Hey guys, I'm so sorry for the late update. As you all know, school has just started and that means homework. I'm also taking IB, which stands for International Baccalaureate, and that's taking up most of my time.
To Nat-chan: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Maybe Shizuru would be jealous of Nao.. or maybe not. And you're very welcome. I love writing the story as much as you all like reading it. Thanks for reviewing! :)
To the guest who can smell Natnao... Well I guess you'll just have to see.
And to the rest of the guests who were very generous with their reviews- thank you all. I enjoy reading all your comments. So without further ado, chapter 13! Enjoy!
Fluff warning alert!
I don't own Mai HiME.
The group, along with Natsuki and Shizuru, continued to stare expectedly at each other as if daring someone to speak. Now on any other occasion, Nao or Chie would be the first to burst this bubble. But being as shocked as the rest, the only action they took was the opening and closing of their mouths.
The air around the six of them was tense, Shizuru could see that. But being her confident self, she opened her mouth to break the silence. After all, she couldn't expect Natsuki to take initiative with her blankly staring at her friends.
"Ara, would you all like to join Natsuki and I? It seems you may have some unanswered questions for dear Natsuki here." Shizuru inclined her head to her companion before smiling kindly at the four currently standing. That seemed to grab their attention.
"Sure," Mai replied for the rest of the group. She gave Shizuru her own smile before heading towards the empty seat besides her emerald eyed best friend. She was suddenly halted as the other woman left her original seat to sit immediately besides the brunette. Shizuru gave the younger woman a smile as the orange haired woman and Nao sat in the two empty seats.
Chie turned around to find an empty table to borrow two chairs from. That wasn't needed at all as Aoi had already brought two empty chairs from an empty table she had already seen. The two quickly situated themselves before turning their attention towards the couple of the afternoon.
"Sooo," Chie started out. Suddenly she grinned slyly, nudging the blunette in a friendly way, "A girlfriend huh? How did that happen?"
Natsuki, being a worry-wart, didn't expect such acceptance. She imagined a much more awkward greeting, but she was nonetheless, surprised at how easily Chie seemed to slide into this situation. The blunette slightly tilted her head and her eyes met that of crimson to see the other woman seemingly asking the same question. Her brows scrunched up to show her confusion.
Was Shizuru insecure about them? Or was it because they haven't talked about where they were as a couple? Natsuki hoped that Shizuru didn't regret their new relationship. But the brunette was as happy as she was so that wasn't it right? Their kiss at their park meant they were dating.. Didn't it? Natsuki mentally groaned. Now wasn't really the time to figure this out. Her friends just appeared! But then again...this was as good as time as any to tell Shizuru what they were. To tell everyone important to her about their relationship.
"Yea... Shizuru's my girlfriend." her reply was well received as Natsuki had gotten one of her favorite Shizuru smiles. Turning her attention back to her friends, she gave a nervous smile as she tried to calm the insistent beating of her life organ.
Aoi, seeing the interaction, just grinned at her, following her girlfriend's example. "Well, want to tell us about it? How did you guys meet? When was your first kiss?" The blue eyed woman's grin turned mischievous. "Who confessed to who?"
That seemed to break the gripping atmosphere as everyone began to laugh. Everyone except Natsuki of course. The deep frown trying to push down a growing blush just evoked more laughter.
"Aoi's right," Mai managed to slip out through her laughter. "Tell us about the relationship."
Shizuru took it from there before Natsuki had a chance to talk. Natsuki's friends didn't need to know that she was being bullied and that Natsuki had saved her. That part of their story will remain between them. "Natsuki and I met when at the park one day. We started to talk and then we started to play with each other."
"Really?" wondered Mai. "Oh how romantic!"
"And very cliche. Please tell me you didn't offer to push Shizuru on the swings like in those corny movies, mutt," commented Nao a playful grin crossing her face. She gave of a maniacal smile as she saw her dark headed friend blush.
"I- uh.." Natsuki did. Shizuru had been sad and had went to the swings to swing on. But she couldn't.
"That is correct, Nao-san," answered Shizuru. "I had just sat on the swing before realizing that my feet couldn't touch the ground. Suddenly Natsuki was in front of me telling me to actually use the swings rather than just sitting there. I told her I couldn't and she put on that cute frown of hers and ran behind to push on my back. I swear Natsuki, you may act like a rebel, but you are the sweetest person I know." Everyone around the table saw the love-stricken smile thrown at the biker and they immediately grinned.
