I do not own Maria-sama Ga Miteru. #Sadface

A/N: Hey everyone! A little longer, and taking a slightly dark turn as we start to get an inkling as to Shimako's intentions.

Enjoy.

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Gravity

Part 4

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Considering my appetite took a nosedive sometime between me taunting Shimako and she telling me to dance for her, I was pretty proud of myself for summoning the fortitude to finish my plate of bacon and eggs. It took me a while longer than it normally would have, but with the woman I have literally dreamed about on occasion since high school sitting across from me, watching as I awkwardly tried to stuff food in my mouth, I think I deserved a 'pass'.

After I finished and we paid the tab, we gathered out bags and exited the restaurant together. Once outside we stood awkwardly beside each other, as if we couldn't decide our next course of action. Well, I couldn't… Shimako simply watched me as if waiting for me to make the next move.

"So… um," I said, shifting my bag on my shoulder. "Are you—do you want to do anything else?"

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" Shimako mused. I leveled a blank stare at the woman.

"Really?" I scoffed.

"You said you didn't sleep well last night." She explained calmly. "I can understand that. If you are tired…"

"I not tired!" I said indignantly, then crossed my arms over my chest. "And I have tomorrow off." I finished quickly. Shimako blinked at my tone, something appearing in her expression that made it seem as though she were deciding whether or not to believe me. Finally she shook her head.

"It's late. I should go."

"Oh." I wish I hadn't sounded so disappointed, but I just couldn't help it.

Before I even realized it, Shimako stepped up to me so suddenly that I gasped, putting my weight on my back foot. I blinked as she peered at me through her eyelashes, and my mouth instantly dried up.

"Don't misunderstand me, Yumi." She murmured, just loud enough for me to make out as a car drove past us on the road. "I want you well-rested for our dance. Surely you can't begrudge me to want you at your best for it?"

I tried to answer her, but was only able to manage a choked groan. Something about the way she said the word dance led me to believe what she had in mind was anything but.

"I thought so." She replied, pleased. "Now, would you like a lift home?"

"My… my place is just down the block." I finally said, my voice hoarse. I raised a slightly shaky hand and pointed in its general direction. "That way. No need to drive me."

She blinked, and then smiled. "Then I shall walk with you." When I didn't move for another few moments, she held out her hand towards the street. "Lead the way."

"Huh? Oh! Yea… it's this way." I muttered and started off, Shimako at my side. The rest of the walk was silent, but as opposed to our walk from my café to the restaurant, which was uncomfortably long, this one seemed to end all too soon. Before long we reached my apartment building and I opened the door to allow my friend in. "I'm on the, ah, the third floor."

She silently followed me up the three flights of stairs and then to my front door. As I fished in my bag for my keys I had a short panic attack, wondering if I had left anything unseemly out in the open. Would she come inside to find that I had forgotten to put away all my dishes? Was all my laundry taken care of? Holy crap, hadn't I left a bra on my couch the other day? Wincing inwardly and realizing there was very little I could do about that, I pushed the door open and flicked on the lights.

Luckily, as I scanned the room for anything that stood out, it didn't seem all that bad. A couple dishes were in the sink, but none of my clothing or underwear was visible. Thank the Lord for small favors. But that didn't keep me from tensing as Shimako seemed to glide into the room, her head moving around to take in my state of living. She seemed to linger on a few things in particular; the couch in the middle of the room, the small table near the kitchen I used to eat on, the small wall-hanging rack by the door with pegs for hanging sweaters, keys and assorted things like that, and the door that led to my bedroom and bathroom. But after a few silent moments she finally turned back to me and regarded me placidly.

"You have a nice home, Yumi."

"Thanks." I said lamely, taking her words at face value. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for tea, or something?"

Shimako laughed. She took a step towards me and I stepped back in response. "I think, Yumi, that I shall take up your offer next time. This time, I should leave you to your rest."

"Because you want me at my best, right?" I repeated her own words from minutes before, my lips pinching together in frustration. What exactly had she meant by that? What did have planned?

