nonpurpose."
On impulse Ayaka moved over
to the refrigerator and took a look inside it. Much as she thought,
inside were neat little rows of frozen plastic food boxes, with tiny
labels stating what they contained and how long Asuna was to put each
item in the microwave before eating, these also all in Konoka's handwriting.
"They, uh, try to make sure
I eat properly... without burning the place down." Asuna scratched
her head and looked both sheepish and embarrassed. "Don't worry
though, I'm not cooking while you're here, and tonight we're eating
at Setsuna and Konoka's place."
Taking pity on Asuna Ayaka
decided to change the subject, and asked where she should put her luggage.
Asuna brightened considerably and dashed over to heft the suitcases
again, leading the way upstairs with a grin. "You'll get the bedroom
and I'll roll out the spare futon down in the living room..."
---
They had a nice evening, chatting
away amiably until it was time to head on over to Setsuna and Konoka's
home, at which point Ayaka was given a warm welcome from more friends
not seen in a while, and the four of them stayed up talking until it
was quite late at night. The next day Ayaka woke up early enough to
be able to catch a sparring session between Asuna and Setsuna, shocking
herself a little with the strength of her own reaction to the sight
of her sweating and grinning Asuna in a small tank top. Konoka joined
her as the warrior women's small audience and cheering section, and
the brown-haired woman's knowing looks and smirk made Ayaka blush
brightly.
The rest of the day was thankfully
spent in a way less prone to elevate Ayaka's blood pressure, as Asuna
guided her around Kyoto to all the nice places where tourists did not
usually go. In thanks as the evening approached Ayaka treated Asuna
to a dinner at a very classy restaurant, wishing secretly that she had
been able to do so as a date instead as a friendly treat.
They got a table by a window,
ordered their food, and in between appetizer and main course talked
about many a shared childhood memory. Their reputation at Mahora came
up, and so the conversation swayed into the many times the two of them
had ended up fighting the various other students, police officers or
random other inhabitants of Mahora.
"...and then you clocked
her for calling me names!" Ayaka laughed at the memory. "Almost
no-one seemed to get that we were really friends despite the constant
bickering."
Asuna smiled, a sweet smile
that had Ayaka's heart suddenly beat faster, and she reached out to
take one of Ayaka's hands in her own. "Others couldn't understand
how we were fighting best friends." The smile was accompanied by a
look so adoring that Ayaka's mouth went dry. "That the two of us
were special."
"An unbreakable bond."
Ayaka whispered, weakly squeezing Asuna's hand before loosing herself
into Asuna's eyes.
They just gazed at one another
for a long moment, then to their surprise the waiter, a slender and
somewhat effeminate young man, came in and with an apologetic mien brought
candles which he lit for them and a small vase holding a red rose.
While they were still blinking
in surprise the main course was brought in, complete with tiny containers
of heart-shaped butter and pink confetti strewn around the oversized
plates. The waiter beamed at them, bowed, and without a word disappeared,
leaving Ayaka blushing darkly and Asuna staring at her with wide confused
eyes.
"W-what...?"
"He thinks we are on a date."
Ayaka whispered to the bewildered Asuna, whom promptly blushed as deeply
as her companion.
The rest of the dinner went
by somewhat stiffly and with a great deal of embarrassment, especially
since they noticed the waiter looking at them encouragingly from time
to time, but they did their best to pretend like it was nothing. When
the two of them made ready to leave Ayaka made sure to leave the beaming
man a healthy tip, thanking him internally for his attempt to help as
it was the closest she was likely ever to come to actually get to take
the woman she had loved for most part of her life out on something romantic.
By the time they got back to
Asuna's home, the cooling spring air had helped them past the awkwardness,
and back to pleasant conversations and reminiscing. They lounged out
on Asuna's large living room couch, giggling like school girls over
some remembered thing or some piece of gossip shared, until Asuna walked
over to the kitchen to get them some snacks and drinks.
"Want some wine, Ayaka? I
got some for the party, but we can have some a little early."
"No." Ayaka's voice got
strange, making Asuna turn to look at her. "No, thank you." The
expression that fleeted past on the blonde's features was pained,
and with a sense of alarm Asuna just grabbed the first two bottles of
soda she found and hurried back.
"Sorry, I appreciate it,
but..." Ayaka apologized, feeling a bit self-conscious and avoiding
Asuna's eyes. "I, err, don't drink anymore."
Studying her friend closely,
concerned, Asuna opened a bottle and handed to Ayaka. She felt there
was something more to be said on the subject but wasn't sure how to
go about asking. Finally she settled for being direct, knowing she wasn't
the best at subtlety anyway. "Did something happen, Ayaka?"