The jaded eyed woman tried to hold a straight face and for a minute, she succeeded. But that soon changed as the youngest at the table burst out into full laughter.
"Oh, this is precious! Of all the ways to meet a girl, Natsuki!"
The emerald eyed woman just groaned as she began to hit her head against the table. The small thuds provided a few minor tremors that brought a small smile to her girlfriend's face.
Seeing the pain, and the embarrassment, written all over Natsuki's face required the crimson eyed woman to take action. Patting the biker on the back, Shizuru cooed softly into the blunette's ear. "Aww, it's alright, Natsuki. At least we met romantically, unlike some people."
That proceeded to stop Natsuki from creating a big bump on her forehead. "That is true. I mean, it wasn't exactly original, but hey, it's our story."
"Exactly, Natsuki." Shizuru smiled which enticed Natsuki to do the same. "On the brighter note, at least they don't know our little confession yet."
What was meant to be a little whisper between to lovers was practically broadcasted into Chie's superhuman-hearing ears.
The glasses wearing woman grinned as she brought the question up. "Do tell you two. How did the confession scene go? A little kiss here or there? Or did one of you just grab the other into a full out make-out session?" This produced a new wave of red into Natsuki's face and a small tint into Shizuru's.
"How di-, crap, how could I forget your superhuman-hearing?" mumbled Natsuki. Shizuru just gave a questioning gaze before turning her attention to the rest of their audience.
"Well, Natsuki was quite romantic about the whole thing." Began Shizuru. She was suddenly cut off by one of the cutest pouts on her girlfriend's face.
"Was not," denied Natsuki out of slight habit. Her input just received her a look that clearly said "stay out of the conversation." The blunette quickly did so, laying her hands on her lap and sitting perfectly straight as if Shizuru was going to punish her if she didn't. Of course knowing her childhood friend, the older woman would make her do something that would be amusing to herself. Natsuki couldn't afford having more blood rush to her face.
Shizuru, seeing as the younger woman wasn't going to interrupt her, continued her story. "As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," crimson eyes glanced playfully at nervous emerald, "It was rather romantic. We went back to the park where we first met and just sat there until it got dark. Then Natsuki and I started to talk and the next thing I knew, she had dragged me up to my feet, and was kissing me."
"The mutt did that?" Nao just shook her head at how cheesy it all seemed. But the smile on her lips told Natsuki that Nao really didn't mind.
Shizuru turned towards Natsuki's friends. "Is it that hard to believe?"
Mai nodded. "Natsuki frowned at all things sweet unless cute puppies were involved or her precious mayo. Other than that, its like having hybrid robot as a friend." Her emerald eyed friend hadn't been one to talk of her thoughts. She usually kept her voice out of things unless something important required her attention.
Shizuru nodded. Her friend had been someone like that when they were kids. Just less angst though.
Suddenly a grin appeared on the Kyoto woman's face. She turned her attention to her girlfriend's friends and with the sly look in her eyes, Natsuki gulped, anticipating Shizuru's antics.
"Ara, I believe I have a couple years of embarrassing stories to catch up on. Would you all pitch in as to what my dear Natsuki has been up to for the past couple of years?"
This question created an avalanche of random stories that not even Natsuki could get out off. With a slight sigh, she accepted her fate and patiently waited for her classmates to tell every possible embarrassing story to the woman she loved.
Two hours later and a full belly later, the six women left the small cafe laughing. It had been a splendid lunch getting to know everyone. Natsuki and Shizuru learned more things about each other. Nao, Mai, Aoi, and Chie learned more about their friend's girlfriend. All in all, everyone got along famously. Even after a while Natsuki began to participate.
"You know, this was probably the farthest thing to expect when we went on this trip," commented Nao as she, Mai, Aoi, and Chie headed for their car, which so happens to be parked a car down from Natsuki's bike.
"Right?" Chie nodded. "This was certainly a nice surprise. Who would've thought that Natsuki had a secret girlfriend?"
Aoi grinned. "And add to the fact that her girlfriend would be a childhood friend?"
Natsuki huffed as she squeezed Shizuru's hand. "I know how cliche this all sounds, and believe me, I didn't plan it this way."
"I definitely didn't see it coming." Mai chuckled as she unlocked the car. "But I'm not complaining. She makes you happy, Natsuki."
Emerald quickly met with violet and the biker smiled. "Yea, she really does."
