Author's note: Yeah, sorry about the lack of update from last week. Hope you like this new chapter.

Warning: Unpleasant old ladies, bad gossip and…fluff in between?

Summary: Gossip is vowed to happen when you love your daughter/mother, when you live somewhere where people don't accept who you are. Love is never easy. Natsuki and Shizuru know that. It's struggle for them everyday in their neighborhood. Events take place after the end of chapter 4 but a little before chapter 5. Shizuru still has yet to have her attack and the girls are together.

Disclaimer: Mai Hime, Mai Otome, Mai Destiny are property of Sunrise or that is what I heard…

Love is never easy

When Natsuki moved to the small neighborhood of Fuuka, she never expected problems. Rather, she just wanted peace and silence. She didn't need a welcome party. She didn't help. She had received enough. Natsuki just wanted them to mind their own business, just as she minded her own. No, luck on that.

"No way!"

"Yes! My sister's friend's cousin's friend saw it!"

The group of women gasped, their hands covering their mouths at their youngest member. They then looked at each other, their eyes wide in horror.

"How disgusting!" one of the women sneered, her words reflected her face and feelings.

Almost too enthusiastically, the youngest one added. "And her daughter is the same!"

A serious of gasp followed next as the women continued chatting.

"How shameful!"

"They will burn in hell!"

"Why can't they just find a young man and marry?"

"Yes, why?"

"Why do they have to live here?"

From above, Shizuru watched their exchange quietly. Too quietly. However, the way her eyes narrowed toward the group reflected her true feelings.

"Did you know? That daughter of hers is in a gang!"

"No! It is true?"

"Yes! I saw them last time with those other girls, all bruised up!"

"How shameful! Girls should not fight!"

"I completely agree!"

The gasp, the comments and sneers continued but they soon faded as the group left to somewhere else.

"And I thought men were annoying…" she mumbled absently and walked away from the window.

"Say that again and people will think that the cliché about all lesbians hating men is real." Natsuki teased from the couch, grinning when Shizuru sat next to her. "They are just stupid old women gossiping. Don't mind them."

"I don't like it."

Natsuki sighed and used her arm to put her lover's head on her lap. "There, there." She started gently caressing Shizuru's hair. "Say goodbye to all those bad old ladies talk and go to candyland."

"Do you think this will work?"

"Honestly? No, I don't think so." She flashed a toothy grin to her lover, "But, I really want you to stop listening what they say. It does no good."

"They'll judge us as if they knew everything."

"Let them judge them."

"They judge you! You! I –"

Natsuki gave her lover a quick kiss, chuckling when the other woman glared at her. "I thought you liked my kisses?"

"I'm trying to be serious, Natsuki!" Shizuru complained childishly.

Sometimes, she really disliked the carefree attitude of the older woman.

"Words…won't hurt me." The veterinarian stated before she stared into the brunette's eyes. "They won't hurt me as long as you are here, by my side and loving me. I learned that from last time."

"I-Idiot…" Shizuru whispered and hide her head on woman's lap. "Natsuki no Ikezu."

Natsuki chuckled again, smiling at the beautiful strawberry color she saw crawling over Shizuru's face.

"How about we got the amusement park?"

"Date?"

"Yeah, it's a date."

For a Friday afternoon, the amusement park was half empty. Something Natsuki thought was for the better since she didn't like crowds. Glancing at her lover, the veterinarian reminded herself why she made these small sacrifices. She knew it. It had been a great idea to leave Fuuka and come to this place. A place where no one knew about her real relationship with the young woman next to her.

"Oh! Look!" Shizuru shouted with childlike excitement as she bounced up and down and pointed at one of the games. "Love tunnel! Love tunnel! Let's go to that one!"

Natsuki grimaced. Surely, Shizuru was joking right? But one quick glance told her enough. Nope. Her lover was quite serious about going to that particular place.

"Please?" The brunette pleaded with a puppy look and pout. "Natsuki-chin?"

Natsuki's right eye began twitching. Her hands clenched and unclenched. She tried to look away as her last option to freedom but it was too late. That's what she thought before her eyes saw something that caught her attention.

