DISCLAIMER: Yes, in my dreams, I own MaiHiME. Sadly, that's not the case in real life…
Trapping a Secret
"Okay, let me get this straight…," I say, trying to recollect my thoughts. "We met at the casino's bar, and you ordered me a drink?" I pause, watching the blue-haired girl nod in response. "And then… we had a couple more… and more after that…"
"Correct."
"A-And then we… we danced…"
"Yeps, and apparently very slutty at that."
"Ara, Kami-sama…" I mutter into my palm, which is now covering my face. Last night's events are still dampened by a rather thick fog for me, and I'm unable to map out what occurred, though this girl… Natsuki, she seems to have a source of information. "Who told you all of that?"
"My friend did when I called her after getting dressed."
"Oh," I bluntly respond, coming to remember that the midnight-haired girl was in a bit of a discussion before finishing up in the suite's bathroom. Though I really regret answering like that because the loud silence following afterwards is piercing, let me tell you. It's as awkward as waking up the previous day solely as the candidate running for governor of Tokyo's daughter, and waking up the next day as some chick's wife. Ara, that sounds awfully familiar, no?
"Uh…" The other girl awkwardly laughs while scratching the back of her head. I do admit that she is pretty adorable. I guess I have to discard the thought of her spiking my drink – she doesn't seem like that type. Hell I was probably so drunk that I spiked my own drink. And don't judge, all types of bad drinking habits can creep up on you after being close friends with two regular drinkers. Damn them, Yohko and Midori! I simply don't understand how they can down so many shots while I can't even handle one.
I promised my dad at the start of his campaign that I would be on the best of my behavior so there wouldn't be that much dirt kicked up regarding anything about him. I said that without much thought because, I mean, really – how hard could that be? I was already a straight A student in high school, Student Council President, and now I'm at the top of my class at Tokyo U. Not much to hide right?
Oh wait. I forgot. 'Hey dad, I just wanted to tell you that while I was visiting Vegas, I went to a Casino, got super drunk, grinded on some other drunk girl, had sex with her, and somewhere in the midst of that we got married. Just thought I'd let you know.'
Ara, that's really keeping my promise with my dad. It can't get much cleaner than that…
My stomach turns just at the thought of telling my dad such a thing. And damn, do I feel stupid. In just one night I have jeopardized all of my dad's hard work and money for his campaign trail. And now I've become a roadblock. Or would it called a trail-block in this case? Ehh, you get the point.
"Er, are you okay?"
"Ara, does it make sense to be feeling 'okay' in this situation?"
"Hmmm," the girl says while flipping open her ringing cellphone. "You've got a point, it doesn't. Let me take this real quick," the girl presses a green button on the keypad of her phone.
"Nao–"
'AHAHAHAHAHAHAA' I can hear her friend's voice coming loudly through the speakers.
'EVER SINCE YOU TOLD ME THIS MORNING I'VE BEEN IN TEARS! ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS? HAHAHA–'
"Nao…," the girl frowns before sympathetically smiling at me. Ara, I wonder if the look on my face right now gives her any hint of how un-funny this situation is.
'S-Sorry…,' the girl's friend says, even though she's obviously still chuckling. 'Only you, Kuga, wouldn't be able to make it one night in Vegas before getting screwed over. …And now that I think about it, I mean that figuratively and literally. Great job, kid.'
"Shut up!"
"Hey, Kuga-san," I speak up. I really don't think she understands how much of a problem this is.
"Nao, I've got to go… can you just please bring me another set of clothes," the blunette said before embarrassedly gazing my way. "I'm feeling kinda… dirty with these on. Well, thanks."
"Kuga-san!" I call out again, even though she's only like two feet from me. "Listen to me. We've got to end this," I say while gesturing to the both of us. "I've really screwed up… so can you please just help me out?"
"Y-Yeah…"
"We need to go to a court or something to get our relationship fixed. But please make sure that you and your friends don't say anything… we've got to make sure this stays in Vegas."
After I'm fully over my hangover, go to my room in the hotel to pick up my clothes, and wait for Natsuki's friend to give her a new set of clothes, the both of us step into my rental car, and I let the GPS system direct me to a nearby court. I can't possibly allow her to ride in the car my dad left for me – people would be asking too many questions. Apparently it'd be too dangerous for me to stay out here by myself if people know who I am and who my father is, so he sent his political personnel to guard me by driving me to and fro.
