In the Darkness
A Mai Otome ShizNat Story
Chapter 8
Natsuki smiled as she walked the Academy's empty, quiet halls with both hands folded behind her back. It was still morning, about to be eleven in a few minutes, and classes were in session.
She was heading for Shizuru's class. If she was right, Shizuru should be in Earl History with Miss Maria this period.
The blunette wanted to pick her up before the bell rang so that she could hold her hand for at least a few seconds before the halls got infested with squealing, teenage girls. And if Shizuru had a class afterwards, then she'd walk her there as well and talk to her for a little while.
Natsuki was very busy today and couldn't spend time with her. She was busy reviewing the proposal she'd be presenting to the Council tomorrow morning in the Republic of Aries. The proposal regarding limiting the number of Otomes each Nation will be allowed to have under the revised Otome Law.
She wanted to start working towards this as soon as possible. It was something she deeply desired; for the Nations to someday not need Otomes anymore. She knew change wasn't going to occur overnight, and that many Nations would probably oppose her proposal. But at least talking about having a limit was a step in the right direction. Some Nations, wealthy Nations, had way too many Otomes, giving them a great advantage if they ever went to war. She really wanted to change that.
Since she had woken up extra early this morning to work on this, she didn't stop by Shizuru's quarters to say hello. It had been too early and she didn't want to wake her up. And she couldn't join her for breakfast either, she had a conference call then and couldn't get off the phone.
She also had some news to tell her, something she wanted to run by her. The sooner she did, the sooner they both could make the necessary arrangements.
Shizuru usually created her own schedule, she decided which classes she wanted to observe. Natsuki noticed that besides the basic Otome classes, which Shizuru had stopped attending last week, she usually attended History, Physics, Political Science and Science. Those were Shizuru's main interests. Some of the other classes varied from week to week, but these ones remained constant.
When Natsuki arrived at the classroom, she silently stood by the rear door knowing that Shizuru usually sat all the way in the back row. She was only there to observe, to listen, and to take notes if she wanted, not to disturb. Occasionally, Miss Maria did call on her to hear her opinion on certain topics, but that was rare.
Natsuki happily watched as Shizuru intently stared ahead and then wrote something on her notepad. Saw as she gently tapped her chin with the pencil, seemingly deep in thought, and then wrote some more notes down.
She looked so cute when she was focusing, so cute when serious, Natsuki thought.
Then, green eyes noticed how those lips curved upwards and smiled as she wrote something else down near the edge of the page. It made Natsuki wonder what Shizuru was thinking about right now, what she was writing down. What had caused her to suddenly smile that way.
Natsuki lightly tapped on the glass part of the door, wanting to gain Shizuru's attention. When she had looked up at the white, round clock, she had noticed she had about five more minutes until the period ended.
- Tap -
- Tap -
Shizuru turned her head towards the faint, tapping sound. She smiled even wider, seeing a waiving Natsuki on the other side of the door, then waiving her over. She was just thinking about her a second ago.
She quietly gathered her belongings and stood. She didn't have much with her, just a notepad, a mechanical pencil, and a bottle of water. She discreetly made her way out and gently closed the door behind her.
"Ara~ This is a wonderful surprise" Kyoto-ben whispered as she held her notepad against her chest. It was very quiet, and if she talked in her normal voice she would disrupt Miss Maria's lecture. "I missed you this morning, Natsuki"
Natsuki took a step closer and whispered back: "I missed you too…" Then added, "How, um, how are you feeling today?"
Emerald eyes looked to her left and then her right, making sure they were completely alone. Then, she went ahead and grabbed Shizuru's soft hand, her thumb caressing her knuckles. "The fever hasn't returned?" She was concerned about her health.
"Ie, I'm feeling great" Shizuru leaned against the white wall behind her, next to the door.
She really meant it, she felt so energized, so rested, she hadn't felt this good in weeks. It was the first time in a while that she had woken up without feeling the aching throb in her legs. She felt nice, felt so refreshed.
"Natsuki has magic healing powers, she should use them on me more often" Came the playful whisper.
And Natsuki's face turned a hint of pink. "B-Baka, I have no such thing" She knew Shizuru was just teasing her.
Things had gotten a little out of hand in the healing chamber yesterday. The kissing had turned into a lot more than kissing, she was glad that no one had walked in on them while in the act. That would've been totally embarrassing, and very hard to explain since supposedly they weren't in a relationship.
"You really have to take care of yourself, Shizuru" Natsuki then added with a little more seriousness. "Without the Nanomachines, you're vulnerable to all types of illnesses, your exposed to getting sick easier"
She just wished Shizuru would listen to her and let Youko inject the Nanomachines in her system again. But Shizuru refuses to be anywhere near a needle, and there was no other way of administering them. Shizuru had never been uncomfortable around needles before, not even when she had first woken up, she doesn't understand why the discomfort now. Why the hesitance.
"Don't worry, Youko-san gave me multivitamins to take in the meantime" Shizuru pulled her closer, noses almost touching. Her Ruby eyes were on Natsuki's pink lips the whole time. She was about to lean forward and meet her lips, their first kiss of the day, but Natsuki took a sudden step back.
"N-Not here, Shizuru" Natsuki timidly said and let go of the brunette's hand, placing some distance between them.
It had been a very long time since Shizuru had done that, since she had tried to kiss her, to hug her, or even hold her hand outside the comfort of their quarters. And Natsuki knew why Shizuru had stopped doing those things. She did it to protect herself, to protect her heart, to protect herself from feeling how she must be feeling now.
