Do not own Mai-HiME characters. Hope ya'll like the chappie :)

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Chapter 6: Typical Day with You

Thanks to Shizuru, Natsuki was left tossing and turning restlessly in her bed, trying to close her mind of everything completely. It wasn't just the way Shizuru chose to exit the night before; it also had to do with everything that had happened throughout her first day; what she should do, how she should act, what she should say, to make Shizuru feel as comforted and happy as possible.

This was unusual for Natsuki -- making Shizuru feel happy. When she was younger and had spent her first couple weeks with Shizuru, making her happy was a very dangerous thing and thus it was never intended. Natsuki had no idea what it was about her behavior that made Shizuru smile so much. In fact, she felt that the smile itself meant danger; the wider it was, the more dangerous it would be. She gradually noticed that the smile Shizuru would give her was somehow different than the smiles she would give to the other students (i. e. her fanclub). The problem was, she never figured out how – that is, until she found out that Shizuru had developed romantic feelings towards her.

She often tried not to think about it; not because she didn't want to -- as it made her curious the more that time passed – but just in respect for Shizuru.

It's often best not to think of such dangerous things like love. She still didn't completely understand it and still felt that she didn't need to; after seeing what Shizuru had done and was willing to do, it scared her. Though that didn't make her any less willing to save her at the time since watching her own close friend succumb to such violent flames of insanity scared her more; she didn't want to lose her in those flames.

During the festival, Natsuki didn't feel compelled to fall for or kill her friend, but to ease, heal and promise that even though many things may happen between them in their lives, Natsuki would never hate her and that Shizuru would always remain as the only person that she became closest to.

That was why Natsuki was angry at her: for Shizuru to believe, even for a second, that Natsuki would not be there to help her if times like this got hard.

As the morning light crept into her window and into her eyes – making her still-closed eye flinch and her throat groan in aggravation at the nearly sleepless night – she decided to use the take advantage of the early morning time by taking a hot shower. Hopefully, it would mollify her muscles enough so that she could actually fall asleep again. She figured she might need the shower for the day ahead anyway.

Indolently rolling herself off of the bed (while nearly falling onto the floor at the same time but awake enough to catch herself before landing), she reached out for the single towel she had packed and gathered all her typical hygiene necessities in her arms. Strolling out half awake into the hallway, she followed the directions that Shizuru had given her.

When she stepped inside, everything she held to her chest nearly fell to the ground. Her face didn't portray surprise though as the only thing she did was mutter an inaudible "Figures". This bathroom was perhaps half the size of her own bedroom, maybe more. It had both a bath and a separate shower. The tub itself was, amazingly, built into the tan-colored tile floor and seemed big enough to easily seat two or three. The shower head was build into the wall opposite the tub and two sinks were in front of that to Natsuki's left.

Natsuki threw her towel onto the countertop that held the basins and took everything else with her to the tub. Her preference was the shower, but she was far to tired to stay standing so she ran the water into the tub. As she waited for it to fill, she stripped and tossed all her clothes next to her towel. When the tub was finally full with steaming water, she gently eased herself in, wincing at the contact but easily settling in with the water just above her shoulders.

She sighed contently as the pleasing numbness engulfed her muscles. She washed her hair quickly, and then she reached blindly for the soap and "borrowed" one of the face cloths that hung on a metal bar near her. Still without opening her eyes, she lathered her body in suds, occasionally having to shift into a kneeling position so that she could wash what she could above the water's surface. After all that had to be done was completed, she let herself settle back in for a few minutes, letting her head fall back onto the rounded edge.

Her eyes closed. Her mind drifted…

Hands. She felt hands on her, deliberately slow and gentle as they glided along her body. She felt soft lips tracing her face; breaths caressed her cheeks. Her mind felt entranced and her body fragile. The way the lips and hands touched her skin with such a chaste gracefulness made her feel innocent and vulnerable yet beautiful. The hands weren't strong but were most certainly delicate. Had she any strength left, as her limbs felt weak and heavy like weights, she would have wrapped her arms around the source of this pleasure and pulled it into the warm watery depths with her.

The hands moved down from her shoulders, across her breastbone and finally to her breasts. One cupped one mound while the other only caressed the edge of the other, only to slowly explore down a side of her ribcage to her stomach. The other hand gave a gentle squeeze on her breast while the soft skin of a palm teased the nub at the center. She groaned deep within her throat but its volume was light. Her head fell back and her back arched up in hopes that the hand would capture her again. When it did, her moan was as soft as a cats' purr. She didn't know what it was about these hands and lips that made her surrender so easily; it almost scared her.

She felt the lips drop down to the column of her neck, a warm tongue teasing the skin there and the lips nipping at her pulsing nerves. Her body quivered at all these touches: the lips at her neck; the hand one massaging her breast with such care; the other hand stroking her stomach with tenderness as her breathing continued to rise into pants.

