Brought Back Together by You
Season 2: Episode 11
- o -
Sunday
Shizuru's Condo
5:40 AM
o0o0o
Shizuru took a deep breath as she stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror, trying to contain her excitement, to stop her fidgeting and calm her nerves. Her right hand made its way to her right ear, neatly tucking some scattered chestnut strands behind it.
As she looked at her face, she contemplated whether she should wear a darker shade of red on her lips. …Hm, lip gloss will do just fine… Then, decided against it since it was still so early in the morning.
Ruby eyes took a quick look at her outfit again, hands reaching upwards to fix the turtleneck she had chosen to wear, then glanced at the clock on the night stand. It was going to be six soon, so she knew there wasn't enough time to change yet again. She knew Natsuki should be arriving any minute now to pick her up.
Shizuru made her way to the bed, wanting to grab Natsuki's scarf. She had tossed it there a little earlier while she was changing. Long fingers reached out for the dark, blue and green checkered scarf and then headed back to the mirror, wrapping it around her neck as she did so. She couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips, the blush on her cheeks, thinking of what had happened a few nights ago, thinking of how dreamlike the days that followed had been.
At first, Shizuru wasn't sure how she should act, how she should behave around Natsuki after what had occurred. Should she treat her as always, like a friend? Disregard what had happened the other night and act normal around her? Or should she approach it differently? It's not like she had given Natsuki an answer yet about going on a date with her. At the time, she had still been debating whether she wanted to cross that line with the blunette.
But then, that night, when Natsuki had dropped Shiaki home, those thoughts left her mind and she acted on instinct alone.
The way Natsuki had casually leaned against the door and had reached out for her hand. The way her fingers amorously caressed hers, so softly she could barely feel them. The way those Emerald eyes tenderly looked at her. That playful, yet timid smile on the blunette's lips. Shizuru just couldn't help and get closer, much closer. She leaned against the door as well, caressed her fingers and talked in giggles and whispers because of how close they were standing.
They way Natsuki had said goodbye to her, her hand stroking her cheek while voicing 'I'll see you tomorrow' just took her breath away, made her smirk, made her feel like spinning like a girl in a brand-new dress. Shizuru hadn't given Natsuki a verbal answer about going on a date with her, but her body language and actions had surely done that for her.
Shizuru let out another deep breath, glancing at the clock again. It was already 5:45 am, so she decided to head downstairs and wait in the living room. She walked to the night stand to grab her wristwatch, fastening it on her right hand as she walked out of the bedroom. She briefly stopped by her daughter's room, gently opening the door not to make any sounds, and headed towards the crib.
"I'll see you tonight, sweetie" She whispered to the sleeping, little girl. "be good to Nina and Arika-chan... I love you" And placed a kiss on her forehead before taking her leave.
o0o0o
Meanwhile,
Kitchen
Arika yawned and stretched as she closed the refrigerator door, helping herself to a glass of milk and some fruit.
Shizuru had asked Nina if it was possible for her to babysit Shiaki for the whole day today. Nina had agreed, she didn't have any plans and, being a college student, she could definitely use the extra cash. Wherever Nina went, Arika followed. Well, at least whenever she didn't have to work at the restaurant with Mai.
Arika knew she was more than welcomed at Shizuru's place. Shizuru didn't mind her tagging along to babysit Shiaki. She and Shizuru got along well, they chatted often and seemed to have formed a special friendship the past few months. Arika greatly admired Shizuru and thought of her as a mentor, a friend, Shizuru was someone whom she really looked up to.
- Ding Dong -
Arika heard the doorbell ring and headed towards the living room to open the door. She was halfway there,
"I got it, Arika-chan!"
But stopped on her tracks, for Shizuru was now hurrying down the stairs, rushing to open the door.
Arika watched the brunette in silence. She had never seen Shizuru move that fast before, never seen her out of her usual calm.
Arika took a seat on the couch, watching the whole interaction with interest as she took bite after bite of her yellow apple. Watching as Shizuru paused at the door, fixed her clothes and hair, and took a deep breath before opening the door.
"O-ha-yo, Natsuki"
She heard Shizuru playfully say, now leaning against the door.
"Ohayo, Shizuru…"
Arika then heard that soft, familiar, husky voice, and a second later, the blunette came into view. She watched as Shizuru smiled at the bluenette, leaning closer to her.
Arika was truly impressed, in awe, she had never seen this much glow, this much happiness radiating from the brunette or the blunette before.
"I'm a little early… Are you ready to go?"