"I do." Shimako said, taking another step. I stepped back again, and averted my eyes from her stare.

"When will I see you again?" I asked softly, not really caring if I sounded suddenly weak, or needy.

Another step forward. "When do you want to see me again?"

Another step back. "Tomorrow?"

"Very well. I shall see you tomorrow. Where shall I meet you?" She took another, larger, step towards me, and suddenly I found myself with my back pressed up against the wall of my apartment, Shimako only inches away from me.

I sucked in a slow, shaky breath, my eyes sliding back towards her. She stared at me unblinkingly, her large silvery-blue eyes taking in every inch of my face, my hair, and then, not even bothering to hide her gaze, my lips.

I swallowed. "Anywhere." My voice was breathy, barely above a whisper.

We stood there, close enough that we could reach out and touch each other with the barest of moves, for a long time. I inhaled slowly, her scent tickling my nose and sending a delightful shiver down my spine, settling down in my belly where it churned and festered into something dark, something secret, and something desperate. My fingers twitched, aching to reach out and touch her, but they couldn't move; whether it was fear or uncertainty that held them back, I didn't know. I concentrated on keeping my knees from buckling as she leaned forward another inch, so that I could feel her breath on my lips, and could almost taste the lingering hint of chocolate.

"Then I will meet you at your Café tomorrow." She whispered, and I shuddered as her breath ghosted across my lips. My tongue darted out in a desperate attempt to touch,, to taste, what was once inside her, and I exhaled heavily, as I realized just the position I found myself in.

"Shimako…" I breathed, and found myself leaning forward before I even realized what I was doing. My heart thumped painfully in my chest, and I braced myself to what I assumed would be a truly amazing experience. I tilted my chin up, holding my breath, and tried to close the distance between us. But, moments later, I realized that she was still barely out of reach. I furrowed my brow, not understanding, and looked down. Her index finger had pressed into my chest, and was holding me back with seemingly little effort.

"Until tomorrow." Shimako then said, her eyes boring into mine. She then leaned forward and brushed her lips across mine in the barest, the smallest semblance of a kiss. Her lips were so warm, and soft, it was all I could do to not melt into a puddle at her feet.

When she pulled away I still stood there, leaning against the wall, trembling slightly. She stepped back from me and I followed her with my eyes, refusing to even blink for if I let her out of my sight she may as well have not even existed. She crossed the room back to the front door, her eyes glittering with what I assumed was amusement, and then closed the door soundlessly behind her, leaving me alone in my apartment and horribly aroused.

When I was sure I was alone my legs finally gave way, and I slid down the wall and squeaked when my butt hit the carpet. "Jesus Christ!" I hissed, running my fingers through my hair and groaning aloud.

I was in trouble. I didn't know how I knew, but I could feel it deep down in my gut. I never knew Shimako to play a game like this with people, and that meant this was new, this was different. This was something I had never encountered before. And as frightening and unsettling as it was, it was also exciting.

It was a dance, as Shimako said. This was the same dance we had as teenagers… only now, we were older, more mature… with everything that implied.

She was playing with me, I realized, with this dance, and she wanted me to match her step for step. She wanted me to move in time with her, and to follow her lead.

Okay, I could do that. I could. Really. I mean sure, pretty much since when I first met her last night she had been at least step ahead of me at all times. And sure, she had eyes that could render my nearly speechless at her whim. And yes, I was certain that I was as attracted to her now as I was all those years ago. Only now, it was the attraction of a full-grown adult which, apparently, Shimako shared with me.

"Fuck." I moaned, and leaned my head back on the wall. I groaned when it 'thumped' on the wallpaper.

Yup. My goose was cooked. There was no two ways about it. I hadn't been in a situation like this before, and had no way of defending myself. I was helpless, barely able to keep up as Shimako ducked and weaved around me in a dance. Her dance... and she expected me to join her! And not just join her, but match her step for step.

Okay. How could I work what I knew in my favor?

She was attracted to me, that much she had said outright. Whether that was before, when we were in school, up until now, and possibly all that time in between. I could work with that. I knew how to make myself attractive, and if I asked nicely enough, Megumi would be more than happy to help.

