I don't own these characters; Sunrise does.
10: Life of the Party
Natsuki saw red at the moment. Well, more like she saw green. The familiar sea-green hair of Tomoe, her wannabe rival. The girl — well, woman now — walked into the party thrown by the King and Queen with her aunt, who happened to be a visiting Baroness. The only thing stopping Natsuki from bolting over to Tomoe and, at the least, arresting her for her betrayal of Garderobe, was Shizuru. Shizuru knew if Natsuki got her hands on Tomoe, arrest would be the last thing on her mind.
"Natsuki, it is your family's welcome home party," Shizuru reminded her vexed lover while making sure to keep a firm grip around the livid principal's arm. She just hoped Natsuki did not get the "bright" idea to materialize because there was no way Shizuru would take a big-ass bullet for Tomoe.
Natsuki did not ease up, even though it was her family's social gathering and she knew that her mother would never let her forget it if she went wild on a guest. In fact, she would be proving her mother right if she touched Tomoe, but she really did not give a damn. Tomoe needed to suffer.
"Isn't that the bitch who tried to beat you out of office?" Nadia asked Yukino with a curious and slightly upset expression on her face.
"Nadia-san, I would prefer you not use that term," Yukino answered with a slight blush. Despite the fact that she was used to hearing a lot of swearing, especially from people close to her, she still was not a fan of foul language.
"I'm going to go say hi," Natsuki remarked in a tense tone with a slightly demented smile as she tried to walk off, but Shizuru held her in place.
"You will not. This is your family's welcome home party for you and your brothers. You will not shed any blood, especially as poisonous as Tomoe's, here," Shizuru stated in a tone that told her love not to argue with her. Natsuki did not heed the tone.
"She doesn't have any right to be here. She's not welcomed here," Natsuki declared with a fire in her emerald eyes.
"Is that any reason to cause a scene?" Shizuru asked, pleading with her lover.
"Hell, yeah," Natsuki answered and she got nods of agreement from both her brother and Haruka. They would be more in agreement with her if they were aware of the main reason for her wanting to rip Tomoe limb from limb.
"Let's go have a talk with her," Shuichi suggested. He got nods of agreement from his sister and Haruka.
The impulsive trio walked off before their counterparts could say anything. Shizuru, Nadia, and Yukino all shared the same exasperated look before following and trying to stop the three before something bad happened. Of course, it would be hard to stop something bad from happening considering the three people leading the charge.
"So, they can't have anymore play dates," Nadia remarked with a good-natured smile. She hoped they caught their loves before they did do anything stupid, and heaven knew those three were capable of doing something enormously stupid.
"Ara, ara, are you kidding? Natsuki will be grounded in her room after this," Shizuru quipped, forcing out a smile of her own.
The trio in pursuit caught up to the impulsive three before they made it to Tomoe or her aunt. Natsuki, Haruka, and Shuichi were then thoroughly scolded about their behavior and how they almost ruined the party. They had the decency to appear properly reprimanded after that.
Nadia shook her head. "I swear, I don't know how any of you Krugers made it to adulthood with the way that you rush off into everything."
"Strength in numbers," Natsuki muttered, but closed her mouth when Shizuru gave her a look.
"Numbers? How many siblings do you have?" Yukino asked curiously, purposely changing the subject and hoping to get the focus away from Tomoe.
Natsuki looked at Shizuru, who nodded. "Counting Shuichi, I have five big brothers," Natsuki smiled proudly.
"That expects a lot," Haruka muttered, speaking more to herself than anything else.
Yukino heard and could not help whispering a correcting, "Explains, Haruka-chan." The Otome did not bother with her usual defense, just smiling her thanks to her master.
"Wait, I just realized that you and Shizuru-san went to school with Natsuki. You have to tell us how she was back then. It was her first time on her own and away from her brothers. She was probably like a lost puppy," Nadia quipped, eyes shining with mischievous delight now.
Natsuki frowned. "How about I introduce you to the Kruger clan first? You can meet our other brothers and our parents," she proposed to avoid having to die of embarrassment once Shizuru and Haruka started talking. After all, it was not like either of them knew how to filter stories — or, at least, censor them.
