Yes! I am finally done with my finals! And apparently, so is the gang.
Mmm, I've also got good news! My summer is going to be pretty slow so that means... More updating! Yay!
To the awesome reviewers: thank you guys!
So anyways, here's chapter ten for you!
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Mai HiME.
Summer vacation was a relief for Mai Tokiha as she exited the university, a bright smile on her face. After months of hard work, constant late nighters, and hundreds of essays, the bright orange haired woman was ready to ditch her school bag for some sunglasses and flip flops. She wasn't the only one experiencing the summer excitement as a red head walked up to her grinning like a Cheshire cat.
"Yo, Mai!" greeted the red head as she stopped in front of the other woman. Mai smiled at the younger woman. Nao Yuuki wasn't a normally cheerful woman, but today seemed to be an exception as the grin continued to spread across the red head's face.
Mai returned the greeting cheerfully, "Hey Nao! Happy that school's over?"
Nao laughed and nodded. "Hell yea! Kami, it felt like summer took forever to get here!"
"It sure did!" commented someone from behind Nao. Mai blinked in confusion before peering around the smaller woman to gaze at a couple happily walking their way. The two new women appeared momentarily with the dark haired woman's arm wrapped around her smaller companion. Mai smiled as her two friends grinned sweetly at each other. Chie and Aoi had always been lovey-dovey around each other. Nao made a slight noise of discomfort as the two women kissed. Mai laughed. The group's couple weren't at all against showering each other with affections.
"Chie! Aoi! How were your finals?" asked Mai. Nao moved slightly to her left to make room for the new appearances.
"Like fighting a lion with a pair of toothpicks," Chie groaned, adjusting the bag over her shoulder. Aoi just laughed.
"It wasn't so bad, Mai," replied Aoi, still giggling. "Chie was just exaggerating. "
Chie's face brought on a fake frustrated look. "Says the one only having to cook for her finals. They asked you to make a Dacquoise!"
Aoi punched her girlfriend's shoulder and frowned. "Hey! A Dacquoise isn't a very easy cake!"
Mai and Nao laughed at their two friends before the large chested beauty raised her hand. "I can attest to that!"
"Attest to what?" asked Natsuki as the blunette appeared next to the orange head. Mai literally jumped back, eyes wide.
"Natsuki!" yelled Mai as she examined the tired figure of her friend. The emerald eyed woman's eyes were slightly glazed and bags had formed under her eyes. The slightly messy mane seem to make Natsuki older than she appeared. The glasses that were about to fall off from Natsuki's nose also further emphasize the exhaustion that the woman was emitting.
Natsuki huffed as the she slipped her glasses off. Massaging her eyes tiredly, Mai saw a loneliness that the woman didn't use to have. Mai frowned before smiling again to relax the dark haired woman. Said woman grabbed her glasses case from her pocket and slipping her eye glass device inside.
"How were your finals, Natsuki?" asked Chie, as she led the rest of the group to a large table so they could chat while sitting down.
Natsuki remained quiet for a moment before directing tired eyes to Chie's curious brown eyes. "Shit."
Chie blinked in amusement before smiling. "It couldn't have been that bad."
"I'm not even going to talk about it."
Aoi giggled. "But at least it's all over. Summer is finally here which means bye bye school and hello to the beach!"
Natsuki's dull gaze seem to pierce the happy brunette before it brightened considerably. A small smile escaped the blunette's lips, settling on a content grin. "Yea.. It's over.."
The rest of the group watched the unusual scene with keen interest.
Odd, I've never seen Natsuki smile like that.. Mai had been with Natsuki the longest out of their group of friends and the smile currently adorning the emerald eyed beauty's face was nothing like she'd ever seen before. Maybe she's finally opening up. Natsuki and the orange haired woman were pretty good friends, but sometimes, Mai couldn't help but think that Natsuki wasn't sharing or connecting like friends should be.
The endowed woman shook her head to rid of her thoughts. This wasn't the time to think about such things. Summer vacation has finally started and she was going to enjoy it with her friends.
"So," Mai started grabbing everyone's attention," what's everyone going to do with our two month break?"
