Disclaimer: see part 1.

Stability

Part 5 – Emergence

By Random1377

Su woke feeling anxious, blinking the sleep from her eyes as the last remnants of her dream faded into the recesses of her mind – and considering how graphic her dreams had been, the recesses of her mind seemed to be fairly naughty. Wow, she thought as she sat up and rubbed her eyes, I don't think she would really DO that to me…

A faint blush stood out on her cheeks as she looked down at the bedspread.

Maybe if I asked her really nicely, she-

"Morning, sleepyhead."

Looking up, Su found Shinobu standing by the window and smiling at her over one shoulder. "H-hi," she stammered, trying not to stare at the girl whose bed she had shared the night before. "You look… good."

'Good,' on second thought, really didn't cut it. With the early morning light coming in the window, and the outfit the girl was wearing, Su decided that Shinobu looked damn good. Pushing the covers back, she slipped out of bed and walked over to where Shinobu stood, tentatively putting her hands on the other girl's hips and leaning against her back to be as close to her as possible.

"I love this shirt," she said honestly, closing her eyes and drinking in the physical closeness she was being allowed. "Isn't this the one that Kitsune bought you a couple years ago?"

"Mmm hmm," Shinobu hummed, resting her body casually against Su's chest. "I never liked the way it fit before, but I never threw it away because it cost too much. Now it fits like a glove."

A rather tight glove, Su mentally corrected. The shirt in question – a black, long-sleeved affair with a red cross directly in the center – had been purchased for a rather scrawny fifteen year old… and Shinobu was no longer fifteen or scrawny.

"It's a little… small," Su observed, running her hands appreciatively over Shinobu's sides. "Don't you think?"

"Is that bad?" Shinobu whispered. "I thought you'd like the way it looked on me."

Su swallowed. Is she… coming on to me?

In the past couple of weeks, Su had kissed Shinobu a total of five times. She considered them to be dating, but – in a remarkable show of maturity for her – had not presumed to guess what Shinobu thought, and had not worked up the courage to actually ask. After all, if she left it vague, she could keep taking the occasional kiss, whereas if she asked outright, and Shinobu said she did not see her that way, things would end with violent, irrevocable crash.

But if Shinobu was the one making the move…

"No," Su murmured, putting a finger under Shinibu's chin and turning her head to the side, "it's not bad at all."

Slowly, she leaned forward and kissed the dark-haired girl. Or at least, she almost did. Her mouth hovered an inch or so away from Shinobu's, her heart hammering in her chest as a sudden uncertainty filed her. What if she doesn't like this after all? she thought guiltily. I mean, she's never said no… but she's never encouraged this, so what if she's just being nice because we're friends? That would be so Shinobu…

"Hey," Shinobu whispered, speaking as calmly as if Su was standing five feet away, "I dreamed about you last night."

I dreamed about you too, Su thought, her blush returning as she slowly closed her eyes. But I don't think I can tell you the details.

"It was summer," Shinobu continued, her breath blowing warmly against Su's lips as she spoke. "It was just you and me down at the beach, but you kept telling me the water wasn't safe. I told you I wanted to swim, but you said if I did, I would get swept away and lost forever – and I knew you were right, and that you wanted to protect me, but the water looked so cool and green I couldn't keep my eyes off of it."

Swallowing, Su whispered, "So what happened?"

She trembled as she felt Shinobu turn around to face her fully.

"…I got in the water and let myself go."

"Mmmm…"

Su hummed softly as Shinobu took the initiative and gave her a slow, delicate kiss.

"But you tried," the dark-haired girl said warmly, breaking away and slipping her arms around Su's waist. "You tried so hard to save me. Even though it was a dream, you never let me go. Thanks."

"S-sure…"

Emboldened by Shinobu's encouraging display, Su put one hand on the small of her back and kissed her again, her dream coming back to her in vivid detail as Shinobu returned her embrace.

What's happening to me? Su thought, pulling back after several satisfying moments. I never used to think… about stuff like this. What's wrong with me?

Shinobu slipped out of her arms, turning towards her closet as she said, "I've gotta get breakfast started. Maybe you should lie down here for a while, you look kind of flushed."

Su touched her cheeks, finding them very hot. "Yeah," she said softly, "I think I will."

As Shinobu pulled a pair of jeans out of her closet, Su sat down on the bed. Without the dark-haired girl in her arms, thinking was easier, and she managed to push away the immoral thoughts that keep threatening to dominate her mind. Wow, she mused as Shinobu finished dressing, I don't… feel like myself when I'm near her. I want, she swallowed, closing her eyes as her ears tried to focus on the sound of Shinobu's zipper sliding up, the things I want… I don't even think Kitsune does that kind of stuff. When did I become such a pervert?

