Here we go again hehe, winner. Chapter 6 …. Now I have to thank someone for all their help. They are a piece of this that if not for this great man, none of this would be here. So I say thank you so very much Saddletank who has contributed a lot to this story. You sir are a hero and a great friend. To all of you who read and review my story, I bow deeply in gratitude for reading his work.
Usual disclaimer: I do not own Strawberry Panic or these characters this is purely for fun. I make no money from it. Besides if it was mine there would be seasons in the anime. Heh.
Chapter Six
The pillow flew across the room in a low spinning arc. Tamao dodged with the same grace she'd had when she was younger. Positioning herself for her next throw she hurled the pillow towards her target with pinpoint accuracy. Miyuki took the pillow right in the face and burst out a squeak of play anger and laughter. Grabbing the pillow back up she ran after Tamao who squealed in delight and bolted from the room, going out the door with a madly grinning Miyuki hot on her heels.
Shizuma was enjoying the warmth of her bed when she heard laughter. Laughter she had not heard for years. That was Miyuki's laugh. Shizuma allowed a gentle smile to light her face as she listened to the couple in the other room playing. Muffled voices came to her:
"Noo! StopStopStoppp!"
"Take that!"
"Aiee!"
"Come on if you want!"
"You rat, that hurt!"
"A pillow hurt?! Don't make me – owww!"
"Ha!
Loser!"
Various
bumps and thuds accompanied this symphony.
Shizuma got up, put on her robe and went to the door, opening it just in time to see a red-faced grinning Tamao dart past squealing like a five year old, all made up of flashing blue hair and pink satin pyjamas. Shizuma glimpsed her face, a face of pure delight and happiness. The corridor that led along the front of the cabin and which accessed the two bedrooms had an open balustrade overlooking the main room, a mezzanine floor plan. Shizuma's and Nagisa's room was at the end, you went past the guest room to reach its door. As Tamao ran by, Shizuma knew there was no escape. The passageway ended at the bathroom which was above the main door hallway. Tamao stopped at the end and turned, one hand gripping the balustrade rail, her face flushed, her chest heaving. She had no pillow. And no way out.
"Ah, ha-ha, baka… I went the wrong way," she said sheepishly.
Miyuki came out of their room pillow in hand and stopped. She looked at Shizuma. Shizuma looked calmly back. Under Miyuki's eyes small patches of glowing pink lit up her face and her normally perfect bob of hair was considerably skewed. Shizuma glanced down. Miyuki held her black nightdress up in one hand to allow herself to run. In the other hand she gripped a pillow.
"Good morning," Shizuma said slowly and formally, with a slight nod. The nightdress had a low neckline, her eyes briefly strayed there. She looked up.
"Uh, 'morning. Uh, yeah," Miyuki replied uncharacteristically lost for words. She let the hem of her nightgown fall and with that hand reached up to remove a feather that was stuck to her lip. Seeming to be a little embarrassed caught this way by her old room-mate, she converted the feather removing fingers into ones that ran through her hair, straightening it a little. Then making a 'rolling-up sleeves' gesture and setting her face in a frown she advanced past Shizuma towards her quarry, "Do excuse me, I have a misbehaving junior student who needs – um - seeing to."
To Shizuma's right, trapped against the bathroom doorway the misbehaving junior student squeaked again, "Seeing to?" she said, her voice shaky, "What do you meeeean?"
"Please," Shizuma gestured with an open hand towards Tamao, "do carry on…"
Miyuki advanced upon Tamao with a determined glare. The blue-haired girl crumpled down into a small defensive ball. Miyuki reached her prey and stood over her.
"What was it you called me, hm?" Her voice mock-angry but full of an unmistakable smile. "Now, young lady, in the Strawberry Dorms, junior students… Do. Not. Speak. To. Their. Sempai. That. Way!" Each word was punctuated with a whack from the pillow, Tamao squished down in a fetal posture all the time laughing in a half whimper-half bleat as feathers scattered around her.
"No, nooo, please! Not there! Not my butt!"
"Well it's a big target!" Came the response with another whack.
Then laughing insanely Tamao made a bid for freedom. Scampering past Miyuki and Shizuma on all fours before getting up, she bolted down the open staircase to the lounge.
Miyuki came striding past, "Sorry if we woke you," she said to Shizuma.
"Not at all, it's fine, please continue. Just watch the ornaments down there."
No, it's quite alright, Shizuma thought, the smile spreading wider over her face, break what you like, it's perfectly alright. She stepped across the landing and leaned her forearms comfortably on the rail to watch the view.
"What's happening?" Nagisa's head appeared around the bedroom door.
"Miyuki is giving Tamao a good seeing-to," Shizuma replied calmly.
"Oh," Nagisa frowned.
And laughing. She's laughing. Inside Shizuma glowed with happiness. They had been here several days now and things were finally beginning to happen.
