Ironman 7, Weeks 5 & 6
So... I totally forgot to post last week's batch. I figured I might as well bring them all over at once. As much as it's been fun, I'm not gonna lie - it'll be good for me to see Ironman end. I'm currently debating Nanowrimo. Anyone in or out this year? And if you don't mind saying, why? I'm also a bit grumpy at the moment, because the hinge on my laptop is totally trashed - I'm typing one-handed and holding the screen with my other hand. Suck. ;_;
Anyway, fic! Week 5 was comedy, week 6 was Kink/Cliche. ::cough:: Emphasis on the cliche, obviously. For Week 5, I ran through Tales of the Abyss (my first fandom repeat - I finally caved, but with over 25 fandoms used now, I'm still proud), Kaleido Star, Hikago, Prince of Tennis, and Hunter x Hunter. The Hunter x Hunter one is part of a fic that'll be longer eventually... so more of a ficbit than a ficlet, really, and the ending is completely subject to change, but whatever. It is what it is, yeah?
Fishy
A Tales of the Abyss Ficlet
"I thought you might have some advice to give on how to be insensitive."
"Why do I have to do the cooking tonight?" Luke asked as he stared down at the pile of raw fish and a copy of the sushi recipe. Tear looked up from polishing her staff and sighed. "It's not like I even know how to make anything edible."
"Everyone needs to take a turn, Luke," she said as she folded the rag she had been using and put it away. "If you still need help making something edible, I don't mind showing you how again -"
"All right, Tear's cooking!" Luke stepped quickly back from the fish. "This'll be almost as good as the maids at home!"
"Luke!" Tear got to her feet and brandished her weapon. "If that's how you feel you can do it by yourself."
"Tear -!"
"Very smooth, Luke." Jade said, spreading his arms wide. He opened his mouth to continue, but Luke cut him off before he had the chance to do so.
"Oh, like you're any better?" Luke crossed his arms and gave Jade a look. The Malkuthian looked down and adjusted his glasses. After a moment, the red head seated himself on a log near the fire.
"Colonel, you're just going to let him get away with that?" Anise said, jumping up and down and shaking her head.
Jade looked up with a smile. "I'm afraid shooting fish in a barrel is too easy for my taste."
"JADE!"
Immutable
A Kaleido Star Ficlet
"A fool I am and I'll always be. They can change their minds, but they can't change me."
The Stage, in its time, created many miracles. The legendary Great Maneuver was born at the same time as the Stage, and waited, a dormant magic lingering in the tapestries of the curtains and the painted circus ring of the stage. When Sora and Layla completed the maneuver, the magic came to life, and grew.
The Stage reached out after its legend came true, and drew the tales of others together until it could at last force them into being. Sora, one of the sky for a Stage in the air, broke the world open with her Stage free from conflict. Miracles dreamt themselves into being that morning, rising with the light of dawn to spread their golden glow upon the many.
Yes, the Stage took pride in its many works. No other Stage in the world had ever accomplished half as much. The Stage did well by its children, its Chosen. The Stage could think of nothing it might have done better -
"GET OUT OF MY SHOWER!" Sora shrieked, and the Fool was launched from a window and off into the distance. "PERVERT, FOOL!"
Well. Nothing except for that, of course.
No miracle was ever perfect, was it?
The Stage smiled.
Between the Lines
A Hikaru no Go Ficlet
"Anything passes, when you need glasses."
"Shindou, would you -"
"No."
A stone placed on the board.
"But Shindou -"
"No."
Touya's reply, on the board.
"It's not like -"
"I said no, Touya."
Another stone, slightly more forcefully placed on the board.
"Shindou -"
"No means no, Touya."
A mild reply, followed by a sharp retort on the board.
"If you would just -"
"It's none of your business, Touya."
A stone slammed down on the board. Hikaru looked up, meeting a pair of fierce eyes over the board.
"It's my business when it affects your game, Shindou," Touya said heatedly. Hikaru's face flushed.
"It isn't -"
"Shindou, your last three moves have been between the lines. It is."
Hikaru squinted down at the board. Sure enough, his last three moves had not been placed at the intersections of lines, as he'd intended them to be. Instead they sat neatly in different squares. Hikaru shook his head.
"I've lost," he said.
