Chapter Four
--
"Don't say I never had your back," the amused redhead said with a smirk and a hand automatically reaching over to mess up Nina's hair.
Nina just nodded wordlessly at her cousin.
"I become dangerous around idiots."
"I know. I have the scar to prove it!"
At that moment Natsuki walked into the room and found her eyes narrowing at the scene before her.
"Oi. What're you people doing laughing together?," she asked.
"Bonding," the two replied casually.
At that point Natsuki's brain did a series of complex calculations.
'Idiot cousin plus favourite cousin bonding without weapons equals unusual. Might prove dangerous. Must protect self and Shizuru,' she thought in her head.
"I don't like it when this kind of unexpected thing happens," Natsuki said.
Taking it upon herself to keep the 'bonding' from morphing into smacking each other, Natsuki took a seat in between her cousins and proceeded to make herself comfortable.
"So Nao, any thoughts on how this day could have gotten any worse?," Nina asked as she made room.
Nao scratched her head.
"Hmm, well earlier on today Haruka told me she had a little sister."
Natsuki paled as Nina cringed uncomfortably.
"I knew I could count on you," the younger girl replied.
"Don't sweat it," Nao replied with a shrug. "Besides it seems you have more things to worry about."
"Ugh don't remind me. What was with all the pseudo-romance related drama today anyway? Sometimes I really wonder to myself why I even have to learn this stuff."
"Because you're a Kuga," Nao answered simply.
Natsuki nodded before adding in a statement of her own.
"You can laugh all you want and make trouble all you want and be trouble all you want but you can never, ever fail at love or fail those who love you."
"Those are the rules?," Nina asked.
"Those are our rules," Natsuki replied with a shrug. "And that's just the way it is I guess."
"So that's it huh."
"Well no. We also get to be really, really good looking with hot girlfriends," Nao proclaimed.
Natsuki agreed wholeheartedly.
"And on that note, I'd better go and see what Shizuru's up to," she said. "Leave her alone too long and she plans sneaky things..."
"Not gonna ask," Nina replied promptly.
"Wasn't gonna tell you guys anyway. You're under aged and Nao's an idiot."
"Whatever Natsuki, you're not the only one with a hot girlfriend anyway," the redhead said indignantly.
"She's not my girlfriend. We're married," Natsuki said as she made to walk away.
"Fine, FINE whatever you're not the only one with a hot wife," Nao retorted.
"Yes I am."
"Why do you always have to compete with me Natsuki?"
"What? I don't need to compete with you Nao. I'm just better."
Nina sighed.
"Natsuki, go please Shizuru. Don't tell me about it later."
"Nao, go please Tomoe. Definitely don't tell me about it later."
"Hmph. I'm only letting that pass because Nina gave me a damn good reason to walk way Natsuki!"
"Whatever."
"Jerk."
--
In a nearby room...
"Ughhh," Erstin said as she found herself collapsing into one of the beds. "Today... was not normal."
"Erstin you have no idea how badly I wish I could agree," Mikoto replied from under a pillow.
"Oh you guys will get used to it," Mai said as she walked in with a tray and cups of tea for the younger girls.
The blonde shut her eyes tightly before proceeding to roll around the bed.
"Do I have to get used to it? I don't really understand what I'm doing here," she said.
Mikoto nodded.
"You were drafted in," the younger Tokiha she confirmed. "Can't leave now. Getting used to it all is necessary."
"Besides it's probably safer for everyone that way," Mai added. "With an extended family like ours, the weirdness potential is kind of immense."
"Extended... family?"
"Yup and apparently that now includes you Erstin. Feel free to express your joy by lying down and crying silently to yourself," Mikoto said.
"Mikoto..."
"I'm just joking... not really. God I just wish I could eat cake."
--
At that moment, the three Tokiha's were surprised to hear a light knocking on the bedroom door.
Mai and Erstin looked on curiously as Mikoto shot up from the bed and straight onto her feet, seemingly ready to bolt at any minute.
"Don't answer it if its Arika or Haruka!," she said quickly.
Erstin sweat dropped as Mai nodded with an understanding smile.
"Let me see who it is," the eldest girl volunteered as she opened the door slightly.
Mai's surprised 'oh' perked the younger Tokiha's interest nicely as both sneaked closer to the door.
"Hi," the person standing outside said quietly as she rocked on her heels. "Can I borrow Erstin for a minute?"
"Somehow I get the feeling she wouldn't mind," Mai replied in a tone that made the girl before her have to fight a blush coming to her cheeks.
Taking Erstin's hand and pushing the other girl out the door, Mai closed it and sighed happily.
"Young romance is so cute," she said.
Her sister however wasn't so easily calmed.
"Mai! Who was that? Who did you just feed Erstin to?!"
"Don't worry Mikoto I'm sure she'll be safe enough," Mai replied with a smile.
--
"Umm hey," the blonde in question said as she walked slowly behind a certain Kuga.
"Hi, sorry I had to take you out onto the balcony just to talk to you."
"It's ok," Erstin replied shyly.
