Karaoke

By: DarkBlue Mint

Disclaimer: My last paycheck died valiantly yesterday… this is gonna be the first time in eight months that I'm gonna beg my mom for cash (meaning I'm not rich, Mai HiME it's not mine).

Notes: Another set of prompts by angelronin for the nice community The Phoenix, The Cat… now, if only more people will write some nice MaiMikoto fics.

Karaoke, where passion for music and singing merged in a mystic ambiance of sounds and lights… and microphones, and beverages, and costumes and pretty redheads that were sad because her turn at the microphone seemed to escape her tonight. Tokiha Mai couldn't believe her luck (actually her lack of luck), this hadn't happened since that first day when she and the rest of the HiME Rangers (leaded by a very drunk with happiness Midori) had used the roulette system, and the carnival hadn't yet started.

Of course it didn't seem to be the case this time, Sugiura Midori had had a fight with certain nurse that afternoon and had proceeded to hog the mic all night and sing all the menu of sad songs that existed in this Karaoke Bar (the second of the evening, as they were kicked out when Midori proceeded to kidnap the waitress and cry on her shoulder). Tokiha Mai was mad (and that wasn't something easy to achieve), what was the reason of bringing her to the place of all her passions when she wasn't allowed to revel in them?

What was worse was that nobody seemed to be sympathetic to her complaints. She was pretty sure that Yukino had only came to escape her recently formed fan-club, Mikoto only for the free food, and Nao and Natsuki (and also Yukariko but no one wanted to accuse a nun… former or not) had only came because Midori had promised free drinks…. Needless to say Yukino was spending the night talking to Haruka on her mobile, Mikoto was (surprisingly) full, and Nao and Natsuki (as well as Yukariko) were completely pissed. Mai was trying very hard not to think what Midori was going to do when the check came (last time she had pretended to have appendicitis).

By the time that Midori launched herself to the twelfth song (twenty-third if you counted the previous place), Yukino was trying to convince Haruka that she didn't need a body guard (much less a tank and body-armor), Nao was sleeping while hugging a cushion (and murmuring something about octopi), Natsuki was drunkenly calling Shizuru and confessing her feelings (they had been dating for three months, but Mai was sure that the biker will still regret this the next day), Yukariko had left for the evening (Ishigami-sensei had called in desperation when the baby hadn't stopped crying) and Mikoto was nowhere to be found; Mai decided that it was time to go home and made use of the karaoke mic that Chie and Aoi had gifted her last year.

The moment that she stepped outside she found the lost Mikoto sitting on a street bench and gazing at the sky, a look (a very sexy look) of deep concentration on her face. The moment that the golden eyed girl felt Mai's eyes over her she stopped her investigation of the stars to look directly at Mai, an incredibly happy smile on her face, Mai felt a lurch in her chest.

It wasn't the first time that the lurch had made itself known, it had started after she and Tate had came upon each other in a diner, she hadn't been surprised of seeing him on a date. The only surprising thing about that day had been after that, when she was in her room and saw Mikoto coming back from training (the girl had decided to enter the Kendo Club and Takeda had offered some help). There had been something compelling in the girl with the messy hair wet by sweat, dressed in the blue kendogi and black hakama, and her eyes filled with happiness at seeing her at home. There was a secret to no one that the kendoka was in love with her (especially to her fan-club that insisted to send the redhead death threats).

"What are you doing outside?" Mai decided to ask when she noticed that they had been watching at each others eyes for more than five minutes. "I thought that you had already gone home."

"It was too noisy inside; I decided to wait for you here." Mai sent her a questioning look that made the smile brighter. "Mm, I wasn't going to leave you to go back home alone."

"That's very thoughtful." Mai thought she was channeling Natsuki, as she was pretty sure that her cheeks were red.

"I love you." She answered in a matter of fact tone while nodding her head firmly. "Ani-ue said that you always protect the one you love."

Mai felt the blood vessels on her cheek almost explode, while her face and chest were completely burning. Lack of education in trivial matter as how to conduct yourself with other people, had made Minagi Mikoto into a brutally honest person. And if it wasn't for the way that her eyes shined, Mai would have been sure that the girl was completely innocent and didn't know what she was saying.

"Mikoto, I…" She interrupted herself, she didn't know how to say what she wanted to say… actually she didn't know what to say.

"Mai loves me too." This surprised the redhead and stopped her from saying anything else. "Mai takes care of me, and gives me food, and loves me… she isn't ready just yet. But Ani-ue says that if Natsuki realized her feelings for Shizuru then Mai will too… you are smarter than her. Also, Ani-ue says that you can't resist the Minagi charm."

"You and Reito talk a lot about me?" She wondered while Mikoto got up and they started walking towards Fuuka Gakuen. "Is there anything else he said?"

"Mm. That I shouldn't kiss you until we have our first date." Mikoto quickly turned and faced a surprised Mai, kissing her lightly on her lips. "But I think I'm going to ignore that one."

Mai felt the lurching in her heart came back, and could barely stop the shy smile and the new blush that appeared on her face. "Does Mikoto want to come tomorrow for some Karaoke, just you and I?" At Mikoto's ecstatic smile she was sure that Reito was right, she was finding it very hard to resist the charms of certain cat.

End.

Notes: This started very differently, but like in the middle Lulu (she hates when I call her that) started to listen some songs that kinda changed my rhythm… I kinda like where they took me.

Prompts: 1. Karaoke; 2. Music; 3. Food; 4. Microphone; 5. Drinks.