Drawing Closer to Contentment
(Note: At the time of this story, Aoyama Motoko is 20, Maehara
Shinobu is 19.)
The samurai was poring over the monthly expenses. As usual, the
Shinmei school didn’t cost a lot to run. This samurai woman ran a
tight ship and she wasn’t going to let so much as one yen go missing.
She sighed a little as she bent closer to her papers. This wasn’t the
kind of work a warrior should be doing.
A pair of slender arms wrapped around her ribs and squeezed her
gently. She half-closed her eyes, feeling a soft kiss on her ear.
“You’re so kawaii when you’re wearing your glasses,” a low voice said.
“You look studious…and yummy.”
“Mm…” Motoko purred. “Just let me finish here and I’m all yours,
lover.”
“What if I can’t wait that long?” The hands that had been
stroking Motoko’s ribs moved up to between her breasts and began
toying with the front of her shirt. Soft and persuasive hands they
were. The black-haired samurai had never fought them and she never
would. Those small, wonderful palms and fingers opened Motoko’s
uniform top and slid it from her shoulders.
“Far be it from me to make you wait,” Motoko sighed. Her lover’s
sensuous mouth sprinkled kisses on her neck and shoulders,
immobilizing her and sending chills through her strong body. Her
heart rate increased and her eyes slowly shut. This was pure love,
and she would never get enough of it. Motoko considered herself the
luckiest woman in the universe because of the intense love she and
Shinobu shared. The relationship made Motoko happier than she’d ever
hoped to be. The sex was part of that, of course—a very fun part.
The samurai had used to hate her glasses, but since they turned on her
beautiful fiancée, she wore them at least three times a week.
“I missed my gorgeous playmate today,” Shinobu whispered while she
kissed Motoko’s graceful neck. Her hot breath and silky lips raised
goose bumps on Motoko’s lightly tanned skin. Her fingertips slowly
traced paths up and down the warrior’s arms.
“And I missed my Shinobu,” Motoko murmured. She started to turn
around, but Shinobu’s hands gripped her shoulders, dissuading her.
“Wait your turn,” she breathed. “I got started first.
Relax…because this may take a long, long while.” The blue-haired lady
pulled Motoko’s chair away from the desk. Very slowly, Shinobu placed
her weight on her lover’s lap, sitting facing the taller woman. She
ran her fingers through Motoko’s long black hair. She leaned forward,
lightly resting her cotton-clad chest against Motoko’s bare chest.
Shinobu carefully licked Motoko’s lower lip. The tall warrior sighed.
Shinobu kissed Motoko’s lips softly and tenderly. She took her
fingers from Motoko’s fine hair and pressed them to her cheeks.
“I’ve got to say it again: you’re the most beautiful sight I’ve
ever seen. How you match that with your splendid heart is something I
can’t understand. But you do match it. I will love you long past our
lifetimes, Toko-chan.”
“Shinobu…” Motoko was overcome with love for the shorter woman.
She couldn’t find words to express how deeply she felt it.
Shinobu kissed Motoko again. She let her fingernails slide up and
down her fiancée’s naked back, enjoying the small shivers she felt
from the woman underneath her. She gently tugged at Motoko’s bottom
lip. The action elicited a moan from the tall lady. When she heard
that, Shinobu knew that she was in complete control of her lover’s
body. Motoko’s eyelids were closed, so she didn’t see the young
chef’s gleeful grin. Shinobu started to kiss and lick the samurai’s
sensitive ears almost timidly. She stroked Motoko’s ribs with her
left hand and lazily drew shapes on Motoko’s tight abdomen with her
right. At her leisure, the petite woman fiddled with the front of her
lover’s workout pants, loosening them a millimeter at a time. She
casually allowed her hand to slip beneath the garment but kept it
above Motoko’s panties. She coyly massaged the strong woman’s pelvis
through the damp satin, using almost no pressure. Her left hand
wandered upward to caress the underside of Motoko’s firm breasts. “I
wish I had a thousand years. I’d use them to make love to you once,
the way you deserve,” Shinobu said quietly.
“I’d never survive that,” Motoko chuckled, keeping her eyes
closed. “I can hardly stand what you’re doing to me right now.”
“Aishiteru,” the purple-eyed girl murmured into her lover’s ear.
She left off kissing Motoko’s ear and moved her mouth to her lower
neck instead. Minute after minute slipped past the enamored couple
and Shinobu’s motions continued, varying only slightly. Before long,
Motoko groaned with aroused frustration.
