Woot, only 5 days late! It's a record! XD

Don't let the rating mislead you, this could have probably been as well a 'T' ;)

Disclaimer: Sunrise blah blah

Trapped

The high-pitched beeping of an alarm clock was shrilling through the dim bedroom, penetrating the thitherto peaceful calm of morning and tearing the sole occupant of the queen sized bed out of her sweet slumber.

A hand came out from under the thick blanket, hitting the button of the digital alarm clock with through years of practice acquired accuracy.

Restful silence spread through the bedchamber once more and Natsuki Kruger sunk back deeper into the pillows, indulging in pleasant dreams about a quiet and peaceful school without students, sunshine and a stroll in the park with Shizuru, happiness and dancing and singing mayo bottles on the wayside.

But suddenly, just when everything seemed so perfect, there was this shrill, pesky sound again, scaring Shizuru and the mayo bottles away.

The beeping of the alarm clock was faster now, more urgent─it was time to get up already.

Reluctantly and with a groan, Natsuki pushed herself up and opened her eyes, hitting the button of the alarm clock again before switching on the light. Squinting, she glowered at the evil object on her nightstand, but there was no mistake, it was time to get up now.

She took the clock into her hands, turning off the alarm completely, more out of habit than of real interest letting her eyes run over the current date that was displayed above the time.

And it took quite a while until what she was seeing there had eventually sunk in with all its gravity.

It was February the 14th! Again! So sudden! How? It had not been there yesterday!

Panic was rising in Natsuki. What should she do? Shizuru was expecting to see her for breakfast in not more than half an hour! What should she do?

Flowers! Yes, flowers! Flowers would do!

The relief that idea brought her lasted only for a second. Where was she to get flowers, that early in the morning, in that short of a time?

Think, Natsuki, think!

The garden, the greenhouse, yes!

Natsuki jumped out of her bed and got washed and dressed in record time, under the cover of dawn hurrying along the path to the greenhouse only a few minutes later.

The gardener would probably not be there, it was too early, but she was sure that he would not mind if she took a few of his roses. She knew him quite well, they used to talk now and then, he was a very agreeable man, just like his brother, the cardinal.

Before paying the greenhouse a visit, she went to the barn-like implement shed not far away that housed most of the gardening tools─she would need a pair of secateurs. She slid the bolt latch of the shed door open and went inside to get the desired tool, closing the door but not bothering to lock it with the bolt when leaving again.

She hurried over to the greenhouse, finding its interior with its warm and humid climate, its air filled with the heavy scent of moist soil, as an extreme contrast to the crisp and clear winter air outside.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable in the sudden warmth, she quickly made her way through the lines of raised flower beds until she had found what she was looking for.

There they were, standing on an isle in the middle of the corridor: several large flowerpots with rose shrubs, their flowers shining in brilliant colours, emitting a fragrant, heavenly scent.

Natsuki chose a variety that was the most represented there, where she thought the consequences of her taking a few to be the least. It was a species with small, but luscious red flowers and more than perfect for the occasion.

Cutting a few flowers from one brush, she left it rather bare, but there were still buds on it, it would blossom again soon enough.

She carefully removed the thorns and then left the greenhouse again, heading back to the implement shed to return the secateurs.

Coming to the shed, she deposited her roses on a low, wooden bench at its side wall, then went around the corner with just the secateurs in her hand. She found the door properly locked again, but her mind was too occupied with envisioning how she gave the roses to Shizuru to waste any thought about it, and she also didn't care much as the door fell closed behind her when she had entered and was walking over to the racks in the back from where she had taken the shears; there was enough of the pale light of morning coming in through the shed's skylights and small windows high up in the side walls to make her way safely through its interior.

She did suddenly care when there was a muted utterance of words from behind the door and then the sliding of the bolt could be heard.

The raven-haired woman stood frozen in shock for a moment, her brain numbed by the realisation that she was trapped.

Then she carelessly dropped the secateurs and rushed to the door, hearing the engine noise of the gardener's truck outside. She yelled and hammered on the door, but it was too late─the gardener had already driven off, he couldn't hear her anymore.

Frustrated and desperate, Natsuki hammered on the door again and again, but in vain. Eventually accepting that it was no use, she stopped and then stood motionless there inside the dimly lit shack, not knowing what to do.

