Inevitable

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY $30+ PATRONS!!

This was my first attempt/draft for the zine, but it ended up just being too long. So it has some similarities to the final piece, but it's sort of just its own thing as well. My only idea at the time was "practice kissing turning into real kissing" so that's the common theme. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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							Inevitable

'Delaying the inevitable.'

If she were to look up the phrase right this very moment, Claudine was certain she'd find herself looking in a mirror.

Normally, she would never let anything get in the way of her rehearsals. When she was here in the studio practicing after-hours, she gave her all to the steps or the songs or the lines she was going over, regardless of what other outstanding things or events might have been weighing on her mind.

She refused to let even Tendo Maya's presence distract her as they ran through their respective lead characters' scripts that Sunday afternoon.

As expected and as deserved, each of them had landed a lead role for the upcoming play, A Tale of Two Princesses. Tragic at first, the two princesses of warring kingdoms made countless sacrifices in order to save their own countries, until little by little, they came to realize they are one in the same. After meeting in secrecy, a friendship blossoms, and eventually…

Claudine snaps herself back into the present, finishing the routine of her solo dance without a physical hitch, though mentally she's in a very different place. The more she tells herself not to look in Maya's direction, the more her eyes are drawn to her. A moth to a flame, some might say.

They've both been practicing for hours, to the point where it's beginning to become painfully obvious that they've mastered the entirety of the play. save for the final scene.

After all, A Tale of Two Princesses was a romance.

Hence the inevitable, and Claudine's futile attempt at delaying it.

But she refuses to give Maya the satisfaction of having Claudine be the one to break first and make the offer, so she begins her solo dance routine once again, in spite of the fact that she's already done it a dozen times flawlessly. She can do it with her eyes closed and backward if necessary, she can do it in her sleep where her dreams are indisputably void of a certain someone-

"Saijou-san?"

Inevitability, thy name is Tendo Maya.

Claudine plants her heel to halt herself, drawing in a steadying breath before she turns around. And to her utmost annoyance, Maya is as unfazed as ever, not even having broken a sweat after all these hours. Claudine herself has to fight to keep her breath level.

"What?"

Though she already knows. It's inevitable…

"If you wouldn't mind, may we review our final scene together?"

Claudine had never once thought the times she'd have to put on her best acting skills would be in front of her own classmates rather than in front of an actual audience. She just has to hope Maya can't see right through her as she calmly walks over to join her.

"Oui, bien sur." She tosses a lock of hair over her shoulder and lifts her chin importantly, expecting to see a hint of something mischievous in Maya's gaze. But instead, her eyes are sweet and pleasant, and somehow that's even more infuriating.

"Thank you very much. I believe we've each mastered the rest of the performance, save for our final scene."

Claudine ignores the thumping in her chest, which has only started to become louder since Maya had called her name.

"It's just a staged kiss. What's the big deal?"

Casual. If she can just trick her mind into thinking this is something commonplace, then maybe her heart will stop bouncing like a ball. She's done this sort of thing a million times before onstage with so many other classmates at the time throughout her middle school years. It was all a part of the act to convey the emotion of the story being told.

Maya smiles kindly.

"Of course. Someone as experienced as yourself has performed such scenes many times, I assume."

"And I'll bet it's the same for you."

"Indeed."

Claudine can't explain why the affirmative answer irks her. Is it because it's Maya she's speaking to? Or is it because the idea of Maya kissing other people onstage makes her throat close up?

"Well then-" she snaps. "Let's get this over with."

"Very well." Maya offers her hand with a charming smile. Claudine puts herself into her role of a battle-weary princess being gently coaxed forward by the soft promise of peace. She accepts Maya's hand, telling herself the bit of heat on their skin comes from both of them, not from her alone.

"Now then," Maya says, pulling her a step closer, until Claudine's face is only inches shy of her own. "Being this is the final scene of the performance, we will need to maintain the pose for at least ten seconds, so the audience may absorb the emotion before the curtain falls."

