Duran-kun and Kiyo-chan's Omake Theater
(though the pets left Shizuru and Natsuki alone in bed for privacy's sake)
Shizuru Fujino let out a long, deep sigh.
"That was amazing, Natsuki."
Her voice was thick and husky, her throat slightly sore from crying out over and over again. She'd probably irritated her neighbors in dorm housing, who would definitely have revised their idealistic opinions of her. Not that she particularly cared. She'd put a lot of effort into maintaining her image throughout high school, but she'd trade it away happily in exchange for the miracle she'd been blessed with. And besides, she was about to start college anyway, a natural time of transition for people.
Though perhaps simply for the sake of privacy she could consider seeing if there was a way to rent a small house. And Duran might enjoy having a proper yard as well.
A sudden flutter ran through her belly as she realized that she had, just for a moment, allowed herself to imagine her future together with Natsuki in a serious way. She'd never allowed herself to do that before, had locked it down in the depths of her heart with steel chains, because allowing for futile hope was just inviting inevitable, crushing pain when the dream shattered. Losing that control had resulted in her madness, in her horrifying actions during the HiME Festival.
And yet…
Here she was, her skin slick with drying sweat, her body aching with a pleasant soreness in ways she'd never felt before. Every little twinge was tangible proof, evidence left of what Natsuki felt for her.
"I've never felt anything like that before."
Natsuki blushed a brilliant crimson at the compliments.
"Geez, Shizuru, you don't have to put it like that. I know I barely…I mean, I never expected that…"
Shizuru could not abandon her teasing smile.
"Ara, ara, perhaps Natsuki is just a prodigy, then?"
The blush got redder, somehow, making Shizuru giggle. The laughter seemed to break the spell of embarrassment, and Natsuki snorted.
"Well, if I'm getting compliments from the expert, then maybe I should feel a little smug."
"Any expertise I might claim is entirely from academic study," Shizuru said it lightly, but there was a bit of urgency there as well. She wanted Natsuki to know that she was the only one—
Natsuki's snort cut even the thought off.
"Idiot. Like I'd care if it wasn't."
Shizuru blinked, genuinely surprised.
"Natsuki is broad-minded."
"Yeah, well, I'll be a lot less broad-minded going forward."
"Natsuki has always been my one and only," Shizuru said happily, snuggling up to her. Natsuki was thinking about the future! Caring about fidelity was indisputable evidence that tonight hadn't been a reckless one-time decision (not that Natsuki ever did things, even wild and reckless things, without her whole heart behind them, just one of the many aspects Shizuru loved about her), but rather that she was thinking in terms of a relationship!
She hadn't thought it was possible to be happier than she'd been in the throes of passion with Natsuki, but that apparently wasn't true.
Natsuki reached out and stroked her hand along Shizuru's hair, several long caresses almost like she was petting a cat. This went on for nearly three minutes, until Natsuki's gaze drifted and she caught sight of something over Shizuru's shoulder.
"Good grief, it's after midnight? I didn't realize that it was this late!"
"Natsuki was very energetic," Shizuru said and nuzzled against her chest. This time the blush was only a slight one, probably because Natsuki's attention was elsewhere.
"I need to get going if I'm going to get any sleep at all tonight."
She sat up and started to push the covers off, but Shizuru reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Y-you could stay."
She hated how her voice hitched. It was so hard for her to control herself around Natsuki, especially now that Natsuki had, somehow, offered her everything she'd never dreamed was possible. But…it might be fun to see what I become, as well. So maybe, losing control might not be that bad?
"Stay?"
"You could just sleep here tonight."
"I…I mean…"
"I…would very much like to fall asleep with Natsuki's arms around me," Shizuru admitted.
"And how much do you like the thought of me doing the walk of shame tomorrow morning past everybody else in this dorm?"
"I…" The accurate finish to that sentence was cannot deny it would give me a thrill for everyone to know that Natsuki chose to be with me. There was an ache in her, after so many years of believing such a thing was not only impossible, but wrong for her to even want, that wanted to scream it from the rooftops that Natsuki had smashed that fear to pieces.
She didn't finish the sentence, though. It was enormously unfair of her to thrust her need for validation onto Natsuki, particularly when she knew just how much effort it was taking the other girl to open up to her own emotions as well.