She whimpered as the hand at her stomach drifted lower to the apex of her parted legs. Slender fingers caressed her folds so slowly it was agonizing. A gasp burst from her lungs as her body jerked on its own accord. Her heart beat wildly with passion then with fear when the one of the fingers that caressed her length came to the doorway of herself, all her secrets.

'No... wait…' She heaved breathlessly though her voice sounded faint. The tip of the finger circled the edge of her slowly, making her nearly whimper again. 'Please… don't…' She pleaded again but she still sounded inaudible to her own ears. She was scared. She no longer panted out of pleasure but out of pure fear as the slender tip was made ready to slip inside…

"STOP!" Natsuki flew into an upright position, water spilling out of the tub onto the tile floor while her hand dove into the water between her legs to snatch the now nonexistent arm of the hand that was about to enter her. Her eyes then flew open as she brought herself back into reality. Frantically looking around her, she still found herself a little out of breath. She was alone. Her face flushed red, feeling more shame than embarrassment at her own actions as the dream had progressed. 'What in the world was that?' She wondered as she somewhat shakily settled back into the tub and ran a wet hand over her face.

The cobalt-haired girl jumped as she heard a knock at the door. "Natsuki?"

Natsuki froze; it was Shizuru's voice. "Ye-yeah?" She stammered as she lifted herself from the tub, reaching for her towel. She just managed to wrap it around her when the door opened. Shizuru stepped in, wearing only a white bathrobe which Natsuki wished she had tied more tightly as the cleavage of her chest could be seen. 'Wait… why the hell am I looking down there anyway?' The younger girl felt like kicking herself as she turned her head completely away from Shizuru, arms tightly folded and brows knitted together in agitation and self-hate. What impeccable timing Shizuru had.

"Are you alright?" The other girl asked, concern flooding her eyes.

"Yes. Why?" Natsuki tried to answer nonchalantly, though she couldn't help fidgeting in her stance and her tone was hard.

"I heard a scream when I came to the door." The other girl explained as she stepped further inside and closed the door behind her.

Natsuki's face pinked again as she searched for a more suitable excuse than 'I was trying to stop a nonexistent hand from raping me'. "I-I just, um, slipped on soapy water, that's all."

Shizuru's back was to the younger girl as she turned on the shower head, heated spray precipitating to the floor. "Oh, I see. I'm glad to see that Natsuki isn't hurt then."

Natsuki noticed Shizuru's arm movements at her waist and her eyes widened when she watched the sash fall to the ground. She gulped just before the robe slipped from creamy white shoulders. It seemed like everything turned into slow motion as the robe fell and a smooth back was exposed followed by long, slender legs. Natsuki wondered why her heart was beating so fast all of the sudden; it wasn't as though this was the first time she had seen the older girl naked. Perhaps it was just because both of their bodies have matured over the last couple of years.

"Natsuki?" Came the light and innocent voice with a hidden suggestiveness that Natsuki didn't miss.

Natsuki's eyes widened again. "You're not going to ask me to join you, are you?" She asked with a somewhat raspy voice due to the dryness of her mouth.

Shizuru burst into giggles while wide grin crossed her face as she put her hair up into a bun, exposing the curve of her neck. "No, I'm not. I was only going to tell you that perhaps, after breakfast, I can show you a bit of Kyoto." She stated between fits of giggles.

"Oh." Now Natsuki blushed pure crimson, now mentally throwing herself against the wall. "Sure."

"Of course," The older girl continued as she turned to Natsuki, who quickly turned away again. "If you want to join me, I wouldn't be bothered by it in the slightest. I could always use a few extra hands to help wash my back." The playful grin could be heard in her tone just as easily as envisioning the devil-horns growing from her head.

Natsuki now only had three ideas of what to do next: kill Shizuru, kill herself, or just simply face-fault. 'A few extra hands.' She thought to herself, her face turning bright pink again. 'What a thing to say after the dream I just had. And I can't believe seeing Shizuru naked is what I get after having a dream like that. Why is this happening to me?' She felt like banging her head against the wall a few times just to clear it.

"I just washed and I have to get ready, so no." Natsuki stated bluntly, almost harshly. But, of course, that didn't bother Shizuru at all.

Still smiling, Shizuru turned to walk into the now steaming shower. During which time, Natsuki made sure to keep her eyes off her at all times. "If you wish." Shizuru stated simply yet teasingly. "I'll meet you at the breakfast table." By the time she had finished her statement the bathroom door had slammed.

8

'How I manage to stay with her yet endure these stupid dreams I'll never know.' Natsuki thought to herself as she roughly pulled out clothes for the day and tossed them onto her bed. Still a little angered at Shizuru, she continued to grumble to herself as she brushed her slick hair.

'Why are these dreams even coming to me in the first place? And it isn't like those hands were Shizuru's in the last dream. Maybe it was just the warm water that made me… that way.' She blushed again, feeling the shame rise again. 'I just have to stop thinking about them. They have nothing to do with the real world anyway. They're just stupid pictures in my head trying to throw me off.' She told herself, now drying her hair vigorously with the towel.

