This is pure fanfic i do not own or get payed for any of this. Thanks hehehe now that out of the way. Sorry everyone for the long wait for the update it has been busy around here. For all those that have waited sine November i hope this makes up for it. For these are the best times in my world right now. So enjoy and feel free to comment or poke me for taking so long. Sorry hehehehehe

Chapter Five

Tamao lay on her back and stared at the dark ceiling. The night was almost over and she had still not slept. What is happening to me? she thought, This feeling just will not go away. I have never really felt this way before about anyone else. What is this? Is this love – no, not love, is this caring and friendship or am I just pretending? She turned her head to the side. Miyuki was sleeping beside her, only a few inches away. Her black hair just a deeper blackness in the night. She lay on her side, her face relaxed, not a single wrinkle of tension or care was there and a slight smile ghosted on her lips. Tamao wondered what she had to smile about, according to the stories she had been telling the last two or three days, the failed marriage had certainly not been fun. Perhaps she was smiling at the relief of ending it?

It was the second night of their stay. The cabin had only a main bedroom and a guest room, both of them being reached off an open balcony that ran above the huge main room and reached by a wide wooden stair that ran up the far wall opposite the entrance lobby. The two bedrooms faced the front of the house with beautiful views to the lake and down into the valley.

Tamao hadn't wanted to sleep for the whole week on the couch by the fire and neither had Miyuki. Shizuma had been adamant, they would share the guest bedroom. Tamao hadn't really minded. Sharing a bed with a girl wasn't new to her, she and Nagisa had done it often enough at Astrea…

She sighed. There she went again, digging up the past and hurting herself with memories that could never again be.

Then again there was that odd tone of insistence in Shizuma's voice when she'd flatly refused to have one of their guests slum it on the sofa. And that odd sparkle in her eye…

One thing that did make her think was how comfortable Miyuki seemed to be with this.

"Tamao," a dark soft voice whispered in her ear, "Get some sleep. Even just your noisy thinking is keeping me awake."

---ooo---

Nagisa rose early as usual. She gave her sleeping lover a tender kiss on the forehead and throwing on a robe, crept from the bedroom and down the stairs.

She made her way down to the fireplace, raking the still glowing coals with the iron poker and adding more kindling. Once this had caught she placed on several split pine logs, their fragrant scent soon filling the room and their heat warming the house. The polished wood floor in the living room was warm to her bare feet as she scampered across to the kitchen. Nagisa decided to forgo her solitary early morning coffee and decided to make something for Shizuma and their guests to eat. Nagisa was not what you would call a cook or a housewife in any sense of the word, extravagant breakfasts didn't come easily for her unless Shizuma carefully oversaw the operation. So the red-head decided to go for a simple breakfast of hot oatmeal getting out the honey and maple syrup and raw brown sugar to add as toppings. A good strong sugar fix would be needed by all the girls before they set off up the slopes this morning. And she knew Shizuma would need it most, she could imagine her lover complaining of the cold the second she put her feet out from under the duvet.

Nagisa put on the pot of coffee to be ready for Shiz. She knew no one would rise for a half-hour or so, it was still dark, the sun was only just now starting to pale the sky. She looked around the beautiful living room, the thick walls of raw local stone, the floor of lacquered pine and the big snuggly rugs of local undyed sheep's wool gave this cabin an earthy intimate feel that she loved. On the far wall above the staircase were two huge paintings. Both were of her and Shizuma, one a summer landscape scene in front of their cottage here, the other was of them in their old school uniforms in a forest of Sakura trees thick with candy-cotton pink blossoms in the spring. Nagisa got a coffee and settled down on the couch to watch the sun rise over the valley. Soon it was full daylight and another sight she loved to watch early on these cold mornings refreshed her eyes and warmed her as surely as any log fire.

