Title: Riding the Roller Coaster (Part VIII)
Author: ficeler37
Note: Don't own Mai-Hime. I'll let Sunrise take the credit.
Rating: PG
Word count: 1261

Summary: The kiss?

A/N: I just wanna say that tomorrow's chapter is gonna be AWESOME. That is all.

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Warm breath against warm breath. Blue and chestnut colored tresses engaging in a dance that transgresses time itself. Everything seems to be in slow motion, yet nothing remains immobile. Hearts beating like a wild galloping horse that is on its way to take a blind leap of faith over a dangerous cliff. Thoughts, reasons, conscience … all get thrown to the wind. At the present, all actions are solely dictated by the most primal instinct of all – lust.

Come closer, Natsuki.

I'm coming, Shizuru.

"AHEM!" A voice appears through a panic button on the wall, and takes the girl by surprise. "Takeda-kun, you are supposed to warn our dear visitors of rule number two. Why are you just standing there like an idiot?"

The white figure previously ignored by Shizuru and Natsuki turns towards a particular spider web on the ceiling, and takes a deep bow. "I'm so sorry, sir. Thank you for reminding me to do my job." Apparently there are numerous security cameras hidden behind random spider webs to monitor the actions of the visitors, and the panic buttons also serve as intercoms.

Just when Shizuru and Natsuki are still lying on top of each other, too embarrassed to move an inch of their bodies, the panic button speaks again. "Ladies, would you mind following Takeda-kun to the maze exit? Please enjoy your stay at the park for the rest of the day. Sorry for the inconveniences."

Natsuki is the first to react. She lifts her head up slightly and turns towards the button of the wall. "Who do you think you are? Treating us like some teenagers who cannot keep their libidos under control?"

"Ahem, miss. You are still groping your girlfriend's breast." The intercom retorts.

"Hey, what do you mean MY girlfriend? Wait … what did you say?" It is at that moment that Natsuki finally realizes what her hand has been squeezing all this time. "AHHH!" The blue haired girl jumps up from Shizuru and falls backwards, landing on the floor with a pained bottom.

Shizuru misses the loss of warmth on her body instantly. Natsuki, did you really want to kiss me back there? Was I hallucinating? Nevertheless, she sits up slowly and puts her hand up to her flushed cheek in her trademark pose. "Ara, Natsuki is so impatient. Ikezu …" Even though she is annoyed by the untimely interruption, truthfully she is overjoyed for being referred to as the blue haired angel's girlfriend.

"Argh, Shizuru. You're not helping!" A deeply blushing Natsuki gets up from the floor, then carefully pulls Shizuru up on her feet.

"Takeda-kun, right? Your voice sounds very familiar, have we met before?" Shizuru gives the white figure a smile that she reserves for her most hated enemies.

"Ah ha ha, Fu … (cough) … miss, you must be mistaken. I don't think we have met before." Cold sweats are sliding down Takeda's temples behind his hideous mask as he recalls the painful (in more than one way) experience in the pool hall. No wonder Fujino-san reacted the way she did at the pool hall. I didn't know that she and Kuga have this kind of relationship. Takeda, you idiot. Why do you always have to go for the lesbians? "Please allow me to lead the way."

The girls follow our favorite idiot out of the maze in silence, both deep in thoughts, unsure about how to bring up what had happened before the interruption. One is hating herself for acting like a hot-blooded pervert while the other is still doubting whether the almost kiss was just a figment of her imagination.

After they have stepped out of the dark building, the girls continue to walk in silence, until … (loud stomach growl)

"Ho ho, I guess someone is hungry." The Kyoto woman pats Natsuki's stomach teasingly, which earns her a fierce look from the blue haired girl. "Natsuki doesn't have to be embarrassed about it. C'mon, don't pout. I tell you what, why don't you decide where we're going to have lunch?"

Natsuki's ears perk up a little at the idea. For as long as I have known Shizuru, she is always eating traditional Japanese food during meal time. Ha, I wonder how she'll react to this … "Alright, if you insist. Let's go to the pizza parlor up there!" Natsuki points towards a restaurant with a humongous piece of plastic pizza stuck to the roof.

As they get closer to the restaurant, something else catches the blue haired girl's attention. Today's special – Extra Spicy Sausage Pizza. Hehe, this ought to be interesting. "Ne, Shizuru. Are you afraid of a little challenge from me?"

The chestnut haired beauty smiles sweetly at the object of her affection. "If Natsuki wants to challenge me, I am not going to say no. But may I ask what the wager is?"

"Uhm …" Natsuki was so excited about the idea of seeing Shizuru begging for water after having spicy food that she completely forgot about the terms of the challenge. "How about … the loser has to do one thing for the winner, no questions asked?"

"I accept." Thoughts of asking Natsuki to do (ahem) are racing rapidly in Shizuru's mind. No matter what the challenge is, I'm going to win. I swear.

After the girls have sat down at a booth at the back of the restaurant, a waiter comes over to take orders. Without taking a look at the menu, Natsuki puts up her hand and stops Shizuru from ordering. "We would like to have a today's special and a glass of ice water please. Just one glass."

Just one glass? Shizuru looks at Natsuki quizzically, but soon regains her composure. "Ara, did Natsuki want to share a glass of water with me? (happy sigh) Indirect kiss, here I come." The Kyoto woman blushes and lets her mind wander to dangerous places once again.

"BAKA!" It seems like all the blood in Natsuki's body has just rushed to her face. The memory of what happened in the haunted house suddenly floods her mind. Why are we talking about kissing again?

After a few minutes, the waiter comes back with an extra spicy sausage pizza and a glass of water. Shizuru looks at the pizza skeptically as her brows furrow. Pizza, huh? Hopefully my stomach can take all the grease. But why do the sausages look so …red?

"Listen, here's how the bet goes. We each need to finish half a pizza. Whoever reaches for the glass of water in the middle of the table first loses. Simple enough?"

Still oblivious to the spiciness of the sausages, Shizuru grins innocently at the secretly smirking Natsuki. "Sounds good to me."

Unable to wait to see Shizuru begging for water, Natsuki quickly hands her chestnut haired friend half a pizza. We'll see how you can keep your poise in the face of the super spicy pizza. This is for making me look dumb at the haunted house. "Ready? One, two, three, GO!"

Before she takes the first bite, the blue haired girl scrutinizes Shizuru who usually emanates traditional grace and beauty as the Kyoto woman takes her bite at the pizza.

Silence.

Damnit, I was so sure that Shizuru is scared of spicy food. Nothing seems to be wrong with the chestnut haired beauty as she continues to slowly chew on the pizza with her eyes closed. Natsuki munches on her pizza disappointedly, unfazed by the spiciness.

All of a sudden, streams of tears start rushing out of the closed crimson eyes …

TBC.