Falling
Author: Anita
Fandom: Takarazuka RPF
Characters: Tsukishiro Kanato / Akatsuki Chisei, Kazama Yuno, Umino Mitsuki
Genre: yuri, romance
Rating: PG 13
Summary: Chisei thinks she's finally found the one for her in
Kazama Yuno. Yuno, despite their year-long relationship, started
displaying worried over Chisei's tightness with Tsukishiro Kanato. But
it's normal to message one of your best friends nonstop, right? To make
it worse, the two are to spend month apart when Chisei and Yuno find a
confession Kanato wrote in the past, and Yuno is convinced Chisei was
the intended recipient. How can Chisei prove to Yuno she's imagining
things and maintain both her girlfriend and her friend who's also a girl
when it's no secret she considers Kanato the most beautiful woman ever?
Previous Chapter | Chapter 14 | Next Chapter
Falling
Chapter 14
It was already dark after their early dinner when the two reached Ari’s door. The temperature had fallen considerably, as expected of that time of the year, and a cold wind passed the two in the hallway. Though they had avoided it in the park, the moment they’d left their hands had searched for the other and linked together. It was hard to tell who’d taken the initiative or if it had been natural though Ari couldn’t imagine herself having the guts to unconsciously do that. Even while driving, they were still touching whenever it was possible. They had chosen a corner of a family restaurant and say side by side, as if snuggling. As they walked, their steps were shorter and slower than ever. But that day couldn’t last forever, and Ari’s apartment was like an alarm clock shaking her awake from that reverie.
“Thank you for coming today,” Ari said throwing a sullen look at their hands. “You really improved your dating techniques.” She gave a wry smile to accompany the bad joke.
Reiko was frowning, she might as well have not heard the joke. “Will you be okay?”
“I’ll survive. I think you charged me up more than enough.” She felt the heat on her face, realizing that, while unintended, could sound pretty edgy when Reiko knew her feelings toward her weren’t pure.
“If you want, I can keep you company.” Reiko attempted taking a step closer to the door.
Oh, and how she wanted! But it wasn’t fair. After midnight the day would turn, and they had to go back to being friends. Ari had promised herself to do her best and not repeat the Fukuoka situation. “You don’t have to literally spend the entire day with me. Just go home and rest, we’re in the middle of rehearsals.” Deep down, she was just being too proud to accept it.
Biting her lip, Reiko searched around for something but seemed to give in. “Call me if you need anything, even if it’s just company. I’m very sorry about Oda and—”
Ari shushed her. “Remember? Today we don’t talk about that.”
“Yes, right.” She smiled with warmth. “Good night, then?”
As Ari began to nod, she felt her lips covered by what she was sure to be the best sensation in the world—Reiko. The kiss was as gentle as her smile before and left Ari speechless, stuck in the same position. She could only watch Reiko disappear out of the bubble they had made of silence and pretense of not to know the obvious.
She heard then a weird sound. Like a snicker? And it came from her. She was laughing louder now. What a crazy day! Thankfully, her neighbors were either not around or too discreet, but what would anyone think if she told them that story? She’d planned the perfect date with her girlfriend, got dumped and spent the day instead with the person she loved. Worth of note, on a schedule that hadn’t really been the one she had worked on for so long.
Her apartment was still in the turmoil she had left after looking for the perfect clothes that Yuno would only see in the rare moments they were indoors. And that Yuno hadn’t seen… but Reiko.
Okay, she had to calm down. She didn’t even know what she was feeling. Only that this time was different from when she and Reiko had kissed in Fukuoka. For one, she wasn’t cheating anyone. Even Umino had allowed it. Reiko wouldn’t lie about something like that, right? Ari couldn’t always read her notwithstanding how many years they’d been close friends, but that wasn’t something she’d lie about. Everything had been okay, though it would hurt the following day. She could pray that Reiko never confronted her with what Yuno had revealed, there was still that hope.
With that, it could be properly over. Just like Yuno wanted, Reiko now knew about her feelings. Ari did get a lot more as compensation, too. It was over.
She washed herself with hesitation, not wanting to lose the scent Reiko had left all over her face and neck. But the water soothed her muscles, made her thoughts go to tender places, like Reiko’s arms. The way her fingers slid through her hair.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
It was barely eight o’clock when she reached her room after something to sleep in. Her closet was cracked open, the undone shrine without its pièce de résistance. Ari wondered if Yuno would keep the knit cap to herself. It was probably for the best, since that gift had started much more than her break-up with Yuno.
Her eyes found a small piece of clothing that had gotten lost in the middle of the gifts from other’s she hadn’t worn yet. The pajama dress, Reiko’s latest gift to her. Maybe the last in a long time if she knew her friend well, for avoiding misunderstandings, especially on Yuno’s behalf. Reiko would be regurgitating all the information by now, realizing she’d been the basis for the split, if Yuno hadn’t already asserted it. She probably had, hadn’t she? From the way she had spoken and then left… And there was also the fact she had remained, waited until Reiko could arrive. Yes, Yuno would have taken the matter into her hands. Even if she had forgotten, Reiko would have questioned why she was wearing that hat and prompted Yuno to tell her the complete version of the story. Reiko had already known all of it that day.
Ari rolled her eyes, reaching out for the pajama. It had gotten too cold for it now. The fabric wasn’t thin, and the sleeves were long, but it was a dress all the same. She put it on anyway, wishing it had Reiko’s smell and not her closet’s. Their dialog then reverberated in her mind.
‘You keep giving me that excuse for all the clothes I give you, even the hand-me-downs, so now you can just lie to me that you wore it and I’ll never know.’
‘Unless you spend the night.’
Perhaps, she should have had that. Then impregnated all her house with Reiko. Not the best method for getting over someone having their smell on your things, but she was allowed some wallowing time, no? Ari grimaced. Until she didn’t. With a gasp, she ran to her door, picking up her coat in the way, and just ran.
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