"And you'll go to the optometrist tomorrow?" Touya prompted as he bowed slightly to acknowledge his win.
Hikaru sighed as he nodded, but he smiled as they cleaned the stones off the board, which was how Touya knew he had really won, after all.
Never Mind
A Prince of Tennis Ficlet
"If I seem a little strange, that's because I am."
"-wonder if that's because he's a chicken or-"
"I am not a chicken!"
"-maybe he just wants people not to know that his mother makes him take ballet-"
"You take ballet?"
"-and it's not like there aren't plenty of people who-"
"I do not!"
"-because I hear that it helps with balance. Or maybe that was gymnastics. I think -"
Echizen raises an eyebrow at Kamio.
"-gymnasts work out more like other athletes, but ballet is supposed to be more work, isn't it? I've never done it so-"
"I DO NOT!"
"-and he's so lucky that he gets to have extra lessons outside of school because all we have are Tachibana-buchou's training methods and those -"
Echizen smirks.
"-really complicated. I wonder if Kamio will do a good job next year as captain. I don't know if anyone who still keeps a -"
"SHINJI!"
"-would really be a good captain anyway. Yes, Kamio?"
Echizen snickers. Shinji waits. Kamio sighs.
"Never mind, Shinji. Never mind."
Squabbling
A Hunter x Hunter Ficlet
"There's three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the cold hard truth."
"We can't allow this to continue, Leorio." Kurapika got to his feet, glancing back and forth between the two doors. "It isn't right for them to be fighting like this. We need to find out what happened between them."
"Ah." Leorio nodded, rising and heading towards the door on the right.
"Leorio." Kurapika glared at the dark-haired man when Leorio paused and turned to look at him. The future doctor sighed, pulling a coin from his pocket. Kurapika nodded in agreement, and Leorio flipped it. "Heads."
Leorio snatched the coin from the air. He slammed it against the back of his left hand and pulled his right hand away. Shaking his head, Leorio put the coin back into his pocket and headed across the room to the other door. Kurapika smiled as he went and knocked on the door Leorio had originally approached.
"Gon?" He called through the wood. "I'm coming in."
Kurapika exchanged a last good-luck glance with Leorio, and entered Gon's room.
~
"Killua...?" Gon said as he tentatively pushed open Killua's door.
"Gon?" Killua looked up, and smiled a little. "I'm sorry about -"
"No, I'm sorry, too," Gon said. He smiled. "Friends?"
"Yeah, whatever." Killua tried to sound nonchalant about it, but the sparkle in his eyes completely gave him away. "You want to go for ice cream?"
"YEAH!"
The two hurried out the door without a backward glance. Kurapika leaned in the doorframe, looking down at Leorio, who still sat in the chair by Killua's desk.
"Gon said something about fishing and a basket of flowers?" Kurapika offered. Leorio shrugged.
"Maybe something to do with chocolate and a pretty girl," he replied, shaking his head.
"Well, at least it's over now."
"Yep. Dinner?"
"I'm not cooking for you agai-"
"Take-out it is!"
Dinner was delicious.
~
Week 6 brought Ghost Hunt, Harry Potter, Gundam Wing, Mai-HiME, and Saiunkoku Monogatari. Warning! The HP and GW ficlets are not work-safe. I think I'm also slightly disturbed by the HP one. I dunno. Some of the prompts were so geared towards kink that spinning them into cliche would have been... difficult. I... have no idea what I'll produce this week, because it's author's choice week. We'll see. ^.^;;;
Possession
A Ghost Hunt Ficlet
"You're all I need to get high."
On the third day, Naru showed up at her apartment.
Mai hadn't been so foolish as to think that quitting would keep him from ever contacting her again. Especially because she hadn't told him that she quit, because she'd just left her resignation on her desk - not even his desk, her desk - and refused to come back. No, Mai knew that he wouldn't be able to leave well enough alone and let them go their separate ways. She had - perhaps naively - hoped that he would at least confront her at school or somewhere in public, though.
"You didn't show up for work." He said as he stood on her stoop, a light dusting of snow mixed into his dark hair. She wanted to slam the door in his face, but his foot was already blocking it, and he hadn't done anything so horrible that he deserved having his foot broken. Well, maybe, but she wasn't that sort of girl, and he'd say he knew she was going to do it if she did, and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction, the fucking narcissist.
