a/n: this is basically an AU of the movie Wolf Children with many liberties taken. you don't have to watch the movie to read this!
Yuzu first noticed the stranger because they didn't have a textbook in class. Everyone was either recording the university lecture or typing away on their laptops, but this woman was diligently taking notes with paper and a chewed up pencil. Her shirt collar was wide and wrinkled and nobody sat within a five-foot radius of her even though the class was full. Despite these facts, she seemed enraptured by the lesson, which was weird because Japanese history was particularly boring today. The sight saved Yuzu from dozing off in class and she couldn't help but steal glances at the back of the woman's head in curiosity. Her hair was as inky as raven feathers, and Yuzu knew she had never seen her around on campus before. Was she a new student?
The lecture ended before she knew it and everyone shuffled to the front to sign their name on the check-in list. Except for the one strange woman. Yuzu saw her slipping out the back entrance so quickly, one might've thought she was a ghost. The blonde scribbled her name hurriedly on her sheet and, following an instinct she couldn't place, rushed to follow the curiosity.
The doors banged loudly when Yuzu barreled through. They hadn't made nearly that much noise when the stranger used them. A streak of ink halfway down the staircase caught her eye. "Hey!" she called out at the top of the stairs without thinking. The other woman paused mid-step, glancing back up at Yuzu with a glinted glare that brought her pause. The blonde caught her breath, trying to remember why she had stopped her. Looking at her profile, the woman was striking in the way a katana was beautiful.
"You won't get credit for the class unless you sign in," Yuzu said with a nervous voice. Her senses were oddly aware of the way her toes were on the edge of the step she was standing on.
Dark eyes observed her for a tense moment until a silken voice finally answered, "I'm not a student here."
"O-oh," Yuzu mumbled awkwardly. "Then…"
"This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here," the other woman said, probably to herself. Her voice flowed like a calm stream, but there was something about her energy that was anything but steady. It was as if the woman was a part of an unseen current separate from everything around her. Swift and silent on her feet, she flowed down the stairs before Yuzu could process what she had said. When she did, she scrambled after her, nearly falling down the stairs in her haste. She almost didn't find her again, running until she reached the university gates where she saw her silhouette about to cross the street.
"Hey!" she tried again, even more out of breath than before. The mystery woman had seemed so much in a hurry before, Yuzu didn't think she would stop for her a second time. But she did, looking at Yuzu out of the corner of her eye. Heart beating out of her chest, Yuzu worked up her courage. "That class is hard enough without the textbook. If you come again, maybe…" It felt as though she was plunging her head into the icy rushing current that surrounded this person. "Maybe we could share mine?"
The other woman slowly turned to face her fully as the wind picked up, blowing the inky black of her hair around to paint her face in shadow. Something about her gaze made Yuzu feel like a brittle tree in the wind but she managed to hold her ground, staring back into gleaming eyes that looked right into her and through her.
"I think you forgot it in the classroom," the woman said in that soft voice of hers that managed to carry clearly to Yuzu's ears, breaking the strange spell she had been put under.
"What?" Yuzu patted her bag for the book, only to come up empty. "Aw crap!"
When she looked up again the woman was gone as if she had been carried away on the wind itself and Yuzu's ears were opened up to the natural sounds of her surroundings.
Her textbook became her most cherished companion after that. During class, she sat up and paid attention, not because she found the subject interesting, but because she hoped the stranger would pay the class a visit again. But for the next week, she never showed up.
"Why do I keep thinking about her?" Yuzu wondered to herself while she worked her shift at the bake shop one day.
"Who're you thinking about, Yuzupon?" Shiraho materialized out of the shadows behind her to ask, causing the icing dispenser in Yuzu's hands to try and escape along with all the icing inside of it.
"What? Who? I don't- how are YOU, Shirapon?" She almost leaned on the cake she had been working to impersonate a functioning causal adult.
Shiraho raised both brows at the flurry of words chucked at her in wild defense. "Yuzupon, you drew a heart on the cake."
"So?"
"It's a funeral cake."
"YEAH WELL WHO THE HECK ORDERS A CAKE FOR A FUNERAL?" Yuzu nearly put her fist through the cake as she wiped away her design. Her coworker failed to mention that she had ordered the cake herself for a dead associate of her father's. She silently rethought her decision as Yuzu practically destroyed the concoction before her in a fit of frustrated grumbles.
Shiraho saw Yuzu's distress signals like some sort of rave party of panic. "It appears someone has been weighing on your mind. Someone new, perhaps?" She inquired as she circled around the shorter woman.
"I don't know."
"You don't know? Did you meet someone or not?"
"Sort of? I don't know?"
"What?"
"I don't know, okay?" Yuzu chuckled, trying to concentrate on undecorating the cake of sadness. "I only talked to her for like a second…"
"Oh? Her?" Shiraho seemed to loom a little larger with every question, unable to help her curiosity.
Yuzu flushed red. "Yeah… There was just something about her… I just don't know, Shirapon." How could she possibly describe that encounter to anyone else without sounding like she was blowing an awkward meeting into something that felt almost supernatural?
"Maybe it was love at first sight?" Shiraho suggested thoughtfully. Yuzu blushed at the suggestion. "Do you think you'll ever encounter her again? This is all rather fascinating to observe."
"Uh…. thanks?" Yuzu answered skeptically. Her coworker had always been a little strange, but she knew she meant well. "And I don't know. But I feel like I will. Somehow."
"Interesting…" Shiraho leaned over her shoulder. "Yuzupon, you drew another heart on the funeral cake."
"Aw, crap!"
She wasn't in the unknown for long. The next week while Yuzu was starting to nod off in class, someone slipped into the seat next to Yuzu so quietly she didn't even notice. Mid-yawn, Yuzu finally noticed her and the blonde nearly fell out of her seat with a startled yelp.
"It's you," she whispered in awe. The woman brushed some hair behind her ear and merely gave Yuzu an expectant look. Grinning widely, Yuzu slid the textbook towards her, receiving a modest nod of thanks from the stranger. The guy that had been sitting behind her switched seats to one further away.
Taking notes together, the blonde was tempted to start humming but managed to contain the feelings of happiness she felt bubbling out of her. From this close, she was able to steal some glances of the stranger next to her. The midnight black of her hair, the smudges of paint on her clothes, how soft her skin looked.
"It's rude to stare."
Yuzu turned back to her laptop with a furious blush on her face. "Sorry." Yuzu self-reprimanded herself for falling into her hapless gay habits. She shouldn't be feeling like she was rediscovering her sexuality all over again. She kept her eyes on the board but the professor's words continued marching in one ear and out the other.
When class was over Yuzu half expected the woman to disappear as suddenly as she appeared, but she actually lingered after class.
"Thank you for the textbook, and I apologize for any inconvenience it brought you."
"It was no problem," Yuzu said with a sheepish smile. "Any other student would've done the same thing." She very nearly couldn't look right at this woman; her eyes couldn't decide between her face and the floor. Before her eyes could decide, the woman- apparently satisfied with her thanks- was already halfway towards the nearest exit. Yuzu's mouth sprung into action before her brain had time to catch up. "You know," she said loudly. "I have more to offer than just a measly textbook!"
The woman stared at her for a long moment, gaze narrowing. "I'm not a charity case, and I don't owe you anything more," she said with an icy edge to her voice.
Yuzu's eyes went wide and her hands went up hastily. "I don't- That's not what I meant," Yuzu tried, but her words were failing her. She felt her face heating up in embarrassment. Even so, she persisted. "Let me show you." With an earnest look at the women, she beckoned her to follow her down the hall. Walking ahead, she hoped to God the stranger was following her.
She was.
Yuzu had accidentally developed a penchant to break rules during high school. Half the time it wasn't on purpose, and the other half of the time was because she found a particular rule to be unfair or just plain stupid. For example, it wasn't fair only students could have access to the university library. So Yuzu couldn't think of a better reason to break this particular rule than to smuggle a beautiful stranger into the university library. With a combination of distraction tactics and her student ID, it was a simple matter to sneak her companion through the door. The woman stuck close to Yuzu's back as the blonde looked to and fro for anyone who might stop them. She smelled like what a mint tree would smell like in a forest and it was deeply distracting Yuzu from her smuggling task.
The stranger consumed books like she was starving. Her eyes seemed to light up as she snatched items off the shelves to flip through them. Yuzu watched her through the shelves like she would watch a compelling video about an adorable cat. The stranger seemed different in this environment, the wild current that had surrounded her on their previous encounter had calmed into something Yuzu felt compelled to dive into.
