Starlight Stories (ch3)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY $10+ PATRONS!

Today we'll be having what I think is the most domestic pair of them all:

Day 3: Junna/Nana

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.


----------

														Chapter 3. Cats And Dogs

For the first time in Seishou's recent history, a student-run and organized concert had been held in order to raise money for a local animal shelter in need of funds.

Naturally, all of the girls had been eager to assist, and had set aside any extra time they might've found in order to help set up and prepare a small performance for the occasion. Both Classes A and B had worked very hard on the side for the charity on top of their usual schoolwork and practice.

The brief play had been about a dog and a cat who had been in search of homes. Nana had composed the script with Junna's assistance, and with all of their friends onstage as animal-based actors (Karen and Hikari being the main dog and cat roles respectively) the girls had raised significant funds for the shelter in-need and its animals.

Therefore, in order to celebrate their success, Junna and Nana had hurried home ahead of the others to start preparing a congratulatory dinner for everyone. The rest of their friends were still at the shelter, no doubt being treated to a complimentary tour and meeting all of the animals they had helped with their play.

Presently, Nana and Junna hurry into the dorm kitchen with bags of various foods and ingredients on their arms.

"Okay!" Nana sings. "Let's get cooking, Junna-chan!"

"W-Wait one second," Junna chuckles, shaking her head hopelessly. "Catch your breath first, Nana. Also, wash your hands."

"Oh, of course!"

As Nana heads to the sink, Junna begins pulling out the things they'd bought to prepare for supper. It was going to be a feast of seafood, veggies, and various meats, and desserts would be a selection of muffins and cupcakes.

Nana hands her partner an apron as they begin setting up the supplies and ingredients on the counter.

And as Junna watches her roommate expertly open, lay out, and arrange all of the food items, she's hit with the realization that she really isn't half as skilled in the kitchen as she is.

Nana moves with quick, expert movements as she begins boiling pots of water, pre-heating the oven, opening packages and so on, while Junna hangs back a little uncertainly. But she'd specifically come back together with her so she could help, not gawk.

"Nana?" she says, clearing her throat. "Anything I can do?"

"Hm? Oh!" Nana turns around with an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I didn't mean to seem like I was hogging everything. Of course, there's plenty you can do, Junna-chan! Why don't you start with the veggies?"

"Sure thing." Junna smiles and heads over to stand beside her roommate, who seems to be working a mile a minute. Nana is humming and smiling and absolutely beaming. Her joy is easily contagious enough to have Junna grinning as well.

"Someone's excited, huh?"

Nana giggles and twirls around to open a cabinet to pull out some salt.

"Yes! Tonight was a huge success Junna-chan! We helped out so many cute little animals! And it was a student-run project! If the school gets enough positive feedback and attention about it, they might grant us permission to hold even more events!"

"That's very possible," Junna agrees. "Just be careful you don't substitute the sugar for the salt, please."

"Huh? Oh, silly me."

Junna rolls her eyes fondly and gets to chopping some vegetables. Nana is simply buzzing all the while as she prepares the meats and seafood on the stove, and wonderful smells begin filling the kitchen.

Junna keeps an eye on her just in case she gets too distracted from something. She just spares a moment to give her full attention to the carrot she's working on, and the next time she looks up she sees a hand being offered to her. Junna jolts in surprise as Nana leans down into a courteous bow.

"May I have this dance?"

Junna can't help but blush.

"Really, Nana? In the kitchen…?"

"Why not?"

Junna sighs again. But with Nana gazing up at her with such bright, excited eyes and such a radiant smile, saying no to her would be like saying no to playing with a shelter puppy. So she wipes her hands on her apron before accepting Nana's hand.

"Yay!" Nana giggles and pulls her right in. She hums a familiar tune for their song and begins leading Junna all around the kitchen. Junna follows her enthusiastic steps with steadier ones, gently steering her elated roommate away from the island or fridge so she won't bump herself.