Natsuki daren't look up and look her in the eyes, she knew what she'd find there. She would find that look, that wounded expression, the look of rejection in her pretty, exotic face. That look really didn't suit Shizuru. It didn't belong there.
"I-It's just…" Natsuki began to explain but didn't know how to express herself. She hated doing this to her, hated making her feel this way. "Just not here, Shizuru. Not in public… Please try not to do that again"
"Ha… Hai, I understand" Shizuru frowned and once again held her notepad against her chest, now standing up straight.
She said she understood, but she really didn't. She didn't understand why Natsuki acted this way when they weren't behind closed doors. They loved each other, didn't they? Why couldn't they express it whenever they wished? Why couldn't they show it to the world? It wasn't a big deal, it was just holding hands, it was just a kiss. Why was Natsuki overreacting about this?
"Did Natsuki need me for anything?" Shizuru then softly asked, wondering if there was any other reason Natsuki had pulled her out of class.
It seemed silly for her to do that, to come all this way just to ask her how she was feeling, especially since she knew she was very busy, that she would be leaving Wind Bloom sometime this afternoon. She didn't know where she was going yet, Natsuki hadn't mentioned. She just knew she had a summit and needed to leave the country for a few days.
"Hai, I wanted to ask you something…" Natsuki finally looked up and softly met Ruby eyes. "I'm leaving for Aries this afternoon, for that summit I've been working on these past two weeks" She reminded the brunette, "I wanted to ask you if you wanted to join me, we'd be away for a few days"
Shizuru's eyebrows arched because of this, showing interest. "Aries? That's where Haruka-chan is from, right?"
Natsuki couldn't help the smirk that formed on her face, loosely folding her arms over her chest.
Haruka didn't like to be called that. Haruka-chan. She remembered vividly when the blonde had come over to visit Shizuru three weeks ago and Shizuru had happily lunged herself at her the moment she saw her, hugging her tightly and saying,
"It's such a pleasure to meet you in person, Haruka-chan!"
To which Haruka had taken a while to reply. She was rendered speechless for a good minute or two.
After the initial shock was gone, she had yelled,
"N-Nani!? What are you doing! Get off me bubuzuke woman!"
But Shizuru had done the total opposite. She had hugged her even tighter, smiled even wider, her cheek rubbing against Haruka's heated cheek.
"S-Stop it! Aren't you listening to me?! What's wrong with you!? How hard were you hit on the head!?"
Natsuki wished she could've taken a picture then, perhaps even a video. Maybe then Haruka would stop bringing up that annoying newspaper article. She still kept it around and rubbed it in her face whenever she could. She was sure Haruka had a room full of copies of it back in Aries.
If only she could find that room, she would light a match and accidentally trip, causing a fire…
"Hai, Haruka-san is from Aries" Natsuki replied, "I'll be able to show you around tomorrow after the conference. After that, I'm heading for Duran to visit my family since it's close by" She noticed Shizuru's puzzled expression because of this, because she had said I'm and not We.
"Natsuki is leaving me in Aries all alone?"
And then the bell rang, signaling the end of the second period.
Natsuki started walking then, walking towards the end of the hallway with Shizuru by her side, wanting to talk with more privacy.
"You won't be alone, Shizuru. Haruka-san and Yukino-san will be with you. They'll take good care of you" She softly added as they walked, "I'll only be away for two days at most. Being outside of Wind Bloom might be good for you, you used to travel to Aries often"
"Why can't I accompany Natsuki to Duran?" Shizuru said with a small frown.
"Oh…" Natsuki brought a hand to her chin, thinking about this for a moment. She had automatically assumed that Shizuru didn't want to join her.
Shizuru had gone to Duran with her a couple of times, but that was a long time ago, when they were still friends, way before they had told one another how they felt. After that second visit, Shizuru never joined her again, she just stayed in Aries or returned to Garderobe.
Natsuki wasn't a hundred percent certain, but she thought it might have something to do with her mother. The woman was a hard woman, hard as stone. She couldn't blame Shizuru for not wanting to go back, Natsuki hardly did so herself.
"I mean, if you want to you can... You just preferred not to in the past, so I assumed-"
"I'd love to go to Duran with you" Shizuru quickly said, quickly interrupted.
Natsuki smiled, "Alright, then I have some phone calls to make"
"What is the weather like in Aries and Duran?" Came the question. She needed to know what to pack and how much to pack. "And how long will we be away?"
"I say four days, five at most" Natsuki answered, "The weather there is like Wind Bloom right now. It's summer, so it's warm" And then added, "In winter though, since Duran and Aries are far up north, it gets very cold. In Duran, especially, we get a lot of snow during that time... The weather is always mild here in Wind Bloom no matter the season" The blunette added with a smile, "I like it here"
The bell chimed again, but it was a soft and short chime, signaling that the next period would begin in exactly three minutes time. It was a reminder for students to hurry to their next class.
Emerald eyes then noticed that Arika was standing not too far away, staring at them. She had a curious look on her face, as if analyzing them.
…What's wrong with her?… Natsuki couldn't help and raise a curious brow herself. "Um, do you have a class next period, Shizuru?" She distractedly asked, eyes never leaving Arika's direction.
"Fufu, I had Physics, but not anymore" Came the happy reply, "I have to pack!" And she grabbed Natsuki by the arm and started to drag her out of there, out of the school building.