- - - o o o - - -

Shizuma got out of bed and opened the curtain, bright winter sunlight flooded into the room. The landscape was pure white, like a maiden's skin, the sky a brilliant ice-blue. It was going to be a beautiful day. She shuddered, the others would want to go skiing. Shizuma hugged herself, Well if they are going to have their fun, I'll need mine too…

She left the room and listened at the guest room door. There was no sound from within. She quietly opened it a few inches and peered quickly in. Tamao and Miyuki were all balled up together like two squirrels using their body heat to stay warm. Shizuma smiled,Perfect… She blew the two sleeping girls a kiss and then decided to risk going closer. Her bare feet took her silently across the rug. Ah, how sweet, just as I hoped... Both the women were smiling slightly.

Shizuma stood on the balcony at the top of the stairs in her long lilac night dress, the swathes of silk hanging invitingly in long streams of dark and shimmering light to her ankles. She stood a moment watching Nagisa, then the younger girl sensed her presence and looked up.

The older gray-haired woman came slowly down the stairs, one pale hand trailing languidly down the banister, the side slash in her night clothes opening at each step to reveal exciting skin. Nagisa watched her carefully then remembering what she had planned she got quickly up and lifted the tray.

"Were you going to serve me in bed?" Shizuma asked, looking at the pot, the jug of cream and cups on the tray.

"Hm! Would you like that?"

"That's very thoughtful of you." Shizuma placed her hands on her lovers shoulders and smiled enigmatically, "But I'm up now, so you can serve me here."

"Of course!" Nagisa turned to get the cups and pot but firm and gentle hands on her shoulders stopped her.

"Shiz?"

The older woman looked calmly into Nagisa's eyes. The red-head knew that expression, the way her lids were half closed as though she were tired. To those who didn't know the cool, quiet, gray-haired girl, Shizuma merely looked a little bored, but Nagisa knew different. She knew what that look meant.

"Yes, my love. Serve me here," Shizuma said quietly. She bent down and kissed Nagisa slowly, gently. Nagisa let her do it, wanted her to do it. She tilted her head back in submissive acceptance and found herself breathing rather more heavily.

"Shizuma…?"

"Hm?" the taller girl asked.

"Please. Again… kiss me…"

Shizuma obliged. This time for longer and more deeply, this kiss was more complicated and part way into it Nagisa realised what Shizuma wanted. Her breathing rasped and in response to her lovers touch she opened her mouth and let the taller woman in, the parts of the two girls writhing together in rising excitement.

Shizuma pulled away and smiling kissed her lovers cheek, her jaw and down her neck, taking small scraping nibbles at her soft skin. Nagisa giggled and then sighed, the familiar feelings building at her center until she could only gurgle helpless in the taller woman's power.

Shizuma undid the bow of the smaller girl's robe and pushing it open, hands on her shoulders slid it off. The gray head descended further, kissing and nibbling. Her teeth stopped at one certain pretty place and bit there gently, teasing. Nagisa squeezed her eyes shut and head thrown back, with a gasp pulled her wife's head more tightly against her breast.

"Shizuma! Please! Uhrr… our guests, they'll hear!"

Shizuma raised her head and let her hands trail across and then hold the woman curves of the girl she found so irresistible, cupping, squeezing.

"Well," she said quietly, her face quite serious, her thumbnails scraping sweetly across the hardening points, "You'd better do this so I don't make much noise then…" and placing her hands on her naked lovers shoulders she pushed her down, "Now. Serve me…"

Whimpering with pleasure and anticipation of being allowed to treat the girl who was everything to her, Nagisa sank to her knees on the rug and finding the hip-high slash in the night gown's material opened it and looked at that place she loved to worship.

She moved her head in and kissed her lover again, in a special place.

Shizuma gasped and parting her legs more leaned back against the end of the couch, her rear pressed against it's rolled top and this served only to push her belly out more…

She tried not to wake their sleeping guests, she tried very hard. She bit her knuckles leaving angry red indentations in the skin. Even then, her loud moans reached Tamao's ears and the girl, half awakened stirred and opened her eyes.