"Aoi and I are just going to spend time with each other." replied Chie grinning at the blush forming on her girlfriend's face.
Nao, on the other hand, just shrugged. "Nothing. Maybe just watching TV at home."
The rest of the gang laughed.
"Well, how very... you." Aoi struggled to say, holding her hand to her mouth to try and prevent the giggles slipping through.
Natsuki raised a brow at the jade eyed woman and smirked. "Yea right. You're just gonna sneak around at night and try to catch pervy guys."
The red head retaliated by chucking an empty water bottle at the chuckling blunette, a glare firmly set on her beautiful face. "Like you're one to talk. At least I have something to do."
The biker just caught the inanimate object and aimed it at the nearest trash bin. Throwing the bottle, the piece of plastic met the rest of the garbage with a thud. "The joke's on you, moron. I do have something to do."
The whole gang looked at the loner with a strange fascination. As far as they knew, Natsuki had always done nothing over the summer. There was the occasional bike ride around the city and the forced group shopping, but other than that, the blunette never left her apartment.
"Really?" asked Chie still in a state of shock.
Natsuki just nodded before standing from her seat. Heaving her bag over her shoulder, she looked towards the rest of her friends. "Yea. Which reminds me, I've got to get going."
"Where to?" wondered Mai tilting her her sideways. This really was weird. Natsuki was usually one of the last one to leave when the group meets up.
The biker just shrugged and turned to walk away. Throwing a wave to the table, she gave a small "see you guys around" before she disappeared behind a building.
"Well that was out of character," commented Nao as the blunette left their sight. She and the blunette were pretty good friends, considering their rather similar high school days, and suffice to say, this had been the first time she's seen Natsuki actually leave with a little bounce in her step. Almost like she were skipping. Nao tried to crush the bubbling cackle at the thought of the anti-social skipping away, but not before a small giggle escaped her lips. No one noticed.
"Right? I've never seen her act so... odd." Chie added. She really wasn't that close to Natsuki like Nao and Mai, but even she could see something's captured the biker's attention.
"Yea, she normally throws us glares and frowns, but I don't think she glared at anyone except Nao here." replied Mai patting the red head on the back.
"Hey!" Nao yelled somewhat offended. She raised a hand to her red mane and began to pat it down after Mai decided to ruffle it. The gang burst out laughing.
"It's true though!" argued Aoi, supporting Mai. "And did you see that smile when I said that it was summer? I've never seen her look that happy."
Chie grinned at her girlfriend and pecked the other's cheek, glad that her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. "Oh so I wasn't imagining it!"
Mai shook her head. "She really did smile. And not one of those smirks of her's, but an actual smile."
"How rare. Actually, almost impossible. You'd have a better chance at seeing a unicorn before seeing the pup smile like that." Nao frowned.
The dark haired beauty raised a finger to object. "You can't really say that anymore considering that we just saw her smil-"
The short fiery woman stood up sharply, slamming her hand against the table. "You get what I mean!" The two glared at each other with the two cooks exchanging amused looks with one another.
Mai and Aoi just shook their heads at their friends' antics before the endowed woman grabbed hold of Nao and Aoi pulling Chie to her.
"You both need to calm down,"Aoi scolded, a smile showing how she really isn't bothered by their banter. Starring into her girlfriend's warm chocolate eyes, she smiled to calm down the grey haired woman. It worked instantaneously as Chie grinned back charmingly.
"So," began Mai clearing her throat, "I was thinking. We should have a group trip, you know? Just us five."
Three pair of eyes quickly met violet at her proposal.
"Wait, why?" asked the ever curious Nao. Chie just nodded to the red head's appropriate question.
Mai shrugged. She didn't have a real reason for the trip. Just that she wanted to spend time with her favorite people. "Well since Takumi won't be coming back from the states anytime soon, thanks to his procedures, I was thinking of just spending time with my other favorite people."
"Then shouldn't you go over there?" wondered Aoi. Mai and her brother were pretty close. The fact that she wasn't spending her free time with him almost seemed just as odd as Natsuki having plans. Key word being 'almost.' Natsuki actually being social is far more abnormal.