Such great bodyguards they are – I haven't even received a call from my father's 'personnel'.
"So,… Fujino-san," the girl in the passenger seat says out of nowhere.
"Yes?" I turn my head to face her briefly.
"What are you out here in Las Vegas for? Did you transfer here to go to college or something?"
At her words I am dumbfounded, so much in fact that I almost lose control of my Toyota and nearly rear-end the back of this Buick in front of me.
"D-Did I say something wrong?" The blunette says while bracing her back on the face of the leather seat.
"Ara… do you actually not know who I am?" I mean, I did tell her my full name while we were at MGM Grand. Shizuru Fujino. And that name, along with my father's, obviously, has been surfing the tongues of paparazzi since my dad first entered the running a while ago.
"What," the girl chuckles, "don't tell me you're some celebrity or something. I'm around those enough already."
"Hmm... I guess I am one, but at the same time I'm not. But I don't really think it's important for me to tell you anything since I'll be leaving Vegas soon" I cooed. I am scheduled to leave Vegas tomorrow morning and head back to Japan, and if this is not fixed, I honestly do not know how I'm going to contact the Japanese-American girl again.
Wait, unless…
"Kuga-san…," I begin to ask, suddenly feeling anxious to know more about the girl.
"Hmm?"
"You've asked me so I only think it's fair to ask you… what are you doing in Las Vegas? I assume you've lived in America for quite a while, but I don't necessarily take you for a Vegas girl. Because you would've probably known exactly what to do after waking up this morning, right?" I end with one of my fictitious laughs.
To my surprise, the other girl doesn't follow suit and return the laughter, like most people, but instead she peers into my eyes with her ivy irises, her face appearing confused due the slight rise of her eyebrows.
I should really pay more attention to the road and not to her face...
"What makes you think that?" The girl questions, the slightly irritated tone becoming more apparent behind her words.
"Um,-"
"Forget it. All I'm saying is that my home is in Japan. And I'm not giving you a straight answer until you do the same."
"Fine," I say uncaringly. Though Natsuki doesn't realize it, I got the answer I wanted from her without asking her straightforward. So she lives in Japan, huh? "Do you know about the race for governor of Tokyo?" I continue.
"…Umm…," the girl nervously chuckles and scratches her head.
... Cute.
"I guess politics isn't my forte," the girl admits.
"Who was the last governor you know of?"
"Uhhh… Seiichiro Yasui?"
"A-Ara…"
"What?"
"Kuga-san, Seiichiro-sama's last term ended… in 1959…"
I turn my head so my eyes were no longer gazing out the windshield, but locking in with emeralds instead. For a second, Natsuki seems highly confused, and then her gaze widens when she realizes how far off she is.
"Damn."
At that, I begin to laugh whole-heartily, which is definitely odd to me. It's been so long since I've heard the sound of my own voice flow naturally from my throat rather than forcing it. So far on my dad's campaign trail, I've only met fake, stuck up people, where fake laughter was 'natural'. I close my eyes to solely focus on my own laughter, even though I know my gaze has been off the road for a while. But I'm enjoying this brief feeling more so than worrying about anything else right now. When I return my gaze to my passenger, I find her peering out the front window smiling as well.
If I wasn't in this predicament with her, I can see us being friends.
Too bad that's not the case. I think becoming close with her may be a mistake. And I've already made a rather crucial one.
"Okay, Kuga-san, here's your answ–"
'You have reached your destination'
I stare bewildered at the navigation screen before remembering I'm the one that turned it on. I finish my route by turning into the parking lot of the court house.
Once I park, Natsuki and I wordlessly step out of my car and enter the court.
"Hello, ma'am," I begin in fluent English while walking towards a woman sitting behind a desk. "I am here for–"
"A divorce, I know." The tired looking woman says.
"Ara, how'd you–"
"This is Las Vegas." Damn, if this woman interrupts me one more–
"Follow me so you and your… husband can handle this in a private manner."
I'm shocked by her statement. First of all, she managed to interrupt my thoughts, for goodness sake. And, ara, did she just refer to Natsuki as my… husband?
Natsuki and I are still planted where we are while the woman enters the room without waiting for us.