After a moment of thinking, she went further back into the shed, to a workbench at the wall. Climbing onto it, she was on head-level with the small window above the bench, which was unfortunately designed as light only and could not be opened.

She looked through the dusty window pane, hoping─against all odds─that someone would pass by and help her.

Natsuki did not have to wait long: shortly after she had taken her position behind the window, there was indeed someone coming along the way leading past the she shed, it was... Nao! Of all people!

But it couldn't be helped; if she wanted to get out of here, she couldn't afford to be picky about her saviour.

And so Natsuki knocked against the window and started to shout to get Nao's attention─and yes, Nao had seen her, she was coming towards the shack.

But wait, what was Nao doing now?

She─she was taking the flowers! Her flowers! No, Shizuru's flowers!

Enraged, Natsuki was pounding against the window with her fists, almost breaking the glass, yelling and cursing, "Nao! Put the flowers back! Get me out of here, damnit! Open the damn door!"

Nao just grinned and waved to her before she turned around and walked away with Shizuru's flowers in her hand, leaving a hollering Natsuki behind.

"Nao! Come back!"

Fuming, Natsuki was watching how the red-headed witch went out sight. This was unbelievable! If she ever got out of here...

Harbouring dark thoughts, she continued glaring out of the window for a while.

Then she stopped wishing on Nao the Black Death and decided that it was about time to pity herself. Therefore, she sat down on the workbench and drew her legs up, hugging herself tightly─it was a far more miserable position than standing.

And so she had been sittung there curled up for a while, engulfed in her misery, quarrelling with the unfairness of the universe, when she suddenly heard the sound of the door's bolt again.

Lifting her head, she saw how the door was slowly being opened, and...

"Natsuki...?" Shizuru's voice sounded uncertain, and just as tentatively were her steps as she entered the shed.

"Shizuru!" exclaimed Natsuki surprised. A wave of utmost relief was surging through her as she slowly slid off the table, her eyes fixed on Shizuru─Shizuru who had come to save her, Shizuru who was now walking towards her.

"I... got your card," said the brown-haired woman, smiling.

"Card?" echoed Natsuki perplexed.

"The one you sent me," explained Shizuru, now standing right before her. "With the beautiful roses," she whispered, kissing her softly. Then her brows crinkled in confusion. "But why did you want to meet me here? And why─"

"Oh no!" uttered Natsuki as things were dawning on her.

But it was already too late─just in that moment, the shed door was slammed shut and the sound of the latch being locked could be heard.

And again, the Gakuenchou rushed to the door, hammering against it, loudly cursing the red-headed witch until Shizuru gently pulled her away.

"I'll kill her," muttered Natsuki, "I'll fucking kill her."

"Shush," made Shizuru, taking her into her arms. "You'll only get sick if you keep overexciting so much," she said, softly kissing her again.

Natsuki, slinging her arms around the older's waist, wanted to protest, tell her that she wasn't overexciting at all, but the brunette thoughtfully continued, "So the card was from Nao... And I was thinking the handwriting did not exactly look like yours..."

"But the roses were mine," avered the younger, hoping she would believe her. "Nao took them from me while I was locked in here!"

Slightly amused at her love's sincere indignation, Shizuru noted, "And since I found you here, I figure you got them from the greenhouse?"

Her cheeks colouring out of shame, Natsuki nodded and averted her eyes. "I... I forgot," she admitted, whispering.

But when she glanced back at Shizuru, she found her smiling fondly, the impassioned crimson gaze resting on her features. The brunette pulled her closer, holding her tightly. "Thank you nonetheless," she whispered softly into her ear.

"You're not mad?" wondered Natsuki, still a bit worried.

"No." Shizuru loosened her hold to look at her, softly caressing her cheek with her hand. "How could I be mad at you?" she asked, emphasising her words with a tender kiss.

Relieved, Natsuki leaned into her, softly sighing when Shizuru let her fingers run through her hair, resuming her caresses.

But not long, and their unfortunate situation came to the fore of her mind again, and, distancing herself a bit from the other, the raven-haired woman asked, "What are we going to do now?"