"I know all that. Don't patronize me, Tendo Maya."

"My apologies. It was never my intention. Now then…" She leans in an inch closer, and perhaps there is a flash of mischief in her eyes. But Claudine can't tell for sure, because when she blinks her vision is a little hazy. "I believe," Maya continues. "It is your character who initiates this kiss, is it not?"

Claudine swallows.

"I told you, I know all that!"

"Then please, whenever you're ready." Maya closes her eyes, and it's a brief but welcome breath of relief for Claudine until her mind registers what it is she has to do next.

It's not a big deal. It's really not.

In order to put on a convincing act for her future audience, she tries to put on a convincing act for herself in the present.

Casual. Ordinary. Commonplace. Thinking such things makes it a little easier to follow the sweet taste of Maya's breath to her lips. Claudine closes her eyes and holds her breath as she bumps herself against them and then withdraws.

She cracks one eye open, then the other, refusing to admit the heat in her cheeks in dire contrast to how unaffected Maya appears to be. Maya continues standing with her eyes closed for a few seconds longer before slowly opening them again.

"Saijou-san?"

"What-?!"

"You may begin."

Claudine sputters.

"Why, you-! I just did! I just kissed you a second ago!"

"You did?"

"Yes! Did you fall asleep?"

"I'm certain I didn't." Maya blinks, as though confirming the world around her isn't a dream. "Either way, would you mind doing it once more?"

Claudine inhales sharply.

"You… You'd better not be messing with me…"

"Of course not. My only concern is that if I, the recipient of your kiss, was not even fully aware that it was happening, then it may have been just a touch too brief to satisfy the audience."

Claudine opens her mouth to fire back, but when she realizes Maya makes a fair point, she closes it.

"Fine."

She tries again, trying not to let Maya's hands on her waist distract her. She reaches up to loop an arm around Maya's shoulders in turn; after all, they are lovers. Their characters, of course.

Claudine breathes in and closes her eyes once again as she is drawn to Maya's lips. She swallows again, trying to give off that air of normalcy, of performing a common, everyday act-

"Pardon me."

Claudine nearly stumbles when Maya stops her just a breath before the kiss happens. She yanks herself back enough to glare.

"What was that for?"

"If I may." Maya has taken on a bit of a contemplative expression. "It may be difficult to keep track of time during such a scene when we have our eyes closed. Therefore, to keep track of at least ten seconds, there's an easy way to do that."

Claudine rolls her eyes.

"All right then, spit it out."

Maya maintains her dazzling smile as she extends her index finger and reaches out to tap it gently against Claudine's collar.

"Your heart."

"…Eh?"

"Use it as a timer," Maya elaborates. "From the moment our kiss begins, count ten of your heartbeats before pulling away. By then the curtains will have fallen. Quite romantic, is it not?"

Claudine feels another flush of heat in her face, but she won't let it get to her.

"Fine. Now are you done talking?"

"I am. Please proceed."

So Claudine returns to her prior position, wrapping her arms around Maya's shoulders with a tender earnestness that matches Maya's hold around her waist. She lets the contact happen, feeling the plush of Maya's lips, the warmth of them. She might've forgotten when to start counting, so she just guesses before pulling away again.

"Wait," she sighs. "Let me do it again."

Maya smiles back as always.

"But of course. As many times as you need."

This time Claudine starts counting her heartbeats the second her lips touch Maya's. She pulls away after the tenth and not a second later.

"There. Satisfied?"

But when Maya opens her eyes again, there is a frown on the very lips Claudine had just kissed. It makes her a little annoyed.

"Hey, should you really be frowning after someone's just kissed you?"

"My apologies." Maya dips her head. "I was just thinking it was still a bit brief." She's quiet for a moment, sliding her hand up from Claudine's hip to her side where she holds it for a moment. Claudine has to breathe manually all the while until Maya continues her train of thought. "As I expected. Your heart is beating much more quickly than is common, Saijou-san."