The curt little sound that
escaped Ayaka's lips had very little in common with a laugh, and suddenly
Asuna felt afraid for her friend. For a moment it seemed as if Ayaka
was not going to answer, then, with her eyes fastened to a spot in the
ceiling, Ayaka gave a brief explanation.
"I was with someone once
who was... under the influence of alcohol, we both were... and the next
day that person had forgotten everything." Ayaka took a deep swallow
of the soda she had been given, not noticing the taste. "I vowed to
myself that I wouldn't touch a drop since, and I haven't." She
gave Asuna a brief look before turning her gaze back up towards the
ceiling. "Nothing terribly big or eventful, as you can see."
Asuna's jaw clenched and
unclenched as if she was trying to speak, but she remained silent for
a long moment. It was clear to see that there were a lot of things she
wanted to say, or perhaps more correctly wanted to ask, but she didn't
find the words. When she finally did find her voice again it was a quiet
but honest statement. "That is a big thing, Ayaka... a very
big thing."
Ayaka just shrugged, abandoning
her soda bottle to just lean back in the couch and try to relax. Movement
at her side alerted her that Asuna was inching closer and closer.
"Was it... I mean," Asuna
asked with some difficulty as she got a bit closer. "I've seen you
in the papers with this redhead at some parties, was she the one that...?"
"Who?" Ayaka blurted, surprised
and terribly distracted as Asuna suddenly lay down with her head resting
on Ayaka's stomach. In her distraction she gave a slightly more honest
answer than she entirely would have liked. "I have no idea who that
might have been, I get my dates for events like that through an escort
service, just to keep the money hungry old perverts away from me."
Blushing slightly as she realized how her admission could be construed,
she added "I mean, a respectable one, nothing... seedy."
The woman resting on Ayaka's
midsection nodded slightly and looked thoughtful. "So... you're
not seeing anyone right now then?"
There was another small thrill
of hope at the strange glance Asuna gave Ayaka after she had asked the
question, causing a grin to take over Ayaka's face. "No, I'm not
seeing anyone." She poked Asuna in the side, making her squirm. "What
about you?"
The offending hand was caught
just as a small laugh escaped Asuna. "Me? No... No, even if anyone
was interested I doubt they'd dare face my very protective ‘sisters'
to get their approval." The lopsided little grin on Asuna's lips
revealed that she wasn't at all unhappy with Konoka and Setsuna's
protectiveness of her, even if she found it terribly amusing.
Ayaka on the other hand felt
a pang of relief and sent a thought of gratitude to the women in question,
even if she logically knew it was just a matter of time before Asuna
found someone.
"So... judging by your choice
of escorts I'd say you prefer redheads, true?" Ayaka nearly choked
until she saw the mischievous look from her friend. "Because in that
case I might just be able to scrounge up a date for you."
Chuckling Ayaka decided to
play along. "Oh? I don't know... I do have a soft spot for redheads,
but..." Here Ayaka made a point out of playing with Asuna's hair
with her free hand. "I am pretty picky. I can't be seen with just
anyone, you know."
"Hmph!" Asuna let go of
Ayaka's hand to pull her top tight against her athletic frame while
putting the other arm behind her head in an exaggeratedly cheesy pose,
batting her lashes. "You think you could say no to all this?"
Ayaka's laughter rang clear
and light, the previous melancholy mood vaporizing in the face of Asuna's
goofy playfulness. "Oh no, I can't resist, I can't resist!"
Taking advantage of Asuna's pose to trap one of her arms behind her
back Ayaka quickly bent forward a little and attacked the exposed midriff
without mercy. Asuna shrieked into the couch, trying to squirm away.
"Noooo! Stop it, moron!"
Asuna found that she was rather firmly trapped.
"Oh but I can't resist!"
Unfortunately for Ayaka, Asuna was much, much stronger than she, and
soon the redhead had managed to turn around enough to give back as good
as she got, the two of them squealing and laughing like little children
until they were both out of breath. Somehow Asuna had managed to wind
up lying next to Ayaka, the two of them squeezing in together on one
side and blithely ignoring the fact that the other half of the couch
was perfectly empty.
The next thing Ayaka knew she
woke up from a ray of morning sunlight finding its way in through a
window and over to the couch were she and Asuna still lay, the redhead
peacefully sleeping with her head on Ayaka's shoulder, drooling slightly
into the neckband of Ayaka's shirt while keeping a firm grip on the
blonde with both arms and legs. Although there was a pang in Ayaka's
heart she could also not help but be utterly charmed by the sight.
Carefully she placed a soft
kiss on the top of Asuna's head before gently shaking her shoulder.
