I. (thank god i don't think out loud)
Riko admired Yoshiko's blunt confidence, but she knew deep inside that it was less "confidence" and more "nonchalance". Yoshiko didn't wear a skimpy bikini (that made Mari "ooh" and "ahh" for five minutes straight) because she thought she was beautiful, she wore it because she didn't care what people thought about her or her appearance. Riko had worn a one-piece, wondering if she was as fit or slim or beautiful as anyone else, but Yoshiko wore her swimsuit without a single worry. Not like she had anything to worry about, Riko thought, just as Yoshiko cannon-balled into the water next to her.
"How refreshing," Yohane sighed dramatically as she resurfaced, grinning so hard her eyes shut. Yohane looked like a portrait, all shine and dazzle. The bikini was darkly colored, but had a number of intricate patterns that fit Yohane's aesthetic like a glove. There were a few sequins that seemed to glow, even under the lights of the pool in Mari's hotel. Riko looked down at her plain, blue one-piece and sighed. She was just so plain and boring. There were other people who showed up to Mari's pool party with one pieces, but they looked so much better. Riko would never admit it aloud, but Yoshiko had some kind of flair that Riko envied.
Everything stopped for a second when Yohane softened her grin enough to open her eyes and look at Riko. Even her heart faltered under the intensity of Yohane's excited gaze. The moment was tense, yet Yohane just chuckled lowly, obviously not sensing the strained silence. Riko's heart was racing, she felt like she couldn't move, like she didn't want to. These feelings...they're getting in the way...but the way she makes my heart race...!
Riko opened her mouth to speak, to make some weak attempt to voice her emotions, but just as she did, chlorine and water were launched into her mouth as Mari engaged in a full-out splash war next to her.
"Mari!" Dia hissed, obviously not pleased with Mari's playfulness.
As expected, Mari simply laughed and chirped, "It's joke!"
Soon enough, Kanan joined in, and it was an all-out splash war between the third years. Then, Chika and You started in. Finally, Ruby and Hanamaru jumped into the fray, and all Riko could hear was the roar of splashing water all around her. However, Yohane was still standing in front of her, although her smile was gone and she was just...watching. Even then, with a plain expression, she was just as radiant as ever...even with the troubled expression on her face.
"L-Lily-chan," she squeaked. "Your top..."
"Eh...?" Riko looked down and saw that, yes, the string at the back of her swimsuit had come undone and the front had folded over, exposing her breasts. "A-ah! Yocchan-"
"Cover yourself and I'll tie it up," Yohane commanded, wading around to Riko's back. Riko held her arms in front of herself and covered her chest while Yohane lifted the front up and then tied the string. If Riko wasn't mistaken, Yohane's hands had slightly brushed against- "Er...there! It's done! You can go join the splash fight." Yoshiko hoisted herself up to the edge of the pool, dipping her toes in and closing her eyes.
Riko didn't want to go, she wanted to stay and hold Yohane's hand and be a loner with her, do all of the things she always imagined.
But she couldn't.
Nodding awkwardly, Riko swam away and into the din of the battle.
II. (i'm the mortal soldier to your queen of hearts)
Rose petals that had been painted black were scattered across the floor of the music room, painting a clear picture of tainted innocence. One was crushed beneath Riko's knee, another beneath the foot of her other leg. There she knelt, her head bowed solemnly. She tried not to laugh at how seriously she was taking her "crowning ceremony".
"You are the best of the best when it comes to little demons, my true right-hand-man, my confidant and loyal companion...and trust me, that's not an easy title to earn! I don't pick favorites," Yohane reminded, the setting sun casting an eerie pink glow across her face. It mingled with the somber shade of her eyes, making Riko feel oddly at peace and disturbed at the same time. A draft blew through and lifted Yoshiko's hair; she laughed under her breath, fluid and almost deafening to Riko despite its low volume. This ceremony sounds an awful lot like a proposal...
Inhaling the scent of the club room and Yoshiko, Riko breathed, "Thank you for your presence and honor, Yoccha-er...my bad. Y-Yohane-sama." Just this once she would give in. Just once (although she never minded being beneath Yoshiko, maybe she quite enjoyed it).