And listened…

- - - o o o - - -

A while later and now dressed, Nagisa snuggled up against Shizuma on the couch before the fire. Shizuma continued to gently kiss and tease the smaller girl, nibbling at her neck and ear, drawing the soft lobe of it between her lips and sucking there gently, making Nagisa squeak with pleasure.

"What's for breakfast?" Shizuma asked.

"Me… if you want."

"Now, behave yourself, I'll tend to your needs later young lady. Après ski, they call it…"

"Shizuma…" Nagisa was breathless and ready.

"I said no! Now wait, like a good little girl."

"Hai, Shi-sama," Nagisa meekly obeyed.

"You didn't answer my question," sitting beside and a little behind Nagisa, Shizuma hugged her against her, as they both looked out the window at the view, hands gently cupping her where she was soft.

"Fruit juice, hot oatmeal, honey."

"Hm, honey," Shizuma muttered.

"Yes, honey," Nagisa half turned to catch her lover's eye, "Why say it in that tone?"

"You've eaten yours already…"

Nagisa blushed furiously and buried her face against the taller girls neck.

"Shiz!" she squealed.

Shizuma smiled wickedly and rubbed her legs together, the sensations Nagisa had caused in her still burned her, she could do it again, she wanted to, again and again…

"Hanazono Nagisa, you are a little red-haired harlot! You'd be happy down there all day wouldn't you?"

Shizuma was rewarded by the buried head of reddish hair nodding against her shyly.

"Well now it's breakfast. I mean real breakfast. Then skiing, not that that would be my choice of course but you enjoy it and we have our guests to entertain…"

"Later perhaps?" Nagisa looked up at her meekly.

"Perhaps," Shizuma smiled down at her, "If you're good."

- - - o o o - - -

Shizuma knew it would be freezing cold outside. She shivered at the thought of going skiing. But it was what she had invited Tamao and Miyuki here to do, she would endure… The reward later she would store inside her heart as an incentive to suffer the freezing cold.

Shizuma's eyes glazed over as Nagisa wrapped her arms around her mate and whispered.

"Don't fret, I'll make you warm again once we get done skiing."

- - - o o o - - -

"Whoo-hooo! I'm whacked!"

"Ooh, yeah! That was such fun!"

"Get that fire stoked up Nagisa, my toes are falling off. Brrrr! Shut that door Tamao!"

The four girls stomped and bustled back into the cabin, dropping ski gear and boots and throwing padded coats over hooks. Nagisa at once scurried over to the hearth to light the fire. She'd swept out the ashes after breakfast and built a new fire of clean kindling and pine logs. Within minutes the room was full of roaring yellow heat. Shizuma collapsed into a squishy sofa and stuck her legs out wiggling her toes near the heat.

"Aah, yes, that's good! Why did God decide we needed winters? Baka!"

"I'll get some lunch started!" Nagisa sang brightly.

"I'll help!" Tamao went with her into the kitchen.

"I keep thinking, if you dislike being cold so much, why you have this place at all," Miyuki sat down gracefully beside Shizuma, she too stuck her feet out and rested them on the edge of the stone hearth where they cooked comfortably as the flames crackled and danced, the heat roaring up against the big copper hood and radiating out to fill the room, "or you could visit in the summer. I should think there is good walking round here when the place isn't under two feet of snow."

Shizuma merely grunted a reply.

"Surely somewhere hot would be more your thing. I can just imagine you two in a beach cabin in the Maldives or somewhere. All that sea and sand and hot sun," she turned to the girl beside her, "just up your street I should think. Not having to wear many clothes either."

Shizuma didn't rise to that bait, "Nagisa loves skiing. She loves the snow. She loves it here."

"This is all for her?" Miyuki sounded surprised, "You put up with all the freezing your butt off for her?"

Shizuma didn't reply, she merely stared into the flames, a small smile on her lips.

"And a beach hut on a piece of private land would get you guys more privacy," there was a teasing hint in the black-haired girl's tone.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shizuma asked, looking at her sideways.

"This morning. Tamao was awake. Well, actually she was woken up by some noise. She woke me up. We heard you," Miyuki returned the gray-haired woman's gaze.