"That would be nice," Yukino agreed with a nod. She had been curious about the rulers of Saxas. She hoped they could work up some sort of diplomatic relationship, but Nadia and Shuichi told her that would be a long, hard road thanks to the King and Queen being "grouchy, stubborn, elitist jackasses." Well, that was how Shuichi put it, anyway.
"I think I'm going to have a drink, then," Shuichi commented, trying to escape now.
"Oh, no, you're not. There will be no drinking and you're not ditching us," Nadia commanded, holding onto her husband's arm with a tight grip.
Shuichi groaned, but he stuck close to the group. After all, the only way he could escape was probably to gnaw his own arm off and he doubted he had time for that. He made it a point to glare at Natsuki. It was a very familiar cold stare, Shizuru and Haruka noted.
Natsuki ignored her big brother's glare. Yes, she would rather deal with their parents than deal with Shizuru and Haruka sharing stories about her as a Coral in Garderobe. Some things needed to stay in the past, after all. Shuichi prayed they found a brother before a parent. Too bad finding a brother usually meant a spouse was with him, which was almost just as bad as a parent.
"Hey, they're all huddled together in the corner," Shuichi noted, nodding in the direction that he spotted their brothers. The four remaining Kruger brothers were off to the side, standing together, speaking in low tones.
"Maybe they have an escape plan," Natsuki prayed aloud.
"Or at least something to stab me in the eyes with, so I don't have to witness any more of this party," Shuichi added.
"Cut that out," Nadia scolded her husband, giving him a playful swat to the stomach.
Shuichi rolled his eyes, but he did not say anything further. The group made it over to the brothers, who were speaking in very whispered tones. The four brothers almost jumped out of their skins when they noticed people were on them.
"We thought you were the harpies," Koji remarked, explaining their behavior. He wiped a nervous sweat from his forehead while the others breathed sighs of relief.
"So you are plotting an escape," Shuichi surmised with hope in his voice.
"Yeah, we figured the folks would be too occupied with important guests and looking to fix Nat-kun up to notice us make a fast exit," Hayate pointed out.
"You were just going to ditch me?" Natsuki almost shouted, but she caught herself enough for her words to come out as an angry hiss. She glared at all of them.
"Looking to hook you up? But, aren't you already engaged to the bubuzuke?" Haruka asked Natsuki while jabbing her thumb in Shizuru's direction.
"Long story short, my parents think I'm lying about my engagement to Shizuru as a way to get out of having to get married," Natsuki explained and the confused look in Haruka's face showed she understood it just about as well as everyone else.
"So, you're lying about getting married to avoid getting married?" Yukino inquired, wondering if that even made any sense.
"They're going to be damned shocked when Nat-kun walks down the aisle with Shizuru-san," Kenta remarked with a smile.
"Nah, they'll still think they're just playing a game. Maybe you should let Mom and Dad witness the consummation of the marriage," Koji joked.
"Gross!" Natsuki balked and had to bite back the urge to throw up.
"Do they really think you're lying to them?" Yukino asked in sheer disbelief. She could not see how anyone would believe such a thing when it came to Shizuru and Natsuki. She saw them on rare occasions, and even she knew how deep their love ran.
"Around here, our type of relationship… it's not even that it's not done. It's not talked about. It's not believed something like this could happen. It's not just taboo, but it's almost like telling an adult that the tooth fairy is real," Natsuki tried to explain. She doubted someone that was not from Saxas could ever thoroughly understand how same-sex couples were viewed. Saxas custom made it seem like such a thing was just impossible and could never, ever happen.
"It can't be all that bad if your brothers believe you," Yukino reasoned, motioning to them. They all nodded.
"Well, I've been padding them for this for years, dropping all kinds of hints about Shizuru and our relationship. Besides, I don't think they've figured out that I'm quite female yet," Natsuki remarked with a smile tossed her brothers' way.
"It's true," Kenta agreed with a shrug.
