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"Your queen once again, Shinobu Wakamiya," the announcer exclaimed.
Shinobu gave a small, regal smile. Next to her, Chihaya Ayase collapsed. Gracefully, Shinobu caught her without looking over, guiding Chihaya down to rest with her head in Shinobu's lap.
The interview passed uneventfully after that. Shinobu had done this enough times before, no one would expect a fish to not know how to swim.
At some point, Shinobu started casually stroking Chihaya's soft, tawny hair. The whole karuta world had seen everything, but they didn't know squat.
🖤
Alone in her dressing room at last, Shinobu sighed in relief as she removed her kimono, letting the richly embroidered fabric pool at her feet. Under the extravagant garment, her mascot emblazoned underclothes were plastered to her body with sweat. Grimacing, Shinobu checked over her shoulder one last time before quickly changing into a simple polka dot dress that would surely be freezing when she went outside. At the moment, however, it was a welcome relief.
Shinobu was on fire in a way that only a queen match could cause. Her heart was still racing and she felt more awake than she had in months despite being vaguely aware of a wobble in her legs that signaled her body may soon give out. It didn't matter if she'd been playing for hours, or how late it was; in the halls of Omi Jingu, Shinobu was a god-queen and this was her coronation.
As she freed her hair from tight double buns and massaged the ache out of her scalp, Shinobu could still feel the rhythm of the game vibrating in her bones and hear the roar of the crowd afterwards echoing in her ears.
As it always was with Chihaya, the matches had been a spectacular dance. She could see the radiance of Chihaya, poised and ready to strike, across the tatami from her, feel the force of the two swiping at a card, taste the tension in the air. A dance: back and forth, Shinobu taking a card, then Chihaya, then Shinobu again as everything else in the room melted into a blur. It was like being on a five hour rollercoaster, like speeding a car as fast as possible down an empty highway, like two apex predators going in for the kill.
It was a dance, a romance . The type Shinobu knew best.
Once Shinobu was done, she emerged into the now quiet hall, leaving her things for her team to collect. Seeing Chihaya's people, Shinobu purposefully strode over to where they were waiting.
"Is Chihaya awake?"
"Yes," answered a girl Shinobu had never quite caught the name of, "she's just getting her things together."
"Thanks," Shinobu replied curtly.
Down the hall, Shinobu knocked twice on Chihaya's door.
"Come in," Chihaya said, surprisingly cheery for one newly defeated. But, then again, it was Chihaya.
Sliding the door open, Shinobu leaned against the door frame. Chihaya, now in casual clothes, was sitting alone on the floor, a few remaining personal articles scattered around her.
"Chihaya?"
"Yes, my queen," Chihaya replied, looking up at Shinobu with wide eyes.
Shinobu smirked, feeling a bit dizzy from adrenaline, "Are you good, my dear?"
Chihaya nodded.
"Good."
Closing the door behind her, Shinobu slunk across the room to Chihaya, heat threatening to consume her. She crouched before her so she'd remain taller, extending a hand that Chihaya quickly took. Shinobu ran her thumb along the other girl's long, graceful fingers, thinking of the mastery with which they'd been utilized just an hour before.
"It seems that I've come out on top for the year," Shinobu purred.
Chihaya grinned, "As I will again the next."
"Do you think everyone is getting tired as we enter the fourth year of our tug of war?" Shinobu asked, half rhetorically.
Chihaya shrugged.
"It doesn't matter, out there is our ballroom and everyone has to watch us dance until we can't anymore," Shinobu said with a small laugh.
"Did you see though," Chihaya said, "the crowd got bigger instead of smaller again this year. I think either way we both won."
Shinobu tilted Chihaya's chin up, "you're just saying that because you lost."
Chihaya didn't respond, simply staring transfixed at Shinobu. Shinobu stayed still, letting the moment linger in space. The loudest thing in the room was their breathing and Shinobu noticed that Chihaya's pupils were very large.
"Shinobu," Chihaya said, voice quiet and breathy, "are you going to…."
Shinobu blushed furiously, looking away.
"Embarrassing," Shinobu grumbled, slumping down to rest her head on Chihaya's shoulder.
Chihaya let out half a laugh before going silent.
"But," Shinobu said, lifting her head a little to whisper in Chihaya's ear, " yes. "
Chihaya didn't have time to react before Shinobu dipped her to the floor, one hand pinned above her head. She gasped as Shinobu dragged her legs into place to wrap around Shinobu's hips and leaned down to kiss her, hard and deep.
Shinobu truly had won.
Knotting a hand in Chihaya's already loose ponytail, Shinobu pulled her head back to expose her neck, scraping her teeth down it. She could taste the salty sweat on her throat.
"Good?" Shinobu inquired.
"Yes, my queen," Chihaya replied.
Shinobu nipped her on the collarbone and Chihaya had to stifle the sound she made with her free hand.
"Good," Shinobu crooned.
Feverishly, Shinobu kissed her way across Chihaya's shoulders and chest, careful to only bite where the collar of her shirt would conceal it. She was burning up and she wanted more , much more than she could have now in a paper doored room not even protected by a lock.
Shinobu kissed Chihaya soundly on the lips once more, guiding her free hand up to stroke her hair as she sensed their time was almost up. She felt Chihaya stiffen under her then, just like clockwork, Shinobu too heard footsteps slowly approaching.
Pulling them both back into a proper sitting position, Shinobu smoothed down a dazed Chihaya's shirt and undid her ponytail, deciding fixing it was a lost cause.
The door slid open.
"Are you girls coming to dinner already?"
"Yes!," Chihaya exclaimed over enthusiastically.
"Yes," Shinobu said, her voice level and quiet. She made sure to control her tone and breathing, made sure her back was facing the door so the interloper couldn't see her flushed face, couldn't tell she was more turned on than she'd been in months.
The person left, but didn't close the door. Shinobu stood shakily, grabbing Chihaya's water bottle off a table and taking a big swig to help cool herself down. Chihaya was sitting stock still on the floor, blinking furiously with a concentrated expression.
Shinobu offered Chihaya a hand and she slowly stood, brushing herself off. Taking a deep breath, Shinobu gave Chihaya one last smirk before striding out into the hallway.
Their dance was far from over yet.