"W-Why am I the husband?" Natsuki pouts. I was about to respond by saying 'I don't know', until I looked over the girl's clothes. I didn't realize until now what she had changed into.
"Oh."
"'Oh' what?" Natsuki said with… a blush? …A-Anyways, I scan over her attire, which happens to be one of those dress shirt and bowtie tees. Over that she's wearing a black, form fitting blazer with the top and bottom buttons of the three on the jacket unbuttoned. The sleeves are rolled up to her elbows. Her cargo pants hang loosely around her slim waist, held up by a black belt with a 'DC' buckle. To complete the outfit, she's wearing grey Chucks. I slowly look back up to her face, accidentally appearing as if I was inspecting more than just her clothes, and can see a deeper blush on her face. Crap, didn't mean to do that.
"U-Uh, Fujino-san… what are you..?" I ignore answering her though and return my attention back to what I'm really here for. Hopefully she didn't notice my own embarrassment.
"H-Hey, wait up!"
Natsuki stumbles into the room after me, and we both sit across the wooden table from the annoyed looking court clerk. I wonder for a second why she looks so distressed and is taking it out on us until I remember that America's economy is doing kinda rough. I almost feel bad for her, until I am reminded of her rudeness.
"Here's the Letter of Complaint. Fill it out." The woman throws a paper across the table in our direction. I pick up the sheet and read it over. It looks like this'll obviously take some time to complete. More time than I have.
"Which one of you is the petitioner?" The woman looks us both over before setting her gaze on me again. "I'm guessing you are. You look like the snappy type."
"Excuse me?" Okay. Forget the struggling economy crap. There's no need to be a bitch.
"See?" The woman says before rolling her eyes and continuing on with her directions. Natsuki nudged my shoulder and mouth 'what an ass' in Japanese, causing me to smirk and nod in agreement. "And you, the respondent will look over the paper next. ... I wonder when Officer Charlie is going to get back from the fucking donut shop so he can serve the petition…" the woman says, mumbling the last sentence to herself.
The pen in the pencil holder next to me remains there while I look over the paper. This document looks like it'll take a millennium to complete.
"Is there… a faster way to do this?"
"Does this look like a fast-food joint to you?"
"Hey, you don't need to be rude," Natsuki spoke up in English, honestly surprising me that she took my defense.
"Is there a process where our divorce can be recognized by tomorrow at least?" At my question, the woman's eyes widen while the corners of her mouth begin to perk upwards. She looks constipated.
In an instant she reels over in her chair with laughter, leaving me feeling not only disrespected and annoyed, but confused. What is she laughing at?
"May I have in on the joke here?"
"Yeah, if you want to have in on yourself." … A-Ara, this woman is really testing me…
"Once again, what?"
"Listen here, honey, it will take at least four months for your divorce to be legally recognized. What I'm saying is that there is no way for you to get a divorce by today."
What.
"What do you mean I can't get one?! Are you kidding me?" I retort in Japanese. I can feel a mixture of emotions swirl through my body. I can sense hints of anger, anxiousness, uncertainty, but most of all, fear.
I have no idea how I can keep my Las Vegas marriage out of the hands of the paparazzi for four. Fucking. Months. Actually, there's no way I can do that... they'll find out eventually. Either them, or my father's competition's aids.
"Fujino-san, calm down."
"Dammit, Natsuki. I can't 'calm down'. This situation… it's… it's…." my voice begins to crack when I think of my father. How hard he worked for this. How he supported the both of us to his best ability when my good-for-nothing mother left us that night.
He doesn't deserve the consequences of what may happen if this one-night fling and marriage is revealed.
I stand up from my chair and swivel on my heel to head towards the door. Behind me I can hear Natsuki say, "keep your damn papers." If it weren't for my sobs, I'd be smirking right now, but I continue to trek to my car, hiding my face.
I hate crying.
It makes me feel so weak.
I unlock the door and sit in the driver's seat, though I do not start the car. I sit there for a few seconds in silence thinking to myself, resting my head on the leather headrest and wiping the tears from my face. My heart jumps when I hear the car door on my side open, and my mind instantly asks how my karma got so fucked up. Then I remember that it's Natsuki.