"Hey."

Su opened her eyes, finding Shinobu crouching in front of her with a soft smile. "What is it?"

Shinobu put her hands on Su's knees, leaning closer and staring into the dark-skinned girl's face as she said, "Can you do something for me?"

"Ok," Su replied immediately, "I mean, if I can get time, you know, with school."

It was a lame cover, and she knew it, but for some reason, it bothered her that she was getting so responsive to Shinobu's presence. It wasn't really bad, per se, but the longer she looked into Shinobu's eyes, the more she felt like she was drowning. And then there was the matter of her increasingly erotic dreams – all revolving around the girl crouching at her feet and looking so innocently up into her eyes.

"It's not hard," Shinobu assured her. "I just need you to make something for me."

Su leaned closer, curious in spite of her misgivings. Invention was still her first passion, and regardless of her feelings of unease regarding how close she was getting to Shinobu, the idea of creating – of working with her hands and bringing into existence something that had never existed before – had one hundred percent of Su's attention.

Su frowned as Shinobu described what she wanted. "Well, it shouldn't be hard," she said slowly, "but why would- mm…"

Shinobu leaned forward and kissed her, cutting off her question for several long moments, and when she broke away, Su had forgotten that she should care why Shinobu would need the type of device she had asked her to make.

( 0 0 0 )

Kitsune hummed a show tune as she came into the kitchen, nodding a hello to Shinobu as she pulled the refrigerator open and rooted around for a cold beer. Guess I could just go down to the café, she reasoned, but it's so much easier to raid the fridge here.

Pulling out a bottle of Boa, Kitsune shut the fridge and glanced over at Shinobu. "Hey," she said, "breakfast was really good today."

Shinobu, who was in the process of eating a peach, smiled and replied, "Thanks. I wasn't sure if everyone would like it because I made it milder than I usually do."

Kitsune twisted her bottle open and took the seat opposite Shinobu. "Normally, I wouldn't," she confided, "you know I like spicier stuff, but today it was really good without being overpowering. You're getting really good."

Taking a bite of her peach, Shinobu simply said, "Thanks, Kitsune."

For a few minutes, neither spoke.

She looks better, Kitsune thought as she took a sip of her beer. No, calmer. For the past few weeks, she's been either feverish or just downright weird, but it looks like she's gotten herself back together.

Shinobu, she noticed, was enjoying her peach very much, taking big bites and chewing for a long time before swallowing. There was a tiny piece of peach on the younger girl's cheek, and on anyone else, Kitsune would have pointed it out… but on Shinobu, it looked so cute that Kitsune said nothing.

She's grown up so much, the fox girl mused, she's matured, gotten less whiny – and look at how she fills out that shirt! Cute? Hell, our little girl's gotten hot!

Kitsune studied Shinobu for quite some time, forgetting her beer after a few sips and simply taking in every detail of how much the dark-haired girl had developed since they had first met. Shinobu, in turn, studied her back, setting her peach down when it was half finished and resting her chin on her palm as her Kitsune's eyes locked onto hers.

If you are screwing around, Kitsune thought suddenly, that is one lucky guy.

"What are you thinking about?"

Blinking, Kitsune realized that she had been staring fixedly into Shinobu's eyes for over two minutes. "Umm, nothing," she said quickly, "head's just empty – you know how I am, I'm shallow." She laughed and took a pull of her beer.

Man, she thought suddenly, I'm really… God, I need to stop drinking in the afternoons.

"I don't think you're shallow," Shinobu said earnestly. "You just like everyone to think that, so you don't have to worry about letting everyone down by taking on too much responsibility."

Kitsune gaped. "Wait a minute, what?"

"I'm taking psych this semester," Shinobu informed her. "I'm supposed to observe the people around me and record what I see." She smiled timidly. "How did I do?"

For a very long moment, Kitsune said nothing. I don't… think like that, she told herself uncomfortably. I mean, yeah, I guess I'm not REALLY shallow, but I…

She let the thought trail off as Shinobu stretched her arms up over her head, causing the tightness of her shirt to accentuate her still-maturing body.