"That!" She shouted, pointing at the shooting game stand. "Get me that big dog and we will go!"

Shizuru turned to look at the direction her lover had pointed. She tilted her head, obviously curious about the challenge.

"Ara!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands while her trademark Cheshire grin adorned her face. "I accept that challenge!"

Uh Oh.

Natsuki blinked, wondering if she had made the right choice when she felt the other woman's hand on hers as she was dragged to the shooting stand.

"Hello, young and beautiful ladies!" The woman openly flirted, eyeing her customers with light lust. "What can I do for you?"

Shizuru ignored the flirt, even if she was getting angry at how the woman was looking at her lover. It also didn't help that Natsuki didn't say anything and was just standing there, her face red like a tomato.

"That…" Shizuru said, pointing at the middle sized stuffed blue dog, "What do I have to do to get it?"

The woman chuckled and ruffled her hair before saying, "That my little lady, takes six shots from your eight tries," She pointed at the targets, moving cardboard-made animals, "but to…"

"The dogs." Shizuru finished, sighing at the idea of shooting animals.

So what if they were fake? It hurt, kind of, since they were dogs. Her lover's favorite animal.

"Shizuru, maybe –"

The younger partner shook her head and took the gunshot toy, "A deal is a deal."

Natsuki sighed, knowing that nothing she said would change her lover's mind. She knew it from that look, from the way the other woman was aiming at the targets. Shizuru was determined to win.

Shizuru took a deep breath, moved her shoulders a bit and aimed carefully. Her eyes narrowed as her fingers leaned closer on the trigger.

One.

With a quick move, she moved to the next target and shot another of her targets.

Two. Three and four.

Natsuki gulped her mouth slightly open as she stared in awe at her lover's precise shooting skills.

Miss.

Shizuru hissed quietly, cursing herself for rushing her fifth shot.

"Careful, kid or you won't get your pretty price." The woman warned playfully, chuckling when another shot was missed.

Damn it.

"Relax." Natsuki whispered on Shizuru's ear as her body leaned from behind.

Shizuru's muscle tensed, obviously startled when she felt Natsuki's breast against her back. For a moment, she wondered why her lover was leaning so close to her.

"Relax." The veterinarian repeated quietly, her eyes staring at the targets.

"Natsuki..."

Her partner said nothing, one hand slowly moving to help Shizuru support the gunshot while the other held part of the trigger.

"Take a deep breath." Natsuki instructed, not once caring as bystanders began looking at them. "Close your right eye."

Shizuru did as she was told and felt her lover shift slightly.

"Find your target," Was the next order.

Scarlet narrowed upon the third row. The last two targets, barely separated by two other animals.

"Focus and aim." Natsuki remained her lover, moving the gunshot a bit to the right as help. "Shoot only when you know is the right time, okay?"

Shizuru nodded, her eyes analyzing every detail possible. She smirked when she noticed the chance to finish this faster.

Five! Six!

Natsuki growled against her lover's ear before backing away, "That was risky, you know."

However, Shizuru pay no mind to it. Instead, she grinned and happily accepted her prize from the smirking woman.

"Love tunnel, yes?" Shizuru didn't wait for an answer and dragged her lover toward the next attraction.

Natsuki remained quiet, eyeing the younger woman suspiciously when she heard a soft humming.

That's not a good sign.

And she was right. Shizuru hummed only when she was extremely excited about something. She was also smiling that Cheshire grin of hers. That wasn't good at all for Natsuki.

Please, please tell me is nothing bad!

"Hush now, love." Shizuru admonished, patting her lover's head before they got in one of those boats from the game, "Just enjoy."

"Right…" Natsuki mumbled back, shifting her shoulders as the boat went into the tunnel. She squirmed when Shizuru wrapped her arms around her. "O-oi!"

"Yes?"

Natsuki's right eye twitched and knew that her lover wouldn't say anything else. She harrumphed, mumbling a quiet retort. Shizuru smirked and leaned forward. Natsuki would never realize that she had just fallen on one of her lover's trap.