"Hey... Asuna... time to wake up, birthday girl."
Asuna grunted and buried her
face into Ayaka. "..fie mo'minits..."
Ayaka, suddenly very wide-eyed
and alert, cleared her throat. "Those aren't pillows, Asuna. Come
on, get up." No reaction from her friend. "If you get up I'll
make you breakfast, how about that?"
"B'fast?" Slurred from
within Ayaka's shirt, then, like being shot out of a cannon, Asuna
bounded to a sitting position, blinking owlishly at Ayaka. "Breakfast?"
Not waiting for an answer Asuna
sped off towards the bathroom, leaving Ayaka to pull her clothes back
into order and her racing heart to calm down. "Asuna? Happy birthday!"
She called after the disappearing girl. A grinning head and a hand doing
a V-sign popped back from behind the corner for a moment, and then Asuna
was gone again, making Ayaka chuckle softly as she set out to get herself
ready for the day.
---
Asuna's birthday party wasn't
a big one, but the people there easily filled up most of the space of
her small home and made it a lively party. It also contained all the
most powerful people in the Kyoto area, though Ayaka doubted Asuna thought
of it quite that way, otherwise the birthday girl would have been terribly
self-conscious and nervous.
Old friends called on and off
during the day, Negi included, to wish Asuna a happy birthday and all
of them succeeding in putting a happy smile on her face. Gifts were
given, candles lit and cake eaten, and generally people had a good time.
Ayaka, since coming down from a quick clothes-change in a burgundy dress
that made Asuna gape in a most satisfactory way, was blatantly being
flirted with by several guests, much to Asuna's consternation. Ayaka
was graceful about it, but it was with quite a bit of relief that she
saw the party wind down and many of the guests begin to leave.
On her way into the kitchen
with a few plates and glasses Asuna stopped for a moment, regaining
her balance as the plates on top of her pile threatened to escape. It
wasn't her intention to eavesdrop on the conversation going on just
around the corner.
"...drink anything?" That
was Konoka, cheerful as ever.
"Yes, not since you got married,
actually." Ayaka sighed and made a strangely half-purring sound, as
if maybe she was stretching. "God I'm tired though... it will be
nice with a long, hot bath after this."
Konoka answered something and
the two of them shared a little laugh, but Asuna's attention was already
on other things. Shakily she headed over to a corner table to set the
dishes down before she dropped them, her mind swirling with the snippet
of conversation that she had overheard.
Not a drop since Konoka and
Setsuna's wedding? But that meant that whoever it was that had hurt
Ayaka, he or she... well, knowing what she now did of Ayaka, Asuna felt
somewhat sure that the person in question was most likely a ‘she'...
had to have been present at the hotel.
Asuna desperately wanted to
find out who that person had been, oh, if only she could get her hands
on that woman, whoever she was, Asuna would make her pay for hurting
her Ayaka!
Of course, there was also that
small part of Asuna that felt apprehensive about learning the identity
of the woman whom had captured the blonde's interest. After all, Ayaka
was not someone who would settle for just anybody, so whoever that woman
was she was bound to be really beautiful, maybe witty and charming and...
all those things Asuna was not. And that really truly hurt.
Frowning Asuna leaned against
the wall, arms crossed over her chest. There was just something about
her own reactions to all things Ayaka lately that seemed strange, and
Asuna felt it was past time she found out exactly why.
Yes, having been parted for
nearly two years had been an eye-opener to how important Ayaka was,
and how Asuna craved her presence in her life. She had missed the tall
blonde like crazy, and it had hurt deeply that they could not seem to
meet for so long. That pain was not something she felt with other old
friends, yes, not even Negi though she loved her ‘baby brother'
dearly... but Asuna had always known that her and Ayaka's bond was
different, hadn't she?
That accidental pretend-date
had made Asuna very happy, even if it had been awkward and embarrassing...
and sleeping and waking in Ayaka's arms was such a glorious thing,
she had been more reluctant to get up from that embrace than Asuna could
remember being in years. Just being close to Ayaka was strangely intoxicating,
and Asuna felt like she couldn't get close enough. Part of her wanted
to grab onto Ayaka with all that she had and never let go again.
That... wasn't quite normal,
was it? Not for friends.
What then was left, except...
Asuna's eyes widened. Could it be?
Was that what it meant?
"There you are, birthday
girl." Ayaka leaned down to catch Asuna's eyes, smiling that especially
sweet smile that Asuna knew was reserved just for her. "Would you
like to dance?"
Heart pounding somewhere in
the vicinity of her throat, Asuna nodded mutely, letting Ayaka lead
her by the hand down to the more open area beside the couch.