Not wanting to lose contact, Shizuru pulled her back into her. "Waiting," she said, almost merrily, as her lips were travelling along the younger's jaw line and to her ear.

"Just waiting?" protested Natsuki weakly while Shizuru was nibbling on her earlobe. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're enjoying being trapped here."

The older woman paused for a moment. "It reminds me of that time," she admitted quietly.

"That time?"

"In the gym," she explained, and Natsuki turned beetred when the memories of that certain day were coming back to her.

It was the late afternoon of a winter day in her Coral year, when Natsuki─wearing a tracksuit and laden with two buckets, a scrubber, rags and other cleaning implements─was following Miss Maria through one of the corridors of the academy's large gym building.

They went past several changing rooms and then climbed up the stairs leading to the small gym hall right under the roof.

It was a hall that was practically never used and one of those rooms in the school whose mere existence was likely to be forgotten entirely and its purpose basically unknown.

From this day on, Natsuki would be convinced that its sole raison d'être was to facilitate pedagogic discipline measures against students.

Miss Maria before her opened the metallic door to the gym and entered first, switching on the neon lights in the rather low ceiling.

The hall was merely half the size of a common gym hall, but on one side, there was an equipment room. And there were blue and green landings mats in it, lots of them, two big piles, way too many, especially when considering the fact that no one ever came to this place.

And Natsuki would have the questionable pleasure to scrub them all─yes, each and every one of them─her punishment for repeated unauthorised leaving of the school grounds.

Miss Maria gave her instructions and then went away again, leaving Natsuki all alone with her bitter fate and her cleaning tools.

After getting water from one the rest rooms downstairs, Natsuki began with her laborious work, silently lamenting the unfairness of the universe.

It had been an emergency after all! A matter of life and death!

How could she have known that she would run into Miss Maria, there, in the crowded streets in front of the store? She had almost dropped her newly acquired family sized jar of mayonnaise when the teacher had suddenly appeared before her with a brown bag in her hand.

(Natsuki was still thinking that she had missed something essential there, but, well... it was not fair!)

And so, with a gloomy expression on her face, the raven-haired girl moved the mats from the equipment room into the hall, carrying one by one and piling them up. Then she started working through the stacks, always scrubbing the upper side of the topmost mat with the with cleaning agent enriched water, then wiping it with one of the rags, and at last going over it with a squeegee before leaning it against one of the gym walls for drying.

Several water changes later, all the mats were put up for drying, and Natsuki covered in sweat although she had taken off her sweatshirt very early.

She allowed herself a short rest and got something to drink before she repeated the whole procedure with the other side of the mats.

By the time she was done with the second pass and all the mats were lined up at the wall again, her palms and fingers were thoroughly wrinkled and sore, her back aching and all her defiance gone─she was too tired and numbed for any rebellious thoughts. Darkness had long taken hold of the world outside the windows right below the ceiling; it must have been past dinner time already and her stomach was growling out of hunger.

But she was not completely done, no, now she had to clean the floor from the dirt and water caused by the mat scrubbing.

Half an eternity later, also this was accomplished and the cleaning tools brought back downstairs. And when─finally─the last of the mats was at its proper place in the equipment room, it was only the prospect of a warm shower, her bed and maybe sandwiches scrounged from the kitchen lady that enlivened her again.

She had just put her sweatshirt back on and was walking towards the door when all of a sudden the lights went out.

Startled, Natsuki froze in the middle of the hall, alarmed peering into the sudden darkness for a few seconds before reason took control again.

A blown fuse, or a power outage maybe─nothing to be afraid of, she scolded herself and carefully made her way across the gloomy room. Lights or not, she would leave this damn place.

Who needed light anyway?

Reaching the wall, she felt her way to the door, fumbling for the light switches. She switched them off and on again, but nothing happened, they were dead.

But again, who needed light?

Trying to ignore the tingly sensation in her spine, Natsuki turned to the dark shadow that was the door, with both hands feeling for the handle, hastily grabbing it, pulling it─there was a sudden tug and the handle came off.

There is probably no analogy that could adequately describe what Natsuki was feeling just in that moment, as she was standing there in the dark gym hall with the door handle in her hand.