Chie and Aoi shared a look before nodding. "And that's all we want for you."
Nao nodded as well, backing up her friends.
The group remained quiet for a bit, before Mai sighed. This quickly broke the daze and Nao went up to the emerald eyed woman and gave a slight punch to Natsuki's shoulder. "I'll see you around mutt." The red head turned around and got into the car.
Chie and Aoi were next. Aoi went in for a hug with both Shizuru and Natsuki. She used this as an excuse to tell Shizuru to take care of Natsuki. Chie did the same, but whispered it in Natsuki's ear. The couple gave a goodbye after releasing the two women and entered the car.
Mai was last and she also grabbed Natsuki and Shizuru into a tight hug. She let them go a couple of seconds later. Addressing to both women, the orange head began to talk. "We'll be here for a while Natsuki so text us sometime. We'd love to get to know you more Shizuru." With a last wave, the couple watched as Mai entered the driver's seat. The two women continued to stand their as they watched the group's car leave the lot.
"Well, that was nice," said Natsuki after a while. She began to walk towards her bike with Shizuru in tow.
"It really was." Shizuru turned towards her girlfriend with a smile. "They're good people."
Natsuki nodded before she turned her key in the ignition. She climbed onto the seat with Shizuru gripping her waist. Turning around, she gave a grin. "They truly are. Even though Nao could get a bit rude, Chie and Aoi could get invasive, and Mai being protective, they're awesome friends."
"I'm glad for that Natsuki. It's great having people like them watching over you."
Natsuki slipped her helmet as Shizuru followed her example. Revving her motorcycle, Natsuki drove the two out of the parking lot, thinking that this was possible the best first date ever.
The duo arrived back at Shizuru's house around three pm and decided to go ahead and prepare the clothes for the reading of the will. They separated with a quick kiss and began to grab their clothes so they didn't have to deal with it on Monday and left it in Shizuru's bedroom so it wouldn't be hard to find.
The rest of the afternoon was spent on the couch. Natsuki found herself a book to read with Shizuru dozing off in her lap and to Natsuki, the woman on her lap was the most breathtaking creature on earth. No lie. The color of Shizuru's hair, the beautiful shade of her eyes, even the way Shizuru seemed to mumble occasionally when she slept was absolutely adorable in Natsuki's eyes. It was all perfect and Shizuru was as perfect as they come, in and out.
Natsuki didn't know how she could get this lucky. She wasn't the nicest person in the world. She didn't grow up with biological parents who had money or status. She didn't have very high-class friends.. well except for Shizuru, but the brunette was just like any normal person. That's another thing that Natsuki liked about her. Shizuru didn't flaunt her wealth or go around dressed to the nines. The crimson eyed beauty was the most beautiful person in the world, but also managed to be average.
A content sigh escaped through Natsuki's lips as she continued to stare at Shizuru's sleeping face. She had never noticed it before, but the other woman's eyelashes were long. There was also a small more that Shizuru covered with her bangs. Without thinking about, the blunette leaned towards Shizuru forehead and kissed it.
"Shizuru... " Natsuki whispered feeling an overwhelming sense of love with every syllable of Shizuru's name she pronounce. Truly, she loves this woman. She would do anything for her. Anything. That feeling was new to Natsuki. She's never loved anyone this much and it threaten to consume her. The emerald eyed woman would let it.
"Natsuki? Is there something on my face?" wondered a sleepy Shizuru as she got up.
Natsuki smiled and shook her head. "No."
"Then why were you starring at me like that?"
Natsuki got up from her spot and stretched. Setting the book down on the nearest table, she turned to her girlfriend's questioning gaze. "What? I can't appreciate my girlfriend's wonderful face?"
Shizuru, still adjusting to Natsuki's suddenly teasing ways, slightly blushed. "Umm I... uhh.. You can?"
Natsuki just laughed and gave the brunette a kiss. "I love you, Shizuru.."
This had the brunette blushing madly. "Natsuki... mou. I love you too."
We're almost at the end... wow. I've never imagined going this far with this.
I love you guys and thank you all for waiting patiently for this. I know it is unbelieveably short, but with school and everything, life's gone a bit hectic. The workload is absolutely horrendous.
So sorry if this seems slightly rushed. There's a history paper due on monday with about thirteen pages worth of notes to go along with it. I just managed to sneak in this so I wouldn't feel so guilty about not updating for like two months.
Anyways, REVIEW guys. God knows how much I've missed those.