Stress Me Out
Chapter 4
Week 1: A Wednesday
(Mai, Natsuki, Nao's house)

Nao had crept into Natsuki's room just as the sun had begun to rise from behind the the clouds. she's divested herself of her clothes, slid under Natsuki's covers, and had begin trailing kisses from Natsuki's neck, to her shoulders, her fingers plucking at Natsuki's nightshirt along the way. It was a long men's T-shirt that had a slogan on it. "Jesus loves you, everyone else thinks your an idiot." The lettering read, in white letters against black fabric.

Nao had purchased that as a gift for Natsuki several years back. To see her wearing it now, only pleased the redhead more. gently tugging on the collar once more, she sunk her teeth into Natsuki's shoulder, not bothering to be gentle about it.

"Shit…" A sleepy, pissed off hiss. "Don't bite me."

Nao tanked on Natsuki's dark tresses in response, and sleepy emerald eyes narrowed into a dagger-like glair when Nao began stripping her of her garments, again leaving bite-marks. Natsuki too the intuitive, and she began to bite back.

"Damn it, pup... Teeth you bitch... Watch your god damn teeth."

"Then don't pull my hair or be biting on me so hard, either." Natsuki said softly, forest meeting emerald. "Nao, you know that this doesn't solve anything, right?"

"I don't give a damn." Nao said without missing a beat, her lips crashing back into Natsuki's own, her hands tangling themselves in those long tendrils of dark, silky hair. She didn't want to think, only to feel the high of any euphoria that she could, but Natsuki pulled away.

"I do." Natsuki said sternly, her eyes almost wet.

"Ah, fuck…" Nao murmured quietly. "Pup…"

Natsuki's forehead fell, resting on Nao's chest. "This isn't a game to me."

Nao frowned, grabbing Natsuki's hair, yanking her head upwards. "Hey…don't…be like…shit…" Nao shook her head. She hated emotions, dealing with them from anyone.

"You slept with Tate." Natsuki said, her tone soft, but left no room for debate. It wasn't a question, it was an accusation, a true one. "You went over there after work, got shit-faced, screwed him…and then you have the nerve to come to my bed the very next morning?"

"You have the nerve to let me?" Nao asked, reaching for a cigarette. "Who's more fucked in the head?"

"I never said it wasn't screwed up, and dysfunctional…but…" Natsuki sighed.

Nao rolled her eyes, and flipped Natsuki over, her teeth nipping on the butt of that cigarette in her mouth. "Hey…" A low growl, and that cig met the ashtray wit a clatter. "Stop thinking. Doesn't do you any good, we are what we are. I'm not changing. Neither are you."

"That's true…but-" Roughly, Natsuki was silenced with a kiss, one so rough, she tasted a hint of blood between the stinging of the feeling.

"No buts..." Nao said then. "Got ya at the top of my fuckit list. That's not going to change, not even with Tate around. He's well hung, so what? You've got tongue, and a smoking hot ass. You best him, Natsuki, so chill a little."

The only problem was, Natsuki was a thinker, her mind awhirl with very kiss, every breath, and every wasted moment after that. She was in too deep, but the shores were too shallow. Nao went to work, Natsuki stayed home, sleepless, restless. Unable to put her life and what it all meant into perspective. She was pissed off, but even more, she felt weak. She hated that feeling, and knowing that Nao caused it.

She wanted to make another really bad mistake, to go to Mai's room still completely naked, curl up next to the woman, and just…

Fall to pieces.

She couldn't do that though, and instead took a hot shower, and tried to put the whole thing out of her mind. It was better to do things that way, to bottle it all up, lock it away. Things were easier when Mai also left for work, and she though that she could avoid the questions that would come her way… but Mai called her on the phone later that afternoon.

"So, how's your day?"

"Sllllooooowwww." Natsuki muttered, idly tapping away at her computer, the cell-phone cradled in the shell of her ear. "Nothing to watch on television, tried to get in a nap, but that failed. Someone had the brilliant idea to change the dial on the vegetable crisper, so I had to throw away soggy lettuce."

"Darn it, I knew I forgot something last night…sorry Natsuki, you weren't getting into that for lunch, were you?"

"Nah...Mai, I'm too tired to make anything right now..."

"I told you that you weren't made for a night job." Mai laughed.

Some really loud sounds came through on Mai's end and Natsuki balked. That was not the reason. Nao was, but Mai probably already knew that. "Hey, can't complain much. It pays my chunk of the bills, and gives me a bit extra. I'm not that bothered by it." Even more strange sounds came crashing and crinkling. Frankly, it was giving her head headache. "What the heck are you doing?"

"Busting boxes." Mai said as another particularly loud crunch came through. "Nao left a mess in the back room again."

Emerald eyes rolled. "Oh…"

"Just a sec Natsuki." Mai said to her before she heard Mai talking to someone else. "Where's Nao… Why doesn't that surprise me? … Wonderful… Tell her I said to get her butt back here and clean up this mess… Yeah, I wish… Hmm… No, you can't… You don't have your Hi-Low license yet, I'll do it." More rustling and a few stifled curses could be heard before Mai sighed. "Sorry about that, Natsuki, I'm back now."

