Ever After
Disclaimer: I do not own Mai Hime.
Warning: Fluff.
Chapter 7
Warning: Pregnancy. Silliness ensues.
A/N Life has been quite busy this year, so I had to make a break, but didn't forget that there was the fic to be done.
My Engrish is no better, but ManiazAzn kindly beta-ed this mess of the chapter, so maybe I won't make you scream while reading, only cry ;).
For Chum-sa, thank you for your patience.
Happy New Year everyone!
"That would be everything for today. Thank you for your hard work, Akito-san." Shizuru folded papers on the desk and looked at her companion, a polite, charming smile brightening her features.
The young man bowed his head slightly, stood up and moved towards the door. Seeing that his boss showed no signs of moving from her chair, Akito decided to ask, "Aren't you coming for lunch, Shizuru-san?"
"I would like to stay a bit longer to arrange my work for tomorrow since I won't come back after lunch."
"Oh yes, I totally forgot. Please forgive me." He smiled apologetically. "Have a nice day then." And he left, carefully closing the door to the office.
While waiting for the elevator he couldn't stop to wonder why Fujino-san took the afternoon off. This wasn't like her to skip work. But sometimes some errands couldn't be attended in late hours and according to the situation the Kaichou might have need a free afternoon right now.
Everybody was expecting Shizuru-san to get married soon.
Fujino Shizuru was a woman of every man's dreams. Everybody was hitting on her, so did Akito. But they had no luck - the crimson-eyed beauty turned candidates down with the steel consistency.
Finally, during one of their office get-together parties she was cornered by a drunken mob and wasn't able to get out without giving them an answer. Under this pressure the Kaichou confessed that she was taken already.
Shizuru's admirers didn't reconcile with the fate so easily. At least they wanted to check Kaichou's words and see if the man of her choice was suitable for her. So they started to hunt for this lucky guy who owned her heart. It looked like a lost cause, because Fujino was very careful to keep her privacy.
But one day somebody was lucky enough to accidentally run into her in a fancy restaurant downtown. The Kaichou was obviously having a great time in the company of a handsome dark-haired young man. After hearing the news, Shizuru's fans started to investigate who the lucky guy was. Soon they found out that the man was no one else but the famous awfully rich heir to Minagi Corp., Reito Minagi, the best match in the town.
Reito put the cutlery down and reached for a napkin. "I am very grateful. Your splendid work spared me a headache."
Shizuru smiled gracefully. "Stop with pleasantries please. We both know that if not your commissions my business wouldn't go so well."
Reito waved his hand dismissively. "It's only natural for friends to help each other. Besides I don't want to make this business under my name. I need your company to do it for me."
"As charming as ever. I won't deny that I like profits we both get from our cooperation. So what deal do you want me to make this time?"
The young man leaned forward a little and smiled mysteriously. "This one is big, so please use all your skills."
This was obvious that they were no rivals to him. They shared the sad news with the rest of the staff. Strangely some of their female co-workers laughed off their revelation. "Can't you see? She's not interested in men."
Of course Akito heard the rumors. But there was no way Shizuru-san would be such person. She was the most feminine and well-mannered woman he had ever met. As far as he knew lesbians wore boots, pants, tank tops and leather jackets, rode bikes, used masculine language and treated men like a shit.
Fujino was none of these.
Besides she was engaged. Not long after the revelation about her fiancée was revealed Shizuru came to work with engagement ring on her finger. There was no doubt that she had been proposed to and a wedding would follow soon. And it was obvious that an engagement and marriage were between a man and a woman in this country.
The elevator stopped and he shrugged off his thoughts. His stomach reminded him that he was starving, so he headed to the cafeteria.
The room was full. Akito scanned the area looking for an empty seat and finally he found one – in a far corner there was only one occupant to the small table, drinking her coffee and reading some magazine. The young man maneuvered smoothly through the crowd with his food tray.
When he came closer he could better seethe woman. Her features immediately got his attention. Her outfit marked out in the sea of suits and white collars. She was wearing sneakers, dark blue jeans, white tank top, and black leather jacket now hanging from backrest of the chair. She was pretty. No, Akito corrected himself, she was beautiful.
Akito cleared his throat. "Excuse me?"
With a frown of annoyance the young woman raised her eyes from the paper, automatically tucking her loose dark bangs behind the ear. Akito dully noted that she was reading a motor magazine. She eyed him with an unfriendly look. She had the most beautiful emerald eyes he had ever seen.
"May I join? It looks like this is the only free seat left." He flashed a charming grin.
"Sure." She shrugged and went back to reading, ignoring him completely.
Akito sat and started to eat while thinking out how to break the uncomfortable silence.
"Excuse me," he finally spoke, "but I have the impression that we have met before. Do you by any chance work around?"
She stopped reading and looked at him with irritation visible on her face. "No."
"So let me introduce myself properly." Akito tried to ignore her death glare. "My name is Akito Tenkawa. Nice to meet you." He bowed his head to emphasize his words.
The dark-haired woman looked at him unfazed, her face mixture of boredom and growing anger. When she was about to speak, a melodic voice interrupted.
"Ara, I see my friends are sitting at the same table. What a coincidence. Do you know each other?"
Surprised, Akito turned his head to see Shizuru standing beside their table and expectantly waiting for them to answer her question. Too stunned to speak he shook his head to confirm that he and the woman didn't know each other.
Shizuru smiled. "Natsuki, this is Tenkawa Akito-san, my right hand in business; Akito-san, this is Kuga Natsuki, my—"
"We already have been introduced." The raven-haired woman blurted in, suddenly springing to her feet. She grabbed her jacket and abruptly moved forward, closing the distance to the brunette. Her hand rested on Shizuru's shoulder. After a while it dropped down, the palm brushing Shizuru's arm, then for a slight moment covering her hand in a tender squeeze. Green eyes gazed deeply in crimson ones.
Then the girl grumbled, "You're late," and swiftly grabbed a document case from Shizuru's hands and moved towards the exit without looking back.
The Kaichou, startled by behavior of the younger woman just stood there, eyes wide, a little smile of amusement dancing on her lips.
When she realized that Shizuru was not following her, Natsuki stopped in her track and turned around. "Are you coming or not?" She barked through the room with the scowl on her face.
The Kaichou smiled apologetically to the staring man. "Ara. I am afraid I am in a hurry. Excuse me, Akito-san. Have a good day." And she left, leaving him totally bewildered.
When the strange pair disappeared from his view, Akito blinked, breaking from the trance. He gasped suddenly - he remembered finally where he saw this dark haired woman before. For a few occasions she had come to pick Shizuru-san up after work. She was always waiting in her car, so he didn't pay attention. But now it was difficult to ignore her.
He never saw anybody touching Shizuru-san so freely, in so intimate way. He never saw Shizuru-san to be so obedient to anybody. The realization slowly sank into his mind. Could it be that after all the rumors were true? Could it be that no man but this woman was a person who stole Fujino's heart?
"No way," He muttered under his breath, feeling sudden rush of blood. The idea was overwhelming. But on the other hand the thought of Fujino being into women was somewhat relieving. It was good to know that his advances didn't work because of her, not him.
Shizuru silently followed a fuming Natsuki. She decided to leave for later a pondering over the fact that Natsuki with her show literally made a coming out in front of her subordinate. Akito was a smart man and Shizuru was sure that he got the message. So her little secret was revealed. Well, not that people didn't suspect anything earlier and it would happen anyway sooner or later, especially now when they decided to have a baby. She was a little nervous about how her people would take the news, but she couldn't do much about it at the moment. She decided that she could be amused for now. So when they left the building Shizuru let the wide grin appear on her face.
Natsuki noticed this unusual eruption of amusement. "What?!" She snapped.
