I do not own these characters; Disney does.
4: Back to Reality
Yori loathed leaving Hawaii. The places where she learned and felt her emotions for Shego deepen beyond comprehension. She needed to go back to Japan, even if the idea sent a ball of dread directly to her guts. It was a new sensation for her and she was not sure how she would handle it if she was on her own. She was happy Shego was by her side. She did not know what she did to have someone like Shego in her life, but she was grateful for the older woman every single day. She glanced over at the object of her thoughts, who was seated right next to her on their flight to Japan.
Shego was sound asleep, pillow tucked under her head, which was against the side of the chair. Her face was relaxed and a small smile was on her lips. She had worn herself out in Hawaii, but she loved every second of it. She could not figure out what it was about Yori, but the ninja had done something to her. Shego did not want to totally acknowledge what that something was. Magic of some kind or something like it. She tried her best not to think about it, but she had not managed it very well while they were in Hawaii.
The green-skinned thief kept thinking about that something in Hawaii because she did so many things Yori wanted to do. It was not her typical vacation. In fact, the whole vacation was about Yori. Shego did not mind it at all. She had fun, actually, and she knew it was because Yori was there. Yori's presence was always enough for her.
What started out as her trying to help the ninja get over the messed up programming put into her by her school had developed into something Shego did not want to name. Instead, she let it linger and float around the back of her mind. It was like the purple elephant in the living room and she damn sure was not planning to say anything about it. Sometimes, it felt like a bomb and she was waiting for it to explode, leaving a mess and a corpse behind.
Yori could understand the feeling. Right now, it felt like she had a bomb in her hands and it would blow the second they reached Japan. Her stomach twisted as dread took hold and claws at her nerves. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down, but found it difficult.
Yori took Shego's hand in hers and immediately felt a tranquility descend upon her. She decided to spend her idle time playing with Shego's fingers. She thought about those warm fingers and blushed as she recalled what those long digits could do to her. Somehow, those deadly digits could bring the greatest of pleasure as well. She shuddered as memories rushed through her and had to take a deep breath to calm down.
She traced one of Shego's fingers, memorizing the lines to occupy her mind. She thought on how Shego's hands were softer than her own. Probably because Shego wears gloves whenever she fights. Actually, whenever she trains. Yori looked at her own hands and rubbed her thumb against her rough palm. She might start wearing gloves, too. She wanted her hands to be soft when she touched Shego.
The thought sent a jolt down her spine. One day, she would touch Shego as Shego had touched her through their time in Hawaii. She wanted to do those things. She wanted to have Shego wiggle and writhe beneath her. She wanted to hear Shego's sounds and swallow her moans. She wanted so much with Shego. She wanted everything with Shego.
She tried to do something, but hesitated too often. Shego let it go and took care of her. It was not that she was not ready. She was nervous. She was not sure she would be able to return all of the pleasure Shego had given her, but one day she would work up the courage to try. One day, her fingers would be as knowledgable about Shego, just as Shego's fingers knew her so intimately.
After a while, the older woman woke up and noticed Yori playing with her fingers. Shego smiled without realizing it and took a moment to revel in Yori's interest in her fingers. She could not help feeling a bit perverse for enjoying the attention, but that did not stop her. She leaned over to place a kiss to Yori's head. The ninja's face lit up when she realized Shego was awake.
"You must be bored," Shego said, trying to hold back a yawn. She failed. She glanced down at her hand, so the younger woman knew what she referred to. The ninja picked up on it immediately.
"Not really. I am quite fascinated with all parts that are you," Yori replied in a low voice of her own, continuing to play with Shego's fingers. She smiled a bit when the fingers curled around her own for a few seconds.
"Well, in case you do get bored, check in my bag for a surprise," Shego said. She shifted in her seat and emerald eyes drifted shut again.
"A surprise?" Yori echoed and her eyebrows pulled in closer to each other, but Shego did not respond.
The ninja looked at her lover and knew Shego was asleep again. Curiosity beat out the contentment that came from fiddling around with Shego's hand. She reached down, grabbed Shego's carryon bag, and opened it. She was not sure what bounty she sought, but she found it on top of everything. She pulled out a portable DVD player with had a post-it attached to it. The post-it read: Watch a couple of your anime DVDs on this and relax. Everything'll be fine. Ask me if you can't figure out how to work the DVD player.