"Fun day at work, Mai?" Natsuki grinned.

"Nao's being her usual pleasant self today it seems." Mai sounded stressed, and her ire was slowly starting to rise. "Meanwhile, the new employee hasn't been through the Hi-Low certification yet, and so I'm going to need to drive the stupid thing."

Natsuki pulled her phone away from her ear, looking at it as if had suddenly grown a face. "One handed?!"

"Bluetooth, genius." Mai said, punching another box through. "Either way, Nao knows I don't like working the machinery. I'd rather be out on the floor sticking the shelves, which is what she's doing. Anyway reason I called is because you didn't leave your schedule on the fridge, so I had no idea if you were fending for yourself for dinner tonight or not."

"Tonight's my long night, I go in at six, get off at six the next morning. Full twelve hours." Natsuki said, glancing to the shift times that she had crumpled by her bed. "Why what were you thinking?"

"Simple, whatever it is. I also work tonight over at the diner. It's going to be a pain, because I know it'll be short handed there too." Mai explained, almost sounding less than pleased. "I'm just going to toss together some ramen and call it a wrap. Nao won't be too pleased, but you know how that goes."

"Speaking of, where was Nao last night?" Natsuki asked, biting into a candy bar that happened to be sitting around. "I came home, but her bedroom door was wide open, no Nao was to be had. I wanted around, but I crashed out a little while after that."

"She didn't come home after work, but considering her unusually spunky mood, I'd say she was probably hanging around with Tate."

"Shit…" Natsuki sighed, a clear pain in her voice. "Thought so..."

"Natsuki…"

"What…?"

"Don't give me that tone." Mai scolded, the beeping of the Hi-low in the background signaling she was backing up. Natsuki had heard the racket plenty of times before. "I think you and Nao need to have a talk, a real one. Not a cursing match, or one of those weird, abusive make-out sessions that leaves one or both of you bleeding. An actual talk, for once."

"…I don't see where that's any of your concern." Natsuki pointed out coldly, only to hear Mai laughed darkly.

"You know, that's rich coming from you, given our discussion the other night. If you can go snooping into my personal life, Natsuki Kuga, you expect the same treatment from me, and don't you forget that." Mai paused, but Natsuki didn't say anything, so Mai continued. "Talk. To. Nao. Do it before you both drive each other completely crazy."

Natsuki couldn't argue the point. "Yeah, well, I'm already crazy. Nao isn't one for talking."

"Neither are you." Mai reminded her. "Listen, I'm not going to get up your butt about it, but if you care about her, actually tell her."

"Yeah, as if Nao ever listens to anything I ever say." Natsuki rebuked. "All we do is fight, you know that."

"So make her listen, Natsuki. If you have something meaningful to say to her, you should actually say it." Mai sighed, her words becoming gentle. "If you two would quit barking and insulting each other, you might actually make progress."

"I thought you weren't going to keep pushing the subject…" Natsuki growled into the phone, her grip tightening ever so slightly.

"I haven't locked you both in a room yet, have I?" Mai asked her honestly. "Don't drive me to that point."

"Yeah…" Natsuki took a breath. "Yeah… Fine, I'll talk to her soon."

…
(Maruyama)

A long day over and done with, the night was a lonely one.

She looked out of her window, watching the passersby, it was an empty thing. She could force a smile, but with no one there to see it, even that seemed pointless. It wasn't that she missed her family, but, she missed having someone around. Pouring herself some whiskey, a drink that reminded her of her late father, she turned on some music softly and played around on her phone.

Checking social media, reading some posts from the nightly news, scanning some of her more frequented websites. All of it took less time than she expected, and before she knew it, she was looking at that number. Licking her lips, she dialed, waiting for that now familiar voice to trickle through to the other end. A simple invitation, that's all it would take, and it's what she made as she asked if Mai wanted to stop by for a little while.

Asking her if she would…

Mai agreed, but warned that it could only be for a short time...

When Mai finally got there, though, Shizuru didn't know what to do. They were friends now, friends, with something more, something deeper, but what did that truly imply? Without pleasantry, nor explanation on her behalf, she reached up to slowly cup Mai's cheek, and it was then violet eyes seemed to know. Seemed to see, glistening with understanding.

Mai leaned in, initiating the first kiss, a quick one.

"I don't mind, but, if we're going to do this… I have some rules." Mai said quietly, shedding off her thick jacket, and pulling off her shirt, leaving her ample breasts covered by only her light blue demi-bra. "Five of them. Once all five get broken, this, between us…it stops, and it never happens again."

Shizuru nodded, leaning in to kiss Mai again, this time is was slower, more timid. "What are they?"

"Rule number one…" Mai said slowly, unbuttoning Shizuru's shirt, leaving a trail of gentle kisses along her path. "It's almost always the first to be broken. No jealousy. None. I live with other women, I hang out with other men. Sometimes it goes places, sometimes it doesn't." She took a breath, her fingers slowly tugging away the fabric once it rested loosely on Shizuru's shoulders. "We make it work because if we want to be friends in the aftermath, we have to. Nao, for example, we have a history."

