A/N: I don't mean to be a Yukari-apologist. It's just that I have a tendency to be obsessively logical about fannish things, and I was thinking about the fact that Nyamo seems a little too intelligent to spend most of her free time with someone who acts like an escaped mental patient. Wondering how the rest of the story went together produced this.

Summary: Surprisingly (or not, depending on your point of view), Yukari has very good reasons for acting the way she does. Femslash warning, obv.

Rating: PG-13 or the site equivalent, for non-graphic sexual situations

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to the makers of Azumanga Daioh, not me.

Control
by: Hayseed

Sometimes, Yukari wonders just when her life began revolving around Nyamo. It couldn't have always been this way.

Sure, Yukari is loud and obnoxious, and she teases the hell out of Nyamo, but only because Nyamo allows it. Encourages it, if Yukari is honest.

It wasn't always like that. They used to be pretty normal school friends, back in middle school. Eating lunch together, helping each other with homework (Yukari obviously has languages pretty well locked up and has for many years, and Nyamo always pulled down top grades in history)... they didn't really know each other well enough for Yukari to understand what Nyamo needed from her.

And then she met Nyamo's mother. Well, sort of.

This is one of very few secrets Yukari keeps from Nyamo. All Nyamo knows is that one day Yukari went from one of a half-a-dozen acquaintances to declaring herself Nyamo's best friend, giving Nyamo a nickname, and generally treating her like dirt.

Yukari was cutting through an arcade, taking a shortcut home from the public pool. She saw Nyamo standing by a table full of fresh vegetables, kicking at a rock on the street. Raising her hand in greeting as she got close enough to speak, Yukari froze when she saw a tall, elegant woman grab Nyamo's arm and give her a shake.

She knows now that Nyamo is a dead ringer for her mother (well, as long as she's got a frown on her face, anyway), but at the time, all she knew was that Nyamo's mom was a) pretty, b) wearing the most expensive suit she'd ever seen, and c) probably a bitch. With time and experience, she now knows that a) Nyamo is a thousand times prettier, b) the suit was a cheap knock-off, and c) Nyamo's mom is the biggest bitch in the world.

"Minamo," her mother said, sounding meaner than Takeda-sensei when he got after students for not doing homework, "we are not savages. Conduct yourself appropriately or your father and I will reconsider our decision to be seen with you in public."

Nyamo sighed, and it was the saddest sound Yukari had ever heard before. "Yes, Mother," she said in the same kind of voice Yukari heard robots use on TV.

If that had been it, Yukari probably would have always felt kind of sorry for Nyamo, but not much else would have changed.

But as soon as her mother's back was turned, Nyamo scowled, stuck out her tongue, and kicked that rock clean across the street.

Nyamo didn't need pity; she needed an outlet.

The next day, Yukari managed to make Nyamo yell at her twice and hit her once. She considered that progress, and she still does.

And all that is fine. She's pretty sure Nyamo knows what the deal is most of the time, and she's gotten good at telling when enough really is enough, which is why they've stayed friends for so long. It's a good give-and-take; Nyamo gets a chance to blow off steam and be herself, and Yukari gets most of her liquor paid for.

A nice bonus is the absolute loathing the Kurosawa family has for Yukari. Whenever she thinks about the sheer number of times both Nyamo's parents have tried (and failed) to forbid her from associating with Yukari, it makes her laugh. The one time she went over to Nyamo's house in high school, they actually devoted an entire hour to cornering Yukari and attempting to explain (in detail) just how poor an influence she was on their shy, respectful daughter. Who was lurking in the doorway in an effort to extract poor Yukari and drag her to the park, where they could drink the six-pack of beer she'd just stolen out of their fridge.

Her own mother is fond of Nyamo, though, which is why they spend far more time at the Tanizaki family home than they do in the tidy economy flat Nyamo's parents have bought and paid for. While Yukari has never actually seen a Kurosawa other than Nyamo there before, she's sure it's only a matter of time.

Yukari is of the personal opinion that the more time Nyamo spends apart from her insanely strict family, the better off she is. Of course, the fact that the less Nyamo is with her family generally means the more she's with Yukari is another big part of the plan.

It didn't used to be. Back in their first year of high school, when the change occurred, Yukari was honestly just trying to help Nyamo by being the best friend she could be.

