Disclaimer - I do not own the characters of Mai Hime. They are owned by Sunrise.
Author's Note - So, this story was written as a bit of a writing exercise for myself way back when. It's just been sitting around collecting dust though, so I finally decided to just post it =p
Hope you all enjoy~ =D
~The Bodyguard: Natsuki Kuga~
"Shizuru, darling. This is your new bodyguard, Natsuki Kuga. Natsuki, be a dear now and bow to my darling Shizuru," a woman with the same chestnut-coloured hair as her daughter, though speckled with gray, said in a fairly haughty voice.
Natsuki felt her plastered-on smile twitch slightly at the edges, as she bent over at the waist in a stiff bow. She had to shift her sheathed Katana over slightly, to fully complete the bow. Once she straightened back up, Natsuki allowed her emerald-green eyes to focus in on her new charge.
Shizuru was simply breathtaking.
Long, honey-coloured hair flowed in silken waves down her back. She stood facing Natsuki with delicate hands clasped before her, with a silk red-and-white kimono covering her body. She also had the most unusual-yet-captivating, crimson-red eyes.
The young woman stepped forward, and bowed her head in a returned show of respect towards Natsuki, before stepping back to once again stand beside her mother.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Natsuki. Thank you for agreeing to become my bodyguard. Mother worries terribly about my safety, and Father worries even more so. It will give them peace of mind to know that I'm well protected," Shizuru said with a lilting accent, as a small smile played along her lips.
Natsuki nodded once towards Shizuru, before turning her attention back towards the mother.
"Excuse me Mrs. Fujino, but where am I supposed to stay in this...lovely...and large mansion of yours," Natsuki asked as politely as she could, as her eyes swept around the massive mansion that she and her new employers stood in the foyer of.
"Well, you will stay in the room adjacent to Shizuru's of course. You have to be close by to protect my precious Shizuru, in case any of our enemies should make it past the security system. Now be a dear and follow Shizuru upstairs to your new bedroom, and I'll have our butler bring your...belongings...up to you," Mrs. Fujino said, as she looked down at the sole piece of baggage by Natsuki's feet, which was a semi-large duffel bag and of course her Katana, which she kept by her side and in her sight at all times.
"Thank you, but that's alright, Mrs. Fujino. I can carry my bag myself, and would actually prefer to do so, as I have a few...items...in it that are essential to my work," Natsuki responded as she bent down and in one smooth move, hefted the heavy-looking duffel bag up by its straps, and stood patiently waiting for Shizuru to show her the way to her new room.
"Ara ara, Natsuki is certainly a very strong woman. You'll most certainly be able to protect me from all manner of...dangers," Shizuru said with a teasing grin, as she began to lead Natsuki up the stairs to her new bedroom.
Natsuki just growled low in her throat, as she tried to decipher just what Shizuru had meant by dangers.
She probably poses more of a danger to herself, than from anyone else, Natsuki thought to herself, as she followed Shizuru up her home's long, winding staircase. But I need this job. My finances are still a bit tight, and this job came along at just the right time. I'll protect this little princess from whatever imagined dangers her parents seem to think their precious child may be in, then I'll pocket the money at the end of the job, and be on my merry way. Easy come, easy go.
Natsuki nodded to herself at her plans for the foreseeable future. She then started slightly when she almost ran into Shizuru's back, as the other girl had stopped walking before her.
"Here we are Na...tsu...ki," Shizuru said in a sing-song voice, as she pushed open a door before her, and led Natsuki into the room that was revealed. It was a well-furnished room that held a large bed, with sheets and and comforter that matched the curtains. The room also contained a beautifully-crafted wooden dresser, a chair, and a large walk-in closet.
"I hope that Natsuki finds her new room to her liking, as we'll be neighbours from now on, and I want Natsuki to feel as comfortable as possible while she's here with me," Shizuru said with gentle smile, that reached all the way up to her wine-coloured eyes.
Natsuki found herself trying to avoid looking directly at that smile, as it made her feel strangely warm and uncomfortable, and she didn't feel like examining why she felt this way at this time.
"Yes, the room is to my liking," Natsuki mumbled in reply, as she moved over to her new bed, and rested her duffel bag at the foot of it. Suddenly she felt a very light, very warm sensation press against her cheek, and startled-green eyes shot up to stare at Shizuru, who had a finger pressed lightly against her lips, with a non-too-innocent smile playing across her lips.
"Natsuki looks so very cute when she blushes," Shizuru said with a light, happy laugh before she turned around and made her way out of Natsuki's room with a small, cheerful wave.
Natsuki just stood stock-still in shock for a few seconds, before she raised a hand to her cheek, and lightly brushed her fingers across the spot where Shizuru had pressed her lips. Then slowly lowering her hand, and staring hard at the door that Shizuru had just exited out of, Natsuki could only think one thing.
Just what had she gotten herself into.