"It's rude to eavesdrop," Shizuma scowled at her.

"It's even ruder to screw someone's brains out where your guests can hear you!"

"She wasn't screwing my brains out. When that happens you'll know about it!" Shizuma returned the comment in spades, her voice teasing and cool.

"I don't want to know thank you," Miyuki folded her arms.

"I think you do."

Miyuki turned sharply to Shizuma, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Shizuma merely smiled down at her enigmatically as she stood up and went over to the drinks cabinet. She got out a bottle. "I've got a Chianti here. Or there's chilled La Gioiosa Prosecco Spumate. Do you want red with lunch, or white?"

"Don't change the subject!"

"You want to talk about that?"

Miyuki suddenly realized she didn't want to really talk about that after all. How did Shizuma do that? Always two steps ahead and manipulating the conversation in advance so that when you get to where she'd been a minute ago, you found she'd set a trap for you.

"Does it turn you on? To listen?"

"Shizuma!"

"Is that why you're getting cross? Because you got all hot and bothered and I wasn't there to mop your fevered brow, hm? How about watching? Maybe you'd prefer that?"

"Shizuma! What has got into you?"

"I think we'll have a sparkling white with lunch," she said chattily, "There's a couple of bottles of La Gioiosa in the fridge," she went slowly and languidly into the kitchen.

Miyuki sat by the fire, arms folded, something inside hurting - no – infuriating her – about Shizuma's arrogant "know it all" attitude.

- - - o o o - - -

Nagisa and Tamao bustled about in the kitchen. Tamao was awkward and lost and she found Nagisa had to tell her where everything was and show her how things worked.

"No the vegetable drawer is there. Down theresilly!" The red-head bent down next to her and pulled on the drawer handle. Their knees touched.

"Oh. Right. Thanks." Tamao moved a little away, the other girl still had that effect on her when she was near. Tamao's fingers automatically went to her wrist and fiddled with the ribbon.

"Are you alright?" Nagisa asked.

"Uhn!" Tamao responded happily. She got out the peppers. The bag split and they rolled onto the floor. Cross with herself she picked them up and washed them.

"Are you happy?" she asked.

"Of course!" Nagisa beamed at her, "Who wouldn't be? Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes. Sort of."

Nagisa stopped what she was doing and looked at her friend.

"Do you want to tell me?"

"It's nothing. Except. You have Shizuma, she's lovely isn't she? I had…" she looked up at her friend, wetness suddenly in her eyes, "I had no chance. But. But it all worked out for you in the end. I'm happy for you."

Nagisa came over and put her arms around the slender blue-haired woman. "Oh, Tamao, please. Please don't. I want you to be happy. Please be happy! A lot of time has passed since then. You'll always, always be special to me."

"And you to me," Tamao said quietly against her friends neck. She brought her left arm up and hugged Nagisa and looked carefully at the old red ribbon she wore every day around her wrist.

- - - o o o - - -

"Please excuse me," Shizuma stood in the archway from the main room leaning against the wall. Nagisa and Tamao suddenly made space between them and guiltily went back to preparing lunch.

Shizuma got the wine from the fridge and opened a bottle with a resounding pop! She got glasses and a tray and made her way back to the main room.

"Don't mind me. Just carry on!" she cast back over her shoulder, smiling.

Tamao and Nagisa stared at one another, both girls turning a delightful shade of pink. They suddenly found tasks at opposite ends of the kitchen that seemed to need their full attention.

- - - o o o - - -

After lunch it grew dark, thick gray snow clouds came over dulling the day. It began to snow. Nagisa stood at the window.

"Don't even think about it." Shizuma said sternly. Nagisa turned to her wife beside her.

"Such a pity. I wanted to go for a walk in the forest, it's so pretty at dusk."

"But cold," Shizuma added her customary line.

"I'd keep you warm," Nagisa smiled at her and hugged her arm.

"I'd rather stay indoors," Shizuma said softly, "It's pretty here too. I'd much rather look at this view."