"Nat-kun is our baby brother," Koji declared while putting his arm around Natsuki's shoulder. He then punched her in the shoulder, quite hard, but she just took it.
"For us, it makes as much sense that Natsuki marries a woman as it is for us to marry one," Hiroshi added.
"But, others don't see it as so natural?" Yukino asked. She refrained from questioning how the brothers would feel if they did not think of Natsuki as a little brother. Haruka seemed to read her mind, though.
"Would you fellas be so reciting if Natsuki wasn't your 'baby brother'?" Haruka inquired and was met by blank stares for a couple of reasons. The first reason was one of the reasons people always looked at her a little off — she misused a word. The second reason was because the brothers did not have a clue who she was.
"I think she means receptive," Yukino said. There were a few words that her Otome could have meant, but this one made the most sense.
Shuichi stepped in since he knew Haruka. He scratched his head. "I'd like to think we would. We love Nat-kun no matter what. It just so happens that we look at her like she's just the same as us, so maybe that does make it easier. The point is, though, we accept her for who she is and for who she loves," he chimed in. Nadia could not help smiling.
Natsuki then started her rounds of introductions since her brothers and Haruka seemed satisfied with those words. Shizuru took that time to admire the ring she had been showing off all night. A small smile crept onto her face as usual. She still could not believe Natsuki proposed to her, Natsuki really wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. It was just incredible. They really did come out of everything stronger than before, she thought. And then something came to challenge that thought.
"Shizuru-onee-sama," a voice behind her tried to purr, but it came out as more of a hiss. It was the sound of a thousand nightmares.
Shizuru did not have to turn around to know who it was. She did not want to make any sudden movements either or she would gather Natsuki's attention. Right now, Natsuki was focused on her brothers, animatedly talking with them and allowing them to become familiar with Haruka and Yukino. Shizuru wanted things to stay that way because she did not want to find out what Natsuki might do to Tomoe in a country that she was not likely to be punished for savagely killing a former student. It did not help that they could probably bury it so it never got out into the world at large.
"I suppose you just have a death wish, daring to show up in Natsuki's home like this," Shizuru commented in a low voice. She sounded normal while making that statement, which was done on purpose to show she had no emotional correction to Tomoe being dead at all.
"I knew you would be here, onee-sama. You know, I forgive you for tricking me. I should have known better really," Tomoe remarked and Shizuru could tell from her tone alone she was smiling.
"I don't want your forgiveness, nor do I need it. Now, go away," Shizuru ordered in a calm voice, eyes still focused on Natsuki.
"I will not. I know you know how much I love you. I still love you. That's why I'm able to forgive you for tricking me. I know you tend to trick the ones you love, so I should have seen it coming," Tomoe reasoned… or what she thought was reasoning anyway.
Shizuru almost flinched; apparently, Tomoe still was not mentally sound. The Third Column was able to maintain her composure, though. She could feel Tomoe was stepping closer to her, but thankfully, the former student halted before she was right on Shizuru.
"Ara, ara, you are delusional," Shizuru stated, still keeping her usual voice.
"I could take you away right now. You would have to be mine," Tomoe said, whispering now since she was closer.
Shizuru glanced over at Tomoe, just wanting to judge their distances better than hearing allowed. "And why would I have to do that?"
"I'd tell the Principal what you did. Tell her how you loved me when we were together," Tomoe pointed out, a wicked smile curving on her lips.
Shizuru was silent for a moment and Tomoe felt bold then. She stepped closer and actually wrapped her arms around Shizuru, pressing herself into the older Otome's back. Shizuru's breath hitched from shock. She did not think that Tomoe would do something like that in front of so many people with Natsuki less than ten feet away. Tomoe was not done with just embracing Shizuru, but she dared to nuzzle her face in Shizuru's neck and inhale Shizuru's scent.
"I'm sure if Natsuki knew how much you really loved me, she would let you go and we could be together," Tomoe whispered into Shizuru's ear.
"I'm sure if Natsuki knew why the hell you're hugging her fiancée like that, she'd want to kick your ass twice as hard," Natsuki commented as she stepped over to the situation. She quickly tugged Shizuru away from the younger woman and placed a soothing, but possessive arm around Shizuru's waist.