I knew I should have bought that shirt for myself, she lamented sullenly, just looking at it, you can't help but think about sex…

Kitsune realized with a start that she was growing more and more antsy – a feeling she usually associated with moderate drinking, or an extended dry spell. The thing was, and she would never tell anyone at the Hinata Sou about it, she had a fairly active sex life. Not that she was sleeping around, or anything like that, but she felt that most of the residents (especially Naru) would frown on the fact that she had two steady lovers, and she reasoned that she got enough teasing for her drinking and gambling habits.

I need to give Ryouji a call, she thought suddenly. He's probably off today… and I doubt he'd say no if I asked to come over.

"Well," she said finally, "I can't really talk to you about it, Shinobu – I just remembered somewhere I'm supposed to be."

"Oh, ok," Shinobu said, sounding completely unsurprised as Kitsune rose to her feet. "Have fun."

Kitsune hesitated. Does she… know? She looked closely at the Shinobu as the girl picked her peach up and took another bite. No… no, she's just being polite – she's not psychic.

But in spite of this thought, she could not shake the notion that, while Shinobu might not know where she was going, she definitely had at least an idea of what she was going to do.

And it did not sit well with her.

Imagining things, she thought, leaving her beer behind as she made her way towards the front of the Sou, maybe I'm getting senile in my old age.

Back in the kitchen, Shinobu sat finishing her peach and staring thoughtfully at the neglected bottle of beer.

( 0 0 0 )

Keitaro returned from the grocery store and found the Hinata Sou almost preternaturally quiet. He had passed Kitsune, who looked very distracted, on the stairs, and based on the time, Naru was still at work, but Shinobu and Su should have been making some kind of noise – provided, of course, that Shinobu was over her fever.

"Hello," he called tentatively, slipping his shoes off and padding towards the kitchen. "Anyone here?"

Pushing the kitchen door open, he nearly dropped the grocery bags as he found Shinobu sitting at the kitchen table and staring into space with a dreamy half-smile. It was only when he called her name that she actually took notice of him, and when she did, Keitaro found that her eyes were once again clear and bright.

"Oh, hi Sempai," she said warmly, dropping what looked like a peach pit into the garbage as she rose to her feet. "Let me help you with that."

Before Keitaro could wave her off – which would have been difficult, with his hands full – Shinobu was taking one of the bags from him, her warm, slim fingers brushing the back of his hand several times in the process and giving him an odd, uncomfortable feeling, as if she had been doing it on purpose.

"Umm, breakfast was good this morning."

Shinobu smiled, hoisting the grocery bag she had liberated from him and setting it on the kitchen table. "Thanks," she said absently. "Kitsune liked it too."

"Ah."

Extracting the groceries and lining them up on the table, Shinobu continued, "It came out better than I thought it would, really." She paused for a moment. "I think I'll try a few other things, too."

Keitaro nodded as he helped unpack the bags. "You're feeling better, I guess, huh?"

"Mm hmm," Shinobu hummed, putting a bag of sugar in one of the cupboards. "Fit as a fiddle and all that stuff. How are you, though? You look kind of tired."

Chuckling, Keitaro scratched the back of his neck. "Just… need more sleep, I guess."

He was not about to tell the girl who he used to tutor in math that his wife had suddenly developed what seemed to be an unquenchable desire to be intimate at every available opportunity.

Only reason we're not doing it right now is because she's not here, he thought with a small frown. When did this all start, anyway? God, it's been about-

His thought was interrupted as Shinobu asked, "Do you want anything special for dinner?"

"Er, no, can't think of anything," Keitaro replied. "Just make whatever you want."

Shinobu stashed the last can of applesauce in the cupboard and brushed her hands together. "Whatever I want?" she said lightly. "Mmm… are you up for a surprise?"

Keitaro laughed, shaking his head as Shinobu dropped him a conspiratorial wink. "Yeah, sure," he chuckled, ruffling her hair playfully as she beamed at him. "Just keep it light, ok? Might have to do something er, strenuous, after dinner."

Offering him a salute, Shinobu replied, "I make no guarantees!"

Sharing another laugh, the two threw away the grocery bags and went their separate ways – Keitaro to work on the finances for the Hinata Sou, and Shinobu to sweep the halls on the second floor. As he closed the door to his room, Keitaro decided that he might just indulge in a little nap.

I do need the rest, he thought ruefully. Man, whoever thought I'd have to worry about keeping up like this? It's embarrassing!

Yawning, he flopped down onto the futon and threw an arm over his eyes, grinning as he recalled Shinobu's impish smile. It was nice, he mused as he drifted off to sleep, that everything was getting back to normal.

Continued…

Hawker-748 pre-read.