Holding Out
Chapter 9: Yukino's Problem
I smiled as I wiped myself with my towel. It was still pretty hot so I didn't mind the wind hitting against my wet skin.
Natsuki was lying on her back with her sunglasses on so I couldn't tell whether she was awake or not. I turned to my beach bag and started to go through my things to pull out my mp3 player and then my camera. Pointing it at the clear water I took a pcture. On our side there was no one there so it was good. I then pointed the camera at myself and took a picture for my scrapbook. I was going to take a picture of the sleeping Natsuki but I heard something strange.
A grumble emitted from Natsuki's stomach and she sat up with a frown. Pulling out some money from her purse she handed it to me, "Go get us some ramen...I can't sleep on an empty stomach."
"On one condition," I said accepting the money, "You have to take a picture with me."
She rolled her eyes then let out a sigh, "Fine," she said, "Just this once...And don't go taking pictures of me while I sleep."
"Suuuure," I responded sitting right next to her, "Now smile." I turned to her to make sure she was smiling then I pushed my cheek against hers with a wide smile. As I heard the click from the camera I turned the back to face me. The picture looked...Good. I looked strangely happy, not in the looking strange way but my face looked sincere. I then looked at Natsuki's facial expression, it looked as if she was annoyed yet was about to laugh. This is going to be my new locket picture. If you have to know, I haven't changed it since I first got pictures, but if one was to look into my room, you'd be shocked to see how many photos were hung up. In fact I kept a group photo from my birthday over my head where the roof of my bed was. I dated the year so it would be more memorable.
"Thanks," I said quickly placing my camera onto the blanket.
"N-No problem," Natsuki responded lying back down, "Now hurry with the ramen."
"Of course your highness," I retorted with a smirk. She ignored me as I then dashed for the nearest ramen stand.
As I watched Natsuki pour the mayo over her ramen I smirked, "You'll get fat if you continuously do this."
She stopped to look at me, "Whatever," she then mumbled then went back to her food. I remmbered at the last minute to ask for mayo at the stands for Natsuki. As disgusting as it looked, I needed to get some because I knew she was going to complain about it anyways. I still don't understand why she loves that stuff so much. I believe she mentioned mayo once or twice so far in her diary.
As silence reigned over, I turned on my mp3 player then bopped my head to the beat. I finished my ramen then got up to simply put the container in the garbage. I turned to Natsuki as she slurped the last bit of her own. Wiping her mouth with a napkin she was going to get up to throw it out.
"I'll take it," I then said grabbing the empty plastic bowl.
She looked at me with a strange look, "You're going to do this for me?" she asked, I nodded.
"Well I didn't just ask you?" I then said grabbing the bowl from her, "You look tired."
She smiled at me, "Thanks," she replied, lying back down, "I had fun Nao. We should go out more often."
I threw out the bowl then smirked, "Let's do this again when you're off on thursday."
"How did you know I was off?" she then asked. I wondered why she hadn't asked why I knew it was her birthday.
Sitting back down I replied, "You said so yesterday remember?"
She turned away to stare at the top of the giant umbrella, "Oh yeah...We can do something then."
Before I was able to reply her eyes were closed and she looked peacefully asleep. This time, her sunglasses settled next to her head. I couldn't help but smile as the song on my mp3 changed. Taking out my camera I took a picture, "One for the scrapbook," I mumbled to myself.
Natsuki ended up waking up 2 hours later. I had ended up falling asleep with my head resting on her stomach. It was a bit awkward at first, but one can't control the positions they take while they sleep. So i'm holding onto Natsuki as we drive home. The water looked as beautiful as it always did, but this time the changed colours of the sky made it look eve more beautiful. I rub my head deeper into Natsuki's back and smirk as she shivers. I guess Shizuru's flirting kinda got to me...Not that I like Natsuki the way she did.