Miyuki descended the stairs, Tamao had retreated across the room towards the kitchen archway gathering up a couple of sofa cushions as she went.
"Now look, this has gone far en- "
THWUP!
Tamao
ate pillow. Again.
- - - o o o - - -
The storm had blown itself out and new snow lay fresh and soft and a foot deeper than before. Skiing was out of the question, the radio announcer had warned skiers to stay off the pistes, these were classic avalanche conditions. Miyuki suggested they drive into town but Shizuma walked a quarter mile down the forest trackway and came back, between the high banks the snow had drifted in four and five feet deep, even the big Mercedes would struggle to bulldoze through that lot.
"That's no good!" Nagisa complained at the news, "I want to do something!"
"What do you expect me to do? Melt it?" Shizuma barked back as she waded back up the slope. The other three girls were outside the cabin, standing knee deep in the stuff.
That would be easy for you, Miyuki thought, watching Shizuma stride towards them, one look, one kiss and it'd be gone…
"Ugh! This is so boring! I wanna do stuff!" Nagisa stamped her foot.
"Fine! Catch this!" without breaking pace Shizuma angrily scooped up a fistful of snow, bundled it into a ball and breaking into a slow clumsy run hurled it at the red-head.
"Nyay!" Nagisa shouted, turning her back just in time as the snow thudded off one shoulder.
"You rat!" Tamao yelled, picking up snow and hurling it at Shizuma. The gray-haired girl ducked easily and scooped more in response.
"Hey! Help out here Miyuki!" Tamao called, dodging another of Shizuma's shots.
Sure, Miyuki thought grabbing some ammo and walking up behind Tamao and smacking it on her neck.
"Uwaa! Hey! What was that for? Shizuma's the one we want to get!"
No she's not. Miyuki couldn't stop the thought jumping into her head. She found it didn't confuse her either, it was a nice thought. She found it was true.
Tamao bent down to shake the cold wet mess out of her collar. All this did was expose her curved rear in her tight jeans and Shizuma delivered a stinging ball right on target.
"Waah!"
Soon the four women were whooping and giggling and trying to run around in the deep snow, getting thoroughly messy.
"Sempai versus Freshmen! You guys got longer arms! This ain't fair!" Tamao said. Miyuki blew a raspberry and threw another missile.
"Plus your huge butt gives them a bigger target!" Nagisa said, counter attacking.
"I have not got a huge butt!" Tamao retorted, "Do you want this to become three against one?"
"She's right, Ta-chan!" Shizuma called, "You have got a huge butt, Miyuki told me!"
"I did not say that!" Miyuki yelled.
"Oh yes you did!" the gray-haired woman retorted, moving in for another shot, "You said it was so big you couldn't get your hand round it!"
Miyuki went bright red.
"Shizuma!"
"It's true. You said the other night – "
"Shut up you!" Miyuki hurled a snowball at her team-mate.
"Quick! Tamao! Attack while the enemy is confused!" Nagisa moved in.
The other night? What happened then? I went to sleep first… Tamao had no time to think about that as the fight went on. It gradually moved among the trees at the back of the cabin. Among the trees the girls moved apart a little and then the two older women tried some proper tactics. They split up, Miyuki moving deeper into the woods and staying hidden. Shizuma went back towards the cabin where Nagisa and Tamao saw her and went after her.
It had begun to snow again. It fell slowly in large flakes, like giant fireflies floating softly to the ground. Hiding behind the tree like the stalker she'd been in school Nagisa eyed her target as she ventured to the porch.
"Fire! Fire!" she yelled and chucked her snowball. Tamao leaned round the other side of the tree and let go at their target too.
Shizuma flumped through the deep snow up to the porch as bait to draw out the warriors of the Dark Side. She was cold now, tired by walking in the deep snow but nonetheless it was fun. Her plan went rather too well and she forgot to pay attention… whump! right in the head. Then another to the body. Shizuma yelped and took off round the front of the cabin. Miyuki sneaked behind enemy lines. Seeing that her comrade was under attack she broke cover laying down a barrage of snowballs. Tamao and Nagisa squealed like schoolgirls as the snowballs fell from behind, both getting hit on the back and legs. Shizuma stopped, turned and seeing her advantage, ran back through the well trampled snow. Nagisa and Tamao's attention was on Miyuki and the gray-haired woman dived, tackling a squealing Nagisa, both ending up buried in two feet of snow. Miyuki seeing this took off at a lolloping run towards Tamao who had been distracted by Shizuma's attack. Looking quickly back in surprise she was caught like a deer in headlights and stood there stupidly as Miyuki came at her.
"Nyaar!" Unable to flee the blue-haired girl dived forward right into Miyuki's chest. Both fell with Tamao landing on top.
"Ah, no! Get off me!"