Staring into the dark, her troubled mind was trying to take refuge in the thought that this could not be happening─therefore was not happening─despite the fact that her hand was telling her otherwise.

All happy prospects of a shower, food and bed were gone, only dismal emptiness and despair remaining, and she weakly dropped the handle.

Then, in a sudden desperate act, she turned to the door, with her fists pounding against the metallic surface until they were hurting, screaming her lungs out until she could no more.

Disheartened, she turned away from the door again, the harsh reality slowly sinking in. She was all alone in the building─no one could hear her, no one would come to save her.

Shuffling over the linoleum floor, her feet bumped against something metallic. In a sudden fit of temper, she kicked the useless door handle, with a childish satisfaction hearing how the damn thing clattered over the ground and then hit the wall with a dull 'clonk'.

But this satisfaction was very short-lived and soon she was almost drowning in the tragedy of her situation again. The only, feeble comfort she had was the pale moonlight that was coming in through the windows, helping her to fairly perceive her surroundings now that her eyes had adjusted to the dark.

Having abandoned all hope of a soon rescue, Natsuki prepared herself for a long night. She shuffled to the equipment room and took one of the mats, dragging it over to the other side, where she set up her makeshift bed near the wall.

After all this bother and exertion, she was tired and done with the world, only animated by one thought: to sleep.

Lying down on the mat, she curled up and almost instantly fell into a light slumber.

Some time must have passed until she woke up again, stirred by the creaking sound of the gym door and the calling of her name.

"Natsuki...?"

Shizuru's voice reached her ears as if from away, and she opened her eyes, only to be blinded by a torch light.

The girl on the mat blinked and raised her hand to shield her face while looking at her friend who was still standing in the door frame, wearing a tracksuit just like herself.

"There you are," said the brunette relieved, lowering the light and entering the hall.

"No!" yelled Natsuki, suddenly wide awake. "The door! The door!" she shouted, pushing herself up and starting to run towards her.

"What?" asked Shizuru confused, looking from her yelling and shouting friend to the door and back. Out of reflex, she reached for the door handle, but there was none, her hand just grabbing thin air.

The door fell close again, and Natsuki, only a few steps away, let out a pained cry.

"The handle's gone," whispered Shizuru in shock, the light of her torch set upon the point where the door handle ought to be. "Why─what... What happened?" she asked with a strained voice, turning to the younger girl.

"I broke it," wailed Natsuki. "I─I wanted to open the door─but then it─it just came off."

The older girl stood silent for a moment. "Where... where is it now?" she asked then, anxiously.

"Umm... there... maybe...," mumbled Natsuki, vaguely pointing into the direction of the wall. "I kicked it... over there."

"I see...," answered the other calmly, searching the floor with the light.

"Does it matter? It's broken!" uttered the raven-haired girl, woe and despair overwhelming her again. "We'll be stuck here forever!" Bewailing their fate, she returned to the mat and slumped down.

Shizuru joined her shortly later, sitting down beside her. "No, we won't be stuck here forever," she said soothingly, putting an arm around her and pulling her closer while switching off the torch with the other hand and putting it aside.

"Why did you turn it off?" mumbled Natsuki into the darkness.

"To safe it for later," explained Shizuru, lightly kissing her cheek.

"What difference does it make?" came the other's disheartened reply, again muttering, "We'll be stuck here forever!"

"No, we won't," repeated the brunette with determination.

"How can you be so sure?"

Shizuru chuckled and kissed her again. "Because," she said, and Natsuki huffed.

Sometimes, Shizuru could be so awfully optimistic and cheerful, almost reaching Mai level. Apropos Mai...

"Did Mai send you?" she asked.

"Yes and no," answered Shizuru. "I noticed that you missed dinner, and when the blackout lasted, I got worried and went to your room, where Mai told me that you hadn't returned yet. She was about to go and look for you, but then I said I'd go."

"And now we're both trapped," mumbled the dark-haired girl, sighing─although she had to admit to herself that the brunette's presence here was infinitely comforting.

"Hm," made Shizuru only, not sounding bothered at all.

"How can you be so calm?" grumbled Natsuki, slightly upset glancing at her carefree companion.

"Nothing would change if I got all agitated, wouldn't it?"

"But!"

"But what?"