“Please don’t tantalize me like this,” the proud warrior finally
asked.
“Oh, I wouldn’t!” Shinobu said insincerely. With her left hand,
she stroked the smooth flesh between Motoko’s breasts. With her right
hand, she slowly dipped beneath her lover’s white panties, just one
knuckle at a time. She began to wriggle a little on Motoko’s lap,
exciting them both further. She brought her mouth back up to Motoko’s
sensitive left ear and nipped at the lobe very lightly.
Motoko’s knuckles grew white as she endured her fiancée’s torture.
“You’re so cruel,” the brown-eyed samurai panted. “I can’t bear much
more.” Her voice was tinged with urgency.
Shinobu kissed a path from Motoko’s ear down her face, neck, and
chest. She kissed cautiously around one rigid nipple. She gingerly
drew the small disc into her mouth. Motoko stiffened and moaned,
clenching nearly every muscle in her powerful body as pleasure
engulfed her.
“Oh my!” Shinobu mumbled. “Did you just come, baby?”
“Ah! Oh yes! Oh! Yes I did!” Motoko said breathlessly. “How do
you do it? Shinobu!”
“Then what if I did this?” The blue-haired girl rested one
fingertip at the base of Motoko’s crease and gradually brought it up
along the puffy pink vulvae, finally grazing the protruding clitoris.
Heat, intense feelings of ecstasy, and another orgasm washed over
Motoko’s body. She squirmed, trying to rub against Shinobu’s elusive
hand.
“Dear me, was that another one?” the young chef jibed.
“Shinobu…sama…” Motoko barely managed to stammer. “So good! So
wicked…but so good!”
“But I’ve hardly touched you,” Shinobu protested while she
carefully pushed her middle finger between Motoko’s slick labia and
into her throbbing vagina.
Motoko bit her lip to keep from losing consciousness. She writhed
at her lover’s expert assault. Without meaning to, she grabbed a
couple of handfuls of Shinobu’s blouse and ripped it apart along the
back seam. Still unaware of her actions, she dug her nails deeply
into the smaller woman’s back. Choked growls left her throat as she
came a third and then a fourth time. She was quivering from her nose
to her toes when Shinobu finally withdrew her fingers and her mouth.
“I guess we still have a few more things we can learn together,”
Shinobu’s sexy voice calmly asserted.
All Motoko could do was try to catch her breath. She opened her
eyes and her vision returned.
Shinobu stared deeply into Motoko’s eyes. She put her arms around
the taller girl and hugged her tightly. Again, she brushed her lips
against her lover’s ear. “Now and forever, I love you,” she
pronounced in a low voice. “My life would be lonely and empty without
you.”
Weakly, Motoko managed to return the hug. She knew that her
strength would come back soon. “How many times have I thought that I
couldn’t love you more? And then I do anyway. You’re simply amazing,
my true love. I, too, would be only a shell without you.”
Shinobu flashed her a dazzling smile. “You finish with the books
and I’ll make supper. Enough for three, ne?”
“Whoa! That’s right; Naru-chan will be here any second!” Motoko
quickly fixed her clothing while she spoke. “What if she’d arrived
while we were fooling around, you ecchi girl?”
“Then it would have been your fault we got caught,” Shinobu called
from the kitchen.
“My—“
“—Yes, yours! You know I can’t control myself when I see you
wearing your glasses.”
“Hmph. You just need to learn discipline, that’s all.”
“Like a samurai?”
“Hai.”
“Like a certain samurai who always becomes a sex fiend when I’m
wearing one of her training shirts and nothing else?”
Motoko sweatdropped.
In a few minutes, Motoko closed the finance book and stretched her
arms, yawning. She heard a knock at the door and rose from her chair
to answer it. There stood a familiar young woman with long chestnut
hair. “Konnichiwa, Naru-chan!” she greeted cheerfully. “Please come
in.”
“Konbonwa, Motoko-chan,” Naru said as she took off her shoes and
entered the apartment. “This place looks better every time I see it.
And is that drawing new?” She padded over to take a closer look at
the picture that had caught her eye.
Motoko smiled. “Mm. I think it’s Shinobu’s best work yet, but
she doesn’t agree.”
The drawing in question was a touching scene of two shadowy
figures sharing an umbrella in the middle of a downpour. A street
lamp shone down on them, but most of the picture was fairly dark.