"Why don't you just enroll?" Yuzu asked after the woman had amassed a rather large pile of books at one of the tables. Yuzu made sure they claimed a table in the boring dusty corner of the library so that nobody would bust them. "Then you could study as much as you want!"
It was hard to gauge if she hit a nerve because the woman was silently staring at one of the pages. 'Was she this stoic all the time?' Yuzu wondered. After a few seconds of assuming she was being ignored, Yuzu was about to change the subject when the other woman finally spoke up. "My current circumstances are… complicated," she answered in a way that implied she didn't want to delve further than that.
Yuzu got the hint but she was still burning with curiosity. "You obviously like being here though," she said with a kind smile. The woman seemed to hesitate mid page-turn, her long lashes turned down almost in bashfulness.
"I suppose," she admitted quietly.
Yuzu's smile turned to a grin and she leaned forward in her seat. "My name is Yuzu." She waited patiently for a reply.
After another measuring glance at her face, the other woman's shoulders seemed to relax a bit. Yuzu hadn't even noticed how tense she had been. She wondered if the stranger saw something in her that made her feel at ease. She hoped so. "My name... is Mei."
"Mei," Yuzu repeated, mostly to herself. Her name tasted as sweet as honey to her lips. "Nice to officially meet you!"
"Likewise."
They spent that afternoon studying together. Yuzu shared her coursework, and Mei was much more knowledgeable than Yuzu had anticipated, gently but firmly correcting and going over mistakes Yuzu had made (which were more than Yuzu cared to admit) before her head was in between the pages of her own books.
Bored of her own work (especially after learning she had been doing a good portion of it wrong). Yuzu found herself scooting closer to the anomaly of a woman before her. "What are you reading?" she whispered.
Mei scooted away from her, much to Yuzu's dismay.
"Just some research," she offered vaguely while warning Yuzu away with a narrowed glance.
"Researching what?" Yuzu was tilting her head trying to get a glance at the title of the book, only for Mei to press it against the table. Her lips pursed in a pout at the barrier Mei presented. She decided to try a different route of getting Mei talking to her.
"I'm not really much of a reader myself. Looking at words on a page is just so boring it puts me to sleep," Yuzu admitted.
"Have you considered that you're reading the wrong books?" Mei suggested with a bit of contempt at having her past time ribbed on like this.
"It's not like I don't read at all! I'm subscribed to three fashion magazines!" Yuzu defended herself in the face of Mei's judgment.
Mei looked appropriately dubious. "I'm sure those are very… stimulating."
"They are," Yuzu reassured with her own narrowing eyes. To back up her legitimate claim she held up her hand and flashed her shiny and colorful nails at Mei. "I'm no slouch when I design nails this fashionable!"
Humming in disinterest, Mei went back to her mysterious 'research'. "Reading and learning of people and their history is an important part of becoming a functional and productive member of society."
Yuzu canted her head. "Is that what you're researching then?"
Much to Yuzu's disappointment, Mei went silent, evidently ignoring the question because she didn't want to give an answer. She had just gotten her talking!
A few minutes into Yuzu's sulking Mei sighed quietly. "If you tell me what you find interesting, I'm willing to bet I can find you a book that won't put you to sleep."
Yuzu did a double take when Mei made the sudden offer, eyebrows hiked high in surprise. "You don't seem like the betting type."
"It's less of a bet and more of a declaration of my win," Mei confidently replied as she flicked past a particularly crisp page in her book.
Immediately obsessed with the newly unveiled subtly sassy Mei, Yuzu grinned in challenge. "You're on!"
The student manning the library check out desk looked appropriately shocked and scandalized when Yuzu roughly slammed down a mountain of books onto the counter. "Yuzu Okogi, how unusual to see you in a place meant to be quiet… And with books," she muttered in a prissy voice intended to mock Yuzu.
The blonde repressed the urge to roll her eyes and put on her best 'fuck you' smile. "Himeko, I would've hoped you learned in high school that I am full of surprises!"
"The only time you've surprised me was when you were actually accepted into the same university as me. And that's Momokino to you." A thick eyebrow rose as she looked through the selection Yuzu had presented her with. "You're up to something, aren't you?" she accused as she looked at the cover of a book titled "The Lost Wolves of Japan".
"Just some research, Himeko. Are you denying my opportunity to learn about new things?" Yuzu accused back dramatically, while also internally wondering why Mei wanted these books.
"You're a terrible liar!" Himeko looked like she wanted to growl at her and throw the book at her face. Restraining herself, she just sighed and started checking out the items. "Whatever. At least bring these back in one piece," she ordered after some reluctance. Yuzu breathed out a sigh of relief; she knew Himeko could be as stubborn as a mule when she decided to dig her heels in.
The one book from her pile Mei lent to Yuzu she had carefully picked out after some time going over Yuzu's interests and some perusing of the selection in the library. After some suspenseful waiting, Mei finally plucked a book from the shelf and handed it to Yuzu.
"I think you'll enjoy this one," she had said with that voice made of satin, instantly making Yuzu more interested in that book than any book ever.
When Yuzu arrived home after work- after taking a bath, staring at the ceiling in a daze, and cooking dinner for one- she settled down with her new book on her bed. Half suspecting that she'll eventually fall asleep before reaching page three, she tucked herself in and started in on the book.
A few days later, as Mei silently slipped into the chair next to Yuzu in class like the ninja Yuzu suspected her to be, Yuzu scribbled a quick note. Blushing, she slid it over to Mei along with her textbook. The note read 'OK! You win! Do you have any more book recommendations?' along with a smiley face. Mei didn't outwardly react to the note, but for the rest of class, her aura felt the tiniest bit smug.
And just like that, they found themselves with this perfect arrangement for the next few weeks; Yuzu sneaking Mei into the library and Mei reading books to her heart's content. Mei continued making recommendations for Yuzu to read, and by the time Yuzu finished she would have another book waiting for her. It was like having her own personal book club, a nerdy activity that Yuzu never imagined she'd get into. Little by little, Yuzu worked up her courage to gather tidbits of information about Mei every day. Snippets like how Mei had just moved to the city, and how she was working part-time as a house painter until she could find something more stable.
"I think you would make a great teacher," Yuzu commented one day after Mei helped her with a particularly hard question.
She was used to Mei's answering silences by now. Her eyes were no longer hesitant to look at the other woman closely and try to read what her motions meant. Every sigh, every brush of her hair, the way she ended up absently fidgeting with her pencil if she was lost in thought. Yuzu had caught her chewing on it a couple of times, and Mei would try to play it off whenever she got caught not looking like a creature of grace 24 hours a day. Yuzu cataloged every moment and kept them close to her heart.
"My father was a teacher." Yuzu was watching her so closely she nearly jumped at the sudden answer.
"Oh? I bet he was a great teacher too!" Yuzu's heart leapt at the fact that Mei volunteered that tidbit to her without her having to pull it out her like she was pulling teeth. "What did he teach? What was your favorite subject? Were you a good student?"
Instead of answering those questions, Mei for once asked a question of her own. "Why did your parents name you Yuzu?"
"Huh?" Thrown off by the sudden change in topic, the blonde blinked in confusion. "You really wanna know?"
She was surprised that Mei was looking at her expectantly, even curiously as she gave her a small nod. Yuzu turned in her chair to face the other woman fully, an eager look on her face like she was going to tell Mei a secret. "When I was born there were yuzu trees growing in the garden. No one had planted them there, but they were growing lots of fruit like crazy anyway." Yuzu's pen tapped against her chin as she vaguely remembered her own father. "My papa thought of the name when he heard what the fruit was called. He's German, you see, so he thought the word was cute when he asked what kind of fruit was growing outside the window. My mama says that he wanted me to keep growing even through bitter times, like those yuzu trees." Yuzu smiled sheepishly at how much her voice waned nostalgic. "Cute story, right?"
Mei made a small noise of affirmation. "It suits you."
Yuzu didn't know if she was being called cute or not, but she was having a bliss attack, so she could only sit there trying not to melt into a puddle.
"That explains your blonde hair as well."
Her hand went through her blonde locks self-consciously. "Well, the truth is, I colored my hair like this after my papa died."
"Oh," Mei's eyes went pained at that. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be! It was a long time ago." Her eyes fixated on her hands as her mind filled with memories both painful and fond. "My mama she… she cried a lot after he died, especially when someone made a comment that I don't look like him." Her hands balled up. "She loves telling the story of how one day I came out of the bathroom, a big proud smile on my face after doing a botched dye job on myself, and told her she didn't have to be sad anymore!" Yuzu forced the lump forming in her throat back with an embarrassed grin. "Now that I think about, that was probably a messed up thing to do, huh?"