That made too much sense, but Shizuru nodded. If Mai wanted trust, Shizuru could do that. It wasn't as if they promised to be monogamous, or even that they were officially dating. This was, for all intents, another one night stand…something that could invite something more. "That one's simple enough. The second?" Shizuru asked as her fingers began to trail up the thin strap of Mai's bra, thinking to remove it.

"Rule two, is a no brainer. We're not a dirty little secret." Mai said, stepping ever so closer, letting Shizuru have the one simple victory her fingers begged to have. "I'm not in the closet, I won't go into one just because you're a woman. The moment you try to bury my existence, or pretend that we haven't been together like this, is the moment I'm going to be really pissed. You don't have to shout it from the roof tops, or anything...but don't hide it either."

"I have no family." Shizuru said quietly, nipping at her lower lip as Mai's words ghosted over the crook of her neck. The bed was right behind her, and with a tiny little shove, Shizuru fell backwards onto it. "That rule would be incredibly hard for me to break."

"It still somehow manages to get broken every time." Mai's white belt unclipping and falling to the floor punctuated that statement. Her jeans followed quickly behind. Her panties matched her discarded bra. "Rule three, we don't sleep in the same bed. That's something I reserve for monogamous lovers, or platonic friends only. When the night's out, I go back home to my bed, or you go to yours. If push comes to shove, I'll sleep on the floor."

Shizuru didn't like the sound of that, her eyes narrowing, a concern starting to form there in her pools of crimson. "Mai I…" and then a finger silenced her.

"Rule four, you can't top me without asking…but, even if you do, remember it's just sex. It doesn't mean anything." Mai said softly, as she her fingers pushed Shizuru down upon the blankets, Mai loomed over her, violet eyes gazing down. "But that brings me to rule five. All of those previous rules are my attempt to keep rule five from happening."

"What's rule five?" Shizuru asked quietly, almost afraid to know.

Mai took a breath, licked her lips. "Don't get attached, and don't grow dependent. Most of all, don't fall in love with me. If you do, this…it stops Shizuru. I really mean that."

…
(A confessional box, at the local catholic church.)

"Nao, you're not going to do yourself any favors just sitting there staring daggers into the holy book."

There was only one person on the face of this planet that would talk to her while she sat in the pews. Well, two, perhaps…but the father wasn't sure to be around at this late hour. Nao looked up to the nun that was now standing over her. "Forgive me sister, for this book is horseshit."

"Yet, you hold onto it desperately." The woman said as she took a seat beside the angry redhead. "You have not come to visit in weeks, I thought you might have forgotten what draws you here."

"Just thinking is all." Nao said with a shrug. "Couldn't do it back at the house. Came here. Nuff said."

"I know you too well for such a wall, child." The woman laughed simply. There were many people who found the young woman terrifying, or at least a dark smudge on the church if little else. Yukariko, however, held no such disposition. "Your mother wrote me the other day, she does well, so I hear. Have you not contacted her?"

"And remind her that I exist?" Nao laughed. "Penguin, you have too much faith in people."

"Well, I am a woman of the cloth." An outstretched hand, a promise kept, and yet, a promise so utterly failed. "Nao, not all are meant are meant to stay in one place. Your mother, she is such a woman, but, her faith is still strong. Her beliefs are very, very powerful."

"Can't run fast enough, can she?" Nao asked, scowling, rage.

"People were not made fly to the heavens alone, Nao." The nun said. "When your mother was pregnant with you, she considered her transgression a blessing. However, she was indeed a woman of the cloth, married to God, just as I am. To stray from that, to stray from the convent, forced her to make choices that she had to carefully consider. You were one of them."

"Yeah, well good on her, right?" Nao muttered, she never did have a close relationship with the ex-nun who'd run away from the convent.

"You two are both very similar." Yukariko laughed gently. "You both struggle within the limits of your own lives. You, you are still here determining what those limits are. Your mother, she is out there, breaking those limits."

"Yeah well, I'm not going to be wearing that get-up any time soon." Nao smirked. "Not that it matters. According to a few of my friends, I break enough things as it is, but you wouldn't know about that. Anyway, penguin, good talk. Feel better. Getting outta here so that you can finally go to bed."

"I shall pray for you." Yukariko said ever so softly. "And…you should visit more often."

"Because that's what Godmother's do right?" Nao's voice gentled too, but only enough to keep the rage out of her voice.

Yukariko didn't look back to Nao's fleeting form, she didn't need to. She already knew well of that closed fisted stance, the way that forest green eyes would shut to force away any other emotion besides anger. The way her lips would form a line, then a dark grin, and then from her mouth would come a harsh quip. The nun spoke before the last of those things could happen. "No matter how old you get, Nao, you will always be the baby I vowed to watch over at your baptism. That I am a nun, such as your mother was, has nothing to do with it."