Author's Notes:

An in-depth look on Shizuru and Haruka.

XD It's pretty serious business. Minus my laugh.

(Oh and Rush of Blood will be updated next)

Oh and I wasn't exactly sure how to categorize this since its got a fair blend of Romance/Angst/Drama?/General/Sexy/etc. So I just went with straight Romance.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-HiME. Nor do I own the catchy little name "HaruZuke" it's all V-chan's.

Speaking of that, thanks for all of the support, I appreciate our little chats!

And just like that, things fell right back into place.

Or at least everyone pretended that it did.

But the damage that the Carnival had done would not heal in a days' time.

No matter how badly everyone wanted it to.

To just throw a curtain over all of the murder, love confessions, tears, and exasperations would simply be unfair and the highest level of procrastination.

And yet, they did it anyway.

Even though graduation had come and gone, there were still several things that the Student Council needed to go over, such as cleaning up the old mess and preparing for the new members.

As Haruka had previously stated it would "take a lot more than a day's work. It would take weeks of hard work and dissipation!"

Some volunteers and staff had decided to spend some of their summer vacation going over plans and helping rebuild several parts of the academy. At the moment, Shizuru Fujino, Reito Kanzaki, Haruka Suzushiro, Yukino Kikukawa, and a few nameless others were going over budgets and new rules they wished to have established.

"We need to properly enforce the curfew! If you ask me, that was what the real problem was last year!"

Five minutes into the discussion, Haruka had stood up and placed her palms against the papers she had thrown in the effort. She now spent the remainder of the meeting yelling in that position.

Though it seemed like it didn't, the Carnival left a huge impact on her. But she was far too proud to admit to such a weakness that affected everyone.

Since then, she had been incredibly on edge and couldn't seem to sit still. Fidgeting became a new habit and she would often scan the area in which she would reside thoroughly before relaxing.

Even though it sounded silly, she constantly felt as though she was going to be attacked.

It's not like she couldn't handle it, no that was not the problem. She just wasn't fond of the element of surprise and would not let herself fall victim to it like back then.

She also wasn't sure who she could trust.

Definitely not Yukino.

She wouldn't tell her something as important as being involved in a group of mentally disturbed students wielding weapons and destroying the sanctity of the school.

Plus she had her suspicions that she may have feelings for her that weren't exactly normal…

No, there was no trusting Yukino anymore.

Reito, as she had learned, was currently going through symptoms of schizophrenia. After all, he was possessed by a demented spirit, saw things that no boy of his age or any age should have to see, and was told that his life was a complete and utter lie made just for convenience.

In truth, his world was flooding and he was having a hard time finding a life saver.

There was no point in trusting him when he couldn't even trust himself.

And then there was the Kaichou.

She had certainly revealed quite a lot about herself.

Right now she sat at her desk with a neutral look now obviously plastered to her face while she sipped some earl grey tea.

No one knew, nor wanted to know, what was currently going on in her head.

Quite frankly, she had struck fear into everyone who knew of her ex-HiME ways.

It was as though she were a ticking time bomb just waiting to erupt and kill everyone and everything in its path.

When would she snap again?

Is it safe to be around her?

Was she always like this?

She appeared to take all of these silently asked questions free of strain, but in truth, they were tearing her apart.

"Ara, I agree with Haruka-san."

They both cringed at the sound of her voice. For the owner, it was foreign and strained, and for the one mentioned, it was filled with deceit.

Just as the occupants were about to discuss how strange it was for Shizuru to agree with Haruka, the noise one would hear when a computer was shutting down filled the tense air before the lights suddenly went out.

The gasp that fought out of Haruka's mouth was caught mid-way due to fear and her hands balled into tight fists. Her amethyst eyes fought to make sense of the blackness, but failed horribly.

Two things were currently filling the blonde with dread.

One, it was pitch black.

As Yukino had learned during the haunted house, Haruka was terribly afraid of the dark, despite the fact that she slept like a log.

The second was that it had caught her off guard.

Her body tensed at the all around surprise of it all, and she proceeded to push herself away from the table and look around in haste.

Someone was bound to reach out and try to harm her, she just knew it.

"Ara, please settle down everyone."

When things had faded into obsidian, she merely widened her eyes in surprise before allowing them to adjust to the new surroundings. Once maroons had begun to familiarize shapes, she locked on to Haruka's form.

The fair-haired girl looked frightened out of her wits about something so small, and a twinge of regret and shame pierced her deeply.

She knew for certain that she was the cause.

Normally, well before the Carnival, Haruka would be the one to demand silence and order. Now Shizuru had to.

"Reito, inform the staff not to panic."

The raven haired Prince seemed to stare off into space for a brief moment before making a grunt of understanding and scouting out the exit.

"Yukino, search for flashlights and inform a mechanic."

"Yes ma'am." The defeated tone in her voice rang sharper now that everything was quiet. She followed Reito's lead and the sounds of her shoes shuffling across the tiles were heard.

"The rest, please make sure that the workers are alright. We don't wish for there to be any accidents including power tools, now do we?" Her voice was soft, playful, yet firm. People filed out of the room immediately.