Mei shook her head. "No. It sounds like you embodied your father's words of continuing to grow even through bitter times." Mei was nothing but sincere when she said with certainty, "I'm sure he would've been proud of you."
The lump in Yuzu's throat only grew along with the stinging in her eyes. A small genuine laugh escaped her as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "I hope so!"
"My father..." Mei started quietly, eyes on the table, more open and vulnerable than Yuzu had ever seen her. It was as if a door creaked open for Yuzu to catch a glimpse inside, but only for a second.
"Yes?"
With folded lips, the book in Mei's hands snapped shut with a verberating sound. "... Nevermind."
Mei went quiet for the rest of the study session. The subject of her father must've been a touchy one, and Yuzu held herself back from asking further.
"Can I walk you home today?" Yuzu managed to ask while looking through her work one last time.
"Don't you have a work shift soon?"
"Yeah, but I can still-"
"No need. I can walk you to work."
Yuzu's face brightened at the offer, agreeing quickly before Mei could change her mind.
After so many afternoons spent in peace at the library, they grew careless. Walking together and talking with fond regard, they didn't notice the wicked witch of the east spotting them on their way out.
"Yuzu Okogi!" Himeko called for her attention with a pointed accusing finger.
"Oh shit," Yuzu muttered to herself before turning to Himeko with the prettiest of smiles. "Heeeeey, Momo, your perm is looking great today!"
"You know very well this is not a perm!" Himeko did not look amused as she stalked right up to Yuzu, who held up her hands in defense. "And I've caught you!"
"Caught me doing what, exactly?" Yuzu played dumb.
"Her!" Himeko pointed at… nothing since Mei was gone. Himeko blinked in confusion.
Yuzu laughed meanwhile. "I wish- I mean, who?" She went back to playing dumb, face sweating, also noticing that Mei beamed out from under Himeko's nose somehow. "What are you talking about, Himeko?"
"It's MOMOKINO to you!" Himeko seethed, her anger zeroing in on her hapless classmate.
Yuzu had to endure several minutes of being nagged at by her smaller classmate but she braved through those minutes so that these afternoon study sessions with Mei could continue as long as she held up this lie.
"Anyway, I don't have time for a delinquent like you," Himeko finally dismissed her after spending a lot of her time on Yuzu.
Yuzu trudged outside looking worse for wear and muttering about how talking to Momo was like fending off an aggressive chihuahua. Waiting for her outside was Mei. The sight of her instantly reinvigorated her spirits.
"I hope she wasn't too much trouble," Mei sounded apologetic for putting Yuzu in that situation.
"Nothing I can't handle!" Yuzu said confidently. "Don't worry about Momokino, her bark is worse than her bite. Knowing her, she would just find something else to pester me over."
"Are you usually a handful?" Mei asked with a raised brow.
Yuzu gave the question serious thought and answered with a serious face. "Probably."
"I see."
The walk from the university to the bake shop where Yuzu worked was a brief affair since it was close by. For the first time, Yuzu cursed the convenience of the short trip. During their walk, Mei was as quiet as ever. It was a quiet that melted away Yuzu's usually anxious thoughts like a mental balm. Her feet lagged to remain in the comfortable silence they shared a little longer.
"Why are you smiling?" Mei inquired.
"Huh?" Yuzu finally noticed that she had been grinning unconsciously. "No reason!" Mei's head was tilted cutely as if she didn't understand the concept. It only made Yuzu smile grow more bashful. "I guess... I just like…" Yuzu was growing progressively more flustered as she spoke. "I like being with you?" When she glanced at the other woman's face Mei was rapidly turning her head away as if to hide her reaction and Yuzu blushed all the harder.
"And here I thought you were just using me as a free tutor," Mei soft pitched the idea and Yuzu immediately lobbed the idea back like it grossed her out.
"What? Nononono! Heck no! I mean, I appreciate you very much for helping me! Not that I needed it! Okay, I did, but that just makes us even! And I also just really really like you and your face and you're just teasing me aren't you?!" Yuzu realized too late when she noticed Mei's shoulders twitching as if she were holding back a laugh.
"I would do no such thing," Mei replied, chin tilted upwards as if she were pleased with something. Yuzu admired the other woman for always maintaining a cool demeanor while she easily made a fool of herself. It was a quality Yuzu yearned to learn from her.
They were coming upon the bake shop and she had an idea. "Hey Mei, do you like sweets?"
Mei turned back to her with a pointed look that felt almost eager. "Sure," she answered in an uninterested voice but a very interested look.
'Cute' thought Yuzu.
Charmed by her mannerisms, Yuzu was prompted to take the other woman's hand and lead her inside the shop. The first time she had made deliberate contact with the other woman and her heart gave a thrill when those slender fingers lightly gripped back.
The shop was empty of customers at the moment except for Suzuran standing dutifully behind the counter. Her eyes were on the TV in the corner showing a news report about a large creature being spotted in the area. It was background noise to Yuzu's good mind.
"Hey, Shirapon-senpai!" Yuzu greeted cheerfully when she walked in hand in hand with the taller dark haired woman.
"Welcome," Shiraho greeted while her eyes zeroed in on the new woman in curiosity. Yuzu could see her eyes narrow in question before widening as if in alarm. When Suzuran's over-eager gaze landed on her next, she jumped nervously from the intensity.
"Is this 'her'?" Suzuran stage-whispered with a finger pointed at Mei.
Mei's attention went from the television to Yuzu with a raised brow. "'Her'?"
Shiraho was untying her apron quickly. "I have to go now, immediately."
"Eh? Where are you going?" Yuzu asked in confusion at her co worker's hasty retreat. She barely even saw her feet move, one second Shiraho was there, the next she had bread stuffed in her purse and she was out the door.
"That was weird. Shirapon is usually… well, weird, but not that weird," Yuzu said with a chuckle as she retrieved her own apron from behind the counter.
/While several eyewitnesses have reported seeing a large animal, authorities say there is no evidence to support these claims. We advise our viewers caution-/
She heard Mei switching off the television.
"Depressing news can't be good for business," Mei explained when Yuzu gave her a questioning look.
"You probably have a point!" With a pair of tongs in one hand, a bag in the other, and a sunny disposition, Yuzu was fully armed. "What kind of sweets do you like, Mei?"
Mei was very meticulous as she chose her pastries. She eyed her choices through the glass case with a critical eye, even asked Yuzu for recommendations, then picking the opposite of whatever Yuzu recommended. Yuzu noticed that she went for the ones with the cutest designs.
"This is on me," Yuzu said proudly as she plopped the bag full of goodies onto the counter.
"Nonsense. I can pay for this."
"But it's a gift from me!"
"I refuse your gift," Mei said resolutely as she fished a wallet from her bag.
Yuzu accepted the money with a pout. "You're surprisingly stubborn."
"It's not surprising at all." With not a moment to lose, Mei retrieved one of the pastries from her bag with delicate fingers to take a bite. Yuzu turned away for a second- "Oh, I forgot to give you napkins?" -and when she turned back to her companion the entire pastry was gone and Mei was sucking on the tips of her fingers to get the remaining sugar. She did it in such a slow and deliberate way that Yuzu's brain skipped like a scratched record and her own mouth felt dry. It distracted her from the fact that Mei made that pastry disappear in record time. Did she swallow it whole or something?
"I was hungry," said Mei in response to Yuzu looking around the shop to see if Mei merely hid the food when she wasn't looking.
"You know, you could've just admitted you have a total sweet tooth, Mei," Yuzu teased. She was wholly unprepared for Mei looking at her with half-lidded eyes while she slowly ran her thumb along the edge of her bottom lip to get any remaining sugar.
"Maybe so," Mei said in a tone so silky that Yuzu couldn't possibly respond for several seconds as her brain scratched away like a DJ having a stroke. "That was very delicious. Thank you."
Yuzu 's chest filled with pride at her handiwork displayed all over the shop. "Great! We work very hard on those!"
"You made these?"
Yuzu shrugged modestly. "Shirapon is still teaching me to bake, but I'm very good at decorating them!"
"You must have good hands then."
Was Mei purposefully trying to make Yuzu overdose on these comments? Yuzu's gay heart was nearly reaching its limit today. Another customer entering the shop rescued Yuzu's failing heart much to her relief and frustration. Yuzu garbled her greeting at them, still tongue twisted. As the other customer took their time perusing the selection Mei looked about ready to leave. Before she could disappear, Yuzu waved her over.
"Hey! Do you think you can meet me after work?" Yuzu asked hopefully as she leaned over the counter.