But...

But then first year turned into second, and second into third, and it started to dawn on Yukari that she should probably wonder why she was so content spending every free moment with Nyamo instead of... whatever else it was teenaged girls were supposed to do with their time.

Yukari doesn't bother wondering any more now than she did back then. She knows.

It's the same reason she (secretly, quietly, would torture anyone if they told) shoves her well-meaning mother out of the kitchen every time Nyamo comes over for supper so that she can cook instead. Or waits for Nyamo after swim practice (she tells Nyamo it's so they can go to a bar after work, but mostly it's so she can stare for hours at that cute forelock of wet hair falling into Nyamo's eyes).

Or a million and one other things she does every day that more or less revolve around Nyamo.

Mostly, it's why she's trying very, very hard to be serious and not pick a fight right now, despite the fact that Nyamo is all but begging her to argue with her.

"I don't know why you're being so obstinate," Nyamo is saying with a slight pout.

Yukari rolls her eyes. "Because you don't care what my opinion is, Nyamo."

"Yukari..."

Unfortunately, that's not one of Nyamo's resigned 'Yukari...'s. It's the irritated one that means she's going to keep pushing until she gets her way. Fifteen years of experience has taught Yukari that it's pretty pointless to argue.

She blows out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. You really want to know what I think? I think your mother wants you to get married, and you're acting like a scaredy-cat by not standing up to her when she sets you up with these guys. If you really wanted to do this, you wouldn't ask my opinion."

And that's true. Nyamo generally only asks what Yukari thinks when she's looking to be talked out of something; otherwise, Yukari doesn't get a vote. Yet another reason why Nyamo tends to be the one in charge.

"It's not that simple..." Nyamo says hesitantly.

"Of course it is," she huffs in her impatience. "It always is. But the only time you freakin' get it is when you're drunk."

"That's not fair!" Nyamo sounds angry, and this is exactly what Yukari was trying so desperately to avoid.

Shaking her head, she looks down at the ground, scrambling for something to do that doesn't involve eye contact. Eventually, she settles on stacking up a few empty game cases lying on the floor. "It's not," she agrees, dropping the cases onto an even bigger pile on her desk. "But it's the truth."

"I..." But that's the only thing Nyamo manages to get out.

"It's okay," she continues, still being very careful not to look up. "It's your family, not mine. It's not really any of my business."

"Don't be stupid, Yukari. Of course it's your-"

And that's it. She's done. "Why?" she asks fiercely, forcing herself to look into Nyamo's surprised eyes. "Why is it my business who you marry? Nyamo, why do you care what I think?"

"You're my..."

But Nyamo hesitates, and that's how Yukari knows she feels it too. The unsettled strangeness of the whole thing.

"Eiko didn't ask us when she got married," Yukari points out, but her voice is gentler now. "Neither did Hikari, or Aya, or anyone we went to school with. Not even Kenji-san, and he and I still go out for dinner sometimes."

"It's..." Nyamo looks thoughtful. "It's different, Yukari. You know it is."

"Oh, I know," she says. "I even know why. I just wondered if you do."

Nyamo takes a step closer, and Yukari catches a whiff of her perfume. "Yukari..." she whispers, and it's not resignation or irritation. It's a plea.

Yukari realizes that for the first time in a long time, she's the one in control. And it's intoxicating. "Nyamo..." she replies, leaning forward to give a lock of Nyamo's hair a playful tug.

"Yukari, don't call - nmph!" Nyamo starts to roll her eyes, but Yukari is too busy kissing her to be bothered by pointless things like arguing over nicknames for the billionth time.

It is everything she thought it would be (first time she thought seriously about kissing Nyamo: their second year of college... Yukari has been extremely patient). Even down to the way Nyamo freezes for a breath of a second before relaxing into the embrace completely.

After several eternities of this, Yukari eases away - not too far, though, because somehow, Nyamo's hand is now wound in her hair, holding her close. "This is why, by the way," she says, smirking, basking in the fruits of her success. "And for the record? I have a sneaking suspicion you like being called Nyamo."

Nyamo looks equal parts confused and euphoric. "I... you... what?"

"Well, you wouldn't argue with me about it, because you know telling me not to do something is like waving a flag in front of a bull," Yukari explains calmly.

