Revelations and Reconciliations.
A day later – Near midnight – Natsuki's apartment
Natsuki was flipping through the channels on her TV while sipping from a cup of coffee for no apparent reason. Usually, she would be playing video games but now that her Xbox was gone, she really didn't have anything better to do.
She checked her cell phone again. Still, no missed calls or messages from Shizuru.
Natsuki and her friends had gone to see Shizuru at the hospital yesterday night. They brought some spare clothes and Shizuru's cell phone. Unfortunately, they didn't make it past the front desk. Doctor Anh had met them there and informed them that they couldn't see Shizuru due to the hospital rules. Only family members were allowed to see her. Doctor Anh apologized profusely and offered to deliver Shizuru's belongings. It was frustrating but Natsuki understood. Shizuru probably gave the hospital quite a scare so they weren't taking any chances. Natsuki thought about calling the older girl that night. But she didn't want to disturb Shizuru if she was sleeping. So, she decided to wait until the next day.
Today, she called Shizuru during her lunch time. The memory of it still made her stomach flip. The call had gone through but it wasn't Shizuru who picked up. The woman on the other line introduced herself as Shizuru's mother and Natsuki nearly dropped her phone. She was sure Shizuru's mother would chew her out because she was the one who put Shizuru in the hopistal. But to her relief, Shizuru's mother was really nice. She thanked Natsuki for looking after her daughter. The doctors were running some tests on Shizuru so she wasn't able to come to the phone. The nice lady promised to tell her daughter that Natsuki called.
During that whole time, Natsuki was having lunch with all her friends. They all saw how freaked out she was over the call. Haruka was nice enough to check up on her later. "Oi, Kuga. Are you okay?" she had asked.
Natsuki told her what happened.
"Oh, great! Her parents are finally in town," Haruka had said. "They're always away on business so Bubuzuke doesn't get to see them a lot. They probably want to spend some time together." After that, Natsuki decided to leave Shizuru alone for the rest of the day. The older girl probably wanted to spend some quality time with her parents. Shizuru would call her when she was free.
Natsuki waited the whole day but there was still no call or messages from Shizuru. Now, it was nearly midnight.
Natsuki turned off the TV and gulped down the last of her coffee. A sigh escaped her lips. "Time for bed I guess …," she muttered. She would try to call Shizuru again tomorrow or try to visit her again at the hospital.
She decided to put the coffee cup away and head for bed. She was on her way to the kitchen with her empty mug when her phone finally rang for the first time that day. She had left it on the couch.
Natsuki threw her cup in the kitchen sink and made a dash for the phone. She literally dived into her couch and grabbed the ringing device. She checked the caller ID and her heart thumped. It was Shizuru. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat before she answered. "Hello?"
"Hello, Natsuki," the familiar melodious voice came through. It made her heart flutter.
"Hey Shizuru, w-what's up?"
"Ara, do I need a reason to call my girlfriend?" Natsuki blushed dark red. Although she had accepted the fact that they were going out, it was still embarrassing when Shizuru said it out loud.
"O-Of course you don't need a reason! I-I'm just-" she stopped stuttering and growled when she heard a small chuckle.
"I'm just kidding, Natsuki ... I'm sorry it took me this long to call you back. My parents were in town. They wanted to spend some time with me."
"It's okay. Suzushiro told me about your parents so I understand ... Are you with them right now?"
"No, they've gone back to England. I saw them off just now. Now, I'm on my way back from the airport."
Natsuki's brows furrowed. "Airport? So you're out of the hospital?"
"Ara, yes I just got discharged this evening. My parents took me out to dinner. We went to the airport afterwards ..."
"S-so where are you now? Are you back in your dorm?"
"Not quite. I'm not too far from it though ..."
"Oh!" So Shizuru was headed back to her dorm room. It wasn't far from where Natsuki lived. She could be over there in 15 minutes. "Can I come over?" she asked excitedly.
"Ara, I rather you not Natsuki. I don't want you to be out so late."
"O-oh,"Natsuki's heart dropped.
"Natsuki? Are you all right?"
"Y-Yeah. You just got out of the hospital so you probably want to rest. I'm just gonna keep you up." It was a sensible thing to do but she still felt a bit crestfallen.
"Hmmm, Natsuki sounds upset."
"N-No! I'm not upset." She wasn't upset but she did feel disappointed. She expected Shizuru to be eager to see her as soon as she got discharged from the hospital.
"Ara, then why does Natsuki sound sad?" The soft accusation made Natsuki smile. Shizuru knew her too well sometimes. She couldn't lie to the older girl.
"Really Shizuru, I'm fine …," she denied half-heartedly. She was never good at lying, especially not to Shizuru, so she decided to be a little honest. "But … maybe I'm missing you a little bit ..." she said, patting the seat beside her. She had sat in her apartment alone for the whole evening. In fact, for three whole weeks, it had been like this every single night. If someone were to ask what Natsuki wanted right now, it would be to have Shizuru sitting beside her. That was all she wanted ...
'Who am I kidding?' Natsuki groaned internally. She really missed Shizuru. She missed being around Shizuru. She missed everything about Shizuru. "I really want to see you," she croaked before she could stop herself. She wanted slap herself right then for saying something so needy but she was tired- ... tired of lying to herself. She couldn't take back what she said, so she braced herself for the oncoming tease from Shizuru. But Shizuru only asked a simple question. "Natsuki really wants to see me?"
"... Yes," she answered, too tired to deny anything.
"Then open the door ..." Her brows furrowed for a moment, then she gasped. Natsuki scampered off the couch and rushed to the front door. After fumbling with the lock, she wrenched it open. Leaning against her door frame, sporting a dark hoddie with a gray v-neck underneath and form fitting dark jeans was none other than the person Natsuki had been wanting to see all day.
"Surprise!" Shizuru greeted.
"H-Hey!" Shizuru was here. 'Oh my god. Shizuru is here! What do I do? What do I do? My hair is not fixed! I'm in my house clothes! I look like a mess!' Natsuki hadn't combed her hair. She was wearing a raggidy tank top and shorts. She really felt the need to fix herself right now ."May I come in?" Shizuru asked, bringing Natsuki out of her agitated thoughts.
'Gah, it's not like Shizuru never seen me like this! We had sleepovers before! Stop being so self-conscious Natsuki?!' she gave herself a mental slap. "S-Sure. Come in." The older girl came in holding a small duffel bag over her shoulders. Natsuki closed the door and made her way over to the couch along with Shizuru.
Shizuru dropped her bag near the couch. "I hope I'm not intruding," Shizuru apologized. "I know I shouldn't be disturbing Natsuki this late but … I just had to see you."
Natsuki's heart warmed. "I-It's fine. Like I said … I wanted to see you too." She was happy to know that Shizuru was just as eager to see her.
The older girl gave her a small smile. "I'm glad. Shall we sit?"
Natsuki meticulously chose her positions on the couch. She made sure not to sit too close to Shizuru. It was odd. They had shared the couch countless times before but Natsuki was never aware of how far or close they sat. She didn't know what to do after they sat down. 'Be a good hostess maybe?' she thought. "H-Have you had dinner?" she asked.
