Thank you to the Guests who review!

It might start angsty-ish, but I promise it'll be all right, kids. Stick with me here.

Thank you for viewing Chapter 7!

"What?!" I yelled. I looked from red to green eyes pleadingly. Yes, pleadingly. I was pretty thick skulled, but even I knew that Mai would kick the shit out of me for swinging at a Colonel.

To my utter loathing, Natsuki had the nerve to smirk a little. "As a matter of fact, you are going to tell her. Not us. This is your mess, Zhang. You have to clean it up."

If I was worried before, now I was horrified. I turned to Shizuru.

"Shiz, please. Don't make me do this!"

I think something in my face managed to strike a chord with her, because she turned to Natsuki with hesitation. Her fresh-water voice called out to her companion.

"Ara, Natsuki… They are awfully young. And they have not been together for long yet, my love." Kruger's emerald eyes didn't turn to Shizuru's, instead, she kept looking straight into mine. Looking back, I know that if they had, she would have caved in a heartbeat. She'd give anything to those eyes. But just my fucking luck…

"No." Her grit-rough voice said with finality. "She needs to learn, Shizuru." Seeing that Kruger wasn't budging, Viola just sighed a little and started to trace Natsuki's hand abscent-mindedly. Apparently, she was now finished with the conversation, though her expression was still one of calm amusement.

"Zhang, this is you getting off easy." Kruger's emerald eyes glared into my lighter ones. "Learn to be accountable for the stupid shit you cause. Even if it's not your fault."

"I cause?"

Shizuru's oceanic voice prevented me from flying into a new rage.

"Nao-darling, for future references, please do not engage Officers in combat without Natsuki or I's knowledge. Yes?"

I grumbled my agreement after a pause. Only a dumb shit with a death wish wouldn't do what I did, as I'm sure Mai would see it. So it didn't exactly take a genius to agree to Viola's request. Still didn't mean I had to like it.

"Now that it is settled, let us rejoin our cohort." Viola gracefully stood, waiting for Kruger and I to follow her lead. We did. As she glided past us both, she spared a kiss for Natsuki, and dropped a much more innocent one on my head.

Apparently, that was going to be a thing with her now.

Whatever.

I looked at my remaining General with my best 'what the fuck ever' face. She was already glaring at me meaningfully. As she too walked past me, her only words were,

"Today, Zhang."

I huffed.

Well, here goes total suck.

Ambling my way back to the field, I tried to think of a good way to start off my explanation to Mai.

"Hey, Mai. You remember that Beta Team Colonel from the first day? Yeah, the hot one that looks like she lives only on steak and the souls of kittens? Yeah, that one! So, I sort of tried to kick her ass. Don't worry though! Natsuki saved me, and then Shizuru almost maimed her. It's all good!"

Perfect!

I found Mai talking to Yukino, Haruka and some girl from Charlie Team that I didn't know.

"JESUS, ZHANG. WHO ROLLED YOU IN THE CLUD?"

Haruka's bullhorn of a voice had my insides go from nervous to pissed off in about .3 seconds. I realized she had meant 'mud', as Yukino softly pointed out to her.

The only reason I didn't verbally tear her a new one was because Mai had turned around and stared at me wide-eyed.

"Nao… why are you covered in mud?"

Her surprise lasted for about, oh, another .3 seconds as she could probably see straight through my 'who gives a flying fuck' face. Her beautiful eyes narrowed at me, and I knew I had a very limited amount of time to make it better before she exploded at me.

I tried my most innocent smile at her and shrugged.

"I tripped?"

But fuck me, because I'm Nao Zhang. I don't do 'innocent smiles'. In Zhang, that instantly translates to 'seductive smirk'.

But I mean, hell. Whatever works right?

And it almost did, because I watched Mai's narrowed eyes open again, quickly followed by a darkening that I knew she got when she tried not to look at me strip for the showers. It was the hottest thing, and I wanted to drag her off somewhere, throw her down on something- anything- rip the thin cotton shirt she was wearing right off of her body and-

"Hahahahaha!"

