A Little Push

I'm sorry for my mistakes but I wasn't able to re-read and correct them as I was in a hurry. This is a piece for April Fool's Day.
I'm also sorry if it seems rushed. i.i But I hope you'll like it.

Please read and review. Onegai.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-HiME. i.i

Ring...ring... ring... click

"Moshi moshi"

"Hello, Kaichou-san!"

"Ara, Tokiha. How rare. What may I help you with?"

"Actually, Kaichou-san, I wanted to discuss an issue with you and know your opinion about it."

"Ara. And what would that be about?"

"If it's not too troublesome may I come over to your place? That is if you aren't too busy. I know you are studying at Fuuka University and must be busy, but I prefer to talk about it to you personally than through the phone. It's rather important.

"Ara, Tokiha-san. Of course you can come visit me. I would be very glad."

"Yokatta. Thank you, Kaichou-san. I will be there in 20 minutes."

The next day…

THUMP…THUMP…THUMP

It was early in the morning. Someone was thumping on the door of an apartment. However there wasn't a response. Then the person decided to start to yell as well.

THUMP…THUMP…THUMP… "NATSUKI, I KNOW YOU'RE IN. OPEN THE DAMN DOOR."…THUMP…THUMP…THUMP…

After a moment thundering footsteps could be heard and the door was harshly opened. There on the other side of the door was standing a disheveled blue haired girl with a deep scowl and wearing pajamas. It was very clear she was not happy.

"WHAT THE DO YOU WANT AT 6 IN THE MORNING, MAI?" she shouted at the strawberry blond girl who was outside. "You better have a very important reason to disturb me at this ungodly hour." The emerald eyed girl warned.

"Natsuki," said Mai with concern in her voice "It's about Kaichou-san…" she trailed off.

"What about her?" Asked Natsuki nonchalant. Then she turned her back to the shorter girl and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"She…" now there was nervousness in her voice and though Natsuki couldn't see her eyes were cast down and she was clutching the hem of her shirt.

Natsuki was getting pissed off. When she could be sleeping in her comfy, not so warm by now, bed here she was. Standing in her living room and waiting for Mai to say something about Shizuru.

Not that she did not care about the Kyoto born woman, but it was more like she was avoiding talking to her or even about her. She was feeling a little uncomfortable around her since what happened in the Carnival. She had told the other woman she needed some space to think things well, but in fact she was afraid and avoiding thinking about her feelings. And it had been already 4 months since she told Shizuru that. The older girl occasionally called her to see how she was doing, however Natsuki hadn't heard a word from Shizuru for about one month now. She never gave much thought to that. Until now.

"Spit it out already." Said the blue haired girl.

"She is in the hospital… she" Mai was trying to say it now, but was interrupted but a loud shriek.

"WHAT? What happened?" asked the now wide eyed girl looking directly at Mai. She realized now how the other girl was clutching her shirt and studying the floor as if there was something interesting in it.

"She suffered an accident…yesterday." She was telling Natsuki, trying to sound calm, as to not make Natsuki alarmed. It didn't happen.

Soon enough Natsuki's hands were grabbing the orange haired woman by the shoulders and shaking her. Mai looked to Natsuki's face and saw it. Worry, fear, anxious, nervousness written all over her face. She heard Natsuki say "How is she? How is she?" while Natsuki shook her and in her voice there was it: the hint of despair.

"She is…not…" Mai swallowed hard but couldn't finish her sentence. She turned her face to the side and closed her eyes. The grip on her shoulder loosened.

Natsuki hearing and seeing Mai's reaction felt her body go numb. Her knees started to tremble. Her body was begging her to collapse. And tears were threatening to go down.

"No, this can't be…" she said with a low voice, took two steps back and had to lean against the first thing that was at her reach to not fall to the floor, which was the arm of the sofa. "This can't be happening… Shizuru…"

"She's undergoing surgery right now." Natsuki looked at her with a hollow expression. Her lower lip was trembling.

Mai couldn't bear to see her friend like that. Now it was her turn to grab the woman's shoulders and shake her. When she was approaching Natsuki the other girl straightened herself and with a new resolve she declared. "I don't have time to be shocked. I'm going to see her right now." She was already past the door when Mai grabbed her and did not let her go.

"Mai, what are you doing. Let go right now. I'm going to see Shizuru." Her voice thundered, demanding Mai to do what she had said.

"Natsuki, you have to calm down yourself!! You don't even know which hospital she's in. And are you going like this to the hospital? At least change clothes." Reasoned the shorter girl still holding Natsuki.

"SHUT UP! I do not have time to this. I need to see her right now." Some tears were staining her face now and she was struggling to free herself from Mai.

