First and foremost thanks to my ate (well, not biologically speaking), yui1808, Kampilan, and other writers out there for helping and further inspiring me. Love you authors!!! XD
Okay. This is my first time writing a fic. I just wanted to write something for Mai-hime since I love Natsuki very much. XD 'OMG!!! There's Shizuru! RUN!' XD
It's my dream to post something here. Haha. Anyway, sorry if the fic sucks or writing style doesn't suit your taste. I'm just a newbie. So please help me. XD I hope that I'll learn something from your reviews!!! Thanks for spending your time in this fic! XD
Discalimer: I don't own Mai-hime, or Natsuki. TT_TT
S.S. Victoria was sailing to Fuuka. It's occupants are all eager to go back home; especially a certain midnight blue-haired sailor, Natsuki Kuga, who was away from Fuuka for 5 years. She was leaning on the upper deck's railing with a smile etched on her face.
"My, Kuga-san, so happy to be able to go home finally, eh?"
Natsuki turned around to face the source of the voice. "Capt. Kanzaki, good day to you, as a matter of fact I am." She happily replied.
Reito Kanzaki is the captain of SS. Victoria, who just recruited Natsuki as one of his chosen sailors last year. The perfect gentleman; tall, handsome, polite, charming personality, and let's not forget his dashing smile, which have captured the heart of every woman. Well, every woman except Natsuki that is, for her heart is already taken by someone whose name has been unknown to her.
'Gah. I really want to beat myself when I remember that. I'm so stupid.'
"I'm so happy for you. We'll be there in less than an hour. I hope that you've already packed your things. Well then, I'll take my leave."
"Yes sir, thank you sir." She countered with a salute.
"Mah, there's no need to be too formal Natsuki-san, we are friends after all."
"As you wish Reito-san" Nastuki politely replied.
With that, Reito started to walk away but stopped halfway and turned to face Natsuki again.
"Oh, by the way Natsuki-san, would you like to have lunch with me and my wife tomorrow? I would like you to meet my wife, she's really an excellent cook, you'll love everything that she'll prepare."
"Of course, I would love that."
"Thank you. By the way Natsuki-san, here's a card with our address." he pulled a card out of his coat's breast pocket and handed it to Natsuki.
"Well, see you there. Good day." He said and then left.
'His wife, huh? Come to think of it, he always talks about his wife when we're hanging out, but i can't recall her name. Well, whatever, I'll find out tomorrow.'
She turned her attention back to the sea and started to think about fuuka. I wonder how's mom doing? It would be nice if Duran was still alive; and that girl, will I able to see her again? She was the whole reason why I decided to join the navy.
---Flashback: 15 years ago---
A cute ten year old girl with midnight blue hair was strolling in the park with her best pal, Duran.
"Duran!" Natsuki yelled when duran ran suddenly, leaving the little girl behind.
"Duran! Duran! Wait up!" Natuki shouted while running as fast as she could after duran.
Duran didn't listen and still kept on running forward until he had reached an old playground. Before him was a sleeping girl, who was unaware of his arrival. He sat patiently and waited for his master to arrive.
Couple of seconds later Natsuki arrived. Panting hard. Really hard.
" –huff- Mou! –huff- Duran! Why did you run and leave me behind?! Where are we anyway? Mom will scold us if we are too far from home, you know?" Natsuki realized that duran wasn't paying attention to her; his gaze was directed at a rundown slide. Natsuki followed his gaze, and was shock to see a sleeping girl there.
Whoa, she looks like an angel.
Before her was a girl with honey colored hair and white complexion, who looks just around Natsuki's age. She was sleeping peacefully on the slide; faint colors of orange from the setting sun illuminated her beautiful face, which added to her already beautiful features.
Natsuki slowly approached the sleeping figure and stared at the sleeping girl, admiring the beautiful scene before her. She started to stare at her, enjoying the lovely view.
'So Pretty…" she thought dreamily.
After an hour of staring, which for her was just a couple of minutes, she was startled to be greeted by a pair of ruby-like eyes.
'Whoa, that's the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen! I want to poke it!!!'
Natuski didn't realize that she was staring intently at the girl before her, so she was slightly shocked when the ethereal girl started to speak.
" Ara, it's rude to stare, but I'm happy to be stared at by a very cute girl!" the ruby-eyed girl teased.
Blink. Blink. "wha- stare?! I was not staring! And I'm not cute!" a blush now started to slowly make its way up to Natsuki's face.
"But you are, especially now that you're blushing" the girl giggled and started to poke Natsuki's face.
"HEY! Stop that! And I told you, I'm not cute. Well, anyway, what are you doing here, in this run down playground? Aren't you scared?" Natsuki stated trying to change the subject and also to fight off the blush.
"Iie, I consider this place as my sanctuary, it's the best place for me to go to when I need to think."
"Oh. What were you thinking about?"
"Ara, wasn't it obvious? I was thinking how cute you are!"