My eye-fucking was rudely interrupted by a deep ring of laughter. I snapped my head over to see Chie and Aoi walking towards us, Chie more stumbling through her mirth than anything. While not laughing outright, the brown haired woman next to her was smiling in amusement.

I narrowed my eyes at her, annoyed.

"What, Hallard?"

The tall and handsome woman composed herself. "Christ Nao, I heard you got your ass kicked, but I didn't realize you got it kicked into a pig pen!" She snickered. Aoi tried not to smile. As for me, well. I knew the jig was up. I turned to Mai warily.

The lust was gone. In its place was a dangerous deadness.

"Nao?"

I swallowed and tried to smile soothingly.

"Mai, it's nothing. Really."

"Oh my God! You didn't tell her?" Chie howled in laughter. "Shit, you are so much worse at this than I thought!"

"Chie…" I started to growl.

"Okay! Okay!" The dark haired woman gasped for breath and turned to Mai. "Aoi saw the whole thing when she had to go to the bathroom."

I just sigh and looked at the sky.

Whatever is up there, God, Zeus, Buddah, a wizard?, please grant mercy on me. Thanks.

"And she sees Nao here, kind little soul she is, bump into some body builder of a woman. Turns out, it's Colonel Parietta from Beta! The one that was once denied the bronze star because she "accidentally" killed the moles she uncovered in that one investigation? So Nao says something to her, and whatever it was just totally pissed her off because she said something back."

Chie was really getting into her story now. I could only just wait.

"After they sort of go back and forth, out of no where, Nao just punched her in the face!" Yukino, Haruka and Charlie-girl's mouths all fall open. Mai's face was set in stone. Not. Good.

"So Parietta and her get in a fight! Nao Zhang, got in a fight with the woman who once killed a man for looking at her the wrong way!" Her grin was astronomical.

Fuck. You. Chie. Hallard.

"So then, just when they're going to go at it again, Kruger comes out of no where and starts beating the shit out of her. Just when Parietta threw some dirt at her eyes, VIOLA appears with a nagi-fucking-nata! And threatens to kill her!"

Looking extremely pleased with herself, Chie finished her story and admired the effect. Even Armitage was struck to silence.

I just mumbled quietly, "It was mud. She threw mud at Natsuki."

I guess my remark brought Mai out of her stoic state as she very calmly said out loud, "Nao, can I talk to you? Privately?" Then without waiting for an answer, she turned and walked away.

Well, shit.

I glared with every fiber of my being at Chie. "You. Are. Fucking. Dead." Her handsome face merely smirked at me. I stalked off in Mai's direction. Sooner or later, I vowed, I was going to knock that cocky fucking smile off her face. Aoi'd probably be pissed, but she'd have deserved it.

My internal plotting was cut off as I arrived within a meter of my roommate's back. I waited for her to speak. I wound up waiting for a while. Finally, I cleared my throat awkwardly.

Shit, gotta stop hanging out with Kruger.

"Uh, I was gonna tell you, Mai. I swear! I was just waiting for when we were alone…"

I trailed off. She had whirled on me, blue eyes filled with icy fury.

"Nao," She hissed. "Why do you insist on putting yourself in places that make commanding officers want to kill you?"

I swallowed.

"Well, it's not like I planned on bumping into her! It was an accident!"

"It was not an accident to provoke her, Nao!"

"I didn't provoke her! She just pissed me off!"

"You get pissed off when the dining hall doesn't have apple sauce!"

"That's because they always have it and it's my favorite!"

"Not the point, Nao." Her blue eyes bore into mine with wrath. "Why can you not contain yourself for five seconds to think about how your actions might effect yourself and other people?"

"Are you calling me selfish?" I was starting to get irritated with her yelling.

"I'm saying you have no sense of consequence!"

She was getting personal and I didn't like it.

"Just because I get irritated doesn't mean I don't have a level of responsibility!"