Haruka was far too caught up in her own thoughts and the sounds of movement to notice that she and the Kaichou were the only ones left in the room.

Shizuru, catching the hint that the executive committee leader was not in her usual state due to anxiety, decided to let her stay there.

"Haruka-san. Do sit down."

Why she was putting the effort to act normal when she knew everyone, or at least it felt like everyone, knew of her masquerade? It was force of habit. No, it was a defense mechanism.

Underneath layers among layers of perfection lay a raw and very flawed girl. It would be wrong to assume that the Carnival had done this to her. No, she had always been that way. It was just now more noticeable.

The pain of being forced to be someone that she was not, her love being thrown back at her, people no longer feeling safe in her presence, was indeed a major part of the complex web that is Fujino Shizuru. But it is not all of it.

From a young age, the Fujino family expected their child to look and behave in a certain manner. They would accept no less. The smallest glimpse of originality would mean physical discipline.

Naturally, when Shizuru first met Haruka, she detested her. She appeared to be the same as her parents, she seemed to follow and adhere to the same laws.

It made her sick that other people like that existed.

"Yeah…"

Awkward.

It was oh so very awkward between them now.

Half-hearted apologies were given and were not fully accepted.

Neither wanted to take that chance to bridge the gap between them.

There was far too much to risk.

So they silently decided to keep up some form of a relationship for appearance purposes only.

But Shizuru was now making an exception.

Seeing Haruka in the state that she was currently in, made her feel as though they had something in common. She saw a part of herself in that trembling student, and wanted to reach out and essentially save that piece of herself that she couldn't before.

Haruka did not feel the same, or anything close to that.

She ached to mock the woman before her.

She wanted to lash out and openly remind her of her faults and mistakes.

She craved to see a glimpse of pain on that face, a sign that yes, she was human too.

She wanted her to collapse on to her knees and reveal to her every secret she ever held and continue to stubbornly hold on to.

She wanted her to treat her like Natsuki.

"Was I…not ever good enough?" She subconsciously voiced out one of her many thoughts, causing the Hydra owning ex-HiME to look up at her in a more serious light.

"Whatever is Haruka-san talking about?" Her words came out slow, cautious, and in a way like how a mother was making sure you truly didn't mean to accidently knock her child in the head with the soccer ball.

"What am I- You heard that?"

"Haruka-san did say that out loud."

They were both testing the waters, as if making sure it was deep enough for a cannon-ball.

It was quiet for what felt like hours as each both waited for themselves and the other to speak.

So much needed to be said.

"I really thought you'd warm up to me."

Those eight words sliced through the tension like a knife on butter.

It wasn't what Shizuru was expecting. Yes, she had known Haruka, or at least knew her name since she was middle school but…

"I didn't have the slightest bit of doubt. I thought that if I could prove that I was better than Kuga, you'd stop praying so much attention to her and actual give me a second glance."

In truth, Haruka was constantly telling herself to shut up over and over again. But she was a natural loud mouth, whether she wanted to admit it or not, and simply would not stop talking. Her words were a waterfall, only a dam could plug it up.

"You don't… You don't side with the delinquent! You're supposed to uphold justice not support archery!"

'Anarchy.'

"I'm fairly certain that I warned you about talking bad about Natsuki before. I will not stand for it."

'Of course you won't.'

What was so appealing about Natsuki Kuga?

Was it the "Kuga Death Glare"?

That certainly couldn't be it.

Yes, the "Kuga Death Glare" was capable of causing people to freeze in place, but the "Suzushiro Sneer" could cause a grown man to quake in fear before fleeing.

"I just don't understand it! Why didn't you ever care?" She was riled once more and her voice regained its confidence with a thick mixture of anger.

"People aren't meant to be treated kindly. They are stupid fools, Shizuru. Just put on a smile and they'll buy it."

"…there was no need to."

'What?!'

Haruka Suzushiro was one to speak her mind, and this was no exception.

"That's conspicuous! You were the Student Council President; your duty was to care!"

"…but that's not what we're talking about, is it Haruka-san? The one that you wanted me to care about was-"

"Shut up, Bubuzuke! Just shut up! I've had enough of you!"

Striding on over to her, minus the stumbling from running into a few chairs, she approached her enemy.

"I just can't…stand you…"

Her teeth were gritted and she had placed two fingers through the open space above Shizuru's well tied ribbon and yanked her forward.

She expected to see surprise, worry…anything! But no, it was just an expression that gave a blank "what do you think you're doing?" look.

It made her so much angrier.

Her free hand lifted to smack some form of sense into the woman who was so clearly lost in the dark.

She had slapped her before, hadn't she?

'Then do it now!'

Hand still mid-air, she shut her eyes tight and balled her fist before letting the woman go.

'Why is this so hard?'

Silence reigned as one stared the other down as she was trying to regain her self-control. Breathing that was once labored began to calm down considerably as the blonde allowed herself to look around once more.

"Are you alright?" The brunette spoke cautiously, making sure that she wasn't going to get suddenly ambushed once more.

The one in the green blazer nodded softly before making eye contact.

"Are you?"