"I'll lead." Ayaka leaned
in to whisper playfully into Asuna's ear, not knowing that the shorter
woman would have such a strong reaction. Asuna gasped and shivered when
Ayaka's hot breath caressed her ear, and without consciously intending
to, stepped in close and put her arm around Ayaka.
Wide-eyed and blushing slightly,
Ayaka complied, putting her arms around Asuna in the far more intimate
dance that Asuna had initiated. Dimly Ayaka realized that the song that
had been playing changed to something slow and romantic, and looking
up she spotted Setsuna and Konoka discreetly waving and doing a thumbs
up - the latter from Konoka - as they tiptoed out of the room.
Feeling a wave of gratitude
for their unspoken blessing Ayaka promised herself to thank them properly
later, but for right that moment she just pulled Asuna close, arms wrapped
around her, and swayed to the music.
A song or two later Ayaka only
meant to touch Asuna's hair, to breathe in that scent that was so
uniquely Asuna's... but Asuna turned towards her and even as close
as they were their eyes met.
The first kiss was sweet and
tentative. The second kiss was filled with wonder and longing, gently
deepening and hinting of more. The third kiss on to infinity were passionate,
hungry, needy... they tumbled over the side of the couch as legs gave
out and resumed the activity there, for an untold length of time.
When after a long time they
parted for more than just a hazy and much-needed breath, they lay entwined,
looking deeply into each other's eyes and Ayaka's hands caressing
Asuna's face. Something suddenly clamped down on Asuna's heart,
hard, as she saw the tears in Ayaka's eyes.
"Asuna, I love you." Ayaka's
voice shook as she spoke, and the sound sent a jolt through Asuna's
soul.
She had heard those words
before.
The truth came rolling in before
her mind's eye. That morning, that morning when she had seen hickeys
on Ayaka's neck and joked about it to hide how much the idea had upset
and sickened her that some stranger had come that close to the blonde.
She had tried to remember who could have put them there, but for all
of the previous day that Asuna could remember, the two of them had essentially
been together and Asuna had fended off any inappropriate admirers.
All of the day that she could
remember.
The next day the
other person had forgotten everything, Ayaka had said. Asuna's
memories of the entire evening was hazy to say the least, chunks of
it missing still. And... they had shared a hotel room... Asuna closed
her eyes as the realization set in. Oh my god.
Ayaka looked absolutely terrified,
Asuna had been silent for too long. Quickly Asuna reached out to put
her hands tenderly on Ayaka's face.
"I love you too, Ayaka."
She breathed, the tears in Ayaka's eyes also present in Asuna's
voice. "I am sorry I made you wait so long to hear it, but I truly
do love you." A deep breath. "And I am so, so sorry that I did not
remember."
Tears spilled over and down
Ayaka's cheeks as she sat absolutely still, not quite yet sure she
dared believe her ears. She had to make sure. "Y-you... remember?"
"That depends..." Shyly
Asuna glanced at Ayaka in a peculiar way. "Were you, erm, wearing
a nightgown... that I..." Awkwardly she gestured the motion of pulling
something over Ayaka's head.
"You do remember!" Ayaka
breathed, sniffling softly as she reached out to touch Asuna's face.
"Just small pieces." Asuna
explained, embarrassed. "Fragments from dreams, which is what I thought
was all they were, and that I didn't really put together in the right
context until just now."
Softly, with a voice and expression
that was almost frightened. "Can you ever forgive me?"
Ayaka sobbed. "Say it again.
Say it again and I would forgive anything."
The tears spilled from Asuna's
eyes as well, but she smiled at the blonde in front of her. "I love
you. I love you Ayaka, I really do."
Then Ayaka fell into her arms,
helplessly weeping into Asuna's shoulder. Asuna held her tight, whispering
words of comfort and affection, swearing internally that she wouldn't
let herself make the mistake of letting Ayaka go again, no matter how
far apart they might have to be. She would make things up to Ayaka and
make her happy. Nothing in the world felt so right as having the blonde
in her arms, and Asuna wouldn't give that up. She would find a way.
---
It took less than three weeks
after Asuna's birthday and her and Ayaka's heartfelt declarations
until Ayaka could take it no more, and bought herself a nice apartment
in Kyoto so that she could be near her new lover. As nice and as state
of the art as that apartment was, Ayaka would not come to spend much
time there, as for most of her time in Kyoto she simply lived with Asuna.
Ayaka's business schedule was reworked some, to not be quite as hectic
as before, and most importantly, for any and all social events that
required Ayaka's attendance, there was a new redhead always attached
to her arm.
A redhead with one green and
one blue eye, and in time, a small gold band with a sparkling diamond
on her finger.
---
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