Series: Mai HiME
Rating: PG 13
Summary: episode 9 aftermath... seating arrangement issues
NOTE:
Sentai (not hentai) – think power rangers… the type of morning children show with joining robots and usually five members in a team with a common theme.
Douzo – please; kindly; by all means; help yourself or in this case, used like an implied "please sit"
Kaicho – president/manager. Mai refers to Shizuru as Kaicho-san throughout the series
Five seats. Four taken. Three more to fit in. Although math may not be her strongest subject, the calculation needed here was simple, and no matter how she weighed her options, they were all dreading and foreboding. Her best chance at survival was probably sitting in the middle with Mikoto on her lap.
"I'm sitting with Mai!" Mikoto announced, latching her arms tightly around the waist of her roommate. Mai smiled and patted the spiky tough of jet black hair. Out went that solution.
"So whose lap are you going to sit on, sexy?" teased Midori with a wink. The lap of a woman who was obsessed with sentai … no way.
"My lap is always welcome to lovely ladies," offered Reito gallantly. His smile was bright but there was just something in it that made Natsuki immediately reject that idea. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who felt that way.
"Anyone but you," intervened Shizuru, "As student council president, one of my core responsibilities is to protect the virtue of cute innocent girls."
"A little cold, Shizuru-san."
"I second that notion," quipped Youko-sensei.
Reito sighed, shrugging his shoulders in defeat.
"Guess I'm not as popular as I think I am."
"Pouting is unbecoming, Kanzaki-san," reprimanded the school nurse.
Their incessant rants didn't stop there as Mikoto's stomach sounded its desperate need for nourishment while Mai bided for a shower. Natsuki tried her best to avoid the wide variety of gazes that were all locked onto her, a squirming chill burning down her spine. She herself wanted all those things that were listed above and would gladly get into the car and out of the cold if it weren't for the pressure that was being weighed on her shoulders. The prospect of being embarrassed twice within the span of minutes was also most deterring.
"You people can cram in that car all you like. I'm walking," announced Natsuki, sick and tired of these lunatics deciding the fate of whose lap she was to sit on. To enhance her determination, she folded her arms across her chest and turned around for the first of many steps back to her motorcycle.
She immediately stopped though when a gentle slither of warmth encompassed her. The goosebumps on her arms immediately yielded to the cotton jacket laid around her shoulders, the carrying gust conveying a quick trace of violet and a scent that she was well acquainted with. Her skin pricked with relief as she turned around to meet those maple eyes that she knew were waiting.
"I'm not cold," mumbled Natsuki. She was lying but still made the move to return the pale blue jacket. Soft firm hands stopped her.
"I'm not wearing a bikini."
"But..."
"Protection from a certain predator," added the jacket's owner. Those deep crimson orbs slanted to the only gentleman of the group, who could only sigh wryly at the silent accusation.
"Kaicho-san certainly has more to worry about though," remarked Mai, offhandedly.
"Shut up!" burst Natsuki. Reflexively, she slipped her arms into the sleeves of the coat. The zipper's ends were hooked together then pulled right up until her throat. "To begin with, if it weren't for you and Mikoto messing up, I wouldn't be stuck here!"
"Hey! I was just trying to help!"
"Great help you were!"
Mai heaved with building anger and just when she was about to reveal an interesting though irrelevant fact (hint: night-time beach rendezvous), the student council president moved between them both. Both sides immediately ceased fire, and the moment her voice hit the air, they all stopped to listen.
"Now, now, don't fight. We're all just tired and in need of rest. Arguing won't get us that big warm bed and bowl of ramen… right Mikoto-chan?"
Those simple words moved through the air with fluid ease, dousing the hostility with soft humour and a common goal. Mikoto nodded eagerly at the suggestion and her insistence immediately distracted Mai.
Shizuru smiled in pleasant approval before instructing them to all wait in the car, which they obediently did. She then looked to Natsuki, quietly asking her for a few minutes alone, but from Natsuki's stern posture, Shizuru knew the younger girl was more than ready to brace the two hour walk.
Her friend never reacted well when she felt pressured or forced into something. She'd rather suffer than to submit; something that was both admirable and frustrating.
"Natsuki, I would really prefer you riding with us. It would be a lot safer."
"It's not that far, I..."
"It's too cold and your feet are going to blister in those scandals."
There was an added strength in her tone that was effectively curbing Natsuki's stubbornness. Shizuru waited for her friend to contemplate her options before moving in to break the last defense.
"I'm not forcing you to come but… please?"
Even though she had turned away, Natsuki can clearly see in her mind the exact way those crimson eyes were petitioning with wounded plea. She hated that look. It had this way of making her feel like a mean bully, tripping her with guilt. The worst part of it was how Shizuru saved it for when she was totally right and she herself was being plain stubborn. Knowing that she had lost, Natsuki gritted her teeth, knitted her brows and clenched her fists to prepare herself for the consequences.
"Fine! But YOU in MY lap!"