When next? What did I know about Shimako? She didn't go to school, she didn't take over her father's temple… and then what? Nothing. On the other hand, she knew a lot more about me. I went to school, graduated, and have been working part time at a café since then. I didn't even know where Shimako worked!

I didn't even know if she had ever dated anyone before. I mean, it was sort of obvious she had some sort of experience, from her attitude and how she interacted with me. I went out with a couple of people myself in school, so I knew basically how people who dated – or were attracted to one another – acted. And Shimako certainly acted as like she was into me.

Again, I could work with that.

Grumbling to myself and my mind racing with thoughts of the next day, I stumbled into my bedroom and peeled off my clothes, crawling into my blankets and wrapping myself up so tightly I felt like a caterpillar. Regardless of what Shimako said and how she made me feel, she was right that I was tired and needed sleep.

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I woke up at two in the afternoon the next day, having slept much better than the previous night. I was able to choke down a blueberry muffin and take a hot shower before rifling through my closet, tearing through nearly every piece of clothing I had in order to find the perfect outfit.

I had neglected my wardrobe for the past year or so, and in so doing may as well have doomed myself to dressing like a college student for my night with Shimako. I was about to give up when I came across a nice skirt, in dark greens and browns, and a black blouse that went with pretty much anything. The skirt itself went town to halfway between my thighs and knees, and I was relieved I had remembered to shave during my shower.

After I dressed and was certain I was as ready as I ever was, I sent an emergency text message to Megumi – who should have been working today – that I was heading to work and needed her help. I slipped on my nicer pairs of black flats and left my apartment.

There wasn't a lot of customers when I arrived at the café, and Megumi looked up from taking an order to look at me, her eyebrow raised. She nodded and pointed with her chin towards the back room, letting me know that she received my message and to wait for her in the back.

She was only seconds behind me, bursting through the door almost as soon as I closed it, and the seriousr look on her face was so unlike her I stepped back in surprise.

"When is she coming?" Megumi asked without preamble.

"I – what?" I asked, blinking rapidly.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "That woman – your friend. When is she coming today?"

Okay. She was good. But I wasn't going to let her know it. "What makes you think she's coming?"

Megumi stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Please. Don't patronize me. Why else would you message me, 'Emergency! Can you help me with makeup ASAP?'"

"Suppose I have a date with a cute guy tonight?"

The flat stare she sent me almost made me grin. "What. Time. Is. She. Coming." She finally bit out, her eyes narrowing to slits.

Sighing heavily, I shrugged. "I don't know. Sometime today."

"The fuck?" Megumi blinked, and then shook her head, muttering, "Leave it to you to leave things half done." Exhaling, she then collected herself. "Alright, fine. We can work with that. Fork over your makeup and I'll make you look so delicious she'll wanna eat you up."

Ten minutes later, I was made up and, even I had to admit, I looked good. Megumi could work wonders with the bare minimal of anything, and I was pleased with the end result. As I turned my head to regard myself in the mirror, she grinned.

"Rawr." She sniggered. "Damn girl. Even I wanna switch sides just to have a shot at you."

"Ugh. No thanks." I said, playing with my hair and inwardly lamenting I didn't do anything with it. "I've seen the guys you went out with. You're probably dirtier than my living room rug."

"Oi!" Megumi gasped, holding her hand to her chest in mock pain. "I resent that! I use protection and request they take baths before and after… with me."

"Yea? And what about bathing on your own time?"

She shrugged. "Eh. Sometimes I just can't be bothered." She laughed at the disgusted look I pulled, and I shook my head, grinning happily.

"Thanks for the help with this."

"No problem. Just hit me up if she has a brother or something."

I snorted at the idea of a male version of Shimako roaming the world, but then shuddered as that reminded me a little bit too much of Yuuki and myself. With a silent shake of my head, I followed Megumi out into the main room. She immediately went back to work, her break having ended a few minutes ago, and I set myself down in an empty booth to play the waiting game.

