Sylia stopped in front of her hallway mirror a moment, and adjusted her tie. She stepped out of her room only to be met by a frowning Mackie. He walked a small circle around her only to stop and nod, firmly. "You look good," he said with a smile. As an afterthought, he reached up to loosen her tie, giving it a bit more of a rakish look. "Hey," she protested loudly, only to have him give her a look. "Trust me, it looks better that way," Mackie reassured her. He smiled a bit, "Good luck, sis. I hope things turn out the way you want them to tonight." Sylia blushed a bit. "What do you think you know, young man?" she asked him cautiously, then waited for his answer. Mackie smiled up at her. "I know Linna's good for you, big sister. And I hope she feels the same way about you," he said with a shrug. He walked up the hall, adding over his shoulder, "I won't wait up for you!" She was about to respond to his comment when she noticed the time. She snatched up her keys and took the lift down to the parking garage. Picking out her favorite roadster, she started it up, noting the smooth hum of the engine and the full fuel gage. "Thanks, Mackie," Sylia said softly, and sped off. Was she making the right decision? It might be too soon for Sylia to tell Linna how she felt about her. They had known each other a long time, but not in any romantic way. They hadn't even been friends, really, just business associates who worked well together. It wasn't until the past few weeks that she had really seen how good a friend Linna could be. A kind, supportive presence who was there when she needed her, ready to share laughter and tears as needed. And this morning... Sylia hadn't considered how intimate it would be, sleeping in her bed with Linna. She had awakened fuzzily, felt the soft warmth of a body spooned against her own, and opened her eyes to gaze at Linna's sleeping face. Her head was resting on Sylia's arm, trapping her there. For the next half hour she had watched Linna, smiling a bit in her sleep. Finally, Linna had rolled over, freeing Sylia, but she stayed there a little while longer by Linna's side. Sylia had never fully realized how beautiful Linna really was. Sylia smiled. She would tell Linna tonight, and then she would just see what happens. She would never again love silently, and risk loosing that love to someone else. Standing outside the Rose restaurant, Linna turned at the sound of a delicate clearing of the throat, and then nearly gasped aloud at what she saw there. Sylia wore a pearl gray suit, tailored to show off her curves, while still being comfortable and chic. She really did look like the owner of a fashionable store, not the severe businesswoman look she usually maintained. "It seems we both picked out our armor colors," Sylia said to Linna quietly, a small smile on her face. "You look lovely," Sylia continued. "You look great," a tongue-tied Linna managed to get out. 'Why hadn't she noticed how handsome Sylia could be?' she wondered. Sylia stepped closer to Linna and offered her arm, she reflexedly look it, and they made their way into the restaurant together. "Have you ever eaten at this place before?" Linna asked, then cursed herself at asking such a dumb question. "A business colleague, Arisugawa Juri, recommended it. I tried it once and really enjoyed the variety of dishes," Sylia calmly explained. She wasn't wearing perfume, thankfully, as Linna didn't think she could stand any more stimulus. But she did have a distinctive scent, a faint mix of oil, grease and her shampoo that Linna found comfortingly familiar. The waitress smiled at the two of them, and instead of taking them to their regular seat, she brought them to a cozy, corner table. "Your reserved table, Ms. Stingray," the young woman said cheerfully. "I hope you and your date both enjoy your dinner." Sylia blushed a bit at Linna's smile and raised eyebrow. "I reserved under Sylia Stingray and companion," she explained to her hurriedly, "I guess they must have jumped to that conclusion." Sylia looked nervously across at Linna, "That doesn't bother you, does it?" "No," Linna answered, blushing faintly. She smiled a bit, "As long as you don't mind being paired with someone as average as me." "You're in no way average," Sylia protested softly, "and I'd be honored to be paired with someone as extraordinary as you." They looked silently at each other, Linna mildly surprised, and Sylia a bit stunned by her own frankness. "I'm making a mess of this," Sylia admitted softly, blushing a bit under Linna's gaze. "No, I'm loving it," Linna said, and gently lay her own hand over Sylia's. "I'm just a bit surprised, that's all. You're normally so reserved..." "I've been trying not to