"Principal," Tomoe hissed.
"Tomoe, I'm giving you five seconds to leave my home and never bother Shizuru again or I'll shoot you, right here, at my fucking welcome home party," Natsuki stated plainly with a hard look in her eyes that said she spoke the truth.
"She won't be the only one shooting," Shuichi chimed in as he came to stand by his sister. He glared down at Tomoe with the same intense stare as his little sister did. The Kruger siblings stepped up with the same look in their eyes.
"And bullets won't be the only thing you need to duck," Haruka added in as she stepped into the scene. She still owed Tomoe for daring to think she could replace Yukino, as well as nearly ruining the home of the Otome when she decided to betray Garderobe.
"You appear to be outnumbered," Hiroshi observed. He thought it necessary to point out the obvious because Tomoe did not seem like the brightest bulb in the pack considering the way she flirted with Natsuki's fiancée right in front of everyone.
"You can't keep Shizuru-onee-sama away from me," Tomoe declared with a cocky glint in her eyes and a matching smirk.
"Yes, I can. That's the easy part. Keeping your insane ass away from Shizuru seems to be the problem," Natsuki growled.
"She loves me," Tomoe proclaimed as if it was the truth and loud enough for anyone with in a ten yard radius to hear her. Her voice attracted a few eyes, watching the scene as it grew.
"Shizuru was doing no such thing. She was using you and she was using you because I told her to do so," Natsuki informed the self-righteous, green-haired welt in front of her. The cocky expression dropped as each word hit Tomoe and it was all punctuated with the confident look on the principal's face.
"Liar!" Tomoe hollered and she actually launched herself at Natsuki.
Natsuki was surprised, but that did not stop her from springing into action. She grabbed Tomoe and put her into a tight hold, forcing the younger woman to the floor, on her knees. Tomoe grunted and groaned, but Natsuki did not let up. The more Tomoe struggled, the more pressure Natsuki put on her back and legs while she was in the hold. A crowd of people now watched and only a select few looked proud of what was going on; those few were the ones closest to the action.
"Shizuru doesn't want anything to do with you. You're just obsessed with her. She doesn't love you and she never will. Get that through your crazy skull before I have to break something," Natsuki snarled, speaking into Tomoe's flushed ear.
"It's you she doesn't love," Tomoe countered with a growl of her own. Her face was turning a dark red from anger and pain. It was getting harder and harder to breathe as Natsuki leaned on her.
"Then why the hell would she be marrying me?" Natsuki demanded, slamming against the younger woman, causing her to grunt.
Before Tomoe could answer, several important people made their way over to the scene. The first two were Natsuki's parents. After them, Tomoe's aunt was on the scene. Natsuki's parents glared at her, making it was clear the Kruger glare was inherited. The stare did not get Natsuki to move, though.
"Natsuki-chan, let our guest up," Saeko commanded in a stern, reprimanding tone. From the way her voice sounded, she might as well have blamed the whole incident on Natsuki and called her daughter an uncultured, barbarian pig while she was at it.
"I will do no such thing until she acknowledges that Shizuru is mine," Natsuki replied and she put more pressure on Tomoe just because her parents were there. Tomoe let out a strangled gasped that turned into a wince from the intense ache and closed one eye for a moment, hoping that the agony would pass.
"This again," the aunt sighed, shaking her head. Stepping closer, she took a bow. "I do apologize, Princess Natsuki. I thought that my niece was well enough to attend this function. I was unaware you would bring Viola-san. And even though you did, I and my family had hoped she was well passed this by now," the aunt explained with another very sincere bow.
"She obviously isn't and unless you want to be minus one niece, I would get her out of here," Natsuki snarled, keeping her attention mainly on her quarry.
Tomoe growled, too, as if she was going to do something, but as soon as Natsuki let her up, she went to her aunt's side. Tomoe had a glint in her eye, as if she really wanted to challenge Natsuki right there at that very moment, but she was wise enough to leave. She and her aunt were escorted away by palace guards, just to be certain Tomoe made it off of royal grounds.