"What for?"
"Um… I can show you around town! Since you're new!" Yuzu held her breath, and she was reminded of their first encounter as the world seemed to fade away as Mei considered the offer.
"Okay."
"Yeah?" Yuzu lit up like a Christmas tree up. "I'll meet you down the street later then!"
A small smirk made an appearance on Mei's face. "It's a date," she said as she pushed her way out the door.
Yuzu's whole body vibrated with joy, enough that the next customer even commented that she looked happier than usual. When they finally left with their goodies, Yuzu knelt behind the counter to hide her face in her hands. She couldn't stop smiling, she felt so happy she could die. "She said 'date', didn't she?"
"She did," Suzuran confirmed, suddenly behind Yuzu as if she melted out of the shadows. The blonde's spirit left her body at her friend's random appearance.
"Shirapon!" Yuzu wheezed after she barely choked down her spirit back into her body where it belonged. "Don't scare me like that!"
"I apologize, I came in through the back door," Shiraho murmured distractedly as she went to the door to see if Mei was still around.
Her heart was certainly receiving a vigorous workout and Yuzu clutched her chest as she dragged herself to her feet. "Why did you leave so suddenly anyway? I thought you were dying to meet her."
Within a moment Shiraho's face zoomed in like a fish-eyed camera lens as she gripped Yuzu by the shoulders.
She spoke slowly, like the weight of this secret she could bear no longer. "Yuzupon, that woman… is not human!"
"EHHHhhwait, what?" Yuzu's yell of surprise morphed into confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Have you really not noticed? It was like a tiger walked in here. I got a case of the shivers and all of my instincts cried out at once," Suzuran described vaguely with a shudder.
Yuzu just laughed. "Shirapon, you're being dramatic even for you!" Shirapon's face dropped at being called dramatic by Yuzu of all people. Yuzu went on to explain, "No matter how you look at it, Mei is Mei. She's smart, thoughtful, and she has a big sweet tooth," Yuzu's words were filled with great affection. With a big smile, she declared, "I wouldn't care even if she was an alien or whatever!"
Suzuran put her hand to her chin, thinking cap on. "I see. That's probably why she warmed up to you. You have very dull instincts."
"My instincts are fine!" Yuzu huffed.
"Or maybe your libido takes precedence over your self-preservation?" Suzuran considered.
Yuzu blushed brightly, stumbling with her words and her feet. "I-I'M GOING TO MAKE MUFFINS NOW!"
Suzuran stared out of the door again, unblinking. "Hm. Maybe I was mistaken?" she grumbled to herself.
The rest of the day went as slow as honey, with Yuzu's head occupied with thoughts of Mei even as patrons came and went. Even so, she greeted customers with enthusiasm and energy to spare. Her shift couldn't end fast enough though, and the minute it was time to close the shop Yuzu was throwing her coat on and bouncing out the door as soon as everything was cleaned up.
At a jog, she made her way down the street, apologizing profusely when she bumped into a random person. Then she saw her, softly illuminated by the street lamp she was standing under like a faint halo. Mei appeared as still and serene as a tree and yet still somehow out of place as passerby gave her a wide berth. And of course, she was reading a book, enraptured with the pages. Enraptured herself, Yuzu's heart swelled at the sight of her. Her face muscles must've been buff as hell because it was already second nature to smile whenever she saw the other woman. She just could not reason with the joy that consumed her. It made no sense and she didn't care if it made sense; her legs were already running towards Mei.
She had never seen Mei looked so surprised and panicked than in the split second it took to leap at the woman for a tackling hug. Mei was barely able to catch her when Yuzu came flying at her with arms opened wide and a face-splitting smile. And yet Yuzu was laughing as if she had complete faith that Mei would catch her.
"You're ridiculous," Mei huffed, hands on Yuzu's waist. The blonde beamed at her. "Stop being ridiculous."
"This ridiculousness is your fault!" Yuzu giggled.
"I won't take responsibility for your ridiculous actions." It seemed Mei's disapproving frown couldn't stand up to her sheer happiness and Mei sighed in defeat. "Where were you going to take me?" she asked, brushing some of her dark hair behind her ear.
Hanging off of Mei's arm, Yuzu lead her down the sidewalk.
Yuzu wanted to take Mei everywhere. She wanted to show her off and introduce her to everyone she knew. That day she took her to a cafe so they could share dinner while they talked about the book Yuzu had just finished reading. For dessert Yuzu ordered them crepes and she managed to get a bit of Mei's before she made it disappear into her mouth like some sort of magic trick. When she offered Mei a bite of her own, half of it disappeared in one bite, much to her chagrin.
The next day she took her on a walk through a park. Dogs growled at the couple as they walked by, which Yuzu found to be odd. However, Yuzu managed to soothe one of the pups enough so that Mei could pet it as well. Her touches were hesitant at first, and her expression slowly morphed into one of awe as she ran her fingers through the pup's soft fur. Yuzu was tempted to pet Mei herself at the wholesome sight.
The day after that she took her to a movie, which Mei slept most of the way through. Yuzu still considered it a win since Mei used her shoulder as a pillow and Yuzu used Mei as a popcorn holder. Waiting till the credits were rolling to wake her, Yuzu slowly ran her fingers through Mei's hair experimentally, only for the woman to sigh in pleasure against her neck and snuggle closer. Melting at the precious sight, Yuzu let her sleep a little longer, cherishing Mei's sleepy blinks when she did wake up at the very end of the credits. Like a never ending freefall, Yuzu kept falling deeper and deeper into her enamorment with her.
The lamp post became their meeting place after Yuzu's work. Mei was used to catching Yuzu's flying hugs by then, and they developed a new routine to spend time together. Their days practically revolved around each other now. The both of them found comfort in this new routine.
Especially Mei. The woman stared at a wall early one morning, not noticing her brush had paused while she painted the wall a shade of green.
"Have you fallen in love with that particular wall, Aihara?" a voice asked with a teasing lilt.
Mei resumed her brushing with a start. "No sir," she answered with her usual seriousness.
Udagawa chuckled from his spot on the other side of the room, a paint roller in his hand. "We've been working together for a while now, you can call me by my name!"
"I'm quite fine, thank you."
Udagawa grinned as he wiped some sweat from his forehead. "You're such a dedicated worker, it's a bit of a relief to see you distracted for once!"
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
Udagawa waved away the apology in embarrassment. "I meant it as a good thing. You just seem happier these days, is all."
Mei stirred her brush in her bucket of paint slowly. Her head was clearly in the clouds. "Happier…"
"It's quite a beautiful shade of green, isn't it?" Udagawa asked his coworker with a kind smile.
"Yes, it is," Mei agreed after a moment.
The job took longer to complete than usual, so Mei barely had time to get the smell of paint out of her nose as she jogged towards Yuzu's university. The blonde was probably waiting for her in the library by this time. What greeted Mei instead of Yuzu's usual kind expression was the sight of several security guards gathered by the entrance. When they all turned to her at once her face hardened into its iron mask that she hadn't worn in a while. She hadn't realized she had softened up so much that she physically felt the change of her features to indifference.
Yuzu was quick to catch onto movement outside the library doors. Mei hadn't shown up for a single one of her classes so she had gotten worried. Instead of studying, her focus was on glancing periodically at the entrance to see if Mei had arrived. What she saw instead made her gather her textbooks and bolt from her table with her bag barely attached to her.
"Hey!" she called out to the small group of security guards ahead of her. When she saw they had their hands gripping the tops of Mei's arms she saw red. Her instinct to protect kicked in at full gear and she could feel her blood get hot as she prepared to yell or fight.
"Yuzu, stop." Mei's voice was the only thing that restrained Yuzu from attempting to barrel through them. Her feet stopped short of them and she looked at Mei in distress. "It's okay," Mei reassured her, voice a cold chill. But Yuzu could only focus on the lifeless quality of her expression and her anger returned sevenfold.
"Back off, she's with me," Yuzu pushed her way through to Mei's other arm, tugging her away from the officer holding her. "She's cooperating, you don't have to put your hands on her!"
"Yuzu," Mei hissed softly at her. "You're only going to make this worse." But Yuzu could barely hear her over her own boiling feelings.
The three security guards exchanged glances. "We've had some complaints," the one who had been holding onto Mei's arm grumbled out, looking uncomfortable under Yuzu's heated stare. "She is not a registered student here. She can't be loitering around every day."
"She doesn't loiter!" Yuzu nearly spat defensively. "She works just as hard as any student here!"
"Miss, we're going to need you to calm down," another one of them said, advancing on Yuzu.