Nana closes her eyes and moves with ease, extending her arm to give Junna a small spin.

"Isn't this so nice?" she sighs. "I've always imagined doing this with someone. You know, living together in a little apartment and then just suddenly getting struck by the urge to dance."

"Nana, we do this sort of thing every day."

"Hmm, I guess we do. But somehow, this just feels different!"

This time, Junna steps up a little and takes the lead, guiding Nana around the table and chairs.

"You're right," she says. "It does feel different than usual. I think it's because we just accomplished a lot of work that we organized ourselves. It wasn't anything pre-determined that we needed to anticipate based off the school's curriculum. It wasn't a marked date in the student handbook. It was entirely done and organized by us."

"Right?" Nana sighs dreamily and waltzes with her a bit, swaying from side to side. "And isn't that just a wonderful feeling?"

"It really is." Junna gives her a twirl this time, and Nana squeals happily as she's pulled back in, finishing their little impromptu dance session with a big hug. Junna squeezes the small of her back as Nana catches her breath.

"Thank you, Junna-chan," she murmurs. "I never could've written such a cute and heartfelt script without you."

"I'm just glad I could help."

They maintain their soft embrace for a moment longer, until something begins to boil over.

"Ah-! I got it!" Junna quickly hurries to the stove to turn down the heat and tend to the meat strips in the pan. Nana claps in delight.

"We'll switch! Good idea, Junna-chan!"

"I'm not sure if it was an idea more than a necessity…"

"Ehee-hee~" So Nana begins setting up the dishes, napkins, and condiments on the table for everyone, still humming all the while. "I just can't believe how well it worked out," she says over her shoulder. "It really was a good idea to cast everyone like we did! Of course Karen-chan and Hikari-chan would be a dog and a cat. Their personalities match so well. Karen-chan is always so energetic, and Hikari-chan is more reserved, but once she's comfortable with you, she'll start to open up."

"Yeah," Junna agrees, flipping some of the meats. "And of course it was genius to cast Tendo-san and Saijou-san as a dog and a cat, too."

"They sure get along like a cat and a dog would," Nana chuckles. "But Maya-chan has that air of pride around her like some big confident doberman. And Kuro-chan has the defiant and challenging nature of a cat who won't be outdone just because of her size or species."

"And of course Hanayagi-san was a cat," Junna laughs. "She loves to laze around while Isurugi-san is constantly trying to motivate her to get up and do things. All of them really are like cats and dogs, but somehow it works out."

"Right?" Nana makes her way back to the counter and starts putting the chopped veggies together. "And of course Mahiru-chan would be the kind girl who is trying to adopt them all and find them good homes. That's just like her!" Nana grabs a potato and begins cutting. "Say, Junna-chan? If you had to pick, what kind of animal do you think I'd be?"

"You? Hmm…" Junna gives it some proper thought as she stirs the soup that's slowly coming together. "If we're just limiting it to a cat or a dog, I'd say you're definitely a dog. You're full of energy when you're around people, but you can get sad easily when you're alone."

Nana blushes a little as she continues chopping.

"Ah, really? Cuz I was gonna say you were a cat! You're always so cool and collected, Junna-chan!"

"You think? Then I guess all of our pairs really are composed of cat-and-dog type personalities… Interesting."

"Ah-!"

Junna nearly drops the pork strip she'd been in the middle of flipping when she hears a sudden yelp. When she looks over at the counter, Nana has dropped the knife and is now clutching one of her fingers. Junna abandons everything and hurries to her side.

"Nana?! Are you okay?"

Nana nods, but winces, her expression taut.

"Y-Yeah. I just nicked myself a little…" But as she clutches her hand to her apron, Junna can see blood dripping through her fingers, onto her clothes and the floor.

"L-Let me see!"

As gently as possible, Junna takes both of Nana's hands and eases them apart. There's blood smeared on both her palms, but it's stemming from a cut on her left index finger. And it's a pretty deep cut, at that. Junna's stomach twists.