"Really? Because that's all I've seen from you, Nao! First with Natsuki and Tomoe, then with the Delta target, and now with Colonel Parietta? Just when exactly will you start thinking Nao?"

"I do think!" I was seriously just pissed off now.

"Then apparently only about YOURSELF."

"Jesus Christ, Mai! I'm a grown ass woman, leave me the fuck alone! I don't need your condescending bullshit! I don't understand why you're picking on me. I've made it out just fine by myself and with the way I do shit, so what's the problem here, huh? Just what in the fuck am I missing?"

Mai recoiled like I had slapped her.

Her clear blue eyes looked away from me as they lost the whirling fire that had just been in my face. Some part of me realized that I preferred it when she was pissed.

"You're missing the part where I wonder if you're going to come back to me dead someday." She said softly.

I instantly felt like shit.

"Oh my God, Mai, no…" I reached out to her, and she snapped away from my reach without meeting my eyes.

She brushed past me with a choking sound and a "Whatever, Nao."

"Mai! Wait!" I called and started to follow. She broke into a dead run and I knew she didn't want me to go after her.

You are such an idiot.

The truck ride home was silent on my part. The rest of Alpha Team kept throwing glances at Mai and I, but tried to keep the semblance of normalcy with chatter. Natsuki even announced that we had won the competition and would get a reward at the end of the month. It was whatever. Mai still wouldn't look at me.

It was nighttime when we finally rolled into Alpha camp. We were dismissed to our tents and said goodbye to each other. As for me, I immediately went to shower. All the mud had dried in disgusting cakes on my skin and I couldn't wait to be rid of it. Besides, I knew my roommate pretty much hated my guts right now.

I cleaned myself as quickly as possible and walked to my tent.

Shit.

She probably didn't want to see me. No, I knew she didn't want to.

Should I knock?

You live here, idiot.

Yeah, but I'm the fuck up here!

Yeah. We know. You told her to keep her 'condescending bullshit' to herself. We know.

I sighed at myself. I couldn't go in there. Who knew the lady-killing Nao Zhang would finally be defeated. At the first fight, too.

I looked to my right and headed over. Knocking, I was given permission to enter. Ducking under, the interior of the tent was dim. Obviously, the lamp had been off and was just switched back on for me.

"I, uh…" I cleared my throat. "Can I stay here? For tonight?"

The fact that I wasn't going to sleep in my own tent, with the girl I loved more than anything, but hated my guts, left me feeling hollow. A new all time low. Awesome.

Crimson eyes gleamed at me and beckoned me closer. I sat on her bed.

"Where's Natsuki?"

Shizuru's curious red eyes looked over my face. "She is away sorting some things out with General Fumi. She will return tomorrow morning."

I nodded my understanding. I felt her warm, slender fingers turn my face to hers as she locked eyes with me. In the couple of moments she held my stare, I realized why she and Natsuki did it so often. It was because those swirling red depths could tear you apart, could slip inside of your soul and read you like a book.

It was scary.

She asked me no questions, but for some reason, smiled at me after a moment. Softly, gently.

"Come here, Nao-dear."

I complied.

Because I am an absolute pussy, I climbed into her bed and let her hold me. Shizuru and Mai's holding were worlds away. I almost laughed at my previous thoughts of imagining myself in this bed with one of my Goddess-like Generals.

The irony of how I got here didn't escape me.

Trying not to think about the sort of shit I had witnessed firsthand go down in this bed, I let Shizuru's immense warmth and petting of my hair lull me into sleep.

Jesus, I love kissing Mai.

Her lips are so, so soft. And she tastes like, hm. She must have eaten an apple for breakfast. Heyyyy, she went to breakfast without me! Whatever. I love it when she wakes me up with kisses. I reached up to smooth my hand over her cheek.

Mm. Soft.

My tongue swept her lower lip, and she complied willingly. A low grunt let me know she wanted more.

Weird, she usually just goes for it.

Whatever. Maybe this was her ultra-turned on.