So Natsuki's doing some homework in her room leaving me alone to print out the pictures I took at the beach. Secretly I took extra photos of me with a sleeping Natsuki, Natsuki drooling, and surprisingly, I found one of a sleeping me and Natsuki. Some kind, yet stupid stranger who didn't want a camera, took it. I blushed as I saw how comfortable I was.
My ringtone was of my favourite song at the moment. I turned to my red cellphone and flipped it open. Holding it firmly, lying on my bed I said, "Hey."
"Nao," came the voice of my best friend.
"Yukino," I replied, "What's up?"
"N-Nothing really," she replied. It can't be nothing, she did call me afterall.
"You went to the beach today didn't you?" she then asked. I rose my eyebrow, how the hell would she know?
"Yeah...Today is Natsuki's birthday."
"I see," she responded softly, "Tell Kuga-san I said Happy Birthday."
"Of course," I responded, "Now tell me, what's wrong?" I could tell when she was troubled.
"I...It's just that..." she let out a soft sigh. Damn Yukino just say it!
"It's just that what?" I retorted in a sort of annoyed tone, "Just tell me...Come on we are friends right?"
"Yeah we are...I'm sorry for not saying this right away."
I smiled at her voice, I knew Yukino was like this. I'm glad she trusts me enough to eventually tell me.
"So?"
She cleared her throat. I could tell that she was hesitating, "Have...Have you ever fallen in love with someone?"
I was taken aback by the question. I thought about it for a moment, and simply replied the obvious. "No, but I have had people 'fall in love' with me." I responded. I heard Yukino laugh lightly at her end.
"Ah but Nao, I wouldn't consider that 'love'."
"I know," I responded with a smirk on my face, it faded with my next response, "Stupid boys and their hormones."
She continued to laugh, as it died down she continued to speak with her soft tone, "Well...You know Haruka-chan?"
"Suzushiro? The loud mouth who's put me in detention countless times?" I responded. Don't tell me, "Is it her?"
"Y-yeah..." she responded, I was slightly surprised. Yukino didn't look like the type of person who would even consider falling in love. She was always so busy.
"Why are you calling me? If you love her shouldn't you tell her?" I asked. It was true. Shizuru had admitted it to Natsuki countless times but Natsuki has taken it as a joke.
"Well today we were relaxing at the beach. Then we decided to take a walk...So then I spotted you and Kuga-san in a comfortable sleeping position and I saw your camera laying out like that. I took a picture because I thought you might want it for your scrap book. Anyways after I took the picture I put your camera back in its right place then stood up beside Haruka-chan. She started saying how its disgusting to see two girls together like that. I told her that Kuga-san was your guardian, but she just continued ranting. She started to tell me to stay away from you because she doesn't want me to become like that but I told her again about you and Natsuki's situation then she understood."
I listened carefully as she explained to me how she felt so strange after what Suzushiro said. Its understandable taking the feelings that she felt for her. I felt almost sorry for her...Her voice sounded sadder by each word and I think before she hung up she was about to cry. That Suzushiro is so dense, I can say that to myself as well. Yukino cares a great deal for the loud mouth. They are childhood friends. I can't believe I couldn't see how much she truly loved her.
I'm a little envious, I always wanted to know what it felt like to fall in love. Although I was told that it hurt like hell in some ways, and to others, it made you feel on top of the world. Adding the pictures to the scrapbook and changing the photo in my locket I exit my room to see what Natsuki is up to in her room.
I knock gently and I hear her voice calling me in. She was sitting on her bed staring out the window, turning to me she rose her eyebrow, "What is it that you want Nao?" she asked.
I walked over to her bed and sat myself down, "Meh, just bored." I responded, "My friend just called me about something I couldn't really help with."
"Oh," she responded, now paying full attention to me, "A problem you caused?"
I shook my head, "No...I simply can't respond properly." She looked away, then back at me.
"Anything I can help with?" she asked. I lay down on her bed and laughed.
"This isn't exactly the department you special in," I responded. She lay next to me with a slight pout.