Once she was dry and fully dressed in comfortable clothes – men's sweatpants and feminine t-shirt – she made her way to the dinner table to find that two places were already set. Unless Shizuru and she were inclined to eat elsewhere, it looked as though Shizuru's guardians don't eat breakfast. 'I guess that's business people for you.' She thought as she seated herself.

She leaned her elbows into the long, polished, cherry wood table. She wondered why such a small family would need to dine at a table this size; it was almost big enough for a banquet hall. The morning light laid itself across the room from the large window opposite the door to look out to yet another scenic view of the Kyoto mountains. Already bored waiting for Shizuru's return or food to be presented (like it had been the day before), Natsuki stood up to walk around the room a bit. Leaning her shoulder against the windowpane, green eyes stared down onto the spot where Shizuru had told her the 'big news'. Her mind was thoughtless on it; she was both anxious and curious of the days to come yet her mind didn't want to dwell on it. Perhaps it was better that way, for herself.

"Miss Kuga?" Came an inquiring voice from the door.

Natsuki turned to look at the housemaid. "Hm?"

The short-haired woman stayed in the doorframe. "Ojou-sama has asked me to inform you that you may start breakfast without her since she is aware of her lateness." She stated stoically. "Would you like me to fetch you your breakfast meal from the kitchen?"

Natsuki just looked at her: she was ready to say yes as her hunger was slowly growing as the seconds passed, but something stopped her. In a sheepish gesture, her eyes turned back to the window. "Um, I'd—if it isn't too much trouble, that is—I'd rather wait for her." She tried to state with simple bluntness -- something she had always been good at, especially in her teenage years – but for some strange reason, couldn't. Maybe she was still nervous on making a good impression, she figured.

The housemaid looked at her, strangely intrigued as though she never knew friends could do that -- be willing to do such things like wait for each other. Her face returned to its bland expression as she bowed lightly. "I'll make sure to tell her."

Natsuki quickly covered her rumbling stomach with her arm. Blushing, she added, "And tell her to hurry up!" She didn't turn around to see the woman's face as her own was still pink; she was sure her points for making a good impression fell a bit on that one. Though at the same time, she knew that, if anything, that might work a smile onto her friend's face whenever she'd receive the message. She heard a dull "of course" before the maid left. Yep, she might've lost a few points, but she mentally shrugged it off.

Fifteen minutes later, a familiar voice finally came from the front of the room. "Was I fast enough for Natsuki?"

Not having turned around yet, Natsuki could see the grin in her mind again. Feeling more hunger than before and nearly regretting saying no to the housemaid, the younger girl quickly turned around with an "Almost." When her eyes finally landed on Shizuru, she found that they were reluctant to leave: the woman's tawny-hair was pulled up at the sides, something that wasn't often seen but should be; her white-and-cherry blossom skirt loosely hugged her thighs while her white blouse hugged her torso perfectly.

In her white dress-sandals, Shizuru strode towards one of the chairs and seated herself with what could only be described as unsurpassable grace. "Forgive me for keeping you waiting, then." Another housemaid followed behind to serve the plates.

Natsuki had to make herself move to take her own seat. She suddenly felt even more self-conscious than before since she was more aware of the difference in their choice of attires. 'God, I feel so out-of-place now.' Natsuki thought as she nervously glanced towards the maid who was still busying herself anyway. She inwardly shook herself from the thought; why the hell should she care about what other people thought of her in comparison to Shizuru? To her, Shizuru was unbeatable in the looks-and-class department anyway! Though she would never admit that out loud and especially not in front of Shizuru; the opportunity to be teased would be much too wide.

"By the way, I take it you didn't bring a bathing suit?" Shizuru asked simply, knowing that it would be just like Natsuki to not pack things she assumed she wouldn't need.

Natsuki looked back at her contemplatively. "No, I didn't." She was starting to get suspicious.

Shizuru gave a seemly shrug. "That's okay, we can buy one."

Natsuki's expression hadn't changed. "Why do we need one?" She now began to dread the thought of having Shizuru go in and find perhaps the sexiest two-piece bathing suit.

Shizuru then gave a light, playful smile. "You'll see."

Normally, Natsuki would ask and pry until Shizuru finally told her whatever it was that she was planning. But of course, that hardly ever worked, so she had given up trying long ago. Still, she stared at Shizuru for a while until she couldn't withstand her hunger anymore.

8

It was already ten o'clock in the morning when Shizuru and Natsuki finally left. The younger girl briefly wondered where the time had gone as they slipped onto the leather seats of Shizuru's Mercedes.

'Figures.' Natsuki thought as her eyes roamed over the slick interior. She didn't have a license to drive a car, only motorcycles, and so she let herself lean back against the seat while Shizuru sped off. "So, what are you planning to do with me?" Her tone was purposely bored and emotionless, acting as though she were an automaton and waiting for Shizuru to direct her as if she didn't have a choice.