Yori was able to figure out the portal DVD player since she had used a regular DVD player since on assignment with Drakken and Shego. She grinned when she saw what anime Shego packed for her. Watching her favorite movies kept her mind off of Yamanouchi and wondering just what Master Sensei wanted with her.
-8-8-8-8-
Yori and Shego stood at the foot of the mountain that housed Yori's ninja school. A cold wind blew and it sliced through Yori, carving into her in ways she would never be able to describe. She tried to mentally prep herself to break the rules. She had always been the model student, never doing anything wrong. Now, technically, she was not breaking the rules since she did not plan to bring Shego completely inside the school, but it was still wrong. If Master Sensei found out, surely he would be disappointed in her and punish her. Just thinking of his disappointment made Yori pause, even now.
Her stomach was in a knot again. What if Master Sensei punished her by forcing her to stay at the school? She would not get to see Shego again or even hang out with Drakken. The very idea made her want to throw up. Yori had never felt such nerves before, not even in life threatening situations. How did people make it through the day with such anxiety weighing them down?
"Cherry Blossom, don't worry. It'll be all right," Shego assured the younger woman, gently caressing her back. She could tell by the distant look in those onyx eyes that Yori was over-thinking the situation and allowed her programming to take over again.
"I have never done anything like this…" Yori took a deep breath, relaxing somewhat because of the sweet fingers rubbing her back. Shego thought she referred to bringing an outsider into the school, but found out differently. "I hope this meeting truly has nothing to do with taking me off of this assignment."
"I'm sure it's just to talk about your contract or something," Shego tried to reassure her. She was not totally sure what she would do if that was not the case, but she knew it would not be something good. After all, she already hated the school for brainwashing Yori. Heaven help them if they try to take Yori from her. She would burn everything.
"What if it is not?" Yori muttered under her breath. Her throat felt a little tight and she swallowed, but it did little for her. She did not know what she was going to do if the meeting was something serious.
"We should get moving, not like the school is going to come down to us," Shego remarked with a small smile, trying to lighten the mood. She did not think they should worry until there was a reason to do so.
Yori took a deep breath and nodded. Shego gave her hand a little squeeze, trying to help her through this. The ninja smiled at her. Shego leaned down, kissing the corner of Yori's mouth.
"Let's just see what it's about before anything, okay?" Shego said, trying to keep Yori calm. Yori gave her another nod.
They started up the mountain, taking a less used path. The ninja did this with the hope they would not be spotted. She knew the areas to avoid, or so she hoped, where someone might be training or slacking off or anything like that. She did not want to risk starting trouble if someone saw her bringing Shego up the mountain.
"This is definitely the road less traveled, huh, Cherry Blossom?" Shego snickered as they had to climb over a boulder blocking the narrow, crumbling pathway.
"I do not wish to get caught bringing an outsider in," Yori reminded her lover.
Shego shot Yori a grin. "I know. I know. I'm just teasing."
Yori wrinkled her nose. "You know I do not get teasing quite so well."
"Which is weird. I mean, you'd think being around me for a year, you'd have teasing and sarcasm down."
"Is this path agreeable with you?"
Shego held off on rolling her eyes. "Yes, it's fine. I know we're going this way because you don't want to get in trouble. It's fine."
Yori was surprised Shego agreed to this so easily. The ninja knew how disagreeable Shego could be after spending a year with the thief and Doctor Drakken. She also noted how lazy Shego could be if given the chance, so she was not sure if Shego actually minded the tough climb they had ahead of them, especially after the teasing. She had no doubt Shego could do it, but she just was not sure Shego wanted to.
"Are you sure this is all right?" Yori inquired.
"It's fine. Come on," Shego replied, doing a shooing motion with her hands.
Yori chuckled and did not argue. She was quite pleased the pale woman made things easy on her and agreed to the hike. Shego winked at her.
The pair marched up the mountain in silence. Shego wanted to complain, but she kept her comments to herself. I hate being the mature one sometimes. Most of the time, she enjoyed being the grown-up and taking care of Yori. It was a lot more fun than being the grown-up and pointing out what an idiot Drakken was and trying to take care of him. But, there were a few times when she just wanted to piss and moan as she had gotten into the habit of doing with Drakken. She wondered if she would ever get to that point with Yori.
Suddenly, Yori reached out and took Shego's hand in hers and Shego did not want to complain about anything at all. She doubted she would ever want to complain to Yori if a simple move like holding hands could calm her so easily. How can this girl do this to me? Shego decided she did not care how Yori could do it to her as long as the feeling continued.
