Cardcaptor Sakura/ Witchblade: Part Nine
Tomoyo stood there with her eyes firmly closed, her black hair blowing around her face. There was an aura of peace about the woman, but also of an deeper awareness, as if she was trying to feel the world around her, not just see it. She had summoned forth the Witchblade, the silvery gauntlet running up her arm to just below her elbow.
The metallic disk flew towards her, and the Witchblade launched forth a lance of steel to cut it down, all without it's wielder even opening her eyes. Tomoyo finally opened up her eyes to look at Natsuki and ask, "Did it work?"
"Five tries, and the 'Blade took them all out," Natsuki said, the business suit clad woman tossing another of the disks up and down in her hand. The bodyguard pushed her brown hair out of her eyes as she muttered, "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."
"Thanks," Tomoyo put her other hand on Natsuki's arm, "I know this goes against all your normal instincts."
"And I wasn't looking forward to explaining to your mother how I knocked you out cold if this didn't work," Natsuki chuckled.
"There is that," Tomoyo smiled back. "Watch this," she smiled, and began to concentrate again. The Witchblade twitched, then it's substance flowed up her arm and over her body. In a few moments it had formed a silvery bodysuit, enfolding her from the neck down in a golden mesh while leaving her arms mostly exposed.
Natsuki gulped. The mesh really wasn't all that revealing, but it did closely hug each and every curve of Tomoyo's teenage body. "It... looks good," she managed.
"You think so?" Tomoyo asked, turning her body about, inadvertently showing her sleek bottom to Natsuki. "It could use as few ruffles," she noted.
Natsuki actually chuckled softly, even though she was sweating a bit. "Somehow, I don't see you as the ruffles type," she offered.
Tomoyo smiled back at her, "I guess not." With a thought the Witchblade withdrew to it's bracelet form, revealing the shorts and T-shirt she had been wearing.
"Do you want to go inside for lunch?" Natsuki asked her quietly.
Right on cue, Tomoyo's stomach growled loudly at it's owner. "I guess that answers that," Tomoyo blushed as she fell into step beside the smiling Natsuki. The bodyguard had been a bit quieter than usual today, and Tomoyo wondered what she was thinking about. 'Or if she's thinking about what I am,' she thought wryly.
Tomoyo couldn't seem to get last night's visit to the Locket out of her mind. From Hitomi's comment that Natsuki was handsome, to the way that they had danced together, it all simply refused to leave her thoughts. 'Was she dancing with me just to watch over me,' she wondered, 'or did she ask me to because she wanted to?'
And then there was Sakura. It was strange, but Tomoyo actually felt faintly guilty. It was like she was being disloyal, somehow, to the pretty girl she had been in love with so very, very long. And whom never felt the same way about her, she reminded herself firmly.
'Not that I understand about what I'm feeling for Natsuki,' Tomoyo admitted to herself as the bodyguard held the door open for her. 'All I do know,' she thought, 'is that she makes me feel.. good, somehow. I think she cares, and not just because she's my bodyguard.'
Tomoyo settled into her seat at the lunch table, while Natsuki stood by a window, keeping watch both inside and out. Tomoyo watched her for a moment, looking at the face in profile, before she asked her, "Have you eaten anything yet?"
Natsuki smiled, "No, not yet. I was going to grab something later."
"Would you like to join me?" Tomoyo asked her, waving to the empty seat right beside her. More softly, "I'm sure you can guard me just as well from there."
Natsuki hesitated a moment, but she saw the clear entreaty in Tomoyo's dark eyes. "Sure," she smiled, "I'd love to." She sat down in the seat beside Tomoyo's, and then set about loading up her own plate from the selection of luncheon dishes.
"Thanks," Tomoyo said, the she sighed softly as she looked around the large, mostly empty dining room. "I really hate eating alone," she muttered softly.
"You mother left for her business conference this morning, didn't she?" Natsuki asked her sympathetically. It couldn't be easy, being the daughter of such a successful business woman, one who had to be away so often.
"Yeah," Tomoyo nodded, a faint blush on her cheeks. She couldn't believe what her mother had said to her just before she left.
Whenever Sonomi was going to be gone for a week or more, Tomoyo tried to be up in time to say good-bye. But this time was a bit unusual. Tomoyo had walked her to her limo, but Sonomi had paused before climbing inside.
Sonomi had looked steadily into Tomoyo's eyes as she said, "Natsuki is a good woman, you know. One of the best."
Tomoyo blinked a few times, wondering where her mother was going with this. "Yes, she is," she could readily agree with that.
Sonomi sighed, realizing that Tomoyo was not getting her point. "If I thought I had a chance with her," she said, "I'd take a shot myself. But it seems she has her eye on someone else," she said, giving Tomoyo a very significant look.
That time, Tomoyo got it. Her eyes widened, "You mean.."
Sonomi nodded gravely. The limo door was opened, then she turned back with a little smile, "You know, I am going to be gone for at least a week." A pause, "It might give you a chance to.. get to know each other better."
Before a stunned Tomoyo could even form a response to that, Sonomi was inside the limo and gone, her tail lights glowing as they drove off.