"Yes, I ate with my parents."
Natsuki wanted to slap her forehead. 'Idiot. She just told you that over the phone.' "Would you like something to drink?" she tried again. Honestly, she really wasn't sure what she should be doing? She was Shizuru's girlfriend but how was a girlfriend supposed to act?
"Ara, some tea would be nice." Natsuki felt like leaping for joy when Shizuru finally gave her something to do.
"I'll go make you some!" Natsuki jumped on the task and headed for the kitchen. Shizuru followed her in a much calmer pace. Natsuki had started keeping tea leaves around her apartment because of Shizuru's frequent visits. Natsuki had watched Shizuru make tea several times so she knew what to do. 'Or so I hope ...' She grabbed the tea kettle and filled it up with water. She put the kettle on the stove and fired it up. She took some tea bags out of the cabinet and placed them on the counter. Noticing how quiet Shizuru was, Natsuki checked what the other girl was doing. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the hesitant frown on her companion's face. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Shizuru was doing her infamous thinking pose. "I'm not sure if I trust Natsuki enough to let her loose in the kitchen."
"H-hey! It's just tea!" It offended her that Shizuru had so little faith in her. "You have no right to say you don't trust me in the kitchen. You've never even tried my cooking before!"
A mystified smile appeared on Shizuru's face. "Ara, so Natsuki's insinuating that she can cook?"
"Sure. I can cook a few dishes," Natsuki shot back. She ate ramen because it was fast and easy to make. She was not totally incompetent in the kitchen. Granted, she wasn't as skilled as Mai or Shizuru but she could grill meat and make a kick-ass barbecue.
"Ara, then would Natsuki cook for me one day?" asked Shizuru.
Natsuki considered it. She could cook dinner for both of them one night. 'It would be like a date.' The thought brought a red tinge to her cheeks. She wasn't against the idea at all. "Yeah, I would like that ..." she answered.
Shizuru smiled like someone who won a million dollar lottery. "I look forward to it then!" she said. "I just hope Natsuki's cooking won't put me in that awful hospital again."
"Hey!"
"Kidding, kidding. I'm sure the food will be lovely. I really am looking forward to it," said Shizuru. "But in all honestly, I never want to end up in that hospital again. Too many … bad things happened there." The older girl shivered and shook her head, as if she was trying to shake away a bad memory.
Natsuki chuckled. "You're exaggerating. It can't be that bad."
A childish pout appeared on Shizuru's face. "Ara, but it is Natsuki. Doctor Laula threatened to give me a shot of morphine and tie me up to my bed if I tried to escape again. That's not right!" she complained. "Because I don't want anyone else tying me up except my Natsuki!"
Shizuru declaration nearly made Natsuki drop the tea bags. "SHIZURU!" she bellowed. A silver laugh erupted from Shizuru at her discomfort. In spite of her embarrassment, Natsuki started to smile too. Soon, she was laughing along with Shizuru. "You're incorrigible," she said and it only caused Shizuru's smile to widen. She had missed this. 'I've missed this so much'. The improper jokes, the easy banter, the teases … everything. Natsuki was worried when she saw Shizuru at her door but now, she knew she worried for nothing. Shizuru could make her relax just by being around her and Natsuki had missed that the most.
They made small talk while they waited for the tea to brew. Several minutes later, Natsuki proved she could brew non-poisonous tea without making anything explode in the kitchen. She also made herself another cup of coffee and soon, they were back on the couch. "What do you wanna do now?" Natsuki asked.
"Does Natsuki want to sleep soon?"
"Nah. I drank too much coffee so I'm wired." Natsuki checked her watch. "It's late. A-Are you gonna sleep here?" she asked nervously.
"Only if Natsuki doesn't mind," Shizuru replied.
"Of course not. You're always welcome here," said Natsuki. "Actually, I w-would insist. I-I don't want you going back so late." Natsuki's heart rate began to pick up. 'I'm Shizuru's girlfriend now and this is the first time she's gonna spend the night at my house ...' Natsuki wanted to bang her head against the wall. Shizuru had slept over many times but it never made her this nervous. She didn't know what was happening to her. 'Why is it that being around Shizuru makes me nervous and relaxed at the same time?'
Shizuru was thankfully unaware of her troubled thoughts. "I'll take the couch, just like always," said the older girl.
"Okay ..." Natsuki wasn't pleased with the sleeping arrangements. Shizuru just got out of the hospital and she didn't want the older girl to be uncomfortable but she knew better than to argue. The last time Natsuki tried that, she found out just how strong Shizuru's arm strength was. Shizuru had carried her, bridal style, back to her bed room and dropped her down unceremoniously on her own bed. The older girl had repeated the process as many times as she needed until Natsuki finally gave up. Shizuru was incredibly strong and stubborn when she wanted to be.
Another option would be to share the bed. Natsuki's face felt like an inferno. She only ever shared her bed with her mother and Duran. She never even shared a bed with a friend before so the thought of sharing it with Shizuru, her girlfriend, made Natsuki want to hyperventilate. "Natsuki? " Shizuru broke her chain of thoughts with a soft call.
"H-Huh?" she answered.
"How about we watch a movie?" Shizuru suggested. "Something on the television maybe?"
"S-sure," Natsuki picked up the remote and started flicking through the channels.
Natsuki was rather jealous of the older girl. Shizuru was her usual jolly self. 'Why am I the only one who's so nervous? Well ... ... She's my first girlfriend. First love. First kiss. Pretty much first everything. So it's probably perfectly normal for me to be nervous.'That brought something else to Natsuki's attention. 'Then ... m-maybe I'm not her first! There were rumors about she and Reito dating ...' Natsuki suddenly felt like shaking Shizuru's shoulders and demanding to know all about her previous boyfriends/girlfriends. 'How else can Shizuru be so calm? She probably done this with another person before!' The thought of Shizuru with another stranger made Natsuki feel uncommonly murderous.
Natsuki swallowed her rage. It wasn't Shizuru's fault that she dated other people before she met Natsuki. She tried to get herself back on the task at hand. She jammed her thumb down on the TV remote buttons using more force than necessary. Natsuki needed something to take her anger out on and the poor remote just happened to be in her hand. The remote was only saved when Shizuru spoke, "How about that one?" she asked.
"A horror flick?" Natsuki frowned. Shizuru didn't usually like this kind of movie. She didn't dwell on it too much. She shrugged. "Why not?"
"I'll turn off the lights. We can see better than way," Shizuru said.
After that, they settled into a comfortable silence and started watching. The movie was almost half way through when they started but they could still understand the story line. 'This isn't so bad,' Natsuki thought. She noticed that they sat a little closer this time. Natsuki could feel their shoulders touching. It distracted her at first but she quickly got used to the feeling. 'I guess it doesn't matter who Shizuru was with before because she's with me now.' With that thought in mind, she was finally able to focus on the movie.
