Her Birthday [Mai-HiME AU]

"Hey Shizuru,"

"Mmm?"

"What do you want for your birthday?"

"Ara, I wonder..."

My Birthday...Shizuru mulled over the thought for a few moments, a brief respite from work. Could her birthday truly be coming up so quickly? But sure enough it had to be, Natsuki and Kaito had gone out to get their Christmas tree not too long ago-and Keiki had started humming holiday tunes while doing her homework. It was clearly December, and with December came her birthday. How strange it felt to be asked what she wanted for her birthday even as an adult. She allowed a small smile to cross her face. Of course her two children would be scrambling to get her a gift and also have to worry about Christmas as well. Granted, their Christmas was not nearly as a affair as perhaps the Americans; She had been baffled when Keiki had told her the traditions that Alyssa and Miyu had for the holiday.

She preferred the quiet affair of the Christmas Eve dinner and present exchange, and then the peaceful day after in which they relaxed and enjoyed each other's presence. Though...she was quite sure that Kaito was going to take Michiko out on Christmas day, and since Keiki was going to go and celebrate in the American style with Alyssa, she and Natsuki would be allowed to enjoy the day together in peace. A small chuckle passed her lips, perhaps not so peaceful. There was bound to be a more...pleasurable pursuit of Christmas joy involved that day between the two of them. Christmas was the holiday for lovers after all.

But before Christmas came her birthday. As a child she had enjoyed it, having been born so close to the holiday, everyone was already in a good mood. It was a beautiful time of year, white snow falling, joyous singing, and or course the glee of receiving presents from family and dear ones. Oh how her childhood winters had been filled with bliss! She hadn't wanted for anything, her family was wealthy enough to purchase anything she had wanted. She wasn't spoiled persay...but she had never gotten out of the holiday season wanting something she hadn't gotten. As a small child it has been dolls, pretty things that she would gaze at and play with, envious of their beauty and carefully stitched clothing, looking so beautiful that she wanted to be like them, with their painted lips and gorgeous kimonos. When she was a few years older she asked for kimonos, patterns of flowers, nature, anything that she found to intrigue her. Tea sets followed after, and into adulthood she continued to ask for nothing but things she found beautiful.

She still treasured all the gifts she had gotten from her parents and family. All rich and splendorous gifts, but they weren't treasured as much as the gifts she had begun to receive at Fuuka. The first she received was the English tea collection, complete with a small book on how to brew them. A safe gift. The book was old nao-it's pages wrinkled from years of wear and tear. She knew the brewing methods by heart, but it was the book that was all that was left of the original gift.

"I...didn't really know what to get you...so...you like teas right? I didn't know if you'd tried the English stuff yet, so here!"

In reality she had tried them already, but she told her that she hadn't, and thanked her with a huge hug. Compared to the crane patterned kimono her family sent her, the tea boxes and book remained close to her heart the rest of the year. Shizuru had only drank the tea she received on special days. Days where she'd blush and stutter in enormous amounts, calling Shizuru an idiot, or a day where she would show up to all her classes and eat lunch with her. Days that were far and wide apart. She could only drink that tea with her in mind, having spent a day with her.

In the second year she had known her, a slightly more suiting gift came her way. Some hair ornaments, baubles really. They were nice, but not something that would cost a person a year's wages. Something special enough that some saving had been made, but only for a few weeks. They were precious to her, not because of the material- were only made of high quality wood, designs carved onto them and a few beads adorning them-but because they had been thoughtfully been picked out.

"You wear kimonos and yukatas a lot don't you? You don't really put much in your hair, but it looks weird that you're wearing such nice clothes and nothing nice in your hair. I mean-you shouldn't be sloppy or anything-so here!"

It had been so touching, even when she violently denied that she wanted Shizuru to wear something that she got her. Even when the occasion didn't call for it, those pins and clips went in her hair. They far outshined the fine necklace her father had sent her. The amethyst stone had been beautiful, yes, but it could not outshine the polished wood of the other gift she had received.