Arika's eyebrows raised, her interest peaked, the moment she saw the blunette's right hand reaching for the brunette's left. Fingers touching slightly, just a small caress, a caress the brunette had reciprocated. Arika had never seen them acting this way before. Never. This sight was new to her.
"Hai, I just need to grab my things"
And watched as Shizuru did as told, she quickly headed for the nearby closet and grabbed her shoes, together with her backpack and coat.
"Let me help you with that"
She heard the blunette softly say, taking Shizuru's coat and backpack from her hands then helping her with them.
"Ookini, Natsuki"
Then heard the brunette quietly giggle, leaning closer to her.
And Arika's jaw instantly dropped because of what she had seen next, the blunette had given Shizuru a soft kiss on the lips, then intertwined their fingers together.
"Arika-chan, take good care of Shiaki-chan. We won't be late"
She heard Shizuru happily say before walking out the door, taking the blunette with her as she walked.
"Oi, Arika"
It took Arika a few seconds to react. "Um…" …What the freak!?… A million questions on her mind. "Y-Yes, Natsuki?"
Arika watched as Natsuki stood by the door, a finger on her lips.
And Arika could only slowly nod, blushing. She wasn't going to tell anyone what she had just seen.
o0o0o
About Six Hours Later,
Near Mt. Fuji
"Give me your hand" Natsuki said, helping Shizuru climb up the rocky slope. "Watch your step, it's slippery there"
The drive to Shizuoka took about two hours from Tokyo. They had left the city very early, so they didn't hit any traffic on their way there.
The drive over was relatively calm. They drank hot tea from their thermos, sang along to a few songs and talked. They briefly talked about what they should do for Shiaki's birthday, which was less than a month away. Decide on a place and a theme, the party favors, caterer, and who they should invite.
They decided to do it at Natsuki's place since Shiaki was friends with the kids in the neighborhood, and decided to invite a few kids from the daycare she attends as well. They also decided to invite the other HiMEs, but they would let them know that it's not necessary for them to attend, since there would mostly be toddlers and their parents around and would feel out of place. They could attend only if they really wanted to, and wouldn't hold it against them if they didn't. None of the other HiMEs had kids yet.
During the drive, they found themselves falling back into old patterns, old habits. Whenever they drove somewhere, close or far, Natsuki's hand would be holding or touching Shizuru's as she drove. Whenever she needed both hands on the wheel, she'd place a kiss on her fingers before letting it go. Shizuru, on the other hand, would instantly bring that hand up to Natsuki's neck, leaning closer, caressing the back of it, touching midnight tresses from time to time. Sometimes leaning even closer, whispering something in her ear, as if sharing secrets. They'd talk and laugh the whole drive, and today was no different.
It felt nice, not to have to worry about anything, not think about anything other than now, than today. As if yesterday didn't exist, and tomorrow would never come. It felt nice to just enjoy, relax, be happy and have fun. To live in the moment, live in the now.
When they had arrived their destination, they stopped by the cabin Natsuki had rented for the day. She had paid a little extra to be nearer to the lake, not to mention it had the best view of Fuji-san.
As soon as they stepped foot in the door, Natsuki had gone straight for the fireplace and added wood to it, soon igniting the fire to heat up the cozy place. She had also brought a basket with fresh produce, fish and meats, bread, juice and champagne. She quickly put away what she wasn't going to use yet, and kept out only what they'd be needing to make breakfast and lunch. They would have to eat lunch when out hiking.
Breakfast had gone without a hitch. Natsuki cooked, Shizuru helped with the chopping and the occasional tasting. Natsuki wouldn't let her do anything else, that was the deal they had made.
And Shizuru couldn't deny it was kind of sexy, kind of hot, being side by side in the kitchen, doing things together. Tasting, then kissing, then touching and making out by the kitchen counter.
After breakfast, they had packed their lunch and gone out for a hike. Natsuki wanted to get started right away because she wanted to be back at the cabin before it got dark.
They chose to hike the scenic trail. It was a little longer than the other trails, but it'd be easier to walk since the path was clearer, and they would be able to see the waterfall and different types of plants and wildlife on their way to the top.
"These ones are pretty" Natsuki kneeled, carefully touching the orange flower petals with her fingertips.
Shizuru softly smiled, slightly kneeling next to her to be able to see better, a hand resting on Natsuki's shoulder for support.
Natsuki had come a long way from being that angry, bitter child she had met a long time ago in the flower garden at Fuuka Academy. She was nothing like that kid. She still held certain characteristics, like her boldness, thick-headedness and defiance, but that anger that she had carried with her at all times, was now gone. Natsuki was really a very loving and sweet woman.
