New Hope
'Asako!' the feminine voice of her best friend summoned the dark
haired girl from her thoughts. 'Mayuko-chan,' the tomboy answered in
return, eyes focused on the cheery female running towards her. Light
brownish red hair straight hair flowing past her shoulders, loving
smile adorning her lips. Asako N sighed under her breath as she
watched her friend stop in front of her, white skirt brushing her
knees.
'Are you ready to go?' the younger one asked, smiling gently at her
darker haired friend. Asako nodded, casting a half glance back at
her parent's restaurant before shrugging her shoulders. The sun beat
down on them softly from the cloudy sky, the spring wind blowing
around them. 'It's nice of your parents to let you have a day off,'
Mayuko mused aloud, one hand clutching her bagstrap over her
shoulder. 'Yeah, after dad tried to set me up with Ushio-baka again.
I swear, even for him, he doesn't get it at all. I wouldn't even get
along with Ushio if he wasn't a friend from way back,' Asako grumbled
half to herself, still annoyed at her father's usual comments. 'He
just wants you to be happy, that's all. Besides, I don't think you
act all that much like a boy, even if you do tend to dress in jeans
all the time and get into fights. Ushio's a boy and you're always
beating him up,' the other girl laughed at the image.
'Ushio may be a boy, but he sure is a pain at times. I can't believe
he kept it a secret from me for so long. I can't believe YOU didn't
tell me, ' Asako glared at the girl next to her who just sweatdropped
in return. 'He was worried about what you'd do if you found out that
he was a demon hunter. Besides, you did beat him up when you found
out, and in front of Tora-kun too,' Mayuko sighed. 'He deserved it.
And besides, Tora needed a good laugh. That fuzzy tiger monster
probably gets smacked around a lot with Ushio handling the Beast
Spear. Not that he doesn't deserve it most of the time, I'm sure,
with his antics. They do make a funny pair, don't they?' Asako
laughed. The other female nodded with a smile. It was true, the boy
and beast had a very strange relationship.
'Mayuko, why didn't you ever tell me about Tora? Now that I know, it
seems like you weren't afraid of him at all. Bringing him hamburgers
all the time. Do you have a crush on old fuzz face or something?'
Asako crossed her hands behind her head and glanced to the side. The
lighter skinned girl blushed gently and mumbled something under her
breath, eyes focused on the ground. 'What was that?' Asako asked,
staring at her longtime friend. 'I said, Tora isn't the one I have a
crush on,' she whispered, eyes darting away. 'Ushio?' the other girl
commented, wishing... hoping... that it wasn't him. 'No,' Mayuko's
shocked answer came as a surprise, light brown eyes meeting dark
ones. 'Who?' Asako's breath hitched in her throat, the world seemed
frozen around them where they stood alone on the sidewalk.
'You,' the younger girl's voice whispered softly, their eyes still
holding one another captive. The silence surrounded them, broken
only by gentle breathing. Then, the other girl laughed. It was a
pleasant sound, one of relief and true happiness. 'Asako,' Mayuko
spoke lightly, staring at her friend now bent over, arms wrapped
around her waist, the laughter coming out between sharp gasps of air.
'I'm... sorry, Mayuko,' Asako finally managed to speak, straightning
with a large smile on her face. Shoulderlength black hair tustled
from the wind, dark eyes speaking of hidden truths.
'Are you mad?' Mayuko wondered aloud, her face strangely pale in the
sunlight. 'Why would I be mad? It's not everyday that a cute girl
tells me she has a crush on me,' Asako answered, wrapping an arm
around the shorter girl's shoulders and drawing her closer. Mayuko
stared up into dark eyes that smiled down at her. 'Why haven't you
ever told me before?' Asako wanted to know. 'Because... I thought
you and Ushio... well...' the other girl wasn't sure how to answer.
'I already told you, we're just friends. Boys don't interest me at
all. They're too violent and annoying and pigheaded. Well... Ushio
is anyways,' Asako chuckled to herself at the reminder of her
stubborn male friend.
'I just assumed that you two would one day get married, that's why I
didn't say anything. You're parents expect you to be with him,'
Mayuko exclaimed softly. 'I don't care. It's my life, not their's.
I'll be with whomever I love... and I love you, Mayuko-chan,' the
tomboy whispered. Light eyes danced up at her in amazement, then
tenderness. The taller girl curled her newfound love closer in her
arms, thanking the gods for this chance. After a few moments, they
parted, staring at each other with new eyes. A delicate hand reached
out, taking the older girl's soft, yet workscrubbed hand and clasping
them together softly. Smiling, they continued on their way, anxious
to spend the day together.
'So... do you think Ushio and Tora are going to fall in love, 'Mayuko
asked. Asako laughed gently before answering. 'You never know. It
could happen. They're both stubborn enough for it. A boy and his
tiger monster. That would certainly prove that love is boundless and
free.' Asako stared up at the sunlit sky for a moment before
Mayuko's soft voice brought her back to the present. 'Neither race
nor gender nor age can break true love,' the whisper twirled around
them on the wind as they stepped towards the future with joined
hands.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note: These two make a cute couple. Asako the tomboy and
Mayuko, the more feminine of the pair.
Back to Ushio and Tora Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction