Coming of Age

"Wh-What are you doing?" The young, blonde woman backed away nervously, eyes widening with panic when she reached the bed behind her. The silver-haired woman chuckled darkly and quickly pinned her to the sheets, crawling over her menacingly and licking her lips, exposing sharp fangs. "P-Please, get a hold of yourself! I beg you!"

"I've never felt more sure of myself." She tucked her nose and mouth into the crook of neck and shoulder, breathing in deeply. "Ever since we were little, my eyes were only for you. I'd get ever so jealous if you so much as looked at anyone else." She maneuvered the struggling woman's wrists so she could hold them with one hand, her chin with the other. Intense red eyes met those of soft honey-amber. "But starting tonight, every single part of you will belong to me forever." Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Understood?"

The blonde woman answered as if in a trance, eyes dazed. "Understood." She purred as the red-eyed woman pressed her lips to her throat, arching into her touches as they swept all over her body, undoing her gown and licking across the flushed skin-

...

Neru couldn't tear her eyes away. She didn't need to look at Haku to tell that the reaction was mutual.

"Wh-What the hell is this? Haku!" Neru rounded on her friend, red to her ears. "Of all the videos in the store why this?"

"I-I didn't know!" Haku flailed desperately, waving her hands defensively. "You just said 'pick up something scary' and it looked kind of cool from the cover-"

"Give it here!" Neru gestured for Haku to hand her the case. "Oh come on! It's called 'Bloodlust' for crying out-" She stopped, examining the cover more thoroughly. The front featured the duo they had been watching shortly before, the white-haired woman's arms encircling the shoulders of the blonde, who seemed to be trapped in a fitful sleep, unaware of her captor and just how lewdly she was licking her lips-

She flipped the case over, feeling inexplicably hot under the collar, quickly scouring the description on the back and glowing even pinker.

"Did you even read the back?" Neru lambasted in a bid to distract herself from her own embarrassment. She couldn't bear reading another word of the steamy description without overheating. She shoved the case towards Haku, jabbing at the warning on the bottom with her finger. "Erotic horror! You-you idiot!" Words failing her, she rapped her friend on the head with the empty box and tossed it to the ground, where it went sliding under the dresser.

"Aww, N-Neru I'm sorry-" She was cut short as the moans on-screen escalated, filling the room with suggestive noises.

"T-Turn it off!" Neru flailed, "Jeez!"

"Wh-Where'd the box go?"

"Who cares?"

"It's a rental, Neru-"

"Alright alright!" Neru got on her hands and knees and preoccupied herself searching under the dresser for it, to keep her face hidden. "Aww hell-" She stuck an arm underneath and got it stuck for a moment, screwing her eyes shut and whining out loudly, struggling to loosen herself as she finally got a hand on it and pulled it out. She thrust the box towards Haku, who was terribly rosy in the face, even though she had been watching Neru retrieve the case instead of the lewd film.

"What are you waiting for? Do it! Put it away!" Neru barked, scrambling to run to the bathroom and collect herself. Shortly after the noises had subsided, she felt a knock on the door.

"Neru...?" Haku sounded hesitant. Neru wasn't sure if she could speak without squeaking in embarrassment. "...I ordered pizza."

No response.

"...I'll even pick the pepperoni off your side. That way it'll be just cheese, with the taste of pepperoni still sorta there, I know you like that-"

Finally, the door opened and Neru trudged out.

...

"I hope this is better."

Neru took longer than expected to answer, the images from the first movie grafted into her mind. The new scary movie Haku had picked up was cheesier than the pizza they were currently nibbling on, but at least it wasn't anywhere near as awkward as the other.

"It is. You didn't have to go out again though, we could've just raided our old stash-"

"Oh no. No. It's alright." The rosiness in Haku's face told her that she had needed the space as much as Neru, after such an embarrassing spectacle. The last thing she needed was to start thinking about Haku like that again. "After all, it's your birthday! You should have whatever you want, if only for a day."

"There's nothing really special about birthdays though." Neru mumbled through a bite of pizza.

"But Neru, we always have our sleepovers to look forward to!"

"That's true." Neru smiled. She knew she should quit complaining, when Haku put in so much effort to make them special for her. "But, right after Halloween, everyone forgets...except you of course."

"I hope...it's okay." Haku's smile held a hint of sadness. "If I were a little more assertive maybe less people would spend the day sleeping off their sugar crash and give you the attention you deserve." She pouted in a manner that was supposed to be playful, but Neru could tell she was feeling really guilty over things that weren't her fault.

"Actually, I like it this way. It's nice to have time with just you." Neru's face colored. That sounded way too friendly. "You know, when you're not picking up porno for our movie date." She was just making it worse and worse now, but at least the smile returned to Haku's face, and that was good enough for her.

"Sorry about that!" Haku laughed. "Oh yeah, I picked up some other stuff while I was out. Be right back." She took the empty pizza box and started heading out the door, but stopped halfway. "By the way, ahm-" A sheepish smile graced her lips, "-I sort of forgot my pajamas-"

"Hall closet," Neru slipped off the bed and began rummaging in her drawers for her own nightwear, "the ones you left last time are clean already."

Haku thanked her and disappeared around the corner, leaving Neru blushing furiously over her dresser, reason completely unknown. There was nothing to warrant it. It was totally normal to hold on to your friend's pajamas for a prolonged period of time.

And maybe occasionally wear them to bed herself.

Snapping out of her daze, she began stripping, shirt and bra hitting the floor before she began unfastening her skirt. She had just been working it over the swell of her bottom when the door opened again.

"O-Oh! I'm sorry, I can wait-" Haku turned to duck out again as Neru clutched her pajamas to her chest.

Not like she had anything worth covering up.

"It's okay," Neru said quickly, shrugging and turning to hide her face, "we're all girls here."

The door creaked open hesitantly, and Haku came in to set a dish of melted chocolate and a bowl of strawberries on the bed. Neru was just about to pull on her shorts when the unmistakable sound of a zipper reached her ears. Haku was changing too.

"A-Ahh..." Neru couldn't resist her curiosity, turning in response to the noise. She caught a generous glimpse of the back of Haku's thighs. "...It...it must have shrunk in the wash." She remarked bashfully as she finished dressing herself.

Neru stared. The tank top at least was certainly very tight-fitting. She fussed with the edge of her shorts to remind herself to talk. "Nah, your boobs just got bigger."

Haku's face pinkened as she climbed onto the bed. "Well, thanks for keeping track for me."

"They're kinda hard to miss." Neru rolled her eyes and joined her, flipping on the TV for background noise and popping a strawberry into her mouth.

"Oh yeah, I bought you another little birthday present too." She leaned off the side of the bed and picked up a bag, pulling out a vial of Neru's favorite shimmery gold nail polish.

"Jeez, bringing out all the stops, huh?" Neru couldn't help but smile.

"Of course, it's your birthday! It's okay to let yourself be spoiled every now and then."

"My nails look like shit though-"

"Come on, just let me do you."

"What?"

"It's been forever since I did your nails, Neru-"

"...O-Oh yeah, that." Neru firmly told her mind to stay out of the gutter. "...Fine."

Haku grinned in triumph and took a filer out, taming the loose edges on one hand's nails before applying a base coat, then color, then top coat, sharing idle chatter with Neru in the meantime. As she moved on to the second hand, Neru was rendered unable to continue feasting on the strawberries under her own power and had to wait for Haku to finish painting. She reached for the bowl again, but Haku caught her hand.

"Ah, you might ruin your nails if the juice squeezes out. Let me?"

"You're gonna feed me then?" Neru smirked.

"Anything for the birthday girl." Haku beamed eagerly.

"Got that right." No, of course all this pampering wasn't going to Neru's head.

"Haha, want me to kiss your feet and rub your shoulders too, your highness?"

"...We'll see...after you give me a strawberry already."

Haku plucked a strawberry from the bowl and guided it towards Neru's waiting lips. She balanced it precariously on the edge of her lower lip, letting it hover, knowing she couldn't do anything hasty with her nails still drying.

"Ahhh..." Neru made an impatient noise, furrowing her brows comically until Haku pushed it in. Was she imagining it, or did Haku's finger linger inside her lip for just a moment? She chewed the plump fruit thoughtfully and swallowed. Haku earnestly picked up another strawberry and dipped it in chocolate. Watching her spurred a warm feeling in Neru's chest.

"...Thanks, Haku."

"Hm?"

"For...all this."

"Oh..." A familiar, crestfallen look appeared once more. "...I...just wish I could do more. I know it's not much-"

"Stop it." Haku's eyes went wide with apprehension. "I'm having a great time."

"...Then...I..."

They were staring at each other intently, all of a sudden. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, all-consuming, numbing her to all other sensation.

Until the chocolate from the strawberry Haku had been extending to her began drizzling down, threatening the crisp white pajamas. She jerked her hand back to set the berry aside, but the inertia flung a few drops of chocolate onto Neru, flecking her collarbone.

"Ah-jeez-" The spell broken, she reached to wipe the chocolate off her neck, but Haku caught her around the wrist and pushed it aside, leaning close. Surprised, Neru blinked.

"...Your nails...aren't done drying yet..." She gave a tiny smile that Neru couldn't quite read. "...Let me?"

Nodding, she couldn't decide where to put her eyes. When Haku leaned close like that, Neru had a pretty amazing view down the front of her shirt.

Her throat tightened as she felt something wet on her skin: Haku was licking the chocolate up. Shivers trickled up her spine and she suddenly felt unbearably hot between the legs. Her soft tongue lapped up the remainder of the chocolate-

-and continued up to the tender part of her throat, sucking softly.

Neru couldn't take it anymore. Her hands followed the curvature of Haku's hips, settling firmly on her waist, just under the weight of her heavy breasts. Leaning closer, her nose brushed against Haku's hair, drawn in by the sweet scent of her shampoo, mild and clean. Her lips parted, closed again around her delicate ear, teeth sinking in gently. The moan that sounded against the pulse in her throat was all the encouragement she needed: her hands continued, cupping her fully, and she couldn't stop, thumbs working over the hard nipples underneath the thin cotton of her tank top, pushing forward until she was on top of her.

"Ohh, Nh-Neru-"

"The birthday girl gets whatever she wants, right?" She pressed her lips to Haku's, tongue slipping in against hers. Chocolate strawberries and pizza were an odd combination, but Neru and Haku was definitely not.

Haku purred under the weight of her body, and Neru could tell that, like her, she needed it really soon. She swiftly tugged Haku's loose pajama pants down, her own shorts, everything between them that stood in their way, tangling their legs together quickly and rubbing, holding Haku's thigh for dear life as their centers met, again and again, with increasing moistness. It had snuck up on them from seemingly nowhere, this insane urge, but at once it felt like it had been there longer than either of them knew.

Neru groaned Haku's name, layered atop the chorus of moans between them. She'd never felt so decadent, so connected and disconnected at once. Everything that wasn't Haku became fuzzy, she could feel the arousal building to the top of her head, behind her eyes. Haku's hands were soft but insistent on her hips, pulling her into slow, hard strokes that sent both of them trembling with pleasure waves.

The bowl of chocolate was close to toppling with the movement of the mattress, but they couldn't bring themselves to care. Neither of them had time to brace themselves as ecstasy flooded in, head to toe, all at once, and just as quickly as it began, it ended.

Together.

...

The new movie Haku had picked up softly illuminated the otherwise dark bedroom. Haku was propped up on the pillows, Neru's arm over her waist, head resting between an arm and a breast, comfortable. She'd been nodding off for the majority of it, and had finally fallen asleep moments ago.

"I know you don't care much for birthdays. It may seem like a waste of time at times, and as you always say, they're often more trouble than they're worth. But..."

Haku stroked Neru's hair, and grinned as she seemed to hug on tighter, even in sleep.

"...you're worth it. Without a doubt, you are."

A content smile formed on Neru's lips. Haku wondered if she was dreaming.

"You, with your rare smiles that shine brightest, that you share with me."

She was so warm, sleepy, peaceful.

"When I can watch you make them, those beautiful smiles, all of my own troubles feel as though they're melting in the face of them, and I can just be me, with you."

Haku sighed blissfully, tucking strands of Neru's hair behind her ear. It was silky soft, after the unavoidable shower that followed the upset of a bowl of chocolate. She giggled, treasuring the memory.

Haku leaned in to kiss the crown of Neru's head, settling the side of her cheek on top, letting herself drift to sleep as well.

"You might not care for them, but your birthday is the best thing that ever happened to me."

A/N: Happy birthday Neru-chan~! A few minutes late but I was so super busy and this fic was sadly pretty last minute. I wanted to do something for her highness the tsundere troll queen though, I love Neru so much! X3 Anyway, thanks for reading, please review if you feel like it, they make my day!