The hike was long and hard and neither said a word to each other throughout the trip. Even as dark settled on the mountain, they were quiet and they came to a plateau. There were thick woods covering the land and Yori pulled Shego into them. The pale woman glanced around the forest, taking in the scene. It actually looked like something out of a horror movie. The branches were all crooked, cracked, and bent sharp angles. There were leaves covering some of the dark trees, but not much. The deeper they went, though, the more leaves showed up, giving them more cover. The leaves seemed darker than they should, as if they were closer to black than green. Shego did not say anything because the color provided them with more cover, but it was a little creepy.
"There should be a cabin somewhere around here," Yori said, glancing around for the cabin and also to make sure they were not being stalked.
"It wouldn't happen to have hot water, would it?" Shego asked with a teasing smile, sweat rolling down her cheek. She would love a hot shower, though.
Yori's face fell and she looked away. "Uh… I am sorry, Shego-san. There is no water in the cabin at all." She hoped that did not bother Shego. Her lover was used to the finer things in life and that was definitely evident during their time in Hawaii. She wished she could give Shego that, but it was impossible at the moment.
"I had a feeling about that. It's okay, Cherry Blossom. Although I am a city gal, I can definitely rough it for a few days, especially if it means I get to take you back to civilization," Shego remarked. She had lived through some tough times in her life and she would endure for the moment.
The younger woman could not help the smile that conquered her face. She hoped she would be able to leave with Shego. She tried to think positive, like Shego seemed to be doing, but there was a feeling deep in her guts that would not allow it. It felt like her stomach tied itself in a knot and she did not think that was a good sign. She trusted her instincts and every part of her disliked this.
"Is that the cabin?" Shego asked, breaking Yori away from her negative thoughts. She pointed a little to the left and ahead of them.
The ninja squinted a little as she peered off into the distance. "Yes, that is it. I hope you will be all right while you are there."
"I'll be fine, Cherry Blossom. I'm a big girl. You go handle your business and I'll hold things down here," Shego tried to assure her girlfriend, giving her a confident half-smile while she spoke. She would have to be fine. Yori needed her to be strong.
"Are you sure?" Yori asked, turning to face Shego and searching emerald eyes to make sure she was going to be all right.
"I'll be fine. I have camped out and shit before. Now, you go find out what the hell these people want from you while I get settled in, okay?" Shego caressed Yori's cheek, hoping to help settle her nerves.
Yori nodded, figuring Shego made some sense. She would like to get things over with, if only to find out what Master Sensei really wanted with her. She could not take having anxiety like this. Before leaving, though, she went into the cabin with Shego to check things out.
The cabin was old and dusty. Shego would not have been surprised if it was blown away by a light breeze. The floor creaked and groaned with every shift of their bodies. It had one room and a fire pit in the center of the room.
"It sounds like we might fall through the floor if we step too hard," Shego said and she was totally serious. It was a good thing they were both light on their feet.
"I do believe this place is from several centuries ago and no one has lived in it for a very long time," Yori replied.
"I can believe that." Shego leaned against the wall, wanting to check the wood. It was covered in dust, but did not make any noises like the floor. The place seemed sturdy enough — hey, she did not fall through the wall — so Shego figured she should be fine in for a few days.
"Are you all right with this?" Yori asked.
"I doubt it's going to fall down in a heavy wind, even though it does look that way," Shego replied, eyes wandering up and down the dirt-caked walls. There did not seem to be any signs she would be sharing the cabin with anything that would cause a problem, which she supposed was good. A crazy animal would probably be a welcomed distraction when Yori left, though. It would keep her from worrying about the ninja being back at that school without any support right there.
"I am so sorry for this, Shego-san," Yori apologized, eyes down, staring at her feet in shame.
"Cherry Blossom, you don't have to apologize. I wanted to come." Shego turned her attention to her lover and embraced her. "It'll be fine. By this time next week, we'll be laughing about our crazy trip to Japan where I had to sleep on the floor and had bugs crawling all over me." The idea made her want to groan, but she also felt like it was true.
"You think so?" the younger woman asked in a small voice. She hoped that was the truth. She wrapped her arms around the thief, as if hugging Shego would make her words completely true.
"I know so." Shego caressed Yori's hair. "Now, I'll be fine. I've got my sleeping bag, food, and water for a few days. I'll be totally fine."
"Okay. There is a small creek a little further into the woods. So, if you run out of water or if you want to take a quick bath, you can do it there. I am sure there are berries around here to eat if you need something sweet," Yori said.
