You Can't Win Against Ducati

The End of a Long Day

Author's note: Sorry for being so long, but this was a pain in the ass to write, especially since the scene at the end (not the omakes) was new territory for me and I kept putting it off. So without further ado, here is the final chapter.

BTW: Do you think Natsuki is a little OoC in this story? Because I think I've made her a little too emotional for an ice princess. Meh, it's too late to do anything anyway, I'll let you just read it and you can think what you like. And thank you so much for all the reviews I've had, it's nice to know people like my writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai Hime, but if the guys at Sunrise want to give me an early Christmas present, I'm not going to complain. And I don't own anything else I mention either.

Natsuki was knackered. First, she had to go chase after Ducati through the pouring rain. Then she had a… physically exhausting (not to mention enjoyable) shower with Shizuru. And then after all that, she had to clean the bedroom and the kitchen, both being a nightmare to clean.

Shizuru wasn't exactly helpful either; she moped on the sofa, drinking a cup of tea and glaring at Ducati in such a way that it would give Cruella De Ville a run for her money. The puppy who was being held in this frightful gaze sat on the floor before her, pawing at her legs to show her how sorry he was.

"Go away." Shizuru huffed. "I'm never going to give you any tea ever again."

"What?" The startled yell from the kitchen voiced the husky's thoughts, although the voice was more angry than mournful. Natsuki marched into the room, preferring to confront the older girl than to continue mopping the tiled floor. "Did you just say that you've been giving Ducati tea?"

Shizuru said nothing and took a sip of tea, her crimson eyes peering nonchalantly at Natsuki. The biker sighed and leaned back against the wall as she crossed her arms over her chest. It looked like she had to play the role of the responsible one for once.

"Shizuru, you can't stay mad at Ducati forever; he's just a puppy."

"Ara, but he ate my-!"

"But nothing!" Natsuki said firmly. She could feel her patience slip as exhaustion began to take its toll. "Listen sweetheart, you're acting childish. I know you like to get your own way and you're determination is one of the reasons why I fell in love with you, but this is just ridiculous. And don't you think it was a bit unfair how you made me clear up all of the mess?"

Shizuru felt like she had just been slapped across the face. All she could do was sit there and imitate a fish. Shizuru Fujino…childish? ...Unfair? ...Ridiculous? She didn't know whether to be angrier at Ducati, Natsuki or herself, because as much as Natsuki's words hurt her, she knew that they held truth.

Natsuki saw her lover's reaction and quickly wrapped her arms around her, kissing the girl's forehead as her hands combed their way through tawny locks. Shizuru buried her head into Natsuki's chest, comforted by the warmth as she struggled to bury her pride. Finally her pride lost.

"I'm sorry Natsuki. I was being unreasonable," she mumbled quietly without raising her head, so if it wasn't for Natsuki's Hime-advanced hearing she wouldn't have heard the apology. The younger girl rolled her eyes but she knew that was the best that she was going to get, since getting the stubborn Fujino to apologize was a miracle in itself.

Shizuru pulled away from Natsuki and leant down to tenderly pat Ducati, who was overjoyed at regaining her recognition. The biker smiled before trudging her way back into the kitchen.

"Natsuki, wait." The girl turned around to see Shizuru looking at the floor, biting her lip gingerly. Dark eyebrows lowered as emerald eyes suspiciously studied the older girl. Shizuru was looking shy. She must have something up her sleeve.

"I'll finish the kitchen. Could you just get some bags out of the car for me, please?" Natsuki's eyebrows returned to their normal place as a knowing smile spread across her lips.

The kitchen was almost finished and whenever Shizuru went to the supermarket the girl always seemed to come back with a tonne of shopping. As much as the thought of lugging in all those bags drained her more than she already was, Natsuki would be more worried if Shizuru didn't twist the situation so that it worked to her advantage.

Shizuru being too nice often meant trouble for her later. Natsuki shuddered as she remembered meeting Shizuru's parents for the first time in a light pink dress after a week of complete luxury. Shizuru was behind both events, of course.