"I didn't really want Arika to show up and like explode with weirdness or something ridiculous like that."
"Really it's ok..."
The other girl nodded.
"Anyway I just wanted to kind of apologise for today, that would have been pretty scary," she said. "But I'm not always you know... insane... I mean violent and stuff. Uh... I'm really kind of normal if you get to know me."
"I know. I mean, I guessed... it's ok," Erstin said while gently chewing on her bottom lip nervously.
"Are you... umm, not comfortable... around me?"
The blonde suddenly found herself feeling horribly self-conscious at the question and found herself fidgeting more than usual.
"No it's not that... I am. I mean... I do... I feel... comfort. Uh..."
"Oh ok. It's just that you never really look me in the eye and you're kind of doing that cute shy thing right now."
"The what shy... thing?"
"Uh... umm."
"Wooo hooo what's this, what's this?," an unwelcome voice interrupted.
"Oh my God, what're you doing here?"
"I do believe that's my question to ask Nina."
"Don't do that unnecessary winking thing Nao," Nina warned. "I'm not in the mood."
"Yes well it's quite obvious what you're in the mood for cousin of mine," Nao replied smugly as she watched the two younger girls blush as expected.
"Nao, go away. Quickly."
"Alright alright, who am I to get in the way of young love? "Don't hold her hand too much. I had no idea you two had already reached that stage you dog you!," Nao finished with a wink.
Nina's mouth opened and closed as she found a certain truth in the redhead's words as her eyes followed through the length of her arm.
"I-idiot! I'm only trying to keep her safe from any more Arika abductions."
"Oooh I didn't even have to tell you who 'her' was right? How perceptive of you."
"Shut up! I'm telling the truth here."
"Uh huh. And I'm normal," Nao countered.
"Nao insult yourself elsewhere! Go bother Natsuki! I heard weird things coming from their room earlier."
"Psh yeah right. How suicidal do you I look to you?"
"What are you doing here anyway Nao? Aren't you supposed to be with Tomoe? Go be with Tomoe!"
"I don't need time Nina. I have skill. Consider Tomoe pleased."
"Ugh, you are such a guy."
"Aren't you happy one of your cousins acts like one?"
"Don't insult me when I'm not even in the room!," Tate called from somewhere.
"One cousin uncomfortable, one insulted, my job here is done," Nao said as she walked away wearing her trademark smirk. 'Now to work on my favourite,' she added in her head as she flipped open her cell phone.
"Chie here," replied the voice on the other end of the line.
"It's Nao," the redhead said into her phone. "Feel like filming for your Kuga-Fujino folder?"
"Always," Chie replied grinning.
--
In a nearby room...
What's wrong Natsuki?, Shizuru asked with slightly swollen lips.
"Ugh nothing, I just felt this weird chill run down my spine," Natsuki replied as she ran a hand through her already dishevelled hair.
"Relax my Natsuki puppy, I'll make it better," her wife purred into her ear.
Natsuki found herself blushing at Shizuru's dangerously sexy tone.
"Sh-shizuru!"
The girl in question smiled lovingly at Natsuki as she pulled the girl close to her once again.
"I missed you today," Natsuki admitted softly as she threaded her fingers through Shizuru's hair.
"Oh you did, did you?" Shizuru murmured against Natsuki's neck.
"You always make me do that thing when I... ahh.. Shizuru! Don't nip me!"
"Why not? I want to play the puppy just like Natsuki! I lick!"
"Goshh Shizuuruuuu!"
--
The following morning...
"This scene is a little too familiar for my liking," Natsuki proclaimed as she walked out into their lounge with Shizuru in tow.
"Natsuki," Nao whined with tears in her eyes. "It's a Haruka day."
Yukino smiled at the girl apologetically while Tomoe wrapped an arm around her girlfriend.
"Right, now that we've sent the younger ones to school, is everyone else here?," the blonde general asked as she ushered Natsuki and Shizuru into their seats.
"Yes we are but only 'cos you wouldn't let me leave!," said Nao with another uncharacteristic pout.
"Quiet Nao! And listen up all of you! As you probably already know because you were there and because I sent you all e-mails about it afterwards, there was that ridiculously violent happening at the diner yesterday. We have all gathered here to farewell..."
"Oh my God somebody died?"
"No! Quiet I said I haven't finished my rant. I mean, conversation. I mean talk. Convertalkrant. Anyway, I have a plan."
Natsuki stood up suddenly and pointed to the door.
"Get out," she said to the blonde.
--
The room sweat dropped as Mai, Chie and Aoi visually checked their friend for firearms.
Many years of friendship had taught the three about life's truly important lessons. Namely when to run, when to hide and when to call one's family to tell them you love them very much and you needed to tell them this 'just in case something happened.'
Fortunately for the three friends, Natsuki's short fuse could be easily deactivated by a particularly talented technician.
"Natsuki...," Shizuru said quietly after taking a sip of her first cup of tea for the morning.
Natsuki sighed inwardly.
"But Shizuru! It's Haruka! She's planning! She's planning weird things!"
"We don't know it's weird yet," her wife replied calmly.