"Just but," mumbled the younger Otome, not really knowing what she had wanted to say anyway. And someone always as composed as Shizuru would probably never learn how to truly appreciate the satisfaction that the unrestrained venting of one's anger could bring, she was way too calm at times.

Yes, she was way too calm now, almost... content?

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're happy to be locked up here," voiced Natsuki her doubts.

Shizuru didn't answer immediately. Snuggling closer, she then quietly said, "I'm happy to be with you."

Surprised by her answer, Natsuki looked at her, trying to see her countenance in the dark.

"We didn't really have time to be alone with each other lately," continued Shizuru, her voice rather sad than cheerful now, and Natsuki suddenly realised that she was right.

Shizuru shifted a bit, almost facing her, and leaned closer again, with her hand gently cupping Natsuki's cheek, the thumb lightly stroking. "I miss holding you," she whispered, still drawing nearer, her voice tender and full of longing, "feeling you... kissing you..."

Her lips softly brushed against Natsuki's, and the latter responded the kiss, closing her eyes, quietly moaning when a hand slipped under her shirt.

And when Shizuru carefully pushed her down on the mat shortly later, she had her already beyond that point of caring, where all possible qualms were forgotten, vanished from her consciousness like her surroundings.

Everything vanished into the distance, the whole world reduced to the uncomfortable mat underneath her, and then also that was gone and there was only Shizuru─Shizuru on top of her, trembling, shaking against her, her soft cries and whimpers mixing with her own.

Only later, when they were both lying still, catching their breath, only now and then shuddering, did the haze they had been in clear up and let them see the foolishness of their conduct.

Shizuru rose, reaching for the torch, and in its feeble light, they hectically got dressed again.

"It was stupid," mumbled Natsuki hoarsely, pulling up her pants with shaky fingers. "What if someone had come in?"

Shizuru just nodded before hastily slipping into her shirt.

When she was fully dressed again, she came back to Natsuki still sitting on the mat. She crawled up to her and leaned in, trying to read her face in the faint light. "Are you mad?" she asked, whispering.

"No." Natsuki shook her head and put an arm around her, pulling her closer. "But it was still stupid."

"A bit."

"Totally."

"But good."

"A bit."

"A bit?" exclaimed Shizuru with feigned indignation, abruptly pushing Natsuki back down, causing her to squeal and laugh out giddily.

But the raven-haired girl's expression soon became more serious again as she reached up, wrapping her arms around Shizuru to pull her down.

The brunette willingly followed, lightly kissing her lips. "Say it," she murmured.

"It was good."

"Hm." Content with that answer, Shizuru settled fully on her, nestling her head into the crook of her neck.

"What about the light?" whispered Natsuki.

Letting out a soft groan, Shizuru got up, fumbling for the torch to switch it off. Then she lied down again, reclaiming her place in the younger girl's arms.

Idly stroking the other's back, Natsuki asked after a while, "Do you think someone will come soon?"

"Do you want someone to come soon?"

Natsuki remained silent. She was exhausted and tired, and a part of her just wanted to be in her warm, comfortable bed, but the other part... the other part wanted to stay here with Shizuru. Who knew when they would again have the possibility to be like this?

"Maybe─maybe we could...," began Shizuru hesitantly but then fell silent again.

Natsuki waited for her to continue, but nothing came. "What?" she whispered after a long pause.

But Shizuru didn't get to answer. The younger girl had just finished her sentence when they heard the door being opened and light could be seen through the growing crack between door wing and frame.

They both startled; Shizuru scrambling off her as Natsuki was trying to sit up, her heart heavily pounding against her ribcage, her fearful gaze set upon the door that was now pushed further open, and the bright beam of a torch light was penetrating the darkness.

"Yo! Shizuru? Nats─" Haruka's loud voice broke off when the cone of light caught the two girls awkwardly sitting on the mat, almost timidly staring at the door.

Natsuki was the first to react. "Don't come in!" she shouted, scrambling to her feet and starting to run towards Haruka on wobbly legs.

Shizuru followed her, yelling, "Keep the door open!"

"What?" Haruka was clearly confused, but remained where she was.

"The door's broken," said Natsuki, pressing past her, eager to get onto the other side of the door.

