A/N: OK so this is the prologue to my new story Through the Airwaves, I got inspiration from a rather naughty documentary (called My Phone Sex Secrets on 4oD for UK peeps) I only partially watched last night because I was laughing so much... and despite the nature of it, I thought I could write a ShizNat fic based on it so here you go! I also must ask for your forgiveness in setting this chapter around Christmas... when you read the bottom A/N you'll hopefully see why I've done this!
Disclaimer: I didn't get Mai-HiME for my birthday last month so I'm now giving up all hope of ever owning these characters. Sunrise owns them... lucky b******s!
Prologue
That journey home must have been literally one of the most torturous and unbearable journeys in the young woman's life.
She knew exactly what it was that made her usually pleasant journey feel that way- she couldn't ignore it even if she tried as each time she turned right she could feel the shape of the box dig into her skin through her biker suit.
The box. A dark blue velvet box which for its small size, held her future in its miniature frame and Natsuki couldn't help but feel her heart race faster with every beat each time she subconsciously acknowledged its existence.
As Natsuki passed the final bend onto the street in which she shared a house with her most beloved girlfriend Shizuru, she felt the butterflies in her stomach fluttering with more gusto than they had before and she took a deep breath before turning the engine off and making her way up the steps to their house. She couldn't fight back a smile as she sneaked a peak through the window and saw the chestnut haired woman busying about the place, making sure each object was in its proper place before their guests arrived tomorrow.
Natsuki chuckled and felt her heart flutter as she continued watching Shizuru move so gracefully and elegantly around the house. It was a nice feeling knowing that for once in her life, everything was just... perfect.
I suppose tomorrow I'll just have to see if there can be anything that trumps perfection Natsuki mused to herself as she took a step away from the window and put the key in the lock and opened the door- truly thankful that Shizuru had the good sense to start a fire to heat the house against the chilly December cold.
"Shizuru? Where are you?" Natsuki called out as she shrugged off her jacket, placing it on the hook beside the door, making sure that the present was still in her pocket and well hidden.
"I'm in the living room darling." A soft and sweet voice rang out through the hall and Natsuki smiled as she turned around the corner and saw Shizuru standing by the fire. Quietly she stepped over to her and circled her arms around Shizuru's slim waist, resting her chin on the slightly taller woman's shoulder.
"Hi."Shizuru whispered as she felt Natsuki place a soft kiss on her bare shoulder.
"Hi."
"Did you manage to get your shopping done before the shops closed?"
"Hmm, yeah I got there just in time."
Shizuru rolled her eyes and giggled as she playfully tapped her girlfriend on the nose "Silly Natsuki, leaving her Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve. I hope you weren't doing some last minute panic-buying on my account." Shizuru teased.
"Gah, you and your teasing. I already got your present ages ago." Natsuki replied. Well it was kind of the truth, she organised the present a while ago and so it wasn't entirely her fault that today was the day she had to pick it up.
"But there's still one thing that you have neglected to give me yet Natsuki." Shizuru spun around quickly, facing Natsuki with a small pout and a slight frown, causing Natsuki to widen her eyes in fear, and mentally go through a list of everything Shizuru could possibly mean.
"And that is?" the dark haired woman asked timidly.
"A kiss... silly. Or will you make me wait until tomorrow for it?"
Natsuki breathed a small sigh of relief "Ah well that I can give you now." Shizuru smiled as she placed a hand on Natsuki's cheek and drew her nearer and captured the young woman's lips with her own in a soft, sweet kiss.
"Mmm... even after all this time, each kiss feels as special as the first." Shizuru breathed as the two broke apart, keeping a breath apart before Natsuki moved in for another, longer, more passionate kiss. Unfortunately, the romantic atmosphere was broken by the rather loud ringing of the phone and the two women broke apart laughing and cursing such bad luck.
"I'll get it, can you put another log on the fire for me Natsuki?"
"Sure." Natsuki took a deep breath before bending down and placing a couple of logs on the fire and thought about the plan. Just in case she had any doubts in her mind about what she was about to do, all doubts were gone...
... although it wasn't as if for a minute there were any doubts to begin with.
"Natsuki, Mai-chan and the others will be here at 12 tomorrow."
Natsuki smiled slightly "Cool."
"Right, I'm going to go have a bath." Natsuki hummed as she continued watching the fire as Shizuru disappeared around the corner, only to poke her head around it again a second later.
"That was an invitation to join me by the way." Shizuru winked seductively as she watched as Natsuki pretty much tripped over thin air in her rush to get in the bath with her.
It's now or never Natsuki... do it now.
All these months of planning, of psyching herself up for this moment and now the moment was finally here Natsuki was more nervous than she had ever been in her life. She remembered the first day of school as a small child, where she attached herself to her mother's leg and refused to let her mother go out of sheer nerves. She thought back to the day when she first met Shizuru's parents, when she first told Shizuru she loved her and the first time she laid her emerald eyes on Shizuru. Well, the first time after the few years apart after the crimson eyed woman had graduated from the school they both attended. Truly nothing could quite compare to the nerves she was feeling right now and yet she couldn't help but feel excited. She couldn't wait to see her lover's face when she opened the box, she couldn't wait to say those words, to say that all important question and to hear the answer from the love of her life's lips.