Natsuki raised an eyebrow at Arika's direction one more time. She was still looking at them, scratching her head. She was being stalk-ish and creepy in Natsuki's opinion. Was there something she wanted to ask? What did she want?
"Oh, about that… Yukino-san usually invites us to a fancy dinner whenever we visit. You should pack something elegant for tonight" And then, added, "And please wear something a little more… reserved. No open shoulders" And added, "And please wear your hair down and try not to show your neck too much. People stare at you too much in Aries, they know who you are" And muttered, "It makes me uncomfortable"
"Uncomfortable? I think Natsuki meant to say jealous" Shizuru sing-sang, corrected the cobalt haired woman.
"Ie. Uncomfortable" Natsuki repeated and narrowed her eyes at her.
"They could stare all they want" Shizuru whispered close to her ear, "Natsuki is the one who holds my heart" And then added, repeating Natsuki's words from the other night, "I am hers and she is mine, right?"
And Natsuki blushed, there was a timid smile and a soft nod.
They parted ways once they arrived at the Administration building. Natsuki headed for her office, and Shizuru retreated to her quarters. They would be leaving early in the afternoon, so Shizuru had to hurry, she didn't have that much time to pack.
While Natsuki made some phone calls, letting Yukino know that Shizuru would be joining her on this trip, and also reserving the hotel they'd be staying at in Duran, Shizuru happily searched her drawers and closet for adequate clothing for the trip.
…There is no way to pack for this trip… She had no idea what to pack. Natsuki didn't specifically say what they would be doing besides tonight, so she over did it a little with the packing. Instead of taking her small, beige suitcase, she opted for a much larger one.
Once she had finally packed and decided on the dress she would wear tonight, which by the way, was the total opposite of what Natsuki had asked, she went ahead and started to look for stilettos that would pair along well with it.
While searching her closet for the shoes, Ruby eyes settled on a box she had failed to notice before.
"Ara?" Shizuru grabbed the white shoe box from the lower, right corner of her shoe rack. She sat there on the floor and opened it, there were a few things inside.
There were a few pictures, knickknacks, some letters. Things she thought significant enough to keep, Shizuru guessed.
She looked at the pictures first. A few of them were of her and the blunette, pictures that dated back to her Pearl years. She also found a few pictures of a much younger version of herself. In some pictures she was next to a woman who looked like her, perhaps her mother. And some of what seem to be family pictures, for there was also a man in some of them.
When Shizuru had asked Natsuki a few weeks back if she had family, Natsuki had told her that her parents had died in an accident when she was about thirteen, fourteen years of age. Told her that her mother had been an Otome, a Column before she got married, the wielder of the same Gem she used now. She told her that the prior Headmistress took her in since she was already of age, and had personally paid for her education at Garderobe. Apparently, she had met Shizuru when her parents were still alive, and since Shizuru had expressed an interest in being an Otome then, she gave her a try, a chance, not wanting the girl to spend the rest of her teenage years in an orphanage since she had no family or relatives who could take care of her.
Shizuru put the pictures neatly aside on the floor. She grabbed the small stack of letters next, and an eyebrow then arched when they settled on a small, black box beneath it.
"Ara?" Lean, long fingers reached for it and then opened it. Her heart raised and her cheeks tinted pink once she had seen what was inside. It was an engagement ring. And it was gorgeous.
"If I make it out of this alive, I will ask Natsuki to marry me once and for all"
Shizuru swallowed as the words resonated in her head. There was no vision, just the words. Only words.
Why did she say that, why did she think that way?
Had she been on a mission then?
And this made her think, wonder:
Did she ask Natsuki to marry her or not? If the ring was still here, with her, if Natsuki wasn't wearing it, either she changed her mind about marrying her, or she had asked, and the woman had declined.
So, which one was it?
Shizuru instantly raised from the floor and headed towards her bed, towards the nightstand next to it. She opened the top drawer and quickly searched for the diary. The answer should be there, it should be.
It had to be.
Right?
Fingers instantly started to flip pages, Ruby eyes quickly scanning them, but she didn't know where to look or what to look for. How far ahead she should go.
She immediately stopped when she heard a few knocks on her door, totally startling her.
- Knock -
- Knock -
- Knock -
"Shizuru, may I come in?"
It was Natsuki.
"H-Hai! Just a second!" Shizuru quickly stood from the bed and put her diary, along with the engagement ring, in her drawer, quickly closing it.
She then headed for her closet and picked up the pictures and letters from the floor, placing them inside the box. Then, she placed the box where it had previously resided, on the right, bottom corner of her closet.
Shizuru took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, her nerves, "Come in!" She shouted, and started to busy herself, started looking for the shoes she should wear tonight.
What was she wearing again? What color was her dress? She tried to remember. To think. …Silver?… Yes, it was silver. A sparking silver. Surely, she was going to make heads turn with that beautiful, skintight dress.
Natsuki stepped inside the room and saw the brunette sitting on the floor, in front of her closet. She headed towards her, asking, "Are you ready?"
"Almost" Shizuru replied, but she was having a hard time focusing. She couldn't take the engagement ring out of her head.
Green eyes then settled on the luggage next to the bed, it looked like Shizuru had packed quite a lot for just a few days. "You know it's only five days, right?"
"Had Natsuki specified what we'd be doing I would've packed a little lighter" Shizuru quickly said, somewhat snapping at her.
And Natsuki couldn't help and raise an eyebrow, now staring at the moody brunette.