"What's the point of a library if people can't learn here! That's just plain stupid, you have no right to put your hands on-!"
"If you're going to be a problem we can take you both in handcuffs!" another guard said, fed up with her attitude.
"There's no problem," Mei's voice interjected like the sound of a gavel coming down. She stepped in front of Yuzu and the three security guards took a step back away from her on instinct. The hairs on Yuzu's arms raised as she stared at Mei's back. It was as if Mei exuded an energy that threatened to burst forth and consume everyone in the vicinity. "I won't come here anymore. Leave her out of this."
"Mei…" Yuzu pleaded.
One guard swallowed nervously and, after quickly glancing at his two companions, nodded his head in acquiescence. Mei regarded them for a moment that seemed to last an eternity, before finally stepping away. Even Yuzu felt frozen after she left, her ears buzzing, but she shook it off and ran after her. "Mei!"
Mei was fast! Yuzu almost forgot how quickly she was liable to disappear. "Mei, wait!"
The retreating figure finally paused long enough for Yuzu to catch up, her textbooks practically spilling out of her arms when she stopped. Mei's iron mask slipped in surprise when Yuzu immediately bowed at the waist to her. "I'm sorry, Mei!" Her apology was loud and filled with regret. "I should've done a better job to protect you!"
Mei appeared uncomfortable, even annoyed by the apology. "What you should be apologizing for was your unwanted assistance."
"I couldn't not do anything!" Yuzu quickly responded with a tearful voice. "I should've done more!"
Mei's fist tightened at her side. "I've never asked you for anything."
"That doesn't matter," Yuzu said in a 'you idiot!' kind of way that made Mei's eyes widen at her vehemence. "You deserve more!"
Mei sighed weakly, getting a hold of her emotions before they spun out of control along with Yuzu's. "What happened today was a consequence of decisions I made for myself. You don't have to apologize," she said in nearly a whisper.
"But!" Yuzu raised her head, tears streaming down her face. "The library was your favorite place, wasn't it?"
Mei's iron mask melted even further at the sight. Her hand reached for Yuzu's face, then hesitated when she caught herself moving without thinking. The air was charged with promising tension as her hand lingered between them and they looked into each other's face for several seconds. Then, hand shaking slightly, Mei consciously reached the rest of the distance between them to wipe away the fat tears. Yuzu absolutely could not help her reaction of closing her eyes and leaning into the touch. "Your tears are wasted on me," Mei scolded in a whisper as she brushed her thumb under Yuzu's eye.
"No they're not," Yuzu continued to protest. Though she was making a valiant effort to stop crying so that her vision of Mei's beautiful face could be clear.
"You shouldn't worry yourself so much. It doesn't suit you." Mei removed her hand from Yuzu's face with some reluctance. "Besides, the library is not my favorite place."
Yuzu's green eyes brightened at those words and her ears mentally perked up at the chance to learn more about Mei. "Could you show me?"
Mei glanced down and to the side, the tips of her ears reddening. She nodded.
It ended up being a bit of a walk, Yuzu becoming more curious by the minute, especially when they reached the bridge that led out of the city. "It's not much further."
"You know, I've heard rumors about some sort of creature roaming around out here," Yuzu muttered anxiously as they wandered into the dark edge of the treeline.
"Does that make you nervous?" Mei asked lightly as their feet traveled off the path.
"I'm not nervous!" Yuzu said nervously. She forged ahead despite this. "Don't worry, I'll protect you," she managed to inject some bravery into her voice as they wandered deeper into the darkness. They seemed to be going higher. She was focused so much on trying to see through the trees that when a bird rattled the branches above her Yuzu hollered like the first victim in a horror film.
"I appreciate your protection," Mei said dryly, and was that sarcasm Yuzu detected? She stopped screaming enough to flush up in humiliation.
"Don't make fun of me," Yuzu chuckled along with Mei even if she was deeply embarrassed at her reaction. Mei carefully grasped her hand for the rest of the way while Yuzu's heart found a new reason to pound as hard as it was.
"You have nothing to be afraid of," Mei said. Her confidence was very reassuring to Yuzu.
"Because I'm not appetizing?" Yuzu guessed.
"Hardly," Mei drawled in a way that made Yuzu think that it wouldn't be so bad to get devoured in the woods. "I think you could charm any beast that came our way."
Yuzu swung their joined hands between them. "I think you're the one being charming right now!"
"I don't mean to be."
Yuzu chuckled, squeezing Mei's hand. "That's so you, Mei!"
"We're here," said Mei as they emerged into the sunlight once more. The trees cleared up and Yuzu had to cover her eyes to shield them from the sudden blinding light of the sun. Once her eyes adjusted she immediately gasped in awe at the view. They were high up, overlooking a city that looked much smaller and yet more grand from this vantage point. The wide busy expanse of the town was juxtaposed against the calm of the clear blue sky and her eyes widened on their own to take everything in. "Wow," she breathed. Next to her, Mei watched her reaction with a fond look on her face. Yuzu turned back to her excitedly.
"This is your favorite spot, Mei?"
"One of them."
"How did you find it?"
Mei just shrugged. Yuzu filled her lungs with the fresh wind and let out a loud whoop as if the whole city could hear her. The wind snatched her words like a wayward scarf.
"You're ridiculous," Mei muttered as Yuzu laughed in delight.
They eventually found themselves sitting down on the springy grass next to each other. Maybe it was the open space or the nature around them that made Mei feel at ease, but she started to open up to Yuzu like a blooming flower.
"I never really understood freedom," Mei admitted softly as she looked out over the city. She tugged a strip of her long dark hair behind an ear as the breeze picked up around them, hypnotically drawing Yuzu's attention. "I grew up in a structured environment. My father and grandfather were strict and disciplined men. I admired them for it. But then, one day... I suddenly found myself with all this freedom that I never wanted, and no knowledge of what to do with it."
Their hands met between them, slowly intertwining. Yuzu wanted to provide as much support as she possibly could. Mei seemed so strong yet so vulnerable as she spoke. Thankfully the contact seemed to have helped as Mei took a deep breath and kept going.
"I drifted from place to place for a long time with no purpose. I never knew what role I was meant to serve in society. Then I came here. Through working I've discovered that even in the same complex, every home is different and filled with life. There could be a family with children, or an elderly couple, rich and poor alike, filling their lives with color. Working together and for each other. I never realized just how much I had isolated myself from anything resembling those homes."
The view offered two birds, dark against the city lights, circling each other in slow graceful arcs. "What I wouldn't give to carve out my own place," said Mei as she regarded those birds with a calm sincerity. "To go to school, and have a place to rest. To have my own bookshelf and put as many books as I want on it. To be able to truly say 'I'm home'." Her voice was thick with a longing that Yuzu could feel like a heartbeat through their connected fingers. "That simplicity, to me, must be true freedom."
Hearing her speak, watching her profile as she opened herself up, Yuzu realized something that she had never understood either.
Her fingers squeezed Mei's hand. "You'll get that one day."
When Mei turned to her and gave her the warmest of looks, Yuzu's heart and senses became overwhelmed at her regal beauty. She wanted to cry as she understood what she was feeling, what was pouring out of her every thought, and why butterflies were born in her stomach anytime Mei was at her side.
'This is love.'
"And when you do, maybe I can be there to say 'welcome home'."
Mei's eyes widened noticeably at Yuzu's uncharacteristically bold words. Yuzu never felt more brave or alive than that moment, staring straight into Mei's lovely lavender eyes, heart churning all her blood to her burning cheeks. She very nearly tacked on a 'just kidding' joke when their eye contact continued, but then something happened that made Yuzu shut up. Mei was actually blushing hard but she didn't hide away from Yuzu. For once she left the door wide open, inviting Yuzu inside. She could no longer hold herself back anymore from doing what she had yearned to do the moment she laid eyes on this stranger. Except, she was no longer a stranger, was she?
When their lips met Yuzu could've died right then. She might've died just to be possessed by an even stronger urge to tilt her head and kiss her again with more vigor. Mei sighed with relief and hunger all at once, and Yuzu practically died at the sound all over again and was reborn in the span of a few breathless seconds. It was the kind of kiss that could leave one satisfied and aching for more all at once. The heat of Mei's palm meeting her cheek as their kiss deepened was a blessed touch granting Yuzu new life. Mei was being injected directly into her bloodstream and it made her feel high as she breathed her in. The fingers firmly locked in her own was the only thing keeping her from floating away into the clouds to join the flying birds. But those clouds could never hope to compete with the softness of Mei's lips.
She knew she never wanted to kiss anyone else but her.