The movie wasn't very good but it kept Natsuki mildly entertained. Though, she couldn't say the same for Shizuru. She heard the older girl yawn and stretch. Natsuki thought the yawn sounded strange. Then again, Natsuki was super aware of everything Shizuru did today. 'I'm probably reading into it too much,' she thought. Natsuki focused her attention back on the movie. But not a second later, she felt a warm sensation behind her. Confused, she glanced over her shoulders. She saw an arm- ... Shizuru's arm to be exact. It was spread out along the length of the couch. 'How did that arm get behind me?'
Natsuki couldn't shake the lingering suspicion that it had something to do with Shizuru's yawn. 'First that weird yawn and now her arm is behind me ... Hmmm ...' Natsuki was quick to put two and two together. The answer suddenly dawned on her. She gave Shizuru an incredulous look.
"Ara, what wrong Natsuki?"
"You did not just pull the fake-a-big-yawn-then-put-the-arm-around-the-girl trick on me."
Shizuru didn't say anything back but Natsuki saw a visible blush appearing on her face.
"Oh my god! You did! Shizuru, that's so corny!" Natsuki started laughing. "Just wait till I tell your fan girls how corny their Fujino-sama is!"
With a rather sheepish grimace, Shizuru retracted her arm. Natsuki tried her best to stop laughing but she was still grinning from ear to ear. "Aww, hey don't be mad Shizuru. I didn't mean to laugh at you. I just didn't expect that you of all people would use that move on me."
Shizuru smiled ruefully. "No no, I'm not mad at Natsuki. I'm irritated at myself that's all," she said. "To be honest, I don't know what I should be doing. You are my first love, first girlfriend … first everything so I have absolutely no clue as to how to do this. I know I want to do some things but I don't know if they are appropriate or not and I rather not do anything that might scare you. I know I tend to make ... promiscuous jokes but that's all they are. They're jokes. I really don't have any experience with this sort of thing and I'm- I'm- ... " Shizuru leaned back on the couch and let out a defeated sigh. "Ahh, this is so frustrating. Was my fake yawn really that bad?"
"Kinda," said Natsuki. Shizuru's face fell immediately. Natsuki had to bite her lips to stop herself from laughing again. It was amusing to see how flustered Shizuru was. Now she knew why Shizuru liked to mess with her so much but she didn't plan on prolonging the older girl's misery. "But I liked it. I thought you were really cute," Natsuki admitted. She really did think Shizuru was adorable. It was also comforting to know that she wasn't the only one who was clueless. Shizuru literally felt the same way. 'So I'm Shizuru's first everything too!' Natsuki sang in her head. She was about to say something more when a blood curling scream came from the television. Startled, Natsuki grabbed onto the nearest thing beside her. "J-Jeez, I wasn't expecting that," she said.
Suddenly, she noticed that something was different. For one, Shizuru's arm had appeared around her shoulders again. She was practically being engulfed in a one-armed hug. Her hands were clutching at Shizuru's shirt. Now suspicious, Natsuki eyes turned into little slits. She stared hard at Shizuru. The older girl kept her poker face but Natsuki kept scrutinizing. Then she saw it. A tiny ghost of a smile passed over Shizuru's face. Things were starting to fall into place now- ... the horror movie, turning off the lights ... everything.
Shizuru had been planning something all along. Natsuki was in disbelief. "Shizuru, are you one of those people who use scary movies to get a girl to hug you?" she accused.
The older girl's small smile became a full blown grin. "Ara, is it so bad if I am?"
Natsuki gaped. "Wow, Shizuru ... you are too old school." She shook her head. Whoever said Fujino Shizuru was suave and smooth had their facts wrong.
"But it worked didn't it?"
Natsuki looked down at their positions. Shizuru's arm was around her and she was clutching the older girl's shirt. She blushed. "Yeah, I guess it did," she admitted begrudgingly. After that, Shizuru's smile became downright cheeky. She looked like an overgrown child who just got away with doing something naughty. It was rather endearing. Natsuki found herself smiling too.
It made her happy to see Shizuru look so carefree. Natsuki wanted to remember this look on Shizuru. She ran her eyes over the older girl's delicate features. That's when she noticed a small white bandage on the top left side of Shizuru's forehead. Natsuki lifted the older girl's front bangs to get a better look. Her concern wasn't overlooked by Shizuru. "I only tore my skin. It was merely a flesh wound. It's good as new after a few stitches," the older girl explained.
Natsuki touched the bandage lightly, making sure not to put too much pressure on it. "I'm really sorry," she said.
"It was an accident, Natsuki. Please don't blame yourself," Shizuru insisted. "I deserved it after the way I acted."
Natsuki shook her head. "You do deserve to be beaten up by me but not like this. I got scared when I heard you were at the hospital."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."
"Hmm, you better not worry me again," Natsuki murmured softly.
They settled to a comfortable silence after that. Natsuki felt oddly content just to stay there stare at Shizuru and be started back in return. Usually, stares made her uncomfortable; she thought it was rude to openly stare at someone. But Shizuru's stare was different. She didn't mind that Shizuru's dazzling red eyes were gazing into hers. She rather liked it. It felt right to be here with Shizuru like this.
Natsuki berated herself for not acting on her feelings sooner. She had claimed that she didn't know what love was. Now it only made sense that if she didn't know what love was, then she wouldn't know if she was experiencing it or not. 'Maybe I already loved Shizuru. I just didn't know it.' 'Love' was still something very foreign to her. But there was always a first for everything and if Natsuki were to experience this 'love' with someone then she wanted that person to be none other than Shizuru. 'If only I realized this sooner ... Shizuru wouldn't have to hold back all this time ...,' she thought.
'Hey Shizuru?"
"Hmm?"
"Now that we're going out, you don't have to hold back on me anymore, all right?" Natsuki blurted.
"Ara?" Shizuru looked taken aback by her statement.
"Well ... I-I know you've been holding back all this time a-and you don't need to do it anymore," said Natsuki. "I'm your girlfriend. S-So from now on, if you want to hug me t-then just do it. It's not like I'm going to get mad. So you can hug me and ya know, do other stuff c-couples do. If you think I won't like something you want to do t-then just ask me first. So … yeah …" Natsuki put a brake on her ranting before she made a fool out of herself. Shizuru was still staring at her in amazement. 'Why is she looking at me like that? Did I say something weird?' "Idiot … Don't just stare at me like that," Natsuki mumbled.
"I apologize. I am just surprised," Shizuru said hurriedly. "I could only dream of Natsuki saying those words until now." Natsuki felt her face flush red 'Was that just a figure of speech o-or does she really dream about me? I-I wonder what kind of dreams are they ...'
"Anyways," Shizuru said, her voice taking on a lighter tone. "So Natsuki, name one thing you don't want me to do."
Natsuki gave it a thought. What was the one thing she wouldn't want Shizuru to do right now? Only one answer came to mind. "I-I think w-we should take things slow. I don't think I'm ready to ... erm ... g-go all the way."
She saw Shizuru's eyes widen. Then the older girl started laughing. "Ara, Natsuki's already started thinking about that?" she asked. "And here I am, still having a mental battle about whether to put my arm around you not. Natsuki is ways ahead of me," Shizuru teased.