In the third year, even through the madness of the Festival, the focus of her mission, she had strived to give Shizuru a gift. Shizuru herself had been so focused on protecting her, that she hadn't even realized her birthday was coming up. She had been surprised when she had thrust a parcel at her.

"I had heard the dorms were getting really cold since the heaters are broken-and since you're so busy with Student Council stuff and are always running around doing something...Here-this'll keep you warm in your dorm room-if you even go in there anymore. It won't do you any good to get sick over something stupid like the heat being broken,"

It was the first time she hadn't been full face blushing when giving her a gift. She was bashful about it, a bit blunt, but she had grown. The slight pink tint to her cheeks had been precious, and so had the gift. A robe, a lavender color, and very warm. Draped over her bed time yukata, she was never cold. It was almost like being embraced by her. The robe still smelt of her apartment. Motor oil, ice, and that faint whiff of the perfume that she denied that she even owned. There had been thought put into this gift, and it had been bought in advance. The heating system in the dorms had only broken a few days before her birthday. This gift had been weeks in the making, a smile graced Shizuru's face, not that she'd admit that to anyone though. It was meant to look offhanded. It had outshined the thoughtful gift of a Heien Era styled tea set. The tea set was granted, vastly more expensive, and much more elegant and beautiful. But what else could put Shizuru at ease but the scent of the free spirit she loved? The teas set could definitely not lull her to sleep with thoughts of piercing green eyes and silken blue locks.

"Indeed..." Shizuru chuckled, "Perhaps it would be best to let them decide on their own? They always seem to surprise me after all," she mused with a smile, returning to her work yet again.

-----

"Just how in hell am I expected to get her a Christmas gift AND a birthday gift-and not have them be the same thing!?" Kaito cried, weaving a hand through his hair and resisting the urge to tug at it, "I mean, come on-what do you get for a woman who has pretty much everything already? Have you seen her rooms in Kyoto? FILLED with everything! Jewelry! Clothing! Tea! Everything I tell you," he groused to the ginger haired girl beside him.

Michiko gave a small giggle, "It was so much easier when you could make her something in art class and bring it home, wasn't it?"

<i>In truth Shizuru had kept every one of the poorly made bowls and bit and the first one Kaito had made for her sat on her office desk holding her keys and spare brick a brack.</i>

"Damn right it was...Then all the sudden you're in high school and pinch pots don't cut it anymore!" he groaned, "Man...this reeks. Keiki refused to help me too! I mean, come on! How'm I supposed to know what she wants for her birthday anyways?!" Kaito heaved a sigh and glanced at another store front, shaking his head, "If I'm this bad...Mom's probably even worse off than me. She's married to her and a girl, so she's expected to be good at getting her gifts, but we all know that's a lie,"

Michiko laughed, "There there Kai, I'm sure you'll find something soon enough. You always do. Besides, this works out too," when he gave her a questioning look and she continued, "This way I can finish shopping for everyone on my Christmas list, and you can help me decide what to get for the twins and Kanaye!" she chirped brightly.

"Hey...Hey! I thought you were supposed to be helping me find a gift-not the other way around!" came the violent protest.

-----

Shizuru glanced at the small misshapen piece of clay on her desk and let a chuckle rise from her throat. Painted in an uneven coat of purple, it had been a gift from a five year old Kaito. Something he'd made in art class and proudly given her with all the boasting a five year old could muster up.

"Sensei said mine was the best in the class! So Shizuru-kaa-chan should be really proud! You can put it on your desk and everyone will be jealous!"

She had put it on her desk, and there it had remained since then, for twelve years nao. There had been other art class gifts she'd received, but most of those remained at home, or at the Fujino house in Kyoto where she had a little bit of her son's love everywhere. He had stopped making the art projects in middle school, proclaiming that art was not his 'thing' and that it was embarrassing to even look at the old presents.