What did she do now? The mood swings of this woman were worse than ever.
"Gomen, Shizuru. I should've talked to you ahead of time about these plans"
The truth is, originally, she wasn't going to take the brunette to Aries with her. But now things were different, she no longer felt the need to keep her distance from her. The brunette knew what they were, what they meant to one another. They were a couple again.
"Are you looking for what shoes to wear? May I make a suggestion?" She softly asked and sat on the bed, one leg crossing over the other.
Shizuru sighed, "Please, go ahead" Then said a little softer this time while closing her eyes, feeling a little guilty for having snapped at her. She hadn't meant to do that, the blunette had done nothing wrong.
"Never wear the black stilettos, those gave you a huge blister once"
Shizuru softly giggled at this and looked over her shoulder to meet with Emeralds behind her, "Ookini, I'll keep that in mind" She then went ahead and grabbed the pair of shoes next to the black ones. They were dark blue, and had a hint of shine in them. They should go perfectly with her long, strapless, silver colored dress.
She then stood and headed for her luggage, placing the shoes neatly to one side. Natsuki stood from the bed and helped her close it.
"Good thing I'm an Otome, this thing weighs like two hundred pounds, Shizuru" Natsuki exaggerated, trying to lighten the mood somehow.
And Shizuru smiled at her bad jokes, "Where is Natsuki's luggage?" She noticed the blunette didn't bring anything with her to the room.
"It's already downstairs" The blunette placed both of her hands on the woman's waist and stood closer, much, much closer. She leaned forward and softly met the brunette's lips. It was just a brush of lips, a ghost of a kiss.
"I'm sorry about earlier, Shizuru" Natsuki whispered, referring to what had happened outside of Miss Maria's class. "I need you to give me some time, I'm really trying to deal with this, I'm trying to change"
Shizuru softly nodded and leaned forward for another kiss, a proper kiss. She could barely feel the blunette's lips before.
"We should go, the car is waiting for us" The blunette said once they had parted and grabbed the brunette's luggage by the handle. "I've asked the cooks to prepare a bento for us to eat on the road" Since the brunette had been busy packing she doubted she ate lunch. "Do you have everything?"
"Hai, I just need to grab one more thing" Shizuru went ahead and walked towards her nightstand to grab her purse. Then, she opened the drawer, and her eyes once again fell on the small box with the engagement ring inside it. She let out a deep breath, then reached for her diary and closed the drawer.
"Now I'm ready" Kyoto-ben spoke while placing the diary inside her purse, and then joined the blunette who had started walking towards the door.
She wasn't planning on taking the diary with her on this trip, she really needed a break from reading it. The things she was reading as of late weren't pleasant, it seemed like she was going through a blue stage at the time. It seemed like she had been a little down, somewhat depressed.
But finding the engagement ring changed everything, and she needed answers.
She decided she was going to start reading a little differently, start reading backwards, start with the last entry. Maybe then things would start to make some sense.
A Few Hours Later…
Republic of Aries
"You said wear something elegant, why aren't you wearing something elegant?" Shizuru curiously asked, observing the blunette's outfit from her sitting position on the bed.
It's not that Natsuki didn't look elegant, she did, she was just expecting her to wear a dress instead of a suit, that's all.
Natsuki was wearing something similar to her Headmistress uniform, except with a few changes. She was wearing black, high heels instead of flats, and was wearing a designer, navy, skinny suit. The shirt inside was strapless, but it was navy with small, red flowers. And her navy jacket wasn't long, it was form fitting and it hung just below her waist. She looked quite sexy, very chic Shizuru thought.
Natsuki looked at herself in the mirror, fixing her hair which was up in a high ponytail, the silver pin on the usual side. She was also contemplating. Contemplating whether she should apply color to her lips or just settle for a glossy look.
"I'm here on business" She softly answered the brunette's question, "this is as elegant as I will get. And you're here for pleasure, there's a difference"
Shizuru raised a suggestive brow, a playful smile on her lips. "Ara~ But for whose pleasure?"
She had to say it, just had to.
The moment they had arrived at the hotel room Natsuki had totally devoured her. The moment the door had shut behind them she had gotten rid of both of their clothes so fast; so fast that she looked like that comic book character, what was his name? The Flash?
But it wasn't all Natsuki, she also played a big part in this.
She had teased the woman relentlessly the entire way to Aries, had been very inappropriate the whole way.
Shizuru was unable to keep her hands from herself, no pun intended.
She had touched herself in the sexiest of ways. She had started by sensually touching and biting her lower lip. Ruby eyes were on the blunette in front of her the whole time as she slowly proceeded to touch her neck. Her fingertips then unbuttoned a few buttons from her shirt, showing cleavage, showing Natsuki a little bit of her lacy, sexy bra. And then provocatively, slowly touching in between that area, in between her ample bosoms, closing her Ruby eyes and letting out a throaty moan, a sexy gasp in the process.
She wanted to see Natsuki's reaction, what she would do. Wanted to see if she would grab her and take her to the restroom to make out. Shizuru really wanted to make out. They had a whole jet plane to themselves, well, besides the pilot and the flight attendant, so she wanted to have a little fun. Sexy fun.
But unfortunately, the woman didn't. Shizuru had come to learn, or re-learn, that the blunette had a lot of self-restraint. A lot. It's as if the blunette had been doing this for years; practicing self control.
