"The Past and the Present"
Setsuna stifled a yawn as she poured another cup of tea. Once
finished, she gathered the cup onto a saucer into her hands and leaned
back into the couch, crossing her legs and taking a brief sip. Her
magenta eyes discreetly examined the woman sitting next to her, smiling
inwardly and quite nearly outwardly at the feelings that welled up just
by looking. Everything seemed to be so much more magnified now that the
two women had confessed their feelings toward one another: the touches,
the glances, the mere presence of the other's warm body...
The dark haired woman closed her eyes, taking a small breath and
releasing it slowly; she had to calm herself otherwise she'd be taking
the doctor and matters into her own hands, something Hitomi expressed
she wasn't quite ready for yet.
"I should have called before coming."
Magenta eyes looked over into Hitomi's night blues, the tall woman
tilted her head with a soft smile caressing her dark skinned face. "You
are free to visit whenever you'd like. I'm rather glad you came over."
Hitomi's face became a wash of relief; it seemed she'd been
holding her breath, tensely waiting for any backlash. A small chuckle
escaped Setsuna's lips and she leaned forward, setting the tea cup down
on the coffee table and sitting back, turning her body so that she faced
the small doctor.
"What's on your mind?" Setsuna's voice was gentle and she
smoothly raised her hand, pushing a strand of blue hair behind the other
woman's ear.
The older Mizuno blushed, though smiled at the touch, her
shoulders visibly became relaxed and she turned in her seat as well,
bending her left knee so that she was facing the tall, elegant woman.
"I just... I just had this feeling that I missed you." She reached up,
taking Setsuna's hand-which had yet to leave her cheek-and clasped it
between her own.
Upon hearing this, the dark haired woman's smile became larger and
enigmatic, as though she was a child who'd just been given a special
present. She lovingly looked down at her hand now entwined between the
blue haired woman's strong, but gentle and exacting hands, feeling those
urges of desire she'd kept down for so long fighting to break free.
Setsuna blinked several times, telling herself she'd get to those urges
eventually and that she'd be happy that she managed to restrain herself
until that point.
Hoping to diminish those desires, the taller woman lifted her gaze
back up at the other woman's face and was slightly startled to find a
slight frown on it. Setsuna squeezed the hand that was in her own and
watched as the other woman's eyes became more clear and sharp. The
doctor smiled apologetically and tightened her grasp.
"I'm sorry," she began. The magenta-eyed woman was about to cut
her off, saying that it wasn't necessary, but Hitomi continued on, "That
wasn't entirely honest... I did have this feeling that I missed you.
But..." There were many pauses and some hesitation as she spoke;
Setsuna felt the sympathy pour out of her like a broken faucet and she
scooted forward, resting her free hand on the blue haired woman's
shoulder, pressing down gently.
Hitomi nodded, addressing the contact with another smile and
carried on after a deep breath, "You'd think I'd be used to not having
Ami-chan around all of the time, but when I woke this morning, it just
seemed oddly empty without her there... Forgive me Setsuna, I must admit
that was probably the driving reason I came over here at such an early
hour."
Releasing a small breath the dark skinned woman hadn't realized
she'd been holding, she graced the doctor with a smile of reassurance,
"There's nothing to forgive. You love her very much; I think it's an
admirable quality. It's one of the reasons I love you."
The small woman let out a small laugh of release and joy. Without
warning, she dropped the hand she'd been holding and leaned forward
quickly, wrapping her arms around the dark haired woman's body, pressing
her face into the crook of Setsuna's neck. Hitomi nuzzled the soft
skin, grinning into it and muttering a thank you. A moment later, she
felt two long arms encircle her which only caused her to snuggle even
more into the lithe body in front of her.
"Ah," Setsuna said wisely, "I'll have to remember to compliment
you more often." Though her face was gentle, her voice had a tint of
teasing and amusement laced through it. Hitomi merely giggled in
response, mumbling that it wasn't just the compliment. "Oh? Not just
the compliment... was it that I said you didn't have to forgive me
then?" Setsuna's face now wore a smirk, her magenta eyes dancing
merrily.
Hitomi rolled her eyes and shook her head, burying her nose into
the soft skin and inhaling the wonderful aroma that always accompanied
the elegant woman. She hadn't realized until two nights ago how much
she reveled in that aroma and how it seemed her nose always seemed to
detect Setsuna before her eyes did. But looking back on it, she'd
always felt strongly towards the beautiful and mysterious woman,
probably taking for granted the fact that she'd always be around.
"Well, that only leaves one part left," the tall woman's voice had
softened considerably, her breath slightly hitched as she spoke. From
the chest just below her chin, Hitomi could feel Setsuna's heart beat
become stronger and faster, a fact which delighted the blue haired
doctor immensely. "I do love you, Hitomi, so very much."
In response, the smaller woman tightened her grip on Setsuna and
pushed her back so that she was now laying half on top of the dark
haired woman, who merely laughed at the action by the woman in her arms.
"I love you, too, Setsuna." Hitomi's own heart was pounding just as
heavily and she continued to nuzzle the dark skinned neck beneath her.
They stayed that way for several minutes; no other sound could be
heard except the soft, shallow breaths each woman was emitting and the
occasional strong wind from outside. On her way over to Setsuna's this
morning, Hitomi had heard on the radio that a strong storm was brewing
up just southwest of Tokyo and that it would hit in a few days. From
the rolling clouds and growing wind, the doctor assumed it might even be
sooner.
"You know, I could never fully comprehend what Ami-chan is to you,
but I think I'm beginning to understand the feelings you have towards
her. Makoto often gives me a run for my money."
As if reminded of where she was, Hitomi quickly began to pull away
from the dark skinned woman below, "Ah! Makoto-kun, she hasn't awakened
yet?"
Setsuna laughed and pulled the blue haired woman back onto her,
holding her tersely in place. "She's staying at a friend's house for
the next few days. They're working on a school project together and
figured they would get it finished earlier and quicker this way."
Hitomi breathed out a sigh of relief and rested her head on the
tall woman's chest, snuggling into the soft, cuddly dark red robe which
the woman was wearing. "Makoto-kun seems competent and quite sure of
herself. She doesn't appear at all to be that high maintenance; she
reminds me of Ami-chan sometimes, always making decisions by herself."
Unconsciously, Setsuna began to stroke the blue haired woman's
back, memorizing which spots gave way to certain reactions from Hitomi.
"That's what worries me about her, though. I think she feels she has to
do everything on her own because no one can understand the pain hidden
away. She is different from Ami-chan in that regard, I believe."
"How did you come to know her... if you don't mind me asking?"
The dark haired woman sighed, "I was very good friends with her
mother when I was younger. There was an estrangement between us; I
didn't approve of the man she married and in turn, she refused to
acknowledge our friendship anymore. They moved away somewhere together
and I never saw them again. She was pregnant at the time, though I
wasn't aware of it. A few years after, I received some paperwork and a
letter, an apology from her. The papers she'd sent me were documents
that I'd become Makoto's guardian should she and her husband ever pass
away. I didn't get a return address, only a lawyer I should give them
to if I agreed and signed the documents."
Setsuna closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around the small
doctor, "It took me many, many years to make that decision, which I only
agreed to because I figured there was no chance of that happening; I was
wrong." A tear escaped out from under her eyelid as she explained,
"When I went to the office, the lawyer informed me that both Kino's were
killed in a plane crash a few years before and that their surviving
child, Makoto, was living with her aunt and uncle. With the validity of
these documents, I could take over guardianship of her."
Hitomi had pulled back and was now watching the dark haired woman
with concern. She would reach up every so often and brush away a tear,
receiving a smile and a hug in return. No wonder Setsuna worries so
much, with a past like this... The small woman frowned and continued to
listen faithfully to the story.
"I didn't want to break up blood family, though. So I decided to
visit the aunt and uncle, to inform them of the situation and that I
would not be taking Makoto away from them. I guess I was also curious
to find out any information about Shizuka, Makoto's mother... my best
friend. What had happened and how she was until her death. When I
arrived at the house, though, it only took one glance to realize I
needed to take Makoto away from it all. Her uncle was a drunk, her aunt
a prostitute; their house was a run-down trailer and it seemed that they
didn't at all care where the young girl was or even what she was doing.
Not getting any information about Makoto's whereabouts, I asked around
the neighborhood.
"I found out that the uncle was often abusive towards Makoto, even
out in public. The police had been called many times, but no arrests
were made. It appeared that Makoto would lie to them. After a few
months, she stopped living there, but would come by from time to time.
She was in the area, the residents would see her from time to time; but
she was mostly spotted entering and leaving an empty warehouse on the
outskirts of town. I took up in a small hotel and agonized about how to
address this girl; she probably didn't trust adults after living with
those people and I might be viewed as a threat.
"But I had made the decision when I signed those papers. I would
look after Makoto, if only because of my fondness for Shizuka. She
didn't seem too surprised when I found her, though. And oddly enough,
she complied with little complaint or struggle when I asked her to come
live with me. Oh, Hitomi, she was so haggard, so starved, and so tired
looking, no wonder she came with me; it wrenched my heart seeing her
like that." Setsuna bit her lip as more tears came out.
Instinctively, the doctor leaned forward and pressed her lips
against the tall woman's. It wasn't exactly a kiss, as Hitomi was
whispering soothing and gentle words while she pushed against the other
woman's luscious lips, but it seemed to do it's trick as Setsuna began
to calm down a bit.
The dark haired woman took several small breaths and Hitomi pulled
away, reaching her hand up to caress the side of the other woman's face.
After a few moments, the blue haired woman decided to break the silence,
her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Why didn't you approve of the man Shizuka married?" Even though
she felt very bad about Makoto's situation, the doctor couldn't help but
wonder what would drive such a good friend away. She remembered Setsuna
speaking of the woman every so often, her eyes would glaze over with a
quiet happiness, but she'd never told Hitomi about any of this, of the
connection with Makoto, of why she never talked about anything past high
school. The small woman cursed herself for not taking more of an
interest.
Opening her eyes, Setsuna pulled the doctor back down to her,
smiling when the woman rested her head on the pillow she was using, her
nose and lips pressed into the dark haired woman's cheek. "He was
involved in some shady projects. My father's friend, who at the time
was a prominent district attorney, had been looking into some actions of
the Yakuza. Several deaths linked back to Nori-the man who Shizuka was
marrying. I tried to discuss this with her, but she defended him
vehemently, telling me I was wrong and that if I could not see him for
the good man he was that we wouldn't be friends anymore.
"I was stubborn and young, so I merely let her run away with him,
turning my back and focusing on my studies. I regretted it for many
years, even after I got the letter, but I had no way of getting in
contact with her. It was like they'd both disappeared from the planet;
after my father's friend was shot to death in his car, we assumed
wherever they were, the Yakuza must either be after them or hiding them.
It was a lost cause."
"Do you think the plane crash was an accident?" Hitomi asked.
Setsuna frowned deeply, "Nothing was officially linked... But I
wonder..."
Hitomi frowned as well; there was so much she didn't know and so
much she wanted to learn about this woman. She snuggled deeper against
the slender body, bringing her hand up and touching her fingers lightly
across Setsuna's neck and up to her lips. Receiving a happy sigh and
smile for her efforts, the blue haired doctor grinned, kissing the soft
skin on her cheek.
"I think Makoto is lucky to have you as a guardian, Setsuna,"
Hitomi murmured lazily. Being here on top of the other woman, her
strong arms wrapped around her, her body so warm and her heartbeat so
strong, it all seemed so perfect, so satisfying.
The dark haired woman turned her head, capturing Hitomi's lips in
a tender kiss, a silent thank you with so much meaning packed behind it.
She pulled away, only a few inches, speaking softly, "Would you like to
spend the day here, or do you have to work?"
The doctor groaned, pressing her face against Setsuna's black
strands, and grumbled angrily.
"What was that?" The tall woman asked with an amused smile.
Pulling back, Hitomi began to speak with more clarity this time,
"I have to be in at 10." She pulled her arm back and looked at the
watch on her wrist, "It's nearly 8 right now and I suppose I should get
home and get ready..."
"Oh, okay."
The small woman frowned. In hers and Setsuna's long chats last
night and the previous night, it had become abundantly clear to her that
her work, while not the whole reason, was a big part of why she hadn't
gotten with this beautiful creature much earlier. "But, you know... I
have three weeks worth of sick days and I am feeling a bit feverish at
the moment..."
Setsuna laughed, "As much as I would love spending three weeks
with you, I think the hospital would break down and explode without you
there."
Hitomi rolled her eyes, jabbing the tall woman playfully in the
side, "No, I meant just for today, but if you don't want me..." She
proceeded to sit up, disengaging her arms and body from the woman below.
Quickly, the dark haired woman pulled the doctor back down, still
laughing softly, her face aglow, "No, silly, I would love to spend the
day with you, if that's your decision."
Night blue eyes glazed over with such desire and happiness that
all that waiting Setsuna had done seemed so worth it if only for just
this moment. The two women leaned in for a long, languid kiss, Hitomi's
arms sliding lazily over the tall woman's shoulders, her body molding
almost perfectly to the one below.
For all those years, for all that time, it seemed things were
coming together, and even with Makoto's past, Setsuna was sure that
things were going to get better from now on. She loved all the women in
her life dearly: Hitomi, Makoto, Ami... and she would do anything to
protect and keep that happiness, if only to be able to see their smiles.
Her heart began to beat rapidly and the dark haired woman could only
think about one thing-she was going to have a family, a family with the
woman she loved for so long.
-------------------------------------
Rei felt as though she hadn't slept a wink all night long. She
woke up at four, like she always did for morning meditation, but she
stayed in the room and watched the small blue haired girl who had been
sleeping so peacefully and beautifully for the past several hours. The
raven haired girl lost all track of everything as she watched the
precious genius with such adoration. Her own heart felt like it was
dying only to be reborn every time she traced her eyes over the girl's
soft lips or her long, graceful eyelashes that caressed the snow-white
cheek below.
After Haruka and Michiru finally let her go back to the party,
she'd been surprised to find that Makoto had already left. Ami was
sitting on the couch quietly, not meeting Rei's lavender eyes at all;
the raven haired teen thought that the small girl probably felt guilty
about her outburst, even if it wasn't her fault, she'd feel guilty.
After they finished opening the rest of the presents and eating cake and
ice cream, it was pretty late, so the Miko ushered everyone out of the
shrine, wanting her time alone with the blue haired teen.
First, she apologized to Ami, asking for forgiveness at her
manners. Ami, being the girl she was, said it was unnecessary and that
she knew Rei didn't really like Makoto. And despite the heavy weight on
each girl's mind about the incident, neither talked about the genius'
feelings towards the rogue. They stayed up a little longer, chatting
about how the blue haired teen felt about being 16 finally and about how
Yuuichiro had yet to give up on trying getting a date with Rei.
But it wasn't like their normal talks; their answers were short
and their questions didn't probe further than necessary. The raven
haired girl knew it was because of that damned Kino and she cursed the
girl's name every time Ami looked the least bit uncomfortable in Rei's
presence.
Tearing her eyes away from her sleeping beauty, the Miko looked
over to her dresser where she had stuffed the envelope. A sigh escaped
her lips; she still hadn't examined the contents of it and it was
plaguing her to near death to know what was inside. She glanced back at
the sleeping form on the floor and proceeded to climb off the bed as
quietly as possible. Once on the floor, Rei tiptoed to the dresser and
slid the drawer open, slowly and softly so as to not wake the other
girl.
Moving some of her under garments out of the way, her lavender
eyes stared long and hard at the manila envelope; if she was going to
have any chance of opening Ami's eyes in realization that Kino wasn't as
great as she was thinking, it would be better done sooner than later.
If what was in there confirmed what she'd been seeing in front of the
fire, it made sense to reveal it before anyone else got hurt.
She reached out and took hold of the corner of 'Pandora's Box',
sliding it out from under the clothing gently, as though afraid it would
shatter at any moment.
"Mmm... Rei... what time is it?"
The Miko jumped back, hastily shoving the envelope back in the
drawer and pushing it shut. She quickly composed herself and looked
down to find a sleepy Ami rubbing at her eyes and reaching for her
glasses on the night table above her.
Ah, she didn't see anything! Rei let out a sigh of relief,
"Mornin' Ami-chan! It's umm..." What time was it? Scanning the room,
the sexy teen found the clock, reading the numbers out loud, "Its half
past 8."
The blue haired girl nodded as she placed the rimless glasses on
her face. She stretched several moments before standing up and walking
towards the door. Rei could only watch, feeling her eyes glaze over,
only thinking how cute the girl looked when she first woke up. It took
all her strength not to jump the girl right then and there. At the
door, Ami stopped suddenly and turned around to face her raven haired
friend.
"Rei?"
The Miko blinked several times, realizing the genius was now
addressing her, "Y-yes Ami-chan?"
Ami smiled, "Did you want to use the bathroom first?"
Rei shook her head, "Nah, go ahead, I'll wash up in Grandpa's
bathroom since he's not here."
Nodding, Ami went back into the room and gathered up her bag,
giving the lavender eyed girl a brief nod before exiting out and going
down the hall towards the bathroom. Rei let out another sigh of relief.
She stood a few moments, staring long and hard at the drawer, a war
began to rage itself from within.
---------------------------
Both girls showered, had breakfast, and were now standing out at
the top of the shrine steps, stalling a bit before Ami had to go home.
"It really wasn't a bad party at all, Rei-chan." The blue haired
girl smiled sweetly at her friend.
The Miko rolled her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest, "Yeah,
but it wasn't great... tch... honestly..." Her agitation showed, but
she refrained from saying the rogue's name. Rei didn't know why, but
for some reason she didn't want to bring up that girl with Ami; maybe it
was the fear that the girl would actually show some true affection for
her if she said anything.
The genius stepped forward, enveloping the raven haired girl in a
hug. "It was so wonderful of you and Haruka to chase them all off; that
in and of itself seemed like the best present ever." She laughed and
stepped back, "I feel very blessed to have a friend like you, Rei-chan."
The sexy girl couldn't breathe and frowned deeply when Ami pulled
away completely. It wasn't the first hug the two shared, but Rei still
couldn't help but reveling in the feeling every time it occurred. The
blue haired girl was always so soft and so vulnerable; the Miko couldn't
help but grow to love her even more.
"You know I'd do anything for you, Ami-chan." Rei grinned lazily,
reaching out and brushing the girl's cheek for a brief moment before
pulling her arm back.
Baby blue eyes washed over with silent worry, something the raven
haired girl couldn't let go unnoticed. "What's wrong?"
Ami smiled, "Ah, well... I mean," the girl took a deep breath and
then waved her hand, "It's nothing."
Lavender eyes narrowed with skepticism; Rei tapped her foot
several times and then turned and began to walk back to the building.
"R-rei-chan?"
Without looking back, the Miko responded, "Stay right there, I
have yet to give you my real present."
"But you gave me the book..."
Rei pretended she didn't hear her and went inside the building.
Ami sighed and toed the ground in front of her; she felt like she had
been walking on broken glass with the raven haired girl after the
incident with Makoto last night. And she desperately wanted to talk
with the girl about what was bothering her; for some reason, the genius
doubted her foul mood was entirely Makoto's fault-there was something
else wrong. A strong gust of wind blew against the small girl causing
her to shiver slightly; she looked up to see rolling clouds, several of
them dark.
"A storm..." She murmured to herself.
After several moments, the lavender eye girl reemerged from the
building, her hands behind her back. Her face was washed over with
nervousness and worry. Instantly, the blue haired girl became very
concerned and took a step towards the Miko.
"Are you okay?"
Rei shook her head dismissively and stopped a few feet in front of
the genius, her gaze on the ground at her feet. She took a deep breath
and brought her eyes up to meet baby blues. The raven haired girl
fought away the blush that threatened to cross her cheeks; the sight of
Ami always seemed to take her breath away most recently.
"Ami-chan... we've been friends for a long time. You trust me,
don't you?" Rei paused a moment, watching as the blue haired girl
nodded vehemently, her face taut with worry and anxiety. "We're always
there for one another and it's always been so much fun being with you.
I can't imagine my life without you, but lately, it just feels like
you've been pulling away and going in a different direction. At first I
just didn't know what to do... should I let you go that way... should I
pull you back? It scared me."
The raven haired girl shifted, glancing back and forth before
resuming eye contact, "But I've decided, I'm not going to let you go, I
won't give up without a fight. Ami, I'm sorry, I know this isn't going
to be fair to you, but it's not fair for me either to deny my own
feelings." Pulling her arms out from behind her back, she showed the
blue haired girl what she'd been hiding.
Ami gasped, her confusion washed away with slight shock and her
chest tightening painfully. Rei was holding a dozen blue roses and
pushed them forward gently, encouraging the shorter girl to take them.
Slowly, with much hesitation, the blue haired girl took the roses,
unconsciously bringing them to her nose and inhaling the sweet scent.
Realizing quickly what she was doing, Ami dropped her arms to her sides,
still holding onto the roses.
"Rei... I..." She didn't get to finish as without warning, the
Miko engulfed her in a tight hug.
"I'm in love with you Ami-chan! I've been in love with you for
quite some time... I was waiting for you to realize your love for me;
you must have it, right?! It's okay, though... Like I said, I'm not
going out without a fight." She pulled part back from the hug, finding
a teary, wide-eyed girl staring back at her. Without a second thought,
Rei leaned in and kissed the corner of the girl's mouth, partly on the
cheek and partly on her lips. She kept her lips hovering near Ami's
mouth as she continued.
"I'll do anything to win you over. I want you to see me in a
different light, with different feelings other than friendship... please
Ami-chan... give me a chance. We've known each other for so long; you
owe me at least one date..."
Her breath was hot and fierce on the blue haired girl's lips. Ami
couldn't figure out why she hadn't pushed the girl away, her mind was
running a mile a minute and yet it was coming up with nothing. Rei...
has... feelings... for ...me She also had to admit that she didn't
exactly hate the kiss, nor the current embrace. If her hands were free,
the genius thought she'd be tearing her hair out piece by piece at the
moment for how confused and torn she felt at the moment.
But Rei-chan... my best friend.
Rei felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes when she realized
Ami still had yet to answer. She had bared her soul to the girl and was
feeling particularly vulnerable at the moment. Not wanting to be
rejected, the fiery tempered girl tightened her arms around the small
teen and kissed her with as much passion as she could muster. The blue
haired girl didn't seem to respond, only became even stiffer in her arms
and so Rei pushed her tongue at the girl's lips and teeth, beckoning for
entrance.
She didn't want to enjoy the kiss, she wanted to get as far away
as possible, she needed to sort this out logically; but her body decided
not to listen and her brain fogged over with haze. Ami opened her
mouth, allowing the other girl's tongue to enter and wrestle her own.
Without any thought, the small girl began to move her lips, moaning into
the kiss, reveling in the taste, the heat, the feeling of her tongue
against the other girls.
The Miko grinned inwardly when she felt the genius not only
return, but moan into the kiss. They continued on, Rei assaulting Ami's
tongue and mouth and the blue haired girl dropping the flowers so she
could wrap her own arms around the raven haired girl, rubbing her body
against her. It seemed like hours before Rei finally had to pull away,
gasping for breath. She grinned over at the genius, who was also
gasping for breath, her eyes hazy and her lips turned upwards slightly.
"That... was... Oh Ami-chan."
Hearing Rei's voice, Ami seemed to remember where she was; her
eyes became sharper and she shook her head. Oh god... what have I...
She didn't finish the thought as she let go of the raven haired girl and
then shoved out of her grasp; she turned and began to run down the
steps, tears flying out of the corners of her eyes.
"AMI!" Immediately, the Miko took off after her friend, but
stumbled only five steps down and twisted her ankle. Rei hissed at the
pain and tried to stand up to chase after the fleeing blue haired teen.
The moment she put weight on the ankle though, she immediately fell back
down again. Tears flooded her own eyes and she knew that they weren't
from the ankle as she watched Ami's blurry form disappear down the steps
and out the gate.
"Ami-chan..."
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