“Sugoi,” Naru murmured. “What wonderful feelings. This is really
beautiful. Of course, most artists tend to criticize their own
stuff…but I can’t see a single way to improve it.”
“Me neither,” Motoko agreed.
Shinobu appeared in the living room doorway. “Konbonwa, Naru-san.
I didn’t hear you come in, but you’re just in time. Dinner’s ready.”
“It’s so good to see you again, Shinobu-chan,” Naru said as she
rushed forward and hugged her smaller friend. Motoko noticed that
Shinobu had changed her shirt, and that kind of puzzled the samurai.
“I need to visit you guys more often,” Naru was saying. “I’ve got
something to tell you both.”
The three women seated themselves and began the meal.
“Another feast,” Naru praised. “Motoko-chan, you’ve got to be the
luckiest woman in the world.”
“Told you!” Motoko said triumphantly.
“Thanks a lot, Naru-san,” Shinobu said, her cheeks turning pink.
“You just had to say that, didn’t you?”
“Um…what? What’s going on?”
“Nothing much. Shinobu’s always telling me that she’s luckier
than I am and I’m always saying that I’m the one who’s ‘getting a
steal.’ So you’re the tie breaker; I’m right!”
Naru sweatdropped. “No, it was just a poor choice of words!
Neither of you is lucky. What you are is loving, courageous, and
loyal. It’s your devotion that keeps you together.”
“Too late to take it back now,” Motoko chirped.
Naru quickly changed the subject. “A-anyway, I’ve got good news.
Haruka found a stand-in at the apartments, so she told me to tell you
that she’ll be able to attend the wedding after all.”
“Yes!” Shinobu said, clenching her small fist in victory. “It’s
been so long since I’ve seen her.”
“Too long,” Motoko added. “That’s great that she’ll be able to
make it. I’m so glad!”
“She said that she was sorry about the short notice…”
“Ha,” Shinobu laughed. “Three weeks is plenty of notice. I’m
happy that she’ll get to spend some of her time with us.
“But speaking of that, are you going to have a day free this
weekend or next weekend? Su has agreed to be Motoko’s maid of honor,
and I was hoping that you would consent to be…my maid of honor?
Please?”
Naru’s eyes sparkled. “I’m so flattered. It would be my great
pleasure, Shinobu-chan. And I’ll be free all this Sunday.”
“Then we can go dress shopping, okay?”
“That sounds fun. Let’s do it.”
*****
“I’m not as bad at this as I used to be,” Su began, “but I brought
my Japanese fashion sense with me anyway.” She patted Kitsune’s arm.
A rare blush rose on the wily woman’s cheeks.
The group of women couldn’t help but laugh and recall old times as
they traipsed through the bridal shops. Not in a few years had they
all been near each other like this. Shinobu and Motoko led, of
course, since it was their day that everyone was preparing for. Su
stuck with Kitsune, and not just for the advice. They’d been
“roomies” since before the Hinata group had split up, but it’d only
been about a year since they’d announced that they were a couple
(surprising no one.) Naru had persuaded Mei to come with her on this
trip as well. Mei was not as quiet as she’d been when she was a kid.
The passage of years that had made Naru calmer had made Mei even more
fiery and passionate than she had been. Shinobu had caught herself
thinking that the auburn-haired girl combined a lot of Motoko’s and
Su’s personality traits. When she decided to get serious
romantically, her lover would be in for it…
“But we’ve got to match somewhat,” Su was telling Naru. “The
colors can be different, but our dresses need to be the same style and
tone, and similar to the brides’ choices. Ne?”
“That’s the idea,” Motoko said. “Just get close to Shinobu’s
dress.”
Something in Motoko’s comment worried all the friends, but only
for an instant. “Come over here and talk to me, Toko-chan,” Shinobu
said sweetly, dragging her fiancée into a nearby corner.
“You promised,” Shinobu reminded softly.
“But I’ve got to take it back,” Motoko whispered almost
desperately. “I’m a kendo artist. I’ve got to marry in traditional
clothing.”
“Plus you don’t like how you look in a fancy dress.”
“In a formal dress, you mean! All our loved ones will be there; I
don’t want to spoil it by looking strange.”
“Don’t you say that, Aoyama Motoko! You’ll be beautiful and you
know you will. I want everyone to see that I’m marrying the most
heart-stoppingly gorgeous woman in the world.” The small lady took
Motoko’s hand and kissed it.