"Of course not." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, turning her head away from him. "I quit, Naru. Usually people who quit don't show up for work."
"I wasn't upset that -"
"Well maybe I was, Naru. Maybe I was upset about what happened. Ever think of that?"
"Mai-"
"I don't want to hear it, Naru! Just because you had to be possessed by some spirit to even consider saying that you like me -" Her hands were flailing wildly, her head shaking. "Just because there's no way that you would ever have that sort of feeling for me, and I know, Naru, I know - but that isn't any excuse for the -"
Mai wanted to say more. She had a whole laundry list of things she wanted to yell at the man who had broken her heart. She probably would have even managed to admit just how much she liked Naru, if she hadn't suddenly found her mouth covered with his. Her arms fell uselessly to her sides.
Mai opened her eyes.
"I like you, Mai," he said, breaking away from the kiss and stepping back just a little. Mai narrowed her eyes at him.
"And you're not possessed? Because I don't want to hear again about how -"
He kissed her again, and when he finally drew back, she was leaning against the door frame to hold herself and trying to remember how to breathe.
"I'll pick you up at eight on Friday?" Naru said, and there was something in the way he smiled that made Mai draw herself up quickly in the hopes that he wouldn't figure out how good he was at that because it would never do if he did. She nodded. He waved and turned, heading back towards the stairs to her apartment. He paused halfway, as Mai was closing her door. "Oh, and Mai?"
"Yes?"
"Make sure you brew some tea first thing tomorrow."
"NARU~!"
He laughed softly as he went down the stairs.
The Room
A Harry Potter, Harry/Draco Ficlet
"I didn't want to fuck you, but you're pretty when you're mine."
"You do know the only reason I'm even considering this is because I don't want to die, right?" Draco stalked back and forth across the room like an aggrieved cat.
"Yes, and I'm interested in it because the great Draco Malfoy is the most attractive person I've ever met," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "Really, it's a wonder how I've kept my hands to myself all this time."
"You - you're not -" The blond sputtered, stopping in his tracks to stare at Harry, wide-eyed.
"Look, we really don't have time for this." Harry reached up and grabbed a fistful of Draco's robes. He dragged the blond down until their faces were on a level, then kissed him. It was… surprisingly not awful. Maybe not as good as kissing Ginny, but really, a bloke couldn't expect someone stuck in a bespelled room that killed everyone who didn't have sex with whoever else they got stuck in it with to kiss like his girlfriend would. Harry drew back. Malfoy blinked owlishly at him. "It could be worse, right?"
Malfoy stared at him for a moment, and then said, "At least you're better than the Weasel."
And Harry would have protested his friend's honor then, really, but Draco's mouth was against his and his hands were doing things for which Harry would have killed him if they weren't meant to save both of their lives. So instead, he resolved to kick Draco's ass after they escaped, and gave into the sensations that were threatening to overwhelm him.
He never did remember to, though.
Something Like Permission
A Gundam Wing, 1x2 Ficlet
"I will be the one to hold you down, and kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away."
"… ones such as you should only be so lucky as to -"
"Wait, wait! I know this one! Look upon the glory and splendor of your boss, because he's clearly that awesome and we're just terrorists blah blah blah never gonna happen etc. etc. You know, you guys really need some new material, 'cause I don't know about him, but I've heard this one a time or two befo-"
The Oz official stalked out, slamming the door shut behind him. Duo put his (still handcuffed) hands behind his head and leaned back against the wall. He grinned.
"Somehow, that never gets old." Duo said. Heero glared at him. Duo sat up straighter. "Hey, Heero, you know what else never gets old?"
Heero didn't actually, you know, react to that, but Duo was willing to take non-reaction as curiosity and maybe even something like permission when it suited his purposes… which it totally did. Quick as a flash, he crossed the cell, his hands going around Heero's neck, pulling him in closer for a kiss.
Duo hadn't expected the other boy's lips to be so warm, or so soft. He opened his mouth and ran his tongue across Heero's mouth, and maybe sweet wasn't quite the right word for how he tasted, but… good didn't even really begin to cover it, especially not when Heero opened his own mouth in response. Duo moaned, pressing his body more firmly against Heero.
"You two! What do you think you're doing?"