With a flourish worthy of much applause, Yohane whipped her cape from her shoulders and draped it over Riko's. The "ceremony" felt so official, even if it was as simple as Yohane declaring Riko one of her favorite people. Riko kind of thought that it was something that you wanted to have loved ones around for, but then she remembered...Yoshiko was a loved one.
"Well, little demon. Before we begin, do you have any words for your mistress?" Yohane placed her hand in front of her face while doing her trademarked gesture, winking.
Oh, Riko had a lot of things she wanted to say, but it was too impromptu. Too...on-the-spot. There were so many words to use to describe how she felt for Yoshiko, all floating around in the little cloud above her head that she liked to call "love". If she let the cloud burst too suddenly, every single word would come out, no doubt in a jumble and most likely embarrassing beyond words. So, Riko pushed her thoughts back into her head and smiled, laughing breathily.
"Yohane...shoukan," she declared, and it took everything to get Yoshiko to stop laughing.
III. (and you smell like roses)
Yoshiko was a wild sleeper, kicking and murmuring and sometimes even yelling. Riko had come to expect that much, but she didn't think that Yoshiko would somehow roll from her futon all the way over to Riko's, her pajama top skewed from all of her rustling. The rest of Aquors was sleeping soundly on Chika's floor, but Riko was wide awake. After all, how could she sleep when Yoshiko had her arm thrown across Riko's chest?
"Bow before me," Yohane mumbled. "Yohane, your fallen angel, commands it..." Yohane snored once, quite loudly, then fell silent again.
When they were pressed so closely against each other, Riko could feel the outline of Yohane's body easily, but she was far too bashful to do that. Instead, she leaned over just a tad bit and placed her chin on top of Yohane's head. This is so creepy, but if I don't do it now...well, I'd probably regret not doing it more than I'd regret doing it!
Deciding to use that logic, Riko leaned forward and buried her nose in Yohane's hair.
It smelled like shampoo, but beneath it was something...girly. It was most definitely flowery. Riko hadn't expected Yohane to smell like a sewer rat, but the innocent, frilly scent that she inhaled was so out of character that Riko wanted to laugh. Riko moved downwards for a second, but stopped when Yohane laughed sleepily. When she settled again, Riko inched downward more, until she was face-to-face with Yohane's neck. Completely following her impulses, Riko gently nestled her face into the crook of Yoshiko's neck, inhaling there as well. She couldn't smell the shampoo quite as much, but the rosy scent was still there. Is that her natural scent, then...?
Riko quickly felt herself getting...overstimulated, so she pulled away and looked at Yoshiko's sleeping face. Sleeping. Unconscious. She can't hear you.
"Yocchan," Riko whispered, raising her hand to cup Yoshiko's cheek. "I...m-my feelings, they...oh, dear."
I can't even do it when she's sleeping. I'm really the worst...
Riko peeled Yoshiko's arm off of her and rolled to face the other direction, not daring to watch Yoshiko sleep; she knew that if she looked, she really would lose it.
IV. (i'd spoil you rotten)
In Riko's hand laid the solution to all of her romantic anguish. A shimmering necklace was draped across her palm. Its charm was a purple jewel lined with silver, real silver. It cost a pretty penny, but Riko was at a loss.
She looked up into Yohane's bathroom mirror and gave herself a pep talk. You will give Yocchan this necklace. You will confess your love and give her this as a declaration. Nothing will go wrong, because you won't let it!
The mirror smiled back at her as she marched back out to Yohane's living room, the necklace clutched in her fist. Yoshiko was on the couch, a bowl of popcorn nestled in her lap. "Ah, there you are, Lily-chan. Ready to start the movie?"
"Yes," Riko said, smiling tightly. She sat next to Yohane, feeling a bit too close. Their thighs were touching. However, Yoshiko didn't seem to mind at all; in fact, Riko felt her lean into her a little bit, looking up anxiously. This is the perfect moment! "Y-Yocchan. I went to the mall the other day, and...I bought-"
Wait. God, that's no way to start a confession! Oh, dear. Oh, no. There was no way she would be able to finish with that crappy start! I should have said something about how much I enjoy her company...the confession shouldn't be centered around the necklace, it should just be complemented by it! This whole thing was a bad idea!