Time trickled by slowly as I waiting. In retrospect, I should have assumed Shimako would want to meet at night, or the later afternoon as best, but as I didn't know exactly when she planned to meet me, it was better safe than sorry to start waiting early. Megumi brought be a cup of coffee – complimentary, of course – and I nursed it until it cooled, taking the occasional sip as I people watched. In the afternoons most of the customers that frequented the café were a good mix of the younger generation, college-age kids and adults, with the occasional older generation. As the afternoon bled into evening, however, the crowd always seemed to gravitate towards strictly college students trying to catch up on their reading as they relaxed with a coffee, or met with friends.

As a glanced at my phone to check the time – it was quarter after six by that time – I felt a shadow fall across my table. I peered up to see a young man, maybe a couple years younger than me, standing beside my table, a friendly smile on his handsome face.

"Hi. Is this seat taken?" He asked.

I eyed the young man for a moment before shaking my head. "No."

"Can I sit down?"

Shrugging, I put my phone away in my coat pocket. "Help yourself." I said simply. I wasn't on the clock, so I didn't feel too bad about being taciturn with him. I was getting a little impatient waiting for my friend, and being interrupted by a stranger wasn't really the best way to lift my spirits.

"I'm Yosuke." The man smiled. "What's your name?"

I blinked. "Yumi. I'm sorry, can I help you?"

Yosuke shrugged, his loose-necked jacket rustling with the movement. "I was just wondering what you were doing here by yourself."

I stared at him, feeling my eyebrow raise. "Sitting, clearly."

If anything, my snarky reply made his grin wider. "Yes, I see. They are comfortable seats." He shifted in his side of the booth, as if to prove his point. "Yes. Very squishy." Despite myself, I cracked a small smile, and he laughed. "Ah – there's a smile. Good. You had been frowning for so long I was worried it was your default setting."

"You were watching me, then?" I asked, curious as to the motivations of my new stalker.

Again, he shrugged. "Only for a couple minutes. I was sitting over there," He gestured to a far table. "And noticed you glaring at your phone. So I thought to myself I would come over and see if I can get you to smile a bit."

Rolling my eyes. "Well, thank you for your consideration." I said politely. "It's nice to know that some people care whether or not I smile."

"So…" He drawled out slowly. "This is the part where I come up with a pick-up line… but I've never been good with those. So I'll just be honest and say you're pretty." I blinked slowly. This was, perhaps, the oddest attempt to flirt I had ever encountered.

"Um… thanks?" I said simply, but really it was more of a question. "I think."

Yosuke laughed, his grin still wide and carefree. "Can I buy you a cup of coffee or something?"

I shook my head, smiling apologetically. "Sorry, but I'm meeting someone here."

"Oh…" He said, sounding slightly dejected. "Well, that's a shame. Are you sure?"

Shrugging, I actually felt a little bad for the guy. He seemed genuinely sweet, and if I wasn't waiting for Shimako, then I may have actually been tempted to take him up on his offer – but just that. I had a policy not to lead people on, and the fact that I preferred women to men usually was a deal-breaker.

"Yea. I'm sure. My friend should be here soon."

"When is he coming?" Yosuke asked politely.

"I'm not really sure… she was a little unclear on that." I admitted, not missing the look of relief that flitted across his face at the mention that my friend was a girl.

"Ah – well, then in that case, if you wouldn't mind…" He trailed off as someone walked up to the table and stopped. I followed Yosuke's gaze and my lips parted in shock as they took in a black, knee-length skirt, a deep purple long-sleeved blouse, and rich, wavy light brown hair that bounced slightly as the owner shifted her attention between myself and Yosuke.

"Ah – Shimako…" I said, but felt my mouth dry up instantly as I noticed her expression.

Her face was completely normal; serene and lovely in a way that was so uniquely hers. Her smile was pleasant, her the corners of her lips quirked up in a small grin. She had put on make-up, as I had, and seemed to glow with an almost unearthly appearance that I only wished I could ever emulate.