“Turning me red won’t stop the—“
“—My bride will be in a dress and that’s final.”
The tall samurai’s mind pored over arguments. She knew that it
was impossible to change Shinobu’s stance on this. But maybe she
could get something like a bargain out of the situation. “Okay,
Shinobu-chan, you win. You pick the dresses and I’ll pick the shoes,
deal?”
A smile lit the blue-haired woman’s face. “Deal,” she agreed.
“Was someone in trouble?” Su asked when the fiancées rejoined the
group.
“Yeah, I though I heard a full name being used,” Kitsune kidded.
“That usually accompanies scolding.”
Motoko was already blushing and she stayed that way. Shinobu
fired back. “You’d know all about it, huh, Mitsune-chan? How often
does Kaolla have to use both your names?”
“Ooh,” Mai winced while Naru and Motoko laughed. “That’s one for
Shinobu-chan.”
“Worse because it’s true,” Su chimed in.
“Hey—“ Kitsune protested.
“—You know it, so don’t argue, love,” the dark-skinned girl said
with an almost straight face.
“Whoa, now there’s a gorgeous dress,” Naru said, pointing.
“And look at that one,” Mei continued, spotting a gown two
displays away.
“You’ll be trying on a lot of dresses today,” Motoko told Shinobu.
“Our friends are much too genki.”
Shinobu found herself a gown, and a gown for Motoko not long
afterward. The group of friends was nearly stunned by the lacy,
backless dress with the full skirts that Shinobu chose for herself.
They loved the low-cut, elaborate dress that she picked out for
Motoko, too.
“You’re a natural,” Naru said. “It’s like you were born for
this.”
“You could probably make the argument that I was,” Shinobu
answered with a quick squeeze of Motoko’s arm. “Now it’s your and
Su’s turn.”
“I saw a couple of very cute bridesmaid’s dresses just a minute
ago,” Mei offered.
Eventually, Shinobu found an intricate yellow satin dress with
bows that everyone agreed would go well with the other dresses and was
perfect for Naru. Then it took a while to get Kaolla’s dress.
“Come on,” Motoko had needled at one point. “Kaolla-chan looks
great in this.”
But Kitsune vetoed that one as she had many others, saying that it
didn’t match the other three well enough. Finally, the group reached
consensus on a filmy silk dress that matched all of the others very
well and suited Su’s delicate, dark-skinned frame terrifically.
Kitsune’s eyes had glowed the moment she’d seen Kaolla in it.
“We’ve got them. Everything’s set!” Motoko remarked cheerfully.
“Waiting for the day will be the toughest part,” Mitsune said.
“Well, that and the in-laws.”
“All of you have been total saints through this,” Shinobu said.
“It’s been a long, tiring day, and Motoko and I want to thank you.
Mitsune and Kaolla. Mei and Naru. I love you girls; no one could ask
for better friends.”
“We love you, Shinobu and Motoko,” Su replied, and they all agreed
warmly.
After they’d had a great supper at a swanky Italian restaurant
(Motoko had insisted that Shinobu take the day off from cooking) the
young women parted ways.
“They loved the shoes that you picked out for me,” Shinobu told
Motoko when they arrived at their apartment.
“I’m glad,” Motoko said noncommittally.
“Oh, come on, Toko-chan! Let me see the shoes you got for
yourself!”
“Uh-uh. You’ll see soon enough,” the tall warrior teased. She
played with her lover’s dark hair. Shinobu had been letting her hair
grow longer; it reached past her shoulders now. Motoko really liked
it that way.
“You’re right, I will. And I’m sure that I’ll like the surprise,
too. You can read me better than anyone can.” The young chef closed
her eyes and snuggled into Motoko’s strong arms.
Motoko realized how tired she was. She knew that Shinobu must be
just as weary or more so. “Things have been hectic, haven’t they?”
she murmured. “I’m looking forward to the next time we can relax.”
“As long as you don’t count on that ‘next time’ being our
honeymoon,” Shinobu giggled.
“I’m glad we’re on the same sheet of music,” Motoko said without
missing a beat. Both women laughed softly and cuddled closer
together.
“We’ve slept in the same bed every night for nearly three years,”
Shinobu reflected.
“And that streak is about to end,” Motoko sighed.
“Nani?” A trace of alarm sounded in Shinobu’s voice.
