AN: I don't own Mai-HiME or its characters in anyway. (Although I seriously wish I did.)

Natsuki stared. She stared long and hard. Hands at her side, she raised her eyebrow and continued to stare at what she definitely did not expect to see.

Sitting on a fine chestnut wooden chair, propped up against a plain brown desk, was the President of the Student Council Board. The gentle noise of light snoring echoed soundlessly in the vast empty library, successfully breaking Natsuki from her muddled train of thought. She continued to stare, as if her long period of staring would miraculously wake the older girl up.

Quickly scanning the room, she dully noted the tons of books piled up in front of her friend; notes sprinkled everywhere, all of which almost fully covered the desk.

'Exactly how long did Shizuru plan to stay here?'

Silently twirling strands of her blue hair, she wondered lightly on how long Shizuru was left here, alone and sleeping in the library.

'Really, how exasperating. I mean I thought she'd be in the Student Council Room but I guess I should have expected this after al. Honestly, you'd think that after years of being friends, that I'd learn to expect the unexpected when it comes to her. But still, what a waste of an hour. This girl needs to be leashed.'

As if coming to a conclusion, she let her legs lead her to the snoring brunette. Emerald eyes slowly traced the figure of her friend, and noticed the serene look that she seldom wore, and the rumples and many wrinkles that decorated themselves on her outfit. Time seemed to stop, as Natsuki continued to examine the sleeping woman. This was the same woman who had stained her hands with blood, at the prompt of saving Natsuki at any cost. This sleeping girl was the same person who had violated her trust and stopped at nothing. This was she, who stopped at nothing at all to protect her. The thought scared her at the time. Scared her more then she'd like to admit. Knowing that this girl, her first true friend, was wiling to cut down countless amounts of bodies, and bathe in their blood, just for her safety.

'Shizuru…'

She stared for a bit longer, letting her eyes trace the sleeping girl, before she silently sat in the seat across of her. The ticking of the large grandfather clock continued to resound across the room, the noise almost suffocating her erratic thoughts. Natsuki didn't know what to do now. Leaving the library with a sleeping president in her arms would be a bad idea, with the fact that rumors spread like wildfire at the Fuuka Academy. She hated being the center of attention, and if rumor were to break that Shizuru and herself were doing some … things in the academy's public library, she didn't trust herself to keep her temper. Being absent more then half the time was bad enough, and besides, if she decided to add the title of being a mass murderer, Shizuru wouldn't be very happy.

Cold as Natsuki was said to be, she didn't want to wake Shizuru up. This being one of the very few times that she had caught her in such a vulnerable state. Besides, as much as she tried to ignore the fact, Shizuru was a very adorable sleeper. With warm brown tresses splayed against the table, and with soft sun kissed skin glowing from the luminescent glow of the moon, Natsuki thought that Shizuru was quite frankly, disgustingly adorable.

So she sat there, thoughts solely on her friend and apparently, the position of things back to where they started. Slowly rolling her eyes at the sheer unpredictable things that Shizuru always did, she didn't notice the slight movement from across the table.

Steadily cracking burgundy eyes open, Fujino Shizuru blinked a couple of times, valiantly trying to rip away the ebbing remains of sleep induced thoughts and dreams. Almost abruptly did she recognize the feeling of a certain presence in the room with her, and quickly darted her eyes up to meet Natsuki's surprised gaze. Silence reigned as both continued to stare at each other, Shizuru being slightly surprised Natsuki's own presence here.

"Um. So…did you sleep well?"

Awkwardly Natsuki straightened her back from its previous slouching position, and focused her eyes on a stray sheet of the millions of papers that littered the desk. Refusing to meet Shizuru's gaze, she continued to stare hard at the lone piece of paper, as if staring at it would quench the awkward silence and the nervous stirring, deep in her stomach.

"I mean seriously, who sleeps in the library Shizuru?"

As if regaining her courage she quickly flicked her eyes up at her friend, and dully noted the notorious, curious somewhat amused expression she wore. Shizuru wore that face one to many times and it always managed to be a warning, of some crazy embarrassment that Natsuki was doomed to befall.

"Oh, what a surprise! Was Natsuki worried about me?"

Smiling, she propped her arm on the desk and leaned her head against her hand and glanced at Natsuki, awaiting an amusing embarrassed reaction from her friend.

As predicted, Natsuki's face promptly flared up, turning in to quite the interesting shades of red and pink.

"O-of course not. I was just passing by, and your loud snoring just happened to annoy me enough to bring me here!"

Almost immediately, Shizuru's smile widened as she indulged in the never fading entertainment that Natsuki brought whenever she was embarrassed or flushed. Natsuki then slowly understood just how lame her excuse sounded. Inwardly she rolled her eyes,

Well god, it sure sounded a lot smarter and more excusable in my head.

Shizuru chuckled and stood up, wiping invisible specks of dust from her wrinkled skirt. She then slowly brushed her hair with her fingers, the silky threads slipping through the gaps of her fingers. Turning to Natsuki, her eyes twinkled as she quickly formulated a response,

"Oh is that so? How saddening, and here I thought that Natsuki was looking for me, and just happened to indulge in the sight of me sleeping."

As expected, Natsuki faltered for a moment before turning crimson at the mention of her quiet staring. Hastily she stood up and huffed, bringing her arms to her chest she scowled.

"Humph, just be grateful it was me, and not one of your crazy deluded fan girls who would have probably kidnapped you, and do some … weird things to you."

Eyes crinkling in amusement, Shizuru relished the fact that she knew Natsuki so well. Embarrassing the poor girl was never a hard task, and it never failed to amuse her. Turning slightly and seating herself on the edge of the desk, she let loose a wink,

"I don't think I would have been so upset, if Natsuki had decided to kidnap me."

It was times like these, were Natsuki honestly wondered if her face was as red and hot as she felt. She dropped her arms and quickly turned her back on her friend, and began to storm out of the library,

"Yeah well. Whatever, don't expect it any time soon."

She stood still in front of the exit and leaned her hands on the frame of the wooden door, with her back still turned she mumbled,

"And god, next time tell me when your going to the library, you disappear too well and your not exactly all that easy to look for. After all, I was never all that great at the game of hide and seek."

Shizuru's smile dropped as she let the words sink in, staring at the empty space that Natsuki had stood just moments before she had walked off, she began to chuckle, the elegant sound echoing throughout the now empty room, and coating it with notes of amusement,

"How cute Natsuki, but what's the fun in hiding in the easiest of places? After all the entertainment and feeling you get when you do find that someone, is certainly something to enjoy, is it not?"

And so she left the room, her brown locks of hair glowing in the moonlight, and silently slid back in to their beautiful dance of hide and seek.

AN: Yep, I've always entertained myself with the thought of Shizuru and Natsuki playing Hide and Seek. And I always sort of felt that their relationship blended in with the rules of the game, with one of them always blindly looking for the other. Or heck maybe my Shiznat induced mind just wants an excuse to let this fic slide XD.