"Yori, I will be fine!" Shego promised again with a huge grin, hoping that would drive things home for her girlfriend.
Yori offered her a small smile and a light blush she would barely see. "Okay, sorry. I am just so nervous."
Shego held onto the younger woman tighter. "There's nothing to worry about. Go ahead to the school. I'll be right here, so you know where to find me if you need to talk again."
Yori took a deep breath and reveled in the feeling of being in the strong arms of her lover for a few more moments. She allowed the embrace to give her strength and she finally stepped away from Shego after what seemed like an eternity to them. Onyx eyes focused on emerald for what seemed like another eternity, trying to tell Shego everything inside of her without saying a word.
"Go on," Shego encouraged her, slapping her lightly on the ass to get her moving.
Yori let out a surprised yelp and her eyes went wide, but she did not say anything. She took off out of the door. Shego chuckled to herself and then finally took in where she was going to stay. She frowned and shook her head.
"Okay, I've got it bad for this girl if I'm willing to put up with this shit," Shego commented to herself… and whatever wildlife hid around the place. It was the only way for her to explain how she was in Japan and not staying in one of the greatest hotels in Tokyo or Kyoto or somewhere equally fabulous. Instead, she was in a dilapidated cabin on a remote mountain with no running water or heat. Perfect.
She double-checked out her surroundings to make sure she was alone. The woods were quiet, in a creepy sense. There was no movement around her, not even from any animals from what she could tell. The wind did not rustle the leaves. There was nothing. She marched through the forest and found the stream Yori told her about. It was there she saw her first signs of life; there were tiny fish moving around in the clear water.
"For a second, I thought I might be caught in a damned horror flick. All I need right now is some ninja in a hockey mask trying to hack me to bits with a rusty chain saw," the thief said to herself while returning to the cabin.
She started setting herself up around the cabin, pulling out her sleeping bag. She put the bag in a corner after brushing away as much of the dust as she could using a leaf-covered tree branch. If only she knew to pack a broom and a mop. After laying out her bag, she checked on what types of food she had and estimated how long it would last. She did her best to keep her mind from wandering to Yori, but it was impossible. She did not want to think about what might be happening to her girlfriend in that damned school.
"That Master Sensei bastard better not try to brainwash her anymore than he already has or I'll kick his ass," Shego vowed to the warm night air. She was not going to let that school or Master Sensei or anyone control Yori again. Yori deserved to live her life the way she wanted. It was her life, after all.
-8-8-8-8-
The cabin was on a higher plateau than the school, so Yori came into the school from the air rather than going through the front gate. She landed soundlessly onto the roof of one of the many buildings around the campus. She took in the still area, noting there was no movement anywhere. She knew it was past curfew, so the students were in their rooms already. She frowned, thinking about how she would be in her room right now if she still lived there while if she was home with Shego, they would be out right now, probably at a show or dinner, living their lives. Even if they were at the condo, she would have been able to watch something on television and cuddle with Shego on their couch.
Yori stuck to the rooftops, even though she knew there was a great chance of that catching someone's attention. She felt like she was a good enough ninja to make it to Master Sensei's dwelling before someone caught her. It turned out she was almost right. She made it to the building, but as soon as she was about to enter, two guards ambushed her. Before a fight broke out and Yori risked injury from their weapons, she made a quick hand signal, which let them know she was a member of the school. All movement ceased.
"Who are you?" one of the guards inquired in a suspicious voice.
"Yori. I was summoned by Master Sensei," she answered.
They nodded and did not ask any further questions, showing they expected her. They lowered their weapons and escorted her into the building. She was taken to a small sitting room and told to wait there. She kneeled down on the floor, sitting on her feet and resting her hands on her knees as she waited for her teacher to show up. Minutes ticked by, but she did not move from where she was, even as her heart rate increased.
She knew from personal experience Master Sensei moved at his own pace, but right now, the waiting caused the stone in her stomach grow. The weight felt like it crushed her insides and her heart strained in her chest as it beat faster and faster. Her ribs might not survive if this took any longer.
"Yori," Master Sensei greeted her as he finally entered the room.
"Sensei," she replied in an even voice. She was not surprised her voice remained steady, even though her heart was out of control. She was disciplined enough to show no fear, even if she felt it all throughout her very being. She remained in her kneeling position and bowed to him. She practically touched her forehead to the floor out of habit. She then mentally scolded herself for so easily falling into line. I am my own person! I am my own person!