"Don't!" Nagisa squeaked, "the others."

"They can keep me warm too. And you. Would you like that Na-chan? The four of us together?" Shizuma smiled evilly.

"Don't!" Nagisa squeaked again. She was squeaking a lot today, Shizuma was in such a funny mood, a mood that made her squeak, "What are you suggesting?"

"Cards. Rummy. Around the fire. And mugs of hot chocolate. Why? What were you suggesting?" Shizuma's smile grew even more predatory. Nagisa's face did an excellent impression of a fire truck.

"Oh…" she said, looking away. Shizuma put a finger under her chin and lifted it.

"You, young lady, have a mucky little mind…"

You caused it… Nagisa thought.

Shizuma turned around and spoke to the other two girls, "It looks like a storm is coming. Who'd like to play cards? And drinks? Hot chocolate, perhaps with a little cream liqueur in?" She took charge, as usual.

- - - o o o - - -

The howling storm whirled around the cabin and rattled the windows. Once again Tamao lay awake in the dark of the night. She was becoming quite familiar with this ceiling, the wooden beams, each knot and old joint-hole, each tenon.

"I spy, with my little eye something beginning with 'C'," Miyuki said quietly beside her.

"Ceiling."

"Correct. Your go."

"What was it like, Miyuki?"

"What was what like?"

"Marriage. Gregory. Living with a person. Being in love."

"I wasn't."

"Wasn't what?"

"In love. Never, not one single minute. It was all arranged by our families. It was never going to work. I could tell after six months that it was doomed."

"But you stuck it out."

"It's what people do, Tamao, their duty. They stick by people. Sometimes for years, even when there's no hope."

"Oh."

"My failed marriage isn't why you can't sleep though, is it?"

"Sorry, no. I was thinking about love though. About what it does to you, about… feelings, why we care, why we change – or don't."

Miyuki rolled onto her side and faced the blue-haired girl, staring at her profile.

"That's a subject I have lost many nights sleep over too."

"But you didn't love Gregory."

"That's right. I wasn't talking about him."

"Oh. I didn't know. But um… you've never been like me have you? Never been in love? Been close to someone you've wanted so much, even… even shared a room with them for years, even, sometimes, when that person was upset, sharing a bed and hugging them when they were afraid or unhappy? You've never done that have you?"

Miyuki stared at the profile. It was a pretty profile, the little wide end of the button nose… hm, so cute, such an innocent girl, despite her age.

"Sometimes, you know, even though you might be close to a person for years, all through school say, and you think you know them, you don't. Not properly. Tamao, you don't know Shizuma, you don't really know Nagisa, not really, not the things that really drive her, the things she needs,"
She needs Shizuma, a woman older who will take charge of her life, tell her what to do, people are like that, they love those sorts of relationships, being led…
"And," she couldn't keep a small sad tone out of her voice now, "you don't know me."

"You?" Tamao turned her head to look at the quiet serious girl next to her, "Oh. I… Uh, I didn't know. I'm sorry. You were in love?"

Miyuki smiled warmly at her, "Yes, very much. You shared a room with someone who came to mean the whole world to you, didn't you? You spent months and months aching for her and could only sit by and let her go when she found someone else. Even when she was sad you could only comfort her, when she cried you could only hold her. You couldn't heal her could you? Couldn't take away the pain."

"You… you did…?"

Miyuki didn't reply for a long time. She reached out her hand and finding the other girl's hand, held it, squeezing gently.

"Sharing a room with someone for so long, someone you care deeply about, and who you cannot heal and who in the end goes away. I suppose you could say I have never loved, or rather, the person who I loved never knew," she blinked back tears and carried on speaking past the hot lump in her throat, "Tamao, at least the person you loved knew you liked her, and for a while you had her as your special friend didn't you? When you two were working towards the Etoile Ceremony? You did have that."

Tamao made no answer, she suddenly knew what this was all about. They were all linked, the four of them, they all revolved around Shizuma, that girl was at the center of it all, her desires and plans and schemes and cunning had brought them all together, both in friendship and pain.