“It’s tradition—and this is a serious one, by the way. Spouses
aren’t supposed to see each other on their wedding day until the
ceremony. And you won’t talk me out of this.”
“Demo—“
“—It’s only one night, Shinobu-chan! You can last one night.”
“Sure I can. But I don’t want to.”
“I don’t want to either.”
“All right, you win. But that means less sleep the night before.”
“Oh, I expected that.”
Shinobu started fiddling with the buttons on her lover’s
nightshirt. “Less sleep tonight too,” she murmured.
*****
The day of the wedding finally dawned. It had rained during the
night, and there was a lingering fog in the early morning, but by
10:00, the day was bright and clear with a pleasant breeze. Su and
Naru woke the fiancées and kept them in separate parts of their suite
of rooms. Before long, Motoko’s sister arrived to help her prepare.
“Just an hour to go,” Naru commented while she worked on Shinobu’s
hair. “Nervous yet?”
“Kami, yes! Anxious, excited—but I’m so happy! You know I’ve
always dreamed of being a bride and now it’s happening.” Shinobu’s
eyes shone with joy.
“No one’s ever deserved to have her dreams come true more than you
have, Shinobu-chan,” Naru said, her voice suddenly developing a
noticeable tremor. She finished brushing Shinobu’s fine blue hair.
“Are you okay, Naru-chan?” Shinobu asked gently.
“I’m fine,” the chestnut-haired woman answered, “just struck by
lots of funny little details and bits of information and feelings.
You know, I envy you, Shinobu. But when I see how kind and loving,
courageous and beautiful you are—I envy Motoko a lot more.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that as happy as I am to be
your bridesmaid, I’d really love to be your bride.”
“I had no idea,” Shinobu responded, her words hushed.
“I meant what I said years ago: you and Motoko have something
wonderful together. I would never want to break it apart.
“Datte, may I…just once…kiss the bride?”
Shinobu stood. She wrapped the taller woman in a warm embrace and
looked straight into the depths of her eyes. She turned Naru’s head
and pressed her lips to Naru’s cheek and let them dawdle there for a
minute. “Will that do, Naru-sempai?” she asked as she withdrew.
Naru tenderly kissed the petite young woman’s cheek in return.
“Thank you, Shinobu-chan,” she stammered. “I will always love you.”
“And I will always love you, Naru,” Shinobu responded. “You’re a
very special woman and a precious friend.”
“Let me finish your makeup before I start crying, ne?” Naru
sniffed.
Shinobu and Naru stayed quiet while Naru finished her meticulous
application of eyeliner and lipstick.
“It’s close to time now,” Shinobu pointed out.
“You’re right. I’ll head out there and take my spot.”
Naru opened the door and came face-to-face with a man who’d been
about to knock. “Ohayo, young lady,” he said politely.
“Ohayo gozimasu,” she answered. “Your father’s here,
Shinobu-chan.” Naru left and Shinobu’s father entered the room and
closed the door.
“It’s great to see you, oto-san,” Shinobu said, sounding genki.
“My little Shinobu,” he breathed. “I admit, I still feel strange
about all this, but I know you’re right. You look radiant with joy.
I’m so happy for you.”
“Arigatou, Papa. I feel how I look. I’m glad you came for this.”
“I apologize for your mother’s absence,” the middle-aged man said
quietly. “She doesn’t understand your choice.”
“No need to be sorry. Maybe someday she will see that Motoko is
my Soulmate. I hope for that day, but I don’t need it in order to be
happy.”
“If she was here right now, I think she’d get it. But enough of
that; are you ready?”
Shinobu swallowed hard. “Hai.”
“Good,” her father said, patting her hand. “We’ll hear that music
start any second now.”
*****
“So are you nervous?” Kaolla asked Motoko while she brushed the
samurai’s waist-length hair.
“A Shinmei warrior shouldn’t ever be nervous,” Motoko said
lightly. “Demo, yes. I’m nervous.”
“Perfectly normal,” Motoko’s sister said while she painted the
bride-to-be’s nails. “I was on my wedding day.”
“Your wedding was so pretty,” Motoko reminisced. “I was such a
little monster on that day because I didn’t want you to leave me.”
“You were only a kid,” the elder Aoyama replied. “No one could
blame you one bit. Now you’re the one getting married and to be
honest, I think I’m feeling some of the panic you felt then.”