'Did mom really imply that she thought... that Natsuki and I should...' Tomoyo thought, looking down at her plate nervously. She looked up, to see Natsuki looking at her quizzically, a little smile on the bodyguard's face.
'She sure is cute when she blushes,' Natsuki noted. She decided to look down at her meal again, to give the girl some time to regain her composure. 'I wonder what she's thinking about that's making her blush?' she thought.
After a few moments of early silent eating Natsuki quietly asked her, "Do you go out to that night club very often?"
"Yes, actually," Tomoyo felt happy to be back to a safe topic.
"Good," Natsuki smiled back at her gently as she said, "if you don't mind, I'd like to come along with you the next time you go." At Tomoyo's questioning gaze she softly added that, "I really had a good time last night."
"So did I," Tomoyo answered, looking at Natsuki directly.
"Even when I took all your dances?" Natsuki asked her with a little smile.
Tomoyo actually laughed a bit, "You dance divinely."
They were sitting quite close at the table, and Tomoyo found herself leaning a bit closer to Natsuki even as the bodyguard leaned closer towards her. They drew close, and maybe they might have even kissed each other when...
... a maid bustled in with a cart full of soft drinks.
The two jerked apart, gazing at each other wide-eyed. With a sudden gesture Natsuki pushed herself away from the dining table, tossing a hurried, "excuse me," over her shoulder as she all but ran right out of the room.
Tomoyo gazed after her in shock for a moment, then got out of her chair and ran right after her. "Natsuki," she cried to the trotting bodyguard.
The bodyguard slowed, then she stopped, letting Tomoyo catch up to her. Natsuki kept her back turned to Tomoyo as she softly said, "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Tomoyo asked her softly.
Natsuki turned to her, her eyes dark. Tears glittered in her eyes as she softly said, "I nearly kissed you in there."
Tomoyo smiled slightly, "And that's bad because?"
Natsuki blinked at her, "I'm your bodyguard, I'm not supposed to have feelings for the person I'm trying to protect..."
Tomoyo looked up at the older woman steadily, "I'm glad you have feelings for me." She smiled at her wryly, "I thought I was all alone in the having feelings department."
"This is such a mess," Natsuki muttered softly.
"Maybe," Tomoyo agreed with her readily, "but there's no way we're going to figure this out if either of us runs away."
Natsuki had to smile at that, "You could be right."
"Oh, I'm always right," Tomoyo said with a airy wave.
"Wouldn't go that far," Natsuki commented. The two women headed down the hallway together, talking softly.
To be continued...
Tomoyo stood there with her eyes firmly closed, her black hair blowing around her face. There was an aura of peace about the woman, but also of an deeper awareness, as if she was trying to feel the world around her, not just see it. She had summoned forth the Witchblade, the silvery gauntlet running up her arm to just below her elbow.
The metallic disk flew towards her, and the Witchblade launched forth a lance of steel to cut it down, all without it's wielder even opening her eyes. Tomoyo finally opened up her eyes to look at Natsuki and ask, "Did it work?"
"Five tries, and the 'Blade took them all out," Natsuki said, the business suit clad woman tossing another of the disks up and down in her hand. The bodyguard pushed her brown hair out of her eyes as she muttered, "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."
"Thanks," Tomoyo put her other hand on Natsuki's arm, "I know this goes against all your normal instincts."
"And I wasn't looking forward to explaining to your mother how I knocked you out cold if this didn't work," Natsuki chuckled.
"There is that," Tomoyo smiled back. "Watch this," she smiled, and began to concentrate again. The Witchblade twitched, then it's substance flowed up her arm and over her body. In a few moments it had formed a silvery bodysuit, enfolding her from the neck down in a golden mesh while leaving her arms mostly exposed.
Natsuki gulped. The mesh really wasn't all that revealing, but it did closely hug each and every curve of Tomoyo's teenage body. "It... looks good," she managed.
"You think so?" Tomoyo asked, turning her body about, inadvertently showing her sleek bottom to Natsuki. "It could use as few ruffles," she noted.
Natsuki actually chuckled softly, even though she was sweating a bit. "Somehow, I don't see you as the ruffles type," she offered.
Tomoyo smiled back at her, "I guess not." With a thought the Witchblade withdrew to it's bracelet form, revealing the shorts and T-shirt she had been wearing.
"Do you want to go inside for lunch?" Natsuki asked her quietly.
Right on cue, Tomoyo's stomach growled loudly at it's owner. "I guess that answers that," Tomoyo blushed as she fell into step beside the smiling Natsuki. The bodyguard had been a bit quieter than usual today, and Tomoyo wondered what she was thinking about. 'Or if she's thinking about what I am,' she thought wryly.
Tomoyo couldn't seem to get last night's visit to the Locket out of her mind. From Hitomi's comment that Natsuki was handsome, to the way that they had danced together, it all simply refused to leave her thoughts. 'Was she dancing with me just to watch over me,' she wondered, 'or did she ask me to because she wanted to?'