Let's just say that it was a long and painful three hours in that lonely jet plane. And not only for Natsuki. Shizuru's seduction had totally backfired on her. She was hot, extremely hot, and there was no willing, icy blunette to cool her down.
"S-Shizuru~" Came the husky whine. If she blushed any deeper she was sure she was going to faint. It had been a day full of those already, she really needed a break.
"Fufu, kannin na… No more teasing, I promise"
"Don't promise things you can't keep" Natsuki muttered. It was in Shizuru's nature, the woman just never, ever, ever stopped.
"You're not wearing a necklace tonight?" Shizuru then noticed as she stood from the bed and joined the woman in front of the vanity. Something seemed to be missing from the woman's outfit, she wasn't wearing jewelry at all.
"I'm so used to wearing the tie that I forgot to bring jewelry"
"That can be easily fixed" Shizuru went ahead and removed the crescent moon necklace from her neck, she wasn't planning on wearing it tonight anyway. She stood behind Natsuki and securely fastened it around her pretty neck.
"There, now you're perfect" She wrapped her hands around the blunette's waist and hugged her from behind. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on... I'm so glad that you're mine" She placed a long kiss on her now blushing cheek, then stared at their reflection in the mirror for a few seconds and sweetly smiled at her.
They looked good together, Shizuru thought. Their differences complemented one another. ...We'll make cute babies someday...
Natsuki then turned around and wrapped her arms around Shizuru's neck. One of her hands made its way to her chestnut hair, caressing her there. She went ahead and softly kissed her, kissed the woman she loves and adores with all her heart. Thanking her with her lips for the compliment she had given her.
"I love you, Shizuru" Then said as she parted their kiss, their noses lightly touching, playfully caressing one another.
"I… I know... Me too" Shizuru whispered back and then softly kissed her again.
- Ring -
But they had to part their lips for the phone had started to ring.
- Ring -
Natsuki slowly walked over to the ringing phone, "Hai?" Was the husky answer, it was concierge who had called. "Yes, thank you for letting me know" Then gently hung up and faced Shizuru.
"They're early. They'll be waiting for us at the restaurant" She informed the brunette. "How much longer until you're ready?"
She was glad that the restaurant Yukino had chosen to have dinner tonight was in their hotel. She had woken up very early this morning and didn't feel like being out too long. She could just head back up to the room and rest once dinner was over.
The summit tomorrow morning would be in this hotel as well. They had a large conference room, with enough room to sit the Council members and the representatives from each of the other Nations. It was an important conference; many different countries would attend it.
"Hm, I'd say about twenty minutes?" At the moment, Shizuru was wearing the robe the hotel provided. She had already showered and applied her makeup, she just needed to do her hair, slip into her long dress and shoes, apply lipstick, and sprinkle some perfume on her skin. "You can head downstairs and keep them company, I won't take long"
"Oh, okay" Natsuki walked towards her and then placed a kiss on her clothed shoulder. "I'll order you a glass of wine while we wait... Red or white?"
"White please" Shizuru placed a chaste kiss on her lips.
"Okay, see you in a little bit" Natsuki then headed for the door, "Remember, the restaurant is on the 30th floor" She made sure she had her keycard with her before waiving goodbye and closing the door behind her.
It took her about eight minutes to reach the 30th floor since their room was all the way up in the 60s.
This was a huge, fancy, and very expensive hotel. It was also very popular due to the panorama, due to the view, this being one of the highest buildings in the city.
And there was a lot more traffic than usual tonight due to the summit tomorrow. Anyone who's anyone would be there. Anyone who was influential and had a say would be there. Natsuki was sure she was going to bump into many leaders and famous Otomes tonight.
Natsuki walked down the long, wide staircase. She had already talked to the host who had pointed her to her table. The host was going to show her there, but Natsuki had cordially denied.
This was Natsuki's first time eating in this restaurant. The restaurant was enormous, she noticed, and had high ceilings and glass walls, taking up two floors. It looked like a ballroom with the high ceiling and the massive, pretty chandelier in the middle of the room. It was also nicely, dimly lit, and soft, live, piano music was playing, a great set-up for those who are looking for romance.
The moment Emerald eyes fell upon Haruka, she couldn't help and narrow her eyes. There Haruka was, silently laughing at her again, her eyes full of mirth.
Why couldn't she just let things go? It's been four years already for crying out loud!
She slowly walked to their table. She was glad that Yukino had reserved a table near the window. Yukino knew how much Shizuru enjoyed the views. And this place had a great view.
Natsuki slightly nodded her head along the way, greeting important figures, Otomes, and ambassadors. She was right all along, anyone who was anyone was here tonight.
She stopped and chatted for a few moments with some fellow Otomes, they were concerned for Shizuru and had asked how she was doing. Natsuki brought them up to speed, but omitted a lot of details. They needn't know everything about the brunette, just that she was back, and that she was safe.
"Konbanwa, sorry for the wait" Natsuki greeted Yukino and Haruka before sitting, and silently thanked the waiter who helped her with her chair. "Shizuru will be down in a few minutes"
Haruka was about to speak, but Yukino covered her mouth, knowing exactly what she was going to say.
"Not tonight, Haruka-chan. You promised"
To which Haruka had given her a look, a twitchy look.
"Yukino, don't call me that in public!" Came the muffled whine.
Natsuki went ahead and ordered two glasses of wine, one red one white. And while they waited for Shizuru, the three women conversed, mainly about the summit tomorrow.
