Disclaimer: Mai Hime and its assorted characters are the property of Sunrise. This story contains elements of shoujo-ai, unreciprocated or otherwise grins. Don't like, please don't read.
Thanks! Special thanks to my poor, abused beta, Jenny Chan, without whom this work would not have been possible. Jenny, you rock my world!
Epilogue
Her hand swung open the door, then stilled.
A delicate, yet persistent scent lingered in the room beyond, and Shizuru paused before fully opening the door.
It was the smell of Natsuki's shampoo.
Kuga Natsuki was inside, or had been inside recently, and her heart gave a little flip at the thought.
She pushed the door in, hoping that it was the former.
And there Natsuki was, her face soft and innocent, free of any worry or care.
How like an angel you look, Natsuki.
Shizuru studied the scene before her for a moment, trying to capture it in her memory for all time.
There will never be any more of these moments...
For a second, she regretted her choice, but then it passed. She could not have possibly gone down the road, no matter how attractive.
It would not have been the best for Natsuki.
Slowly, she walked over to her table, a bittersweet feeling touching her heart as she watched the sleeping Natsuki.
The Student Council President wondered if Natsuki would ever know how happy she had felt whenever she came in to see Natsuki waiting for her like that.
Or how close she had come to kissing her each time.
She reached out her hand, then paused, considering her course of action.
"Natsuki?"
The dark-haired girl slept on like an unbearably cute log.
Shizuru smiled, then ran her fingers through the wealth of dark hair.
"Mnnn... Nrggg...," Natsuki mumbled incomprehensibly as she woke. "Ugh... Shizuru. How long have you been standing there?"
"Not long," she replied from her vantage point at the window, then turned to smile at the dark-haired girl. "What brings Natsuki here?"
There was an immediate flush on Natsuki's face. "I... I just wanted to ask you if you were serious about staying back another year."
She smiled. "So you want me to stay another year?"
"No! Ye- Uh... I mean.. Well, anyway, are you?" Natsuki demanded, a little flustered.
"Oh, I am so sad, Natsuki doesn't want me around in school with her," Shizuru said in the saddest voice she could muster.
"Hey, wait! I didn't say that," Natsuki said, scowling.
The Student Council President giggled at Natsuki's indignant expression.
"The truth of the matter is," she said, before turning back to the view. "I had considered it, but I do not think that it will be best for Natsuki."
Natsuki opened her mouth to speak, but stopped, apparently not sure if she agreed to the statement. It appeared as if several thoughts were running through her head.
How cute. It looks as if she is arguing with herself.
"Well," Natsuki gruffly said. "As long as it's best for you also."
"That's sweet of Natsuki," she said, beaming.
The dark-haired girl turned three different shades of red in quick succession.
"I'mjustnotusedtotheideaofnothavingyouaround," Natsuki groused.
"What was that, Natsuki?" Shizuru blinked and turned to the other girl.
"Nothing," Natsuki said, looking at the floor.
The Student Council President laughed, her eyes crinkling, as the dark-haired girl pretended the floor was very interesting.
She decided to be merciful this time, and turned away from Natsuki, looking at the mountains and the sea over Fuuka.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the other girl shuffling out of the seat, coming to join her, and she smiled.
"Why are you smiling?" Natsuki demanded crossly, as she came to stand by the Student Council President.
"No reason," she said, smiling again. "Ara, is Natsuki curious as to the thoughts that run to my mind?"
Twin patches of red exploded like nuclear bombs on the dark-haired girl's face.
"Wh- Ah, forget it," Natsuki said, even more crossly, trying to hide her embarassment.
Shizuru laughed as she watched Natsuki silently fume.
But instead of stomping off, as she was wont to do before, she squeezed in next to Shizuru at the sill, watching the scene as well, in silence.
"Did you at least manage to get some sleep?" Shizuru enquired.
Natsuki yawned her assent. "Did you?"
She carelessly shrugged. "A little during the presentation ceremony."
Her glances sideways did not escape Natsuki's notice. The other girl eyed her suspiciously. "What is it?"
"Your hoodie is crooked."
"So?" Natsuki muttered irritably,
"I would like to adjust it."
"My... My hoodie? Whatever for?" Natsuki said incredulously.