"Seriously-you still keep that thing on your desk okaa-san? Urgh...it's so embarrassing, you don't have to keep it there anymore you know,"

She knew that, but she didn't care. There it stayed, collecting small things inside, from spare yen coins she would find around the office, or keys or small notes. To any person who wasn't familiar with her family would think that she still had a child in elementary school. She let another spare chuckle rise to her throat and shook her head, elementary school child Kaito definitely was not. No, he was a teenager with all the raging passions of youth that she had herself as a adolescent. Well...his raging passions of youth are hardly as strange as mine though...Shizuru allowed herself a small laugh. Yes...she had been the strange one, hadn't she?

Admittedly, most teenager girls did not fall in love with their best friends, proceed to take advantage of said friend in their sleep, and go and kill people in their name. No. Definitely not something you'd see in average teenage help book, no testimonial of deranged emotions throw out of proportion by a star in the sky that could potentially be the end of mankind.

Just as unlikely though, was that the friend turned around and loved her back. Had gone and accepted her admittedly bizarre feelings. In the fourth year she had known her, that was the first Christmas they had spent as a couple wasn't it? What a Christmas it was too. Granted, the two of them had gone to a party for all the HiME instead of spending the entire day and night celebrating alone. Though...when they were alone, my what a surprise she had had in store.

"You know...it's kinda stupid to think that we're going out and all and I have a key to your dorm room, but you don't have a key to my apartment. Consider it a late birthday gift too. So...I mean, if you want it, here Shizuru, anytime you want, you're welcome."

Oh if only she'd known the havoc that little speech had wrecked on her heart! And right outside her dorm room no less. She'd readily apologized to her hall mates the next morning for the noise the two had created. Though many of them could care less, considering it was a college dorm. She couldn't help herself truly. When she had given Shizuru that key...It was almost as if she was absolving her of her sins. Giving her the permission to be near her, to enter her personal space that no one else could, especially after what had happened in the past...

Shizuru shook her head, No need to get morose Fujino. <i>The past is in the past and neither of you have dwelled on it in such a long time, so let's not break habit nao.</i> She allowed herself a smile as she glanced at one of the photos on her desk, one taken at a HiME karaoke party back when they were still all in school. Goodness we look so young in this photo...especially Alyssa. The 'golden angel' had graduated high school not too long ago, and was happily instructing the choir students at Fuuka while continuing her studies at the local university.

She had remained in touch with Alyssa through her daughter, who was completely infatuated with the way Alyssa could sing. She widened her small smile and shook her head, how many times had Keiki come home in a fit upset that 'Alyssa-sempai' learned the music so fast and could sing so well. How normal she sounded when she got upset over something as silly as a sempai beating her out of top spot in chorus. How different it was than the girl who once had to be assured that she was not going to be hit if she messed up in school, or couldn't do something right at home.

How far she has come from the trembling girl with a horrid haircut and broken bones. Shizuru mused, looking at the family photo that they had all taken in the summer. Gone was the small, precocious boy, and the timid and shy girl, and in their place two teenagers who were confident and sure of themselves. Best of all this was they were happy. These two did not have to worry about having the weight of the world on their shoulders like their mothers had. No, these two worried about mindless things, like boys and girls, and what to wear and who they hung out with. They had peace, and she was content that her children could have what she could not when she was their age.

Her eyes trailed to the corner of her desk, where hidden under the poorly made pinch pot was a small note, a drawing made in class no doubt, and clumsily formed katakana, proving a child wrote this who was too young to write proper kanji. It was Keiki's first Christmas gift to her, a pure, innocent gift that she tried her best to make. For a child not knowing what Christmas was, or how to celebrate it, the gift was heartfelt and any time Shizuru thought that the human race was surely deteriorating to mindless and horrible people, she looked at the note.