"No! I wasn't- I mean- I didn't- Grrr! SHIZURU!" At least some things never changed. Shizuru still liked to poke fun at her. She wriggled out of Shizuru's embrace and turned the other way.
It only made Shizuru laugh harder. By the time Shizuru calmed down, Natsuki was royally pissed. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. Natsuki is just too cute," she said. "All right, let me ask you another question. I'll be serious this time. I promise."
"Fine," Natsuki growled, still not too pleased.
"If I want to kiss Natsuki now ... would she let me do it?" Shizuru asked.
The question made her face burn. Natsuki was glad she was still turned the other way. Otherwise, Shizuru would surely see how red her face was. "Are you still joking around?" she asked. She didn't want Shizuru to make fun of her again.
"I'm not joking, Natsuki ... That's the only thing I could think about ever since I walked through that door."
Natsuki turned around but couldn't meet Shizuru's eyes. She waited quietly to see if Shizuru would say 'kidding' or laugh it off but nothing happened. The older girl just waited silently. Natsuki was at a loss. She had practically kissed Shizuru in front of the whole classroom the other day and now she was being so shy about it in the privacy of her own apartment. Natsuki didn't know what was wrong with her. Her heart was hammering in her chest, she was slowly ceasing to think straight. And she still needed to give Shizuru an answer. "Why are you a-asking me now? W-We already kissed before," she mumbled. Natsuki was too embarrassed to be making any sense right now but she hoped Shizuru would get her message.
"So is that a yes, Natsuki?"
Natsuki could only manage a shy nod. She heard Shizuru drew in a shaky breath.
Natsuki squeaked in surprise when she felt an arm under her ankles, then around her waist. She was hoisted up and gently brought down on Shizuru's lap. Natsuki didn't know what she should expect next. She stared hard at her own thighs, too embarrassed to say or do anything. All she could hear was her own thundering heart beat and it was making her light-headed. Feeling a little dizzy, Natsuki leaned her head down on what she thought was the couch. She realized she thought wrong when her head came to rest against Shizuru's warm shoulder.
Natsuki would shy away from the contact immediately if it weren't for Shizuru's arm appearing around her shoulders. Following that was the sweet but crisp scent of lavender cologne invading Natsuki's nostrils. She couldn't pull away from this embrace. It was too comfortable. Natsuki felt like she was being engulfed in a warm blanket. She momentarily forgot all her worries until she heard an audible gulp from Shizuru. Natsuki suddenly remembered the kiss. She still didn't know what the older girl was planning to do until she felt a breath on her face. Shizuru was bending her neck to gain access to Natsuki's face even though it was still lowered. Then without anymore warning, Shizuru captured her lips.
Natsuki felt her body go limp. Suddenly having the irrational fear that she might fall, she grabbed Shizuru's shoulders. The fear was irrational because Shizuru would never let her fall. On the contrary, she held Natsuki closer and started moving her lips. The feeling of those soft lips moving slowly against hers made Natsuki's toes curl. She started to kiss back timidly until she remembered something. It made her push Shizuru back with a jolt. "Shizuru h-hold on," she said.
The older girl gave her a questioning look.
"I-I just drank some coffee. S-So I probably have coffee breath right now," she said. "M-Maybe I should go brush my teeth b-before we continue with-"
Her bumbling speech was cut off by another soft kiss. Shizuru pulled back a bit. "You taste heavenly," she whispered before capturing Natsuki's lips again. Although, Shizuru's guarantee was greatly reassuring Natsuki was still painfully shy and nervous. Shizuru's kiss was slow and soft- ... nothing scary and yet, Natsuki's heart was beating insanely fast. But she didn't want to pull away. In fact, she started to feel a tingle in her lips, urging her to kiss back. She gave into the feeling and started pushing her lips back against Shizuru's soft ones. Her eyes closed and Natsuki immediately forgot about everything else. Her mind and body was instantly caught up in the wonderful sensations the kiss was giving her.
That was why Natsuki felt a bit disappointed when Shizuru pulled back. It was only a brief kiss. When Natsuki finally opened her eyes, she was faced with Shizuru's flushed face. The sight was so rare, so foreign. She had never seen Shizuru's face look this red. Her hand came up to caress it. Natsuki ran her fingers over Shizuru's soft skin. Part of her wanted to pull her hand back because she didn't want Shizuru to think she was doing something weird. However, she was encouraged when the older girl leaned into her touch. Her finger started to roam freely over Shizuru's face. She touched from the eye lids to the nose and finally came to rest on the lips. She was reminded of what Shizuru said. 'My lips taste heavenly huh?' she wondered. Even though they had just kissed, Natsuki couldn't quite figure out what Shizuru's lips tasted like. She wanted to say they had no taste but at the same time, she felt like she couldn't get enough of them. Just staring at them made her mouth water ...
Natsuki wanted to taste those lips again. She needed to taste them again. The urge felt too overpowering to resist. Without thinking, Natsuki pressed her lips against Shizuru's unsuspecting ones. She found herself moaning when their lips came in contact. Shizuru's lips were tasteless and yet, she couldn't stop thinking about how good they taste. Natsuki wasn't hungry but she was feeling something like hunger. She wanted to devour those lips.
Natsuki moaned again when she felt Shizuru kiss her back. The feel and taste of Shizuru's lips were purely blissful. Natsuki threaded her hand around Shizuru's neck and pulled their faces closer. She needed to feel more. Shizuru accommodated that need by tilting her head and leaning in closer which effectively deepened their kiss. Natsuki didn't feel so shy anymore. What she did feel was an overwhelming need to explore every inch of Shizuru's lips. The kiss had changed from something slow and chaste to something faster.
Natsuki didn't know how long they kissed but she realized she needed to pull back when she became short of breath. She pulled back and broke the kiss to get some much needed air. She opened her eyes and was greeted yet again by another foreign sight. Natsuki examined Shizuru's face. The older girl had an odd expression on her, one that Natsuki had never seen before.
Shizuru's red eyes were several shades darker. They almost matched the dark blush on her cheeks. Her hair was slightly mussed from the times when Natsuki ran her hands in it. She couldn't pull her eyes away from this sight. For some unknown reason, Natsuki felt very attracted to this slightly messy looking Shizuru. 'Sexy ...' It was another alien word. Never in her life had she thought of anyone as sexy. Natsuki always thought Shizuru was attractive but this time, the attraction was different. This time, the attraction came with the irresistible desire to be physically close to Shizuru.
A low husk of a chuckle from Shizuru broke her thoughts. "Natsuki, am I really the only person you've ever kissed?" she asked.
Natsuki frowned. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Well it's hard to believe," said Shizuru. "Because you are a very, and I mean very good kisser."
She would drum her fist down on Shizuru's head for accusing her of such thing if she wasn't so distracted. Natsuki felt bothered but she didn't know why. Was it the heavy rise and fall of Shizuru's shoulders under her fingers? Was it the way Shizuru was holding her? Was it the lingering taste of their kiss? Was it the way Shizuru looked slightly out of breath? She had no idea where this feeling was coming from.