~o~o~o~
Natsuki changed into her sleepwear soon after, which consisted of a dark, navy-blue pajama bottom, and a white tank top. She'd already stowed away her duffel bag in the walk-in closet, and now sat on the bed with her Katana unsheathed, and laying beside the black sheath on a blanket on her bed. She also had her two trusted pistols laying on a separate cloth further up on the bed. She was about to reach forward and pick up her Katana to start wiping the blade down, when her bedroom door suddenly opened, and a smiling Shizuru wearing a semi-sheer, baby-blue nightgown and carrying a tray with a bowl, entered her room.
"Oi! How about knocking first before you enter," Natsuki demanded as she pulled the edges of the blanket and cloth over her guns and sword, effectively shielding them from Shizuru's view.
"Ara ara, but I thought that Natsuki would be hungry by now. She never came down to have dinner with us, so I was sure that Natsuki would be like a starving wolf by now," Shizuru replied, as she made her way gracefully into the room, and set the tray down on the dresser.
"I'm fine. I'm not hungry. I don't do family dinners," Natsuki grumbled in response.
"But Natsuki needs to eat. How is she going to protect me, if she doesn't eat to stay strong and healthy. Now open your mouth and ahh," Shizuru cooed with a cheery grin, as she held out a spoon with a steaming liquid in it, that Natsuki realized was home-cooked ramen soup.
"Hey, I'm not some little kid! Get that away from me!" Natsuki exclaimed as she flashed her hand out, and unintentionally knocked the spoon from Shizuru's grasp, causing the hot liquid to splash across the carpeted floor.
Shizuru let out a loud gasp, causing Natsuki to look up into those bright, ruby-red eyes to see a flash of hurt cross them, before vanishing behind a now-shuttered stare.
"Ara...I guess Natsuki really didn't want to try my home-cooked, ramen noodle soup tonight," Shizuru murmured, as she began to reach down to retrieve the discarded spoon from the floor.
"No, no I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that. It was an accident. Please, let me get that," Natsuki exclaimed quickly, as she bent over and picked up the spoon before Shizuru could. She then walked over to the tray still sitting on her dresser, and placed the spoon down onto it.
Then she turned back around, and made her way back over to Shizuru.
"Listen, I'm ah...really very sorry for lashing out like that. I didn't mean to, and I know you were only trying to be nice by bringing me dinner. I just don't do well with being around a lot of people, so I won't be eating dinner with you and your parents at all, for however long my protection contract with you lasts. I hope that that's alright with you?" Natsuki asked while rubbing the back of her neck nervously, as she waited for Shizuru's reply.
"That's perfectly alright, Natsuki. My parents won't be offended, as they're just happy to have one of the best bodyguards in the business protecting their daughter," Shizuru said with a small smile while trying to keep in giggles, at how cute Natsuki was now being with her.
"Okay okay. Good, that's good then. Uh, thanks...Shizuru," Natsuki said, as she looked up into the chestnut-haired girl's eyes, and felt herself suddenly become inexplicably tongue-tied.
God, she's got the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. They're such an unusual but stunning colour...I could almost get lost in them, Natsuki thought to herself, before shaking her head lightly to try to dislodge these seemingly random and goofy thoughts from her mind.
"Anyways, it's getting a bit late now, and while I do appreciate you going out of your way to bring me dinner, I'm really not hungry right now. So, let's just call it a night, and we'll talk again tomorrow," Natsuki said, as she walked over to the tray and picked it up. "Here, I'll even carry this back downstairs for you," Natsuki said, as she gave Shizuru a small smile, to try to make up for turning down her dinner offer.
"My my, Natsuki can be quite the sweetheart, but it's perfectly alright. I can bring the tray back downstairs myself," Shizuru answered, as she reached out and lightly brushing her fingertips against Natsuki's, took the tray from her hands.
Natsuki felt a slight, electric current travel up her arms when Shizuru's fingers brushed against hers, and she involuntarily let the tray rest in the chestnut-haired girl's hands. "But Shizuru, let me at least carry the tray down for...hmph," Natsuki started to say, before she felt a warm finger press gently against her lips.
"Shhh, Natsuki. It's okay. You just go on to bed, and be sure to get plenty of rest, because tomorrow is going to be a very busy day," Shizuru said with a mysterious smile, as she slowly removed her finger from Natsuki's soft lips.
Natsuki nodded mutely before she watched Shizuru slowly leave her room, with her hips swaying slightly side-to-side, causing Natsuki to become almost hypnotized by their swaying motion. Once Shizuru reached her bedroom door, the crimson-eyed beauty stopped briefly to glance over her shoulder, and Natsuki felt her face flush a very bright red, at being caught watching Shizuru's rear.
Shizuru flashed Natsuki an almost wicked-looking grin, before she finally made her way fully out of the room.
Natsuki groaned loudly and just buried her face into her hands, as her face continued to flush a very painful red.
Seriously, just what had she gotten herself into!
AN - Hope you all enjoyed! Please let me know what you all thought of this little writing exercise I did eon years ago lol~