Choco Trauma - a LATE V-Day one-shot [Mai-HiME AU]

Well, it's late for me to be putting it up here-it's been on my ff.net account since V-day ^^; Enjoy?
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“Hey uhh…Natsuki-san?” Keiki’s voice was unsure as she glanced at her adoptive mother, apprehension written all over her face.

Natsuki frowned and glared at her, “What?” she growled, upset, not at the girl girl, but her general circumstance.

“You really suck at this,” came the blunt reply from the girl, a almost straight deadpan.

“Argh! Damn chocolate!” Natsuki finally lost it, tossing the spatula she had been using into the sink and stomping her foot in anger, “This is freakin’ ridiculous! It should not be this hard to make some damn chocolate!”

“It’s not hard. You’re just…really bad at making chocolate,” Keiki revised, picking up the latest batch of failed sweets, “Honestly…I mean-you really don’t know how to do this? Geez…” Keiki tossed the rejects into another pile and shook her head, “I feel bad for Shizuru-san…and Kaito-nii”

Let us rewind about four hours. It was Sunday, the day before Valentine’s day, and the two bluenettes of the Kuga-Fujino household were making chocolate. Or rather, the older of the two was trying to make chocolate. The younger had already finished her giri-choco and was nao working on her honmei-choco for Kanaye. The elder hadn’t even finished making the giri-choco for the very few men she had in her life.

“Damn it…I should just go buy some freakin’ chocolate at this point…If Shizuru comes home and sees me failing like this I’ll never hear the end of it…” Natsuki had to resist the urge to slam her head against the cupboards at head level. Seriously. Why had she gotten the idea to do this in the first place? Curiousity? Or maybe because Shizuru always gave her homemade sweets? Or maybe because Kaito mentioned that the only chocolate that he got the wasn’t homemade was from his mother? Whatever the reason, she was nao regretting it. BIG TIME.

“Aww…Don’t give up nao Natsuki-kaa-san!” Keiki buttered her up using the proper honorifics this time when she addressed her, “You’re almost there! Besides, I wouldn’t mind if Kaito-nii got sick from eating your chocolate, it’d save me the trouble of dealing with him bragging about how much chocolate he gets every year. I don’t know how he’s paying those girls back of White Day…” the last part was grumbled as she shook her head. Stupid older brother who just had to get the Fujino-charm in his gene pool.

“Urg…yeah well, I can’t give Shizuru poisonous chocolate! That’s like…bah! How does she do it anyways? She was never very good at baking or making sweets in school…” she grumbled, resisting the urge to rip up her apron and throw it on the ground.

“Well…you know…the first chocolate I made was really bad too,” Keiki admitted, carefully filling the chocolate truffle in her grasp with caramel, “Shizuru-san taught me, remember?”

“Oh yeah…what were you…ten?” Natsuki mused, “Why bring that up?”

“Well…I got really frustrated. All my chocolate turned out too bitter or burned, and I started to cry. I had really wanted to make Kaito-nii and Kanaye-kun chocolate that year. Not just buy it from the store. Shizuru-kaa-san…she taught me a really good lesson when I threw my tantrum,” she giggled and held up the truffle for Natsuki to see.

“It doesn’t matter how good it turns out, it’s the feelings you put into it. As long as you try your very hardest and pour your heart into making them, it’ll be alright. After all, just the fact that you worked hard to make them means so much more than just going out and buying something generic. It’s the thought that counts the most, and the effort you put in that makes it really special,”

Natsuki blinked, awed for a moment as her daughter plopped another chocolate into a bag. “You know? So it really doesn’t matter if your chocolate is terrible-it’s the fact you even tried to make it that counts the most,” she gave another giggle, “Though I’d go and get some backup chocolate that they can actually eat-just in case,” she added, winking playfully at her mother.

“Brat,” Natsuki grinned, snickering along with her. “Alright…I’ll try one more time. Plain truffles for Kai and then those ones you fill for Shizuru-you’ll help me fill ‘em, right?” Natsuki pleaded with Keiki who was working on another truffle.