'No one's ever asked me that before…'

No one ever took the time to consider how Shizuru felt about all of this. It was always about their well-being, never hers. No one dared to ask if she was okay or if she needed a shoulder to cry on. No one ever gave a damn. All they wanted was her presence, nothing more and nothing less. She was a viper to the core: striking from a distance, but far too dreadful to approach.

"I…don't know."

And she truly didn't. Her emotions were always of the complex variety, but lately they seemed to be on the brink of driving her crazy once more. She really didn't know what had gotten over her during the Carnival. In fact, she could hardly remember what drove her to such insanity. She couldn't recall exactly what she was feeling at the time either. It would be easy to blame it all of the Obsidian Prince, but that wasn't what caused it. It was something inside her, something that was always there, wasn't it?

"Is there anything I can do?"

Why was she asking this? Wasn't she angry? Didn't she hate Shizuru for what she had done? Didn't she "have enough" of her? So why?

"Why are you asking?"

Indigo eyes blinked in surprise at her question. Wasn't the answer obvious?

"Bubuzuke, I…" 'Even though I always say things, I…'

Taking a step forward, they got even closer to each other. Burgundy's were confused at first, but then their eyelids drooped when an odd feeling overcame her being. It was as though a heat of some sort began blazing in the pit of her stomach and shooting up to her chest.

"I've always…" Haruka was having an extremely rough time spitting her words out. That and controlling herself. There was always some kind of attraction she held for the brunette, even though she hated to admit it. It was disgusting and immoral, but she still felt it nonetheless.

'Don't…do it…' She pleaded to herself as she dipped closer to those lips, feeling the hot breath reach out and caress her cheeks. Where was her Suzushiro flare? Where had it decided to hide for the time being?

Running her tongue over her chapped lips, she tried to pry her eyes away from the others. It would be wrong to kiss her now when she was fully aware of her vulnerable state. It would be taking advantage of an innocent, and that was something Haruka strongly believed in avoiding.

Shizuru on the other hand was getting extremely impatient and plotting making the move herself. It wasn't that she had ever really felt anything for Haruka, it was merely want. She needed to feel love right now, and if the blonde could give it, she would receive it.

Now that they were oh so very close, the brunette took the time to truly look at the woman before her.

She was surprisingly…stunning.

It wasn't that she hadn't noticed before, she just never took the time to appreciate it.

Golden wavy locks sat comfortably past her shoulders in an almost zigzag way. Directing her gaze upward, she noticed that the blonde had switched to nibbling on her lower lip in an indecisive motion. Further ahead were pink tinted cheeks, followed by purple eyes that seemed focused on her thoughts. Above them was nicely applied violet eye shadow that matched the owner's orbs. Her brows were in a check point motion; a clear sign of worry.

With a sigh, Shizuru took a firm hold of Haruka's shoulders and pushed her towards her own body before roughly clashing their lips together.

It was far, far more than she had expected.

Hunger soon became a primary emotion as she rubbed her mouth against the others, trying to taste every inch of it. Her long fingers danced and laced themselves in the executive committee leader's mane. There was so much more that she wanted from her, and she would get it.

Haruka was completely absorbed in one of her first kisses, feeling the need and lust in the other's touch. Her competitive nature would not allow her to just sit there like a statue, so she pressed her lips against Shizuru's as well, moving them about in a flurry of passion. She would not lose this little game.

Just kissing was slowly becoming not enough as Haruka moved to make herself comfortable on the Kaichou's lap. The brunette let her hands trail down the other's body, taking in every little curve as she made her way to her waistband. The bull, getting more than she had ever thought she would, decided to take advantage of her once in a lifetime opportunity and broke their kiss, ignoring the grunt of disapproval from the other.

Planting love bites across her jawbone, she started to make a beeline for the others neck, ravenous for a taste of her flesh. A gasp was her reward, along with a shiver from her "rival".

But both were not the type to go down without a fight. Shizuru slipped her hands up Haruka's previously tucked in uniform top, causing her to jump at how cold they were.

"B-Bubuzuke!"

"Ara, sorry, sorry."

As her hands eagerly moved towards the lacy bra, the blonde's lips had found the tender place where the shoulder and neck met and proceeded to nip there. A moan in approval was heard before the soft sound of a bra being undone.

At this point, both girls were beginning to feel considerably hot and…awkward in certain places. Unyielding yet delicate grinding began to take place as the couple sought a cure to their surge of unfamiliar emotions.

Just as Haruka's fingers began to slide down Shizuru's skirt and the other was beginning to position their hands against her bust, the whirring of technology filled the air and the lights flickered on.

Both heads snapped up to look at each other before they mimicked a red color.

Fingers lingered before hooking the bra back together and trailing down warm skin.

Haruka helped the woman of her desire's slide back into her bottoms.

Each helped fix the other's appearance in comfortable silence.

Once they regained their former tidiness, their eyes met and they shared a secret smile.

No loving words needed to be uttered.

The doors opened quickly, and the usual uproar filled the small room.

Amongst all of the chaos, vermilions met lavenders, and they shared a small thought.

"You and I need to get to know each other more."

Author's Notes:

Perhaps maybe one day to be continued?

Hope you enjoyed it; do tell me what you thought.