Her eyes flickered to Shizuru's lips again. The bothersome feeling increased tenfold. Then, Natsuki realized what that feelings was. 'Desire.' What she was feeling was the desire to be kissed again. Also, that intense look Shizuru was giving her, she knew what it was now. It was desire. The insight made Natsuki blush bright red but it didn't matter anymore. She knew she was already having a full body blush from their previous kiss.
"Natsuki?" the soft mention of her name caught her attention. "May I kiss you again?" Shizuru asked hesitantly.
To answer that question, Natsuki threw her arms around the older girl's neck and kissed her hard. Though Shizuru was stunned at first, she quickly recovered and was kissing Natsuki back in less than second. Natsuki felt her eyes roll back at the exhilarating sensation. She decided right then that she loved being kissed by Shizuru. The older girl pulled her even closer. Natsuki felt like their bodies were starting to mesh together but she didn't mind. If possible, Natsuki wanted to be tied to Shizuru this way forever.
A small whimper escaped Natsuki's lips when she felt Shizuru's hand move up and down her side. The movement sent a continuous wave of pleasant shivers throughout her body. She couldn't contain herself from mewing softly. Then suddenly, the kissing stopped. Shizuru abruptly pulled away. Natsuki stared at Shizuru like a deer in the headlights. She didn't know what had happened. Natsuki started to fret, 'Did I do something wrong?'
Shizuru was giving her an uneasy look. "Natsuki, are you absolutely SURE you've never done this before?" she asked. "Because you know how to make these ridiculously sexy sounds and-"
This time, head wound or not Natsuki did smack Shizuru over the head. "Shizuru! Just shut up and kiss me!" she demanded.
The older girl didn't need any more encouragement. They both got right back into kissing each senseless but they only got a minute in before they both heard it.
It was the unmistakable sound of someone knocking on the front door.
'No no no, not right now!' Natsuki thought despairingly. Shizuru felt the same way because she pulled Natsuki closer against her body with a frustrated groan. Natsuki also tightened her hold around Shizuru's neck and they continued their fervent kiss.
An insistent knock came again. Natsuki mustered the half-hearted will to break the kiss. She tried to lean back but despite her efforts, Shizuru's lips followed hers. "Hmm, knocking on ... door," Natsuki mumbled in between kisses. Shizuru's answer to that was to kiss her harder and Natsuki gladly obliged until another loud knock.
Natsuki groaned. As much as she would like this to continue, the person at the door obliviously had no intention of going away. Using all her will power, she pushed Shizuru away as far as she could. The older girl finally broke their kiss with a disgruntled grunt. "I-It might be important. I should get it," Natsuki reasoned.
Shizuru nodded slowly. "You should," she said, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself more than agreeing with Natsuki.
Natsuki on the other hand was definitely trying to convince herself. She bit her lips. "Y-Yeah, I should." 'I really don't want to but-' "I should."
Both made no move to get up. Several moments passed as they both sat there, locked in a heated gaze.
Finally they did make a move but it was to collide their lips against each other and engage in another feverish kiss.
But not a second after, a louder knock came. This time, they both pulled away unwillingly. Shizuru rested her forehead against Natsuki. "You probably should get that," she said, not bothering to hide her glumness.
Giving Shizuru a small apologetic smile, Natsuki pushed herself off the older girl's lap. She turned on the lights before making her wobbly legs take her to the door. She was nearly halfway there when she felt a grasp on her arm. Strong warm hands pulled her back and whipped her around. Soft lips descended on her surprised ones. Soon after, Natsuki found herself smiling into a kiss. Unfortunately, she had to break it quickly before Shizuru could lock her in another embrace. "Shizuru. Stooop ..." she whined.
Shizuru laughed. "It's Natsuki's fault. You're too … kissable."
'This really needs to stop,'Natsuki thought. If Shizuru kept this up, then Natsuki was going to get her gun and shoot whoever was on the other side of that door. "Behave. I need to answer the door," Natsuki chided.
Shizuru pouted but gave Natsuki a small nod. "I'll be right behind Natsuki. You shouldn't answer the door alone. It's almost midnight."
Natsuki patted herself down. Even though it was nearly midnight, she wanted to look somewhat presentable. "How do I look?" she asked Shizuru.
"Absolutely stunning," Shizuru answered with playful wink.
Rolling her eyes, Natsuki started to unlock her door. She wondered who in the world would be knocking on her door this late.
Same day – Same time – Natsuki's apartment
When Natsuki finally opened the door, she saw a whole crowd of people. Haruka, Yukino, Mai, Nao, Chie and Aoi were all standing there.
"Jeez, what took you so damn long," Nao griped.
Natsuki gaped. "What are you all doing here?"
Mai shrugged. "You looked kinda down today so we came by to cheer you up. Oh! Kaichou-sama is here too! When did you get out of the hospital?" Everyone started rubbernecking over Natsuki to see Shizuru.
"Eh? Bubuzuke's here?"
"Kaichou-sama! It's great to see you!"
Every single one of them pushed past Natsuki, not bothering to spare her another glance. She begrudgingly closed the door behind them. "Please, do come in," she muttered sarcastically. "It's nice that you all want to cheer me up and all but isn't it a little late?"
"Well, we have no school tomorrow so we thought- ... why not?" said Yukino. "Haruka-chan and I got us some snacks!" She held up several bags of chips.
"I baked some cheese cake!" Mai said.
"We have soda!" Aoi and Chie held up soda bottles.
"I bought nothing!" Nao admitted shamelessly. "Can we eat now?"
Her friends didn't even bother to ask Natsuki's permission as they went about her apartment, making themselves at home. Haruka plopped down beside Shizuru. Nao was rummaging around her TV stand while the others were in the kitchen, preparing the snacks. Feeling rather defeated, Natsuki joined Haruka and Shizuru on the couch.
"Hey mutt, you got anything to watch? Like a DVD?" Nao asked.
Natsuki shook her head. "Trashed the Xbox remember? I have nothing to watch DVDs with"
"Damn Kuga. Why did you have to go all she-hulk on your Xbox. From now on, I'm changing your nickname from mutt to she-hulk!" Nao complained.
Natsuki threw her TV remote at the red-head. "Shut up, Spidey. Watch TV or something."
Temporarily satisfied, Nao picked up the remote and started flipping through the channels but it wasn't long before she started complaining again. "I can't find anything good," she said.
The other girls were now back from the kitchen with the prepared snacks and drinks. Mai was quick to give an input for Nao's problem. "Ohhh! There's this really good drama I've been watching. It's on right now. We should watch it! It's so romantic and funny! Edgar-kun is so handsome!"
Aoi clapped her hand. "I know the one you're talking about! The main character acts just like Kanzaki-san! I like that show too!"
Nao didn't share their excitement. "Oi, I ain't watching some chick flick!"
"It's not a chick flick!" Aoi objected.
"Let's take a vote!" said Mai. "Who's in favor of watching Early and Fairy?"
Haruka scratched her head. "The what and the what now?"
Natsuki threw up her hands. "I am staying out of this."