Mai looked slightly dejected as a pout began to form on her face. "When Takumi told me he couldn't come back to Japan, I immediately suggested going over seas. But he told it was alright and to spend this summer with you all rather than with him. And I quote, "Nee-san, I'm fine. I've got Akira with me. Go on and spend some time with your friends. Kami knows how much you always miss them during the summer." I tried to talk him out of it, but he was so stubborn. In the end, I ended up deciding to stay."
Chie sighed before crossing her arms at her friend's explanation. "Oh, so we're your second choice? I feel so loved."
The sarcastic tone in the dark grey haired woman's voice didn't go unnoticed by the orange head. Aoi, sensing another conflict beginning to rise, was quick to quench the tension.
"Chie, she didn't mean it like that."
Her girlfriend grumbled before looking at Aoi. "Fine, whatever."
Chie received a sweet smile from Aoi that made her heart skip a beat.
Aoi turned towards Mai, giving her utmost attention. "So, about the trip? I'm all up for it and so is Chie- and before you say anything, dear, you are coming, end of discussion- but where are we going to go?"
Mai pursed her lips in question. "Well, before we decided where to go, I need everyone to be okay with it. And that includes you, Nao." Violet eyes turned towards bored jaded.
The smaller woman shrugged before sighing. She knew no matter how hard she argued with the orange haired woman, Mai would still end up getting her way. Best deal with it with her dignity intact. "Sure. Why not."
At that, the endowed woman clapped her hands in joy. "Great! Now all we have to do is get Natsuki to come then we're all set!"
"Already on it." Chie threw her friends one of her trademark smiles before dialing the blunette's phone. She only had to wait momentarily before the biker picked it up.
"Kuga here," crackled the phone's speaker.
"Yo Natsuki, Mai's planning a trip with the rest of the gang. You want to come. We're not taking no for an answer," Chie said as she pressed the speaker button for the rest of the gang to hear.
A slight thud came from the other end and a curse followed. Another loud bang radiated from the communication device before a out of breath voice spoke.
"Sorry, you're wasting your time. I've got plans remember? And I can't back out of it."
Mai frowned thinking that Natsuki was just trying to get out of their group vacation. "Natsuki, it'll be fun. Come with us."
Nao could practically feel the frown from the other end. No way was she going to be the only one going through this group torture. "C'mon mutt, even I'm coming." she tried to convince the biker on the other end.
"No."
Chie tried to talk to the blunette into coming again only for her to be rejected. The gang did as well. They all received the same answer every time, "no."
Finally, Natsuki couldn't take it anymore. Raising her voice to get her point across the phone, she cut off another one of Mai's attempt. "Okay look. On any other day, I would've said yes. But I honestly can't. I've got very important plans that needs to be taken care of during the summer. I can't back out of it nor can I push it back. Now, I can compromise. I'll come after I finish what I need to do. Does that sound like a plan?"
Mai's end was quiet momentarily before a sigh was heard and a "fine" following after it.
Natsuki grinned and ended the call, promising to contact her friends after she was done with what she had to do.
"Now, if only I can find my helmet already. Then maybe I can finally head over to Shizuru's.." the blunette whispered, throwing open another one of her closets. As soon as the door was opened, random objects quickly crashed into her, the momentum pressuring her onto the ground. Natsuki moaned before shouting another curse.
On Mai's side, the four began to plan the trip.
"So, how long is it going to be? And where?" asked Chie, a handy notepad open and a pen ready to take notes.
Mai thought about it. "How about three weeks? And Okinawa?"
Aoi and Nao showed their distaste through the frown marring their faces. "Not Okinawa," both said.
A brow raised in question. "And why not?"
The fiery red head and the blue eyed beauty glanced at each other before their attention returned to Mai. Chie eyed the two suspiciously.
"Alright, spill." said Mai, noticing the increasing tension between Nao, Aoi, and Chie.
Aoi gave Nao another quick glance before directing her attention towards her girlfriend. "Well, you see, before I met you I kinda dated this other girl back when I lived in Okinawa. She was really sweet, nice, and funny, but she got obsessive. I broke up with her, but she began to stalk me. With the help of a friend, we got her to quit bothering me." The sweet brunette stopped to look at the angered expression on Chie's face. Pecking the grey haired woman's cheek, Aoi felt the violent aura dissipate slightly.