The cell door swung open, light pouring into the dark room as a lone guard rushed in and reached for Duo. The braided pilot had his hands out of Heero's hair and slamming across the guard's temple the moment the Oz lackey came within reach. He went down like Duo had been considering doing on Heero, only without half as much fun for anyone involved, and Duo immediately began searching his pockets for keys. Duo freed his hands from the cuffs and tossed them to Heero as he got to his feet, heading for the door. He checked to make sure the coast was clear, then looked back as the other pilot got to his feet.
"We're going to have to do that again," Duo said, and the look on Heero's face could have been nonchalance if his blue eyes hadn't burned so brightly in the dim room. Heero came closer, stood just inside the doorframe that Duo's body blocked.
"Which part?"
Duo reached out and grabbed Heero's half-formed erection through his shorts, and knew that his continued possession of his hand was definitely acceptance. He grinned, and let go, with one quick caress. He hurried down the hall, heading for the hanger where their gundams were sure to be stored. His last words to Heero echoed in the empty corridor behind him.
"Maybe both."
Heero hurried after him.
The Bud
A Mai-HiME, Mai/Tate Ficlet
"Forget all about equality, let's play master and servant."
Tate came upon the red-haired girl in the palace gardens. For three months, in winter's cold chill and the early storms of spring, he toiled daily beside Shigure, the head gardener, to make sure everything was ready for the cherry blossom festival. Not even once before had another soul ventured into his place of work, but as surely as that was true, so was the kimono-clad woman crying beneath his trees.
"Are you all right Miss?" he asked as he approached her. The girl took her time to respond, wiping away her tears before she looked up at him. She smiled.
"Yes, I'm fine." Tears still clouded her eyes, though, and her voice had a raspy quality that didn't belong there. Tate grabbed the flask of water from his pocket and threw it at her. She caught it, and then looked at it, sitting in her palm, eyes wide.
"Water." He picked up a nearby hoe and went to work on the garden bed he was responsible for that day. Tate watched from the corner of his eyes as she pulled the stopper and took a sip. Her lips softened, and if she wasn't smiling, at least she didn't look strained any more.
"My thanks…" she said, re-stopping the bottle and getting to her feet. She paused near him, the flask in her outstretched hand as she looked at him, waiting for something. He let the hoe rest in the soul, leaning on it just a little.
"I'm Tate." He took the flask back from her. "And you are…?"
She shook her head, and turned to leave. "My thanks, Tate."
He watched her as she went. She headed for the gap in the hedge maze that gave access to this garden. Just as she was about to go through, the red head stopped, and stumbled backwards.
"Apologies, Princess Mai!" Shigure exclaimed. The grey haired gardener stood in the entrance way, bowing repeatedly to the red haired girl. She flushed and shook her head.
"No, no, it's my fault," the girl protested, and Shigure would have responded, but she shook her head determinedly, and he nodded in acquiescence. Then he stepped aside, and Princess Mai hurried from the garden.
"Mai, huh?" Tate pulled his hoe from the ground and resumed tilling the soil. "I'll remember that."
A Night Out
A Saiunkoku Monogatari, Ryuuki/Shuurei Ficlet
"Don't hesitate, I won't kiss and tell. No need to worry 'cause I'm a professional."
"And? What do you want?" The dark-haired woman said as she whirled around to glare at him. "If you're planning on making trouble like that Ran character did the last time he was in here, you'd better think again!"
"NO! No, I - That is, I -" Ryuuki blushed, looked at his feet, and looked up at her again. She was tapping her foot impatiently. Her eyebrow had begun to twitch.
"Well?"
"I… I want… I mean, would you…" He looked at her, her deep brown eyes and stunning figure. She sighed, and shook her head, but when she looked up at least she didn't look cross any more.
"So you're here for this, then?" She stepped closer to him. Her arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him down until their foreheads touched. His heart skipped a beat as her hand trailed down his side. "You can pay, can't you?"
"I - I -" Her hand crossed his pocket, feeling the load of coins there, and then sank lower. "YES!"
"This way, please."
Ryuuki followed her up the stairs. She brushed aside a set of curtains and led him down a long hallway. They paused in front of one of the last doors. She opened it, grabbed his hand, and led him to the bed. Ryuuki sat down. Meanwhile, she went and lit a stick of incense, sending a pleasant aroma wafting through the room. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes.