"What do you think these are called, Shizuru? These would look great in the garden… By the corner"
Shizuru stood up straight, thinking, bringing a finger to her chin while the other held on to the strap of her backpack. "I'm not sure, but we can take a picture and show it to the florist. They might be able to find those for you"
Natsuki liked that idea. She pulled out her cellphone and took a picture of it, then stood and showed it to Shizuru. "This looks clear enough, right? You think they'd be able to tell?"
"Hai" Shizuru smilingly replied. "Looks perfect to me"
"Okay, let's keep going" Natsuki suggested, "We're almost at the top"
And they continued walking and talking, not making any stops along the way. The path was starting to become very rocky so there was not much to see anyway.
Once Natsuki had noticed the open, sunny area ahead of them, that they were not too far away from the top, she jogged ahead first. When she reached it, she smiled at the view ahead of her.
She smiled at how clear the sky was, there was not a cloud in sight. At how crisp and clean the air felt. At the array of colors of the trees below her. At the reflection of the mountain on the lake. At how the sun had started its low descent near Mt. Fuji.
Everything was so beautiful, she was glad she was sharing this moment with Shizuru.
"Come take a look" Natsuki commented, completely amazed, "This is really beautiful, Shizuru" Then turned around to meet Ruby eyes that had stopped walking a moment ago and were now staring at her.
Shizuru stood a few steps behind, smiling softly. Ruby eyes staring at how happy Natsuki looked, how beautiful she was.
"Hai" Shizuru said just above a whisper. "The most beautiful sight I've ever seen" And she took the offered hand from the now blushing, smiling blunette. She stepped forward and they both stared at the view ahead of them.
Shizuru wrapped her arms around Natsuki, hugging her from behind for a long while as they admired the sight in complete silence. Cheek touching cheek, then lips placing kisses on that cheek from time to time. They took a few pictures and selfies, sat down on a blanket and drank more hot tea. They ate a couple of onigiris and shared a sandwich before heading back down.
The way down the trail was relatively smooth and quick. They didn't make any stops for they wanted to arrive at the cabin before sundown, before it got dark and cold. They were talking about Shizuru's trip to America, she was going to leave after Shiaki's birthday to meet up with Haruka and the company's foreign investors, when Natsuki noticed something, more like heard something, heard whimpering and loud breathing. Sometimes even a growl.
"Do you hear that?" Natsuki asked Shizuru, stopping all their movements.
"I think it's coming from over there" Shizuru whispered, following Natsuki towards the direction of the noise.
"Stay here, Shizuru" Natsuki said, taking a few cautious steps towards the sound. It was coming from one of the bushes not too far away. Shizuru ignored her, however, and walked right behind her, walking carefully not to make any unexpected sounds.
Natsuki gulped, now noticing the trail of blood. It was a lot. She was about to tell Shizuru that they should head back, that this route wasn't safe, until she heard another whine, another whimper.
"I think it's a puppy" Shizuru said, now walking ahead of the blunette. When she made her way through the bush, she found a very small Husky laying there on its side, whimpering from the hunger and cold.
Shizuru kneeled to the ground, next to the Husky, Ruby eyes cautiously looking at her surroundings, perky ears trying to listen for any sounds, any predators. This puppy didn't look like it was more than three weeks old. And there was a lot of blood everywhere. Shizuru presumed that something must've attacked the mother for she was nowhere in sight.
"Poor thing" Natsuki said kneeling in front of Shizuru, inspecting the pup, not wanting to touch it yet. If the mother was still around, it might attack them wanting to protect it. "Do you think the mother survived?"
Shizuru now faced Natsuki, sensing that they should not be in danger. Whatever happened here must've happened a while ago, the blood had somewhat dried out already. And whatever had attacked this puppy and its mother must be long gone, taking the mother with it as its meal.
"I highly doubt it, Natsuki" Shizuru replied, removing Natsuki's scarf from around her neck to wrap it around the shivering puppy, picking him up. "You're safe now, little guy" She voiced in her sweetest Kyoto-ben, standing up. Natsuki followed suit and they continued their walk back towards the cabin.
"He's so cute" Natsuki grabbed the puppy from the brunette, looking at him closely. He had a cute little face and black fur. "I'd hate to take him to the shelter… You know what happens to them when they don't get adopted"
Shizuru frowned, nodding in understanding.
"I think I'll keep him"
"You will?" Shizuru asked, both eyebrows raising in surprise.
"Yea… I could really use the company"
Now that Natsuki was back at work, Shiaki was no longer staying with her. The little girl was back with Shizuru, and they were once again back to their normal routine, Shiaki would spend every other weekend with the blunette.