Shizuru easily noticed this and smirked, keeping her eyes on the road. "How does a strip club sound to you?" She burst into her fit of laughter again when she saw the jaw-dropped, cherry-colored shocked face Natsuki wore. "It was a joke!" She continued to laugh even after Natsuki's hand slapped her shoulder.

"Damn you." Natsuki murmured, rubbing her forehead with her hand, trying to ease the growing headache.

Shizuru only grinned as she went to answer truthfully. "Well, I only want to show you my house and some of my favorite spots of Kyoto. If there's anything else Natsuki would like to do, I'm always willing to follow."

Natsuki was silent as she thought for a minute. "Well, I do have a few more days with you, so we can spread it around. Showing me your house and some spots should be plenty." She explained. "We could also have a picnic or something. Do you know a place that we could get food to take to one of those favorite spots of yours?" She inquired

"I know one, yes." Shizuru responded, the wide smile going unnoticed to Natsuki's as she was looking away. "I also know another fine place that we can have dinner as well."

Natsuki nodded. "Okay, so since you're choosing the dinner, I'll choose the lunch?"

"Certainly."

Natsuki now grinned. "Good."

When she glanced at her, Shizuru noticed the look on Natsuki's face and soon gave her a suspicious yet knowing eye. "It's going to be fast food, isn't it?"

"Yep." Natsuki grinned even wider when she saw Shizuru grimace slightly. This was always her sweet torture towards the other girl for all the times she made her pink in the face.

"Fine." Although faintly disgusted by the thought, Shizuru still couldn't help but grin as well. To her, Natsuki's smile was always contagious. "Anything else you might want to do?"

"Let's just see what happens." Natsuki responded simply as they finally passed the acres of trees and her green gaze landed on the typical Kyoto structures that came into sight from the road.

Shizuru couldn't help but smile at that as well; it was a typical Natsuki response. Not a care in the world of what was to come. She liked that about her; no schedule was necessary, unlike the business world that Shizuru lived in.

Slightly uncomfortable even by the silence, Natsuki asked, "So, are we going to your house first, or…"

"I want to save that for last." Shizuru responded simply, following the curves of the road that had millions of tall, thin trees on either side.

"Want to save the best for last huh?" Natsuki smirked, although she knew that Shizuru wasn't the type to show off her wealth. That was perhaps one of the things that she liked best about her.

"Yes, but in a different way than you might be thinking." Shizuru turned to find the younger girl looking at were with curiosity and perplexity. "You'll see."

For a moment Natsuki's expression didn't change, then as she turned away, she raised her eyebrows briefly as if to say "Okay…?" Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in irritation, 'I'm getting a little tired of all these You'll See's.'

88

Shizuru took her to as many things as she could through the city. They passed by tall teahouses and long strips of markets and shops. One of her favorite places was a large Zen garden within the city area that could be walked through. Of course, when a small group of people walked by them on the pathway through the garden, Shizuru smirked and hooked her arm through Natsuki's. She giggled when Natsuki jumped and tried in futile to shuffle away from her.

Another of her favorite spots was at the top of a large staircase to a shrine. They didn't go inside, since neither were dressed properly, but instead they stood by the tall shrine gate and looked out onto the tops of the buildings close to them as others who came up to visit the shrine simply passed by them. "A romantic spot, isn't it?" Shizuru had commented. Natsuki noticed that the older girl had moved a little closer to her. She coughed, skeptically adding, "Yeah, if you don't mind being surrounded by a bunch of chanting old guys who try to rid you of your evil sins." Shizuru only smirked.

They came to a beachwear store and (Shizuru) managed to find a suit for Natsuki to wear. When she held it up, Natsuki only blinked and looked back up at her friend with a quirked eye. "You've gotta be kidding." She'd said, eyeing the two-piece bathing suit that looked more like a thin string with a couple of 3 by 5 cards attached. "It's the only one that has your size, Natsuki." Shizuru had explained, although Natsuki wasn't totally convinced that the other girl was telling the truth. "And besides, I know it'd look beautiful on you. Look," Shizuru had then held it up to Natsuki's body. "And the colors even match your eyes and hair." She added brightly with a smile as she envisioned the younger girl wearing it. "Or shall I pick out a thong for you?" She then inquired innocently. Natsuki then took the suit up to the counter for her. "Don't think too hard on that one, Shizuru." The younger girl had mentioned when she had seen the other girl's grin.

88

Natsuki looked out the window, her eyebrow quirking as they passed more and more tall trees. "Are you taking us out to the middle of nowhere?" She asked incredulously, turning to Shizuru.

Shizuru only smirked at Natsuki's comment. "Something like that." When Natsuki stared at her, she continued. "It's just a little spot that I know. We're almost there."

Fifteen minutes later, Shizuru finally pulled into a hidden dirt road. They were now one with the bamboo trees as that was all they could see. Slopes of small hills followed, and then small streams, then finally levels of waterfalls came into view.