It should have been an easy answer, that it was because it hung crookedly down Natsuki's back but it was not.
There were other reasons too.
It's so adorable.
I've wanted to do this so many times.
I just want to touch you.
So many things, so she just blushed.
Natsuki, who looked as if she was about to grumble over being groomed, noticed her blush, and immediately mirrored it, looking like an overripe tomato.
"Ah, erm, erh, okay," she mumbled.
Gently, Shizuru smoothed out the creases in the folds on Natsuki's shoulders. She followed the lines, until her arms had to reach behind Natsuki to straighten the hoodie.
Shyly, she traced out the hoodie and teased out the creases.
All the while, Natsuki was trembling like a wild wolf in a trap.
I've wanted to do this for so long...
Is this a dream that you finally let me touch you...
I... Kanninna, Natsuki. I am taking advantage of you again...
She moved to withdraw her fingers, but Natsuki must have sensed her thoughts, because her own hands came to encircle Shizuru's waist.
In a very low, embarrassed sounding voice, Natsuki mumbled, "Easier for you to adjust it."
Natsuki's presence, so close, and heady, made her linger in straightening the cloth, and in drawing the dark, silky hair out of it.
Is this real? Will I wake up and find myself in the depths of the Carnival?
This had to be a dream, all that had happened these past few days...
"Shizuru, is everything alright?
The dark-haired girl's concerned gaze washed over her in a wave of warmth.
A moment she had wanted for so long was passing, and it was exquisite, this simple act of affection for Natsuki.
"Everything is, Natsuki."
Everything.
The worried look in Natsuki's eyes softened.
---
Shizuru, so beautiful, so happy.
She should always look like this... Nrggghhh!
With some amazement and alarm, Natsuki noted a large explosion of feeling in her chest. It made her heart ache, sing, dance and do the cardiac equivalent of Para Para.
She felt a little giddy.
Now it was Shizuru's turn to be worried.
"Natsuki? Are you alright?"
"..."
"Natsuki?" Shizuru demanded anxiously, her eyes roving over Natsuki, looking for a sudden injury or abnormality.
"I'm fine," she said, hastily, swallowing down the feeling.
The anxiety did not leave Shizuru's eyes.
"I really am," she said, protesting.
The look in Shizuru's eyes indicated that she did not quite believe her but would let it go for now.
"Alright," Shizuru allowed.
A second passed before Natsuki realised that they were still rather intimately close. She flushed a bright red to her neck.
Shizuru had taken the permission to touch her anywhen a bit too literally, and she had gotten gleefully hugged at some rather embarassing moments.
But on the whole, Kuga Natsuki had to be admit that it was rather...
Nice, although she had taken to keeping a close lookout over her shoulder, to avoid getting suddenly glomped.
Just today, she had barely managed to avoid being squeezed in front of Sakomizu-sensei himself. She shuddered at the thought of his smirk had he seen such a sight, and he would definitely have reminded her that she had said she did not want to know 'that' kind' of love.
But...
But Shizuru had not kissed her yet.
She thought back to that moment yesterday, where she had just lost her mind and pressed her lips to Shizuru's.
At that time, Shizuru had been too stunned to kiss back.
She wondered what would happen now if-
Argh! Kuga Natsuki, you pervert!
Flushing again, this time to the roots of her neck, she immediately dropped her gaze from Shizuru's face, not wanting to think about kissing.
Only to meet Shizuru's... Shizuru's chest.
With a yelp, she withdrew her hands and hurriedly turned away from Shizuru, hoping against hope that Shizuru had not noticed.
Light laughter coming from behind her dashed that hope.
"Hmmph," she muttered, trying to mask her embarrassment with indignation.
A few more giggles and then-
"Oof!"
She got glomped from behind, the laughter now in her ear, chestnut-coloured hair in her eyes, and that strange feeling appearing again in her chest.
"Natsuki was admiring something, was she not?" Came the warm Kyoto accent, tinged with amusement.
"I wasn't!" Natsuki spluttered, indignantly twisting around slightly to see her tormenter.
"I'm hurt, did they not please you?" Shizuru said sadly, her demure manner totally off-kilter with her rather indecent words.
"Shizuru," she yelled.
The Student Council President just laughed.