Shizuru-san, Kaito-nii-san said that on Christmas you give gifts to people. I don't have anything to give you, but I wanted to say thank you to you and Natsuki-san for taking me in and helping me. Thank you for sticking with me even though I am not very good at anything, or very special. Thank you so much.

She had the note laminated not too long ago when she realized it was starting to fade. Keiki needn't have said such things to let them know that she was thankful; they could tell at a glance that her very self radiated thanks. Shizuru turned back to her work with another shake of the head. Ara, what has gotten into me? So nostalgic today...it could be the season...but I won't be able to go home on time if I keep this up so...Back to her work she went.

-----

"Let's see..." clear blue eyes scrutinized the fabric before her, "I should only need about fifteen more rows and I'll be done!" she exclaimed cheerily, going back to her knitting needles with a delightful hum of happiness. The tune soon turned to 'Silent Night' as she got into her knitting rhythm. Let Natsuki-okaa-san and Kaito-nii worry about getting her gifts, I'll be the smart one this year and make her something! She let a grin cross her face at this thought. Twice she had declined to go shopping with her elder brother for gifts. Natsuki-okaa-san had tried to ask her to help too, but to no avail. She already had everything planned out. She'd already bought her Christmas gift for Shizuru-okaa-san, and nao all she had to do was finish the scarf.

"Lavender will look good with the jacket that kaa-san got her in the fall," she mused, midway through another row, "and kaa-san and Kaito will be sooooo jealous when they figure out I'm a step ahead of the game!" she snickered, snuggling into the pillows propped up on her bed some more. No more coming up last when it comes to gifts! This year mine'll be on top. I used to be behind the game, but nao I'm totally ahead! nao that she actually knew how to celebrate birthdays and holidays, she made it a priority to do her best for them. Not like her embarrassing first birthday and Christmas gifts. Ugh, those had been awful! But this? This was genius. She giggled and smiled brightly, it was going to be a good holiday season.

-----

Natsuki on the other hand was in a rut. Just as her adoptive daughter had prophesized, she was pretty much pulling her hair out over the simple question of what to get her wife. She hit her head against the counter of the lunch bar she was sitting at and let out a audible whimper of defeat.

"Would you mind not hitting your head on the counter Natsuki? I don't want to have to clean it again," Mai poked her friend in the head and heaved a sigh, "Seriously, you too huh? Michiko-chan said that she was going out to help Kaito-kun shop and you're here too? You Kugas are hopeless," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Shut up Mai. You haven't lived with her for 17 plus years. I don't know what to get her, because she already has everything that she wants!" Natsuki groused, running a hand through navy locks, "I mean, how much more inventive can I be? And with Christmas, damn it all, why can't her birthday be in some other month where there isn't already a gift giving holiday?"

Mai nodded to her friend, cleaning a glass behind the counter of her restaurant, "Well, you married her. So you knew what you were getting yourself into. Besides, if Shizuru isn't asking for anything, you don't have to get her anything right? I mean, with Yuuichi most times I just tell him not to bother trying to get me something unless I tell him exactly what I want. Since he's just as hopeless as you when it comes to gift giving,"

"Shut up..." Natsuki growled, "Don't compare me to Yuuichi, I'm much better at it than him, just not when I have to come up with a gift for something like this. Anniversaries are easier, then I can just do something embarrassingly sappy. Birthdays though? Bah"

"Didn't you propose to Shizuru on her birthday?"

-----

"Gotta say Fujino-sama, you sure are a lucky one," Shizuru looked up from her papers in the meeting and towards her assistant, an intern who she was quite fond of, "You've got a girl who's willing to spend a pretty penny on you," she continued, pointing at the wedding band and engagement ring on her left hand, "If only all of us could be so lucky," she sighed wistfully, organizing some papers in front of her gloomily.