The water deposited into a pool below it then split into several smaller streams. Moss and vines climbed up the smooth, shaped stone wall beneath it while small plants grew along the sides up the jagged rock. Natsuki guessed the wall was perhaps a foot taller than herself. When she looked above it, she noticed that this was but one of several and was part of one long stream of waterfalls behind it as the elevation of the land sloped upwards. A thin layer of mist rose from where the water crashed.

Shizuru pulled the car over to the wall of trees and stepped out. Natsuki followed wordlessly, grabbing their lunch in the back seat. Shizuru stepped close to the edge of the pool; though the water was pretty clear, it was difficult to sea how deep it was. She kicked off her sandal and put her toe in. She sighed. "The water's warm today."

"How long have you known about this place?" Natsuki asked as she settled herself against a nearby tree, setting her fast food bag and Shizuru's bento box next to her.

"Not long; sometime after I graduated and returned here. I was just always curious as to where that road led." She turned and saw Natsuki reaching into the bag for her chicken burger. "I hope you're not planning to eat now. After all, you might get a cramp." She warned.

Natsuki's eyes furrowed in confusion and when she looked up to ask Shizuru what she was talking about, she froze in shock. Shizuru was undressing right in front of the water. She first assumed that what Shizuru wore underneath here her panties and bra since they were both white, but then realized that it was a two-piece bathing suit.

Natsuki watched as the older girl slowly waded in then turned to the cobalt-haired girl, the water going up to her thighs. "Are you coming?" Shizuru asked pleasantly.

Jade eyes blinked, not knowing what to do. Now at least she knew why Shizuru made her buy a bathing suit. "I don't have the bathing suit on. Why didn't you tell me to leave it on in the dressing room?"

Shizuru blinked. "I assumed you kept it on."

There was a silence between them until Natsuki finally spoke, her eyes unwavering upon Shizuru's. "What do you want me to do?" She asked, now a little afraid.

Shizuru couldn't help but giggle. "No one's here; put it on." She went further into the water, the ripples now licking at her midriff.

'Put it on?' Natsuki thought incredulously, her eyes and mouth going wide open. "That's easy for you to say! You're already dressed! You don't have to worry about…" She looked around herself suspiciously. "Campers, hiker, hunters and…" She gulped at the last, "birdwatchers." She could just see the dorky birdwatchers with their binoculars, grazing over the area until their specs land on Natsuki's naked body.

Shizuru laughed, "Natsuki, I've been here many times and nobody's ever been here. I know it's strange since this place seems part of a public park, but it's true. So don't worry." She continued and Natsuki's uneasy silence. "And besides, if you or I see anyone looking at you, I'll beat them myself." Shizuru stated confidently, although she had a smile of pleasure on her face at the mere thought of it.

Natsuki looked at her, not at all doubting Shizuru's words – when the woman's pissed off by any reason, Natsuki's 'Steps' were thus: lock the doors, shut the windows, sprint and don't look back. Although this was yet another thing she'd never say out loud, only because she feared that Shizuru would take it the wrong way; to think that Natsuki meant how Shizuru was when… well, just during the HiME Festival. She hated to think of it. She knew Shizuru did too.

Mistaking Natsuki's silence for further uncertainty, Shizuru continued with a chuckle. "It's not like I haven't seen Natsuki naked before. And besides, I know you love to swim." She added with a smile, remembering the swimming matches Natsuki would take part in. If there was any class she knew Natsuki liked, it would've been Physical Education.

Natsuki remained still for a moment as she looked at Shizuru's honest face. 'Honest.' Natsuki thought to herself, knowing the irony that you could never tell whether Shizuru's expression was 'honest' when they were in school. The smile always hid her true feelings. When Natsuki first knew her, it kind of creeped her out, but then she slowly got used to the sight of it until she realized that, in some subtle way, the smile she would give Natsuki was different from what she gave the others. Knowing that, she gave in, trusting Shizuru.

As she turned to retrieve her two-piece, Shizuru called, "I brought towels and a quilt for us to lie on; they're in the trunk. The keys are in my shirt pocket." With that, Natsuki watched as the tawny-haired girl finally dived below the water's surface. She got the keys (feeling a little odd as she rummaged through another girl's shirt) then went to collect all that was needed.

As Natsuki undressed, her eyes kept peering over to the water, looking to see if an crimson orbs were stealing glances towards her. Shizuru would come to the surface again but then dive back down. The eyes never laid upon her – she was surprised yet, somehow, bothered that they didn't.

"Oh, Natsuki?" Shizuru suddenly called as she broke from the water again and turned to the blue-haired girl, who had her bottom on but did not yet have her top half on.

Natsuki's arms reflexively went to her breasts which were covered only by a navy bra. "Y-yeah?"

"I forgot to tell you – I had the tools you asked for sent to your bedroom this morning while we were eating. You should have everything now." Shizuru stated, continuing to look at Natsuki's uncomfortable position.