"As nice as that sounds, you know that's not going to work."
Height difference aside, the oddity and amount of discomfort was something she can't even begin to imagine. So, with a frustrated grunt, Natsuki stalked to the car, its side door hanging open with five pairs of curious eyes watching her every move. The student council president fluidly slipped past her and took the seat beside Mai. Then, with her left hand mildly gesturing to her lap, she gave Natsuki a smiling invitation.
"Douzo."
"Wipe that smile off your face or I'll do it for you."
"And how do you intend to do that?"
Natsuki quickly clamped her mouth shut and stepped in. Something told her it was much safer that way, especially with the task at hand.
The back of her cold thighs made the first contact, a heavy heat alighting her cheeks. The fact that they were both in swimsuits did not help as she gingerly settled her entire weight, keeping her back straight and away from the girl behind her. Perhaps Shizuru had sensed her discomfort because a pair of arms circled her waist and pulled her into a firm hold. Natsuki jumped, her heartbeat skipping and racing a few pulses.
"Oi! Shizuru!"
"You'll thank me soon."
As soon as Shizuru finished her sentence, Natsuki was indeed thankful. A dull but solid thud can be heard as Youko's right heel punched into the gas petal. Inertia tossed her head back as she groped her surroundings for any sort of security. The first turn came into view and it was excruciating.
The school nurse twisted the wheel in one harsh move, causing her innards to swing with the motion. Her stomach felt like it was being crushed as the car's tail swung a full ninety degrees to follow the front-wheels in a sharp right. The entire backseat population was tossed around like a bottle lost at sea.
And just when she went for a breath of air, the second turn showed up and knocked it right out of her lungs. Her ears were even ringing as various screams erupted around her. It was pointless to keep her eyes open as she'd be only catching glimpses of the scenery around in dizzying sequence.
'I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'M GOING TO DIE!'
This mantra continued to play in her head until the driver calmly assured them that they were almost there. Natsuki's eyes shot open for confirmation but only to be greeted by the sight of them pulling into the circular driveway at 80 miles per hour without a trace of slowing down. A collective scream exploded as they sped diagonally towards the back of a parked Mercedes. And just when a crash looked inevitable, Youko jammed the brakes, pulled the hand brake then twisted the wheels in perfect synchronization. The speeding red sports car screeched into position, skidding over a meter into the narrow gap.
"Like a glove," nodded Youko with approval.
"Remind me why you are driving…" said Midori, her voice hoarse and dry.
"The car's mine and your license was revoked."
"Right…"
The Japanese history substitute wobbled her way out as she usually did, reveling in the joy of being alive. Just how the hell this woman ever got her license and kept it for the past five years was indeed a mystery.
And it wasn't just Midori who was contemplating this flaw of reality.
Natsuki swallowed hard, for once appreciating the beauty of static stillness. For someone who looked so rational and intelligent, she can't understand how it didn't translate into basic driving safety. Sure, she herself had her moments of speeding and recklessness but there was a huge difference between reckless and plain suicidal.
"You certainly are enjoying yourself," observed Midori. The corner of the proclaimed seventeen year old was tossed up in a tired grin.
At first, the accusation had seemed bizarre but suddenly, she understood. Here she was, her face buried in the nape of Shizuru's collar. Somehow over the course of the ride, she had shifted more to the right, her legs dangling off the side of council president's knees. And while the older girl's hands were still wrapped around her waist, hers were twined tightly together around Shizuru's neck. Her face burned a bright pink, head spinning from the third assault on her dignity within the last twenty four hours.
Quickly, Natsuki released her friend and scurried out the car. She knew it was best to just keep to her head down and avoid any sort of eye contact with anything that breathed.
The school's vice president was the next to exit. Aside from a slightly lob-sided smile, he seemed relatively fine. Even remembering his gentleman manners, he offered his hand to Mai, whose chest had suddenly worked up an extra load. Leaving the car proved difficult as Mikoto simply refused to let go of her roommate, latched tightly on like an infant koala to her mother.
Luckily, no further comments were made as everyone was more than eager to retire to their respective rooms. Shizuru took a break on the side, saying that her legs have fallen asleep. Conveniently, they started their journey inside once the others were far out of sight. Natsuki felt barely conscious as she trailed behind her friend through the seemingly endless halls of this mammoth resort. She was quite surprised at the lack of teasing though. And perhaps it was her imagination or the sunrise playing tricks, but she could have sworn that there was a vague pink highlighting the council president's cheeks. Natsuki was this close to just slapping herself but at least she had proven that it was possible for Fujino Shizuru to blush. That thought brought a quick quirk to her sullen mood.
"We're here," announced Shizuru, pulling out the key from her loaned out jacket. She was going to share a room with one of her underclassmen but the heated argument that broke out over sleeping arrangements eventually got her her own.
They both toddled in and it took every ounce of restraint to not just fall unconscious on the luxurious king size bed that was at the middle of the room. Those pure white sheets beckoned with sweet seduction, flaunting its expensive quality that cost a fortune. And unlike the other guest rooms, this one had one bed instead of two. Haruka's curt mumbling was the only explanation offered for this oddity. Something about precaution.
