AN: Hey all. Long time no see. It took me a while to work on this chapter, thought it came out not so long as the previous one, but hey, I made it. So here you go! Enjoy and review as always :3

BR,
Author

'Thinking'

"Talking"

NOTE:

This chapter now is beta edited

Chapter 10

After The Storm

Natsuki awoke as the first rays of the sun hit her face, groaning in annoyance as she wasn't ready to get up just yet. She cuddled more into her pillow, but instead felt something small and soft shift followed by light groan, that made her snap her eyes open.

Right in front of her, Shizuru laid, still in peaceful slumber, thankfully.

'OH. MY. GOD! S-S-Shizuru… I forgot we fell asleep together…' Natsuki's heart made a flip in surprise to find Shizuru so close to her. And being so close to the woman of her dreams was blissful but unbearably hard at the same time.

Laying so close to chestnut beauty, Natsuki could feel every inch of her soft body pressing into her own. Her warm skin raising a heat to her own body, and her excitement down low was becoming harder by the second. Natsuki couldn't help herself and averted her eyes from the lovely face, dropping down to Shizuru's plump, rosy and slightly parted lips.

The tip of Natsuki's tongue came out to wet the now dry lips. She felt the hunger and need to claim this delicious prize. And before she could register the action, her face was now inches away from Shizuru's.

"N-Natsuki…"

The moment she heard her name spoken, immediately brought Natsuki back from her trance and as she immediately but slowly pushed herself back as far as was allowed to keep their bodies from being intertwined.

A cold shiver ran down her spine as she looked into blood red eyes that were still clouded from the sleep.

'GOSH! I nearly kissed her! And she caught me! Did she? Oh my God! I'm so busted! She trusted me and I tried to take the advantage of her. What am I going to do now… I…Oh no…'

"Ara? Morning, Natsuki." Shizuru weekly smiled rubbing her eyes to get rid of the sleep, "How long have I slept? What time is it?"

Natsuki stayed quiet, staring somewhere else other than Shizuru, lost in her own thoughts.

'She didn't notice me almost kissing her? She didn't, right? Oh, thanks God!'

"Natsuki…"

At the silence, Shizuru continued,"Natsuki… Are you ok? You seem a little off…Do you have a fever?"

Shizuru popped herself on the elbow and shortening the gap Natsuki had created and pressed her forehead onto bluenette's.

For Natsuki, that was too much to bear.

"Y-yea-ah… I'm totally f-fine…" Natsuki wiggled away nervously, avoiding the eye contact. Her face flushed. "Sorry…I woke you up"

Natsuki was about to turn around and leave when Shizuru grabbed her wrist, firmly and out of blue. "W-wait…"

Shizuru tugged Natsuki back to the bed, surprised herself at the force and Natsuki, turned a bit and flopped on top of Shizuru, pinning her to the bed with her own body.

Their eyes met, both staring speechless at each other in surprise, until Shizuru felt something hard poking at her pelvic area…

"N-Natsuki…what…is that?"

"What? What is?" Breathed out a bothered Natsuki, too preoccupied with the overwhelming feelings that swirled under her skin to process what Shizuru had asked her.

"S-something is poking…me d-down t-there…"

Natsuki literary jumped off from Shizuru turning her back while nervously trying to find any logical explanation.

"S-Sorry … I…it's…it's was my…f-flashlight…Yeah, my flashlight..."

"Flashlight…?" Shizuru raised her eyebrow getting suspicious.

"Yes…from last night, when I ran into your room…you were having a nightmare…Sorry, Ithinksomeonejustcalledme..." Natsuki blurred out before running out from the room as if the hellhounds were chasing after her, leaving a dumbfounded Shizuru.

"Ara?"

~0~0~0~0~0~0~

It was already six in the evening. Natsuki was sitting on the couch in the living room, deep in her thoughts. She had avoided Shizuru most of the day. She was too embarrassed to face her. However she can't do this the whole day.

'How am I going to face her now? What will she think of me? What if she will understand who I am? What the hell am I supposed to do now? Gahhh…this whole situation is going to kill me!' Natsuki leaned back into the couch and covered her eyes with a hand and a strangled sigh.

"Lady Kuga?"

Natsuki turned around to see one of her maidens standing in the doorway.

"Yes, Sarada-san?"

"Are you having a headache? Do you want me to bring you a medicine?"

"No need, Sarada-san. I'm fine." Natsuki gave her maida sincere smile as thanks for the concern, "Is dinner ready?"

"Almost. Do you want me to serve it to you here or in the patio?"

"Outside…better outside will be fine."

"As you wish, my Lady"

Sarada was about to leave when Natsuki stopped her, "Sarada-san."

"Yes, my Lady"

"Um, have you seen miss Fujino?"

"I believe she is at the lake. Do you want me to call her?"

