A/N: After reading 'Dents in Her Armor' (a really great story for that matter) I felt so much depressed that I decided to make something with fluff, love and peace. :D
It isn't special or even long, but at least it was enough to settle down my restless soul… or so to speak.
And regarding 'Overcome Destiny' – I think I will still get the update done by tomorrow, so there is no need to worry about that. :-)
Disclaimer:Mai HiME / Mai Otome and its Characters do not belong to me. All this stuff belongs to Sunrise.
The new School Year
There was a tender voice whispering in her ear, brushing it with hot breath. This sensation made her shiver in pleasure while her lips formed a satisfied smile.
Yes, Natsuki was happy after all. Though she was in a state between deep slumber and slowly awaking, she refused to open her eyes, since it would make Shizuru stop pecking her on the cheek, trying to wake her with soft words so full of love. Her heart skipped a beat when she only thought of her sweet girlfriend and the heavenly feelings of pure bliss the younger girl experienced since the day they became a couple.
Shizuru always did such girly things like snuggling, persuading her to go on dates, cooking her meals, cleaning up her room or simply going for a walk while holding hands. However girly she thought of it, Natsuki was still enjoying this relationship.
But this blissful voice was still there… wasn't it finally time to at least listen to what Shizuru said? There was this nagging feeling in her head telling her she was about to forget something she should better not.
"Wake up, my Natsuki, or you will be too late for school." her girlfriend whispered once more directly in her ear, her hand soothingly stroking through black strands of silky hair. Emerald-green eyes reluctantly opened and met scarlet orbs glittering with amusement and the always present love. Yes, the day she said to her chestnut-haired goddess the magical three words, this glint of love appeared in her sexy red eyes, refusing to ever leave since then. They had spend some weeks together nearly without any separation, living out their relationship to the fullest extend they could manage, revelling in the joy of their love, realizing only then how much they were longing for this fulfilling sensation.
"Good morning, my love. Did you sleep well?" the red-eyed girl asked happily.
"Ngh…" was all Natsuki managed to reply. It was still too early for getting up, after all.
"Ara, what a typical Natsuki-like greeting we have here." she laughed softly, still caressing Natsuki's messy hair.
"Five more minutes… please?" she begged at her girlfriend with her big puppy eyes.
Though Shizuru was tempted to grant Natsuki her wish, she knew that even one more minute could easily result in ten more minutes. But Shizuru Fujino was properly prepared for this morning, knowing her Natsuki good enough to foresee such attempts.
"Ara, I won't allow Natsuki to be late, even if it meant to threaten her with the chores I would impose on her in case she doesn't make it in time." she said playful, still smiling at the raven-haired girl.
"Damn you…" Natsuki grumbled with in a low tone.
"I love you too, sweetheart." Shizuru replied.
Without answering her, Natsuki drifted off to sleep once more while thinking about the only thing she thought of in the last several weeks.
"So Natsuki isn't afraid of chores, I presume? What if I said that unless all the housework is done, there will be no hot and kinky sex anymore?"
Startled, Natsuki was awake in an instant, looking as if Shizuru threatened her with… well, with no more nightly (and often daily, too) pleasure.
"Ara, this was a fast one. Well, I already prepared breakfast, so would you mind getting dressed and joining me, Natsuki?"
Natsuki sighed and nodded. "Why is it that it is always you who win? This is depressing, you know?" With that the raven-haired girl began to dress herself. She couldn't help it, but even though they were a couple now, she had still this problem of being slightly embarrassed whenever Shizuru laid her red longing eyes on her while she was dressing. It unnerved her, but then again it aroused her on the other hand. She sighed again, desperately trying not to look into Shizuru's eyes.
"I have missed my Natsuki wearing a school uniform." the older girl said, her hands on her beloved one's body to adjust her clothing here and there. Then she nodded satisfied with her work and led her lover out of their bedroom.
It wasn't as hard to reorient and to adapt a new daily routine as she thought it would be when she first moved in. Natsuki called herself lucky to be gifted with the blessing named Fujino Shizuru.
They both sat down on the opposing ends of the table, which was fully covered with a various amount of different plates, bottles and jars, only waiting for a quick disappearance in Natsuki's growling stomach.
"Itadakimasu!" she said in between shuffling the food on her own plate, completely missing Shizuru's content expression. It was on their second day after they lived in this apartment when the red-eyed beauty confessed to Natsuki that it was always a secret dream of her to cook for her lover, be the calm and girlish counterpart to her husky and somewhat masculine behaving girlfriend. Not that it hindered Shizuru in any way to be the dominant one in this partnership, though. But the way how she found out about this one… well, this is something she would rather forget, Natsuki mused.
"Is my home-made mayo to your likings, Natsuki? I tried to improve it with some new spices I discovered the other day in the new supermarket." Shizuru smiled, tapping one finger on the table.
"Ngmpf…" she tried to answer with her mouth full of… mostly mayo, the older girl guessed.
"Ara, one shouldn't speak with a full mouth, Natsuki."
She only nodded, trying to use the little time she had left till she would have to leave for school.
"Did you check your schedule of lessons? And did you pack all books you will need today?" she asked.
"Don't worry… how could I, since you annoyed me for this reason the last two days?" Natsuki snorted.
It didn't even take three seconds for Natsuki to regret her words. Out of a sudden a hurt expression on Shizuru's face made her worry, the first sob coming immediately right after her mood changed.
"So I… I am annoying… to Natsuki?" she asked between her sobs, blinking and shivering slightly.
"No! I… I didn't mean that! Shizuru! Please, I love you… I would… would never mean… to… stop crying! I love you!" Natsuki nearly panicked, making her way to Shizuru as fast as she could manage without overturning the fully covered table. "I'm sorry, Shizuru… please, I am thankful for your help, and it wasn't annoying, really!"
"Ikezu, making a girl cry for the sole reason of wanting help her unthankful girlfriend."
"Damn you…", Natsuki said, gritting her teeth. It was the same old trick, as always. And she fell for it, as always. And she cursed Shizuru for it, as always. And in the end, she forgave her… as always.
"Say, Natsuki, who already knows about us?" she said, tilting her head slightly to the right a quizzical look on her face.
This was something the dark-haired girl wouldn't want to think about. In fact, she delayed the obligation to tell her friends – if you didn't count Mikoto, it would only be her other friend, Mai – about her relationship, even about her sexuality, as much as possible, but with the new school year beginning it would be rather difficult to hide this fact. That didn't mean she wouldn't try it, shy as she was. There was another reason: her pride as the infamous ice queen of Fuuka was on stake.
But even then, Shizuru and the love she felt for her were things she shouldn't be embarrassed about. She had to "mark" her girlfriend as hers in public, after all.
Since it was hard to decide what to do, she didn't bother to decide. It was the most practical way to deal with things, at least until a ticked off Shizuru intervened.
"Erm… yeah, I… I thought about telling them today." The green-eyed girl muttered, scratching the back of her head nervously while grinning in a sheepishly manner.
To this her crimson-eyed goddess only nodded, a mischievous smirk on her lips, making the already nervous Natsuki only more fidgety.
"Rien ne sort de rien, Natsuki", she only replied, unnerving her girlfriend even more, since she didn't understand French at all.
"Could you try to be a little bit… well, less perfect, Shizuru?" Natsuki tried to counter, but a lame counter like this was nothing more than a kind of admission of defeat. "One is supposed to be good on either math or languages, but not on both! This is abnormal, damnit!"
"Ara, last night you seemed rather fond of my skilful tongue."
"Shut up! Is sex all you can think about?" Natsuki mumbled with a husky voice, averting her gaze and trying to make her deep blush disappear.
"If I recall correctly, it was you who assaulted me in the kitchen yesterday, Na-tsu-ki." She chuckled, making her girlfriend blush in a deeper shade of red.
"Damn you…" the defeated girl growled, looking at her intertwined hands while playing idly with her fingers.
"I love you too, Natsuki." said an even more chuckling Shizuru. "But it's getting late, don't you think?"
"Ah." Was the answer she got, but since Natsuki didn't bother to look at the clock, there was a high possibility that her reply was somewhat automated. It seemed she was lost in her own thoughts at the moment.
'I wonder how they will react when I tell them… or if the whole school learn about it. Her fangirls will lynch me, but at least they would stop their advances on Shizuru. Whatever, I will deal with it… tomorrow?'
"Natsuki! It's late, you should hurry… or do you wish me to carry you to school?" the chestnut-haired girl said with a playful smirk on her lips.
"Eh?" responded the midnight-blue haired girl, turning her head to get a better look at the clock. "EH?!"
"Exactly. And don't forget… in case you are late, this week's chores are waiting for you." Shizuru pointed out.
With this Natsuki shoved the last bit of bread-covered mayo in her mouth, stepped into her boots, grabbed her school bag containing her books as well as the bentō box with delicious food Shizuru made with love and dedication for her sweetheart and reached for her cell phone, putting it into her pocket.
Natsuki was to be about storming out of their apartment, but froze midst running to her bike upon hearing a single "Ara" from behind.
The green-eyed girl turned, went over to Shizuru and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. Even without time to waste, Natsuki would never dare to see it as a waste of time at all. It was more important than to arrive at school on the dot.
Slowly her lips tenderly touched Shizuru's, making both of them close their eyes. Natsuki could feel two arms encircle her waist, drawing her closer to her girlfriend's perfect body. They felt their hearts beat in unison, the heat within their bodies already rising to dangerous levels.
It was Natsuki who broke the kiss, opening her eyes slowly, while Shizuru leaned her head at the younger girls shoulder, her red orbs still closed.
With a content sigh, Natsuki kissed Shizuru on the head, stroking her long chestnut-colored hair gently.
"Aishiteru, Shizuru."
The older girl looked at the younger one, an endearing smile gracing her tender lips. Natsuki didn't need her loved one to say it out loud for she knew that all words wouldn't be sufficient to describe what her crimson eyes were able to express in this particular moment.
They let go of each other, Shizuru waving her hand at the once again leaving Natsuki, who turned her head a last time to catch a glimpse of the beautiful girl which would without a doubt wait for her to return safely.
Ikezu - 'Meanie' in Japanese
Rien ne sort de rien - The proverb 'Nothing comes from nothing' in French
bentō / bentō box - A home-made boxed lunch containing a wide variety of nicely arranged food (rice, fish etc.)
Aishiteru - 'I love you' in Japanese