Two night stands, with a matching pair of lamps, posted at the two sides of the bed. A burgundy leather couch sat by the sliding doors that led out to the balcony. Shizuru moved to the oak table nearby the entrance where her suitcase was laid out, searching through its contents.
"Very nice pose, by the way," she remarked, offhandedly, "If I were the driver, I would have definitely given you a ride."
"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" sighed Natsuki. She knew that quiet period wasn't going to last long.
"Of course."
With a bright smile, Shizuru brought over a neatly folded white yukata. A pair of intimates was discreetly included.
"Don't worry, they're clean… unless you prefer sleeping lingerie free these days."
Wordlessly fuming, Natsuki grabbed the offered garments and stomped into the bathroom, slamming the door shut. She didn't even bother to acknowledge Shizuru's muffled comment about shampoo and body wash placements.
It was just plain irritating how she seemed to be the victim of every embarrassment as of late. Shizuru's little comments every now and then that brought back those memories were not helping. Grunting to herself, she decided to give Shizuru the silent treatment for now. It was juvenile but it was the only mildly effective way to combat her friend's little spurs of immature jokes, something she definitely did not need at the moment. She was tired and hungry, the latter which she shall deal with after sleep and if not for the sea salt that was beginning to dry and powder on her skin, she would had just forgone the shower all together.
As Natsuki removed the pale blue jacket though, a pang of guilt rode into her chest. She noted the minimal difference between Shizuru's one piece bathing suit and her own attire, not to mention the crushing ride. It was Shizuru who took the brunt of the impacts. The ride may have been a blur but she vaguely recalled how her friend had deliberately placed herself between her and the hard edges of the car, how her shoulder pillowed her head and body against the violent thrashes. No matter how hard she tried to keep her friend out of things, she still had a way of quietly protecting her when in need.
Natsuki immediately threw those thoughts away along with her bikini and moved into the shower. Her skin pricked with delight at the first blast of warm water.
By the time she was done, the lights were already out, curtains drawn tightly together to form the illusion of night. She softened her steps, assuming that her friend was already asleep, her back to her. After setting down the towels, Natsuki quietly slipped in under the covers on the unoccupied side.
"It's been quite a while since we've had a sleepover," Shizuru murmured into the silence. It wasn't often but there were times when they spent the night at each other's place, especially after a day of exhaustive shopping.
Natsuki remembered her silent treatment but decided to postpone it to the morning.
"I've been busy."
"Well, I do miss it. I feel like a school girl all over again."
"You're one right now," Natsuki replied wryly. It was hard to tell whether the student council president was a teenager or a sixty year old granny sometimes.
"It's easy to forget that now and then…"
Natsuki can feel her friend shifting on the other side and almost jumped when she felt a hand slide over her own.
"I'm glad you're safe."
There was a dead delay before Natsuki's voice tipped the silent air.
"Sorry I made you worry."
Shizuru smiled as the hand under her own hesitantly tightened around her. There were a million things she wanted to say but for now, she just wanted this moment to last forever, basking in silent peace.
"Oyasumi," whispered Shizuru.
"Oyasumi."
END
Quick Epilogue:
The next morning, Shizuru's fangirls (coughharemcough) arrived right on time at nine to invite their "onee-sama" to breakfast. But to their horror, it was a grumpy and disheveled Kuga Natsuki who answered the door. The single bed in the entire room was deftly noted. Rumours blasted its way at the speed of light throughout the entire day.
Midori whistling as Natsuki showed up with the council president was almost most unhelpful. It took every ounce of self restraint to not just strangle the sentai fan.
And in silent appreciation and apology, Natsuki made no protest when Shizuru took out a bottle of sun tan oil… which, of course, prompted another Midori wolf-whistle and jealous Shizuru-sama (coughharemcough) fans.
OMAKE:
"My lap is always welcome to lovely ladies," offered Reito gallantly.
With a quick backhand to Reito's midsection, Shizuru intervened the invitation.
"Nande ya ne!"
A collective silence reigned into the cool morning air…
"Yeah… that's right! I'm actually from Osaka! OOOOohohoho!"
"Noooooo!" they all screeched in unison, "We want Kyoto-ben!"
END :p
Excuse the lack of proof-read. another version will come out later.
This fic was also a request from Nagumo and burrowed a line from her prototype fic "So whose lap are you going to sit on sexy". The next one will probably be something more serious and contribute to Natsuki's trust towards Shizuru… probably. Still wavering about whether I want some angst or more fluff for now. Btw, ep 25 was… ok. The way N/S was resolved was great but some parts just didn't sit well with me. Anyways, I better shut up before I spoil things. And for the record, my fangirl-ness for Shizuru has not decreased one bit! Now let's see how the series ends… ah… it's been quite a while since I'm not desperate for the next ep. My money is on Mai bringing everybody back.