"Hah-?!" Claudine blushes all the redder as she realizes what Maya had been doing. Maya nods.

"Indeed. Are you perhaps still recovering from the exertion of practice? Would you like to take a rest before we continue?"

"I'm perfectly fine!" she snaps. "For whatever reason that's just… how quickly it's going right now…"

"I see…" Maya puts a hand to her chin. "Then perhaps you'd like to count to twenty at that rate. And if I may… you seem a little stiff. If possible, please try to relax."

Claudine snorts.

"If you're so good at it, then why don't you give a demonstration?"

"…Eh?"

"Or do you not want to kiss me?"

"Saijou-san…" Maya's cheeks dust over with a faint shade of pink. Claudine claims it as her first victory of the session. "Then allow me. May I?"

"I just told you to do it. You don't have to ask."

"Very well."

Maya hardly wastes a second before her lips are on Claudine's almost instantly. Claudine has to remind herself not to pull back out of surprise, even though she knew it was coming and had give permission herself.

But immediately, she knows what the difference is between hers and Tendo Maya's kiss.

It feels very different to have Maya kissing her. It's fuller, warmer, more confident. But that isn't all. There's something more to it, and Claudine scrambles to try and think of it in time, knowing that every passing beat of her heart is bringing the moment Maya will pull away closer and closer.

What is it? Why is hers different-?

She can't figure it out in time. When Maya pulls away, Claudine finds herself subconsciously following for a split second until she gets ahold of herself. They ease apart, their faces different shades of pink. Maya waits with her ever-present smile, as if expecting praise. Claudine scoffs.

"Well, you sure seemed to enjoy yourself…"

"Indeed. In fact, I would say that was possibly the most convincing kiss I've ever partaken in."

"You couldn't be any more full of yourself, could you?"

"Perhaps not." Maya's smile is genuine enough, to the point where just being so close to her like this, especially after having just kissed and been kissed by her multiple times, is making Claudine a little flustered. Just a little. But it's not in a bad way. Far from it.

Maya chuckles, and the laughter on her lips makes Claudine want to kiss her again.

So she does, just softly on her cheek.

Maya's breath hitches, and her grip on Claudine tightens a bit. When Claudine eases back, she finds herself harboring a newfound tranquility. In turn, Maya has become mildly frantic.

"S-Saijou-san? Our characters are meant to kiss on the lips."

"I'm aware," she says. "That one was from me to you."

"Eh…?"

"I've learned your secret, Tendo Maya. How you make those kisses so realistic."

"Pardon?"

She's truly puzzled now, and Claudine can't help but smirk a bit.

"Never mind that. Let me try this kiss once more. I think I've got it."

"As you wish."

The next kiss is even more perfect than all the ones before it - longer, fuller, warmer, softer. Claudine maintains it even after twenty giddy heartbeats have passed, and Maya doesn't seem eager to pull away anytime soon either.

When they do finally move apart, there is a flushed and equal breathlessness between them, one that results from a kiss far deeper and longer than any stage performance would ever call for.

"I see…" Maya says at last. "So you truly did discover my secret then, Saijou Claudine."

"You didn't do a great job at hiding it, Tendo Maya," Claudine mumbles back.

Maya hands tremble slightly.

"And is it… an inconvenience for you…? Would it perhaps be best if I not-?"

"Would you be quiet?" Claudine sighs. "Again."

"Eh?"

"You heard me."

And so the practice continues, for the sake of making their play as convincing as possible.

Both Maya and Claudine work on their kisses together until they've found the perfect one, and then they repeat it as many times as they can to commit it to memory; how much air, the proper pressure, how many beats of their hearts.

Looking back on it now, it might have been just a simple matter of delaying the inevitable.

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A/N: I was happy with this one at the time too! But it was double the required length for the zine, so I decided to keep it secret until I could officially share both!