"Someone will be with you shortly," she said. His eyes snapped open, just in time to watch her close the doors firmly behind her. He sighed, flopping back on the bed.
"But I wanted you… Shuurei…"
Anyway, fic! Week 5 was comedy, week 6 was Kink/Cliche. ::cough:: Emphasis on the cliche, obviously. For Week 5, I ran through Tales of the Abyss (my first fandom repeat - I finally caved, but with over 25 fandoms used now, I'm still proud), Kaleido Star, Hikago, Prince of Tennis, and Hunter x Hunter. The Hunter x Hunter one is part of a fic that'll be longer eventually... so more of a ficbit than a ficlet, really, and the ending is completely subject to change, but whatever. It is what it is, yeah?
Fishy
A Tales of the Abyss Ficlet
"I thought you might have some advice to give on how to be insensitive."
"Why do I have to do the cooking tonight?" Luke asked as he stared down at the pile of raw fish and a copy of the sushi recipe. Tear looked up from polishing her staff and sighed. "It's not like I even know how to make anything edible."
"Everyone needs to take a turn, Luke," she said as she folded the rag she had been using and put it away. "If you still need help making something edible, I don't mind showing you how again -"
"All right, Tear's cooking!" Luke stepped quickly back from the fish. "This'll be almost as good as the maids at home!"
"Luke!" Tear got to her feet and brandished her weapon. "If that's how you feel you can do it by yourself."
"Tear -!"
"Very smooth, Luke." Jade said, spreading his arms wide. He opened his mouth to continue, but Luke cut him off before he had the chance to do so.
"Oh, like you're any better?" Luke crossed his arms and gave Jade a look. The Malkuthian looked down and adjusted his glasses. After a moment, the red head seated himself on a log near the fire.
"Colonel, you're just going to let him get away with that?" Anise said, jumping up and down and shaking her head.
Jade looked up with a smile. "I'm afraid shooting fish in a barrel is too easy for my taste."
"JADE!"
Immutable
A Kaleido Star Ficlet
"A fool I am and I'll always be. They can change their minds, but they can't change me."
The Stage, in its time, created many miracles. The legendary Great Maneuver was born at the same time as the Stage, and waited, a dormant magic lingering in the tapestries of the curtains and the painted circus ring of the stage. When Sora and Layla completed the maneuver, the magic came to life, and grew.
The Stage reached out after its legend came true, and drew the tales of others together until it could at last force them into being. Sora, one of the sky for a Stage in the air, broke the world open with her Stage free from conflict. Miracles dreamt themselves into being that morning, rising with the light of dawn to spread their golden glow upon the many.
Yes, the Stage took pride in its many works. No other Stage in the world had ever accomplished half as much. The Stage did well by its children, its Chosen. The Stage could think of nothing it might have done better -
"GET OUT OF MY SHOWER!" Sora shrieked, and the Fool was launched from a window and off into the distance. "PERVERT, FOOL!"
Well. Nothing except for that, of course.
No miracle was ever perfect, was it?
The Stage smiled.
Between the Lines
A Hikaru no Go Ficlet
"Anything passes, when you need glasses."
"Shindou, would you -"
"No."
A stone placed on the board.
"But Shindou -"
"No."
Touya's reply, on the board.
"It's not like -"
"I said no, Touya."
Another stone, slightly more forcefully placed on the board.
"Shindou -"
"No means no, Touya."
A mild reply, followed by a sharp retort on the board.
"If you would just -"
"It's none of your business, Touya."
A stone slammed down on the board. Hikaru looked up, meeting a pair of fierce eyes over the board.
"It's my business when it affects your game, Shindou," Touya said heatedly. Hikaru's face flushed.
"It isn't -"
"Shindou, your last three moves have been between the lines. It is."
Hikaru squinted down at the board. Sure enough, his last three moves had not been placed at the intersections of lines, as he'd intended them to be. Instead they sat neatly in different squares. Hikaru shook his head.
"I've lost," he said.
"And you'll go to the optometrist tomorrow?" Touya prompted as he bowed slightly to acknowledge his win.
Hikaru sighed as he nodded, but he smiled as they cleaned the stones off the board, which was how Touya knew he had really won, after all.
Never Mind
A Prince of Tennis Ficlet
"If I seem a little strange, that's because I am."