Her mouth was unusually cool, like she had been sucking on ice or drinking water recently. And stranger still, she immediately let my tongue dominate hers. Mai loved to lead me on, then take control.

I knew something was wrong when she all of a sudden stiffened. I felt her head freeze in my hands, silken locks slipping past my fingers, and-

Wait. Mai's hair was definitely not that long.

Wait. Mai's teeth were definitely not that sharp.

WAIT. Mai's eyes were definitely not that green and HOLY FUCKING SHIT, NO!

I sprung away from Natsuki and rolled into a soft bosom.

"Ara, please. Don't stop on my account."

I resisted the urge to scream and instead vaulted out of the bed I had been in, looking around wildly.

"Mm, Na-tsu-ki. My love, I believe you missed." Instead of unbelievably pissed off, she merely sounded amused. I looked from my stunned general, to the one still lying in bed. Apparently, the chestnut-haired woman was deeply amused at her companion's stone-shocked expression.

The midnight-haired woman didn't move. Not an inch.

Uh… is she okay?

"Suki." She called, softly.

Viridian eyes flicked up to hers, but other wise remained unmoving.

Moving like one would if approaching a wild, rabid animal, the golden-headed goddess rose from her bed and crawled towards Natsuki, who was frozen in her leaned over position. Crimson eyes locked with the green as she started to coo softly. Then carefully, oh so carefully, she rose up and gently placed her lips where mine had been a minute before.

I watched in fascination, forgetting my panic, as Shizuru kissed Natsuki. Green eyes flickered and then fell shut. Slim hands reached out and placed the only-slightly tanner hands on herself; one in her hair, and one on her chest.

Uh, over-kill Shiz?

Then I realized that she wasn't trying to get Kruger to cop a feel, because she had placed the woman's hand directly over her heart.

I held my breath.

Whatever magic soul mates shared, brought Natsuki back to the real world. They pulled apart and it was like the dark headed woman had come back to life.

Wow, that's some sense of fidelity for ya.

I flinched a little as she turned to me sharply.

"Why in the hell were you in my bed?"

It was little more than a growl.

Why am I always fucking in trouble?

"Uh… I sort of got kicked out of mine." I shrugged weakly.

Shizuru had wrapped her hands around Natsuki and drug her into sitting on the bed, her chestnut head resting on the woman's shoulder. They were both looking at me curiously. Kruger's face was only concerned now.

"Why?" she said shortly.

Thank Jesus shit. I swear to God, my life passed before my eyes.

I sighed deeply and decided to just go for it. If I kept on the way I was, I'd only wind up fucking up more. Without sparing any details, I spilled my enormous pile of fuckery on the dirt floor right in front of them.

Silence.

Then, Natsuki smiled wily-like, and Shizuru out right laughed. I sulked.

"Nao-darling. Come here."

I did. Sitting on the bed, Shizuru leaned far enough away from her beloved to kiss me on the head.

"Ara, how very like my Natsuki you are." She smiled at me like I was a snuffling kitten, rolling around in flowers and rainbows. I sort of felt like one. It wasn't as bad as I thought if they were laughing, right?

I looked at the woman just mentioned. Kruger's green emeralds sparkled at me. I only lifted an eyebrow.

"Nao."

I continued to look at her.

"Do you want to fix this?" Kruger's voice was low and deep with softness. Like sleep.

I nodded emphatically. I'd give fucking anything to sleep with Mai tonight.

"Then I'm going to tell you one thing. And after that, I'm going to kick you the fuck out of my tent."

Uh…

"Nao. If you love Mai the way I think you do. Remember this, and only this; She comes before everything."

Her eyes held me in place, waiting until her message would sink in. Behind her, Shizuru shifted to hold Natsuki tighter, and nuzzled into her midnight tresses, a deep sort of contented humming coming from her throat. I looked at the two of them; equal parts hard and soft, warm and cold. They were absolutely one. Shizuru and Natsuki were not actually Shizuru and Natsuki; they were Natsuki's Shizuru and Shizuru's Natsuki. It sounded possessive, but it wasn't. It was a way of existence. They lived, breathed, thought, for each other. Of each other. Their individuality was a strand so tightly braided into the other's that it was impossible to see where one ended and the other began.

