Chocolate Kisses
The air at Fuuka Academy was cold, and students wandered the campus in their coats and
blazers. It was still winter, and the air had an icy tinge to it.
Natsuki had never wanted to skip school as badly as she did that particular day. However,
with the HiME festival over, and District One all but eliminated, she couldn't justify, even
to herself, cutting class this time. As badly as she wanted to, as horrific as she knew the
day was going to be, she was powerless to prevent the calamity that she knew was surely
coming.
And so, she donned her rider suit and mounted her motorcycle, and, against all better
judgment, she set out for Fuuka Academy. The wind cut in like a knife, even through her
rider suit. She even had to endure the cold on her bare flesh as she parked her motorcycle
in the woods and changed into her school uniform.
She caught sight of Mai and Mikoto as she headed for class.
"Natsuki," Mai waved her over, "Hey, Takeda was looking for you."
There was a sly smile on Mai's face as she said this, and Natsuki groaned inwardly. Mai was
fully aware of Takeda's intended purpose in seeking out Natsuki, and Natsuki herself was
convinced that Mai was showing far too much pleasure at the prospect.
"And I suppose that you and Yuiichi have plans for today?"
Mai blushed, "Well, we're planning on going to this really nice Italian restaurant, and…"
"I wouldn't. Shiho will find you for sure there, and your date will dissolve into utter
chaos," Natsuki didn't know why she was offering advice, because given Mai's cavalier
attitude towards Takeda's advances, she certainly didn't deserve it, "There's a little place
two blocks down from Linden Baum. It's small, quiet, and the food isn't bad."
"Ramen?" Mai asked with displeasure.
"For when Mikoto shows up to pester you two, because you know she will."
Mai sighed in defeat, "I get the point. "
"So, if you see Takeda, what do you tell him?"
Mai groaned, "That you went to the nurse's office with an upset stomach."
"Good," Natsuki said approvingly, and then she turned to Mikoto, "Play along and you can
have all the unwanted chocolates I'm sure to get today."
"Natsuki's got a tummy ache," Mikoto parroted.
"Good girl."
And with that she slipped off to find refuge.
Despite her earlier resolve to attend class, Natsuki found her determination already
shattered. For this was that most annoying of all days, February 14th, known far and wide as
Valentine's Day. And if the news that Takeda was looking for her was any indication, Natsuki
was certain that it was going to be synonymous with yet another massacre by day's end.
If the truth were to be known, Takeda wasn't the only male member of the student body to be
pursuing her. Love letters, boxes of chocolates. They were nothing new to her. In fact,
aside from Shizuru , she'd often heard some of the other girls in class commenting on her
fashion model looks. Of course, there was still Takeda. He was just the most persistent. Of
course, she reflected, he had seen her without her panties. Men were so simple. All it took
was one bright and shiny thing to get their attention.
It wasn't that Takeda was a bad guy, Natsuki reflected. He was honest and fairly
straightforward. But he was just so damned irritating at times. Of course, to be fair, some
of that annoyance might have come from her determination to exact vengeance on District One.
She'd told Mai that until her mission was done, she'd have no time for relationships. Of
course, she had no idea at the time how strange the whole thing would turn out to be.
Matters were even worse, though. Ever since the HiME festival, Natsuki had been going out of
her way to avoid Shizuru's fan girls. Ever since Natsuki had acknowledged how important
Shizuru Fujino was to her, the former Student Body President had been neglecting her
hangers-on and personal entourage. And it didn't take them long to discern where Shizuru's
attention was now focused. On any other day, Natsuki could have simply ignored them. Today,
however, with all the focus on affection, love, and chocolate, Natsuki could feel an aura of
malice directed towards her from Shizuru's kohai, and she was almost certain it was
accompanied by murderous intent. And while she didn't think any of them could accomplish
anything, she just wasn't in any mood to deal with it right now.
"I gotta find a quiet place to hide for the next twenty-four hours," Natsuki muttered. She
considered heading back to her motorcycle and beating a hasty retreat, but that wouldn't
work to her advantage if Takeda were to come looking for her.
She considered the Student Council room, which had recently been rebuilt after her battle
with Shizuru. However, since Shizuru had resigned as the Student Body President, there was
no way she could hide there without running afoul of Haruka Suzushiro and her self-righteous
discipline committee.
She was giving serious thoughts to the matter, when she bumped into Nao Yuuki.