"Nyar! Serves you right!"
"Stop! Ow, my back!" Miyuki arched her back somehow with Tamao on top, Tamao merely laughed and clung on, the two women laughed harder and harder.
"Wheee! Ride 'em cowboy!" Tamao sang, clinging on to Miyuki's thick padded arms. Miyuki lay back gasping, her cheeks bright pink, snow flakes spangling her black hair and her breath jetting out in steamy clouds.
"Get off. I'm freezing," she pleaded.
"Oh dear, how sad. Lovely and warm up here," Tamao snuggled against the older woman as though she were a bed. Miyuki still laughed, her head thrown back, the two girls laughter sang through the forest, the sound deadened by distance and the white weight of the sky. Eventually the laughing stopped and the two lay there breathy and happy.
"Come on you two," Shizuma called, leading Nagisa back to the cabin.
"Let me up. It's pretty cold down here," Miyuki said.
"What was all that crap about me having a big butt?" Tamao maintained her attack.
"Uh, yeah, ha-ha, right. Just that stirrer Shizuma making trouble again."
"Look, are you guys coming or not?" Shizuma shouted from the porch.
"So I haven't?" Tamao said, ignoring the other woman.
"Haven't what?" Miyuki tilted her head down to look at the girl atop her. Her breath still made plumes of condensation.
"Got a big butt?"
"Well…"
"What! You think I have?!"
"No, no, no!"
"Liar!"
"Honest!"
"See you inside!" Nagisa called, taking her boots off and going in.
"I'll get it out of you!" Tamao wiggled her fingers under the padded coat at Miyuki's waistline and finding the top of her jeans pulled frantically at two or three layers of tee shirts.
"What are you doing?"
"Getting a confession!"
"No way! No don't! Don't you do that! Nooooo—aaaaaahhhh hahhahhah hha noo!"
Tamao's icy cold fingers had found bare stomach and went to work tickling mercilessly. Miyuki convulsed and writhed under her, head back, throat exposed.
"Confess! Say it!"
"Nooooo, ah hahahhaha!! No!"
"Yes!"
"Ah – ahah! Your hands are freezing!"
"Come on, so I have a big backside, huh? I can stay here all day!" Your stomach is so warm...! A pretty soft little furnace!
"Alright! Yay! Alright haha! Tamao has a big butt!" Miyuki collapsed in exhaustion, the air steamy with her cries, her face bright red. Both girls were laughing. Tamao let go and wiggled up a bit, her face near Miyuki's.
The laughter stopped. Very suddenly, like a switch it was thrown and died. Tamao lay breathing hard, Miyuki lifted her head a little, still snorting for air. She raised her head.
And was pushed back down into the snow.
"T..!" was all she could get out before the smaller blue-haired girl's mouth cut off her cry.
Tamao!
What…?
Tamao
kissed her furiously for a few seconds then broke contact. The two
women lay there, faces an inch apart, breath jetting and mingling,
still gasping in air from the fight.
"Miyuki, I…" Tamao went red and made to get up.
"No," the older woman gripped her arm, held her in place.
"What?"
"Tamao?"
"Miyuki?"
"It's okay."
"Miyuki… I… uh…. Gomen…"
Miyuki's voice was softer now, a caress, "It's okay Tamao, it's okay… just…" and her hands went to the other girls face and cupped it, her fingers slid through snow-matted hair, tangled there a moment and then pulled the blue-haired girl's face back down.
"Miyuki, I didn't…!"
This time was Miyuki's kiss. This time it wasn't fierce or hard or rushed. This time was different, very different. Much slower, much softer and much more affectionate.
Miyuki!!
!! ! ?
Uh?!
Oh!
Oh my…
Oh, uh… oh, wow…
Mmmmm…
"Are
you two coming…?" Nagisa stuck her head round the porch, "Oh.
Ooh…"
"What is it?" Shizuma leaned round too, she looked.
On the ground the two women lay pressed tight together, Miyuki's hands gripping her friends head. As they watched Shizuma and Nagisa saw Tamao's hands leave Miyuki's waist where they'd been tickling and lift up. She ran her fingers roughly through the other girl's hair, the fingers dug deep.
Miyuki!
The
two women parted briefly and stared at each other, eyes
glittering.
"Miyuki?"
"Yes," Tamao went back down for more, mouth open. Miyuki received her, her tongue ready, darting in like a small penis. "Uhn…" Tamao moaned and Miyuki joined her, "Hmmm…" Joined with her, joined into her…
"I don't know," Shizuma said, turning to go indoors, "It's too early to tell if they're coming or not. Nagisa – come, let's get some strong hot drinks ready, someone might need it."
The gray-haired woman steered her wife gently away with a hand on her arm. Still looking back, Nagisa never saw the smile of quiet satisfaction on her lover's face.
- - - o o o - - -