Natsuki took a quick look at the sleeping figure of her lover as she slept peacefully with an arm draped across Natsuki's bare stomach and then she looked at the clock and smiled nervously as she saw the numbers flashing.
She'd be getting up soon anyway, now really is the time, that's more than enough mental preparation from you so just do it already.
Natsuki took a deep breath before gently moving Shizuru's arm off her stomach and onto the pillow beside her and the dark haired woman took a sigh of relief when Shizuru didn't stir from her slumber. After wrapping herself up in a warm dressing gown, Natsuki quietly made her way down the stairs, taking the small box out of her leather jacket and headed into the living room where there was a small Christmas tree and underneath it, a neat pile of presents organised by Shizuru. Being careful not to accidentally ruffle the tree, or rather the suddenly annoying bell decorations that Shizuru had insisted on putting on the damn thing, Natsuki carefully reached to the back of the pile, where a very small and well wrapped empty box was hidden. After placing the small velvet box in the empty one and placing it under the tree once again, Natsuki set about the next phase of her plan as she laid out a rug in front of the fireplace and started a fire.
"Natsuki? What are you doing up?" Natsuki almost jumped at the sound of the soft honey-coated Kyoto-ben from behind her and smiled as she gazed upon Shizuru's face.
"Sorry, was I making too much noise?" Natsuki smiled apologetically.
Shizuru smiled as she shook her head "No, I just got a bit cold and realised you weren't there."
Natsuki returned the smile "Sorry Shizuru." Natsuki rubbed the back of her neck as she slowly stood up from her crouched position beside the fire "Come here for a minute... and sit down, please" she said softly as she held out a hand and guided Shizuru to sit in front of her.
"What have you been up to Natsuki?" Shizuru asked as she sat down seiza style in front of the fire, enjoying the fact that despite being up way before 10 in the morning, the younger woman was incredibly happy and cheerful. Whatever it was that Natsuki was up to, it surely must have been something she was looking forward to Shizuru thought.
"You'll see in a minute." Natsuki couldn't fight off the large grin that spread across her face, despite all the nerves and with a final deep breath, picked up the 'present' and hid it behind her back before kneeling in front of Shizuru by the fire.
"Merry Christmas... Shizuru." Natsuki held out the box and despite the mild confusion, Shizuru smiled and grasped the small gift in her delicate hands.
"I thought we were going to wait until the others got here to exchange gifts?" She spoke softly through a smile.
Natsuki shrugged as her expression turned more serious "I couldn't wait to give you this."
Natsuki could feel her heart racing double time now as Shizuru bit her lip and opened the lid of the first box. Before she could look at what was in the beautifully wrapped little box, Shizuru stole a glance at her girlfriend who seemed to eagerly watching her every move. In all her years of knowing and loving her, Shizuru couldn't remember a time where Natsuki had ever been this excited about anything. Shizuru looked inside the first box and felt her heart race when she saw it, the little blue velvet box and when she popped open the lid she felt her breath hitch as her crimson eyes settled upon a beautiful square-cut diamond encrusted platinum ring.
"Oh my God... Natsuki..."
"Shizuru Fujino-" Natsuki started as she shuffled closer "Shizuru Fujino, will you marry me?"
Shizuru lifted her head and saw the serious expression on her lover's face before gazing back at the beautifully crafted ring "I can't marry you Natsuki."
Natsuki's heart fell as she felt awash with panic as she saw Shizuru's sorrowful expression as the tears started to fall down her cheeks and she shook her head in utter confusion "What? Why can't... why can't you marry me?" Natsuki's voice was hoarse and filled with such emotion as she shook her head in disbelief.
Shizuru wiped away some of the tears with the sleeve of her robe, not particularly caring if she looked rather uncharacteristically unlady-like and reached into the pocket of her robe before pulling out a emerald green box "I can't agree to marry you Natsuki... unless you agree to marry me first." Shizuru spoke through a smile which only grew when Natsuki flung her arms around her neck in a tight and loving embrace.
"Of course I'll marry you, baka... even if I could kill you right now for that" Natsuki spoke through tears as she allowed Shizuru to place the sapphire and diamond ring upon her finger, before doing the same for Shizuru and placing a kiss on her fiancée's quivering lips.
"I love you so much Natsuki."
"And I love you Shizuru." And it's official... best day ever! So this is what actual perfection feels like... I can get used to this!
A/N: And that concludes the Prologue! I know that it's set at Christmas which actually really annoyed me but I was trying to think a good time for presents... and then my poor little brain short-circuited! The Christmas thing is really only for this chapter though, it will be mentioned in the next one but just because I have to!
I really am going to try and keep this as angst free as can be- even I get a little tired of angst for these two, for once I'd like something to go right for these two and the path to be rather easy... for a change !
I'll be getting on with the rest of the story soon, I just wanted to give you a taste of things to come and I hope that you like it.
Love to all, please feel free to leave a review. I live off reviews, literally, so no pressure if you don't want to but yeah... a part of my soul dies when I don't get reviews
...just sayin' :P
Until next time,
Tiny xxx
