A/N: Hello hello! There will be one laaaast follow up chap after this then...whew! Dun Dun Dun! R&R! :)
Disclaimer: Nope don't own it...but if I did OOC would be OC because I invented the show! But sadly...OOC is still OOC.. *sigh*
She walked aimlessly around what looked to be a nightclub, but it was just too dark to tell. She looked trying to see something solid instead of the blurs of flashing red yellow and neon green disco lights. Giving up, she began walking up a short flight of stairs to the V.I.P area when someone yanked at her clothes pulling her to an unseen darkened corner and flush against the softest body she had ever felt.
"Natsuki, There you are...I was looking for you." The woman whispered.
Instantly she knew. Instantly.
"Shizuru.." she let the name drag out of her mouth and seep into her very soul.
Suddenly a nagging thundering feeling entered her chest and refused to leave. Explain! I have to apologize! "Shiz-!"
"Shhhh." The blunette's effort was silenced by a quick brush of lips against her own. A rush went through her stomach at the brief contact with the brunette, leaving her speechless and completely at her mercy. The red eyed woman smiled a slow smile before slipping a hand into seemingly black more than blue locks. Emeralds looked dulled and hazed over even at such simple a touch.
She breathed in and out through her nose as red eyes began to close when got closer. Slow. Too slow. She was eager to once again feel those soft lips on hers again, and the thought that they weren't touching yet made her heart ache with loneliness.
Second after second passed by. No contact. Emeralds flashed open with the sound of a low giggle. She squinted trying to find those red eyes that she needed so much but could only find darkness in its place. Then she realized..the laugh. It wasn't Shizuru's. It wasn't soft and lilting, practically dripping with the accent of the goddess, but low menacing and cocky. Too cocky.
A full head of short red hair came into view right in front of the blunette.
It was Nao.
No! No! Shizuru! Where are you?! She tried to voice this but nothing came out of her mouth. She was straining. Helplessly expelling air from her lungs that felt ready to burst at any time. Nao's voice rang through her head as she congratulated Natsuki for the bet. A crowd accumulated. All clapping. Natsuki spun around trying to find a way out when she spotted a woman with chestnut hair walking towards the exit. Natsuki tried with all her might to run to her, but only managed to spin around in circles as if she was on a large turntable. Shizuru! She cried out, but nothing could be heard over the compliments and clapping. The crowd began grabbing her shaking her for no reason. Violently. Then..
SPLASH!
Natsuki woke up in a panic when the feeling of drowning overwhelmed her body. When she looked around though, the apartment was totally empty and the blunette laid still on the couch drenched in a pool of sweat among other unknown fluids. She felt grimy and sticky, but she didn't care. She idly wondered how one nightmare could cause so much sweat. Never once forgetting the events that occurred yesterday, she got up and walked to her kitchen for a glass of water before siding against it for apple juice instead. Opening the fridge Natsuki's eyes were immediately drawn to a small bottle of cranberry juice sitting on the bottom shelf next to the apple juice.
She stared at it for a long time unmoving, until she felt an intense rage fall over her. She slammed the glass cup on the floor and yanked out the cranberry juice as the cup shattered. Not waiting for regret to take her she twisted off the cap to the juice then chugged down the substance with ferocity then threw it across the kitchen at the trash missing terribly. Probably purposely.
Shocked with her own actions the blunette slunk to the floor by the sink. Never had she ever reacted this brashly to a breakup in her life. Normally by now she'd be back in the clubs with her friends probably making countless jokes and cracks on Nao's ex and in turn Nao cracking on hers. Though the wound would still be tender, Natsuki found solace with the fact that her friends were just trying to make her feel better. But this time..
This time..
Feelings crept back through Natsuki's head and broke the stoic anger that resided. In come the tears that took hours to stop on end.
The phone no longer bothered her every five seconds since yesterday, as Natsuki had "fixed it" after the twentieth call. She grew tired of the emotional rollercoaster hoping every single ring that it was the only girl she wanted to hear. But no. Of course not.
It was always Mai, everytime! It's like she had a radar for whenever Natsuki was feeling glum she was always there to make her feel better. But Natsuki didn't want to feel better. Heck even Nao called..on the twentieth time.
The door suddenly bursted open and a very distraught Mai Tokiha ran in. The blunette winced internally cursing herself for not locking the door. Here it comes. She quickly wiped her face dry and stood up shakenly to greet her friend.
She put on her best smile, to hide her pain. "Hello M-"
"NATSUKI!" The busty girl threw her friend into a bone-crushing hug. Well I guess I should have expected this after all.