"But wait, how does Nao fit into this?" wondered Mai.
"I was the friend," answered Nao looking at her nails.
Mai and Chie blinked, not expecting Nao to save Aoi. Seeing the hesitance in her friends' eyes, she assured them that it was really Nao who helped her.
"You see, my stalker had a rather high standing in the city as the mayor's daughter so I really couldn't really ask for a restriction order. One day, Nao set up cameras around the apartment building that I used to live in. With the tape, she captured my stalker actually stalking me. We managed to get a restriction order and that's the end of that." Aoi smiled at the gawking faces of her two friends.
"Geez, why didn't you ever mention that to me?" asked Chie, a worried expression clearly seen.
"I didn't want to worry you. The past is the past and it'll remain that way." Aoi grabbed hold of her girlfriend's hand and kissed it. Nao made gagging noises.
Chie nuzzled into Aoi's neck, inhaling the wonderful sunny smell the other woman usually emitted. In a way, Aoi really was her sun in a matter of sense. She was the light in Chie's life that the grey haired woman couldn't live without.
Suddenly, chocolate orbs turned to look into jade. "I wasn't there to protect her, but you were. Thank you, Nao."
In a rare situation, Nao nodded seriously, accepting the thanks. She suddenly smirked quickly shredding the serious atmosphere. "Pshh, she was so helpless."
Aoi just grinned at their interactions. Even with their pointless fights and arguments, she knew that the two cared for each other. Judging by the caring glint in Nao's eyes and the slight tenderness in Chie's smirk, her assumptions were definitely correct.
Mai thought exactly the same thing. And although she was enjoying the group's very touching moment, they had a trip to plan.
"About the trip, guys. I think we should go t-" the violet eyed woman was once again interrupted by Aoi stating to Chie, "It's about 18:00. Didn't you promise me a dinner date?"
Chie's next insult towards Nao died in her throat and blinked as if trying to recall something important. She suddenly grinned and began to rub the back of her head in embarrassment. "Oh yes! I completely forgot!"
Aoi slapped the woman's arm playfully. "Mou, what kind of girlfriend forgets a date? Especially one they planned?"
The other woman just pointed her thumbs towards her body, a handsome grin in place. "This one!" she replied enthusiastically.
The brunette sweatdropped before she rolled her eyes. Standing up, she began to drag the gray haired woman out of her seat and onto the ground. Her girlfriend landed on the ground roughly. "Ouch!" the psychology major exclaimed, rubbing her sore rear.
Aoi ingnored the pointed look the woman on the ground threw at her. Instead, she grabbed the hand that hand been extended out the her. Grunting slightly, she heaved her girlfriend up and into her arms. Smiling, a kiss landed on Chie's lips, causing the dark haired beauty to develop the most dazed look. Aoi smirked and tugged on the woman's hand for them to go. Chie walked clumsily after her blue eyed woman, throwing the last two a small wave.
"And then there were two," Nao says smirking.
Mai sighed and smiled tiredly. "Right. And then there were two."
Nao adjust herself within the seat. "So what we're you trying to say about where we're going?"
The well endowed woman smiled, glad that someone actually heard her before she wa interrupted. "I was thinking somewhere south. Somewhere nice with great attractions, good food, and somewhat traditional customs. Also, maybe a beach."
The fiery red head closed her eyes to think and suddenly, a light bulb appeared above her head. "So, Kyoto, huh?"
Mai smiled excitedly for their upcoming trip. "You just read my mind."
And the cavalry arrives. I hope I got their personalities right. I might have tweaked them just a little, but then again, this is a ooc fic.
Anyways, summer! Yay! By the way- I don't really know how long Japanese summers are or how that works so I'm sorry if some of you don't like it.
I won't keep you guys reading too long. Don't want to invade on your awesome plans. But anyways, thank you all for reading and showing support of my writing when even I wanted to give up sometimes. Really, thanks.
I hope you enjoyed reading and have a fantastic first day of summer!
REVIEW. Cause nothing else will make my summer of boringness more tolerable.