"-wonder if that's because he's a chicken or-"
"I am not a chicken!"
"-maybe he just wants people not to know that his mother makes him take ballet-"
"You take ballet?"
"-and it's not like there aren't plenty of people who-"
"I do not!"
"-because I hear that it helps with balance. Or maybe that was gymnastics. I think -"
Echizen raises an eyebrow at Kamio.
"-gymnasts work out more like other athletes, but ballet is supposed to be more work, isn't it? I've never done it so-"
"I DO NOT!"
"-and he's so lucky that he gets to have extra lessons outside of school because all we have are Tachibana-buchou's training methods and those -"
Echizen smirks.
"-really complicated. I wonder if Kamio will do a good job next year as captain. I don't know if anyone who still keeps a -"
"SHINJI!"
"-would really be a good captain anyway. Yes, Kamio?"
Echizen snickers. Shinji waits. Kamio sighs.
"Never mind, Shinji. Never mind."
Squabbling
A Hunter x Hunter Ficlet
"There's three sides to every story: yours, mine, and the cold hard truth."
"We can't allow this to continue, Leorio." Kurapika got to his feet, glancing back and forth between the two doors. "It isn't right for them to be fighting like this. We need to find out what happened between them."
"Ah." Leorio nodded, rising and heading towards the door on the right.
"Leorio." Kurapika glared at the dark-haired man when Leorio paused and turned to look at him. The future doctor sighed, pulling a coin from his pocket. Kurapika nodded in agreement, and Leorio flipped it. "Heads."
Leorio snatched the coin from the air. He slammed it against the back of his left hand and pulled his right hand away. Shaking his head, Leorio put the coin back into his pocket and headed across the room to the other door. Kurapika smiled as he went and knocked on the door Leorio had originally approached.
"Gon?" He called through the wood. "I'm coming in."
Kurapika exchanged a last good-luck glance with Leorio, and entered Gon's room.
~
"Killua...?" Gon said as he tentatively pushed open Killua's door.
"Gon?" Killua looked up, and smiled a little. "I'm sorry about -"
"No, I'm sorry, too," Gon said. He smiled. "Friends?"
"Yeah, whatever." Killua tried to sound nonchalant about it, but the sparkle in his eyes completely gave him away. "You want to go for ice cream?"
"YEAH!"
The two hurried out the door without a backward glance. Kurapika leaned in the doorframe, looking down at Leorio, who still sat in the chair by Killua's desk.
"Gon said something about fishing and a basket of flowers?" Kurapika offered. Leorio shrugged.
"Maybe something to do with chocolate and a pretty girl," he replied, shaking his head.
"Well, at least it's over now."
"Yep. Dinner?"
"I'm not cooking for you agai-"
"Take-out it is!"
Dinner was delicious.
~
Week 6 brought Ghost Hunt, Harry Potter, Gundam Wing, Mai-HiME, and Saiunkoku Monogatari. Warning! The HP and GW ficlets are not work-safe. I think I'm also slightly disturbed by the HP one. I dunno. Some of the prompts were so geared towards kink that spinning them into cliche would have been... difficult. I... have no idea what I'll produce this week, because it's author's choice week. We'll see. ^.^;;;
Possession
A Ghost Hunt Ficlet
"You're all I need to get high."
On the third day, Naru showed up at her apartment.
Mai hadn't been so foolish as to think that quitting would keep him from ever contacting her again. Especially because she hadn't told him that she quit, because she'd just left her resignation on her desk - not even his desk, her desk - and refused to come back. No, Mai knew that he wouldn't be able to leave well enough alone and let them go their separate ways. She had - perhaps naively - hoped that he would at least confront her at school or somewhere in public, though.
"You didn't show up for work." He said as he stood on her stoop, a light dusting of snow mixed into his dark hair. She wanted to slam the door in his face, but his foot was already blocking it, and he hadn't done anything so horrible that he deserved having his foot broken. Well, maybe, but she wasn't that sort of girl, and he'd say he knew she was going to do it if she did, and she didn't want to give him the satisfaction, the fucking narcissist.
"Of course not." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes, turning her head away from him. "I quit, Naru. Usually people who quit don't show up for work."
"I wasn't upset that -"
"Well maybe I was, Naru. Maybe I was upset about what happened. Ever think of that?"