It sunk. Instantly, I flew out of my generals' tent.

Mental note; this one actually might require a thank you.

I burst into my own tent to find it pitch dark. I turned the lamp on and found Mai, opening her eyes startlingly quickly at the sudden light. Oddly enough, she was sleeping in my bed. The sight made my sarcastic heart melt a little.

"Mai!"

She jolted, producing a knife from somewhere and looking around quickly. "What? What's wrong?"

I jumped on top of her: she, still wrapped in blankets and bleary-eyed. Thankfully, instincts kicked in and she dropped the knife on the dirt floor. She was confused as hell, I knew, but I was too fucking happy to care. Her confusion deepened when she saw my grinning face.

"I love you!" I nearly shouted.

Beautiful blue eyes blinked at me.

"What?"

"I love you!" I repeated.

She paused. I didn't let it effect me. I would wait for her. Always, I would wait for her.

"Nao." Her eyes narrowed in concern. "Are you drunk?"

I laughed and made myself calm down. I was freaking her out. I needed to calm down and show her how serious I was. I tried to be serious, but I couldn't stop my eyes from shining.

"No." I smiled a little more softly and touched her face gently. "No, I'm not drunk." I whispered. "Mai, I'm sorry I'm such an ass."

She looked a little stunned at me flat out saying 'I'm sorry'.

"Uh, It's-"

"Shh. Hold on."

Her eyebrow rose.

"Did you just shush-"

"Shh!" I tried to placate her. "Mai, I need to tell you something. Okay?"

Her eyebrows wrinkled in concern. Shit, she was cute. Still, she nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry I'm such an ass. But I can't help it. I. Am. An. Ass. Truly." I shrugged. I watched as she tried not to smile. I took a little courage from that. "I am an ass. I'm bad-tempered. I have no filter. I'd never even heard of the word 'please' before I met you. I'm impatient, impractical, and intolerable. I'm sarcastic, surly, rough, and even sometimes violent. I'm childish and perverted. I'm an ass."

She re-quirked her eyebrow like asking, 'which of these are selling points'. It only made me smile more.

"I'm all of these things, I promise. And I know that out of everyone in the world, there are about three who are worse than me. But I promise you something else, Mai. I promise you than none of those other people in the world love you more than I do."

I threaded my fingers through her hair gently.

"I'm in love with you, Mai Tokiha. I'm in love with your kindness, your generosity. I'm in love with the way you eat one type of food on your tray at a time. I'm in love with how you see the best in everyone. The way you make sure the girl next to you is okay after a sprint before you can even catch your breath. I love the way you hide that you don't like it when Mikoto brings you pudding because the consistency freaks you out. Mai, I know you hate pudding. And I'm in love with that too."

I stopped to breathe.

Wow. For someone who could barely choke out the word 'love', you shit as shit just exhausted it there.

I mentally shrugged. Had to, I guess. If I didn't get that out I probably would have died. Sighing out and breathing back in gave me the soft, clean smell of Mai and I relaxed again.

Well. I guess I'm done now.

I smiled down at Mai one more time. Her blue eyes stared up at me. The pools in her eyes were so deep I could have drowned in all the emotions swimming through them. Each one, a darting figure in her mind.

Maybe you should let her absorb that for a while.

I internally snickered. Welp. I guess my job here is done.

Crawling off of her, I got all the way to the tent door before I heard her move against the sheets of my bed. I turned around to glance, and saw that she was standing right in front of me, determination burning in her eyes.

Before I could ask her anything-

SMACK

My ears rung and my cheek tingled.

Did she just…?

I… I think she just… yeah. Pretty sure she just slapped you in the face.

It seemed like Mai was on a roll tonight of not letting me form coherent thoughts because then I didn't have any thoughts at all. Only pure emotion. And shit, was it sweet.