Her euphoria carried her back through the woods as though she were tethered to rainbow balloons as they headed back together. Humming a cheesy love song to herself, she failed to notice that Mei was trailing behind at a slow pace.
"Yuzu." Mei had stopped walking at the edge of a bridge while Yuzu was already halfway across it.
Yuzu stopped as well, turning to the other woman with a patient smile. "Yes, Mei?"
"There is…" Mei wasn't looking at her, she was looking at the asphalt, and Yuzu hadn't seen her look this tense since the first time she spoke to her in that stairwell. "There's something I should tell you." The balloon of happiness in her mind slowly deflated at how detached Mei sounded and for the first time, Yuzu feared what Mei had to say. If the door to Mei's heart had been open earlier, it felt locked up tight now.
"What is it?" Yuzu hesitated to ask, her smile strained now.
Was the bridge beneath her feet always this long? Why did Mei seem so far away? Why did Yuzu's hand itch to reach for her as if she were about to disappear like smoke? Not even the headlights of a passing car could illuminate exactly what emotion was playing across Mei's face before it disappeared altogether.
"Nevermind. It's nothing."
She said it like a goodbye.
Mei didn't come to school the next day. Or the library. Yuzu wasn't too surprised, since the incident yesterday, but she had still looked forward to seeing her. Yuzu looked for her on the way to the bake shop but no luck there as well. Maybe she was working late? Or maybe she was sick? She wished Mei had a phone so she could ask if she was okay.
"Have you seen Mei today?" Yuzu asked Shiraho that day as they put some cupcakes to bake in the oven.
The taller woman looked up in thought. "I haven't felt her otherworldly presence since she dropped you off here yesterday."
"Right," Yuzu sighed, wondering why she asked.
"I did notice she looked like she was in distress."
"Eh?" The dread that had been slowly pooling in her gut lurched through her like nausea.
"She was a walking thundercloud. I'm beginning to suspect she may be a goddess."
"What do you mean she looked distressed?" Yuzu asked her focus, worry written all over her face and tone.
"I just noticed she seemed sad. It was always impossible to read her, but yesterday it was as though I witnessed sadness for the first time." Suzuran paused when she saw the look on Yuzu's face. "Did something happen between you two?"
Shiraho was always great as a weird but pragmatic soundboard that Yuzu could talk at and she would always get 100 percent honest answers out of her. She had just confirmed the weird feeling Mei had given off last night after what Yuzu had assumed was a grand encounter of their new closeness. But why? Did Yuzu maybe do something wrong?
"Yes. No? I don't know, Shirapon!"
A foreboding feeling had taken ahold of Yuzu's feelings, but she tried her best to ignore the instinct. Mei was smart and capable. She was probably fine.
The dread only grew stronger when Yuzu ran to their usual meeting place under the lamp post after work. Where Mei once stood to wait for her under the light usually reading a book, there was only emptiness. Yuzu stood under the lamp post and waited, checking the face of every person who walked by. She waited as less and fewer people went passed her, and the shops along the street started closing.
Shiraho found her still there hours later, sitting against the wall of a laundry shop by the lamp post, half asleep like a hobo. "Yuzupon," she murmured with grave concern. When Yuzu upturned her face towards her she noted her reddened eyes, but her lips were still turned upward in a strained smile. "Mei is really late today! That's unlike her," Yuzu's voice cracked even if she tried her best to sound happy. Shiraho offered her hand to the blonde, who took it gingerly and let herself be pulled to her feet.
"Let's get you home. I wouldn't want you to get brutally murdered and risk Mei's wrath upon this world," Shiraho said quite seriously, prompting a sad chuckle from the younger woman.
"What, with her spaceship armada or something?" Yuzu asked, the sarcasm in her voice a sign of her sour mood.
Shiraho was mute for a few moments. "No," she conceded. "I had suspected her to be a goddess, but the error she made tonight of leaving you alone was all too human." Awkwardly, she patted Yuzu on the shoulder in a gesture that was meant to be reassuring. "Perhaps I should give her a lecture on the importance of being timely?"
A hint of warmth blossomed In Yuzu's chest where worry resided in the wake of Mei's absence. "You're a great friend, but I wouldn't ask you to make that terrifying sacrifice for me."
"Oh thank god," Shiraho shuddered, clutching her chest as relief washed over her. "My life flashed before my eyes when I made that offer. What was I thinking?" Yuzu lightly ribbed the taller woman, whose answering 'ow, be careful, I have bones like a bird' was amusing, yet it could not overturn the anxiety still stewing in her.
"Do you think Mei is okay?" she asked for Suzuran's opinion as she needed a guiding light. Shiraho seemed to sense this.
"What I know of your paramour, I'm sure she is doing whatever she thinks is right. Once she realizes that she's wrong, she'll return." She gave Yuzu a little smile of reassurance. "We can only choose to believe in her, wherever she is."
Unfortunately, only the same news greeted Yuzu over the next few days, with no evidence of Mei's whereabouts. She tracked down where Mei worked and asked her manager if she's come in to work. He was a kind man, telling Yuzu that Mei had requested a leave of absence for an indefinite amount of time. When she asked him if he had an address of where she was staying at he had no idea as well. Several times she made the trek to Mei's favorite spot overlooking the city, leaving a bag of goodies there once out of some foolish hope that it would lure Mei back. The next time she returned the bag was still there, picked apart and scattered by birds or other wild animals. Out of clues, Yuzu didn't know what to do anymore. She felt like she was running around in circles.
While she was supposed to be paying attention to her professor, Yuzu sat staring at the chair she usually saved for Mei while her class made white noise in the background.
"Looks like they finally got rid that creepy girl that kept hanging around here," said a haughty voice after class was finished. Yuzu's senses sharpened all at one at the insinuation. "Took them long enough to do something about her! Can't believe I was the only one who called security on her. Freeloaders have no place in our society!"
The grating sound of a metal chair leg scraping against the tiled floor made lingering students wince. Yuzu had stood up, a flurry of emotions as she looked straight at the girl who had said those appalling words.
"Take that back."
Himeko was clearly taken aback by the intensity of her words. She folded her arms across her chest and stood her ground. "I will not."
This was clearly not like any of their previous encounters. This was immediately heavy and personal.
"You're the one who kept her around, right? What you did was like feeding scraps to a wild dog; the height of irresponsibility." Himeko was calmer than usual, certain that her position was the right one.
Yuzu, on the other hand, was a mass firecrackers, ready to go off after so many days of being an anxious mess. "I hate that you don't have any compassion for others! You didn't know her at all!"
"And I'm willing to bet you don't really know her either," Himeko shot back like an arrow of ice. "You think you're some kind of hero doing her favors? Well, I'm willing to bet she's worst off now than she was before."
Yuzu was shaking. Her anger colored her all the way down to her chest but words wouldn't come out. "That's… that's not..!"
Himeko's look went smug, as if sensing that one more blow would bring her opponent down. "That's what you're best at, isn't it? Making everything worse than it has to be."
Yuzu's breath rushed out of her all at once. 'You're wrong', Yuzu wanted to say. 'I just wanted to help her', but the empty words were blocked by the lump in her throat. Her intentions were never so noble. She had just wanted to get closer to Mei. It was that plain and simple. And now she was farther away than ever and she didn't know why. She could've done more for Mei, but it was too late now.
Her adversary swept her overly curly hair over her shoulder, blase about her victory, and continued walking past the blonde. "I suggest you focus on the exams coming up, since you lost your little study buddy."
Yuzu stared at the ground, teeth clenched and on the verge of tears. Slowly, her fists unclenched to hang loosely at her sides. She couldn't save Mei.
If she only made things worse, was the best course of action to do nothing at all?
"I'm sure she is doing whatever she thinks is right." Shirapon's words ricocheted through her mind. "We can only choose to believe in her, wherever she is."
"Hey!" Yuzu called out to Himeko one more time, who tensed up and turned back like she was prepared for another fight.
"Thank you!" Yuzu shouted gratefully at her instead.
"Geh?"
Yuzu didn't have time to address the other woman's apparent confusion since she was already walking past her with a face set in determination. For the first time in a while, she moved with a purpose that propelled her forward.
There was one thing she could do for Mei.
She studied the hell out of her textbooks in the library that day. She put to use all of the notes Mei left behind to help her with her studies. Mei's careful and neat handwriting reminded of her of the way Mei would speak to her. How she always seemed to choose her words with care, often as deliberately and precise as how she moved. Yuzu had considered every word a gift wrapped up and delivered just for her, even if it was a gentle chide or scold. She would not let a single word go to waste. It wasn't until the pages of her textbook started getting wet that Yuzu realized she was crying. Her pen trembled in her hand while she tried to hold back her sobs, but her tears kept coming, disregarding her wishes. Hurriedly she pushed Mei's notes away so that she wouldn't mar the last pieces of Mei she had left.