“It doesn’t make any sense, but I feel it too,” Su said. “I know
that Motoko and Shinobu aren’t going anywhere, but I’m still a little
scared that things will change when they take their vows.”
“Some things will change,” Motoko said solemnly, “and our
friendship won’t be one of them. I love you, Su-chan; I love all the
people I grew up with. You’ll always be dear to me and to Shinobu.”
“Arigatou, Motoko-chan. Friends forever, ne?” Kaolla hugged her
tall friend impulsively. “Now I guess I’d better get out there for
the start of the ceremony.” The dark-skinned woman left the room with
a flourish.
“She’s still as genki as ever,” Motoko’s sister laughed. “You
have awesome friends.”
“I’ve been blessed,” Motoko replied. She and her sister busied
themselves with the very last preparations, including Motoko’s bouquet
of tiger lilies and yellow carnations.
“Everything is in place,” the older samurai pronounced. “Are you
ready to go out there?”
“Yes.” The young warrior took her sister’s arm and walked to the
meadow. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her—over two hundred pairs.
She saw, with gladness, that Haruka was sitting in the second row of
chairs, beaming at her. Some of Shinobu’s relatives had never seen
her before, she knew. She was still nervous, but her smile wouldn’t
go away. She reached her position at the front of the assembly,
between two large cherry trees.
She saw Shinobu and her father approaching. Motoko and many of
the guests stopped breathing. Shinobu looked luminous. Her normally
straight hair was wavy and shimmered with each step. Her smile was
entrancing. Her violet eyes were alight as she neared her lover.
When she reached Motoko’s side, her smile turned shy and Motoko’s
pulse paused a moment.
The minister cleared his throat. “Honored guests, friends, loved
ones, we are here to witness the joining in matrimony of these two
young people. Marriage is more than just tradition; it is a way of
life. The sacrifices are great, and so are the rewards of a good
marriage. These two have made the difficult decision to devote
themselves to each other.”
The short, grey-haired man turned to Motoko. “Do you, Aoyama
Motoko, promise to love, honor, and cherish Maehara Shinobu in
prosperity and adversity, holding only to her, for as long as you both
shall live?”
Motoko closed her eyes for the briefest instant, then answered
boldly. “I do.”
The pastor turned, addressing Shinobu this time. “And do you,
Maehara Shinobu, swear to cherish, love, and honor Aoyama Motoko,
keeping only to her, through bad times and good, for as long as you
both shall live?”
Shinobu’s voice rang like a crystal bell. “I do.”
“If anyone knows any reason these two should not be married, let
him speak now or keep silent from this moment.” No one made a sound.
The minister smiled warmly. “By the authority given to me by the
government of Japan, I declare you married. You may kiss your
spouse.”
The shoes Motoko had carefully chosen added twelve centimeters to
Shinobu’s height and less than half a centimeter to her own. Shinobu
now stood nearly eye-to-eye with Motoko. Each woman lost herself in
her love for the other and time rested, waiting only for them.
Motoko’s arms encircled Shinobu’s neck, Shinobu clasped Motoko’s
waist. Their kiss was pure. Afterward, Kaolla, Mitsune, Naru, and
Mei would describe it as the most beautiful act they’d ever seen.
Silent tears ran from Motoko’s sister’s eyes. The gathered family and
friends clapped and cheered. Motoko reached out and held Shinobu’s
hand. The newlyweds walked down the aisle of grass.
“I can’t believe they did it,” Kitsune murmured. “Wow. It was
perfect.”
“Short and very sweet,” Naru agreed.
One of Shinobu’s young cousins caught Motoko’s bouquet.
Narusegawa Mei managed to catch Shinobu’s flowers. Motoko and Shinobu
hopped into the white stretch limousine that the hotel Shinobu worked
for had offered to let her use.
“To the reception, then. Party time!” Kitsune shouted, putting an
arm around Kaolla’s neck.
Motoko’s sister (who’d sometimes referred to herself as the father
of the bride) had rented a wing of Nagoya’s largest private concert
hall. Shinobu’s dad had called in a few favors and somehow booked a
popular rock band to play live at the reception, making him an instant
hero. Of course, Shinobu had arranged the catering herself, and it
was first rate.
For quite a while, family members occupied both young women,
bombarding them with stories, questions, well-wishing, and many other
things.
“At least they got the first dance to themselves. That’s
important,” Kitsune remarked.