Haruka wasn't fond of the idea of decreasing the amount of Otomes in Aries, she and Yukino seemed to have similar opinions in the matter. If they agreed to this, and one of the other wealthy Nations who didn't give up their Otomes declared war on them, they'd be exposed big time.
Everyone, absolutely everyone needed to be on the same page about this. Everyone.
"Where is that bubuzuke woman, I'm starving!" Haruka finally let out. They had been waiting for a good thirty minutes now.
"Ah, gomen, let me go check on her" Natsuki then stood and headed for the nearest phone. There was one not too far way, near the foot of the stairs.
She picked it up and dialed 6620, their room number. And she heard the phone ring and ring and ring and ring. No one was answering.
And suddenly, the loud voices in the room turned into whispers and hushes, until the voices completely died and the room became silent. Too silent. When she noticed, when she looked around, everyone seemed to be staring in the same direction. Everyone, men and women alike, were completely mesmerized by something, by someone.
When Emerald eyes followed their gaze, it led her to the very top of the long set of stairs, led her to brunette.
Natsuki let out a small gasp, her mouth slightly, just slightly agape. She watched as Shizuru calmly looked around, unmoving from the spot she was standing.
Shizuru was looking for her, trying to find her, she just knew it.
When their eyes finally met, when she had finally found her, she noticed she impudently smiled at her and started to make her torturous, sexy, and very slow descend.
In that moment, it was just Shizuru, her, and the song in her heart.
The rapid beat of her excited heart.
Shizuru was brilliant tonight. She was the brightest star. She looked wonderful in her strapless, long, silver dress. It had a slight split on one side of the leg, making it easier to walk while showing some of her toned leg as well. There was not a single jewel adorning her body. She didn't need it, she chose it that way. The dress itself, with its sparkles, was the jewel. She was wearing sassy, sexy, high, navy colored stilettos. They had a little bit of gloss, a little bit of shine on them. And her hair, her hair was up in a messy bun, bangs combed neatly in place, showing her beautiful face and delicate neck. Her make up was simple, but her lips were red. Passionate red, just like her mysterious eyes.
She was elegance.
She was charm.
She was provocative.
She was grace.
She was bewitching and enchanting. And not one second did her Ruby eyes leave hers. Not one. Natsuki was truly the most envied woman in the room, in the country, in world tonight. Everyone's eyes were on Shizuru, but Shizuru's attention was solely on her.
Only her.
"She's truly what they say about her" Said a voice standing next to her, a male voice. "I've never seen her in person, and now that I have, I see it is true what they say. She is as the name of her Gem… Bewitching"
Natsuki ignored the voice and stared at her, only her. She was halfway down the stairs now, that sensual walk of hers made her heart want to leave her chest. The way she was looking at her, that playful way, it took her breath away. Completely.
"One of the most desired women in the world, and she happens to be an Otome. Such a waste of beauty" The man continued, and then sighed, "There are rumors though that she is already promised to someone, yet I don't see a ring on her finger. Until then, I'd say she's fair game"
And upon hearing these words, Natsuki left her stare of the brunette for two seconds to look at the now retreating man.
Who was that guy anyway?
Natsuki slowly hung up the phone, realizing she was still holding it next to her ear. The phone had stop ringing a long time ago and was now beeping.
She slowly walked to the foot of the stairs, Emerald eyes never leaving the woman's form, and waited for her there.
"You really know how to make an entrance… Wherever you go, everyone can't stop staring at you" Natsuki whispered to her, keeping her distance.
"All I ever look for is the attention of a pair of beautiful, green eyes" Kyoto-ben softly replied, "That is always my goal"
Natsuki's cheeks turned pink and whispered again, "I… I see you went for the opposite of what I suggested"
And Shizuru's lips and eyes showed a little humor, "Natsuki knows me well, does she not? She knows I do not play by the rules… She knows I do the opposite of what she says. Natsuki wanted me dressed this way"
Natsuki swallowed, this was not the time to be turned on by the woman's seductive voice, by her intense gaze, by her playful words.
She looked around and all eyes still seem to be focused on the brunette.
"Ahem" She brought a hand to her lips and loudly cleared her throat a couple of times, "Ahem!" And everyone seemed to start moving again, to avert their stares and give them privacy.
It always worked like a charm.
"Come, Shizuru. Our table is this way"
Natsuki slowly led the brunette to their table, and Shizuru waived and said hello to a few people she didn't recognize, didn't remember. Natsuki had to whisper in her ear who they were.
When the brunette had greeted Haruka, it was exactly as last time. She had lunged at her and had hugged her, and even gave her a sweet, amiable kiss on the cheek. Natsuki couldn't catch it on camera, totally forgetting about it, but Yukino sure did.
The rest of the night went smoothly. The four women chatted and laughed, not once talking about business. A few Otomes and ambassadors did stop and greeted them throughout the night.
It was a reminiscing night. Haruka told a few stories of her and Shizuru's years together in Garderobe, exaggerating and making a few things up along the way. She was totally using Shizuru's amnesia to her advantage, to which Shizuru had said:
"Ara~ I sort of remember it differently, Haruka-chan"
And Haruka blushingly replied,
"W-What do you know? You have anesthesia!"
Then, Yukino corrected,
"It's amnesia, Haruka-chan"
And then Natsuki folded her arms across her chest and muttered,
"It's all written down in her journal, Haruka-san. Stop making things up, it's embarrassing"
But those years they had spent together, their friendly rivalry, Haruka couldn't deny those were the best years of their life. Those had been very exciting times for them both. A time full of new experiences and discoveries. And having one another, pushing one another's limits, in a way made them who they were today.
Without Shizuru's annoying calmness about everything, her perfect grades, and her relentless playfulness, Haruka wouldn't have been the same. And without Haruka's persistent rivalry, always pushing her to be the best, Shizuru either.
And although Haruka profusely denied it, she really did love and care for the brunette. She was her good friend, although she never really used the word friend.
About three hours later, after everyone had finished their dinner and dessert, and their plates had been cleared, Yukino and Haruka called it a night.
It was just the two of them at the table now, and they were finishing their third, maybe fourth glass of wine.
Shizuru looked around her and let out a small sigh. Everyone seemed so cozy, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes. Some were even kissing, and some were in the dance floor, openly expressing their love through dance. It was mostly couples now at the restaurant, which made sense since it was already eleven in the night.
Shizuru then averted her stare and looked at the view outside. Aries was a beautiful city. It seemed different to her, seemed more prosperous than Wind Bloom. Perhaps it was because it wasn't being run by an inexperienced, teenage queen.
Queen Mashiro was sweet and caring, and she was trying to be a good queen, really trying. But in the end, she was just a little girl in need of guidance, of help. She couldn't do it on her own.
Just like Natsuki and her so-called issues.
How was Natsuki even working on her issues? She had said she was trying, but how?
Was she seeking professional help?
Seeing a therapist?
What was she doing exactly?
How do you deal with these issues?
"What are you thinking about?" Natsuki blurted out. She was feeling a little tipsy because of the wine. Just a little bit. It was her fifth glass of the night.
"How long have we been together, Natsuki?" Shizuru pensively asked, not really facing the woman.
At some point she had stopped staring at the landscape and focused on the happy silhouettes reflecting on the window. She could see everyone that was behind them, she could see everything that they were doing. Could see their movements, their touches, their intimacy, their laughter. She couldn't help and envy those silhouettes.
"Um, three and a half years" Natsuki replied, holding three fingers in the air and attempting to do a half one. "No, five and a half" It was confusing, should she count the two years the brunette was missing or not? "No, three…" Should she subtract the five months they had broken up? That had been a very awkward, lonely, and painful time. "I mean, I think it's five and a half..." Yes, Natsuki was tipsy alright. "What do you think, Shizuru? How long do you think we've been together?"
Shizuru faced the blunette and stared at her face. What she had just said was a little hard to follow, and a little slurred.
Why so many different dates?
That's when Ruby eyes noticed her pink cheeks, her unusually smiling lips, her lovey-dovey eyes. Her sudden closeness.
"A-Ara~ I think Natsuki had too much to drink" Kyoto-ben muttered with raised eyebrows.
Exactly how much did Natsuki have to drink? And how did she not notice it?
It was nice to see her this way, it was nice seeing her finally loosening up. She was always so earnest, so serious. But she had a very important speech tomorrow, she shouldn't be doing this right now. She'd wake up with a major headache tomorrow, perhaps a hangover.
"I think I drank my glass and then your glass and then my glass and then your glass" Natsuki said, taking the brunette's hand and intertwining their fingers together. "Or was it your glass and then my glass… and then your glass and then... my glass?" Natsuki snorted, she was such a geek, "I honestly don't remember" She was acting too silly right now.
"Ne, Shizuru?" She then whispered close to the brunette's ear, a hand now on the brunette's lap. "Did you wear this dress so I could take it off?" Then added, "I love it on you, you look so sexy, but I really can't wait to take it off"
Shizuru's face was as pink as Natsuki's right now. "A-Ara, let's go back to the room, ne?" This was too much for her, she'd never seen Natsuki like this before. "Natsuki is not thinking straight right now" "She might do something she will later regret" Shizuru then stood, and was about to help the blunette stand as well but a voice interrupted them.
"Good evening, lovely ladies"
Natsuki then stopped smiling and faced the voice. She recognized the voice. This man had talked to her a few hours ago, and she didn't like what he had said.
"Oh, were you leaving Viola-san? I was hoping to introduce myself and talk with you for a little while, and was going to ask if you'd care to dance"
"Ie, she's not doing any- any introducing or any... talking or any dancing with you. Absolutely, definitely, certainly not" Natsuki told the young man in the most serious way she could despite her condition. She had said it very slowly and somewhat slurred. "She's with me… I'm her girlfriend, her- her partner. She's not fair game or whatever you said earlier, so go away" But she had to be polite, so she added, "Please"
Both, Shizuru's and the young man's eyebrows raised in surprise because of this declaration of some sort.
"Kannin na, but I must decline" She cordially smiled at the handsome man as she politely refused, "We were about to take our leave… Perhaps next time?"
The young ambassador softly nodded, "It was a pleasure to meet you in person, Viola-san" Then, took Shizuru's hand and gave it a gentle kiss. He was just being a gentleman.
And Natsuki, she visibly scowled because of this, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink. "Why are you still here. Go away please" The audacity of this guy!
"Have a good night, ladies" The ambassador smiled, "Until next time, Viola-san" And quietly took his leave.
"Yea, right. There'll be no next time" Natsuki snorted again as she watched him walk away. "Let's go to the room Shizuru, I... I don't feel so well. I feel everything spinning in my head"
"Fufu, right away" Shizuru smilingly said and helped Natsuki stand. When Natsuki was jealous, it was quite comical. "Let's go" Then, she intertwined their fingers together as they slowly walked. Natsuki didn't seem to mind, she didn't retract her hand.