Her lips crushed mine as I kissed her back. My hands instantly tangled in her hair as we fell to the ground in a withering heap. Her fingers tore at my clothes. Whether they ripped or if she undid each button individually and carefully folded my shirt, I had no idea. Time and space extended in front of me as a never ending loop. All I knew was Mai and love. Love and Mai.

Oh, and the fact that I was naked on a dirt floor.

Whatever.

I wanted to take my time with her, I wanted to map and memorize every single inch of her perfect skin. I wanted to love her gently and sweetly- she deserved that. But I just couldn't. This, whatever this was, was too much. It was too big, and it swallowed us whole.

My need overpowered my want by an eclipse.

I needed her to make me hers. I needed to make her mine. I needed us to feel that high. To share relief and love, love, shit, so much love.

Mai jerked me upright and our naked bodies fit like puzzle pieces, our legs overlapped and I gasped through my teeth as my heated center met hers. Whether it was the bright sting of something new, or the burning welcome of coming home, I had no fucking clue. It was just love.

I loved her for all I was worth. I poured everything I had into that span of time. I couldn't think, couldn't breath, my soul was sucked from my being and then wasn't mine anymore. We snapped.

We lay, burning, gasping, and sweating on the floor.

Hours could have spanned. I could give less of a shit. Mai was so fucking beautiful. Whatever had left me when we came, found a new home inside this girl. Something that used to be mine was now hers, forever. And something of hers was now mine.

I would die to protect it.

She was so, so beautiful.

"Beautiful."

Her whisper was hoarse and I smiled at her weakly.

I hummed deep in my chest, happy.

Leaning over and kissing her swollen lips was the best decision ever made. Now that my need was met, there was only want left. And I wanted to show her the things I couldn't before. So I did.

God, she was beautiful when she came.

And let me just say, she's the best I've ever had. She worshipped my body and I wanted to cry, her love felt so good.

I couldn't help myself from going in for another round. That's when the dream died.

"That's fucking it!"

Mai screamed.

"What the fuck, Kruger!?"

My generals stormed into my tent, one more livid than the other.

It was my turn to scream when I felt myself be lifted from the ground and thrown over a lethal shoulder.

"PUT ME DOWN. PUT ME DOWN RIGHT FUCKING NOW."

I thrashed and flailed and it did zero good.

"I wanted you to tell her how you felt, not fuck like animals in heat until someone dropped dead!" Her growl was dark and low.

"YOU'RE ONE TO FUCKING TALK KRUGER, YOU AND VIOLA SCREW EVERY NIGHT!"

She was carrying me through the dark, stark naked, having interrupted the single greatest moment of my life. Yeah, I was a little pissed.

The surprisingly strong woman bounced me on her shoulder in a purposefully punishing jolt.

"Shizuru and I," she sounded equally pissed. "Have been together since before you were born, you horny little shit."

"I've had to listen to you two since Shizuru fucking GOT HERE! What the fuck is wrong with you that you can't give Mai and I ONE NIGHT?" I screamed at her.

"For whatever reason, you and Mai wanted to listen. WE are doing something about it."

We?

I finally paused enough to notice that three meters behind Kruger, a thrashing and howling Mai was being carried, also naked, by Shizuru.

"YOU BOTH ARE OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MINDS!"

"Yeah, yeah." Was the only reply.

I was shoved into a blindingly lit room that I recognized as the changing room to the showers.

"OH FUCK NO, KRUGER, YOU CAN'T –"

Ohhhh, but I was wrong. Because I found myself thrown under a showerhead, and drowning in freezing cold water. I heard, rather than saw the same happen to Mai on the head next to me. We finally managed to turn the water off. I sat, gasping, on the tile floor. I was naked, pissed, and still a little horny. My dark-haired general glared at me, deathly serious. Next to her, the beautiful face of her lover was set in a decidedly irritated expression.

"Ara, to you point, Nao-darling." The crimson-eyed woman began in an almost terse tone, "Natsuki and I's sex life is quite prolific."