"What?" repeated Haruka, stepping aside to let Shizuru out of the hall, too.

"I─the handle came off," explained the youngest Otome.

"The handle came off?" echoed the blonde.

"Yes, I pulled at it, and then it came off somehow, and then we were stuck in this damn place," sputtered Natsuki, gesticulating towards the hall.

"But─OW!" Haruka abruptly finished her sentence with a pained cry and started to hop around on one leg.

"Oh my, it seems I accidentally stepped on your foot," said Shizuru cheerily.

"Yes, it seems so!" growled Haruka. "It hurt!"

"I'm sorry."

"Whatever! Let's get out of here!"

The others had no objections against that, and thus, they all went downstairs and left the building shortly later.

"What a day," mumbled Natsuki good ten years later. "I almost forgot."

"Was it that bad of a memory?" asked Shizuru anxiously, not having missed the shadows that had been flitting over her companion's face when she had recalled the past events.

Natsuki smiled. "Only the part before you came," she whispered, snuggling closer again.

Softly kissing her love's neck, Shizuru murmured, "The workbench looks nice..."

"What? No! Not here!"

"Why not?"

"We're too old."

"Doesn't count."

"We have a room! Two rooms!"

"Doesn't count."

"Not here," repeated Natsuki in a serious voice, plucking Shizuru's hands off her.

Shizuru pouted.

"Tonight," said the younger Pillar softly, leaning in again to kiss her.

"Tonight?" protested the brown-haired woman while the other was pulling her into her arms once more. "I have to wait the whole day?"

"No," answered Natsuki, grinning. "You have something to look forward to the whole day."

"Meanie," mumbled Shizuru, nuzzling her neck.

"Hm, but you love me anyway."

"I do?"

"Hm," made Natsuki, her hand lazily caressing Shizuru's back. "You think Yohko is already at her post?"

"You want to call her?"

"I don't want to spend the whole day here. Besides, my feet are getting cold."

"You should wear boots like the rest of us."

"It's too late for that now!"

"I know. Call Yohko."

That's what Natsuki did then, and so their involuntary stay in the shed ended shortly later.

However, the events of this morning made Natsuki think─something she also told Shizuru in the afternoon, while they were in her bureau, both sitting at their usual place and drinking tea.

"I've been thinking," announced Natsuki with an air of importance.

"You have?" asked Shizuru amused, putting her cup back onto the coffee table before her.

"Yes," affirmed Natsuki, not in the least letting herself being deterred by her friend's reaction. "You know," she continued, "now that you reminded me of that time in the gym, I couldn't shake off the feeling that some things were a bit odd that day." She paused, not having missed the slight twitching of Shizuru's lips.

At her peering, the older Meister averted her eyes, reaching for her cup again, and Natsuki went on, "And then I remembered a pamphlet with security guidelines I read some time ago. There also was a section about gym halls."

"There was?" asked Shizuru with a chortle and set the cup down again, her hand shaking from suppressed laughter.

Natsuki looked at her with a mixture of anger and amusement. "And then I went to the gym," she continued while the brunette was intensely staring at her tea and trying to regain her composure, "where I made an interesting discovery."

Shizuru seemed to have a sudden, short fit of coughing, but the raven-haired woman mercilessly proceeded.

"I took a closer look at the door handle and found out that it was made detachable on purpose. You can just pull it off and then put it back on─it was not broken at all!" she exclaimed with earnest indignation, her eyes sparkling. "You knew! All the time!"

This was the moment where the last bit of the brunette's self-control shattered and she started to shake, melodic laughter cascading from her lips.

"Shizuru!" shouted Natsuki with more feigned than real upset, rising from her chair.

By the time she had come around the desk, Shizuru was already at the door and then she could hear her laughter from the hall.

Natsuki stormed after her, chasing her down the corridor behind the office and the ones after that.

Miss Maria, who was so unfortunate as to head into their direction, dropped in shock the papers she was holding and jumped out of the way, pressing herself against the wall flat like a flounder when the whirls of lavender and blue were flashing by.

Only when the two had disappeared around the corner, she dared to detach herself from the wall again.

With a sourly face, she picked up her papers, sending one long look of greatest disesteem into the direction of the carefree Pillars before continuing her way.

"Youth..."