"Mai-"
"I don't want to hear it, Naru! Just because you had to be possessed by some spirit to even consider saying that you like me -" Her hands were flailing wildly, her head shaking. "Just because there's no way that you would ever have that sort of feeling for me, and I know, Naru, I know - but that isn't any excuse for the -"
Mai wanted to say more. She had a whole laundry list of things she wanted to yell at the man who had broken her heart. She probably would have even managed to admit just how much she liked Naru, if she hadn't suddenly found her mouth covered with his. Her arms fell uselessly to her sides.
Mai opened her eyes.
"I like you, Mai," he said, breaking away from the kiss and stepping back just a little. Mai narrowed her eyes at him.
"And you're not possessed? Because I don't want to hear again about how -"
He kissed her again, and when he finally drew back, she was leaning against the door frame to hold herself and trying to remember how to breathe.
"I'll pick you up at eight on Friday?" Naru said, and there was something in the way he smiled that made Mai draw herself up quickly in the hopes that he wouldn't figure out how good he was at that because it would never do if he did. She nodded. He waved and turned, heading back towards the stairs to her apartment. He paused halfway, as Mai was closing her door. "Oh, and Mai?"
"Yes?"
"Make sure you brew some tea first thing tomorrow."
"NARU~!"
He laughed softly as he went down the stairs.
The Room
A Harry Potter, Harry/Draco Ficlet
"I didn't want to fuck you, but you're pretty when you're mine."
"You do know the only reason I'm even considering this is because I don't want to die, right?" Draco stalked back and forth across the room like an aggrieved cat.
"Yes, and I'm interested in it because the great Draco Malfoy is the most attractive person I've ever met," Harry replied, rolling his eyes. "Really, it's a wonder how I've kept my hands to myself all this time."
"You - you're not -" The blond sputtered, stopping in his tracks to stare at Harry, wide-eyed.
"Look, we really don't have time for this." Harry reached up and grabbed a fistful of Draco's robes. He dragged the blond down until their faces were on a level, then kissed him. It was… surprisingly not awful. Maybe not as good as kissing Ginny, but really, a bloke couldn't expect someone stuck in a bespelled room that killed everyone who didn't have sex with whoever else they got stuck in it with to kiss like his girlfriend would. Harry drew back. Malfoy blinked owlishly at him. "It could be worse, right?"
Malfoy stared at him for a moment, and then said, "At least you're better than the Weasel."
And Harry would have protested his friend's honor then, really, but Draco's mouth was against his and his hands were doing things for which Harry would have killed him if they weren't meant to save both of their lives. So instead, he resolved to kick Draco's ass after they escaped, and gave into the sensations that were threatening to overwhelm him.
He never did remember to, though.
Something Like Permission
A Gundam Wing, 1x2 Ficlet
"I will be the one to hold you down, and kiss you so hard, I'll take your breath away."
"… ones such as you should only be so lucky as to -"
"Wait, wait! I know this one! Look upon the glory and splendor of your boss, because he's clearly that awesome and we're just terrorists blah blah blah never gonna happen etc. etc. You know, you guys really need some new material, 'cause I don't know about him, but I've heard this one a time or two befo-"
The Oz official stalked out, slamming the door shut behind him. Duo put his (still handcuffed) hands behind his head and leaned back against the wall. He grinned.
"Somehow, that never gets old." Duo said. Heero glared at him. Duo sat up straighter. "Hey, Heero, you know what else never gets old?"
Heero didn't actually, you know, react to that, but Duo was willing to take non-reaction as curiosity and maybe even something like permission when it suited his purposes… which it totally did. Quick as a flash, he crossed the cell, his hands going around Heero's neck, pulling him in closer for a kiss.
Duo hadn't expected the other boy's lips to be so warm, or so soft. He opened his mouth and ran his tongue across Heero's mouth, and maybe sweet wasn't quite the right word for how he tasted, but… good didn't even really begin to cover it, especially not when Heero opened his own mouth in response. Duo moaned, pressing his body more firmly against Heero.
"You two! What do you think you're doing?"
The cell door swung open, light pouring into the dark room as a lone guard rushed in and reached for Duo. The braided pilot had his hands out of Heero's hair and slamming across the guard's temple the moment the Oz lackey came within reach. He went down like Duo had been considering doing on Heero, only without half as much fun for anyone involved, and Duo immediately began searching his pockets for keys. Duo freed his hands from the cuffs and tossed them to Heero as he got to his feet, heading for the door. He checked to make sure the coast was clear, then looked back as the other pilot got to his feet.