"Yukari?" Nyamo asks, blinking dazedly.

She hums.

"Shut up."

And she's lost control completely, because Nyamo has practically tackled her and is currently kissing every square inch of skin she can reach. Strangely, Yukari can't find the willpower to complain.

"Do you know that when I was seventeen, and my mother was first beginning to talk about arranging a marriage for me, she actually tried to explain sex to me?" Nyamo says conversationally.

Yukari should be insulted at her ability to speak rationally at the moment, but she's too much in awe of their current situation and settles instead for humming and pressing a kiss to Nyamo's (very) bare shoulder.

"I'm not quite sure how she thought I managed to miss learning about it in school," she continues.

"Or on the Internet," Yukari chimes in dreamily, running her hand across Nyamo's (also very) bare hip, marveling at the smoothness of her skin. "Or in books. Or on television. Or-"

"She started the whole thing off by saying it was important for me to understand my duties to my husband..."

Yukari is pretty sure the reason Nyamo trails off has more to do with the current location of her hand, not her lack of linguistic skills. "Really," she says, feigning interest and giving her fingers a wiggle that make Nyamo gasp. "Duties, huh?"

Nyamo's eyes flutter closed and her head tilts back, exposing a bright red mark on her neck that Yukari can't help but smile in recollection of creating. "Yes, and I do have a point here, Yukari, so you could let me make it without distractions, you know."

"I think you're doing fairly well so far," Yukari tells her with a kiss to her collarbone. "Besides, Nyamo, I hate to have to break this to you, but the thought of your mother giving anyone a conjugal lecture is possibly the least erotic thing I've ever heard in my entire life."

"What I'm attempting to explain to you, you moron, is that my mother actually attempted to talk me out of... well, this," she exclaims, waving her hand in the air.

Going completely still, Yukari is more at a loss than she's ever been before.

But Nyamo's hands are in her hair, gentle and soothing, and she finds herself relaxing almost against her will. "My duties, you see, were supposed to be to my husband. My desires only matter as related to his pleasure and intention, she told me. Any other infatuations on my part were... childish."

Yukari can't help raising an eyebrow at that. "Childish, huh?"

Laughter sparkles in Nyamo's voice. "No man is interested in a wife who spends more time with her childhood friend than him. That's what she said, I swear."

"Well, good for me, then," she says in satisfaction. "I'd hate to think that after what we just did, you'd still let your mother auction you off like cattle."

Nyamo is silent long enough that Yukari begins to wonder if she's said the wrong thing.

It can't have been so awful, though, because after several long moments, Nyamo pulls her into yet another sweet kiss. "I'm trying to tell you that I love you," she says against Yukari's lips. "I've loved you since I was fifteen years old and gave you a black eye that day you suddenly decided we were best friends."

"I did kind of deserve it," she babbles, so full of joy that she may just burst wide open. "I shouldn't have called you stupid, Nyamo. You're one of the smartest gym teachers I know."

After another kiss, Nyamo begins threading her fingers through Yukari's hair again, and it's all she can do not to start purring like a cat. "I've always wondered why you did that. We hadn't paid much attention to each other before then, and all of a sudden, things changed." All Yukari can manage is a lazy hum in response, trying to snuggle closer to Nyamo's warmth (although there isn't really a way to get closer than skin-to-skin...). "Don't get me wrong," she breathes. "I'm glad you did that. I just wondered why."

"That's easy," Yukari murmurs against the curve of her breast. "I figured out what you needed and decided to give it to you. I always know what you need." She yawns suddenly, marveling at the stretch of her jaw and the contentment she feels for possibly the first time in her entire life. It's as if the world has slowed to a standstill for the pair of them.

"Are you actually falling asleep?" Nyamo sounds incredulous and Yukari grins at the thought.

"You have a better idea?" she counters, pushing herself up to hover over Nyamo. Their hips press together and she can't suppress a shiver of delight. "I could be persuaded to stay awake if given sufficient incentive, maybe."

She rolls her eyes. "Well, with a romantic offer like that, how could I refuse?"

Laughing in delight, Yukari presses her cheek against Nyamo's. "I do love you, you know," she whispers teasingly.

It's the last coherent thing that is said for quite a while, which seems to suit both of them just fine.

FINIS