It was becoming harder to hold Natsuki by now. She was very strong. She locked, then, one of Natsuki's legs with her own and the cobalt haired girl lost her balance and went to the floor. Mai fell on top of Natsuki's back and now it was easier to hold her down, though the girl was still struggling under Mai.

"Natsuki! Even if you knew the hospital what would you do? Would you storm in during the surgery and disturb the doctors? Do you know what that could cause? You have to pull yourself together. If you don't calm down you will only hinder things." The struggle suddenly stopped.

"You're right. I'm okay now. You can let go." Mai stood up and Natsuki remained on the floor for some instants.

It was hard to stop the tears that wanted to well up, but Natsuki managed to do so. She was on the floor thinking how stupid she could be. What would have happened if Mai have not stopped her right now? Could she have gone to some hospital and break in a surgery room leading to someone's death? Probably. 'Despair will not help in a situation like this. Cool down Kuga. Cool down.' She said to herself like a mantra and then after some time she stood too.

"Thank you, Mai!" was the only thing she said to her friend. She, then, went inside her apartment and disappeared. Mai was perplexed by her friend and it took some minutes until she realized what had happened. She headed inside the apartment as well and closed the door behind her. Natsuki was nowhere to be seen. But before she could do anything she heard water running. It was the shower.

She sighed and sat down on the couch. At least Natsuki seemed to be calm now.

After fifteen minutes the cobalt haired girl was ready to leave. The two went to Natsuki's Ducatti and Mai told her where Shizuru was. In turn Natsuki handed her spare helmet to Mai and they hopped onto the bike.

It took less than 20 minutes to get there.

The biker had took out her helmet and was about to dismount her bike when a pair of arms held her by the waist. She looked down and saw Mai still with the helmet on. She was about to ask Mai what she was doing but was interrupted by the girl.

"Remember, Natsuki. Calm down please." She held her friend because she sensed her tension during the ride. Even if she said that now she knew the girl would not relax. But she would remind her nonetheless.

A sigh escaped Natsuki's mouth. "I know." She answered. Then Mai let her go.

They entered the hospital. It wasn't even 7 in the morning and the atmosphere there seemed to be calm. Still, Natsuki loathed hospitals. She spent almost one year of her life there, all alone. It brought to her unpleasant memories. Memories of what had happened to her mother. Of how her father had left her not caring at all. She hated it and now Shizuru was here. But she would not let her stay in there alone. No, she would not allow that. She would stay by her side doesn't matter what happened.

Without any words Mai went to the reception desk and asked the woman there how was Fujino Shizuru.

The woman answered and Natsuki heard everything she said. Her attention was focused on every word that left the woman's mouth.

"Her situation is very delicate and she is still undergoing surgery. She has a chance and the doctors are doing everything they can, but she suffered many injuries and she had internal bleeding when she arrived here. She also suffered a severe concussion when her head hit the wheel."

Natsuki felt dizzy. Her head seemed to be swirling now and inside her head there was the words echoing.

Internal bleeding… severe concussion… internal bleeding… severe concussion… intern...

"Mai, what really happened yesterday? You haven't really told me." Natsuki asked with growing apprehension after hearing the nurse.

"Shizuru… she was involved in a car accident. I don't know the details but it seems that she was driving very late in the night when a drunken guy hit her car severely. Due to the impact and force of the crash the man died at the moment of the crash. Her car was destroyed completely in the crash. The doctors say it is a miracle she is still alive. I…

"No." the girl interrupted. Her knees started to shake again but she managed to stay on her feet. "I don't want to hear more. Where's she?"

At Natsuki's request to know where Shizuru was Mai led the way to the surgery room. From a distance they could see the signal, that informed if a surgery was taking place at the moment or not, was on. As they approached it was turned off and moments after a doctor left the room.

Natsuki run to him and asked. "How is she?"

The doctor looked her in the face and sighed. "I'm sorry." He shook his head and walked away.

"No. That… can't…." Her eloquence left her. She started to softly mumble unintelligible things to herself. She, then, made her way to the door. She opened it softly.

There were some nurses picking some instruments. Some were leaving. She heard one say. "The moment of the death was…" and registering it in a paper. And when she moved her face to look at the bed a nurse was there by its side gently drawing a linen over the body until it covered every part of the corpse. And beside the bed a cardiograph could be seen and that accursed endless beep, which indicated that a heart had stopped, could be heard.

Natsuki entered the room and was drawing near the bed. Tears were freely flowing down her cheeks make them stained. Less than one minute after only Mai and Natsuki were standing in the room, for all the nurses had already left upon seeing the girl.