"Well you won't know until you ask," she replied in an annoyed tone, "Come on just say it."
"Well, Yukino's in love," I said, "Love isn't exactly your department right?"
There was a pause, I turned to her to look for answers in her facial expression. It looked blank.
"You're right..." she responded, closing her eyes, "I guess I can't help Kikukawa-san too much."
"Exactly," I responded with a light smirk, "I just hope love doesn't get me stumped."
I was surprised to hear her laugh, "Oh Nao, love is harder to get into, than to not get stumped." She turned to me leaning her head on her palm as her elbow dug into the mattress. I did the same to face her except my face wasn't as amused.
"Have you ever been in love?" I asked. She was two years older than me, maybe she did experience love of some sort.
"Naw," she responded closing her eyes in frustration, "Although I'm uncomfortable with people liking me."
"There are such people?" I asked with a playful and she responded with a roll of her green eyes.
"Yes, when I was younger there was this guy in my highschool who had a major crush on me. He was so annoying too..."
"Then there's Shizuru," I interrupted, I want to know her real reaction to that.
Natsuki stared at her pillow before her eyes glazed over back to me, "Shizuru...Shizuru is a special case."
"You know she loves you," I said with a frown, "Why don't you just tell her that you want to remain friends?"
She let out a sigh of frustration, "It's not that simple," she responded relaxing her head back onto the pillow, "If I reject her now, it won't stop her."
"Don't be so full of yourself Natsuki," I said with a frown, "You aren't that awesome."
"You don't understand," she responded. I rolled my eyes, I do understand. I can see the pain in Shizuru's eyes when you stop paying attention to her to simply talk to Mai, Mikoto or me. She really and truly loves you.
"She...Loves me...To an extreme," she said her eyes trailing all over the ceiling. I sighed then rested my head into her pillow as well.
"and how do you feel about her?" I asked.
She didn't answer right away, and her breaths deepened, "She's...She's a really close friend."
I sighed, "How would you explain love?" she then asked me. My eyes widened.
"How the hell am I supposed to know? Shouldn't you, my elder be telling me?"
She laughed at my comment and I turned my head to face hers as she did the same, "You're right," she said. I smirked.
"Of course I am-" I was about to say something else but I felt her put an arm around me.
"Thanks Nao," she then said. I was surprised, her voice sounded strangely sincere.
"W-What did I do?" I then asked, I couldn't stop myself from blushing from the contact.
"For being here. I feel like I gained a new best friend." She then closed her eyes, she was probably tired.
"No problem," I responded then I tried to get off the bed. Removing her arm I got off the bed and rested a blanket over her sleeping body. Turning off the lights I exit the room and closed the door behind me.
As I take out the book from under my pillow, me all changed and ready for bed I could still feel the heat in my cheeks, "Damn it," I cursed to myself, "Stop feeling like some stupid school girl." Shaking my head I turned to the next entry.
'August 15 1999
My hair is now passed my shoulder blades. Mai was the first to compliment me on them. Also today I met a boy named Takeda. He's so strange, he likes to whack things with sticks. Mai also met his best friend Tate. They seemed to become good friends but I was a little annoyed by Takeda's presence. Still school felt better than being at home. At home all I have is Duran...Mommy and step daddy are always out now. Maybe they're going on dates...That would be nice...Then there wouldn't be another divorce. But then again, I would prefer that over anything.'
I yawned, not too much progress in the life of Natsuki. I always wondered why she doesn't write everyday. Grabbing the stuffed toy that I was embarrassed to be seen sleeping with, yet adored because it was a gift from Yukino, I cuddled with it. It was a cute looking wolf cub that I decided to name Natsuki. I don't remember how I decided on that name, but it didn't matter as long as she didn't find out.
I hope Yukino finds peace in her relationship with Suzushiro.
A/N: yawns I wonder if you're wondering how long this is going to be. I have an idea of how things'll turn out so you'll probably see me updating throughout the week to get it done. xD