Natsuki had been meaning to ask Shizuru if Shiaki could spend some weekdays with her, since she was no longer working as much as she used to. She was now at a normal nine to five schedule, and got off even earlier on Fridays. The house seemed so empty now without Shiaki there. So empty without someone waiting for her to come home. So empty since Shizuru left.
"Do you think you'll have the time?" Shizuru asked, remembering how late Natsuki used to get off work when they were together. "A puppy is a big responsibility, they require a lot of work and attention"
"Yea, I'm not working as late anymore" Natsuki noticed they were almost at their cabin, they probably had to walk about five more minutes or so. "Shizuru, I've been meaning to ask you… Can Shiaki stay with me some days during the week?" She asked. "I can pick her up at the daycare, I get off work early enough now… It doesn't have to be a set day, just when you think you need some time for yourself. I'd love to spend more time with her"
Shizuru was quiet for a short moment, as if thinking about it. "Sure… We can arrange something" She replied, knowing that perhaps it was time to slightly adjust the arrangement they had made when she and Shiaki moved out of the house.
Since Shiaki was only four months old at the time, Shizuru thought that it was best for Shiaki to stay with her permanently, to not move her around as much. Shiaki needed familiarity, needed a stable home, needed a sense of belongingness to grow up happy and healthy. And Shizuru was the birthmother, she had primary custody of her.
Shizuru trusted Natsuki with their daughter, trust was not an issue here. She knew her daughter would be safe with the blunette. There was just no way in hell she was going to part from her baby girl, ever. Natsuki could visit as much as she wanted, whenever she wanted, Shizuru was never going to deprive Natsuki of seeing their daughter or spending time with her.
They had agreed that, when Shiaki was old enough, she could start spending some weekends with Natsuki. This is where they were now. They never talked about more than that though, they didn't get that far ahead. But if Natsuki wanted to spend a little more time with Shiaki, she definitely had the right to, Shizuru would comply with whatever she proposed, as long as it was reasonable.
"Great… Thank you, Shizuru" Natsuki smiled, they were now reaching their cabin. "I'm sure she'll love playing with this little guy" And they went up the stairs, Shizuru opened the door for them.
"I'm going to give this little guy a quick shower, make sure he has no wounds" Natsuki let Shizuru know, heading towards the bathroom.
Shizuru nodded, and told Natsuki that she'd go check with concierge to see if they had milk they could buy. Natsuki didn't bring any, she had no use for it.
When Shizuru returned with the milk, Natsuki had already finished bathing the dog. She had wrapped the puppy around a towel and was now keeping her warm near the fireplace.
Shizuru poured some milk in a bowl and handed it to Natsuki. "How's he doing?" She asked, sitting on the floor next to her.
"She, is not shivering anymore…" Natsuki corrected, "And no wounds, that's a good sign" She took the bowl from Shizuru and then put the puppy on the floor, unwrapping her from the towel. They both watched as she cautiously, slowly walked towards the bowl, smelling its contents before digging in.
"Ara~ So kawaii~" Shizuru happily said. They watched as she hastily licked the milk, finishing it rather quickly, so they poured some more into the bowl. When she was done with her second bowl, she walked towards the towel near the fireplace and fell asleep there.
o0o0o
About an Hour and a Half Later
Shizuru and Natsuki lay on the couch, facing each other. They were relaxing, keeping warm by the fire as they had already finished eating dinner.
"How much longer do we have?" Shizuru softly asked, a hand softly touching Natsuki's face, alternating between cheek, nose and forehead from time to time.
"We still have time" Natsuki responded, eyes closed, loving the woman's touch, the woman's caresses. "Maybe about two hours or so? We don't have to check out 'til seven" Her nose now playfully touching Shizuru's own, wanting to meet her lips, to kiss her, but Shizuru kept giggling and facing away.
"Have you figured out a name for her yet?"
While they were cooking dinner, they had talked about possible names for the puppy.
"You can't name her Duran, you need to retire that name"
Natsuki laughed at this, her hand moving to Shizuru's waist, resting it there. "Agree" Then thought, now meeting Ruby eyes, "Why don't you name her?"
"Ara~ Me?" Shizuru pointed a finger to her own nose.
"Sure, go for it" Came the soft reply.
"Alright" Shizuru shifted from her sideways position, now laying on top of Natsuki. Ruby eyes moved to the sleeping puppy. "What about precious?"
Natsuki stayed silent for a moment, thinking it was probably a bad idea to ask Shizuru to give the dog a name. "I, uh, think that's more suitable for, like, a miniature dog, don't you think, Shizuru?"
Shizuru's eyes narrowed when hearing the comment.