And then there was Sakura. It was strange, but Tomoyo actually felt faintly guilty. It was like she was being disloyal, somehow, to the pretty girl she had been in love with so very, very long. And whom never felt the same way about her, she reminded herself firmly.
'Not that I understand about what I'm feeling for Natsuki,' Tomoyo admitted to herself as the bodyguard held the door open for her. 'All I do know,' she thought, 'is that she makes me feel.. good, somehow. I think she cares, and not just because she's my bodyguard.'
Tomoyo settled into her seat at the lunch table, while Natsuki stood by a window, keeping watch both inside and out. Tomoyo watched her for a moment, looking at the face in profile, before she asked her, "Have you eaten anything yet?"
Natsuki smiled, "No, not yet. I was going to grab something later."
"Would you like to join me?" Tomoyo asked her, waving to the empty seat right beside her. More softly, "I'm sure you can guard me just as well from there."
Natsuki hesitated a moment, but she saw the clear entreaty in Tomoyo's dark eyes. "Sure," she smiled, "I'd love to." She sat down in the seat beside Tomoyo's, and then set about loading up her own plate from the selection of luncheon dishes.
"Thanks," Tomoyo said, the she sighed softly as she looked around the large, mostly empty dining room. "I really hate eating alone," she muttered softly.
"You mother left for her business conference this morning, didn't she?" Natsuki asked her sympathetically. It couldn't be easy, being the daughter of such a successful business woman, one who had to be away so often.
"Yeah," Tomoyo nodded, a faint blush on her cheeks. She couldn't believe what her mother had said to her just before she left.
Whenever Sonomi was going to be gone for a week or more, Tomoyo tried to be up in time to say good-bye. But this time was a bit unusual. Tomoyo had walked her to her limo, but Sonomi had paused before climbing inside.
Sonomi had looked steadily into Tomoyo's eyes as she said, "Natsuki is a good woman, you know. One of the best."
Tomoyo blinked a few times, wondering where her mother was going with this. "Yes, she is," she could readily agree with that.
Sonomi sighed, realizing that Tomoyo was not getting her point. "If I thought I had a chance with her," she said, "I'd take a shot myself. But it seems she has her eye on someone else," she said, giving Tomoyo a very significant look.
That time, Tomoyo got it. Her eyes widened, "You mean.."
Sonomi nodded gravely. The limo door was opened, then she turned back with a little smile, "You know, I am going to be gone for at least a week." A pause, "It might give you a chance to.. get to know each other better."
Before a stunned Tomoyo could even form a response to that, Sonomi was inside the limo and gone, her tail lights glowing as they drove off.
'Did mom really imply that she thought... that Natsuki and I should...' Tomoyo thought, looking down at her plate nervously. She looked up, to see Natsuki looking at her quizzically, a little smile on the bodyguard's face.
'She sure is cute when she blushes,' Natsuki noted. She decided to look down at her meal again, to give the girl some time to regain her composure. 'I wonder what she's thinking about that's making her blush?' she thought.
After a few moments of early silent eating Natsuki quietly asked her, "Do you go out to that night club very often?"
"Yes, actually," Tomoyo felt happy to be back to a safe topic.
"Good," Natsuki smiled back at her gently as she said, "if you don't mind, I'd like to come along with you the next time you go." At Tomoyo's questioning gaze she softly added that, "I really had a good time last night."
"So did I," Tomoyo answered, looking at Natsuki directly.
"Even when I took all your dances?" Natsuki asked her with a little smile.
Tomoyo actually laughed a bit, "You dance divinely."
They were sitting quite close at the table, and Tomoyo found herself leaning a bit closer to Natsuki even as the bodyguard leaned closer towards her. They drew close, and maybe they might have even kissed each other when...
... a maid bustled in with a cart full of soft drinks.
The two jerked apart, gazing at each other wide-eyed. With a sudden gesture Natsuki pushed herself away from the dining table, tossing a hurried, "excuse me," over her shoulder as she all but ran right out of the room.
Tomoyo gazed after her in shock for a moment, then got out of her chair and ran right after her. "Natsuki," she cried to the trotting bodyguard.
The bodyguard slowed, then she stopped, letting Tomoyo catch up to her. Natsuki kept her back turned to Tomoyo as she softly said, "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Tomoyo asked her softly.
Natsuki turned to her, her eyes dark. Tears glittered in her eyes as she softly said, "I nearly kissed you in there."
Tomoyo smiled slightly, "And that's bad because?"
Natsuki blinked at her, "I'm your bodyguard, I'm not supposed to have feelings for the person I'm trying to protect..."
Tomoyo looked up at the older woman steadily, "I'm glad you have feelings for me." She smiled at her wryly, "I thought I was all alone in the having feelings department."
"This is such a mess," Natsuki muttered softly.
"Maybe," Tomoyo agreed with her readily, "but there's no way we're going to figure this out if either of us runs away."
Natsuki had to smile at that, "You could be right."
"Oh, I'm always right," Tomoyo said with a airy wave.
"Wouldn't go that far," Natsuki commented. The two women headed down the hallway together, talking softly.
To be continued...