Natsuki nodded and disappeared from Shizuru's sight, who rushed into the kitchen and frowned slightly before being wiped away with a small smile. She hadn't expected Natsuki to have cleaned up so quickly, but in the long run it would help both of them. She heard the front door open and close, knowing she didn't have long.

The biker strolled over to the car, taking her time as she really didn't have the energy to go any faster. It had long stopped raining and rain clouds had dispersed enough to allow patches of stars to be seen in the night sky, but not enough to allow the gentle warmth to escape from the atmosphere.

Natsuki inhaled deeply, enjoying the earthly scent of the wet ground as she listened to the crunch of the gravel underneath her feet. She loved the atmosphere after it rained. She felt that wild, untamed feeling that only claimed her on such nights stir inside her. Often it made her feel invincible and she would take a ride on her motorbike to indulge in these emotions.

But tonight it just made her feel peaceful and calm, knowing that she was happy with her life and that Shizuru would always be by her side. She chuckled at the thoughts as she unlocked the boot of the car.

"I've become such a sap. Next I'll be reading romances and crying at the sad parts in films," she whispered to herself, ignoring the fact that the latter would be true if she wasn't so determined to retain her reputation as a bad ass and fought to keep the tears at bay.

The boot swung open and she had to jerk her head back to avoid taking a knock to the chin. She looked down and blinked several times in disbelief. There were only three bags and none of them looked heavy enough to break her back. Natsuki nearly marched back into the flat to demand where the real Shizuru was.

That was when she saw the box. It was rectangular with not a lot of depth and when she picked it up it was surprisingly light. She admired the ornate silver swirls that decorated the black background as she wondered what it could be. The sides were sealed with tape, so she would have to wait until Shizuru told her what it was. Unless…

Child-like excitement took hold of her as she grabbed the bags out of the car (she had been mistaken, they were heavy), slammed down the boot and sprinted back to flat.

"Hey, Shizuru! What's in this…?" Natsuki yelled as she crashed into bedroom after dumping the bags in the kitchen. The sight that met her caused her words to cease.

Shizuru lay across the bed facing the door in her silk robe, her head propped up on one hand as darkened red eyes pinned the stunned biker where she stood. Natsuki let her eyes trail across the red material that clung to the older girl's body and on to the creamy smooth skin of Shizuru's legs. This was when she decided that Shizuru looked sexy as hell.

"Ara, does Natsuki want to take a picture or come here so she can have a closer look?" Shizuru teased in a light voice, but the smouldering look she gave Natsuki had a heavy effect.

The blue haired girl kicked the door closed behind her and practically dove onto the bed, mainly because she wasn't sure her legs would work since all her blood was decidedly somewhere else (and no, it wasn't her face this time). Shizuru shifted so she could look directly at her lover, also giving the chance for the other girl to look directly at her cleavage.

"So what did you want to ask me?" Shizuru asked without changing her tone, smiling slightly when Natsuki didn't appear to hear her. She waved her hand in front of the girl's face, snapping Natsuki's gaze away the brunette's breasts.

"Huh?" Natsuki grunted before becoming aware of what she had done. A light blush covered her cheeks, causing Shizuru to mentally awww. The older girl repeated her question in a huskier voice, knowing what it did to her lover. To Shizuru's delight, Natsuki's blush deepened as she stared at the box she held limply in her hands.

"Err, what's in the box?"

"Why don't you open it and find out?" Shizuru retorted with a lazy smile that made her look incredibly hot. Natsuki started to fumble with the sides of the box as she tore away the tape, unsure if she should really be opening something else.

After a bit of trouble the tape finally came off and Natsuki flipped the lid off. She sat in stunned silence as she stared at her present. Shizuru started to count to ten and as she reached the final number Natsuki tackled her. After placing a sloppy kiss on her cheek, Natsuki pulled out the matching bra and panties and held them up slightly to admire them.

The ebony black lace was woven with the swirling silver pattern, similar to the one on the box but much more ornate with thinner lines. But what caught Natsuki's attention was that in the centre of the bra was a small silver wolf's head that looked amazingly like Duran.

"Shizuru, this is… it's beautiful, absolutely beautiful. I've never had anything quite like it. Where did you get it?" the blue haired girl said, her voice slightly higher than normal. Her lover gave her a smug look as she combed back tawny tresses with her hand.

"Ara, my boss has a friend in Wacoal. After all the work I've done in the lingerie store, I decided to call in a favour." A few moments passed as Natsuki tried to process what she said.

"So are you telling me that you had this made especially for me?" Shizuru simply nodded. Natsuki gave a low whistle and slumped as she gazed at the other girl in wonder.

"Wow. I really love it, you know. It's the best lingerie piece I've ever had. Thank you," she breathed, giving Shizuru a chance to be surprised. Natsuki's collection was extremely large and to say that this was the best was mind blowing. Of course, Shizuru didn't openly show her surprise although Natsuki saw it her crimson eyes anyway, but instead gave an arrogantly seductive smile.

"Then show me your appreciation by letting me put it on you," she purred as she knelt behind Natsuki and pressed into her back, causing a deep moan to escape from the blue haired girl's throat.

Shizuru pushed away strands of blue hair and blew gently into her ear. Natsuki shuddered as a skilled tongue traced its outline before trailing down her exposed neck, tilting her head in response to allow her lover more access. Shizuru paused and gently bit down on her pulse, savouring the sound of the other girl's moans as she began to suck.

Shizuru eventually detached her mouth from the neck she had been feasting from and admired bruise that was quickly forming. Natsuki turned slightly to face her, entangling her hand in tawny tresses as she stared at her lover with darkened emerald eyes. Shizuru felt a shot of heat journey from her heart to settle between her legs. She focused on trembling pink lips and noticed how the air that escaped them in short pants, a product of her administrations.

Natsuki pulled Shizuru closer and captured her lips. Shizuru opened her mouth as she felt Natsuki's tongue seek entrance and soon began a battle for dominance. Shizuru finally relented and Natsuki plunged her tongue into her mouth, exploring every crevice and taking in the taste of Shizuru, her Shizuru. It was the older girl's turn to moan, but she refused to give up control of the situation.

Hands found themselves slipping under the green t-shirt that the biker had hastily thrown on, eager to touch the warm flesh that cried out for attention underneath. Muscles rippled as slender fingers caressed their way upwards to cup firm breasts, teasing the nipples that were straining against the fabric of Natsuki's bra. Natsuki gasped and Shizuru took the opportunity to explore the biker's mouth with her tongue.

Shizuru continued to tease Natsuki's breasts with one hand as the other moved south to grasp the hem of her shirt. She broke the kiss and crimson locked onto emerald as both girls tried to get their breath back.

"Ara, ara, you're wearing more clothes than I'd like Nat-tsu-ki."

"I could say the same about you," Natsuki replied, knowing full well that Shizuru had nothing on underneath her robe.

Shizuru smiled and pulled the t-shirt over the girl's head, finding a new home for it on the floor. She kissed the creamy skin that covered the biker's collarbone as she slid the bra strap off of her shoulder.

"Ara, why would my Natsuki want me to get undressed? I'm only taking off her clothes so she can try on her new lingerie," she teased before repeating her motions on the girl's other shoulder.

Natsuki momentarily stiffened but quickly relaxed, allowing a smirk to form on her face as she leaned back into Shizuru, her hand trailing up her the inside of her naked thigh towards what lay beneath the red silk. She felt Shizuru shiver as she began to speak in her huskiest voice, knowing that it turned Shizuru on.

"You need to get undressed because your Natsuki needs to show you her full appreciation. Simply modelling underwear isn't going to cut it this time, my Shizuru."

Natsuki leant forward slightly and slowly pulled one end of the cord that was tied around Shizuru's waist until it was undone. At the same time, Shizuru unclasped Natsuki's bra and pulled it away from her body, allowing the tortured mounds freedom. Crimson eyes sparkled with lust as she pressed once again into Natsuki's back, both enjoying the sensation of skin on skin.

"I love it when my Natsuki gets possessive," she growled into her ear, before initiating another fiery kiss.

Meanwhile, Ducati was curled up on the sofa asleep, blissfully unaware of the two girls making love in the privacy of their bedroom. It had been a tiring day full of emotion, mayhem and reconciliation for the puppy and his owners, but now he was comforted by the return of normality. He dreamt of mayonnaise and smiled in his sleep when a thought came to him. When it comes to being cute, you can't win against Ducati.

Omake

Author: So, what do you think?

Shizuru: (Trying to stop nose bleed.) A lot better.

Natsuki: (Bright red.) I can't believe you wrote that…

Ducati: Hey! How come I'm hardly in this chapter? I thought this story was named after me!

Author: Sorry, it's just how it turned out. I had to make it up to these two and you haven't been trying to kill me.

Ducati: (Whimpers and look dejected.)

Author: (Feels really guilty.) Awww, I'm sorry. Come here. (Hugs Ducati.)

Natsuki: Oi! That's my dog! (Steals Ducati away from Author.) And I haven't forgiven you for making me a sap! You've made me say mushy lines in this chapter as well!

Shizuru: (Smiles mischievously and wraps herself around Author. All signs of nose bleed are gone.) Ara, I liked it a lot Author.

Author: (Blushing.) Th-th-thanks!

Natsuki: OI! THAT'S MY SHIZURU! (Pulls Shizuru away then hits Author.)

Author: OW! Damn it, stop hitting me!

Ducati: Or at least put me down before you kill her!

Natsuki: Sorry Ducati. (Puts him down and goes into fighting stance.)

Author: (Sighs and shakes head.) Why me? (Faces Natsuki and puts up her guard, hoping she doesn't die.)

Alternative Omake

Shizuru walked out of the bedroom with a smirk on her face. The argument she had with Natsuki quickly turned into make up sex and the biker was currently asleep, completely spent and covered in bite marks.

Shizuru paused as she eyed Akira playing on Soul Calibur IV with Nao. Shaking her head, she noticed that Midori was reading one of the porn magazines. No one noticed her, so she stood silently and watched as Akira's Taki beat the crap out of Nao's Ivy.

"What the hell? Why are you so good at this?" Nao yelled after being beaten for the eleventh time. Akira merely gave a smug smile and pressed continue. Nao frowned and threw down the controller. "No way am I playing again!"

"May I have a go?" Shizuru asked as she knelt beside Nao, who jumped three feet into the air at the crimson eyed girl's sudden appearance. Akira looked unfazed and Midori wasn't paying any attention at all.

"Sure." They backed up to the character selection menu and chose their characters, Akira re-selecting Taki whilst Shizuru picked a custom character with Seong Mi-na's ability. They began to fight with Shizuru making the first blow.

"So why are you here Akira?" Shizuru asked, eyes still fixed on the screen.

"Takumi couched me," the ninja replied sulkily. Shizuru asked why. "I accidentally threw some shurikens into Takumi's cake that he wanted to enter in to the baking competition tomorrow. He was so furious; I've never seen him so mad. He locked our bedroom door after he went to bed and our place is just a one bedroom apartment so…"

"How come you ended up here?" Shizuru winced as she narrowly lost the first round.

"I was bored, so I called Nao and she invited me here. We sometimes-," Akira was interrupted as Nao slapped her hand over the ninja's mouth, the green eyed girl's face turning as red as her hair.

"So Shizuru, have you got our money?" Nao changed the subject quickly. There was no way in the world she was going to let this viper know about her secret hobby. A muffled moan came from Akira as Taki went flying through the air, defeated. Final round.

"Of course, but before that I want to know what Akira was going to say." Nao's grip tightened on the ninja's mouth as she shook her head madly. Midori suddenly became aware that they might not be getting paid for their 'job'.

"Nao and Akira are major Star Wars fans." She said with a chuckle. Nao looked at her horrified. "Together they've got loads of merchandise, all the films and every Tuesday night they pretend Nao is a Sith and Akira is a Jedi."

Nao screamed and jumped on her partner in crime intending to kill her, but Midori just lay there laughing. Shizuru watched the wrestling pair for a moment and then refocused on the game to find that Akira had beaten her. The ninja stood up and grabbed the bag that lay beside her, Shizuru for the first time noticing that it had a picture of Yoda on its side.

"Leaving already?"

"Yeah, Takumi's going to have a fit. See ya around. May the force be with you." Shizuru's lips twitched.

"And may the force be with you."