Dreamweaver
Chapter 8
The first kiss I ever shared with Mai came several days after my talk with Natsuki.
It was a strange little kiss, hardly worth mentioning at all now that I think about it. Silly, I know, but Mai's a soft person. There was something strange about the feel of her cheek against my fingertips. To me, that alone was more fundamental than the kiss itself. Mai was a fun person, but I'd never once thought her deep or complex as a lover. I was learning to reappraise that assumption quickly, and the speed of it was actually quite alarming.
I won't pretend for an instant that I'd gathered my wits about me, because Mai was such a person to shake that foundation.
She rattled the chains on my heart in a way that was so unlike my expectation. Mai wasn't one to let my controlling and possessive attitude to get the better of her. She caught my wandering hands more than once when they ventured to a place that she wouldn't allow. In those moments, violet eyes remained firm even when her voice grew soft. I wondered if my hunger was just that terrible, or if she was just unwilling to let me have that control.
The contrast was one of great many, but strangely, I was alright with that. Although I was not accustom to such an emotion, I found myself unable to deny the woman anything, including her own wordless demands. I saw them whenever I looked into her eyes.
She denied me a great many things, but those promises kept in their place seemed far sweeter.
…
The absolute truth was that in spite of stunning good looks, Mai was not the most confidant when it came to those small personal moments reserved only for lovers. Her somewhat docile nature prevented Shizuru from a great many things. The admissions and denials weren't spoken, but they didn't need to be. Mai was an open book, her violet eyes speaking more than enough for either of them.
Acts of physical attraction came easy to Shizuru, and so she wasn't bothered by the glistening eyes of violet. Forehead to forehead, Shizuru let her fingers weave their way into short, soft tresses. That feeling alone was so fundamentally different, so unlike what she expected as she grew to understand more of Mai's wordless tells. They spoke the world of her so clearly, that even such a simple act was enough to convey what her voice could not.
"Is this too much for you?" It could have been, and that fear lingered in a place in the back of Shizuru's mind. A consideration best left to the shadows.
"It's not." Mai answered, her hand reaching up to cover Shizuru's own.
"You stopped me." Shizuru said quietly. "I didn't scare you, did I?"
"Do I look like it?" Mai asked heatedly, her voice tinging with a hint of amusement. "I'm just not used to this."
Shizuru smiled as she pulled away to adjust their positions, coming to sit behind Mai, her fingers toying with the woman's vest. "You'd get used to it quickly, I'm sure." Shizuru said, speaking into the nape of Mai's neck. "You'll be a quick study."
"I don't doubt it." Mai agreed, even as she captured Shizuru's hands with her own, kissing the back of them. "I think I like not being used to it though." Mai admitted as she relaxed in Shizuru's embrace. "I've never been with another person like this before."
"And here I thought you had a boyfriend once." Shizuru said with a soft laugh. "I would have thought he made his intentions known."
Mai rolled her eyes at that, a little grin forming on her lips. "Only as much as any other guy." Mai said as she closed her eyes, not wanting to ever be parted from the arms that held her close. "I didn't do much of anything with Tate. It's kind of embarrassing to think about, but we had trouble even getting past first base." The feel of Shizuru's lips on her neck, their embrace, and even the truths they spoke were different. "This is on an entirely different level."
"Spend the night with me on the weekend." Shizuru said quietly.
Mai considered that as she sighed. "I'll stay over, but we're not having sex."
…
Mai wasn't accustomed to sharing a bed with anyone other than Mikoto, who fidgeted around in her sleep. There came a time though, when she found herself packing a small overnight bag to keep over at Shizuru's dorm. While it was true she couldn't live there full time, she endeavored to make her presence firm in Shizuru's daily life. It wasn't a choice that came easily, because Mai felt that she was quite inexperienced, and yet willing to take the plunge into a romantic relationship all the same.
"Shizuru's going to be all over you, do you do realize that, right?" Natsuki asked with an upraised eyebrow.
"She better not be, or she's going to get into trouble." Mai said easily enough. "I already told her that I'm not sleeping around with her right now."
"As if she'd listen to something like that." Natsuki muttered more to herself, than to Mai. The full impact of what Mai had said struck her. "Wait…you told Shizuru no sex?"
"For right now." Mai didn't see the problem. "Why?"
Natsuki barked a laugh. "Don't hold steak in front of a dog." She still had her reservations, and no small amount of doubt. Even so, she didn't dare hinder her friend from making her own choices, as questionable as she thought they might be. Even though she felt that way, some things just had to be asked. "Do you really think you know what you're doing?" Natsuki asked with a soft grumble as she leaned on the door frame to the bathroom. "Shizuru's a pretty dirty minded person when you get right down to it."
"She's not that bad." Mai said with a soft laugh, her eyes gazing into Natsuki's from the reflection of the mirror. "She's paid her due I think."
"I'm not about to ask what that's supposed to mean." Long midnight tresses hid her expression from view as she pushed the unruly locks away from her face.
"It means the same thing it always does. She's suffered enough, don't you think?" Mai said as she zipped up her bag, her amusement twofold. "Besides, I'm not the only one who's moving my things around." She said as she padded out back into the main living area of the room, looking at the bag that was stuffed under Natsuki's bed. "You better hope no one opens that during room checks."
Natsuki just laughed, smirking as she went to go fix her blankets so that she could hide the offending duffle. "Hey, don't look at me. Akira did that on her own…it was probably your influence rather than anything."
"Is she coming over tonight?" Mai asked softly.
"Probably, she does every night." Natsuki didn't think anything of it, even when Mai gave her a searching look. "What?"
"Be nice to her." Mai said quietly. "There's some food in the fridge the two of you can heat up."
"Uh, yeah, that works I guess." Natsuki nodded numbly, even as she noticed that Mai was making the beds and sprucing up the room. "What's with the mother hen mode?"
"The place is a sty." Mai shot back. "This is no way to welcome a guest. Akira's coming to see you. The room should look at least half decent." As if to pay testament to that, she took a few dirty dishes and plopped them into the small sink. "When she gets here, go easy. You're older, so it's only expected that you help guide her, since you have more experience."
"Uh, Mai, I think you got the wrong idea." Natsuki said nervously as she sat down on her bed. "Akira and I…we're not exactly like that."
"Would it such a bad thing if you were?" Mai asked quietly as she sat down by Natsuki's side.
Natsuki rolled her eyes, her agitation evident. "I haven't gotten that far." She growled, her mind as far away from Akira as humanly possible. "I don't usually think about stuff like that."
"Well, that just means you're thinking of them now." Mai said resolutely, a chiding tone lacing her voice.
"Who says?" Natsuki knew it was pointless to go on the defensive, but that didn't stop her temper.
Mai merely brushed away the retort. "The rumors are getting pretty bad." Mai said with a sigh, feeling as if Natsuki should have said something to stop them. "Even more than that, Akira's not as strong as she looks." She put her hand on Natsuki's knee, drawing that emerald eyed gaze to meet her own. "If you want to be with her, you should let her know how you feel."
"Mai!" Natsuki barked, not liking that soft, apologetic glance sent her way. "Enough, okay, I get it…"
"You do, huh?" Mai asked with an upraised eyebrow, the softness still there lingering heavily in her voice. "Well, if you insist, then I won't bother you about it."
"You're the one that should be worried." Natsuki muttered then as she averted her gaze. "Shizuru moves fast."
"Only as fast as I let her." Mai said with a soft laugh. "She'll go slow, Natsuki, trust me."
"Told her she was whipped." Natsuki sighed with a shake of her head.