"It's Haruka," Natsuki replied in an insistent tone.
"It could just be overly ridiculous as opposed to weird," a young man offered.
"Get out Tate," his sister said.
"Geez you're moody today, hasn't Shizuru fed you yet?," Nao asked unnecessarily.
Haruka sighed before going over and smacking Chie in order to get the girl's attention and her lips of Aoi's.
"Oi canoodling reporters. This meeting derailed. I'm putting the emergency plan in motion, stations people!"
"Yes sir, general ma'am!," Chie said with a salute. "Let's go Chidori."
--
"Haruka, have you completely lost your mind?," Natsuki asked in an exasperated fashion.
"Yeah right like I have to answer that," the blonde general replied in a huff.
"Haruka, when did you even gain control over Chie and Aoi?," Mai wondered out loud.
"They owe me. I gave them the gift of love and se... sweet things."
A minute later the two aspiring reporters in question returned dressed in spy gear complete with their dark sunglasses and proceeded to 'sneak' their way to the Shizuru Natsuki and Nao Tomoe couples.
Haruka had decided these particular couples would pose the most problems for the morning.
Handing over paper envelopes to Natsuki and Nao respectively Chie and Aoi then proceeded to 'sneak' back to their previous seats.
Upon opening the envelope Nao let out a snicker.
"Well well Natsuki. Looks like Shizuru did feed you after all. Alllll niiiiight loooong."
Luckily for all the entire population of the room, Natsuki somehow failed to catch Nao's suicidal statement as she was at that moment paralyzed with shock.
"Hey what the hell is this?!," she demanded to know as she looked upon the contents of the envelope handed to her. "I don't want to see this! There was really no need for me to see this!!"
Haruka gave out another exasperated sigh before snatching the envelopes away and switching the contents between couples.
"Damn reporters, I knew I'd have to retrain you."
"Hey you took photos of us through the night too?," Nao asked as she looked through her new pile.
Tomoe beside her blushed.
"What the Haruka?! This is ME!," Natsuki said as she fought the urge to kill and faint at the same time.
"Ara," Shizuru said with a giggle next to her. "My Natsuki photographs very well."
"Shizuru!"
Haruka smirked and let out a victorious laugh.
"Right well, if you get the point my overly amorous couples," she began. "We have copies of those photographs and...
"Oh my God can I say the line?," Chie asked.
"Geez," the blonde general said before giving a quick nod.
"... ahem... And we will not be afraid to use them!"
--
Moments later, the blonde had gained all of the couple's attention with minimal roaring on her part.
Natsuki on the other hand was prone to letting out annoyed growls at her new found situation.
"Fine Haruka," she said with a well placed dirty look at the blonde.
"You won over our good behaviour with sneaky means," Nao added. "You jerk."
"Very well then. Let us begin."
"Aww man," Nao said as she hung her head. "She's turned on her selective hearing."
"Hey male Kuga, Yukino dear, the props please," the now happily oblivious blonde said.
"Hey my white board," Natsuki observed aloud as Yukino and Tate came over with the large object and several pens.
On the whiteboard Haruka had drawn out four columns with a list of names in each one.
"I object!," Natsuki said at once as she saw whose names were in the column along with hers.
"Hey! I'm sitting right here," Nao said.
Natsuki replied by directing an annoyed look at Nao and a pleading pout at Shizuru.
"I'm not on the same team as you!," she said to her wife.
Shizuru merely smiled at her before kissing her gently on the lips.
"I'm always on the same team as you Natsuki," she said sincerely.
"Aww..."
The girls all threw cushions at Tate as Mai gave them sheepish looks before Haruka regained control of everyone's attention by jumping up and down on the spot.
"No complaints! Kuga attached to the bubuzuke you're in charge of idiot and baby Kuga."
"Hey!"
"Fujino, you're in charge of Tomoe and the ant girl."
"Tokiha and effeminate boyfriend get the catlike pseudo normal girl."
"Got it!," Mai replied as Tate beside her sighed.
"Do I really have to be called that?," he asked in vain.
"And Yukino and I will take the cute blonde one," Haruka finished. "Go forth teams! Teach the younger generation how to not freak out members of the general public at will."
"Don't we do that already?," Nao asked ridiculously.
Natsuki face palmed while Chie and Aoi nodded.
"No way Nao!," Haruka said shooting the reporters annoyed looks.
Chie and Aoi shook their heads.
"Whatever you do just teach the young ones to not be so damn weird in public! It's important!," Haruka said.
"I agree."
"Natsuki you just agreed with Haruka," Nao replied. "You realise that don't you? You realise that the world is going to explode now and we're all gonna die right? Way to go Natsuki. Causing the death of the world."
"Shut up or I'll kill you Nao," Natsuki deadpanned.
"It's like every conversation we ever have includes a death threat," the redhead replied.
"I think it's the fact that Natsuki has the gift of speech," Tate said with a shrug.
"No it's because the idiot is in the room!," Haruka roared. "Anyway why is everyone still sitting around here?! I said go forth already!"
--