a dam overflowing with emotions and incoherent, confusing thoughts. Sumire's next words were the last drop:

"I love you, Saku-chan" Sumire purred in the girl's ear.

Her eyes shot wide open and then became moist with tears. She broke out of Sumire's grasp and stepped back, looking at the Kansaki girl with a shocked and confused expression.

"Sakura…?" Sumire asked, confused. Sakura's watery eyes remained fixed on her for a few seconds before the younger girl completely broke down. She burst into tears and with a cry of "Sumire-san!" she leapt at the surprised woman, who barely managed to keep her balance when Sakura all-but tackled Sumire, wrapping her arms around her midsection, burying her crying face into the older woman's bosom.

"Sumire-san! Sumire-san!" the dark-blue haired girl bawled, and Sumire instantly wrapped her arms around the girl's sobbing frame, hugging her tightly.

"Shhhhh…it's alright. I'm sorry for…for molesting you, Saku-ch…I mean, Sakura-sa-" she was cut-off by a passionate kiss from the younger girl. Sumire was surprised for a moment before she kissed the girl back with equal passion.

Seconds later, the 2 women broke apart and Sakura's teary eyes stared deeply into Sumire's chocolate-brown orbs, and their eyes remained fixed on each other, even as Sakura brought them to their knees with her weight, clinging to Sumire like a life-line.

Sakura kissed her again, softly, and then leaned down, burying her face into the crook of Sumire's neck, taking in a shuddering breath of the older woman's scent.

"Saku-chan" the younger woman said, earning a confused "huh?" from Sumire. The amber-eyed girl nuzzled her neck. "Call me that…please…call me Saku-chan…Sumire-sama" she looked up at the Kansaki girl.

She smiled lovingly and caressed Sakura's blushing cheek with her hand.

"Alright, Saku-chan" she said, placing a soft, loving kiss on the girl's forehead, who all-but purred in contentment, snuggling closer to Sumire's warmth.

A few seconds of comfortable silence followed, where the girls' breathing was the only sound on the stage.

"Sumire-sama…may I ask…?" Sakura whispered, as if afraid to ruin the moment with words; her head resting on the older woman's bosom. Sumire softly ran her hands through Sakura's silky mane of dark-blue hair.

"I'm sorry, Saku-chan" she began, ignoring the girl in her arms' surprised gasp. "Do you know why I was the one who pushed you harder than anybody else, to improve?" she looked down at Sakura, who just shook her head quietly.

"Well…I myself didn't know, at first" Sumire closed her eyes and chuckled. "I now know…it were just my feelings for you, cloaked in ego" she opened her eyes and saw Sakura tilting her to the side in a downright adorable fashion.

"I realized some time later…that I was in love with you, Saku-chan" Sakura's heart fluttered at those words. "But, then again…my ego wouldn't possibly let me say it out loud. And so…I believed you were inferior to me…" Sumire looked down at Sakura with an ashamed expression.

"And that's why you pushed me forward, Sumire-sama. You wanted me to improve, so I could be worthy of your love!" Sakura finished her speech, and Sumire nodded. Sakura's face fell.

"So…did I force you to degrade yourself, Sumire-sama?" she asked in a small voice. Sumire's eyes shot wide open in near panic, and she gently cupped Sakura's face in her hands.

"Sakura, no! Please, that's NOT it!" she hurried to say, kissing the girl on the lips, gently and lovingly. "That's not it, Saku-chan. You didn't force me to do this. It was my own pride and ego what made me believe you were beneath me. In fact…I now believe YOU are the one way out of my league" she smiled sweetly at Sakura, and then her face turned sorrowful.

"Saku-chan, I'm sorry for…insulting you when we were assigned that new play. Back then, I was still…you know…in denial, so…" Sumire sighed, turning away for a moment. "I guess I believed you weren't up to my level, so I…I intended to just…motivate you…not spit at you in the face. I'm sorry, Saku-chan…"

But then, Sumire turned back to Sakura, staring deep into the –now- fragile girl's amber eyes.

"Saku-chan, I felt just so…so horrible for hurting you…little time after that, I just decided…screw my pride, and my ego…" She closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them again. "I love you, Sakura"

She finished her confession claiming the blue-haired girl's lips with her own in a deep, passionate, yet loving kiss.

"Sumire-sama…" Sakura sighed when they broke the kiss and then moaned when the older woman leaned down to kiss and nibble gently at Sakura's neck.

"I love you, Saku-chan" Sumire purred into the crook of her neck, nuzzling the smooth skin, and she then leaned further down, leaving a trail of hot kisses down to her collarbone. Sumire's hands then moved from Sakura's shoulders and began to slowly, patiently roam over the younger girl's body.

"Sumire-sama..w-wai-ah!" Sakura gasped when Sumire's hands swiftly pushed Sakura's kimono down her shoulders, exposing the younger girl's creamy-white skin down to her breast-bone. With a shudder, Sakura's hands seized Sumire's and stopped their advance.

"Sumire-sama, please…stop" Sakura said gently, looking back at the Kansaki girl's worried and then ashamed expression. She tried drawing her hands back, but Sakura held them in place.

"Sakura…?" she asked, confused. The dark blue-haired girl smiled reassuringly at her and brought their hands together, and then raised them to her lips, kissing Sumire's hands.

"It's alright, don't worry. I really…" Sakura blushed a bright pink. "I really want this…but, ah…" Sumire blinked twice.

"But what…?" she prodded. Sakura looked down and then back up with an adorably sheepish expression. Sakura then swallowed and leaned in towards Sumire's ear. The older woman held back a giggle when the younger one blew on her ear and then whispered in the huskiest, most seductive voice she could muster.

"Not here. Let's go to my room" she then nibbled softly on Sumire's earlobe. The older girl fought back another giggle at the motion, but instead, she gave out a low moan to encourage the amber-eyed sword maiden. Sakura pulled back and both women shared a soft, slow kiss.

Their hands still together, they stood up and Sakura lead the way to her room.

……………………………………………………………………………….

That night, Kanna Kirishima, one of Sumire's and Sakura's team mates was doing her round of guard duty, and this is what she heard when she passed by Sakura's room:

"Oh, yes! Yes! Sumire-sama! Sumire-sama!"

"Ah! AH! Say it, Saku-chan! Say you're MINE! Say it! I want to hear you SAY IT! OH!"

"Ah, ah, AH! YES! I'm YOURS, Sumire-sama! I'M YOURS!"

"Oh, OH! SAKURA!"

"SUMIRE! AHHHH!"

……………………………………………………………………………….

'Geez…go figure Cactus Woman would be a screamer…but Sakura, too?' she thought with a twitching eye and a sweat drop.

Many of the Hanagumi members spent the rest of the night TRYING to ignore the cries, moans, groans and sighs coming from Sakura's room.

……………………………………………………………………………….

The next day, during breakfast, young Iris Chatieubrand asked Sakura, her "older sister" figure, a question pretty much no-one had an answer to:

"Are you Sumire-san's property now? How did it happen?"

……………………………………………………………………………….

The play they had been assigned to was a blatant success, with Sakura and Sumire starring perfectly as more than partners.

End.

……………………………………………………………………………….

A/N: Off your sorry asses, Marines! Officer on deck!

This is Major Mike Powell III striking with a small piece of work that had been bugging me for a while now, and I'm damn glad to have it finished.

Now, I hope you people liked reading this thing like I pretty damn enjoyed writing it. XD

Oh, yeah, the disclaimer thingy…

Well, I own nothin'! Awright? DAMN! WHY do we keep putting this things on for, anyway? Geez…

Read and Review, people! That's an order!

Semper-Fi! Carry on!