Shizuru let a laugh flow from her throat, "Ara, I'm sure your boyfriend will get you something nice this year for Christmas Eva-han," she consoled, patting the woman on the forearm gently, "Besides, Natsuki had to save quite a bit to afford these," she added gesturing to the rings, "and they quite surprised me," she mused, smiling to herself.

"Damn! It's freakin' freezing out there..." she grumbled, shoving her hands in her jacket as she trudged down the sidewalk, "Why on Earth did you want to go ice skating when it's snowing out and almost below zero?" she groused, green eyes questioning with a slight glare at her girlfriend.

She was met with a warm laugh as they walked up the front steps to Shizuru's apartment. After her first year of university, she had decided to move out of the dorms and acquire her own apartment close to campus. Her girlfriend would sleep over often, and the two were considering simply moving in together since the bluenette was spending much less of her time at her own apartment and more at Shizuru's.

"Ara, that's because it is my birthday and I wanted to watch Natsuki try to ice skate. It was just as amusing as I thought it would be," Shizuru commented, watching the girl's face flush a red not from cold but of embarrassment.

"Yeah? Then for my birthday I'm going to have you do something you've never done either. Like...try to pogo stick or something...while wearing something ridiculous," she grumbled, slowly ascending the few steps to the door. When she realized her threats were having no effect she snorted, "Whatever Birthday-Idiot," she sighed, pulling her hands out of her pockets and glancing at the door, "Good Night,"

"Ara? Natsuki is not going to going to give me a gift? Or even stay the night? Ikezu..." Shizuru sniffed, a pout forming on her face. In the back of her mind she really was slightly hurt, but she had to play up on it if she wanted Natsuki to stay and help fulfill the certain birthday wishes that were involved in the bedroom.

Natsuki flushed and rubbed the back of her bare neck, "Urg...well...Ah Hell..." she shook her head and took a step forward. Grasping Shizuru's shoulder with a hand she pulled her forward for a warm and loving kiss. So enraptured in the feeling of Natsuki's lips, she almost missed that the girl had slipped something into her gloved hand. A small box. Regretfully breaking off from the kiss she brought the box up in view in slight confusion. When Natsuki made no movement to tell her what it was she opened it and all ability to think or speak left her.

"Yeah...so nao you can't complain that I didn't give you a gift or anything. I was gonna give it to you on Christmas, but I figured that maybe you'd want to spend Christmas as…" she trailed off and blushed a furious red, and Shizuru could absently tell that Natsuki was fighting her hatred of blushing and want to be affectionate in the slight twitching of her mouth. She really couldn't think much of how cute that looked since a diamond was happily winking her in the face from inside the velvet box. "As Fiancées. So..." Shizuru's eyes snapped up from the box to Natsuki's face, which had lost any trace of apprehension and confliction and held a sheepish and loving expression, "Not that we can get married right nao and all when we have to deal with school. But after all that nonsense is over...Shizuru, will you marry me?"

"Fujino-sama? Hello? Are you still with me?"

Shizuru blinked, staring at her assistant with a confused expression, "Ara?"

"You went away-far away to some very happy dreamland that no doubt had to do with Natsuki-san," she explained, even causing Shizuru a dusted blush at being caught in her thoughts, "And as much as I can understand daydreaming, we really need to finish this work, I have to go shopping after this and we both don't want our vacation times getting cut into. So…work please?"

-----

"Mai, I can't exactly propose again can I? Or get married again, or ask her if she wants to start a family again-We've done all that already! And I've already gotten her anything else that may have had something to do with romantic crap and all that jazz," Natsuki groaned, shaking her head at the memory.

"Renew your vows? That'd be romantic, and then you can plan something for bed afterwards, you know, a second honeymoon and all?" Mai suggested, winking with a grin at her spluttering friend.

"Get real! That's something for Christmas-we celebrate birthdays all together, all four of us. So it needs to be something..."Natsuki trailed off, eyes widening.

"Natsuki?" Mai blinked, looking at her long time friend apprehensively.

"Mai, where's the nearest art store?"

"Eh? A few blocks down, why? Hey!" Mai wasn't able to get an answer as Natsuki bolted out of the family restaurant quickly. "Geez...she never changes..." she grumbled, going back to cleaning.

Outside though Natsuki was heading towards her bike, phone in hand, "Yeah, Harada? I think I need a favor. You still have all those pictures? Could you print them out for me? On nice paper and stuff? Yeah-it's for Shizuru, thanks," she snapped her phone shut and her mouth twitched in a grin as she put her helmet on, Why didn't I ever think of this before? Man, sentimental garbage be damned, this'll be perfect!

-----

"Well, I'm leaving then Fujino-sama, have a good holiday break, I'll see you at the company New Year's party. Will Kaito-chan and Keiki-chan be coming this year?" Eva asked as she packed up her briefcase.

Shizuru shook her head, "No, Keiki has engagements with the school choir and Kaito is going to the festival at the shrine with the student council and Michiko-chan," she answered, "So only Natsuki shall be accompanying me this year,"

"What a pity, Kaito is so fun to tease," Eva sighed, "But if only your wife is around, perhaps you won't worry about how much sake you have, right?" she laughed, "Not that I'd say anything more than that Fujino-sama, see you later!"

Shizuru gave a spare chuckle at her assistant's antics and continued packing up her own briefcase. "What's so funny?" the comment drifted from the doorway and Shizuru looked up to meet endless orbs of viridian, a smirk curving on the woman's lips.

"Just something Eva-han said, that's all," she answered, standing and meeting her lover halfway through the room for a soft kiss, "And this is highly unexpected," she murmured against velveteen lips, moving in for another lazy kiss, "Not as though I'm complaining though,"

Natsuki gave a lopsided grin and flicked some stray hair behind her shoulder, "eh, early birthday treat. I figure you'd rather hold onto me on a bike than sit in traffic," She hooked a arm around Shizuru's waist, "I'll make it worth your while," she added, walking over to the desk and plucking the briefcase from the chair, "So let's blow this joint, alright?"

Shizuru gave a small giggle and looked at her wife incredulously, "You," she started pointedly as they exited the executive's office, "Are in a an exceptionally good mood. Ara, or it could be that Natsuki has not gotten my gift yet?" she teased, a smile curving on her lips.

Natsuki snorted as they entered the elevator, "Can't I be in a good mood every once and a while? Geez," she threw a pseudo glare to her wife, "Enjoy it while you can woman," she teased, a wolfish grin on her face.

"Definitely a good mood. Whatever could have made Natsuki so happy I wonder?" Shizuru mused, a smile brightening her face as they walked out the building and towards where Natsuki Ducati was parked.

"That," Natsuki stated, handing Shizuru her helmet, "Is for me to know and you to find out," she finished, swinging her leg over the other side of the bike, "Coming?"

"Ikezu," Shizuru accused, still putting her helmet on nonetheless and mounting the bike behind her lover, fitting snuggly behind her, arms wrapped tightly around a lithe waist.

"Only for you," Natsuki answered with a laugh as the bike roared to life and it kicked forward to the streets.

-----

"Ugh...well, if we're done playing the picture perfect family I'm going to go to bed to get to sleep before the two of you are taken over by the passions of youth; Though considering okaa-san's age nao, I don't think I can really call it that," Kaito commented, smirking as he rose from the couch that the family was currently squeezed on. "Besides, with Fujino-ojii-san and obaa-san coming tomorrow I for one am not going to be caught with sleep in my eyes," He gave a stretch and leaned over to peck Shizuru on the cheek, "Happy Birthday Shizuru-mama, good night," he bid, a grin on his face as he ambled off to her room.

Keiki gave a giggle and pushed herself from the couch too, "That's my cue then as well," she quipped, smiling at her parents, "Try not to wake us up okay? We need our sleep unlike you too," she teased, kissing them both on the cheeks, "Night Natsuki-kaa-san, Shizuru-kaa-san, Happy birthday," she gave a yawn and was quick to follow her brother towards her room.

Natsuki gave her children a bemused look as then turned to her wife, who was currently snug underneath her arm, "Where on Earth do they get the idea that we're some sort of sexual deviants?" she questioned, getting a laugh in response.

"Perhaps too many mornings of whispering to one another that they heard the 'bed squeaking in kaa-san's room'," Shizuru offered, "And the two of them are under the impression that our hormones are just as out of control as theirs,"

Natsuki snorted, "Who says your hormones are normal?" she teased, "I for one enjoy sleeping, unlike a certain person I know who seems to overly-enjoy her nightly activities," she added, kissing Shizuru on the cheek lightly, "But since it is your birthday, I suppose my sleep will have to wait," she shook her head, blowing out some of the candles on the coffee table in front of her.

Shizuru watched as the curtain of blue tresses veiled the face in front of her and was swept up off her feet by her wife while she had been admiring the flawless curve of her lover's neck. She blinked as Natsuki gave her an amused look, having caught her unawares and gave her own small smile, leaning in for a kiss.

After a few warm and pleasant moments she broke off and shuddered deliciously. Fumi how she makes me burn...the thought tickled her mind as she slowly opened her eyes to gazed into Natsuki's own slightly veiled eyes.

"Happy Birthday love," Natsuki wished for probably the hundredth time that day, accompanying the sentiment with a small kiss.

"Does this mean that I get my present?" Shizuru asked huskily, leaning into her wife, pressing against her and wrapping arms are her neck. She hummed in content as arms wound around her waist she felt a chuckle against the collarbone of the woman.

"Impatient," Natsuki clucked.

"Ikezu, normally Natsuki gives me my present first, but Kaito and Keiki gave me theirs and Natsuki hasn't given me anything at all," Shizuru whined, a pout forming on her face. The pout dissolved though as Natsuki's lips pushed the protruding lip back into place.

"That because I'm sure you don't want Kai to tease you about it, and if you had seen it then I don't know if we would have been able to continue with our 'party'," Natsuki explained, "But whatever, come on, the kiddies went to bed which means we're free to go to our room too," she took Shizuru's hands from her shoulders and tugged her towards their room.

"Natsuki is so eager!" Shizuru laughed, smiling at her wife happily, "I'm glad Natsuki can be so at ease nao. A smiling Natsuki is one of the ones I love best," she added softly, squeezing Natsuki's hands slightly.

Natsuki blinked, gazing at Shizuru, "Shizuru..." the name slipped out in surprise before she blushed, "Well...it's your fault. You were the one who dragged me out of my shell to begin with. So..." she rubbed the back of her neck, not sure how to word how she felt about it. "It's all because of you I can be this way I guess...!" she trailed off only to give a small yelp of surprise as Shizuru threw herself at the bluenette and squeezed her tightly.

"Ikezu...catching me off guard by acting so cute...Natsuki isn't fair," she whispered, her voice quivering slightly. Honestly, how can this girl still do this to me? Catch me completely off guard like that?

"O-Oi..." Natsuki coughed, and Shizuru felt her cheek heat up a bit more against her neck. "Come on baka," she urged, ushering Shizuru to their room. "Honestly...you're ridiculous sometimes." she muttered, reaching in a drawer in her bureau and pulling a box out. She went over to the bed where Shizuru sat herself and handed it to her, "Happy Birthday Shizuru,"

Shizuru blinked at the unwrapped, oblong box and pulled the lid off gently. She blinked as she looked inside. Nestled inside among the lavender tissue paper was a memory book, with a deep violet hue and a shocking blue ribbon keeping it bound closed. At Natsuki's urgings she lifted the book out of the box and opened to the first page. She gasped, and tears clouded her eyes, "Oh Natsuki..."

"I figure since you've always been the sentimental type, this would be best," Natsuki explained, hugging her wife from behind, glancing down at the picture of a blushing middle school Natsuki and a giggling Shizuru eating lunch. "I asked Harada for a lot of these pictures. Then I just searched around for some of the newer ones," she continued, kissing Shizuru's cheek lightly, "So, there are pictures from as long as we've known each other there. From when we were newly met, friends, best friends, girlfriends, fiancées, newlyweds and new parents," she kissed just in the corner of Shizuru's eye where tears were started to spill over as she flipped through the pages, "It's all there. So when you're on a business trip or something and we aren't there, you can take this with you. And there's room for more pictures for you to add,"

"Natsuki..." the name was uttered in a wavering voice as a hand gingerly stroked the covered picture of the two of them showing off their new wedding bands to their friends, blushing and laughing together. She twisted in her wife's hold and gazed into the open and loving face. She was undone. Truly undone.

"Happy Birthday Love. Here's to many more," Natsuki wished, a cheeky grin on her face.
Had Shizuru said she was undone? No, she was not until that line. She quickly covered up her sob of happiness by kissing Natsuki. Simply enveloping herself in this woman who could say a word and send her crumbling to the ground.

"Urk...let me breath woman," Natsuki's voice was hoarse as she tried to upright herself after a few minutes of a bit more than pleasant exploration of her mouth. She had a blush dusting her cheeks as she tried to sit up again. Shizuru's lips would not let her be though, and they soon drew a moan out of the younger woman.

"Never," Shizuru protested, placing the memory book to the side and crawling on top of her lover, "It's my birthday still, so I want to enjoy this as much as I can," she whispered, voice dropping a few notes as she leant over Natsuki, "I want to show you just how much I love you tonight," she let a coy smirk slide to her face as she nipped at Natsuki's neck, eliciting a yelp, "and I can't wait for Christmas,"

Natsuki gave a groan and then chuckled, pulling Shizuru close, "You used the same excise last year, and the year before that, and the year before that...Can't you think of anything new?" she taunted, nipping at Shizuru's ear.

Shizuru suppressed the whimper that rose in her chest from the action and shook her head, "No, and I'm bound to use the same one next year too." She forewarned, leaning down for a blistering kiss. "Gods I love you...Thank you," she whispered against the shell of Natsuki's ear as her hands got to work on the girls' shirt.

A chuckle rumbled in Natsuki's chest, "Dummy...I love you too. Happy Birthday Shizuru." After that, words weren't needed between the two, and the gift that had started the whole thing lay on the ground, open to a picture of the two of them in front of a cake, Natsuki blushing as she kissed Shizuru's cheek in a birthday kiss. Shizuru's expression was as it was in this moment. Complete and utter bliss.
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And I am dead-seriously. This killed me dead. x-x So nao I'm just going to curl up in a ball and hope that it's coherent even after my editing. x-X

After reading a collection of fanfics, I had to review this one properly. It's the entry that made history after all. Okay, that's enough flattery.

This was a very expressive story, told through Shizuru herself. Kaito made me laugh on several occasions with his frustrations, I can relate during this time of the year. I don't know what to get after a while, which leads to the generic I-don't-know-what-to-get-you gift: a necktie.

Though it fit the Christmas season theme, Shizuru's depression started to weigh on me a bit. Her realizing there's more to life than the Festival (that almost cost her a Natsuki) is where things started to pick up. The reality of it all, most parents make sure their children have a better life than they did. Shizuru made sure of that with her own family and she couldn't be more content. Oh, looooove Natsuki's mention of Tate.

By the end of it, I felt a bit more optimistic about Christmas. The 2010 Shizuru contest had two very strong fanfiction entries and since you can practically put these characters from HiME in any situation, I'm even more optimistic about the higher quality going into these stories in the future. Great job once again, Kona.