"Oh, thanks." She muttered, wishing Shizuru had told her this either before or after she had changed, not during. She quickly put her top on while Shizuru swam over towards the falls. After making sure everything was adjusted, she walked towards the edge, felt the temperature, and jumped into neck-deep waters. She sighed as the cool water washed her skin.

When the jade eyes opened, the first thing she laid those eyes on was Shizuru's body underneath the cascading water. Shizuru's head was tilted a little forward, slick hair falling forward with runnels of water running from the locks. Natsuki swore she heard her moan as she let the water crash onto her backside with enough force to massage her back. Natsuki pinked slightly, she didn't know why. Shizuru then tilted her head back, letting the water fall onto her forehead, pushing her slick hair out of her eyes and face. She watched as more rivers of water went from her head to her cheek, to her neck, then down her torso, the sun taking the chance to highlight her ivory skin.

'So that's what she looks like when she's in the shower…' Natsuki blushed to a cherry-color when she realized what she was thinking. Shizuru's eyes suddenly opened, staring right into her own with a seductive glint. Natsuki dove under again to hide her burning face, not even the cool water helped alleviate it. 'Why is this always happening to me?'

When the need for air forced her up again, she found that Shizuru was gone. Her heart pounded as she looked around herself, finding no one. She jumped as she felt something grab her ankles and pull her under. Before she had any time to react, she found herself being pulled into an embrace from behind. She felt bubbles blowing against her shoulder.

Wiggling out of the embrace, she went back to the surface, Shizuru following after her. "What was that for?" Natsuki asked when Shizuru came up.

Shizuru smiled and shrugged. "I just wanted to have some fun with Natsuki."

Natsuki just looked at her for a moment before her eyes became competitive. "Oh really? Well, how's this?" She took Shizuru by the shoulders and pushed her under. The older girl reacted by splashing her. Natsuki couldn't help but laugh as she splashed back. Soon, their relaxing swim became an all-out splash war. Both girls laughed and let out small shrieks as they attacked each other almost endlessly, both relentless in winning.

Shizuru shrieked in surprise as Natsuki suddenly jumped onto her, taking them both underwater. Natsuki the pushed her away as she swam in retreat. Shizuru quickly followed her, grabbing for whatever limb she could. This continued like a game of tag as they both periodically reached the surface just for a breath of air. Natsuki had to admit, she was having fun. They could hear each other laugh underwater.

When both were finally exhausted from all the swimming, they went to lean against the stone wall, letting the water collide with their bodies.

Shizuru took a few seconds to catch her breath before she spoke. "Have you spoken with Mai and the others since your graduation?" She asked, turning to her.

"Yeah, we work together on jobs and homework occasionally." Natsuki replied breathlessly.

Shizuru smirked. "Do they all still think I'm psychotic?"

The younger girl paused and turned to her. She wished the other girl would stop saying things like that. She couldn't help but smirk herself however as she responded, "Just Nao, but she's getting over it. She hardly ever thinks about it anymore, really." Natsuki turned her eyes to the trees that stood behind their belongings. "She and I have actually become best friends over the years." She stated simply as she turned to Shizuru. Noticing the look of surprise in her wine-red eyes, Natsuki quickly corrected herself. "Err-besides you, that is."

Shizuru smiled. "I'm glad. I was almost afraid that I had been replaced."

"No one could replace you, Shizuru." The words spilled out before Natsuki could rearrange them. She blushed slightly as she looked away.

Shizuru's smile became fond like the look in her eyes. "Thank you. I'm so happy." She spoke in a light tone. She moved to embrace Natsuki from behind again, her hands resting lightly on Natsuki's stomach while she rested her chin against Natsuki's shoulder.

Natsuki now blushed for a totally different reason. Hands… She remembered the hands moving down her body. She quickly pulled away. "I'm starving, let's eat." She swam to the other side of the pool of water and grabbed a while towel, wrapping it around herself. She shivered and she didn't think it was because of the air that now seemed cold.

Shizuru stared as she had retreated, but said nothing. She didn't know what it was that made Natsuki so skittish all of the sudden, but she figured it'd just be best to change the subject to a lighter one. "So…" She droned as she crossed and grabbed a towel. "Any more panty-stealing demons cross your path?" She couldn't help but grin as Natsuki rolled her eyes.

"Will you just let that go!" Natsuki groaned as she laid out the quilt for them to lay on.

"Nope. Never. You know me." The older girl continued to grin. Although she now felt guilty about thinking this, when she heard about the incident with Mr. Takeda, she was disappointed that she wasn't there to witness it herself. When Natsuki was silent, she continued, "Do you remember the day that we went to go lingerie-shopping?"

"You dare ask that question?" Natsuki looked up at her as she opened her fast-food bag, glaring slightly. "That's one of the memories that refuse to leave."

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Grunting a little as she tried on a pair of tight jeans, Natsuki sighed in agitation as she heard a small movement coming from the bench behind her. "Shizuru," Natsuki started, not turning around in her somewhat small dressing cubicle. "Tell me again, why are you in here?"