"You have arrived so late," he noted as he stood a few feet from her.
Why did he make that observation? Was he suspicious of her? She did not know, but she kept her cool. "I know. My apologizes."
He made a noise, almost a hum. "You should have taken the flight as scheduled by the school."
Yori nodded. "I would have, but I required sometime to myself to think." It was not exactly a lie and she did not think Master Sensei would suspect it as anything more than what she said.
Master Sensei blinked hard, as if he did not understand her words. "What was there to think about?"
Yori pulled out one of the skills that made her such a good ninja; she lied very easily. "I was troubled by the note. I thought I might have done something to displease the school and I spent time going over my assignment many times trying to pinpoint where I might have done something to make you upset with my job."
The elderly man nodded in understanding. "You always were a perfectionist."
"I only wish to honor my school and my teacher properly. Have I done anything that has displeased you or embarrassed our school?" she asked, keeping her tone even and respectful. On the inside, she still panicked and was not sure how long her heart would last through this. She did not know what she was going to do if he was upset with her and taking her off of her mission.
"You have not. You are always an excellent agent," he assured her.
"Then why such a note? You are pulling me away from my mission by having me come here," she pointed out. If she had not done anything to displease him, he should have left her alone. What was going on?
His eyes flashed, but his face remained passive. "I am well aware of what I am doing. Now, why don't you go to your room and get a good sleep? We can discuss this more later on."
"Why not now? We are both here," she said, motioning between them.
Master Sensei blinked again, staring at Yori intensely. She gulped and schooled her features to remain cool, even though her guts squirmed like a ball of live worms. She knew why he eyed her so intently. She had never even nearly argued with him, so he found it strange she said they should talk now, like she was on equal footing with him. She was ready to fidget under his gaze and found herself giving in, as she always did with him.
"Forgive me, sensei. I must be overtired from my journey. Discussing this later would be fine," she said, saving herself from showing anxiety in from of him.
Master Sensei nodded in approval. "You should get some rest."
She nodded in agreement and that was the end of their meeting. Yori remained where she was until Master Sensei was out of the room, as was her habit. She then exited the house on her own and almost went to her room in the dorms, but stopped herself as she remembered Shego.
She would be so ashamed of me. Shego would hate the way she deferred right to her master. She hated the way she deferred to him. It was her life, but she handed it to him the moment he applied the slightest pressure.
Even though she was certain Shego would be ashamed of her, she ran right back to the older woman. She found Shego tucked away in her sleeping bag. Shego appeared to be asleep and she was about to leave the pale woman alone, but a hand reached out and grabbed her. Yori almost leaped out of her skin.
"You know better than that," Shego teased the ninja with a smirk on her face.
Yori laughed a little. "I sometimes forget you are technically a ninja, too. Although you are much more unconventional," she said. No ninja from her school would be found in hostile territory sleeping on their back like Shego was.
"Yeah, so come on and climb in," Shego urged while tugging her lover toward her. She opened the bag a little to let Yori climb in. Shego hugged her close and she settled into the familiar warmth of the adoring body.
Yori sighed from the contact, sounding very contented for that moment. As soon as she was settled, she tensed just a little. "I am sorry…" she apologized.
"And what is it that you're sorry for?" Shego inquired, sounding like she was making fun of the ebony-eyed woman. "I know you can't be sorry for cuddling. We're all about cuddling."
"I am sorry because I did not find out why Master Sensei summoned me and I also fell right back into line with him. It was as if I had not spent the whole year with you and you trying to make me into my own person."
Shego kissed the top of Yori's head. "It's your first time seeing him in a year. I wouldn't expect you to act completely independent yet." Okay, really, she would have loved for Yori to stand up to the old blowhard right away, but she guessed that was asking too much. Unfortunately, the supportive side in her would not let her say that to the ninja.
"I wish I could have just demanded he tell me what he wanted and we would have been able to leave right now," Yori said with a yawn. She was exhausted just from being in the same area as Master Sensei.
Shego pulled her closer. "It's fine. There's always tomorrow. Just get some rest for now."
Yori nodded and did that faster than she would believe. It was just that in Shego's arms, she knew she was perfectly safe and she could easily sleep in the presence of the older woman. Shego made it seem like everything would be all right. Shego wished she could feel the same way, but now, she wondered what the hell Master Sensei had up his sleeves and what he wanted with her lover.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: Master Sensei tells Yori about her new assignment.