"You loved her?"

"You always were unusually slow, Tamao, perhaps that is what Nagisa liked in you, that cuteness. It's very appealing."

"I never knew about you and…"

"Don't," the older girl interrupted, "there is no need to say the name. I won't dwell on it any more, it's in the past and she is happy now, very happy."

"People do their duty. They stick by people. Sometimes for years, even when there's no hope," Miyuki's own words came back to her.

"They both are."

"Yes, so you should be happy too, for her. Don't lie there losing sleep over it, nothing will come of it."

"I wasn't… I wasn't. It wasn't about that. Not her."

"Who then?"

Tamao made no answer.

"I'm sorry, it was rude of me to ask," Miyuki again squeezed the hand she held.

"No, no, it's alright, really I don't mind you asking. It's just that recently while I still love her so much, I've begun thinking about someone else. I don't understand the feelings at all, I hardly know this person and I don't love them. I quite like them but I feel..."

"Guilty?"

"Yes. I think you could use that word."

"Because you still love someone else?"

"I still love Nagisa, yes," Tamao lifted her other arm. In the darkness the ribbon looped round that wrist was no longer red but black like ink. She lay that arm across her chest.

"Shush now. I think that's good. If you are thinking about someone else but you feel guilty about it, it means you're beginning to move on. Nagisa still holds a place in your heart but these feelings of guilt are because someone else is beginning to take their place." Miyuki moved a little closer, with her other hand she touched the blue-haired girl's shoulder and patted it gently, squeezing a little. "Let those feelings in, it's good that you have them, it means you're growing up, growing more mature."

Tamao sniffed wetly and ran her free hand across her eyes.

"I don't want to let her go, Miyuki, I still…"

"Shush, I know. I understand. I know what you mean."

I haven't been able to let go either, it still hurts.

"Miyuki?"

"Hm?"

"Can I have a hug?"

The older woman sighed. It was repeating again. Often Shizuma had stayed alone in Kaori's room all night, or for days while Miyuki had wanted to comfort her, ached to hold her but rarely had the cold gray-haired girl opened up and let Miyuki do that. The few times it had happened Miyuki had been stirred beyond endurance. It had made things more painful still. Saying nothing, she moved a little closer.

"How do you want…?"

"Shall I put this arm here…?"

They both laughed, a little nervous, awkward.

"No," Miyuki guided her, "turn to me, on your side. There. That's better. Now I put my arm here, and you… yes, that's better."

"Closer…"

"Closer?"

"Please…"

"Alright." Miyuki wiggled tight up against the other girl, Tamao's warmth and softness pressed up to her so tight she could not tell where she ended and the other girl began. Miyuki sighed as Tamao wiggled against her, one knee even pushed between hers and a thigh pressed against her center. She squashed down hard onto the other girl, her arms circling her and holding tight.

"Miyuki!"

"What?"

"You're hurting me. Not so tight!"

"Oh, gomen… I uh, gomen nasai…"

The black-haired girl relaxed her grip a little. She felt Tamao's arms come round her and slide up her back, hugging tight again.

"No, it's okay, really. It's nice."

Tamao pressed her face into the hollow of Miyuki's neck.

"Arigato…" she hardly spoke the word, it was breathed out, the sigh taking it with it.

Miyuki slid her arm around again, found the hem of Tamao's satin pyjama jacket and sliding her fingers under, ran her palm up the other girls bare back, pressing between her shoulder blades and hugger her tighter still.

"Hmmm…"

"Alright?"

"Hm, nice…"

"Alright, sleep now, yes?"

"Miyuki?"

"What?"

"May I have…?"

"What? What is it?"

"Can I have a goodnight kiss?"

Miyuki lay there, feeling the other girl's breath on her neck, feeling her jaw and lips move against her skin as she spoke. Feeling…something, something odd. How often have I wished I could ask that of you Shizuma.

"Well, alright. Just a quick one, a nice one."

"I'm sure all your kisses are nice, Miyuki."