The two were not friends, but they had been somewhat more civil to each other since the HiME
festival, when Natsuki had saved Nao from a rampaging Shizuru. It was at that time that she
had understood that had in not been for Shizuru's kindness and love, she would have become
just like Nao.
"Hey, Kuga," Nao acknowledged Natsuki, "Takeda's out looking for you."
"I heard. And Shizuru's fan club is giving me the evil eye, too. And I found three love
letters and five boxes of chocolates in my shoe locker. And I think one of them was from a
girl…"
"Fujino?"
"No."
"I see. I didn't think that sort of thing happened in coed schools, but I guess with the
slim pickings we have around here, some girl might be desperate enough to turn to a butch
like you."
"Very funny. Listen, you ditch almost as often as I do. Any idea where I can go to wait out
the day?"
"Well, there is the nurse's office."
"No good. Takeda will be looking for me there."
Nao smirked, "Let me guess. You had someone tell him you'd be there with a stomach ache, so
that you could avoid eating any chocolate's he might have offered you."
"Bingo."
"Then I'd try the chapel," Nao suggested.
"You're kidding."
"Yes, I am."
"Thanks for nothing."
Nao sighed, "Kuga, wait. I do sort of owe you. I mean, yes, that brat Mashiro brought
everyone back to life who died, but I'm sure it would have hurt if that crazy girl had
killed me.
"There's an office behind the theater that hasn't been used in awhile. You should be able to
make it to the end of the school day there."
"Thanks. Don't tell anyone where I am."
"Done."
Natsuki made her way to the office that Nao had told her about, and sat at one of the
folding chairs in the room, closing her eyes to catch some sleep.
"Natsuki," She heard that delicate Kyoto-ben from the door. She looked to see Shizuru
standing on the inside of the door. She shut the door quietly and locked it.
"Shizuru?"
"I came here to rest," Shizuru said, "I've been bombarded with love letters and chocolates
today, and I just needed a place where I could have some time to myself today. I‘m sure you
can understand."
Natsuki smirked, "Who would have thought that Shizuru Fujino cut classes."
Shizuru smiled serenely, "It's only for special occasions. And besides, somehow, you
criticizing me for that comes off as being a bit hypocritical, wouldn't you say?"
Natsuki suddenly caught a whiff of something rich and fragrant.
"Shizuru, you didn't bring the chocolates with you that those lovesick schoolgirls gave you,
did you?"
Shizuru shook her head, "Of course not. I left those in my locker."
"Then what is that smell?"
"That's a special deluxe chocolate made with green tea. You'll like them. They're very
delightful."
Natsuki's eyes narrowed, "Wait a minute. Why did you bring chocolates in here if they're not
from those kohai?"
Shizuru giggled, "I brought them for my dear Natsuki."
"I've been set up, haven't I?"
"I'm afraid so," Shizuru smiled, taking a seat across from Natsuki, "Takeda isn't here
today. He and the other members of the Kendo team are having a match in Hokkaido today."
Natsuki grimaced, "And Mai and Nao…"
"Were each bribed, of course," Shizuru said, "I gave Mai a couple of reservations for a very
exclusive restaurant . Miss Munekata won't be able to intrude on her date with Yuiichi, who,
incidentally, had to sit out the match with a minor injury. And Miss Yuuki was more than
happy to offer her support after I explained the situation to her. She said something about
owing you. I knew that you'd be looking for somewhere to escape, and I thought it was a
wonderful idea. So I just had them steer you this way."
"Shizuru!"
Even as she chastised Shizuru, she was already formulating plans on how she would extract
her vengeance on Nao and Mai. Tokiha might get an unexpected visit from Shiho on her date
after all. And Nao? The things she would do to that little tart…
Shizuru pouted, "Don't be angry. Ever since the HiME festival, we haven't had a moment to be
alone together. And, well, I wanted to make it up to you for my rather unseemly behavior at
that time."
Natsuki sighed, "Shizuru, I've already told you, it's alright. I don't mind. Really."
It sounded strange to hear herself say it, considering what had passed between them. In a
moment of weakness, Shizuru had committed the ultimate betrayal. If it had been anyone else,
Natsuki wouldn't have been able to forgive them. But somehow, it didn't seem to matter now.
To Natsuki Kuga, it seemed more like a bad dream that she could barely remember than
something that had actually happened.
"Natsuki says she's forgiven me," Shizuru pouted, "But then she avoids me. Her actions don't
match her words."