Natsuki turned her attention to her fiancée and put a possessive arm around the older Otome's waist, daring someone else to try and claim Shizuru. Most of the guests went about their business, even though they really wanted to see more of the show. Saeko stared at her daughter for a long moment. Natsuki defiantly looked back, challenging her mother to say something. Saeko balked for once, turning to mingle once again, not desiring to start another scene in front of so many people.
"Well, I think we just lived through the most exciting part of this shindig," Hayate declared with a laugh.
"You should've beat that girl's ass! How dare she come and try to take your woman like that," Kenta proclaimed, making a tight fist. He was ready to follow after Tomoe, tugging his little sister with him, to make sure Tomoe never tried that stunt again. Shizuru was starting to see why Natsuki called Kenta her twin.
"You think I didn't want to beat her ass? That little bitch has been chasing Shizuru for years and for some stupid reason thinks Shizuru is in love with her!" Natsuki huffed, frowning deeply as she thought about the green-haired menace that desired her one and only love.
"Natsuki, calm down. She's gone now," Shizuru said, placing a soothing hand on Natsuki's stomach.
Natsuki was about to bark something else about Tomoe, but found the fingers dancing across her abdomen to be distracting, as both she and her lover knew they would be. She forgot what she was going to utter, which also gave Shizuru a chance to request that she and Natsuki speak in private. Natsuki was taken aback by the request and blinked hard, wondering if she was in trouble. Her brothers seemed to think so, if their jeering expressions meant anything.
"Good to see that even Natsuki gets in trouble with her girlfriend," Hiroshi remarked, chuckling just a little.
"Just shows she's definitely our little brother," Koji chimed.
"Natsuki is not in trouble," Shizuru assured everyone, even though the words were meant to put Natsuki at ease the most. She did not want Natsuki to be embarrassed, thinking that she just got put in her place in front of her big brothers and she did not want Natsuki to worry, thinking that she had done something wrong.
"Well, if it's nothing bad…" Natsuki conceded.
Natsuki led Shizuru away from the group, going outside to a quiet little garden for them to talk. They failed to notice a pair of eyes following them out of the hall. Saeko wondered what her daughter was up to and contemplated following the pair out, just to ease her mind that Natsuki was not trying to sneak out… or something else even more unsavory than that. Unfortunately — or fortunately depending on who was asked — Saeko had to keep her attention to some rather important guests that she was engaging at the moment.
Natsuki and Shizuru stood outside in the cool night air, still able to hear the music and chatter inside the hall. Natsuki could not help wondering why Shizuru had a sudden urge to speak in private. She honestly thought she was in trouble and Shizuru just said she was not to allow her the chance to save face in front of her brothers. It was a sweet gesture, she thought, but she would still rather not be in trouble.
"Natsuki, I want to talk to you about Tomoe," Shizuru confessed, doing her best to look Natsuki in the eye. It was hard, very hard, and for a moment her eyes wandered to the sky. There were so many stars out, looking down at them, guiding them. Her eyes went back to precious Natsuki's face.
"Look, I know I was out of line in there, but damn it, she pisses me off!" Natsuki started, fully prepared to defend her actions. She figured her behavior toward the green-haired pest was the reason she was in trouble.
"I don't want to talk about what you did in there to her, but what I did with her that night," Shizuru informed her lover.
Natsuki was about to say something else, but Shizuru's words reached her brain. She closed her mouth and blinked hard a couple of times as she realized she really was not in trouble. Taking a second to think about it, she was certain she would prefer to be in trouble. She did not want to hear about what Shizuru did with Tomoe, even if she acted like she did. It would just be too much, especially knowing she was the one that set the whole thing up. As much as she would like to blame Shizuru, she believed it was all her fault because it was her plan.
"Shizuru, you don't have to tell me. Thinking about it… thinking about what I asked of you…" Natsuki trailed off as Shizuru put a delicate index finger to her lips, halting any other words from the principal. Too bad that did not stop her heart from beating way too fast.