be," Sylia confessed. She took a deep breath, "I asked you here to explain why I was so hard on you, for a while there." "You lost someone you loved," Linna said to her softly, making it more of a question. She held her breath, waiting for an answer. "Someone I never had, really." Sylia continued softly, "I never showed it, or told her how I felt, and eventually I lost my chance." Linna really, really didn't want to ask Sylia the next question, but some part of her must have felt it had to, "Was it Priss, Sylia?" "Yes," Sylia admitted, and took a sip of her drink. "I think it was more of a crush,. looking back on it, but it sure hurt when I discovered she had someone else." "So am I some kind of consolation prize, then, a second best instead of her?" Linna asked with a bit of bitterness in her voice. "No!" Sylia exclaimed, and wrapped her hands around Linna's. Linna was more than a bit surprised to see the glimmer of tears in Sylia's eyes as she said "I didn't want to tell you about Priss, Linna. I was scared you would feel this way, but I won't lie to you, either." Linna let out a little puff of breath. "I think I believe you," she admitted to her softly. Before she could say anymore, a waitress arrived with their plates of food. She smiled at them cheerfully as she served up their plates, and then said "I hope you enjoy your meal. We also have rooms available for the night if you wish to extend your romantic evening." With that, she winked saucily at them, and left. Sylia couldn't have looked more embarrassed if she tried. "I'm sorry, I didn't know," she started to say, only to have Linna break out into a fit of giggles. Sylia looked at her blankly a moment, then began to laugh softly as well. "If we keep this up," Linna managed to get out, "we'll be in trouble for public drunkenness, or something." They both managed to regain a straight face, though the odd looks the waitresses were giving them really didn't help. "Linna," Sylia said to her softly after a few minutes of eating, "I think I've managed to fall for you." She smiled wryly at Linna's obvious expression of surprise, "I'm not holding things back as much, anymore." "I have to admit I've been thinking of you in..." Linna blushed as she added shyly, "that way." She looked obviously torn as she continued, "But I've never been attracted to a woman before, Sylia. What if this is just a crush? I don't want to hurt you, too." "Lets find out, then" Sylia suggested to her gently. "It could be I may be rushing you a bit," she admitted, "so why don't we try and date first?" She smiled over at Linna, "I don't want to loose this connection we've discovered." "Go out together, you mean," Linna said softly, gazing into Sylia's dark eyes. She had never noticed before how much they were like dark pools, deep pools that one could almost drown in if you weren't careful. "Yeah, go out together, have fun, and get to know each other better," Sylia agreed, trying not to look down Linna's dress as she bent toward her. It had taken a lot of will power for Sylia not to take advantage of Linna last night, a noble act she was sort of regretting now. "Do things like mini-golf, walk together" Linna said weakly. The memory of Sylia in her nightie this morning was seared into her mind, and was rampaging across her memory, triggering all kinds of responses in her body. "I have a better idea," Linna said to her firmly, and pulled Sylia over the table into a fiercely demanding kiss. "Why don't we rent one of those rooms for the night?" Linna asked Sylia in a husky voice, her eyes sultry. Sylia visibly gulped, looking a little bit afraid of what she may have unleashed here. "Are you sure you want to do this?" she heard herself ask, almost against her will. 'What am I saying,' she thought to herself. "Oh, yes," Linna said softly. She grinned, "I've wanted to since I saw you in that sheer nightie this morning," she said with a smile. They finished their dinner in undue haste, and quickly tracked down the impishly smiling waitress. A quick credit transaction later, and Sylia and Linna found themselves in front of their suite, keys in hand. "Last chance to turn around," Sylia said to Linna gently. She wanted her, Sylia had to admit it to herself, but she didn't want Linna to regret what she was doing tonight. "Since when have Knight Sabers ever turned from danger?" Linna asked her with an sexy smile, and quickly unlocked the door. They stepped inside together, the door swinging closed right behind them. A amused voice can just barely be heard behind the closed door, "Sylia, I wore the lingerie you gave me this morning, just in case." "So did I," and chuckles...
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