"We're going to have to do that again," Duo said, and the look on Heero's face could have been nonchalance if his blue eyes hadn't burned so brightly in the dim room. Heero came closer, stood just inside the doorframe that Duo's body blocked.
"Which part?"
Duo reached out and grabbed Heero's half-formed erection through his shorts, and knew that his continued possession of his hand was definitely acceptance. He grinned, and let go, with one quick caress. He hurried down the hall, heading for the hanger where their gundams were sure to be stored. His last words to Heero echoed in the empty corridor behind him.
"Maybe both."
Heero hurried after him.
The Bud
A Mai-HiME, Mai/Tate Ficlet
"Forget all about equality, let's play master and servant."
Tate came upon the red-haired girl in the palace gardens. For three months, in winter's cold chill and the early storms of spring, he toiled daily beside Shigure, the head gardener, to make sure everything was ready for the cherry blossom festival. Not even once before had another soul ventured into his place of work, but as surely as that was true, so was the kimono-clad woman crying beneath his trees.
"Are you all right Miss?" he asked as he approached her. The girl took her time to respond, wiping away her tears before she looked up at him. She smiled.
"Yes, I'm fine." Tears still clouded her eyes, though, and her voice had a raspy quality that didn't belong there. Tate grabbed the flask of water from his pocket and threw it at her. She caught it, and then looked at it, sitting in her palm, eyes wide.
"Water." He picked up a nearby hoe and went to work on the garden bed he was responsible for that day. Tate watched from the corner of his eyes as she pulled the stopper and took a sip. Her lips softened, and if she wasn't smiling, at least she didn't look strained any more.
"My thanks…" she said, re-stopping the bottle and getting to her feet. She paused near him, the flask in her outstretched hand as she looked at him, waiting for something. He let the hoe rest in the soul, leaning on it just a little.
"I'm Tate." He took the flask back from her. "And you are…?"
She shook her head, and turned to leave. "My thanks, Tate."
He watched her as she went. She headed for the gap in the hedge maze that gave access to this garden. Just as she was about to go through, the red head stopped, and stumbled backwards.
"Apologies, Princess Mai!" Shigure exclaimed. The grey haired gardener stood in the entrance way, bowing repeatedly to the red haired girl. She flushed and shook her head.
"No, no, it's my fault," the girl protested, and Shigure would have responded, but she shook her head determinedly, and he nodded in acquiescence. Then he stepped aside, and Princess Mai hurried from the garden.
"Mai, huh?" Tate pulled his hoe from the ground and resumed tilling the soil. "I'll remember that."
A Night Out
A Saiunkoku Monogatari, Ryuuki/Shuurei Ficlet
"Don't hesitate, I won't kiss and tell. No need to worry 'cause I'm a professional."
"And? What do you want?" The dark-haired woman said as she whirled around to glare at him. "If you're planning on making trouble like that Ran character did the last time he was in here, you'd better think again!"
"NO! No, I - That is, I -" Ryuuki blushed, looked at his feet, and looked up at her again. She was tapping her foot impatiently. Her eyebrow had begun to twitch.
"Well?"
"I… I want… I mean, would you…" He looked at her, her deep brown eyes and stunning figure. She sighed, and shook her head, but when she looked up at least she didn't look cross any more.
"So you're here for this, then?" She stepped closer to him. Her arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him down until their foreheads touched. His heart skipped a beat as her hand trailed down his side. "You can pay, can't you?"
"I - I -" Her hand crossed his pocket, feeling the load of coins there, and then sank lower. "YES!"
"This way, please."
Ryuuki followed her up the stairs. She brushed aside a set of curtains and led him down a long hallway. They paused in front of one of the last doors. She opened it, grabbed his hand, and led him to the bed. Ryuuki sat down. Meanwhile, she went and lit a stick of incense, sending a pleasant aroma wafting through the room. He breathed deeply, closing his eyes.
"Someone will be with you shortly," she said. His eyes snapped open, just in time to watch her close the doors firmly behind her. He sighed, flopping back on the bed.
"But I wanted you… Shuurei…"