"That isn't what I meant, Tamao," Miyuki chided her, but smiled to herself, "come on then."

Tamao lifted her face from the warm fragrant hollow and lay her head on her pillow.

"Uh…?"

Miyuki darted forwards and gave her a gentle peck on the forehead, "Goodnight!" she whispered.

"Miyuki! That wasn't what I meant!"

"What did you mean?" Miyuki teased.

"On the lips!"

"I can't do that, it's rude! You might get entirely the wrong idea of me."

I don't think so… Tamao found the thought bubbling suddenly up unbidden into her mind,Even if it is rude, I won't mind… Then she surprised herself by moving forward and pressing her mouth against Miyuki's. She held it there ten seconds before retreating, unsure.

"Goodnight," she whispered.

"What about the goodnight kiss?" Miyuki said, a teasing tone still in her voice.

"I just did!"

"Yes, you kissed me, but you wanted a goodnight kiss from me, didn't you?"

"Er…"

"Well?"

"Yes."

"You can ask better than that. Ask nicely," I sound like Shizuma, she thought.

"Miyuki, please kiss me goodnight," Tamao's voice was the barest of whispers.

Without another word Miyuki slid her head forward. Tamao's eyes shone in the gloom, little beads of moonlight seemed to shimmer there. The side of Miyuki's nose grazed gently against the side of Tamao's. There she stopped, their lips just a hand's breadth apart, their skin touching, their breaths mingling.

"Miyuki?" another faint whisper.

"Hm?"

"Don't you want to?"

"Yes," the older woman's voice sounded strained, "of course." I'm just enjoying this bit first.

Then she moved, she slowly closed the last gap and pressed her mouth to the other girl. Tamao was so soft, so wonderfully soft and gentle. Gregory had been hard, his lips had seemed thin, his teeth always felt so close behind them. But Tamao was… different. Miyuki kept her eyes open but in front of her the two shining points of moonlight vanished as Tamao closed her eyes. Miyuki pressed closer and moved her mouth a little feeling the shape and warmth of Tamao. She parted her lips but did nothing more, it was a goodnight kiss after all.

"Nnn-yuki?" Tamao mumbled against her, her breath entering Miyuki's mouth.

"Hn?"

"Uhn-hand…?"

Miyuki tried to understand what the other girl was saying. Then she realised. Her hand which had been up between the other girl's shoulder blades had somehow and quite unintentionally drifted down. Down, down, the fingers had slid under the waistband of the pyjama pants and were just resting on the first hint of the curve of her rear, the delicate upper valley of her cleft under her gently stroking fingertips… Ah, how did that happen…? Miyuki thought fast… she lifted her lips a fraction from Tamao's.

"Shush now. You wanted a goodnight kiss?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well this is how Miyuki-san gives them. Now, go to sleep."

"Uhn…"

"Goodnight Tamao."

" 'Night, Yuki…"

Miyuki went back one more time and briefly kissed again. In fact she stayed there her lips gently brushing again and again as she quietly whispered "Sleep now, go to sleep," and within minutes Tamao's breathing slowed and deepened and gently bled against her with the slow steady rhythm of one who knows nothing but rest. The two points of moonlight did not return, and soon, as her own eyes closed and she snuggled as close as she could, and her hand, strangely enough as though she did not control it, slid even lower until it was cupping the pretty warm curving rear of the other girl, the slender fingers just reachingunder and between a little, Miyuki, too, knew nothing but rest.

I'm happy… was her last thought and then: so soft, so warm… and as her fingers found what they were seeking, Miyuki's lips, still pressed lightly against the other girl, curled into a smile. Tamao nuzzled against her, in her sleep her hand made a small circular stroking motion on Miyuki's back and then stopped.

That night, as Shizuma gave Nagisa the treat she had promised, it made no difference how much noise they made. Even as Nagisa, her back sweetly arched, her knees lifted and bent obscenely wide, cried out again and again in the adjacent room, Tamao and Miyuki didn't hear a thing.