"Shi-Shizuru!"

Shizuru smirked, her lips lightly kissing Natsuki's neck.

"What do you think…what are you planning?" the older partner hissed, aroused and angry.

"I am just spending some quality time with my girlfriend." The brunette retorted with ease and a light tone of playfulness, "Is that so wrong?"

"Hell Ye –Ahh!"

She gasped, one hand gripping her pants as the other went to hold Shizuru's skirt. A soft and almost unnoticeable crimson covered Natsuki's neck and ears.

"Ru…" the veterinarian moaned her lover's name, prompting a chuckle from the younger partner.

Shizuru smirked, pleased when she saw Natsuki's eyes taking a darker shade. "Want me to bite your earlobe again? Or would you prefer me to lick it?" She teased against her lover's ear, "Perhaps I should go for your neck then?"

"Ru…" Natsuki moaned again before letting out a quiet whimper when she felt her lips crushed with passion by the other woman.

However, it didn't last long enough. The ride was about to end. Shizuru knew it and stopped, giving an apologetic smile to her lover before rearranging their clothes and hair.

"Sorry." Shizuru mumbled as they got out, ignoring the stares other couples were giving them. "Natsuki?"

"It's my turn." The older woman said and took her partner's hand, dragging her to another of the park's attraction. "If you get scared, puppy can always keep you company."

Shizuru frowned, wondering what that warning meant. She shuddered the moment they arrived to the Funhouse.

"Natsuki…"

"No, it is only fair."

They went in, Shizuru holding the stuffed dog as if her life depended it. Well, it kind of did when you were scared of this kind of games. But, Shizuru wasn't scared. She was terrified.

My, my. I think this is what people call Karma?

"Ikezu! Ikezu!" Shizuru glared, smacking her lover's arm as the other woman chuckled. "You should not laugh!"

"I can't help it." Natsuki countered and wrapped an arm around her lover's waist before giving a light kiss on the girl's cheek. "I just love your frightened face." Shizuru then pouted. "And that pout too."

"Hmph."

Shizuru crossed her arms, glancing away to avoid being victim of another laugh. She didn't like it when Natsuki teased her. More so because they were ten times worst than her daily teases to the other woman. Noticing that she was being ignored, Natsuki opened her mouth to say something when she noticed an elder couple outside their apartment.

"Hon, are you okay?"

"Of course!" the stubborn women said and winced when the bag of apples fell from her.

Natsuki rushed to help, stopping the elder couple from doing the work.

"Here, let me help." She offered as Shizuru helped her recover the fallen fruits.

The older woman scolded and walked away, "No." she said, mumbling a quiet curse. "I don't need fruit that has been spoiled by freaks like you."

The man shook his head and gave the girls an apologetic smile before going after her wife.

"Huh."

Unlike Natsuki simple and carefree reply, Shizuru narrowed her eyes on the retreating woman. She smirked when she saw her tripping against a rock.

Serves you right.

"Shizuru?"

"Yes?"

Natsuki sighed having noticed the look her lover was giving to the elder couple. "Ignore them; we got free apples now didn't we?"

"Hmm…"

Natsuki wished she could do more for her lover. She wanted, needed to make Shizuru understand that words didn't matter when she had her. She wished she knew how.

"I love you, you know?" She said, holding her lover's hand and giving it a kiss before going for the lips, "You are worth it, Shizuru. You are worth everything."

When Natsuki moved to the small neighborhood of Fuuka, she never expected problems. Her amnesia, her existence in this world and fitting in were enough. She didn't need those looks when people found about her sexual orientation. She didn't need the gossip, the whispers behind her back as she finally accepted her feelings for Shizuru.

But, everything was worth it. It was, as long as Shizuru stayed by her side and loved her.

"I love you too."

Love is never easy. They knew it from the beginning. That's why they stayed by each other side. It was worth it.

Author's note: There are 2 more one-shots planned dealing with amnesia Shizuru and a confession. However, I won't write them just yet. For the time being, enjoy all this.