"No, I will do it. Thanks, you may go now"

Maid bowed and left as quietly as she came.

~0~0~0~0~0~

Shizuru sat on a bench, safely under the roof with her notebook, pouring out her feelings on the white paper sheets. The breeze coming from the lake played with her golden-brown curls.

It wasn't about her job, it was about her feelings, and a things that she had to go through for the short period of time. She did not plan to make a new song from it,

It just came out as a lyric, really sad and emotional lyrics.

She thought about her husband's betrayal, the sickness, and how she was tired from all of it. She wanted, she needed someone to save her, to pull her out from all this mess.

Thinking about it, she thought about her bodyguard and how dependent she had become, on her and the warm feelings she is starting to feel toward the raven haired girl.

Deep in her thoughts she ran her fingers onto the white fur of her wild best friend, who never left her side since the day they came into Kuga's estate. Her gaze fixed on the blue surface of the lake.

'Natsuki…I feel like she is hiding something from me for some reason, but why? What she's scared of? Was it something that I did? Or something I said? What could it possibly be?

And this sudden questions, she remembered when the maidens called her 'Lady Kuga'.

All the things she told me so far, the estate and its staff. Making me wonder who Natsuki really is…what is she hiding?'

Shizruru was too preoccupied to notice someone's coming in silently.

"You will catch a cold if you stay here for too long at this hour without a jacket…"

"Oh, Natsuki! You scared me…" Shizuru sighed surprised, placing a hand on her racing heart.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…" smiled Natsuki, covering Shizuru with her warm, leather jacket and seating beside her, earning a blush from Shizuru.

Shizuru noted that Natsuki was bothered with something, maybe because of their morning incident… She wanted to ask first, but then changed her mind, not wanting to push the girl.

"It looks like Duran trust you that he didn't warn me of your presence…" Shizuru gave a wolf a light peck on his nose while massaging his scalp with her fingers.

"Well… He's a smart boy" Grinned Natsuki, also running her hand into his fur, her hand covering Shizuru's hand in the process.

Their eyes met and a pang rang inside each heart. They immediately broke the contact by separating their hands, embarrassed.

"Um… What you are writing?" asked Natsuki scratching the back of her head in a nervous manner.

"A new lyrics...maybe not for a song…I think…"

"Hmm… You think?" asked Natsuki confused "How's that?"

"Well, it's more like what I feel right now…the lyric is too raw for a song. And it's not actually my theme… So, I don't think it will be going somewhere other than my notes."

"Can I read it?" asked Natsuki with a smile that it was too adorable to refuse her request.

"Sure"

Shizuru passed her note to Natsuki who took more comfortable pose on the bench and started to read the lyric.

The sky is falling on you

I know what your after

My eyes so cold and abused

I know what your after

I feel the pain wake up inside

I take the blame so I can hide

All the scars

You stay the same so long I've tried

To break the chains now I can find

All your scars

Get me out of here

So I can breathe

It's all become so clear

what lies beneath

Your skin it's thin

Your never gonna keep me down

Get me out, just get me out of here

Natsuki sat still overwhelmed with emotions, unable to find a proper word how to describe the feelings that stormed after reading those lyrics...words. And all she wanted to do was to hold Shizuru tight and never let her go. It felt like a part of Shizuru's feelings were passed onto her.

"So… What do you think?" asked Shizuru breaking the silence since it was torment.

"Um… it's…it's so deep that I can't actually find a proper word to describe what I feel, Shizuru I…you… It's really good."

"T-thank you…" Shizuru turned her head on the side to hide her newly appeared blush.

The idea stuck Natsuki.

"Um, Shizuru?"

"Yes, Natsuki"

"Can I borrow your lyric…the notebook for a while?"

"Um… Sure…but can I ask what for?" asked Shizuru curiously.

"You will see" Natsuki broke into a mysterious smirk.

"Ara, ara. Is my Natsuki going to prepare a surprise for me?" teased Shizuru but then realization hit her.

'Did I just said my Natsuki?'

"You will see my princess" teased back Natsuki leaning forward and whispering her reply making an accent on the last two words.

Pleased with reaction that came from Shizuru as she sat frozen and red Natsuki stood before her offering a hand to chestnut singer "Come, the dinner is almost ready"

Shizuru took Natsuki by her arm and they started to walk back to estate with Duran just in front of them and not going ahead of them. They walked with no hurry enjoying the comforting silence between them when the ring of Natsuki's phone ruined their moment.

"Kuga, speaking. Yo, Mai…Any news for me? Great! Sure…I will be waiting..."

Natsuki hanged up the call and smiled toward Shizuru who gave her a questioning look.

"My friend called me. She will join the dinner. I hope you don't mind?"

"Sure, Natsuki's friends are mine too" answered Shizuru a little excited to meet Natsuki's friends.

To Be Continue...