"Shizuru!"

"But it seems that we have still much to teach you about decency, manners, and when the appropriate time to scream in orgasm occurs."

I felt my face flame in horrified embarrassment. Sneaking a quick glance at Mai for support, I felt a deep and irritating sense of betrayal as she managed to look smug through her blush.

Catching the expression, the taller general tilted her head to wink at Mai.

"And though it is was a fine job done, my dear, I feel I can teach you just how to get her to lose her voice the next day. A delightful reward, I must say." Here, she spared a loving glance at a positively tomato-stricken Natsuki.

Mai had the decency to duck her head modestly.

Well, as modestly as one can be when you're sitting naked and soaking wet on a communal shower floor after having the best sex of your life, being reprimanded by a commanding officer, power-lesbian, mothering couple.

Yeahhhh, that's the stuff legends are made of.

"Ara, but I digress." Shizuru seemed genuinely saddened to divert from the topic of her incredible knowledge of sex. "It is unfair of us to tell you not to enjoy each other, when we so often do."

"Shizuru…" It was more of a whine this time.

"So it will be established that sex will be partaken in the tents every other day by my Natsuki and I, and on the in-between days by yourselves, if you so wish. If your desire is to have sex when it is not your tent day, then you must find some place suitable to relieve yourselves."

She was speaking the way she does while explaining tactical formations. Beside her, Kruger's ears were burning red, but she was other wise totally serious.

"In the event that you cannot comply to these parameters, a similar situation as the one you currently find yourselves in will occur."

Her honey-suckle and chamomile voice came to a close and she cocked her head, a motion I recognized as her asking for understanding and/or questions.

This is unbelievable.

Numbly, I just nodded my head very slowly. I saw Mai do the same thing. Kruger nodded sharply and stalked to the entrance to the showers, waiting for Shizuru impatiently.

But being Shizuru, the graceful woman first leisurely strolled over to me, and kissed me on the head. She then turned to Mai and patted her cheek with a smile and said, "Congratulations, my dear."

I watched as Mai blushed and confusingly choked out a "Th-thank you, General." Viola merely nodded in a cheerful 'you're welcome' sort of way. Natsuki growled out the gorgeous woman's name, impatient with the entire situation. The Goddess of Sex and Love sigh and strolled to her counterpart.

"Peace, my Suki." She kissed her gently on the lips. "They will have time to rid their energy." Natsuki relaxed under those rose-red eyes and smiled lightly.

"Now come." Shizuru brisked. "I wish to rid myself of energy as well."

Kruger flushed fully and I snickered. Her eyes flicked to mine and then rolled. She stalked out of the showers with Shizuru close behind.

The door to the changing rooms closed, and the painfully sharp clicking of locks could be heard.

Of course.

"Did they just…?"

"Yep."

I looked at Mai. She looked back. And then dropped her eyes to my body.

Hm. Maybe this isn't such a punishment after all…

When I woke up, the sun was shining through the windows of the shower building and my entire body was warm. My head lay on Mai's chest. Some time last night we had found a spare towel left behind and used it to drape over ourselves to keep the tile from chilling us.

I lifted my head when I heard the noise than had woken me again. Sort of an incessant thumping. My quick mind instantly made the connection. It was the door to the changing room being pulled on from the outside.

Shit.

"Mai! Mai! Get up, people are coming!"

She instantly shot up, trying to cover us both with the towel as we panicked and looked at each other. The sliding of the lock.

What time was it?

The door creaked open.

Kruger wouldn't let just anyone find us, right?

Footsteps on the tile floor. Lots.

Viola wouldn't let her!

Voices. Female voices.

Wait. I know those voices…. Oh, fuck you Kruger!

Mai and I stood awkwardly in the center of the shower room, staring at the blank faces of all of Alpha Team. There was nothing but dead air until,

"Haruka, weren't you just saying something about Nao being 'all bark and no bite'? Well just look at Mai, Armitage." Chie giggled, barely under control of herself. "Her entire body says otherwise!"