“Yeah! Cherry filling right? That’s easier than caramel, so it’ll go by faster. I’ll get the chocolate mix ready,” Keiki nodded, “Better get to work so Kaito-nii and Shizuru-san don’t come home before we finish. Glad they had Student Council-School Trust co-op stuff to deal with, Kaito-nii would tease you even more than Shizuru-san would,”

The next morning Kaito blinked as he looked at the bag his mother had thrust at him, “Woah…is this homemade? For real?” he peeked inside and blinked again, “Woah…when’d that happen?” he thought for a second then groaned, “Aww man! This means I gotta get you a more expensive White Day gift!”

“Shut up and accept the chocolate damn it,” Natsuki snapped, blushing as her son probed the chocolate truffle with a finger-as it it would come to life and bite him.

‘Yeah yeah,” he snickered, “Thanks for the chocolate Mom, Kaa-san, Kei,” he nodded to the three girls at the breakfast table, “Man! Who woulda thought I’d get homemade stuff from all of you? And Michiko will be giving me homemade too! What a good year!”

Natsuki harrumphed at her son’s antics and then glanced at her wife, who was raising an eyebrow at her, “You get yours later,” she informed, “So no trying to haggle it out of me earlier,” she warned, earning a laugh from the Kyoto-born woman.

“I wouldn’t dream of it Natsuki.”

“Did Mom seriously make Kaa-san homemade stuff?” Kaito asked his sister as they walked to school, “Like…real honmei-choco since they’re married?” when Keiki nodded he furrowed his brow, “But…Mom sucks at cooking. And it’s not like my obligatory chocolate-the stuff give gives kaa-san has to be really good, right?” he asked.

Keiki shrugged, “I did what I could do-It’s edible for sure. There’s cherry filling inside-so it may just mask the taste of the chocolate if it didn’t turn out right. Though yours should be fine-she got your batch right.” She assured her older brother.

“That…actually doesn’t really reassure me much at all…” he deadpanned, “What happened to all the reject chocolate?” he dared to ask.

“I don’t know. Either Duran-chan ate it or the stray cats around the house got at it. We just tossed it out back I think, well…at least Natsuki-san said she did,” Keiki answered, “I hope Duran-chan doesn’t get sick…”

“Ara, so do I get my chocolate nao Na-tsu-ki?” Shizuru drew out her wife’s name, sneaking up behind the blunette.

Natsuki jumped, yelping as she did and spun around, blushing, “Damn it Shizuru! Don’t do that!” she cried, frowning as she did, trying to control the blush that was surely amusing her wife.

“Well do I?” Shizuru pouted, tugging at Natsuki’s hands, “I’ve been waiting for it so patiently all day…Ikezu…” she sniffed, pulling the pitiful Bambi eyes that she pulled off so well.

“Oi, Oi, not the damn pout!” Natsuki begged, and heaved a sigh, “Alright! You can have the damn chocolate,” she groaned, tugging on the hands Shizuru had taken and pulled them to their room, “By the way…Actually-never mind, I’ll tell you later.” She stopped her train of thought and went over to her night table and pulled out a small bag.

“Here-Happy Valentine’s Day Shizuru,” Natsuki offered the bag with a blush, “They’re homemade,” she blurted out as Shizuru opened them, “Keiki helped me make them, but I’m pretty sure I messed up the mix and they’re going to taste terrible-so I bought some real chocolate from the store if you want that instead…” she trailed off as she watched Shizuru place one her mouth a take a bite, her stomach dropping in dread.

It was a few moments before Shizuru finished chewing and swallowed the chocolate, but when she did she let a smile raise to her lips and she beamed at Natsuki, “They’re delicious,” she corrected, taking another truffle and popping it her mouth, “Truly.”

“That can’t be right-I mean-I SUCK at making sweets-and even Kai’s didn’t turn out so well. You don’t have to lie to me to make me-” Natsuki was cut off by a pair of lips, sweet, sweet lips against her own, and her thoughts stopped for a moment.

“It doesn’t matter if they aren’t as rich as a store’s, or that they may not have the right texture. Natsuki made them for me,” another kiss was bestowed upon the silent woman, “And that makes them more delicious than any other sweet I could possibly get today,” A more forceful kiss this time, deeper and more loving.

I can taste the cherry…was all Natsuki’s mind could manage to think as her wife’s lips easily made her drift away from coherent thought. “So…” a few words could be spared through the kissing, “Does that mean I get a white day gift?” she teased, earning a beautiful laugh from the older woman.

“No. But it does mean that Natsuki gets and very, very nice Valentine’s Day gift. Which I believe can skip the chocolate giving and go straight to the more…interest portion of the gift,” Shizuru purring dropping the chocolate bag back on the nightstand.

“And the kids?” Natsuki spared her children a thought for a moment as she lowered herself to the bed, already grinning at Shizuru.

“They know how to deal with our ‘passions of youth’,” Shizuru assured, “I’m sure they’ll be at school for some time…” she drawled, climbing over the jade eyed woman, locking crimson with green. “I love you,” a husky sound, almost breathed as she lowered her lips to Natsuki’s once again.

“Yeah-I love you too Shizuru…Happy Valentine’s Day,”
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Then the omake of when the kids came home.
Omake of Kaito's "P.O.Y" Senses

Kaito: Man...I got a lot this year...I'm gonna have to get a job to buy all these damn White Day gifts...

Keiki: it's your fault for giving off such a player air! Come on-you can share with us-let's go inside and divy it up -reaches for the doorknob-

Kaito: Wait! -stops her-...

Keiki: o-0 what?

Kaito: My "Passions of Youth" Senses are tingling...-narrows eyes- I don't think going inside would be a good idea...

Keiki: AGAIN? Geez! Every major HOLIDAY or BIRTHDAY we can't go into our own home! WHAT GIVES?! Ugh! Come on-we'll just go to Michiko-nee's house-at least there we don't have to worry about 'inturrupting' something!

That was super adorable, Kona-chan! Very stimulating ending too. <3 nao I have a craving for chocolate when I actually don't like it! Thanks for shoving it down my throat as the main element in the story. ;p

The omake stole my heart too. At last someone takes the "Passions of Youth" and turns it into a character gimmick for someone other than Takeda. ^_~ When it comes to his attractive parents on holidays, Kaito doesn't need his sense to tell what they're up to. :)

Belated yet satisfying, thanks for sharing Kona-chan!

You don't like chocolate Luu?! Shocking! But I'm glad my story inadvertently made you want some. xD Ahh the Passions of Youth right? That phrase shows up so much in my fanfiction-why NOT make it a gimmick? Though I think it's just instinct for Kai at this point to know that holidays are just not a good time to be home. xD But the P.O.Y senses help. x3

Konaxookami wrote:You don't like chocolate Luu?! Shocking! But I'm glad my story inadvertently made you want some. xD Ahh the Passions of Youth right? That phrase shows up so much in my fanfiction-why NOT make it a gimmick? Though I think it's just instinct for Kai at this point to know that holidays are just not a good time to be home. xD But the P.O.Y senses help. x3

Who could blame Kai, even though they're one of the most famous yuri couples, they're still his parents. ;p And yes, chocolate is not a favorite of mine. Granted I'll eat it, I'm just not crazy about it. Your fanfic happened to catch me at a very hungry period. ;p

P.O.Y. senses >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Spider sense.

Surprised Shizuru (or Natsuki) haven't fed Kaito a "with great power" lecture yet. They're good parents to him as proven in your past fics, but they obviously taught him self-reliance. He's a Kuga for sure. *nods*

Luu Sky Sapphire wrote:
P.O.Y. senses >>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Spider sense.

Surprised Shizuru (or Natsuki) haven't fed Kaito a "with great power" lecture yet. They're good parents to him as proven in your past fics, but they obviously taught him self-reliance. He's a Kuga for sure. *nods*

xDD Well, in Kaito-HiME he's gotten that lecture for everyone BUT his mothers. >> But in this case I don't think they know about his hidden talent to know when the Passions of Youth are a'churnin'. The self-reliance thing is sort of his own thing-his parents are always there for him, but he's more of a loner by nature (He IS a Kuga xD) so he is pretty good on his own. I get the feeling he lives at Fuuka Academy for the week but only goes home on Sat. and Sun.-he's just that kinda kid. Keiki's the opposite-she's pretty reliant on her older brother and her friends and family-But that's just in her nature and her way of being after her childhood. But Natsuki and Shizuru are good parents-but they let their kids grow into themselves. They'll guide them, but they won't smother them-I think that's the 'Kuga-Brand' of childcare, but Shizuru I think is more likely to coddle or help them along the way-she's a bit more motherly I suppose-whereas I think Natsuki's more like a Kuga-Papa. xD (Woah, how'd this turn into a character rant?!)