“Speaking of that, how about a dance, Konno-sempai?” Su asked.
“Of course,” Kitsune answered with a dashing smile. Mai watched
them long enough for Naru to notice her staring.
“They look good together, don’t they?” she asked her younger
sister.
“Hai. Do you suppose that Shinobu and Motoko gave them a bit of
the confidence that they’re showing now?”
“Yes. Support and courage seem to flow from them.”
“Um, excuse me,” a young man with black hair and a deep voice said
to Mei. “Could I, um, could we…dance?”
Mei made a show of considering, with a secret wink to her sister.
“Well…okay,” she answered. The young man’s face brightened. He
extended his hand, she took it, and the two moved to the large dance
floor.
“Could I get a dance, pretty lady?” a familiar voice said.
Naru grinned as she turned to look at the speaker.
“Haruka-sempai! I though I saw you here. What’ve you been up to?”
“Dance with me and I’ll tell you,” the older woman persisted.
Naru grabbed Haruka’s hand and led her toward the middle of the
room. She looked up at the wily woman she was dancing with. “I know
you were there for the whole thing. Why didn’t you come over and say
hello?”
“Oh, I thought this should be a day when you girls could hang
together without adult supervision,” Haruka said mischievously.
“Don’t worry, the brides know I’m here. So do Kaolla and Kitsune. I
saved the best for last.”
“Why Urashima Haruka…are you flirting with me?” Naru jibed.
“Sure. My nephew may have been dense enough to separate with you,
but I’m not so silly. I can see what a treasure he let go.”
“You charmer,” Naru sighed.
“It’s Shinobu and Motoko’s fault. That wedding was way too
romantic.”
“Right. So it’s not your fault you’re trying to hook up with me.”
“I accept most of the blame. Is it working?” Haruka’s
guilty-but-not-sorry grin held Naru’s attention.
“Maybe,” the chestnut-haired woman said, blushing.
“Yeah it is.”
*****
It was after 1:00 a.m. when Motoko and Shinobu finally begged off
from the party, saying they had a plane to catch in the morning.
Technically, it was true; the flight was scheduled to leave at 11:55
a.m.
When they reached the apartment, Motoko lunged and picked up
Shinobu. The blue-haired woman laughed with delight as her wife
carried her through the doors and into the bedroom.
“The honeymoon doesn’t start till tomorrow,” Shinobu began, “but
I’ve never seen anyone so lovely and I’ve wanted to make love to you
all day.” She unzipped the low back of Motoko’s gown while she spoke.
Motoko busied herself with Shinobu’s dress. “I see no harm in a
little bedroom fun.” She eased Shinobu’s gown from her body and
kissed her with hunger.
“I like the way you think, Aoyama+Maehara-san,” Shinobu murmured,
running her hands through Motoko’s hair.
“I like the way you feel, Aoyama+Maehara-san,” Motoko answered,
tracing Shinobu’s ribs with her fingertips.
The newlyweds didn’t speak again for a long while.
*****
“Have a great trip, lovebirds,” Kaolla said. The group of friends
stood next to the ramp that led up to the cruise ship that would take
Shinobu and Motoko to Australia.
“Try to see some of the sights, not just your cabin,” Kitsune
snickered. Motoko, Naru, and Mei turned varying shades of red.
“I can’t promise anything,” Shinobu returned shamelessly, giving
Motoko’s rear a discrete pinch. Even Kitsune blushed at that.
“Behave yourself!” Motoko hissed at her wife. Shinobu just shot
her the innocent smile she’d mastered years ago.
“I’ll take lots of pictures,” Motoko promised. “I’ll send
postcards.”
“We’ll make a video of the highlights,” Shinobu continued.
“Arigatou,” Haruka said. “Now get going, before the boat leaves
without you.” They did just that.
“Ja ne!” the two lovers yelled as they waved from the ship’s
railing. Their friends were too far away to hear or be heard, but
they were shouting and laughing and waving. The ship carried the two
women away and the dock disappeared from view.
“Australia…we’ll be there in two days,” Shinobu sighed.
Motoko put on her glasses and did her best to look innocent.
“What do you want to do in the meantime?” she asked, her voice
brimming with suggestion.
“You’re such a bad girl!” With that, Aoyama+Maehara Shinobu
pulled her spouse into a fierce kiss. The couple managed to reach
their cabin and shut the door behind them.
Back to Love Hina Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction