Silver Key

The tiny blue box sat on the table in front of her, a perfect little square. It had been there since she had returned home and placed it there. Truthfully, she received a box like it every year, and opened it without a second thought. She had never given a box in return, nor had she usually given opening it any real thought. She'd open the package to find some kind of token or card, and that was that. Often, she'd never even said thank you for the gift, or would even show that she'd received one. She had always been distant when it was placed in her hand, or on her desk, but once no one else was looking, she'd pick it up and tuck it safely away for later.

It wasn't that she didn't care about the gift. Quite the opposite. It did mean enough that someone cared to think about her when not many had, but that was it. It had never prompted her to think beyond that box. Now it sat on the table beside her keys, unopened. She had never hesitated before, but now she did. What did it mean? Things were different this year. Was she expected to express her thanks? Was she expected to show how she used the gift? Was she—

Was I supposed to get her a gift as well? Was she expecting me to?

The thought bothered her. If she was supposed to have given a gift in return, she had failed to do so. It had never crossed her mind that she would need to give a gift this year at all. Usually the holiday passed and nothing changed. She would scoff and ignore the cheesy couples at school, wondering what made them act so foolishly. Now she was confused about her role in said holiday, but decided to do nothing about it. After all, anything she did now would appear as though she were doing it just because she'd been given a gift.

Natsuki sighed and shrugged. Whatever Shizuru had done was contained in that small box. She could at least tick off the things in her head that it couldn't have been, and what she hoped it wasn't. Why did people feel the need to give things on Valentine's Day? At least, why did they give such cheesy, large, expensive items? She hoped that Shizuru wasn't that sort of gift giver. She hadn't been in the past, but with things being different, she didn't know. She pictured Shizuru atop an elaborate adorned throne, gift boxes of all sizes surrounding her. She glared and smirked, gesturing to each box, the tags reading "For my Natsuki". Quickly, she erased that image from mind. Her imagination could be twisted sometimes. Tilting her head, she wondered how much cheesiness one could possibly fit into a small box.

Frustrated with her thoughts, she grabbed the box and tore off the ribbon. She tossed it unceremoniously to the floor. Quickly, she pulled up the lid before she lost her nerve. She was surprised to find a silver key inside and a small folded piece of white paper. Her gift was a key? She set the box down and reached for the paper. Perhaps it would have a clue tucked inside. However…

Use this. Shizuru

That was it. Everything. The note did not help her one bit. A key. She'd been given a key. Could it have been the key to a new Ducati? No, that was foolish. Shizuru could never afford something like that, and if she was supposed to use it, the Ducati would have had to have been sitting in the parking garage. But if it wasn't a key to a vehicle, then what was it for? She pondered this, placing the key on the table by the now empty box. Was it for something at the Academy? No, Shizuru shouldn't have access to anything like that since she graduated. Then again, she couldn't entirely rule that one out.

The realization hit her, and she felt like an idiot. "Geez, why couldn't she have just said that? It would have been much plainer and easier to understand!" Frustrated by her stupidity, she grabbed her keys and helmet and flung her leather jacket on. She walked out the front door, locking it behind her.

…Which was pointless in the end, because she was back not two minutes later, cursing softly about the key being left behind on the table. She placed the new key on her key ring and locked the door once more as she left. Her keys jingled in her hands, the new key mingling with the few others she had.

She made decent time across town to the area where Shizuru rented an apartment for university. The young woman had preferred to live on her own, rather than on campus, because she had wanted more privacy. The cost of luxury was not cheap, however. Natsuki knew that she worked a part-time job in one of the downtown stores as a cashier to cover the expense. She had no other way to cover the fees needed.

Natsuki parked her bike and headed into the complex. Shizuru lived on the third floor, her apartment overlooking the street. As Natsuki reached for the handle, she groaned inwardly. Locked. What was she supposed to do now? Oh, right, that key. She slipped the metal into the key hole and turned. She was granted access, and casually strolled inside as if she hadn't been locked out moments before. The scent of food hit her, but she saw no cooking in the kitchen, just bags on the counter. No Shizuru either. She placed her helmet on the floor by the entrance and walked further into the apartment.

"Shizuru? Are you here?" called Natsuki. She had to be. The lights were on in the apartment, and surely Shizuru wouldn't forget to turn them off when she left. The woman wasn't forgetful and she had always made sure to take care that everything was as it should be before ever leaving her apartment.

"Ara, Natsuki finally arrived. I was afraid she wasn't going to show." Shizuru stepped out from the bedroom and crossed the floor to stand near Natsuki, smiling. She was dressed casually in a lavender V-neck sweater and jeans.

"I had some…trouble," she mumbled. "And your note wasn't any help." She found it harder to give a straight answer when she couldn't deny how lovely her girlfriend looked.

"What did Natsuki think the key was for? A new Ducati?" The mirth in Shizuru's eyes only made Natsuki blush more when she knew had thought just that once she spied the key.

"N-no!" The redness in her face darkened and she looked away, fumbling for something, anything that would get the topic of the conversation off of her foolish thinking. "I…I…" She didn't know what should come after that one syllable.

"Ara, but you're lying. Your face gives you away." Shizuru was clearly enjoying Natsuki's embarrassment, which in turn embarrassed Natsuki more. She placed her arms around the flustered girl, pulling her close. "So cute."

"Shizuru…" mumbled Natsuki. At least Shizuru had focused on something else and she could hide her face better. She soon placed her arms around Shizuru's waist and they stood there for a moment, silent.

Natsuki was the one to break the silence. "So why'd you ask me over?" She had trouble ignoring the scent of food on the counter. The smell was getting to her, and she was realizing how hungry she was. She wondered if Shizuru had been out to eat earlier, and just hadn't put the bags away yet.

"Since it is Valentine's Day, I thought we could spend the evening together on a date."

"Don't tell me you're going to be cheesy about it…" The thought was not appealing to Natsuki. Knowing that Shizuru was fully capable of doing cheesy to the max didn't help things. If the girl so wanted to, she could. She wouldn't put it past her.

"I didn't think you would appreciate such a thing. Really though, it's not something I prefer to do anyway. I've picked up some takeout for us and a movie to watch. Would that interest you?" Shizuru gestured to the counter and the bags. Natsuki noticed a smaller bag behind the larger ones, which must have contained a movie from the nearby rental store.

For once, Natsuki had no comeback or embarrassed reaction. She looked over at the bags and then back to Shizuru, who was smiling. "You planned it all this way?"

"Well, yes. I wanted to do something special for my Natsuki that she would enjoy too. Do you not like it?" The thought that Natsuki might not like her gift lessened the confidence that she was exuding.

Before the frown could appear on Shizuru's face, Natsuki moved to the counter and kissed her softly. "No, I really like it. Need some help?" She reached for the bags and took one while Shizuru grabbed the others. Both made their way to the living room.

The evening was spent comfortably inside the cozy apartment. The two women were curled into each other on the couch, empty takeout boxes scattered on the low table in front of them. Shizuru rested her head on Natsuki's shoulder, her right hand intertwined with Natsuki's left. On the screen, another handful of brilliant explosions rocketed, and Shizuru smiled when she glanced up and saw the thrill in Natsuki's eyes. Natsuki caught her glance, and turned her head slightly, kissing Shizuru's forehead. Even though she didn't care for the celebration of the holiday, Shizuru had managed to make it just about the two of them in a way that showed she truly cared and knew Natsuki.