Yoshiko was oblivious to the warfare occurring in Riko's brain at the moment, so she prodded, "And? Oh...don't tell me...do you have a sacrifice for your fallen angel?!" Yohane's voice deepened, and her hand raised to her face as she smirked.
Riko wanted to die. "No," she started, blushing furiously. Her hands were sweaty. Oh, gross, the chain would be sweaty too- "I just-I-I got this necklace, and it doesn't fit me, so...well, I guess it could be a sacrifice. Here."
Riko dropped it into Yohane's lap and then fixed her eyes on the screen, blank-faced but blushing. Yohane slowly picked it up, holding it carefully as if it were a baby animal. "W-woah," Yoshiko whispered. "Best...sacrifice...ever! Thank you, Lily-chan. You truly are one of my most studious little demons!"
"Yes, well, don't mention it. Let's start the movie," Riko said quickly, wiping her hands on her jeans. And what a long movie it's going to be...
V. (for better or worse)
Riko felt like a bit of a rebel, skipping class even in midterm-season; of course, her intentions were far from scandalous or ill-intentioned; in fact, the reason she was skipping school was quite altruistic in its nature. Once again, Yohane had fallen ill at the worst possible time. It always killed Yohane to be at home while everyone else was at school, and it pained Riko to know that Yohane was hurting.
So, Riko skipped school completely and went to Yohane's house, knocking on the door. The plastic bag filled with soup, cough medicine and other get-well items rustled in her hand as she fiddled with her nails anxiously. After a couple of seconds of what sounded like groaning, Riko heard a shout: "The fallen angel has fallen ill! If you have any wish to speak to Yohane-sama, it'll have to wait...!"
"Even if I have chocolate strawberries?" Riko yelled back, smiling.
Within seconds, the door was flying open, and a frazzled but excited Yohane stood before her, nose red with congestion. She was bouncing on her toes, her eyes fixed on the bag. Riko gently pushed past her and set all of the food down on a table, unpacking everything while humming. Yohane raised an eyebrow through all of that and said, "Lily-chan. Why aren't you in school?"
Riko blushed and said, "I had to come take care of you."
"Come on. I'm not a person that you of all people should break rules for," Yoshiko argued.
That was a moment, Riko could feel it. A good moment to be honest about her feelings and tell Yohane that rules and grades could go straight to hell if it meant helping the girl that she loved. Riko inhaled deeply, preparing herself to express all of the feelings she had without making herself like an idiot. However, as soon as she opened her mouth, she heard a little retching noise...and then Yoshiko dashed off to her bathroom, and Riko sighed as she heard the vomiting noises mere feet away.
Needless to say...that wasn't the best time to confess love to anybody. Riko simply held Yoshiko's hair back and let her do it, because, after all...what are friends for?
plus one. (a new endeavor)
"A testimony...for the dear Yohane?"
Riko always looked up at the sound of Yoshiko's voice, but when she heard that phrase and heard a combination of "ooh"s and "ahh"s, she looked up. There, in Yoshiko's hand, was a love letter.
It wasn't all-too surprising; after all, they were a fairly popular group and people adored Yohane. However, Riko couldn't stand to watch Yohane light up with excitement because some random student (who didn't know the real Yohane) dared to slip a love note to her.
Riko stood up from her seat on the locker room benches and strode over to Yoshiko. She knew it wasn't the best idea, but when she got over there, she stated Yoshiko down, searching her face tediously. Yohane began to falter, squirming anxiously. Finally, after a silence that felt like hours, Riko said, "Don't reply to those or look at them. Please." Yoshiko looked ready to ask why, but Riko answered that question before it could be asked. "I know that it's your life, and you can do what you want, but...you have no idea how hard it is to see someone talking about how they like the person you love!"
Yohane blinked, dropping the letter to the tile in the process. "O-oh," she said, her voice normal but shocked. "The one you love..."
"It's you, Yocchan. I love you. And I've finally said it, so..." Riko paused. What now? She didn't really know what to do. Be rejected? Be accepted? What happens after that? "I...I don't know what to do next. I'm glad I told you, but I-"
And, cutting Riko's sentence short, Yohane got up on her tiptoes and showed Riko exactly what to do next.