The bench creaked again. "Just in case you need any help while trying some of these clothes on, Natsuki."

The cobalt-haired girl turned to give her a skeptically-raised eyebrow. Shizuru was sitting there, cross-legged, hands held in front of her on a pile of neatly folded clothes in her lap that were ready to be tried on, and seeming totally unfazed by the fact that the younger girl's lithe body was half-naked before her.

"Shizuru, I think I can handle this without you." Natsuki responded skeptically, slightly annoyed.

"Oh, I don't mind." Shizuru gave her a pleasant smile that was really all-too-pleasant for Natsuki's liking. "I don't want to miss a moment."

'I bet you don't.' Natsuki thought, even more annoyed as it was just like Shizuru to say something like that while watching the girl undress. She ignored it and tied the belt around her waist. "Would you please just hand me another shirt to try on?"

"Certainly," Shizuru watched as Natsuki took off the shirt she came in with. Her eyes widened as the younger girl turned to grab the other shirt from Shizuru's hand. "Oh my, They're getting bigger."

Natsuki's eyes widened and her eyes even dilated some. She turned back to Shizuru as her arms nearly flung to her chest which would've been totally exposed if it wasn't for the bra. "What?"

"Your abdominal muscles, I mean." Shizuru looked up at her with innocent but curious eyes.

Natsuki sighed. "Oh… yeah… my abs… right." She nearly heaved with relief.

The council president now looked at her with very curious eyes. "What did you think I meant?"

"N-nothing." As Natsuki quickly turned away to hide her embarrassed face, she pretended not to see the amused and knowing smirk that grew on Shizuru's face. She was happy there was silence after that so that she could quickly find a way to change the subject. "Another question: why are we clothes shopping when we came to do underwear shopping?"

Shizuru shrugged innocently, "I guess you might as well have more in your wardrobe to match the lingerie we're about to buy you."

Natsuki paused for a moment as she pulled the new shirt on. "That doesn't make sense."

"That's only because I haven't made you into an expert shopper yet. Although I hope that doesn't come soon, I love shopping with you."

Natsuki blushed, quickly checking the size of the shirt and taking back off again. "They all fit, so I'll take 'em."

Natsuki always wondered how Shizuru managed to get the money to pay for her own clothes and the younger girl's clothes. She never really asked, as she knew that Shizuru was rich to begin with, but she just always wondered also why Shizuru was willing to do it. There were several other girls at school that she could be just as nice to, but why her? Not that she was complaining…

They finally came to Mairu's Lingeries and, as usual, Natsuki stood close to a vacant dressing groom, waiting for the lingerie vulture to return. Shizuru came with two hands-full of bras and panties, as well as a few extra things such as silk nightwear.

Natsuki took it all into her arms and stepped in. "Out!" With one arm on Shizuru's shoulder, she pushed the older girl out of the stall when she tried to sneak in after her. Natsuki quickly shut the door and locked it. That wasn't the first time that's happened as Shizuru only smiled as she left Natsuki in peace and went back into the store.

When Natsuki was finished trying on every type of underwear that all teenage girls wore – bikinis, briefs, thongs, and a single g-string which Natsuki almost swallowed her tongue at when she saw it – she came out with all the ones she wanted in her hand (the g-string was in the bundle just to humor the council president) while Shizuru waited for her.

Natsuki peered around Shizuru when she noticed that she was holding something behind her back. "What else do you have? There couldn't have been much more." She asked.

Shizuru grinned and produced from behind her back what she knew would be both Natsuki's and her own pride and joy of the younger girl's wardrobe of lingerie:

Shizuru knew exactly how to describe it - a tropical ocean blue with dark blue blossom designs, tapestry satin jacquard strapless corset with a venice trim, hook-and-eye front and waist-slimming lace-up back, and removable black garters and stockings with a matching jacquard g-string.

Natsuki's eyes bugged out of their sockets at the sight of it. She shook her head almost frantically. "No way. You can't expect me to wear that?" She tried desperately to keep her face from going into the cherry color it was flooding into now. "Isn't there a law saying that such scandalous clothing shouldn't be marketed to minors?"

Shizuru laughed at the look on Natsuki's face. "But it'd look beautiful on you." Natsuki gave her a death glare. "Fine, you don't have to get it, but would you at least try it on? I want to see how it might look on you." Natsuki remained unyielding. "I'll find you more g-strings." She warned.

The full-body lingerie was snatched from Shizuru's hands and tawny hair fluttered as the door slammed shut. Shizuru grinned as she seated herself in front of the door. She tried to keep herself from laughing as she heard noises coming from the stall; it was obvious that Natsuki was having a difficult time. "Need any help?" Shizuru asked lightly.

"No!" Natsuki shouted from behind, aggravation clearly in her voice. "I've almost got it." Twenty seconds later the door finally opened.

Natsuki stood there sheepishly, letting Shizuru's stunned eyes wander over her. Natsuki placed one hand on the doorframe of the stall, the other on her hip and bent one knee, as if to say "Well? Are you happy now?"