"Ne, Shizuru, did I tell you you look really, really, really pretty tonight?"
Shizuru giggled, pulling the girl closer as they walked, "Hai, Natsuki already did"
"Oh…" There was a small frown, and a finger tapping on her chin, "Can... Can I tell you again?"
"Ara~ Natsuki is so kawaii, ne? Hai, Natsuki can tell me again"
It was going to be a long night for Shizuru. Apparently, when Natsuki was tipsy, she was a bit adventurous and aggressive in bed. She had a lot of energy. And she also really liked to talk. A lot.
A Few Hours Later...
When the young man took over and opened his eyes, he found himself unable to move, somewhat trapped. There was a naked, sleeping blunette laying on top of him, holding on tightly to him, the same one from two days ago.
He wasn't supposed to go in the dark tonight. His father had ordered him to take a rest, that within a weeks time they'd take over again. They had been going in almost everyday for the past three weeks and the body needed rest. Both, his and the brunette's bodies needed rest. And since he had disconnected so suddenly the other night, his mind needed a break as well.
He really missed the brunette though and wanted to see her, so he went behind his father's back and connected.
"So, it is not a one-time occurrence as father had said" The young man whispered, hands turning into tight fists. So tight that his long nails dug deep into his skin, causing him to bleed.
The body feels no pain while in the dark. Doesn't feel coldness, warmness. Doesn't feel discomfort. Doesn't feel at all.
The body also doesn't express emotions, and couldn't make sounds, voice words. All he could do was see what she sees, hear what she hears, and command her to move.
He went ahead and slowly removed the naked blunette from his body, not wanting to wake her up, and quietly crawled out of bed. He walked over to the vanity, to the mirror, he wanted to see her face, her beautiful eyes and face. He really missed her.
Once he got there, he stared for a long while. Just stood there and stared at her face, and then her beautiful, flawless body. She was naked, completely naked, and there were faint marks on her neck. Her lips were slightly swollen and pink, perhaps from biting and kissing. And there were a few marks here and there as well, some on her chest, some on her hip, and a mark near her belly button. Her pearly, smooth skin tainted with someone else's marks, tainted with someone else's love bites.
He didn't like that.
He hated it.
He wanted them gone.
"Shizuru it's still dark, please come back to bed..."
He heard her companion sleepily say.
"Shizuru..." He had finally learned her name. After over a year of trying to get it out of her without success, he had finally learned her name. He didn't have to call her 'deadly beautiful' anymore. "What a beautiful name"
He looked down, something in the vanity had caught his attention. Something sharp, something pointy, something shiny. It was a letter opener.
He reached out for it with his bloody hand. His eyes then settled on the mirror, on the reflection of a sleeping blunette. If only he could get rid of her, then there'd be no more marks on her perfect skin, no more waking up next to this intruder.
He slowly turned around, gripping the letter opener tighter with his bloody hand, a trail of blood now filling the object. He took a step closer, and closer, and closer... He was almost there, he could see her breathing, could see the falling and rising of her chest.
If he stabbed her heart with the letter opener, if he stabbed her chest, then he'd be free from her.
No more waking up next to her.
It'd just be him and the brunette again.
"Son?... Son, stop!"
But he had to suddenly pull out. His father had caught him, had pulled him from the dark.
"A... Ara?"
Shizuru blinked rapidly a few times, feeling a little dizzy, out of place. Her hands instantly went for her face to cover her eyes.
She breathed in and out a few times as she sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for the dizziness to go away.
When she brought her hands down to her lap and noticed the letter opener and her bloody hand, "H-How..." And now feeling the sharp pain on her palm, she quickly dropped the item on the floor and looked around her, making sure the blunette was okay, that she was not harmed.
"Was... Was I sleepwalking again?" She thought aloud, a little frightened. She had panicked the moment she had seen the blood. She was just glad it was her own blood.
How did that happen?
Last she knew, she had fallen asleep after making love. Natsuki had completely worn her out.
She quickly stood and headed for the restroom to tend to her wound, grabbing the robe on her way there to cover her naked body.
It looked like at some point during her sleep her nails had dug hard into her palm and had caused her to bleed. She could see the four marks of her fingers, of her nails. Perhaps it was time to cut them to prevent this from happening again.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror as she washed her hands, noticing there was blood on her face as well. She must've dirtied it when she rubbed her eyes after suddenly waking up.
Shizuru's eyebrows furrowed, a frown appeared on her tender lips. This sleepwalking of hers, it was more dangerous than she had imagined. She should be more careful, she could hurt herself, or hurt someone else without noticing. ...Perhaps I should seek professional help...
- 0 -
Thanks for Reading!
And Thanks for the Reviews/Comments
I searched the web, and I couldn't find out where Natsuki Kruger is from so I made up Duran. It's not in her profile and to my knowledge she didn't mention it in the series.
Also, since there are rumors that Una Shamrock, the previous wielder of the Bewitching Gem, might be Shizuru's mother, I went ahead and used that. There's not much on ShizNat's background in this series so I don't know LOL But if you guys know, let me know and I will edit!
ONE MORE THING: There aren't any airplanes in the Otome Series, but for the sake of getting Natsuki and Shizuru to Aries and Duran faster, lets pretend Garderobe has exclusive access to one.
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!
Let me know what you guys think.
"For the love of ShizNat"