"I told you I'm not cute! Argh!"
"woof!"
Both girls snapped their head at the source of the sound.
"Ara, who is this cute little puppy?"
"He's not a puppy, he's a wolf cub, ok? Wolf! He's Duran." Natsuki proudly claimed.
"It's nice to meet you Duran. You're just as cute as your master here."
Natsuki just gave her a death glare, knowing her ranting won't be of any help to her anyway.
"So, what are you doing here?"
Natsuki noticed sadness washed over the other girl's face.
'Oh, crap! I think I should not have asked that. Baka! Baka! Apologize now, Natsu-'
"I was thinking about my father, he's a captain of a ship you see. He died last month." The beautiful girl stated sadly, cutting her internal ranting off. Natsuki felt the stranger's sadness and had the sudden urge to hug her.
'Why do I feel like I need to hug her? Bah! Never mind. She's clearly sad and my mom hugs me when I'm sad, so it's perfectly normal, right?' At that, Natsuki advanced forward to hug the girl. She felt a strange warm sensation spreading throughout her body.
'This feels nice… Hmm… and she smells good! I could stay like this forever!'
Her thoughts were broken when she heard the girl broke down.
'Woah, She must have been storing all that sad emotion in her heart. And here you are enjoying the hug when she needs comfort. How selfish can I get! Argh! Concentrate! '
'But I'm not good at this comfortinh thingy…' She sighed then pouted. 'Well, whatever, I can do this!'
"It's okay. C'mon. Everything's gonna be fine." The bluenette stated as she tightened her comforting embrace around the girl.
They were in that position for a while, when the honey-colored-haired girl broke the embrace. Natsuki, immediately missing the contact, pouted, looked at the girl and said "Are you alright now?"
"Yes. I'm fine. Ookini for your comforting hug." Stated the ruby-eyed girl smiling.
"Yo-Your welcome." Natsuki looked away trying to hide her blush. Inside, she was feeling warm because of the former's smile. 'What's this feeling?'
They stayed at the park for hours, talking, laughing. The red-eyed mentioned that she really adores her parents and their love for each other and someday, she said, that she would also like to marry a sailor, just like her mother have had and dreamt that she would also have a happy love just like what her parents had.
'She really adores her parents, huh? So sad that her father died'. Natsuki felt sympathetic towards the beautiful girl. Not realizing her feelings deepening the more she spent time with the other girl.
After a while, the girl suggested that they should go home, it's getting pretty dark after all.
"Goodbye. Take care on your way home. And ookini, again for comforting me cute one." She winked and started to walk away.
"Gah! I TOLD YOU I'M NOT CUTE!!! ARGH!!!" Natsuki was now blushing full force. As red as a lobster was her face. She stomped her way towards the opposite direction, Duran in tow.
She heard the girl giggled form afar. "Whatever you say, you're still cute!"
"Whatever." Natsuki mumbled, blush still visible on her face. She took one last glance at the retreating silhouette of her new friend, and then started to make her way home.
"Neh, duran, do you think being a sailor would suit me?"
"WOOf!" Duran agreed happily. As if knowing what her master was planning.
"I thought s too!" Natsuki said beaming. Her thoughts already set.
'I'll be a sailor when I grow up!'
She beamed and started to trot her way back home. They've finally reached their destination and they made their way inside.
"Mom!! I'm Ho-" She yelled, when suddenly a something occurred to her.
"Oh! Shit! Fucking shit! I forgot to ask her name!" She had stated so loud that her mother heard her.
Oh, shit, double shit!
"Natsuki!!! What did I tell you about cursing?! You know what happens when you curse right?"
"No mayo, bike, psp, psx, ps3, ps2, wii, gameboy, xbox, xbox 360 and computer for a month! And for saying 'Oh, shit, double shit.' you'll be required to wear this pretty elegant girly pink dress on your birthday. Wahaha!" The witch, ahem, I mean the mother evilly stated.
'The heck! Is she a freaking psychic?! And did she just say PINK?! I'm allergic to pink! Well anyways—'
"NOOO!!!"
----present---
Natsuki winced at the memory. God, a whole month without mayo, bike, psp, psx, ps3, ps2, wii, gameboy, xbox, xbox 360 and computer plus that stupid ugly dress was a torture, a hell! It was so stupid of me to curse out loud and much stupider of me for forgetting to ask her name. How dumber can you get, Kuga Natuski? She sighed while shaking her head.
She glanced at the card she have received from Reito then padded her way towards her cabin. Thinking of what she has read from the card.
Kanzaki Shizuru??? Must be his wife's card. Oh well.
Okay. Whew. That was hard. Haha.
I know that it's totally obvious who that girl with honey-colored hair, etc. is. Haha. I just did that for some stupid and obvious reasons. Haha XD
Please inform me of grammatical errors. XD
Thanks for your time. ^^V
-Gracie-