Shizuru took one step towards her and reached into her purse. "Natsuki, please don't move."

Natsuki looked at her incredulously. "Why?"

"Because even if you don't want yourself to be remembered wearing it, I do." Shizuru quickly pulled out digital camera, aimed it on it side to catch all of Natsuki, and quickly pressed the shutter before Natsuki had any time to react.

Natsuki went ballistic. "SHIZURU!" The younger girl leapt at the taller girl, making the both of them fall to the floor. Shizuru laughed as Natsuki squirmed on top of her, trying to get to the camera in her hand. This was definitely worth the small pain she felt on the back of her head from the landing onto the carpet floor. Shizuru kept it high away from her, their hands clashing together as one pair reached for and the other pair stretched away. "Natsuki, I swear I'm not going to show it to anyone!" She couldn't stop her giggles.

Natsuki slowed her frantic actions, looking down at Shizuru with eyes that pierced into her own. "You promise?"

"Yes, I promise." Shizuru nodded, heaving.

Natsuki exhaled. "Fine." She spoke as she looked away, aggravation clearly building in her eyes. Then, Natsuki realized that she could feel Shizuru's legs with her own and that she was actually lying on top of Shizuru. She saw the content look in Shizuru's warm eyes as they looked back up at her, a soft smile on her face. Natsuki blushed, pushed her self up from the floor and bolted into the dressing room. Shizuru just looked at her as she went, and lightly laughed. Shopping with her was always so much fun; she'd spend every penny.

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"I still hate you for that." Natsuki stated over the roaring falls nearby as she bit into her sandwich.

"I know you do." Shizuru couldn't help but grin playfully. She poked her chopsticks into the fish in her bento box. "I still have the photograph." She stated before she put a slab of fish into her mouth.

"You do?" Natsuki looked up at her, both annoyed and amazed.

"It's in my wallet." She took another bite of the rice. "I'll get it." She went to her car, towel wrapped around her, and pulled out her purse from the front seat. When she came back, she flipped through the photographs of her wallet and pulled out a small photo. She handed it to Natsuki, laughing at the shocked look on the face of the younger Natsuki in the picture.

The current Natsuki glared at her as she snatched the picture from her fingers. After one quick look, she slapped her hand on her burning face and groaned as she handed it back. "God." She could only mutter.

Shizuru giggled as she took it. "I want to get an updated one." She placed it safely back into her wallet.

Natsuki looked at her incredulously before turning away. "You never will." She brought the sandwich into her mouth again.

Shizuru tried not to giggle as she recognized the old pout Natsuki used to do just then. "Well see." She went back to her rice. Before Natsuki could speak, she held up a ball of rice an inch away from Natsuki's mouth. "Open wide." She chimed, smiling.

Natsuki's eyebrows knitted together as she looked from the rice to Shizuru. "How old do you think I am? Two?"

Shizuru giggled softly. "I did this to you while we were still in school together, remember? What are you so afraid of now?"

Natsuki silently looked back to the ball of rice between the chopsticks. She rolled her eyes again as she took the ball into her mouth. "You happy now?" She asked with a full mouth.

Shizuru paused. "Almost." She reached out, brushed her thumb against the other girl's pink lips to catch the stray grain of rice and brought the thumb to her lips.

Natsuki pinked in the face as she watched Shizuru's tongue gently take the grain. "I-idiot! Why do you always do things like that?"

"Just for that response and adorable expression on Natsuki's face, of course!" Shizuru grinned. When Natsuki groaned and turned away in a huff, the other girl giggled again. "It's just like old times."

At that, Natsuki's stiff shoulders softened, peering over her shoulder to Shizuru's smile. Both remained silent as they continued eating. Shizuru eventually looked at her watch. "My, the day went fast."

"Why? What time is it?" Natsuki asked around the food in her mouth.

"Five o'clock."

"Five?" Natsuki looked to the skies that were already starting to become rich with colors of the coming sunset. "Wow. That was fast."

Shizuru placed her empty bento into her bag she was now using for trash. "We can either stay here, or we can go and I can show you my house. Which would you like to do, Natsuki?" She asked simply.

Natsuki paused, not quite sure what to answer. She looked back up to the skies. "It's not quite dark yet. Can we stay here a little longer? I kind of like it here. It's calm."

Shizuru smiled. "Sure." She turned to look at the falls. "I'm sure the surprise at home can wait a little longer…" She added almost as if using it as a lure.

The cobalt-haired girl looked at her questionably. "What do you mean?"

The older girl smirked. "You'll see."

Natsuki groaned. "Damn your 'you'll see's!" She massaged her temple. Despite her curiosity, she was still willing to wait and stay here with Shizuru.

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If you would like to see the pic of Shizuru'spick oflingerie for Natsuki, PM me and I'll give you the link. It's not a drawing but the actual lingerie outfit I chose for Natsuki XD