"Geez, you really got yourself. Here, let's wash it off."

Junna brings her to the sink and turns on some warm water, checking the temperature first to ensure it won't burn her. She eases Nana's hands under the faucet to rinse off the excess blood, then rubs a bit of soap onto her hands. Once the blood has been cleared away, Junna shuts off the water and hastily grabs a clean dish rag from the sink to wrap her roommate's hand as best she can.

"Okay," she says. "Now come sit down." She pulls out a chair and helps Nana sit, then pulls up a chair for herself right next to her. Nana keeps wincing, and her eyebrows are furrowed a bit.

"S-Sorry, Junna-chan. I got distracted…"

"It's all right. Just put pressure on it. I'll go get a first-aid kit, so just sit tight."

Junna is up in a flash and hurrying toward the closet where a little white kit is kept. She retrieves it and brings it straight back to Nana, opening it up on the table to paw through its contents. She puts on a pair of gloves first, then pulls out a little bottle.

"Okay, let's disinfect it first. Brace yourself."

As soon as Junna spritzes the cut, Nana whimpers exactly like a dog. Junna might've stopped for a moment to appreciate how cute it was if Nana hadn't been in actual pain. She dabs more of the blood away with a tissue before applying some ointment.

Nana sits rigidly all the while as Junna tends to her with expert skills. It takes a moment for her to realize the cut doesn't hurt anymore. Slowly, Nana peeks open one tearful eye to observe her roommate working so diligently and professionally on her hand. Junna is focused and serious, so much so that it's almost comical. Nana cracks a tiny smile.

Junna finishes up by wrapping a frog-faced bandaid around Nana's finger, then sits back with an accomplished sigh.

"There. How's it feel?"

Nana slowly brings her hand back to herself and moves her finger experimentally.

"Mm. It doesn't hurt at all, Junna-chan."

"Really? That's good."

Junna gets up to disinfect and clean up the drops of blood on the knife, the counter, and the floor. She then removes her gloves from the inside-out, in that professional way, before balling them up and tossing them into the trash. She cleans everything up and puts the supplies back into the kit, which goes back in its place in the closet, before she washes her hands one more time.

All the while, Nana sits and watches her in amazement. When Junna finally returns to her seat and finds Nana wide-eyed, she tilts her head.

"Nana? You okay?"

Nana quickly snaps out of her little trance.

"Yes. I was just admiring how efficient you are, Junna-chan! You knew exactly what to do, and you kept a cool head the whole time! You were amazing!"

"You think?" she blinks. "I'm surprised I didn't panic more. I guess I just didn't want to make you more upset."

"You were wonderful! Just like a trained nurse!" Nana reaches out to take both of her hands and hold them in earnest. "Thank you, Junna-chan."

"D-Don't mention it… I'm just glad you're all right." Junna blushes for a moment, until she remembers what exactly they'd been doing here in the kitchen. "Ah! The food!"

"Oh!"

They hurry back to the stove, but luckily nothing has been ruined.

"Thank goodness," Junna sighs. "All right, how about we swap again? I'll go back to cutting vegetables."

"Roger!"

They return to the roles they'd started with, and after about half an hour, they finish making things for the supper selection. They've just finished plating everything when they hear a lively commotion down the hall to signify all their friends have returned at last.

Everyone exchanges words of glee and congratulations, and thanks the pair for making dinner as they all sit down to eat together.

For about an hour, they eat and discuss their performance and just have fun together. Junna and Nana then retreat to the oven to begin preparing the cupcakes and muffins together for dessert. There's nothing but cheer and praise and laughter all around until nearly midnight, when everyone starts to feel the effects of the hectic day.

By this point, they're all seated on the couches and love seats, in the lounge portion of the room, chatting and playing games as they begin to nod off. Junna straightens her glasses up on her nose and gets to her feet with an announcement.

"All right everyone. We had a really exciting night, but make sure you get some proper rest. Just because tomorrow's Saturday doesn't mean you can slack off with your chores or practice."

"Hoshimi-san is right," Maya agrees. "I'll be heading off then."

"Me too," Claudine says instantly, never to be outdone.

Kaoruko lets out a long, dramatic yawn.

"Futaba-han, carry me to bed?"

"No thanks."

"Jun-Jun! Banana!" Karen waves to them. "Thanks for all the food! It was so yummy! Bana-nice!"

"Yes, thank you," Hikari agrees.

"Thank you!" Mahiru says. "Banana, I hope your hand feels better soon."

Nana smiles and waves with her bandaged hand.

"Don't mind! I'll be fine! After all, I've got the best nurse on campus to look after me!"

"N-Nana! Don't go saying things like that…" Junna mumbles.

They all help clean up before they part ways and head to their respective rooms. Junna and Nana walk side by side, holding hands and gently bumping into one another playfully.

When they finally reach their room, Junna doesn't even turn on the main light. She just heads straight for her bed and only puts on the lamp at her bedside.

"Man," she sighs, sitting down. "What a night."

"Mm, but it was so much fun!" Nana takes a seat on her own bed and begins untying her hair. Junna removes her glasses and puts them on her desk.

"Yeah. It was. Hopefully the school will give us permission to do more things like this in the future. So long as it doesn't interfere with our studies and assignments, it's great experience."

"I agree!" Nana shakes her head a few times to let her hair completely loose, then looks back to her friend. "Junna-chan, Junna-chan! Let down your hair!"

"Oh, right. I almost forgot."

"If you keep it up all day, you gotta at least let it down when you sleep."

"Right, right." Junna removes the tie from her own hair and smooths it out a little. When she looks up again, Nana is beaming at her. Junna blinks. "W-What is it?"

"Nothing!" Nana giggles. "I just love being roommates with you, Junna-chan! I love getting to see you like this, like no one else can! No-glasses, hair-down Junna-chan is super cute! My own secret Junna-chan!"

Junna feels the heat rush to her face as if someone had turned an oven up to its highest setting.

"N-Nana, what the heck? Where is all this coming from? You must be tired."

"Mm-mm." Nana shakes her head assuredly. "I mean it, Junna-chan!"

Junna puts her hands between her knees bashfully and shuffles her feet.

"Well then… It's the same for me. I like getting to see you with your hair down and wearing clothes no one else really gets to see you in…"

"Heehee, thank you!"

"A-Anyway, we should get some sleep before we become even more delirious." Junna reaches over to flick off the lamp, the gets situated in her bed. "Goodnight, Nana."

"Night, night, Junna-chan."

Junna lies down, loving the feeling of her head hitting the pillow after such a crazy day.

But she doesn't fall asleep as quickly as she thought she might. Mainly because she can still sense a bubbling energy from the other side of the room. She hears Nana continuously shifting about and rolling over, making short little humming sounds. Junna gives her a few minutes to try and settle herself down, but it's clear to her that isn't enough. Junna tries and fails to keep an amused smile off her face, especially when she finally hears the timid call of her name.

"Junna-chan…?"

Junna rolls back over to face her.

"Yes, Nana?"

Nana peeks up from behind her blankets in the dark.

"I can't sleep. I'm still so excited about everything."

Junna lets out a little sigh, but she isn't bothered at all.

"Wanna stay up and chat a little, then?"

Nana nods right away.

"Yeah! And… do you think you could come sit here with me?"

"Of course."

So Junna pushes herself back up, turns the lamp back on, and abandons her own bed for Nana's. Nana scooches over to make room for her, propping her pillow up for them both to lean back against. Once Junna is comfortable with her knees pulled up to her chest, she lifts up her arm invitingly. Nana snuggles close to her, hugging her around her stomach softly as she rests her head on her partner's shoulder with a blissful little sigh.