"Screw it," Natsuki said with a sigh.
"Natsuki?"
"I mean, I'm already here, aren't I? I made my decision, and I'm not regretting it. You're my most important person, Shizuru, and it's not like I'm going to be hiding it. I'm good at finding out secrets, not concealing them. Besides, I can get an extra couple of hours' sleep if I stay here tonight and I'm going to need it."
"I confess that you rather tired me out as well," Shizuru teased.
Another snort greeted that response.
"We'll see if you're still smug after you run into my breath in the morning. I didn't bring my toothbrush for an overnight stay."
"I would not hesitate to accept your deepest kisses even if you had been eating garlic-habanero escargot poutine."
Natsuki stared at her in bewilderment.
"Why on Earth would I ever eat that?"
"It was just the most disgusting food combination I could think of off the top of my head."
Natsuki shook her head.
"Glad to know your lust could work as an anti-nausea med. Oh, could you set the alarm so I can get home by six-thirty? Duran's got plenty of food and water but he'll need his morning walk."
"Of course. I'll need to get up early myself as my evening routine has been completely set aside." She rolled over and made the needed adjustment to her bedside clock, then reached for the light switch on her bedside lamp. "Good night, Natsuki."
"Good night, Shizuru."
Shizuru clicked off the light, plunging the room into darkness. She then nestled down and pulled the covers up over her shoulder, then snuggled back so her body was pressed against Natsuki's. The younger girl's arm came up and around her as if by reflex, holding them spooned together.
It took Shizuru quite a while to fall asleep. It wasn't because she was uncomfortable even though the twin bed was quite narrow for two people. Rather, she simply didn't want the feeling, the close intimacy of the moment to come to and end. Making love with Natsuki had been deliriously fulfilling and she intended to pursue it as often as possible, but being loved by Natsuki was something far beyond that.
When the veil finally fell, Shizuru Fujino was honestly the happiest she'd ever been in her young life.
~X X X~
When the alarm clock woke her, Shizuru was shivering. She groped for the snooze button even as Natsuki groaned next to her, signaling a return to consciousness. Shizuru was generally not a morning person, preferring a slow, measured return to a proper working state over a cup of tea, but the chill seemed to kick-start her.
"Good morning, Natsuki. It's time to get up if you want to make it back home for Duran."
Just because she could, she bent over and kissed Natsuki on the tip of her nose before sitting up and swinging her legs out of bed. Natsuki's eyes, she noticed, seemed to linger on her naked body. Shizuru didn't say anything, but she filed it away for later use.
"Thanks for getting me up. Um…did you sleep okay? I know it was kind of a cramped fit."
"I didn't mind in the slightest, although perhaps I should have put on a nightgown as it was a little cold."
"Cold? It feels pretty warm to me."
"Well, yes; that's because you stole all of the covers. You know, if you wanted to see me naked, you could have just asked instead of removing the blankets."
"I am not a blanket thief!" Natsuki protested. Unfortunately for her claims of innocence, at that moment she was wound up in a cocoon of sheets and blankets like a legless caterpillar.
"Natsuki, you're wrapped up in the evidence."
It was at this point that Natsuki tried to move her arms and realized that she couldn't on account of the bedclothes.
"And for your punishment, I shall get first turn at the bathroom while you're disentangling yourself."
Shizuru was a merciful sentencing judge, though. She put a little extra swish in her hips for Natsuki's benefit as she headed towards the door.
~X X X~
A/N: Happy Valentine's Day to my very own Natsuki, my wife of twenty-three years and counting! As regular readers of my fanfiction know, I often use our own couples' dynamic as fodder for ShizNat stories, and this is no exception; the "you're wrapped up in the evidence" bit did in fact happen on the first night that I spent sleeping over with her (though it was, at least, a full-sized bed, which perhaps is evidence that Shizuru should have followed my lead and stayed over with Natsuki rather than the other way around!). She did look very cute as a blanket burrito trying to deny that she stole the covers!
I feel like that even if the story took place in the modern day, where most people their age use their smartphones as alarm clocks, Shizuru absolutely would be the kind of person who keeps a proper clock. Frankly, the timeframe of these fics wobbles all over the place between 2004 and whenever I'm writing a particular story because it's hard enough keeping the continuity straight as it applies to the characters.