A/N: This is a one-shot that takes place during chapter one of, "Boys' Night Out", just a warning for those who haven't read the rest of my series, this is tale contains shoujo-ai themes.
For those unaware, Aoi means 'blue' in Japanese
Love Hina: AoiShinobu closed the door to her room silently.
Kyoko had informed her with in hushed tones that she had left her birthday present up here, and that now would be a good time for her to retrieve it.
The blue haired girl blushed a little as she recalled the warmth of Kyoko's breath on her ear as she had whispered that to her while the other women were distracted setting things up for the birthday part they planned to throw for her that evening.
She had been happy when Kyoko returned from her sojourn to her family grounds especially for her birthday, and she felt a small thrill of anticipation wondering just what the other girl had brought her.
Her eyes scanned the room slowly, looking for anything out of place.
At first she failed to see it, her eyes sliding over its resting place a number of times before her mind finally realised that something was out of place.
Nestled between the arms of the misshapen grey frog that sat atop the larger of her plushie piles, was a small cream envelope with her name written on the front in elegant Kanji.
She felt her mouth quirk into a fond smile at her girlfriend's choice of positioning for the gift. The frog had been won for her by Keitaro and even now held a special place in her heart.
The envelope conveniently obscured most of the plushie from sight.
She giggled a little to herself as she retrieved her present, carefully righting the toy as it threatened to topple off its makeshift throne.
Most people would think Kyoko cold and unfeeling, but she was actually quite fiercely possessive deep down, and it tended to surface without the dark haired girl realising she was doing anything out of the ordinary, which only made her subsequent behaviour even cuter, and more endearing in Shinobu's violet eyes.
She knelt down gently next to her room's small table, carefully opening the envelope, ensuring that she did not rip the cream coloured paper as she did so.
Not knowing what to expect she didn't curiously took the delicately folded cream woven card that lay inside and pushed the envelope aside before unfolding it and laying it flat across the table.
The decoration held her attention at first, a single blossom of lavender brushing tenderly against a white Lilly, the flower Kyoko had taken as her personal symbol in respect for her departed mother, both rendered in an almost dream like haze of soft water colours.
Shinobu ran one slender finger over the flowers; feeling tears lightly stinging her eyes but not falling.
It was a quiet, but beautiful gesture, an elegant expression.
Finally she managed to focus on the writing scribed over the image, reading out loud in a barely audible voice:
Blue
Lavender scented, hair dances playfully in the wind.
Echoed by her laughter it coaxes something from me I long thought dead.
Violet eyes draw it to the surface and I smile like I child before the sun.
If I'm dreaming I wish never to wake.
That way I will always be here…
With her…
My blue haired angel.
Happy Birthday,
Love KyokoShinobu felt the tears that had held back trickling freely down her face. Once more she was struck dumb and slightly intimidated by the affection expressed to her by the girl who had somehow usurped even Keitaro in her heart.
It was at once an uplifting and humbling experience. She had used to dream about being cared for this much by someone.
She almost didn't register when a pair of slender, kimono clad arms wrapped around her waist, also squeaking in surprise when she felt a head rest carefully on her shoulder.
"Are you ok? Don't you like your present?", Kyoko asked, sounding concerned, but for her rather than the gift.
"No, I like it, I like it a lot", she assured the dark haired girl, leaning back into her embrace with a content sigh.
"Good", Kyoko said, "As long as Aoi-chan is happy, so am I".
Shinobu tried to frown at her but it didn't seem to have any effect, especially on the other girl's carefully concealed smile.
Shinobu sighed. 'Aoi-chan' was a pet name Kyoko had taken to calling her, though thankfully only when she was sure they were alone as they currently were.
It didn't exactly irritate her, but she wasn't overly fond of it either, which only made Kyoko more determined to use it. She had years of denying certain genes Koichi had let run rampant to make up for after all, even if after her upbringing she could only express it in small ways.
"I wish you would stop calling me that", Shinobu said pouting slightly for effect.
Kyoko chuckled lightly under her breath, another new character trait few but Shinobu had the fortune, or misfortune if you were to look at the situations it seemed to come up in, to experience.
"But that's what you are", she said, nuzzling closer and sending pleasant shivers up and down Shinobu's spine, "My kawaii Aoi-chan".
Shinobu felt Kyoko's arms contract slightly around her waist. There was that possessive streak again.
Giving in, she turned around in the other girl's embrace, feeling her cheeks warm as Kyoko released one arm in order to cup her chin as soon as she had repositioned herself.
"I suppose I should give you the rest of your present…", that deepened Shinobu's blush as a number of startling ideas ran through her mind.
Her eyes drifted closed as Kyoko lowered her head, pressing their lips softly against each other's in a kiss that soon picked up in intensity until both girls were forced to mutually end it, gasping lightly as they held one another.
Shinobu was relieved to she that Kyoko was blushing as well, even if it was already fading, and held against her she could feel the rapid pace of the other girl's heart.
They sat there comfortably for a moment before Kyoko reluctantly released her and stood, drawing her to her feet as well.
"I suppose we should return before they send a search party", she half joked, surprised that no one had interrupted them yet and knowing better than to push her luck.
Shinobu just nodded, not trusting her voice at that moment.
"Perhaps I can finish up tonight", Kyoko said conversationally, turning away just in time to hide a grin that had somehow slipped past her usual controls.
She heard a strangled cry, not all that unlike the sound a field mouse might make.
"K-Kyoko-chan!", Shinobu said in a accusatory fashion, red from the roots of her hair to the base of her neck.
"I'm only joking Shinobu-chan", Kyoko assured her pausing for a moment by the door as she heard the blue haired girl breath a shaky sigh of relief, and adding, "Maybe".
Only a supreme effort stopped her from laughing when the Shinobu finally realised that she really was joking, and held up her tiny fists in front of her in what must have been the most adorable expression of anger ever seen.
She apologised sincerely as the blue haired girl pouted sullenly when her angry face only made the other girl smile fondly at her, but eventually allowed herself to be led back down stairs.
Though it no longer showed by the time she reached the head of the stairwell, Kyoko was still smiling inside.
Whatever else might happen from now on, she had her blue haired angel, and that was all that mattered.
Fin---Author Notes---
Sorry folks, this scene was swimming in my head as I began writing Boys' Night Out, but it didn't fit with the theme of that story so I decided to put it aside as a Fluff-One-Shot.
I think it's because of the sheer amount of Shoujo-ai I've watched recently, I mean, there's been "Kannazuki no Miko", "Strawberry Panic", "Maria-sama", "Noir", and I tried to get into but didn't really like "Yami to boushi to hon no insert last word here", and all that's took place in little under a week. Add that to watching Mai HiME/Otome recently as well and you can see why a scene like this would be nagging at the back of my mind.
Anyways, now that it's out of my system, I'll return to Boys' Night Out, and incidentally, anyone interested in Naruto, check out my Naruto fic, Healer.
Till next time, Betweenheavenandhell