"You had an idea to save the entire world. You could've asked anything of me. Not only is it my duty as an Otome, but you know by now that I would do anything that Natsuki requested of me. Our sacrifice was small considering what others lost. But, I am the one who invited this mess into our lives," Shizuru argued gently.
"You didn't. I did by asking you to toy with her. I practically turned you into a prostitute for our cause!" Natsuki yelped as those words escaped her and the realization dawned on her that that was just what she had done. She had used the love of her life like a prostitute and then had the nerve to be upset over it long after it was over. I'm an ass!
"Stop it," Shizuru commanded with force, getting Natsuki's total attention again. She locked eyes with Natsuki again and held hands with her. "I don't want to hear that kind of talk. You never told me to sleep with her or anything of the like. You just wanted me to manipulate her, which I did. You didn't force me out there like a pimp would a prostitute, so stop it. Understood?"
Natsuki nodded like a scolded child. Shizuru looked sternly at her love for a few seconds, which kept Natsuki appearing to be quite the reprimanded child. After those seconds passed, Shizuru pulled Natsuki to her in a light embrace.
"I don't want us to get married without you knowing the complete truth," Shizuru explained in a whisper, breathing into Natsuki's ear. Natsuki felt her knees growing weak thanks to the closeness of their bodies, pressing of Shizuru's rising chest against her own, and the loving breeze caressing her ear.
Natsuki sighed, knowing she did need to hear the complete truth. She did not want that to be something looming over them for her to use when she put her foot in her mouth years down the line if she and Shizuru had a major disagreement or something. Besides, she could tell from the pleading look in those crimson eyes that the truth was a burden to Shizuru. She needed to take that weight away from her lover and they both would be able to put it behind them, moving forward with their relationship.
"Tell me…" Natsuki requested in a whisper.
-8-8-8-8-
Saeko caught sight of Natsuki and Shizuru through one of the large windows that opened up into the garden. She watched carefully as the couple stood close to each other, Shizuru seemingly whispering in Natsuki's ear. Saeko doubted they knew they were being watched, yet they still appeared to be pretending, as she saw it, to be a couple.
Could it be…? Saeko wondered. She had heard stories about same-sex couples happening in certain parts of the world, but she honestly could not fathom how it worked… and she was not even a native of Saxas. For the people of Saxas, they could not see anything beyond a male and female pairing because that was what they were used to, that was what produced children, and that was what they reviewed as natural. Male and female coupling was not only logical and right, but just the only possible way a romantic relationship could happen. Anything else was friendship as far as the people in Saxas were concerned, no matter how deep the emotions ran and it never led to anything sexual because if a person felt so deeply for someone of the same sex, they were then considered family.
Saeko eyed her daughter and considered her. Natsuki had never been a very good actor; none of the Kruger children were good actors. But, ever since her arrival with Shizuru, she had been doing quite a good job at pretending they were a couple, pretending to be in love. At the moment, she was doing an excellent job of keeping up the act, even though as far as Natsuki knew, no one was around.
It couldn't be. It's just not possible. How would they…? Saeko shut her own thought process down because she really did not want to think too hard on it. She did not understand it. It just could not be possible. Natsuki and Shizuru could not be a real couple.
"They're only friends," Saeko whispered, trying to assure herself there was nothing more there.
But, the more Saeko watched the two, the more she started to believe they were not acting. The way Shizuru held Natsuki as she finished saying whatever she had to say, the pleading in her eyes. The way Natsuki hesitated only for a moment and then wrapped Shizuru in a tight, loving embrace, forgiving Shizuru for some transgression it would seem. Natsuki cradled Shizuru's head against her shoulder, lovingly running one hand through tawny locks. It all just seemed more than necessary for friends.
"Maybe she's just consoling Shizuru and convincing her to keep up their little façade," Saeko decided. But, something deep down ate at her and told her she knew the truth. No, it's can't.
-8-8-8-8-
Next time: Saeko steps in to play matchmaker, setting Natsuki up on a lunch date with a gentleman named Eiji. Will Shizuru stand for such a thing?