The cobalt haired girl's heart was constricted and she was feeling like she was suffocating. Her breathing was heavy as if she was out of breath. Her body was uncontrollably shaking and finally she fell to her knees. She had to support her weight with her hands. She couldn't do anything, think, move, breathe, anything. The only thing she could do now was cry.

Mai went to her, to kneel before her, to try to soothe her pain but before she could Natsuki found her voice and said. "Mai, could you leave me alone please."

And without any argument she left.

And Natsuki cried. Sobbed uncontrollably. She couldn't stop it now. Her thoughts started to race to the time she met Shizuru. The older girl was the only one who cared for her, who worried about her and now she was gone.

Natsuki approached the bed and stood up. She gazed at the corpse before her. How could it have happened? Why Shizuru left her? And she started to talk as if she could be heard.

"Nee, Shizuru, Why did you leave me? You told me once that you would always wait for me. So why did you not wait for my answer? That…that I love you. Why did my stupidity did not let me realize how I feel for you? That without you I can't go on?" Her tears renewed. "What am I supposed to do now?" she asked angry. "If you really love me come back to me right now." She pleaded, though she knew it was in vain. She wanted to say more but she had once again lost her voice. She stayed there looking at the covered corpse for some minutes. Then she whispered. "I love you and I always will."

The cobalt haired girl then wiped her tears away and turned to leave. When she turned her back she had to stay still to gather a little her strength.

When she started to walk, before she could go far, she was caught by a pair of arms on her waist. "I'm glad my Natsuki loves me so much." Was whispered near her ear.

The emerald eyed girl cried out. She was scared. Now her heart was racing and she started struggling to free herself from those arms. "What… wha." Before she could finish her phrase the arms let go. She tripped and fell to the floor. Rapidly she turned and sat on it and before she could say or do anything there was Fujino Shizuru sitting on the edge of the hospital bed with the trademark Fujino smile.

"Ara, is my Natsuki not happy to see me?" she asked and put a finger in her cheek in one of her poses and pouted.

"But you… and Mai told me…and all the nurses… you…" Natsuki was, of course, more than shocked. "You are not dead?" She asked dumbfounded.

"Ara, am I now?" she reached out her hand to Natsuki and the girl stood up and took Shizuru's hand in her own. Warm.

"As Natsuki can see my hand is still warm, even more now after Natsuki's declaration of love for me. Ureshii." teased Shizuru.

"Baka." Was the only thing the girl could say as she flushed tomato red and was embraced by Shizuru.

"So, does my Natsuki know now what she feels?" asked Shizuru with a hint of a tease.

Realization downed on Natsuki. "Don't tell me you pulled and act on me to make me realize my feelings. Shizuru…" the girl was fuming though she hugged Shizuru back. "I should…"

"Ara. But it was not my idea after all." Stated the Kyoto born woman.

"Then, whose was it?" Asked an intrigued Natsuki.

As if on cue Mai appeared on the room door and said.

"So it worked after all. Congratulations Kaichou-san. Natsuki." There was a smirk on the girl's face. "By the way Happy April Fool's Day" the smirk grew.

"Mai…" Natsuki would head in her direction but Shizuru kept hold of her. "Shizuru, let go. I want to kill someone right now."

"Ara, that I can't allow as I'm indebted to Tokiha-san." Shizuru said with a smile on her face.

"Why you two?" asked an indignated fuming girl.

"But of course… Such a blockhead as yourself would never realize something so obvious on your own. So I put it upon myself to give you a little push." Answered Mai.

"A little push? You stupid, what you did was shove me down of the edge of a bottomless cliff." Retorted Natsuki still struggling.

"Whatever. So what I did was call Kaichou-san yesterday and after that I went to her place and we agreed on the issue." Stated Mai nonchalant.

"I think I'll never understand how you got the hospital staff to help you. Unless they are quacks." Huffed Natsuki after asking.

In the background you could hear a couple of voices shouting, "We are not quacks."

"Oh, but that was very easy. You just have to put the name Fujino together with a donation to the hospitals fund." Said Mai grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Anyways, I better be going now and leave the love birds alone. Bye Natsuki, Kaichou-san" Then Mai winked at them and left.

"I swear I'll get you back Tokiha Mai" Fumed Natsuki. "And as for you…" she looked at Shizuru now.

"Ara, what is my Natsuki thinking? Of punishing me?" asked Shizuru still with the smile on.

Without saying anything Natsuki tackled Shizuru to the bed and kissed her very deeply making Shizuru lose all her coolness and with it her breath besides making the older girl blush furiously.

Fin.