"I guess I'm fine either way," Shizuru said.
"No preference here," Chie shrugged.
Mai, Aoi and Yukino raised their hands in favor of the drama. "You're outvoted Nao! Hand that remote over!"
"Hell no!"
Natsuki decided to divert her attention from the chaos. She really should run them all out of her apartment for cutting her time short with Shizuru. Fortunately for them, Natsuki was in a good mood today and Shizuru didn't seem to mind their company. All in all, they had been very helpful to both her and Shizuru. Watching them act like buffoons around her apartment was a small price to pay after all they've done for her.
Natsuki focused her attention in the little area where she sat, along with Shizuru and Haruka. She looked over at the blonde. Everyone was eating or drinking something while the blonde was sitting there, empty handed. Natsuki felt the need to offer something. "Hey Suzushiro, you want something to drink," she asked.
Haruka shook her head. "Nah, I'm not much of a soda person."
"You can also have coffee or tea?" Natsuki said.
"Hmm, coffee sounds good," said Haruka. "I guess I'll go get some coffee." She prepared to get up but Natsuki stopped her quickly.
"Sit. I'll go make you some," Natsuki passed a small smile at Shizuru before getting up.
"I don't want to trouble you-"
"No. Please, I insist."
The blonde gave her a grateful smile. "Ah, then a cup of coffee for me please and thank you."
Natsuki headed for the kitchen with a strange realization. She just had her fist conversation with Suzushiro Haruka that didn't involve any yelling, screaming or threats. It wasn't that they hated each other. Haruka was stickler for school rules and Natsuki just happened to break a lot of them before.
After Natsuki prepared the coffee, she walked back into her living room and was greeted by yet another unfamiliar scene. Haruka and Shizuru were laughing together. Usually, Natsuki would see Haruka making death threats while Shizuru would smile and act the fool. 'I guess she's not that bad.' Natsuki really owed a lot to Haruka. If it weren't for the blonde's help, she wasn't sure if Shizuru would have made it to Fuuka that day.
In addition to that pleasant sight, the argument between her friends had also dissolved. Chie and Nao were sitting on the floor near the couch, hogging all the snacks between the two of them. The other girls were perched in front of the TV watching their drama. Natsuki was glad to see that the quarrelling had stopped. She handed the coffee cup to Haruka. "Coffee," she said. She received a terse but polite thanks in return.
Natsuki decided to take her seat again by Shizuru's side. As soon as she sat down, Shizuru put her arms around Natsuki. Her typical reaction to that would be to shriek and run away. She wasn't used to Shizuru being so familiar with her in front of other people. Natsuki waited for others to take notice. She waited for the jeers. She waited for the laughs. She waited for the teases but none came.
Natsuki checked her surroundings. Nobody was looking at them. She gave Haruka a surreptitious glance. They were sitting on the same couch so Haruka was bound to notice but to Natsuki's surprise, Haruka wasn't paying attention either. 'Well ... Shizuru and I ARE a couple. It's only natural we're this way with each other.' Their friends probably felt the same.
The thought gave Natsuki some courage. Feeling more confident, she snuggled closer to Shizuru's warm body. It felt nice to be able to do that.
"The coffee tastes great Kuga," Haruka stated. "So, how are you holding up? Can't be easy after what went down yesterday? Any of Bubuzuke's fan girls bothering you?"
Natsuki chuckled. "I just glare them down until they go away. It's working out for me so far."
Haruka groaned. "Lucky you. My legs are so sore right now. Been running from Bubuzuke's fan girls all day," she said in a sour note. "They were going on about me taking their Fujino-sama away. Bah, stupid girls."
This surprised Natsuki. Most students tend to stay away from Haruka because of her temperament. "Why don't you just send them to detention?" she asked.
Haruka shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't. " she said. "My right to discipline students has been revoked. The Suzushiro Executive Committee is no longer. Hell, I'm not surprised after what happened the other day."
"I'm sorry." Natsuki felt bad. Sure, Haruka gave her a hard time now and again but she never wanted something like this to happen. The Suzushiro Executive Committee was Haruka's passion. Everyone at school knew that. Despite that fact, Haruka was taking the blow rather well.
"It's not your fault, Kuga," Haruka said. "I blaming this dumbass here." She jabbed an accusing finger at Shizuru.
Shizuru retorted with her ever insufferable calm smile. "Ara, but I am also no longer the Student Council President," she pointed out.
"Oi, the only reason you wanted to be Student Council President was because of Kuga. Unlike you, I actually liked my job!" Haruka rebutted.
Haruka's words took a sharp stab. Shizuru's shoulders became hunched and all traces of a smile disappeared from her face.
Natsuki wanted to defend Shizuru. She didn't want the older girl to take all the blame. She worried about where this conversation was going. She wanted to change the topic if possible. This was obviously a sensitive topic for both Shizuru and Haruka. Natsuki knew there were three people Shizuru wronged during the Carnival- ... Nao, Yukino and Haurka. Obviously, Shizuru had made up with Yukino. Knowing Nao, it would be hard for her to forgive Shizuru for almost killing her mother. Natsuki wasn't sure about how Haruka felt about Shizuru but she had a dreadful feeling that she was about to find out.
"I'm sorry, Suzushiro-san. You must think I was rotten when you found out …" Shizuru said.
"Are you talking about the time when me and Yukino caught you and Kuga?" Haruka asked with a frown. "You killed Yukino's demon thingy and after that, I disappeared?"
"Yes," Shizuru answered. "I can't imagine how you must've felt. I knew how much you wanted to be Student Council President and yet, I took it away from you my own purpo-"
"You idiot," Haruka cussed. That's not why I was mad!"
"It's not?" both Shizuru and Natsuki blubbered out at the same time.
"No!" Haruka denied it again. "I was mad because- ... Look Bubuzuke, we've known each other for years! Years, Bubuzuke! We practically grew up together! But when we got into high school, you became distant. You stopped talking to me. You suddenly wanted to be Student Council President. You stopped calling me Haruka. I'm suddenly Suzushiro-san. I just didn't know what the hell was going on with you but when I saw you with Kuga, it all made sense. What pissed me off was ... ... you didn't come talk to me about it!"
Both Natsuki and Shizuru were astonished by Haruka's words. This was certainly news to Natsuki. Shizuru spoke, despite her stupefaction. "I was afraid you might react badly ..."
"So you just decided to shut me out of your life?" Haruka snapped. "You should've told me everything! Anything! You could've told me how you felt about Kuga. Yeah, I might have been a little surprised but if I'm truly your friend, don't you think I would be accepting?" Haruka sighed. "I know I sound like a hypocrite because I'm saying this after the way I reacted but let me make something very clear. I'm no saint, Bubuzuke. I lashed out at you when I found out about your feelings for Kuga. I said things that I didn't mean and ... a-and I'm sorry. I was just so damn pissed because you were willing to throw away our friendship for a girl ... no offense Kuga."
"None taken," Natsuki said. This was really not about her. It was an issue between Haruka and Shizuru.