At this, my entire group of shitty, good-for-nothing friends burst into laughter. I wanted to sink right through the floor. I chanced a glance at Mai. Yeah, she looked pretty much the same.

Wait a minute.

"What the hell, Haruka? You wanna see just how hard I can bite your ass at hand to hand!?" Because seriously, 'all bark and no bite'? That shit is just insulting!

Apparently though, this was the wrong thing to focus on as Mai was herself enough to slap me upside the head. My team fell even deeper into hysterics.

"Alright, alright!" I yelled over the din. "Fuck you guys!"

Nina, the wise ass, shouted back, "I don't think Mai would like it if you did!"

I. can't. fucking. win.

Alright. Fuck this.

I folded my arms and lifted an eyebrow.

"Yo, Haruka! Did you know you and your girl had better find a new place to make out? I'd like to be able to take a walk through the woods without losing my lunch."

My team snickered with me.

"And Miyu." The cyan-haired woman dared me to insult her. I blanched a little. "Uh… you're gay?" She merely regarded me with squinted eyes as Alyssa winked and shouted, "And she's mine. Back off, Nao!"

Everyone laughed with absolute love in the air.

"As a matter of fact," I orated loudly. "Please raise your hand if you are currently having lesbian relations with another Alpha Team member."

I had initially meant it as a joke, but apparently it was such a non-issue that everyone seemed to know about, every single hand in Alpha Team was raised. Wow. That is a lot of gay for one shower room.

Then, I noticed something totally absurd.

"Really, Chie? You even told me you were seeing Aoi!?"

The handsome woman shrugged and deadpanned right back at me, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm totally straight."

Which was probably the funniest thing I'd heard all day.

Jesus Christ, this is too bizarre. I couldn't find this many lesbians if I had a flannel and Doc Martin sale next to a Teagan and Sara concert.

Well, whatever.

I searched for emerald eyes. And found them staring right back at me, smirking. I smiled in response. What a crazy-fest this is. But shit, do I love it.

"Ara ara!" Shizuru stepped through Alpha Team with easy grace. "This is quite the interesting turn of events, no?" She crimson eyes sparkled. "But we all must remember that this is Project Otome, still. And as such, we are to report to classroom training in 30 minutes."

With that, things went back to relative normalcy. I mean, normal except for the fact that Chie and Aoi snuck quick kisses, Haruka actually purred under Yukino's touch, and that Mikoto didn't understand that just because people now knew, didn't mean she could assault Akira whenever she wanted.

In classroom training we started poisons and their antidotes. A highly scientific lesson, with a hugely boring emphasis on botany. But it was more interesting after lunch, when we actually all tried the poisons out. The antidotes too, of course. It took many stokes of Mai's fingers against my hand to get me to let her try out a couple of them.

That week was incredible. Mai and I made love every single night, after having found a great little hiding place (the empty classroom), I was able to read an entire chapter book with very little help from Shizuru, and I aced my poison test (because I lived).

The next week we started specialized weapons.

Chie and I got to class a little earlier than usual, Aoi and Mai were off doing God knows what. What was different about this weapons training was that in the classroom, at the front, were about 20 very specialized weapons indeed.

Chie and I were the only ones in the room, so we looked over them in awe.

A couple of them I knew, but didn't. There was a katana and another enormous sword, but I'd never seen the designs of either before. The same with the guns that lay on the table. There were weapons I've never even seen before. Then, there were ones I didn't even think could be weapons. Like the two heavy-looking gold hoops, or the singular blue rose.

What the-?

Then, I saw it. It had me back tracking and it made me want to start freaking the fuck out. There, lying geometrically organized and innocent among all the other oddities, right next to that gigantic fucking black sword, was a long red pole. Attached to that wielding pole, was a hard as diamond, and sharp as a razor, red blade.

Lying on the table, was Shizuru Viola's crimson naginata.

R&R!

With Love,

Konstantine