She knew she couldn't be a hero for Mei. That was not what Mei needed. But she could be a place for Mei to return to whenever she was ready. 'Like a yuzu tree,' she thought in a prayer to her late father to grant her strength through bitter times.
And she had to stop freaking crying so she could greet her with a smile. However, a smile, which normally came so easily to Yuzu at the mere thought of Mei, felt as slippery as a wet bar of soap right now. She covered her face in her hands to muffle the sounds of her sobs.
Something dropped on the table in front of her. Her yelp of surprise was not library-appropriate volume. It was a box of tissues. The person who dropped it cleared their throat and Yuzu turned to see it was none other than Himeko, who currently looked very uncomfortable. Her eyebrows were furrowed on her head like she was still angry and her foot tapped and Yuzu wasn't sure how to respond to this gesture.
"Well, use the tissues!" she snapped with little bite as Yuzu continued to stare at her in confusion.
"Um. Thanks," Yuzu murmured as she took the offered tissue.
"You're welcome," came the quick reply as though she had been holding it in. They regarded each other with increasing awkwardness that only grew when Yuzu's eyes continued leaking more tears. Himeko cleared her throat again and shuffled her feet. "I may have been a little harsh on you, Yuzu Okogi," she started rather awkwardly, looking off to the side. "I feel… responsible for your current state, and I'm sorry." She had clearly never refined her approach to apologies, but an attempt was made.
Yuzu didn't know how to react but a sentiment came to mind. "You did what you felt was right, Momokino. I don't blame you for that."
The other woman looked back to her, face all surprised at Yuzu's unexpected maturity. "Likewise." Himeko cleared her voice a third time and straightened out to stand as tall as possible. Which wasn't very tall. "If you need a new study buddy, I'm usually over there." She gestured to the opposite end of the library in invitation.
"Oh. Okay. Thank you, Momokino." Yuzu managed a half smile at the unexpected offer.
"Hmph." The small woman turned away, marching back towards her own table with her little stampy feet. "Don't thank me... And that's Himeko to you."
As she watched her walk away, Yuzu had the thought that Mei and Himeko would've gotten along superbly. Even that amusing yet terrifying thought managed to bolster her mood.
Yuzu left the university with reinvigorated spirits. Fighting Himeko and crying afterward freed her pent-up anxieties and she felt so refreshed now that her mind was made up. She resolved to be Mei's lamp post and would greet her with open arms! Whether that day was months away or even tomorrow, Yuzu wasn't going anywhere.
Wrapped up as she was in her own thoughts and feelings she was unaware that she was indeed a lamp post for the presence advancing towards her. The wind suddenly picked up in great gusts, bringing a shiver up Yuzu's spine.
"Yuzu."
Like a drop in a bucket, the sound of her own name cleansed the world of unnecessary sensation. There was only her heart skipping a beat, that ethereal voice, and the wind swirling past to clear her view of Mei standing just a few feet away from her. "Mei?"
Mei was an utter mess. A divine, regal dishevelment. There were leaves in her hair, her clothes were unkempt and she was breathing raggedly as if she ran a thousand miles to get to this point. Yuzu thought she never looked more beautiful.
"Yuzu," Mei could barely whisper and her eyes drank in the sight of the blonde with such regret. "I'm sorry."
Yuzu could only stand there, rendered too stunned by the suddenness of Mei's appearance.
"I'm sorry, Yuzu," Mei repeated, eyes glistening. "I'm not who you think I am." Instead of having her usual control over her words, her feelings and words were taking control this time. It was clear her resolve and demeanor had crumbled at the sight of Yuzu. "I'm a weak and selfish coward... I do not deserve your kindness or forgiveness."
Yuzu, face uncharacteristically void of expression, walked up to Mei, prompting her to halt her self-deprecating words. "Yuzu?"
Mei found herself saying "ow" when Yuzu punched her in the arm. Then she was surprised again when Yuzu gathered Mei into her arms and pulled her into a fierce hug. "Mei," Yuzu breathed out, eyes swimming as she affirmed that Mei's form was corporeal. That she was present and solid and safe. Her hands clutched at the fabric of her shirt. "Mei."
Surprised filled Mei's eyes along with tears and after a moment of hesitance, Mei returned the embrace with ardor. Burying her face in Yuzu's neck she breathed in deep and filled her lungs with Yuzu's comforting essence. "I'm home."
Yuzu truly smiled from ear to ear from the bottom of her heart, not just a lamp post but the sun itself. "Welcome home!"
Shiraho was more than understanding when Yuzu stumbled in a blubbering mess with Mei hovering close by as if bound by an invisible string. Yuzu barely got noises resembling words out of her mouth before Suzuran held her hand up and told Yuzu that she was capable of closing the shop that day. She had not expected the storm of emotion that was Yuzu to sweep her up as well.
Shiraho didn't know how to react when Yuzu ran behind the counter to give her the hug of hugs. "Thank you, Shirapon!" Yuzu cried while laughing, an odd phenomenon. Over Yuzu's blonde head she caught a glimpse of Mei, who was as ever an intriguing curiosity in her current state. The raven haired goddess gifted her a nod of recognition. When Shiraho managed to reciprocate Yuzu's hug with a light pat on her head she was released so that she could finally breathe. Then the couple was gone, leaving hand in hand. What Shiraho wouldn't give to watch over them at this critical juncture. Covering half her face with her hand, she could only imagine what sort of otherworldly event was about to take place, a secret to only those two.
They returned to Mei's favorite place that night. What was it about this place that made Mei comfortable enough to open up, Yuzu wondered? Though on some level she felt she understood. The half moon hanging in the sky barely provided their surroundings with a soft illumination. The rustling of the tree branches served as nature's wind chimes playing an enchanting melody. Mei herself fit right in with her surroundings, the dark beauty arousing all of Yuzu's senses at once.
"I have a secret," Mei admitted, standing a few feet away from Yuzu in the clearing. Yuzu longed to close the distance between them, but she wanted Mei to do it first. "I thought if you found out, you would leave me. So I left first... But I definitely should've told you. No," She lifted her chin and her words were brimming with resolve. "I should've shown you."
"Show me what?" Yuzu was nothing but gripped with fascination. Her toes felt like they were standing on an invisible edge and it made the hairs on her arm stand on end.
On Mei's end, she shifted on her feet, nervous.
"Close your eyes," Mei politely ordered as she took a deep breath of preparation. Yuzu rose an eyebrow at that but reluctantly did as she was told. After a few seconds of inactivity, curiosity got the best of Yuzu and she tried peeking.
"No peeking." Mei sounded a little amused, or was that a jittery nervous quality to her voice? Yuzu was dying to know. She waited a few more seconds.
"Can I look now?" The answering silence seemed to communicate that Yuzu could, so she opened her eyes slowly with no clue what to expect.
It was safe to say she didn't expect what she was witnessing.
One moment Mei was the woman Yuzu loved, and the next she was more. Her shadow expanded behind her. Claws emerged from the tips of her fingers, and two triangle ears sprouted from the top of her head as her features changed. Her eyes became two bright discs like moons set in her newly darkened face. Eyes that looked right at and through Yuzu. In what was the span of a mere few heartbeats Mei morphed into a large black wolf standing on two legs.
Yuzu never blinked or looked away from the transformation. Her breath was frozen in her throat, her eyes and mind and mouth open.
"Yuzu…" Mei's voice emerged from the new form. "What do you see?"
Adrenaline coursed through Yuzu's veins, but he felt no fear or flight. Just awe in its purest form.
Legs going weak, Yuzu fell back on her bum, looking up at Mei and she thought, 'holy shit, Shirapon was right all along.'
The word "Wow" fell out of her open mouth as she stared up at a taller Mei in awe. Mei's fur was so dark her form could've completely blended into the forest area if it wasn't for those bright keen eyes looking at her, waiting for an answer.
Yuzu couldn't think, so she said the first thing that came to mind. "I did not see that coming."
Once her brain started working again after the initial shock, she had so many questions. Was Mei a werewolf? Was she bitten by another werewolf like in stories? It wasn't a full moon, how could she transform?
Once Mei got her to ask one question at a time, she explained everything. She turned back into human form so she could speak more easily. They sat next to each other on the springy grass under the half moon and talked for hours.