"Aahh… Junna-chan, you're so warm~"

"Th-Thanks, I guess…" Junna carefully rests her head against Nana's. "You're pretty warm, too." She begins stroking her fingers through her roommate's loose hair, rubbing up and down her back soothingly. Nana sighs again.

"Got any famous quotes to recite?"

"Do I?" Junna smirks. "Who do you think I am? Let's see... Ahem: "An actor without a playwright is like a hole without a doughnut!" -George Jean Nathan."

Nana giggles instantly.

"Doughnuts? What's that all about?"

"It's a simile! It means the people like you who help write and direct our stage plays are what allows the actors to really come through and show their best colors and flavors."

"Mm, I see. That's a nice one. I like it!" Nana snuggles up a little closer and hugs her a little tighter. Junna continues playing through her hair as she recites her next quotation:

""It is more noble by silence to avoid an injury than by argument to overcome it." -Francis Beaumont."

"Hmm," Nana ponders quietly. "Basically, it's better to avoid something bad altogether if you can, instead of letting it happen and then causing a big fuss?"

"Exactly."

"I like that one, too. Keep going?"

"Sure."

So Junna continues reciting her favorite quotations, and together the two of them discuss and analyze them one by one.

It doesn't take much longer than half an hour for Nana to begin nodding off on her shoulder. And Junna can feel herself getting tired as well, but she keeps herself awake to make sure Nana is resting first. When a big, tired yawn breaks free from her partner's lips, Junna smiles.

"All right, I think that's enough. You need to sleep."

"Mmn… Stay with me, Junna-chan?"

"Sure."

Junna carefully helps her lie down, being mindful of Nana's hurt finger. As she lies herself down and stretches out beside her, Junna asks her about it.

"How's your cut?"

Nana sinks her face into the pillow happily.

"It's all right."

"Does it hurt?"

"Just a tiny bit."

"Well, that's no good." Junna reaches for her hand and gently cradles it into her palm. "This is a technique taught to all professional medical personnel across the globe. It's guaranteed to work."

"Hm?" Nana blinks up at her curiously. Junna blushes a little, but she's already resolved herself to do this. She lifts Nana's hand up and presses a small kiss to her bandaged finger. Nana makes a tiny, squealing sound.

"Junna-chan-"

"Don't mention it. This service is on the house."

Nana opens her arms and pulls her down all the way, chuckling with glee. She wiggles close to her like a baby animal seeking its mother. Junna is reminded about their earlier conversation of Nana being a dog and imagines little droopy ears and a tail on her. She chuckles. Nana hums sleepily and blinks up at her.

"Junna-chan?"

"It's nothing." Junna hugs her around her shoulders comfortably. Nana nestles closer and sighs.

"Any more quotes…?" she mumbles.

Junna ponders for a moment, trying to think of a really good one. When at last she thinks of it, she clears her throat:

""It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves." -William Shakespeare."

Nana finally closes her eyes, giving her partner another little squeeze.

"Hmm.. I like that one…"

"Me, too." Junna rests her head on the pillow, her chin softly supported by the top of Nana's head. She closes her eyes and finally lets the good-feeling exhaustion take over. "Goodnight, Nana."

"Mmn… Night, Junna-chan…"

Nana is asleep within seconds, her breathing becoming deep and sigh-like. Junna holds her for a few more minutes, relishing the feeling of keeping her close. She dips her head down a little and plants a small kiss on the top of her head.

""You're really cute,"" she mumbles. "That quote is from me."

Then finally, Junna sleeps, curled up snugly with her partner, smiling all through the night.

--------

A/N: I really just wanted them to dance while cooking together and somehow I got all of this... I was proud of myself for the little "cats and dogs" analogy, though. All of the pairs are basically cats and dogs, with Mahiru being the girl that adopts her lazy cat and hyper dog roommates.

Oh, and I wanted their 'falling asleep together' trope to be a little different and I realized I haven't written too much of Junna quoting her favorite lines, so I used it here!