She twisted a bit more in the other girl's grasp to glare at her, but as she turned, the glare fell from her face.
Shizuru smiled down at her, her face happy and open.
Again, the strange feeling hammered into her, this time with double the force.
"Ouch...," she mumbled softly.
"What did you say, Natsuki?" Shizuru murmured
"Nothing," she said in a low voice and tried to smile.
It felt strange, smiling, but that strange, happy feeling definitely helped, so she hoped that Shizuru did not find her smile too weird.
As it turned out, Shizuru did find the half-snarl rather cute and said so.
"Idiot," she said, and struggled a little.
Shizuru laughed and quashed the half-hearted attempt to escape.
"Hmmph," Natsuki said, even more lamely, because now Shizuru's face was much closer to hers.
An odd, hesitant look came into Shizuru's eyes, and this time, the strange feeling was replaced by both anticipation and fear.
Natsuki was torn between staying and...
And staying.
There was nowhere else she could go, her feet rooted itself to the ground and her body was pressed into Shizuru's.
If truth be told, she did not want to go at all, it was only that she was frightened.
Slowly, carefully, the distance between their faces closed.
Like in a dream, Natsuki closed her eyes.
And as Shizuru's lips touched hers...
The world spun on its axis, people cried and laughed, plants bloomed all over the earth, the sun set and rose, a whole chorus of angels sang.
"Ahem."
Natsuki separated herself from Shizuru rather violently, only to find Tokiha Mai standing at the door, sweat dropping furiously, her ears and face tinged pink. Her hands were over a certain Minagi Mikoto's eyes, who was struggling a little.
"Er. I'm sorry to disturb," Mai said very carefully. "It was just that... Uh. It was just that Mikoto and I wanted to invite both you and Kaichou-san to the karaoke session we are about to have. And the door was open, so..."
"Maaai! What are they doing? Is it fun? I wanna tryI I wanna try!"
"Ehhhhhh!" Mai said, aghast and sweat dropping further.
Natsuki was too busy making embarrassed, idiotic sounds to be of any help.
"Minagi-san," came a lovely lilt. "Mai-san."
"Kaichou-san!" Mikoto chirped in reply. "Mai! Can I see now please?"
"Uh. Uh," Mai could only say weakly as she dropped her hands.
Mikoto looked around eagerly, but her face drooped in disappointment when all she saw were Shizuru and Natsuki standing beside each other in the room.
Although Natsuki was twitching rather suspiciously, there was nothing else interesting about the scene.
"Mai, why did you close Mikoto's eyes? Now there is nothing to see!"
Taking pity on sweat dropping Mai, the Student Council President said, "Minagi-san, what you may have seen, should only take place between two people who love each other."
"Oh! Is it fun?"
"It is, when they love each other," Shizuru said, in a very serious tone.
Mai's eyes sidled from Natsuki to the Student Council President and back, and a silly grin began to form on her face.
"So I can do that with Mai?" Mikoto demanded.
The silly grin immediately dropped, and Mai went white as a sheet. Natsuki started to twitch even more idiotically.
"Well, Minagi-san," Shizuru said. "It is customary that the two people be of age."
"Oh! Well in that case, Mai and Mikoto will have to wait."
"I believe so."
Mikoto nodded, and then lost interest in the subject, walking over to the windowsill. "I like the view from here!"
Behind her, Mai and Natsuki stared at each other, while Shizuru chuckled.
"Ah, alright, I hope you can come," Mai said nervously.
Seeing that Natsuki was about to growl, in all the hells, no, the Student Council President said, "Mai-san, we would be pleased to attend."
"Right!" Mai said a little too loudly, then she flushed. "Alright, let's go Mikoto. Kaichou-san, see you there!"
Just before they left, Mai turned to Natsuki and said with a grin, "Natsuki, I am going to start charging fees!"
And before Natsuki could retaliate, they had disappeared.
Natsuki stared incredulously at her laughing Student Council President. "Shi-Shizuru!"
But then, Shizuru, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, grabbed her.
And resumed what had been interrupted.
So in the end, she did not really mind. Actually, it was more because it was getting very hard to think with Shizuru... With Shizuru-
Her last coherent thought was...
It was true. Love was not that bad after all.
-FIN-