This takes place after "When You Wake" and it's also a one-shot.. For those who didn't read it or don't remember it, Shizuru was a master vampire and Natsuki was a werepanther. In this one, Yukino's a master vampire and Haruka's a human bound to Yukino.
Lion Tamer
by Mara S. S.
The night had started pretty normally for Yukino. She'd woken up, fed in her usual neat fashion, then went straight to her study. It wasn't unusual to wake up without Haruka by her side. Her human servant often woke up earlier than her and handled important matters that came up during the day.
But when she reached her study, Yukino realized that everything was... suspiciously quiet. Her worst fears came to pass when Chie entered the room.
"Yukino-sama?"
"Yes, Chie?" Yukino replied, bracing herself for the worst.
"You do know Haruka's about to officially declare war in your name?" Chie asked matter-of-factly.
Yukino groaned and immediately stood up. "Ah, Haruka-chan..."
With Chie following close behind, updating her on the recent happenings, Yukino hurried up the stairs to the ground floor of their mansion. The mansion and the surrounding grounds used to be a resort before Yukino bought the former owners out. She'd built an underground complex with enough room to house all the vampires in the city under Yukino's command.
Haruka had actually complained bitterly at the poor security until she was given free reign to 'improve' things. She'd turned the luxurious resort into a well-fortified stronghold and that stronghold was now buzzing like a stirred up bee's nest.
Right in the middle of it, of course... was her Haruka-chan.
Yukino and Chie reached the main hall on the ground floor and kept to the wall so as not to catch Haruka's attention. "Chie." Yukino said quietly, knowing the other vampire's sharp hearing would catch her words.
"Yes Yukino-san?" Chie responded, smartly snapping to attention.
"Could you prepare the situation room? Bring out the maps of Windbloom, and mark out where Viola's forces could be. If that's alright." Yukino said, the implications of her orders a sharp contrast with her soft voice and polite speech.
Chie nodded thoughtfully. "Do you really think it will come to that?"
Yukino smiled faintly, keeping an eye on her ferocious human servant from the shadows. "I doubt it. But it's good to be prepared, right?"
"Well, Haruka-san seems to be taking care of all the preparations we'll need." Chie commented dryly, as they watched Haruka dish out orders left and right.
"I'll calm down Haruka-chan." She'd started to walk out into the hall when Chie caught her arm and drew her back.
"Actually, there could be another reason for the sudden visit." Chie began. "I've heard Viola has been having trouble keeping some of her people in line. I'm not sure, but looks like it's because of some messy love triangle."
Yukino laughed. "Chie... The gossip you're not sure of is more trustworthy than most of the reports I get." Yukino bit her lip, a nervous habit she'd never lost. "Find out what you can. Hopefully before they get here. Can you do that?"
Chie gave the master vampire a rakish grin. "Yukino-sama, you have too little faith in your most trusted servant." This, accompanied by a flourish and a bow.
Yukino shook her head in resigned amusement. "Chie... Practice breaking hearts on your own time. We have business to attend to." Yukino chided her subordinate gently.
Chie left swiftly, and Yukino's attention returned to the problem at hand. For a few moments, she was lost deep in thought. Not about the visit of Viola and her entourage. That was easily handled, easily prepared for. No, what she faced was a more difficult challenge than that. After much careful consideration, Yukino sighed, facing the fact that she had only one viable option.
"We need to find bigger rocks..." Yukino murmured mournfully as she strode into the center of the hall. They used to be able to drop rocks on Haruka's head to knock her unconscious and prevent her from causing too much damage. But that method had stopped working some time ago so Yukino was truly left with no other option than what she'd decided on.
"Haruka-chan?" Yukino said, walking straight into the bunch of weres and vampires her servant was organizing. The others made way for her upon seeing the master vampire approach, probably not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.
"Yukino!!!" Haruka said by way of greeting. "Have you read this?! This!" Seething with rage, she handed a rolled up piece of paper to Yukino.
Yukino took it and carefully smoothed the paper out. It was a short message, who's contents she already knew thanks to Chie. It politely informed the master vampire of Aries, that Shizuru Viola, master vampire of Windbloom, would be arriving for a short visit later that night.
Yukino looked up at Haruka. "We should prepare food and rooms for our guests then, right Haruka?"
"YU-KI-NO! Don't you get it? That woman is insulting you! She's treating you as if you're beneath her! And for all you know, she's planning to annex your territory."
"Haruka..."
"Sending such a short message, that woman has no idea of what's proper." Haruka grumbled. "Treating a fellow master that way. Who knows what she's up to."
"Haruka-chan, it's probably just something urgent." Yukino said reasonably.
"But it's still inexcusable! I'll just have to teach her better manners myself." Haruka insisted, looking as if she, a strong but still ordinary human, was perfectly willing to battle Viola and company all by herself. Yukino didn't know what was scarier, the thought that Haruka would do so, or the thought that Haruka really believed she could win.
"Haruka..."
"What?"
"Haruka-chan, Viola's message seemed urgent." Yukino tried once more.
That set Haruka off again. "Urgent? I don't care if it's impotent!"
"... important ..." Yukino murmured, looking at her human servant with more than a touch of exasperation.
"That woman!" Haruka pointed fiercely at the letter Yukino held in her hands. "That woman is not coming near your territory!"
"Well, Shizuru Viola is older than me by several decades so I at least ought to meet her."
Haruka scowled. Despite the fact that Yukino was a master vampire and Haruka merely a human, albeit a stronger and faster one thanks to her bond with Yukino, it was Haruka that looked more like a lion ready to pounce.
"She. Is. NOT. Allowed. Here." Haruka carefully enunciated each word, backing them with the fierceness of a lioness defending her cubs. "She has no idea of the basic courtesies! And allowing her here... It's not safe!" Haruka mumbled, facing away from Yukino, "Who knows what that blasted woman will do to us when we're all asleep..."
Yukino sighed, gathered up her courage, then gently kissed Haruka. She kept it short, knowing full well how uncomfortable Haruka was with public displays, despite the human's lack of reserve in the bedroom.
"Yu-Yukino! What was that for?" Haruka protested, blushing slightly looking frantically around at the others passing through the hall.
"Haruka-chan." Yukino had to tiptoe a bit to reach the slightly taller human's lips as she kissed her lover a second time.
"Y-yes?" Haruka asked.
Yukino grasped Haruka's elbows and leaned in for another kiss, then another, and another, and another until Haruka began to look somewhat dazed. Yukino pulled away and smiled gently, not needing to say what was in her heart because it was plain enough from the look in her eyes.
"Mmm." The expression on Haruka's face softened slightly. She rubbed the back of her neck to relieve the tense muscles there. "But Viola's still not coming over here." She said, but with less vehemence than before.
"It's not as dangerous as you think." Yukino said reasonably. "Viola has never manifested any desire to expand her territory. She also seems to be having, ah-" Yukino searched for a delicate way to phrase it. " - internal problems, according to Chie. I'm quite surprised she wants to talk to me, given the way things seem to be in her own territory. Haruka-chan? Are you listening?"
Haruka was frowning. Then suddenly she grabbed Yukino's shoulders, looking at Yukino in alarm. "Yukino! What if it isn't her territory she wants to expand?"
Yukino tilted her head to the side. "Ano, Haruka-chan? What do you mean?" She then reflexively pushed her glasses up her nose, another habit she'd never lost even though she'd already been a master vampire for several centuries. It was an old habit, just as her wearing the glasses themselves was, an odd affectation that everyone around her found amusing. She had no need of them. She already had eyesight better than most humans.
Haruka slammed a fist down onto the palm of her other hand. "She wouldn't..." Haruka growled.
Yukino stared for a moment before she realized what Haruka was thinking. "Idiot." Yukino said fondly. "I'm a master vampire in my own territory. Besides," Yukino said with a knowing smile. "I hear she's now limited herself to a harem of one. A very attractive werepanther, I believe."
Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Really? Who'd have thought..."
"Mmm." Yukino agreed, crossing her fingers and hoping the crisis was over. "So it's settled then?"
"If I say no, will you kiss me again?" Haruka asked wryly.
"Haruka-chan!" Yukino protested, almost blushing herself.
Haruka laughed at Yukino's expression then threw her hands up in mock surrender. "Yes, yes. We'll prepare for Viola."
"That's my Haruka-chan." Yukino smiled and gave her lover one last kiss before they began preparing a proper welcome for their visitors.
END
Disclaimer: Mai HiME belongs to Sunrise. This was also partly inspired by the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels by Laurell K. Hamilton.