"Mai..Leggo. You're killing me."
She received a hard slap on her shoulder for her comment. "Ow!? What the h-"
"That's not funny Natsuki! I thought you were dead or something!" Mai puffed.
Oh. The smile fell from her face completely. And she walked out followed by her friend into her bedroom where she then began digging through her drawers.
"Natsuki, you didn't answer because of her huh?"
I had a feeling she heard or knew something.
"I'm gonna shower." Natsuki brushed past her friend and entered the bathroom.
"I'll wait in the living room."
After explaining as much as she could without breaking down, Natsuki sat quietly on the couch waiting for her friend to speak.
She was sure taking her dear sweet time too!
"Natsuki. Tate loves her."
Natsuki growled and clenched her fists. "Well she doesn't love him." She sneered.
"No. That's not what I meant. Tate loves Shizuru as if she were his own sister. One day we were talking and he even said that if they were to be wed he would have no qualms on the basis of companionship. He said that with no hesitation at all and I realized the loyalty he had to his friend."
So they think of each other the exact same way. She swallowed down her feelings of hope before they could even surface.
"Shizu…She said the same thing." Basically.
Mai jumped up excitedly. "Natsuki! Do you know what this means!? Tate and I had a long talk about them and he said that today..TODAY he and Shizuru-san are having a meeting with the Fujino's probably about a pending engagement."
Natsuki visibly cringed. Okay. Good for them then. The anger began boiling back up in her stomach so bad it made her want to throw up. Uuuughhhh! "So? Why do you think I'd care? Like seriously Mai I'm in pain! Are you just here to rub it in? If so then you can-"
Mai growled and grabbed the blunette's collar and lifted her to her feet. "Shut up and listen Natsuki!"
Shocked and wide eyed the girl just nodded silently and listened.
"You love her! She loves you! I love him, and he loves me! Let's go get our loved ones!" She put simply. Natsuki wiggled out of the hold.
No she doesn't know anything.. "He may love you. But she doesn't love me…and frankly I don't blame her."
"Natsuki." Both of them plopped on the couch and Mai rubbed her back for comfort. "I saw you two at that lunch… heck! EVERYONE saw you two at that lunch! You two looked like you invented sexual tension!"
"Mai!" Natsuki blushed despite herself.
"Well! Tate was never angry mind you. He knows those fake smiles she puts up as well as you do, she never faked a thing with you around! When we stopped talking it looked like you two were in your own little world. Frankly I felt like I'd be interrupting…"
The blunette thought back a bit before shaking her head. "But she said that she doesn't love me..kind of."
Mai groaned. "Well of course! She thought you played her! The fact that she cried at all…you dumb idiot she's freakin in love with you!" Mai hopped up and began shoving her friend into a light jacket. "Now you're gonna go get your woman! Hurry!"
"Wait-no Mai!" Natsuki fumbled. I cant..I don't know what to say!
"You love her right?" Mai deadpanned. She crossed her arms.
"..Y-Yes. Yes. YES. I LOVE HER!" Natsuki pepped up visibly and zipped up the rest of her jacket with a determined expression. I love her so much.
Her friend gave her a big goofy smile and a warm hug. "I'm so proud of you Natsuki. Go get her." She whispered.
Natsuki smiled back and hugged her friend before they both darted out of the apartment to their vehicles. The blunette snatched her helmet on and mounted her 'cati then lifted the visor confused. Wait what!?
"Mai? You going too?"
Mai rolled down her window after starting her car. "Of course not silly! Tate offered to drive Shizuru with him to her parents meeting but she declined. I'm going after him before he leaves! And I suggest you catch Shizuru before it's too late!" She answered.
Ohh. Natsuki nodded and kick started her motorcycle peeling out of the driveway the friends exchanged 'good lucks' and went down their different streets.
I know what I have to do now. The blunette said in her head as she screeched and drifted a bit around the tight corner. Cars and cops alike honked as she drove by but she had a mission. I have to catch her before she leaves the office!
Finally she pulled into the company parking garage waving at the security guy on the way in. She didn't bother putting the kickstand down when she parked, leaving the bike off locked and on its side as she bolted to the lobby.
As usual the red haired receptionist was there. This time she was texting furiously eyes wide as can be. She looked up and saw a panting blunette feverishly stabbing the elevator button.
"Err, Hi Nat-san in a hurry much?" She jested mildly.
Oh it's Midori. "Hey, yeah a bit. Why is this thing taking…."
Midori gave an ironic smile.