"Hey," she says softly. "Let me drive… I don't think you can." I don't protest, because my mood is so low and I just feel like being alone in my own thoughts for now. Does this mean I need to keep Natsuki close by for four months until we can end our marriage? Fuck.
After I give her the keys and we switch seats, Natsuki starts driving, turns the radio up and begins humming whatever American song this is. I think I know it too… "Sexy and I Know It", perhaps. I hear Natsuki sing the chorus. Yep, I was right.
While listening to Natsuki's humming and finger tapping on the steering wheel, I can't help but think of what this marriage means to her. She's obviously against the marriage as well, though I don't see any other apparent concern on her face. A part of me is glad that she didn't ask why I'm so distraught, though I know I'll have to tell her eventually since we are... married. I begin to wonder where she works and why she's in Vegas, but my thoughts are interrupted when I hear the girl's "Monster" ringtone sound, followed by her husky voice.
"Yeah, Nao, I'm coming back now... Yep. Y – no… it'll take up to four months. …Yeah. I know it sucks. I don't know what I'm going to do. …Wait, what did you guys order from room service? … MIKOTO DID WHAT? Who fucking gave her the mayonnaise dip for the chicken wings? …Of course Mai did, of course. She's gonna be buying me a drink when I get there. Actually…" I can see Natsuki look in my direction on the window's reflection, "I don't think I want another drink for a while. …Who am I married to? Ah, well… I can't exactly tell you… I wanna keep this on the D.L, you know? Yeah… well, order some more wings and mayo for me. I'll be there in like… fifteen to twenty minutes. 'Kay, bye." She flips the phone shut and continues to hum and tap.
Natsuki isn't a bad girl at all actually. It's too bad we have these rings on our fingers.
Rings...
A cold chill runs down my spine when I think of how we were intimate just the previous night. I'm glad I can't remember how it was, or else I'd probably have a harder time speaking to her.
"You, uh, okay? N-Not that I care though," Natsuki says over the song playing on the radio. I smirk slightly at her last statement and turn my head away from the window to give her a faint smile and a nod.
"Maybe just a little."
"Good, cuz I'd feel like a bad person if I just left you at the hotel feeling like a wreck."
"Ara, would you?" I yawn. Post hangover still sucks as much as the initial hangover does. Don't let anyone fool you. Well, just subtract throwing up, decrease your migraine to a headache and add being tired as hell and you'd basically have the same thing.
"Yeah. I'm a pretty decent gal, Fujino, despite the situation we're in."
And there it is again, that chill from picturing what Natsuki and I may have done last night. Kami-sama…
We arrive at the MGM Grand and I specially tell Natsuki to park in an isolated section of the parking garage since I don't want any paparazzi to jump out from their hiding place and have a field day. Today has been stressful enough.
"I'm leaving tomorrow…" I begin, not knowing exactly where to finish. But it sounds weird just hanging there as the last thing said between us, so I'm glad when Natsuki finally answers and ceases the awkwardness.
"I'll be leaving sometime this week. I'm a photographer, so I'll be taking photos and such before leaving… eh, I suppose you don't care. Anyways, what are we going to do when I get back to Japan?"
"Honestly, I don't know. We have to keep track of each other but we can't be too close, you know?"
"Yeah... Give me your number."
"Ara, so Kuga'sis the demanding type?" I said playfully, immediately changing our serious conversation into a joke.
"Maybe I am for right now. Here," she hands me her phone, and I proceed to put in my cell number and a nickname, since I don't think it'd get any more suspicious than having 'Call/Text From: Shizuru Fujino' pop up on the screen.
Oh yes. That's definitely on the 'D.L'.
In return for her phone, she takes out a business card and slips it into my hand. "I've always got those handy," she says. I simply nod in response and take a look at the card. So she's the personal photographer for a band and... works for a modeling company? Interesting...
"If you call, make sure it's at night. I'm busy during the day," I begin walking to the elevator on the far right side of the parking garage before Natsuki says, "Call me anytime! I'll be prepared for any news you've got to share."
For some reason, I'm dreading whenever that call may be... because it probably won't be good news I have to share.
When I awake the next morning, I am happy to find my mind is clear and my head is normal. I get ready, pack my bags and leave, returning the room card on the way out. When I reach the airport in my disguise (which is basically a hoodie and some shades – paparazzi is everywhere nowadays!), I finally see my so called 'bodyguards'.