The traditional tales of the werewolf were pure myth. There was no unwilling transformation under a full moon, minds and humanity weren't lost in wolf form, and it wasn't contagious by bite. It was hereditary; Mei patiently explained that her family was the last of its kind, and Mei believed she was the last remaining heir of the wolf gene. The family secret was closely protected for fear of the outside world, thus isolating themselves until she was only one left. Her grandfather died two years prior and before that her own father separated himself from the family so he could decide on his own terms whether he wanted to live as a wolf or a man. She had no idea whether he was alive or not.
"Before he left, my father told me he didn't want to live in fear." Mei brushed some hair behind her ear and rubbed the strands between her fingers, Yuzu recognized it as her nervous habit. "I never understood what he meant," Mei finally peeked at Yuzu from under her long eyelashes. "Until I met you."
Yuzu was startled and confused by that. "Me?"
Tilting her head to the side Mei said with a completely straight face, "Yuzu, you terrify me."
Yuzu looked behind her to make sure there wasn't a bear standing there or anything scarier.
Mei was completely serious, however. "After my grandfather passed away I believed that my family's secret should die with me," Mei admitted. "I had resigned myself to a life of solitude until you showed me what my life could potentially be." Yuzu's hand magnetically reached for Mei's, and the other woman looked surprised that Yuzu was still willing to touch her. Nevertheless, her hand squeezed back with a tremble. Or was that Yuzu trembling?
"The first time we kissed, I…" Mei closed her eyes as if the memory both embarrassed and reassured her. "I never felt that way before. So happy and alive and complete. I wanted to keep having new experiences with you. I wanted to learn more about you." Mei was looking at Yuzu in earnest, Yuzu's green eyes filling with tears at the words. "And that terrified even the wolf in me. So I ran until I remembered my father's words. I realized that I didn't just want to continue existing until death took me, I wanted to live. I'm sorry it took so long," she apologized softly once again, guilt written all over her face.
"It's okay," Yuzu sniffled with a reassuring smile. "You are strong enough to overcome your fear. I think that's amazing!"
"I don't want to live in fear anymore," Mei's tone swelled to the brim with emotion. "Yuzu, I'm in love with you."
Yuzu's heart was more moved by Mei's confession of love than she was about the wolf reveal. The tears that had been gathering in her eyes couldn't contain themselves anymore and started going down her face. She quickly wiped them away. Slowly, she raised her hand to press it against Mei's chest above her heart. "Could you show me again?" she whispered timidly. Mei's eyes widened in surprise.
"Are you sure?"
Yuzu nodded.
Registering how serious she was, Mei obliged. Yuzu kept her hand on her chest to feel her heartbeat the entire time. Mei's chest grew in mass under hand and her skin became warmer and her heart beat stronger and deeper during the transformation until Mei was in wolf form once more. Their hearts raced together.
"Are you shocked?" Mei asked, ducking her head.
Yuzu nodded her head.
"Are you scared?" Mei whispered with resignation.
Yuzu rapidly shook her head, sending her blonde locks every which way.
"You're trembling," Mei pointed out with concern. Yuzu sent her trembling hand up from over Mei's thrumming heart up her neck. She carefully ran her hands through the dark coarse fur and met Mei's eyes. They were still kind and thoughtful and full of depth. When Yuzu's hand came up to the side of Mei's head under her ear, Mei nuzzled into the contact, her shining wolf eyes closing in relief and bliss.
For the second time that day, Yuzu gathered Mei into her arms and hugged her tightly, accepting everything that Mei had to offer, the good and the dark. "Because I'm in love with you too."
The next day greeted Yuzu with late morning sunshine and the sensation of sheets on bare skin. Sleep still weighing heavily on her eyelids, Yuzu slowly sat up as her brain started the slow process of rebooting. Sitting still for a few moments she stared blankly at a wall before looking down and over. Still sleeping in her futon next to her was Mei, the sheets barely covering her creamy bare shoulders. Yuzu stared, her bleary eyes growing clearer and wider by the second. Last night hadn't been a dream.
Mei shifted in her sleep, making Yuzu hold her breath. The other woman rolled over so her back was facing Yuzu. Mesmerized by the expanse of skin presented, particularly the small mole newly discovered at the base of her neck, the blonde scooted closer. Careful not to wake her, Yuzu adoringly brushed Mei's hair behind her ear, running her fingers through the silky locks. Mei made a little sleepy noise when her hand brushed her ear and Yuzu was immediately reminded that she happened upon Mei's sensitivity last night. She was reminded of various other things that happened after she brought Mei back to her apartment last night after the wolf reveal. The fruitful thoughts made her gay feelings rocket through the roof.
Before she knew it, Yuzu was pressed up against Mei's back, enjoying the warmth and smell of Mei's skin. Her hand lightly caressed Mei's hip and stomach while she placed small tender kisses up her delicate neck. It was hard to believe that this smooth skin could turn to smooth fur within a few seconds. It prompted a mischievous thought from Yuzu's brain as she pressed a soft kiss to the shell of Mei's ear.
"Mmmph," Mei squirmed a little in her grasp and Yuzu rubbed soothing circles into her stomach. "Yuzu?" Mei groggily said, loosely placing a hand over Yuzu's. Said woman was giddy with affection at hearing Mei's beautiful chime first thing in the morning.
"Good morning," Yuzu smiled against the skin of Mei's shoulder. "I hope you slept okay?" she asked, squeezing Mei's hand.
Mei adjusted herself, rolling over onto her back so she could look into Yuzu's face. Reaching up, she caressed Yuzu's cheek. "I did," she confirmed, features soft.
"Good, because I have another question." Mei groaned at that, shutting her eyes like she was threatening to go back to sleep. "This one is an important question!" Yuzu insisted playfully as she nuzzled her nose into Mei's cheek. Mei lifted her eyebrows in allowance of the question. "Can you partially transform?"
Mei opened one suspicious eye at that. "How so?"
"Like," Yuzu brushed some long bangs from Mei's forehead. "Can you do just the wolf ears?"
With a dubiously raised brow, a pair of large fluffy black wolf ears sprung from the top of Mei's head like excitable daisies.
"Like this?" Mei asked.
"Oh my god," Yuzu's heart and good senses exploded at the sight. Mei looked surprised when Yuzu started enthusiastically planting kisses all over her face. "You. Are. So. Adorable!" Yuzu gushed between kisses.
"You're being ridiculous," Mei muttered even as her face betrayed her by going a shade of embarrassed.
"It's your fault," Yuzu said before a hand on the back of her head pulled her in for a proper kiss on Mei's lips. She moaned in delight and they quickly became lost in each other once again. She also wondered if Mei's wolf ears were as sensitive as her human ears? She continued unhurriedly; after all, they had all the time in the world to learn more about each other.
Mei learned that morning that Yuzu was not only good at baking pastries but cooking all types of meals as well. Preparing an extravagant breakfast filled with cute heart-shaped pancakes, they ate together and continued their open exploration.
"So you have no idea if your dad's alive or not?" Yuzu exclaimed. Wearing only an oversized t-shirt of Yuzu's, Mei shook her head no. That made Yuzu feel even more worked up at the possibilities. "Then he could still be out there, right? Maybe he fell in love and got married! Maybe you have little baby wolf sisters and brothers and you don't even know it!" Yuzu speculated with heart.
"You run your mouth a lot, but you have some interesting ideas sometimes," Mei said, surprisingly composed at the possibility. She was pouring extra syrup on her pancakes when Yuzu took her hand, filled with hope. "Mei! We can definitely find out what happened to him! And then you wouldn't be alone!" Yuzu pleaded wholeheartedly.
Mei sighed even as she smiled a bit. Yuzu was somehow even sweeter than her breakfast. "I'm not alone anymore, Yuzu," she reminded her, squeezing Yuzu's fingers meaningfully before letting go. "Besides, there's one thing I want to do first," she added, slipping back to her professional demeanor even as she made her pancakes disappear. The mystery of how she did that still mystified Yuzu.
Tilting her head in curiosity, Yuzu asked, "What do you want to do, then?"
Mei took a sip of her tea, building a sense of suspense. "I would like to enroll in university," she revealed with a slight touch of abashment.
Yuzu warmly welcomed this idea with a gasp and a clap on Mei's shoulder. "That's a great idea!" Her eyes were sparkling with realization. "Then we can freely study together at your second favorite place!"
"You haven't figured it out yet?" Mei asked, pulling Yuzu towards her to give her a loving kiss on the lips. "You're my favorite place."
a/n: thank you for reading! A second part to this is unlikely since if you've seen the movie this is based on, I want to avoid a certain tragic event. Also, it took forever to write this! I hope you enjoyed the fluffy portion of the movie!