It was true that the two of them hadn't really spent any time together since the HiME
festival, when, in the past they had been quite close. During the festival, Shizuru had
gone slowly mad trying to protect Natsuki, and knowing that her fate as a HiME meant that
she was doomed to failure. She had betrayed her friend's trust, and taken advantage of her
in her sleep. She had confessed her love for Natsuki, a love that she called "wicked" at the
time.
Natsuki had forgiven Shizuru, even come to acknowledge how important Shizuru was to her when
she had regained her HiME powers and set out to stop Shizuru's destructive, and
self-destructive, rampage.
But they had been kept apart by time and circumstances since then. At least, that's what
Natsuki told herself. She didn't believe that she'd been avoiding Shizuru since that time,
but she had to admit that they hadn't spent much time together since then.
Natsuki realized, at that moment, how it must have looked to Shizuru. Forgiven or not, with
her betrayal, she must have felt like their friendship had been broken, and that her love
had been rejected. It must have been lonely.
"I wasn't trying to avoid you, Shizuru," Natsuki said, with feeling, "I've just had a lot to
deal with. If it seemed like I was trying to avoid you, I'm sorry. That wasn't what I
wanted. That's not what I was doing."
Shizuru looked relieved. She smiled and produced a box of very expensive looking
chocolates.
"These are for you. They're a sign of my undying devotion to you, Natsuki."
"If I accept these chocolates, will you believe that I've forgiven you?" Natsuki asked.
"I will," Shizuru said cheerfully. She opened the box, and the room filled even more with
the thick decadent scent of chocolate.
"Then I'll accept them," Natsuki reached for the box, only to have Shizuru move it out of
her reach and set it on the desk behind her. She took a single chocolate from the box, and
then, with a mischievous smile, put it between her lips. Smiling like a fox, she turned to
face Natsuki.
"Oi, Shizuru," Natsuki looked very displeased with the situation, "What's this?"
Shizuru's smile only spread further. She uttered no words, but her eyes conveyed the
message, "If you've truly forgiven me, then take this sweet kiss from my lips."
With a sigh, Natsuki resigned herself to her fate, and leaned in, blushing, to accept
Shizuru's Valentine and her love. Their lips touched, and there was a tingle of electricity,
and Natsuki felt her face flush.
"That was…tasty," Shizuru smiled.
"Yeah, it was," Natsuki begrudged.
"Then would Natsuki like to retrieve the rest from my bra?" Shizuru asked with an innocent
smile.
"SHIZURU!"
"Just teasing," Shizuru said, laughing.
"Shizuru?"
"Yeah?"
"May I have another?"
Shizuru smiled broadly, "Of course, Natsuki. I bought them for you. Take all you like."
She held out the box.
Natsuki took it from her and set it on and adjacent chair.
"I didn't mean a chocolate," Natsuki said, blushing slightly. She leaned forward and stole a
kiss from Shizuru, who seemed quite surprised by Natsuki's boldness.
"Natsuki?" Shizuru managed after they broke the kiss.
"I wanted you to know that I'd forgiven you. No, not just forgiven. I wanted you to know
that I accepted your feelings," Natsuki said, "So that's why…"
Shizuru looked at Natsuki, blushing , tears in her eyes, "I'm so happy."
Natsuki held her hand, "I think your lips still tasted like chocolate."
"Ara, ara, would Natsuki like to kiss me until the chocolate is all gone?"
Natsuki shook her head, "No."
Shizuru looked a bit crestfallen, until Natsuki added, "I want to keep kissing you long
after the chocolate is gone."
"Natsuki," Shizuru spoke softly.
"Yeah."
"If you don't want to take the chocolates from my bra, then would you like it if I took them
from yours?"
"Oi, Shizuru, are you sure you're a girl. You sound more like a dirty old man."
Shizuru grinned, "I never knew dirty old men had such good taste. Of course, with all this
chocolate, Natsuki has good taste too. Or, rather, Natsuki tastes good."
Natsuki sighed, "Let's go. We still have to get out of here past your fan club."
"Wouldn't you like to declare our love to the whole student body?" Shizuru asked with a
grin.
"Doing that today might get both of us killed," Natsuki said, remembering the unforgiving
expressions of the kohai.
"To die in Natsuki's arms would be a wonderful experience," Shizuru said, "I should know.
I've done it before."
Natsuki smiled, "Flatterer."
"Maybe Natsuki wants to check us into a love hotel," Shizuru said with a Cheshire cat grin.
"SHIZURU!"
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