"Where were you guys this whole time?"
"Well, there's this really amazing donut shop here, and when we got there, a lot if cops were munching on their donuts and sipping their coffees. There was this guy named Charlie there, he and his friends were really nice."
"And naturally, we fit in," another body guard began. "So we talked about the easiest ways to take down people."
I began to tune out the two men as I noticed a familiar figure walking towards me.
This is not good…
"Oh, Shizuru! It's such a surprise to see you here!" She walks even closer and invades my personal space. She gives my bodyguards one of her psychotic stares, forcing them to walk away. What great bodyguards, once again.
"Yeah, it really is, Tomoe," I utter in the most sarcastic manner I could muster at the moment. This girl is such a freak. I don't know what's wrong with her, or why she's even here for the most part.
Oh wait, it's because I'm here.
Last year she had asked me out, and even before that she was following me around everywhere. Every love interest I had would stop talking to me because of her.
"Don't be like that, Shiz, this is all just a coincidence," Tomoe says before placing her hand on my shoulder and groping it. I flinched at the contact and smack her hand.
"Ooooh, what's that?" Before I can back away, she takes a step towards me and grabs my hand. Oh shit.
She grabs the hand with the ring on it.
"U-Uh, it's none of y-your business!" No, no, no, no, no. This is not good.
"I think it is. We're friends, aren't we?"
"Hell no."
"Awww, why are you being so mean?" The weirdo asks and pouts. It's not cute at all.
"Why are you being a stalker?"
The girl ignores my comment and proceeds to be annoying. "So, Shizuru, do you remember that my 20th birthday party is next weekend?"
"No."
"W-Well that doesn't matter! Because the last time I saw your father, I asked him if you could come. He said he'd be delighted that you could come and that he'll even drive you there."
What the hell. Of course she asked him… my father is too nice of a man to say 'no'.
"Certainly you'll bring your… fiancé right?"…Wow. She can't tell the difference between an engagement ring and a wedding ring? And I don't think she ever will because she'll never receive either of those. Even so, it's better for her to think we're engaged rather than married. I can imagine her thinking of plots to kill my said fiancé right this minute. She pulls out her phone and begins pressing her thumbs on the touch screen.
"Ara, no way–"
"But I think you will, Shizuru. Take a look at my status on Facebook." She hands over her iPhone and I take a look at the screen. 'Shizuru's coming to my partay! And guess what, she's bringing her smexy fiancé with her! Kyaaa~! x3'
Are you serious?
She just posted this crap like ten seconds ago and it already has twenty-five likes?
…People really need to get a life off the internet.
I'm about to delete the post until the demented girl snatches her phone and begins to skip away in the other direction. What a freak.
"I'm looking forward to seeing you at my party!" She turns her head in my direction and shouts. "And I'm looking even more forward to seeing him…"
When the girl is finally out of my vision, I feel my limbs weaken.
I know Natsuki said that she'd be prepared for any news, but I don't think she's quite prepared for this.
I take out my cellphone and call her number that was on the business card. It rings about four times before I hear her husky voice.
"Hello?" I don't think she recognizes who it is because I put my number under the name 'Kiyohime'.
"Hey, it's Shizuru."
"Oh, what'sup?"
I gulp.
"A-Ara… can you do me a favor..?"
A/N: Wow, I really enjoyed writing from Shizuru's POV! Maybe it's because we're both daddy's girls..?
And in the reviews (thanks to all that reviewed, btw) people are saying this story is like another one on fanfiction and/or is based off a movie. For starters, I have never read or even seen another story on fanfiction about ShizNat in Vegas. So if any of you thought I was trying to copy, I really wasn't, I had no clue. And I haven't seen that movie you're talking about either, so it's not related to either of those at all. And if my story is following the same plot line, please let me know, because I don't want to be accused of copying. I originally thought of this story when I thought of the famous saying, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". So, yeah…
Songs mentioned this chapter: "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO
"Monster" by Paramore
I've decided to write the odd chapters in Natsuki's POV, and the even chapters in Shizuru's POV. Hopefully this helps those of you who are confused about whose POV the chapter is written in.
R&R pretty please? And maybe the next update will be soon.
Thanks for reading, and have a nice day ^_^
– Ocha-chan