But her eyes…

Her usually bright, intelligent eyes were now the purest steel, dark and unchanging. And at that moment, they were fixed on me. I blinked up at her, my heart suddenly pounding in my chest as I swallowed, taking in the girl's severe gaze on her unsettlingly placid expression as she stared at me.

Yosuke shifted in his seat, clearly feeling the suddenly uncomfortable atmosphere that hovered around the table.

"Um…" He started to say, but was cut off when Shimako took a step towards me.

"Are you ready to go, Yumi?" Her voice was pleasant and calm as always, but her eyes remained dark, like flint ready to be sparked.

"Y-yea." I muttered, grabbing my purse and pushing myself to my feet. Feeling a little bad for Yosuke, who had been pleasantly polite to the point of being weird. I turned to say goodbye, when I felt Shimako's hand grab my chin, firmly but gently turning my face back towards her.

"Shima-" Whatever I was about to say was cut off when Shimako pressed her lips to mine in a firm kiss. I squeaked in shock and my back stiffened, but with her firm hold on my chin and her other arm winding around my waist to keep me in place, it wasn't like I could really escape even if I wanted to.

Which, I wasn't really ashamed to say I didn't want to.

After a few moments Shimako pulled away and I released a heavy breath, only barely noticing that it sounded more like air leaking from a balloon. I felt more than heard Shimako adjust her hold on me, but still kept a possessive arm around my waist.

"Thank you very much, for keeping my friend company." She said politely to Yosuke, who was staring at the two of us, wide-eyed. "I will take her now, and hope you have a lovely evening. Gokigenyou." And with that, she pulled me by the waist and led me out of the café.

"Um… Shimako?" I voiced once the door shut behind us. The woman didn't speak. She simply led me by the arm towards her car, currently parked a short ways down the block. Once we got close she unlocked the doors and released me.

"Shall we?" She asked, her tone not giving away anything I felt under the surface of her typical placid expression. I nodded slowly, and climbed into her car. I buckled my seatbelt and settled into the soft black leather of the seat as Shimako slid into the driver's seat and started the engine.

As she popped the clutch and merged onto the road, I cleared my throat. "Um… Shimako… you do know what he just came up to me about a minute before… and I was trying to turn him down, right?"

"Of course, Yumi."

Oh. Well, that was good. "So… are you mad at me?"

"Not at all." The woman said simply. I saw her peer at my out of the corner of her eyes. "I know you were turning him away, and I thank you for that."

"Oh… okay." I said, settling into my seat. "So… why do I get the feeling you are mad?"

Shimako slowed the car to a stop and inhaled slowly through her nose. "Yumi, I am not mad at you. Let me make that perfectly clear." I nodded at that. "But I should also tell you that I am not a teenager anymore. There is probably a lot about me you are not aware of, but I will tell you that I do not like to share. Not with older sisters or anyone."

I opened my mouth to argue the fact that she wouldn't have to, but something in the woman's tone made me hold my tongue. Her usual calm expression was still there, but her eyes were sharp, and focused. It was a look I never remembered seeing on her before, even the past couple of nights, and I couldn't help but feel a bit wary of it.

"I… understand." I finally said.

Again she peered at me, and then her eyes softened and the dark look in them brightened slightly. "I am pleased to hear you say that."

Sighing in relief, I leaned back into my seat and watched the road as the streetlights began flickering on – usually by six-thirty in the evening. "So… where are we going?"

Shimako's smile, which was usually so serene and lovely, slowly turned into a grin of anticipation; expectant and eager. I felt my heart flutter at the look, and my stomach churned in my belly as I tried to think about what could possibly cause this face on my usually stoic friend.

"Somewhere that will make you understand just a little bit, Yumi. Just, try to keep an open mind, will you?"

Blinking, and wondering if at any time I didn't have something of an open mind, I settled back into my seat. At that moment, I truly did want to understand Shimako, and to match her in her dance she so wanted to have with me.

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End of Part 4

A/N: Jealous Shimako is scary. Hashtag it.

#jealousshimakoisscary. Yumi just cant catch a break, can she?

Not my best work, but still not bad. See you all on the next chapter!

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***Will work for glomps***