Shizuru shook her head. "It wasn't just Natsuki at first. I thought I was going down a dangerous path. When I was accepting my Hime powers from Nagi I felt like I was making a deal with the devil. If possible, I didn't want to involve any of my friends and loved one." Shizuru smiled bitterly. "But after a while, I forgot why I was isolating myself ... I lost myself along the way and I ended up hurting you and Natsuki ... the people I vowed to protect," she said.
"You ass. You think I wouldn't want to walk down a 'dangerous path' with you." A near mischievous grin appeared on Haruka's face. "What did I just do for you yesterday? eh? eh? eh?" Haruka kept bumping Shizuru's shoulder with each word. With each bump, Natsuki saw a smile start to sprout on Shizuru's face.
Sometimes, Natsuki wondered why Haruka and Shizuru were always around each other even though the two acted like they couldn't stand one another. Now she knew why. They had always been friends. Shizuru could be stubborn and introverted at times but Haruka knew that. Haruka may have groused and complained but she never left Shizuru's side because she was a true friend. 'A very loud and rude friend who likes to make death threats but still a friend,' Natsuki thought with an amused smile.
Haruka and Shizuru were now grinning at each other like small kids. "Ara, I guess I should've told you sooner," said Shizuru.
Haruka huffed. "Damn straight! If you did, I probably would've told you about my feelings for Yukino! We could've helped each other out! And I might not have any demon powers like the rest of you but you know damn well I'll help you fight off that Obi-something lord! You should have more faith in me, Bubuzuke!"
Shizuru chortled. "Ara, I never should've doubted you, Suzushiro-san." They shared a short laugh before Shizuru spoke in a somber tone. "Suzushiro-san, I know I should've asked you this sooner and I still might not be deserving of it but ... could you ever forgive me?"
Haruka rubbed her chin, looking deep in thought but the playful twinkle in her eyes showed that the decision was a fairly easy one. "I guess I could," she said. "Just don't pull that crap on me again and cut it out with the 'Suzushiro-san' "
The two friends shared as smile. "Ara, I promise I won't." Shizuru said. "But, if you don't want me to call you Suzushiro-san, then shall I call you Shishi-chan again?"
The nickname made Natsuki giggle. Shishi meant 'lion' and it was perfect for Haruka.
Haruka growled. "Don't call me Shishi-chan. It's Haruka."
"Ara, but you love it when I call you Shishi-chan!"
"I don't!"
Natsuki watched the two older girls banter with a perceptual smile on her lips. She had just witnessed a rather special moment. Both Haruka and Shizuru felt comfortable enough to share that moment with her and that fact alone made Natsuki happy. It was a sure sign that things were looking up after that hellish Hime Carnival.
Natsuki had also learned some surprising news. She had no idea Shizuru and Haruka knew each other that long. "I had no idea you guys knew each other that long," she blurted what was on her mind.
Natsuki statement conjured an evil grin on Haruka's face. "You should ask Bubuzuke what else she's keeping from you," she said. "She has a problem with keeping secrets. Almost like a habitual liar."
Haruka had a point. Natsuki was also aware that Shizuru was prone to keeping a lot of secrets. It was as bad as lying and simply unacceptable. Natsuki fixed her glare on the older girl. "Shizuru!"
Shizuru sweat-dropped. "A-ara-"
Haruka crossed her legs and leaned back with an impish grin. She was taking great satisfaction in Shizuru's panicked state. "I could get used to tattling on Bubuzuke," she said.
Heeding Haruka's warning, Natsuki decided to lay down some rules. "Shizuru, if I am to be your girlfriend then you can't keep secrets from me anymore!"
"Yes, Natsuki. No secrets."
"Promise!"
"Yes, I promise."
Haruka watched, highly amused at how Shizuru was saying an obedient 'yes' to Natsuki's every demand. "Whipped," she taunted. Haruka was not done yet. "Oh and Kuga, let me tell you something about Bubuzuke. Before she met you, she used to flirt with a lot of girls. Actually, the Fujino Fan Club was founded by a bunch of girls she flirted with. You better keep a good leash on her Kuga. You don't want Bubuzuke messing around with those girls."
Natsuki was instantly pissed. She never liked that stupid fan club. She was immediately reminded of the infuriating memory of those girls taking all of Shizuru's uniform buttons. 'Their hands were all over Shizuru,' she thought with a sense of possessiveness. "Shizuru!" Natsuki spoke in a tone that clearly said the older girl was in deep trouble.
Shizuru also knew that she was in a precarious position. "Y-Yes Natsuki?" she answered fretfully.
"You are not allowed to flirt with your fan girls anymore!"
"Ara, but I don't flirt with them. I'm just nice to them," Shizuru explained.
"Then you can't be 'nice' to them anymore," Natsuki seethed. "Don't think I don't see you letting them take all your uniform buttons! They were all over you! You can't let them touch you like that anymore!"
Shizuru nodded diligently. "Yes, Natsuki!"
The younger girl wasn't done issuing orders. "And you can't let your fan girls hang around you anymore! Period!" Natsuki said.
Shizuru scratched her head with troubled frown. "Ara, but Natsuki, it's not as if I let them hang around me. They'll do it with our without my consent."
Natsuki knew that she was being unreasonable but she just hated seeing Shizuru with those rabid girls. One girl was daring enough to touch Shizuru's neck. Who can say they wouldn't try something more daring? The thought was very disconcerting. 'I'm jealous,' Natsuki thought. 'Shizuru is MY girlfriend. She's all mine and those girls can drop dead if they don't like it! Why do I have to share Shizuru with those crazy girls!? Arrrghh! I don't want to share her with them!' Natsuki was getting increasingly upset by the matter.
"N-Natsuki?" said Shizuru in a panic stricken voice. "P-Please don't look so upset," she pleaded. "I'll do anything you want. I won't let those girls hang around me anymore. I promise, all right? I'll ... I'll ... I'll run! I''ll run in the opposite direction when I see them coming! I'm very good at hiding too. I'll avoid them at all cost so please ... don't be mad anymore, hmm?"
Natsuki would usually be sympathetic of Shizuru's agitated state but not when it came to the fan girls. "Good," she said. She was pleased with Shizuru's answer for now.
Shizuru turned to Haruka, who was watching the whole exchange with a smug grin. "Haruka is very mean. You know I can't stand the thought of my sweet Natsuki being upset with me," she said. "You're trying to get me in trouble on purpose."
"You figured me out! Congratulations!" Haruka stated sardonically. "And I must say, I think you are amazing Kuga. Bubuzuke is the most manipulative person I've met. In my whole life, this is my first time seeing her work this hard to please someone. I half expected her to manipulate you too but wow ... you got her so whipped! I have a whole new level of respect for you."
Shizuru stuck her tongue out at the blonde. "Ara," she said. "Of course I'll work hard to please Natsuki. I love her very much and I'll do anything she ask of me." The older girl cradled Natsuki's hand in her palm and started caressing it with her thumb. She gave Natsuki a doting look before continuing. "And if by 'whipped' you mean I am spoiling my lovely girlfriend rotten, then I'm proud to say that I am indeed, 'whipped.' "
Haruka rolled her eyes while Natsuki flushed red. She didn't think she was deserving of such affections but she was furtively delighted to hear those words from Shizuru. Natsuki decided she was satisfied with the older girl's answers and changed the topic to something else. "So, you two have known each other for a long time, huh?" she asked.
"Yup! Ever since our parents decided to let us play in the same cradle," Haruka affirmed.
"Woah, so you're like childhood best friends?" Natsuki exclaimed. With her hands on her hips, Natsuki threw her death glare at her girlfriend. "I thought you said I was your best friend! You lied to me!" And just like that, Shizuru was in trouble again.
"A-ara, Natsuki is my best friend but you're also more. Haruka is my best friend too but she's different. I don't- we- we-..." Shizuru turned to Haruka. "Help?"
"No way. I am enjoying this way too much," Haruka said.
Shizuru shot the blonde a sour look for the lack of help before turning back to her very annoyed girlfriend. "Think of it this way Natsuki," she started. "J-Just because you don't hold the title of 'best friend' doesn't mean I'll care for you any less. I apologize if you think I deceived you. I'll be h-honest ... I could never truly see Natsuki as a best friend because to me, you were always m-more. " Natsuki blushed. The answer made her happy but that didn't make it any less embarrassing. She didn't know how to comment on it.
Taking Natsuki's silence as a bad sign, Shizuru started to panic more.
Haruka had bagan to feel rather bad for Shizuru and decided to step in and change the topic quickly. "Sooo yeah, me, Yukino, Bubuzuke and Kazaki. We've been friends for a while. We all used to play together at Bubuzuke's parent's house when we were little. Ah, that reminds me, how are your parents?"
Shizuru was all too glad to have a subject change. "They said 'Hi,' and they would like everyone to come visit them in Kyoto when we're all free."
"Have you told them about your girl?" Haruka asked.
Haruka's statement brought another blush to Natsuki's face. Being called Shizuru's girl was making her feel all giddy. Natsuki rolled her eyes. She felt like she was turning into one of Shizuru's fan girls.
She decided to let Shizuru catch up with Haruka. Natsuki looked around her living room. Chie and Nao were still pigging out while the other girls were fawning over some actor on TV. Surely, Natsuki had inherited this group of friends along with her relationship with Shizuru. She couldn't come up with any other reason why they would all be in her living room.
After the Carnival ended, Natsuki was worried about how everyone would get along. They all tried to kill each other after all. But now, two people whom she thought were enemies turned out to be childhood friends and everyone else was hanging out without a problem. She thought the Carnival would leave them as broken human beings. 'But we're more than fine' she thought with a happy smile.
"I'm booooooooooooooorred," a loud whiny wail brought Natsuki out of her revere.
Nao had eaten all the snacks and was now whining for lack of better things to do. Natsuki sighed. "What do you want now?"
"I don't know. Let's just do something. I'm bored," Nao said.
"Ah!" Chie snapped her fingers. "How about a game?"
Natsuki didn't have any board games in her apartment so she offered what she had. "Hmm, I have a decks of cards?" she said.
"Yeahhh! Let's play cards!" To Natsuki's relief, Nao immediately jumped on the idea. She went and got the cards for Nao.
"What does Nao-kun want to play?" Chie asked.
"Hmmmm … Bullshit! Let's play bullshit!" Nao piped. "There's only me and Chie. We need more people!"
"We're watching here Nao," Mai and the other two declined the game in favor of the TV. Nao turned to the people on the couch.
"I'll pass," Haruka said, sipping her coffee.
"Yeah me too," Natsuki also declined the offer.
"You guys are no fun," Nao mumbled. "Hey Fujino. Come and play with us!" As soon as these words left Nao's mouth, the whole room froze. Even the girls who were watching TV looked over their shoulders in shock.
Nao had invited Shizuru to a friendly activity. That was something that never happened. Everyone knew how much Nao hated Shizuru for defeating her child and almost killing her mother. Nao typically ignored Shizuru at their usual gatherings. Sometimes, she even refused to stay in the same room together. She didn't speak to Shizuru unless she absolutely had to, even then she would be overtly rude.
"Come on. Let's play," Nao started tugging gently at Shizuru's jean bottoms. That was enough to snap the older girl out of her stupor.
"A-ara, I don't know how to play that game," Shizuru said, looking just as confused as Natsuki.
"No prob. I'll teach you. It's not hard," Nao said, scooting over to make some space for Shizuru on the floor. Natsuki knew the older girl was unsure of the situation but Shizuru hid that well. She got off the couch and took a seat on the floor beside Nao.
"All right. The goal of the game is to get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible. We're going to start with … ... ..." Nao went on with her explanation while Shizuru listened. Everyone watched the exchange. They were all worried. Was Nao playing some sort of trick? Did she have some ulterior motive?
Shizuru asked a question at some point and Nao laughed. Natsuki gazed at the red-head in wonder. She had never seen that kind of happy, almost child-like laughter coming from Nao. For a while, Natsuki could actually see how young she looked. The young red-head wouldn't let her guard down in front of others so it was rare to see her acting her own age for once. That was when Natsuki decided that Nao's invitation was genuine- ... that laugh was genuine. Which meant Nao was finally getting along with Shizuru. The thought made Natsuki elated.
The red-head was oblivious to all the baffled stares. "The best way to learn the game is to play it! You'll be playing like a pro after the first round," Nao said. She started distributing the cards to Shizuru and Chie. Then, the game was quickly underway.
Throughout the game, Nao kept looking at Shizuru's cards and instructed her on what to do. Shizuru was gladly letting Nao boss her around and appeared to be having fun as well.
"Three twos!" Chie said, laying down three cards faced down.
"Okay, Chie laid down three cards. She is telling you they are all twos," Nao glanced at the fan of cards in Shizuru's hand. "Here! You see? You have three cards of twos in your deck Fujino! That means Chie doesn't! She's bullshitting you! Say 'Bullshit!' " Nao shouted excitedly.
"B-Bull ... s-shit," Shizuru stuttered out.
Nao stared at Shizuru for a moment. Then she burst into a fit of laughter. "Ahahahhah, you sound so weird!"
"Come to think of it. I never heard Kaichou-sama swear," Chie assessed.
"Hehehe, that's why it sounds weird! Say it again! Say it again!" Nao urged.
Shizuru good naturedly humored the middle schooler. "B-B-Bull ... s-shit."
This time, the whole room laughed. Natsuki had to admit, Shizuru did sound awkward when she swore. She didn't know the full details of what happened yesterday but it seemed to have warmed Nao up to Shizuru.
Everyone went back to what they were doing after that. Mai and the others continued to watch TV while Shizuru, Nao and Chie played 'Bullshit.' Natsuki conversed with Haruka, occasionally checking up on how Shizuru and Nao were doing. After thirty minutes, the drama show on TV finished. Mai and the others decided to join in on the card game. For the heck of it, Natsuki and Haruka joined too.
For the whole night or early morning, Natsuki found out how it was like to have her apartment filled with fun games and happy chatter.
And honestly, she didn't mind it at all.