Oh don't tell me.
"It's under maintenance Nat-sa-"
"Oh for crying out LOOOUD!" She screamed as she busted through the emergency staircase. Of all the- I should've known! GET A SIGN!
Puffing and huffing Natsuki reached the level and bolted to Shizuru's office, only to be greeted by her ever-displeased assistant .
Without regard for protocol Natsuki ran right by the assistant's desk and busted into Shizuru's office.
"Hey you can't be in there!" Tomoe's voice screamed out as she heard footsteps behind her.
"Shizuru! Shizuru where are you?!" Natsuki yelled out ignoring the teal haired chick blabbing about disrespect behind her. She looked around. Yup. The office was empty. Definitely. I was too late. For a split second she accepted her failure and moped, only to remember what Mai had said. She whipped around to the assistant and took her by her shoulders and gripped lightly and desperately.
"Tomoe-san! When did Shizuru leave? How long ago? Ten minutes? Thirty?" Natsuki asked without breathing. Yes! That's it! She should know Shizuru would have told her!
"Hmmph! Fujino-sama left yes but I don't know if I should divulge information like this with you Kuga. In fact why don't you just get lost? You're not even on the clock today." The girl sneered and smiled.
Grr! I've had enough of this! Natsuki clutched the girl's collar of her blouse and lifted her off of the ground and against the wall. "Now listen. You are gonna tell me EVERYTHING she told you about where she was going AND how long ago she left, or I'm going to even out your hair with my bare hands! Now tell me!"
Granted she did feel a little bad about the reaction of the poor girl. Tomoe was shaking a bit and sputtered out the info as fast as she could get free. "She said she was going to take care of some family matters, she was taking the train so only call if its an emergency and she left about twelve and a half minutes ago!"
Natsuki smiled and fixed the girl's shirt and muttered a quick thank you as she darted back down to the parking garage to her bike.
As she pulled out of the garage she turned in the way of Obsidian Bullet train station. Okay so all trains to the countryside leave out at like six-thirty I think…or was it seven? Ughhh! Whatever I have to catch her before she gets on that train no matter what! She swirved and nearly crashed onto the sidewalk in the process. Shortcut!
She parallel parked her 'cati on the street, this time making sure to lock and kick stand her bike before snatching the keys and dashing into the station. Numbers of trains, times, and departures flashed on every other large screen chart in the over-populated station. Natsuki stopped to look at the signs pointing to the certain trains going certain places. So…left? Or..Left! I'm going left!
She scrambled a bit on her feet before catching her balance and dodging her way through texting adults and their children who are never looking where they're going! Dang kid! She screamed in her head as she narrowly avoided running into a little girl eager to show her mother a big lollipop she had found in the gift shop. Finally she reached an area. "All aboard for the train to Kyoto in fifteen minutes! I repeat all aboard! ..Cause if you're not aboard you should hurry your little tails up before we leave ya!" A strangely familiar conductor broadcasted from the door of a dark grey train.
Then she spotted her. A tall, graceful, chestnut haired red-eyed goddess clutching a small carry on bag.
It's her! I made it! I can't believe it! Natsuki felt her eyes water in partial relief and partial growing nervousness as she ran towards her. The brunette began a courtesy greeting with the conductor and the familiar woman blushed a bit before returning a dashing compliment.
"Shizuru…" Natsuki had now reached the woman and was standing directly behind her. Hey, its Chie! That girl from the club!
The charcoal haired girl with dazzling specs turned her sight to greet the blunette. "Oh hey there Natsuki! Comin aboard too?"
Natsuki's eyes stayed locked on the brunettes back and she saw a slight twitch when Chie had said her name. Shizuru.. "Uh, naw I just came to speak to Shizuru actually. Do you mind telling the staff to hold on a bit? For a pal?"
The girl shrugged. "Yeah I'll give ya ten minutes but then I'll have to get going, or I'm gonna have to deal with a bunch of uppity people with schedules jumping down my throat." She turned to Shizuru. "Except for you of course milady, you are not uppity." Chie winked and waved herself off after giving a small smile to the blunette.
"Shizuru. Shizuru please turn around and look at me." Natsuki pleaded.
The brunette kept her back to the girl stubbornly.
"..please?"
The woman turned around with a hateful look in her eyes. "Natsuki what-"
The blunette grabbed her hand and led her to a bench a few feet away. "Shizuru, I was wrong. So wrong. Let me explain. It's only fair that you know everything. That day, or night rather was just a normal jest of a healthy rival gone too far. I was getting tired of her big mouth.. and Nao, that's her name..err as you know. Um sorry. But she..she made a comment about my virginity still being intact and used it as leverage to get me to overreact. When she accepted I instantly regretted it, but when she chose you..I regretted it a thousand times more. I thought that such a beautiful, smart, sophisticated, sweet and caring person like you would never..you know even look at me. But when we talked..I..God Shizuru you're so amazing and good and just everything."
Shizuru sat completely in silence and disbelief, her face softening a great amount as the confession went on and she made no move to interrupt.
Natsuki took a deep breath and continued. "When I found out about that Tate, my heart sunk. Unbelievable to even myself seeing how I had literally just met you. Then there was that interview. I was running late and happened to run into a problem with that never-working-signless elevator I thought for sure the day could only get worse. Then I saw you. Again. Throughout the whole interview I had a hard time f-flirting..u-um..something about you always was a step ahead of me Shizuru! Haha and your teasing..I thought I was going to burst when we were together in that parking lot. I realized that I was already so in love with you even before you told me about your family's expectations and history."
"I love you so so much. I tried to pour all of my feelings into that first kiss and the morning after I was grinning like an idiot all morning! You made me forget about that stupid bet over and over again until I just didn't care anymore!"
The brunette finally spoke up. "Then if you forgot about it all, why did Nao-san call and.."
"It was coincidence I swear I wasn't planning to get you to my bed it all just happened! Please believe me I would never intentionally hurt you Shizuru!" Natsuki pleaded again.
"I don't know! I feel so confused. It's all just too much Natsuki! I think it best if we just give this up…I don't want either of us to get hurt anymore because of this bet." Shizuru stood up and grabbed her bag, sniffing away some tears and turning away. No!
"And I don't want you to hurt anymore either! I love you!" Natsuki swiftly grabbed onto the bag in the brunette's left hand and held her soft face in her right hand pulling her into a slow loving kiss. Natsuki put everything into it. Stroking those full lips with her own, gliding and slipping on them as she turned her face, nibbling away her heartache gently. Soon she felt the tensed red eyed woman begin to return the mind numbing display of affection seemingly blocking out the rest of the world with the raw passion between the two.
Suddenly before the blunette could safely guide the bag to her own hands Shizuru snapped back to life quickly ending the kiss and running into the train. Natsuki ran after her. The two looked at each other longingly. The brunette stood there at the door hesitantly thinking it over over and over again while never breaking eye contact.
"Please please please forgive me! Please give me a second chance! You love me too I know you do, you don't have to do this. Please c'mon out honey..please!" Natsuki opened her arms spilling all of her heart out to the brunette. She didn't move. Eyes teared up as the blunette made no move to wipe the spilling ones from her own face.
The train horn whistled loudly, startling them both as a bell ringing continued and a voice announced their departture was beginning. Natsuki's heart sunk as she watched the doors begin to close instead of all at once, one by one until it reached the two emotional women. She never left Shizuru's bright red orbs that glistened with tears as her own door began to shut. Shizuru's eyes widened and a lone tear fell out that broke her heart all over again. She made her decision.
"…N-NATSUKI! I love you!" In a split second the brunette dropped her bag in the train and reached out her arm towards her love. Natsuki pulled with all her might and the brunette fell on top of her as they lost balance from the impact. The doors shut soundly and the train slowly descended. One passenger short.
Natsuki couldn't help but giggle away her giddiness holding the brunette tightly in her arms on the floor. The both of them laughed and cuddled into each other happily before breaking apart and lifting up to their feet. Natsuki held out her hand with a big dumb grin on her face that just REFUSED to melt away. Shizuru smiled back and grabbed the hand. "So, how is my knight in shining armor planning to get me back to Natsuki's house." Shizuru asked implying a make-up …activity.
Natsuki blushed deeply and squeezed the hand tighter as they walked to where she had parked.
"On this!" Natsuki gleamed gesturing at her noble ducati 'stallion.'
"Oh no! Ara, I think I'll just meet Natsuki there sayonar-" Shizuru inched away towards the street so she could hail a cab before being tugged back playfully.
"Aww is my little baby scared? Don't worry just hold on tight! There's no way I'm letting you go now!" Natsuki teased as she pecked her girlfriend on the nose and pulled a helmet on her. Soon the kickstand was up and they peeled off. Shizuru squeezed on Natsuki for dear life. Okay..yes it was a little bit faster than necessary but..hey! Can you blame me?
A/N: ONE MORE LEFT! Even though its just an aftermath one. Pls read and review so I can finish a story! yay!