Natsuki, on the other hand, couldn't help and laugh. "Okay, we'll come back to that one… What else do you have in mind?" She asked, letting out an inaudible, content sigh as she wrapped her arms around Shizuru's waist. She liked being like this, having the brunette on top of her. Liked the feeling of her weight on her, liked how her long, wavy hair cascaded down like a canopy, and all she could see was her. Only her. Her scent surrounding her, she could easily breathe her in, her scent filling her lungs. It was bliss. Pure bliss.
Shizuru pondered a little more, thinking, thinking, staring at the dog intently. Earlier, when the pup was eating, something in particular had caught her attention. "Jade?" She said, looking down at Natsuki again. The puppy's eyes were as green as the stone, it would be a suitable name for her.
"Jade" Natsuki softly repeated, Emerald eyes on Rubies the whole time. "Jade… I like it" She smiled at Shizuru, completely satisfied. "Jade it is" And then she leaned forward and captured Shizuru's lips, slowly kissing her, gently biting her bottom lip before parting the kiss.
"Natsuki likes it that much?" Shizuru's eyebrow playfully raised. Natsuki wasn't really a biter of lips, Shizuru, on the other hand, was.
"Love it" Natsuki whispered and kissed her again, slowly changing positions so that she was now on top of the brunette.
"Natsuki also loves to be on top" Shizuru closed her eyes and arched a little, for Natsuki was now intertwining their fingers while kissing her neck.
"Hmm" Natsuki could only hum her response, her lips going lower, as if following an invisible trail. Placing a small bite on her neck, then collar bone, her mouth opening wider to capture Shizuru's clothed breast, gently biting her there as well. She loved foreplay with Shizuru. Loved the way she said her name. Loved the way she whimpered, her sudden gasps, the way she arched a little from time to time to get more friction, the way she grabbed on to her skin because of the pleasure.
"N-Natsuki" Shizuru let go of Natsuki's hands and brought them to her cheeks, wanting to stop what she was doing and get her attention. "Can we talk for a moment?" Shizuru asked, trying to control her rapid breathing, feeling extremely hot in all the right places because of Natsuki's kisses. She wanted to clear up something with Natsuki, wanted them both to be on the same page.
"Oh okay, sure" Natsuki wasn't sure what to think about this. In the past, whenever Shizuru had said they needed to talk, it was usually about nothing good.
"Ie, stay like this…" When Natsuki was going to get up to sit, Shizuru halted her movements by wrapping her hands around her waist, keeping her hostage there. "I like your warmth" She had noticed Natsuki's small frown earlier, because of the sentence she had said, about needing to talk. She thought she probably sounded negative, and she didn't mean to.
"I just wanted to ask you, if we can keep this between us for now… Until I- we figure out what this is" Shizuru said in her softest Kyoto-ben, a hand caressing the blunette's cheek. "I don't want our friends to get the wrong impression… I'm still unsure-"
"You don't need to explain, Shizuru" Natsuki softly smiled, interrupting the brunette. "I understand" She took the hand that was caressing her face and placed a long kiss on the palm of it. She understood Shizuru's reservations, insecurities about starting a relationship with her. Natsuki didn't want to force her into anything that she wasn't ready for. She was willing to do anything the brunette asked. "Please just give us another chance, that's all I want…" Emeralds looked at Ruby eyes lovingly, "I promise you, Shizuru, I'll do better this time… I-"
But Shizuru interrupted the blunette by slowly leaning upwards and capturing her lips. The kiss started slow, torturously slow, lips brushing against lips, then lips brushing against heated cheeks, again and again, making their way to the bluenette's ear.
"Nhh" A moan escaped from Natsuki's lips, her breathing becoming heavier and heavier every passing second. The soft, warm hand that had previously been on Natsuki's waist had found their way inside her shirt, moving up, higher and higher. Fingers scratching, grabbing her upper back, tugging and kneading on skin, pulling her closer, then slowly grazing the curve of her breasts. Now making their way down the bluenette's curves.
"Hmm, S-Shizuru" Lips now gently biting an earlobe before moving down to her neck, hot, seductive Kyoto-ben whispering in her ear:
"How much time do we have?"
And Natsuki shuddered again, the sensations overwhelming her. That Kyoto-ben, those Ruby eyes, those irresistible lips and Shizuru's sensual movements, tared down all of her walls, cut deep into her skin, making her feel so wonderfully vulnerable. So sensitive to every touch.
"W-We have time" Natsuki said, gripping the cushion below her and biting her lip, feeling as Shizuru's hand travelled lower and lower, much, much lower to unbuckle her belt and get rid of her skin tight jeans. "We have plenty of it"
Thanks for Reading!
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