A/N: To tell you the truth, I like the original version of Chapter 6 instead of the one that I posted. I want to blame it to the climate haha! Because I forgot that the climate in Japan is very different from ours, so the scene wouldn’t be appropriate. The only parts that I retained from the original on the posted one were the last parts when Sei is joking.

Enough of that! Here’s more waffy moments ;)

Chapter 7

For someone who tended to flirt with beautiful girls that she encountered, Sei acted painfully reluctant on Youko. She herself couldn’t understand why. Hadn’t Youko been recipient to her flirty remarks and actions before, when she was ignorant to her feelings and of Youko’s? She had thought that once everything was settled between her and Youko, it would be easy.

But no.

It wasn’t easy at all.

Last night, after each of them took a shower, they had a nice and quiet midnight snack together. They talked about school, of friends, of the holidays, but not on their relationship. They even slept next to each other, snuggled to each other, and that was it!

Was the event at the club just a result of alcoholic drinks? Funny how they reverted back to avoidance when just a couple of hours before midnight she had admitted her feelings for Youko.

“We’re in a relationship now, aren’t we?” Sei asked herself, doubting what happened yesterday night as just some sort of a dream. After contemplating a moment, she dismissed the idea. Everything was real. Everything that happened yesterday was true. She would just have to gather her wits, which she didn’t know where it had gone to, to remove any discomfort between her and Youko.

Maybe they just needed to get used to the idea.

“I really suck,” she muttered, chuckling dryly. First, she pulled a stunt on Youko by taking her in this place without her knowledge instead of coming to her and talking to her like an adult that they were. Second, she evaded Youko’s questions why she brought her here instead of telling her the truth that she wanted to clear up their relationship by being honest with herself and with Youko. Third, acting foolish last night by kissing Youko because she suddenly felt possessive of her. If she had just acted accordingly, then none of those things happened and maybe she wouldn’t be feeling a bit uncomfortable now.

“What was done was done already.”

In true Sei fashion, she grinned as she headed outside the cottage.

---o---

‘What are you hesitating for, Youko? You’ve wanted this for years, and now that you have it, you are not acting on it?’ Youko asked herself as she stared at her reflection on the mirror.

Yesterday night was like a dream. But why was it that she felt something was amiss? She had been happy, ecstatic even, when she found out that Sei loved her back. And when they held each other last night as they slept, it was bliss, and she kept on telling herself that it was real, that everything was real and not a dream, that she really was holding Sei and Sei holding her.

So what was missing?

For someone intelligent (she wasn’t bragging), she couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Think about it, Youko. What has been changed?”

Going over once again at the events that transpired yesterday (while blushing at the thought of Sei kissing her) and the weeks that had passed since the fateful graduation party at the Ogasawaras, and thinking about high school, Youko realized what was wrong. Sei hadn’t been herself afterwards her admission. She was quite restrained after they arrived at the cottage. It seemed that the silence at the trip back threw them off.

Sure, Sei looked happy, but was subdued. She was expecting the playful Sei, considering what happened outside the club, but surprisingly, it didn’t happen when they were back here. Of course Sei was painfully closer to her, both of them seemed to make a point of brushing against each other, and that was it. No silly remarks, no jokes, save a few when they were talking about their younger sisters at Lillian.

“Maybe I should put some effort on getting Sei to loosen up,” Youko told herself as she headed outside the cottage where Sei was waiting for her. They were going out for breakfast.

Once outside the cottage, Youko gazed at the grass that was covered in soft snow. She was glad that yesterday was warmer because they were able to go out without really worrying about freezing to death. Although she wasn’t objecting to the sight that greeted her just now. It reminded her of something.

Eyes widening a fraction in surprise when she remembered what it was, Youko turned to the tall woman before her.

“What?” Sei asked, seeing Youko gazing at her intently. “You had just realized today how gorgeous I look?”

Youko remained quiet as she gauged Sei’s expression. Of course it had been a few days since the ‘anniversary’ of that fateful event in Sei’s life. She had forgotten about it. But did Sei? It was just a day before her birthday. A day before her birthday when her first love left her. Was that the reason why Sei wasn’t acting herself? But why did…

Sei shifted under Youko’s scrutiny. It was making her uncomfortable, really uncomfortable. Quickly bending down, she grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at Youko’s forehead.

Splat!

For a moment, Youko didn’t move.

Sei grinned at her, like anyone caught red-handed in doing mischief. She watched as Youko took a deep breath, brushed the snow at her brow, and faster than she had ever seen Youko moved in her entire life, a snowball made its way to her face.

“You want to play rough, don’t you?” Youko said smugly, trying to control herself from laughing. Sei’s face covered in snow was really amusing.

Sei, being Sei, wouldn’t just leave it at that. Before long, a snowball fight ensued, with two grown-ups giggling and laughing like kids. While Sei haphazardly threw at Youko, Youko was methodical, making sure that her snowballs hit their targets.

When Sei realized she couldn’t win against Youko, she resorted to other tactics, tackling Youko to the snow-covered ground.

“You…cheater,” Youko accused, heaving breath from the effort.

Sei grinned cheekily.

“You started it.”

The dark-haired woman arched her now snow covered eyebrows.

“I only did it because you’re being quiet,” Sei reasoned.

“I see.”

“Don’t worry. I’m glad we did it. I had never seen you laugh so much like you did just moments ago, Youko,” Sei said softly. She had always seen Youko acting mature, more than her age entailed even when they were younger. She had never seen her being easygoing. She had never seen her acting her age as a child, and the sight of Youko laughing and running and throwing snowballs at her truly warmed her heart.

Youko felt warm inside at those words. She would have said something, but Sei’s snickering halted her.

“And I’ve never seen Youko look so unglamorous,” Sei said as she look at Youko’s face, changing from being serious to mischievous. Youko was currently sporting thick, white eyebrows, a red nose and cheeks, and black and white hair.

“And I’ve never seen you look so beautiful, Sei,” Youko whispered, making the blonde on top of her blush and eyes going impossibly wide.

Holding with one hand the back of Sei’s head, Youko gently pulled her, and touched her cold lips to her nose…and then to her cheeks…and then to her lips.

“Gaah! Cold!”

Sei’s scream would have deafened Youko, but she didn’t mind. Laughing, she watched Sei tried to reach underneath her clothes on her back where she had slipped some snow. Once done, and shivering with cold, Sei glared at her.

Youko would have ignored it had it not been for the strange gleam in Sei’s eyes. Pinning her underneath, Sei brought her face closed to her and whispered heatedly, “You’ll pay for that.”

And then Sei’s lips were on hers. Cold lips against cold lips melded each other, making it warm in the process. Suddenly, nothing else matters. Only the feel of each other. Whoever begged for an entrance and who accepted, it didn’t matter as their tongue danced together, tasting each other, warming each other.

When the need for air became a matter of life and death, they broke the kiss, only to dive back hungrily.

They kissed softly…tenderly…passionately…hungrily, hands tight against each other, pulling each other against themselves.

After several minutes, they pulled to a stop. They had to. They were obviously outside, exposed to others who might come their way.

“I’ll give you the tongue-clashing later,” Youko said as she stood up.

Sei had the grace to blush at Youko’s words, though her eyes sparkled in anticipation.

A/N: Those of you who had read Little by Little surely have an idea how this story will end. After all, I made it clear that this story is Little’s side story and I’m just showing you how the two possibly ended the way they did at that story. Once you read those parts in In A Rush, then it means it’s the end. For now, obviously, it isn’t yet. I made the story longer coz probably I won’t write anything about them anymore (or maybe write another short one, I don’t know).

---Arvendell---

15 September 2008