"It was not necessary to be so uncivil in front of my assistant." The chestnut-haired beauty mocked a pout.
"I don't like this guy." Natsuki huffed with irritation.
"You just met him. How can you know already that you don't like him?" Shizuru asked innocently.
"You are kidding me." The biker blinked, the disbelief clear on her face." I know exactly who he is. This is the guy who called you yesterday night right when w-we...." She trailed off, her face suddenly bright red. "Anyway, he dares to call you no matter time using the lamest excuses and impudently disturbing our private life... a-and he's flirting with you over the phone. And now he tried to flirt with me! What a pimp this guy is!"
The taller woman giggled. "You can't blame the man for trying. Honestly, if I were him, I would also give it a try. It's hard to resist the beauty Natsuki represents." Shizuru shamelessly praised her lover enjoying the view of a growing frown and slight flush on other woman's cheeks. "But I didn't know that Natsuki was so jealous." She added playfully.
"I am not jealous." The younger woman busted." This is enough that I have to bear him as your assistant. I don't have to be social with him. And you," she pointed her finger defiantly at Shizuru. "You should be more responsible now. You have family duties. This is not time for playing around with your co-workers."
"You know that you are my only love, Natsuki-kun." Shizuru took Natsuki by her arm and pecked her cheek playfully. "So let's go to execute these family duties." She murmured suggestively in Natsuki's ear.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Shizuru, what is the meaning of this?" Natsuki's eyes went wide. The older woman was just unpacking shopping bags and putting everything on the kitchen table.
The table weighted down with piles of pregnancy tests, vitamins and nutrients for pregnant women, maternity clothes, confections with folic acid, books and guides for future mothers, anti-lacunas unguents, creams and sprays, special body-balms, shampoos and other cosmetics for pregnant women and a whole bunch of other suspiciously looking stuff.
"Dear Natsuki, the future mother has to take care of herself." Shizuru said with innocent smile.
Natsuki felt that she was losing control of the situation. For the umpteenth time she debated if she should reconsider her joyous attitude to their maternal experience. For her the decision to make their family larger was the final piece of proof that their lives had returned completely normal after the Carnival. The world was free from dangerous factions hunting for HiME power; their financial status was steady; their careers were settled; their relationship was stable, reliable and permanent. She felt safe.
But as a side effect with Shizuru turning suddenly into overprotective yet silly, excessive concerned but immature bundle of joy shining with glee, Natsuki wasn't sure anymore if she made the right decision. Maybe they weren't prepared to take the next step in their lives after all.
"But we even don't know if I'm pregnant! The procedure was taken like five hours ago!" The shorter woman grumbled obviously irritated.
"That's why I've bought a few different kinds of pregnancy tests, to be sure of the result." Shizuru pointed out matter-of-factly, her voice serene.
"Oh." Natsuki sighed in resignation. Shizuru was so excited that there was no way to bring her to a reasonable level of common sense. Besides Natsuki had no heart to do so. She didn't want to ruin Shizuru's good mood especially that lately Shizuru had been sulking a little for loosing to Natsuki in their maternal contest.
After some fights, discussions and dirty tricks they finally had reached an agreement and decided that the judgment of objective factors about who should bear their child would be the most fair. So they had made check-ups to see who the healthier one was. One would expect that Shizuru with her healthy diet and gallons of green tea absorbed would be the certain winner. Natsuki with her rough style of life and love for greasy and constant food seemed to be on a lost position. That's why the results were a little shocking. While Shizuru's organism revealed obvious symptoms of overworking, Natsuki was in the great condition, a model of health and wellbeing. So it was decided.
"Ara, Natsuki, and how do you feel? Don't you feel dizzy or sick? Are you not in any pain? Maybe you should rest?" Shizuru asked with concern in her voice, taking Natsuki's hand in her own.
Natsuki fought off the desire to pull away her hand from the grasp. Although the behavior of the brunette was somehow understandable, there were moments when it irritated the biker. Even if Natsuki imagined this situation many times before and she thought that she was prepared for every scenario, she somehow forgot that Shizuru could go so crazy about something and now it scared her a little. The reality was far from her expectations. She hoped for calm, lazy times, but she got chaos with her partner on the constant alert. Oh well, she secretly enjoyed the prospect of Shizuru pampering her. When they were younger Shizuru had this habit. These times Natsuki had fought with it desperately. When years went by Shizuru had been flooded with her work and she had been forced to limit her caring nature. At first Natsuki had felt some relief and had been happy with more independence she had gained but soon she had started to miss Shizuru's attention. The older woman again so openly demonstrating her love and care felt nice and although the lone wolf would never admit it aloud, she liked it. So instead of grumbling and fuming she returned the squeeze getting this way the attention of her beloved.
"Shizuru," she sighed, "you know very well that we have to wait a few days to know anything. And I'll do my examination in the lab. And don't treat me like a sick person. I am the same as yesterday. Understood?"
"Of course," There was a glimpse of seriousness in Shizuru's eyes. But it soon disappeared replaced by calm sparks. "So, are you hungry? You have to eat well now. I'll make you something special. I heard that pregnant women are picky with food and have extraordinary whims."
Natsuki growled audibly. "Stop it already. The one here who is in need of rest and should eat nutritious food is you. And I am not pregnant yet."
"You should try to eat a lovage then. It is said that it helps to get pregnant." Shizuru smiled cheerfully.
"Argh!" The biker almost stamped her foot with anger.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"No way, my lady." With a swift move Shizuru grabbed a mayo bottle from Natsuki's hand. "You have to eat healthy now and this means saying goodbye to the mayonnaise." They were sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying their breakfast.
Natsuki's face fell, her expression so sad that the chestnut-haired woman felt sudden stings of remorse. In a limited quantity mayonnaise wasn't so bad after all, right?
"All right, you can have it, but only a little. This is for your own good." Shizuru gave in, putting the bottle back on the table.
Natsuki's face immediately lit up. She nodded absent-mindedly and greedily grabbed the bottle. Her hand armed with mayo hovered over her sandwich in attempt of pouring it with the greasy substance. But after a moment of inner struggle only a small drop – too small for Natsuki's liking – crowned the food.
Shizuru, who was observing this scene with a great interest, nodded to herself with satisfaction. Finally the younger woman started to cooperate. For last few weeks they had a regular food-war, with Shizuru using all her skills to make Natsuki eat meals she considered as the most suitable for the pregnant person and Natsuki stubbornly resisting to all Shizuru's happy cooking. But lately the biker felt that her will to fight back was everyday weaker while enthusiasm of her partner was getting stronger.
So Natsuki looked apathetically at the sandwich prepared with so much care and commitment by her personal cook. This little masterpiece of culinary art was –according to the brunette – properly balanced, with the right number of calories, proper proportions of proteins, fat and carbohydrates, with the right amount of vitamins and minerals.
The biker wasn't hungry. She didn't want to make Shizuru sad, so she decided to force herself to eat this super-healthy perfection with so scandalously small amount of mayo.
After the first bite, Natsuki thought that this sandwich tasted even better than it looked.
After the second mouthful, she felt her stomach suddenly jumping to her throat. With hands covering her mouth she sprinted to the bathroom.
"Ara," Shizuru stopped to brew a special brand of tea for pregnant women and listened intently to noises coming from behind the bathroom door. "Could it be a morning sickness?"
Hearing the torrent of pretty interesting sounds she nodded with certainty. "That would be it."
"Natsuki, do you need any help?" Shizuru's melodic voice drowned out the noise.
After a while the tall woman heard a muffled reply. "No. I'm ok."
Shizuru smiled warmly and headed to the cupboard with tea supplies. "So now this is the right time to try anti-nausea herbs." She murmured to herself, tapping her chin with the finger thoughtfully. "I wonder if they work."