"I am such an idiot."
Aelita buried her face against her hands, grumbling. "Stupid, stupid-"
"Princess, you okay?"
Aelita looked up, still frowning, and looked over at Yumi, who was sitting across from her at the table. She opened her mouth to reply, then shut it again, and shrugged. How could she talk to Yumi or the others if she couldn't make sense to the one who knew her best? Aelita sighed again, and Yumi raised her eyebrows.
"Something's got your back up. What's wrong?" Her dark eyes flashed. "Did Sissy pull something?"
Aelita shook her head, choking out a humorless laugh. "Ha. I wish." She sighed. "I don't know...Yumi...have ever had the feeling when you're talking to..to..."despite her efforts to hide it, a blush started to creep up her cheeks- "someone you like, do you ever find you can't speak properly?"
Yumi smiled slowly, and nodded. "Maybe. Why?"
Aelita shrugged. "It's all circumlocution."
Yumi blinked at her. "It's...what?"
"Oh sorry." Annoyed at herself, Aelita flipped a pink curl of hair out of her face. "I mean...well, I can't get my words out. What I said never makes sense, I just can't..." She shrugged.
"You are right now, there Princess," Yumi informed her wryly, and Aelita smiled slightly.
"Yes, but not around Jer-" She stopped, the fading blush coming back full force. "I mean...um..." Yumi chuckled gently, patting the younger girl on the hand.
"I get what you mean. Your tongue gets tied in knots."
Now it was Aelita's turn to blink in confusion. "My...my tongue?" She stuck her tongue out, trying to look at it, only to go cross eyed. Yumi snorted.
"No, baka, not literally. It's an expression. It means you can't say what you wanna say, so all you do is stammer and beat around the bush."
"What bush?"
Shoulders shaking in silent laughter, Yumi shook her head. "Never mind. Look, Aelita, you've been on earth for how long now?"
"Two years, ten months, five weeks and thirteen days," Aelita replied quickly, nodding. "To be exact," she added when Yumi just stared at her in amused surprise.
"No kidding."
"A-Aelita?"
Aelita whipped around, and felt the fading blush in her cheeks rise once again as her eyes fell on the young man standing there. "Jeremie!" Once again, she felt her brain empty of intelligent things to say. Jeremie shifted nervously, and poked at his glasses.
"I...I um, was wondering if you...if you'd like to...I mean..."
Aelita couldn't help but smile as he started to stammer. It was so cute. Glancing back at Yumi, something suddenly clicked in the back of her head.
"Jeremie?" Forcing down nerves, she stood slowly, her gaze meeting his. "Is your tongue in knots around a bush?"
Yumi let out a snort of laughter and slapped her hand to her forehead. "Oh, brother."
Jeremie stared at her, nonplussed. "My...what?"
Turning pinker than her hair, Aelita shook her head. "No...I mean..."Stealing herself, she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the back of the library.
"Idiot...idiot..." for the second time that day, Aelita cursed herself softly. Only now it was worse...far worse. Before she had been able to escape when her brain went numb around him. Now...realizing she still held Jeremie's hand, she quickly let go and took a step back.
"I...uh..." she chanced a glance at his face, and saw, to her surprise, that he was blushing too. A tiny bit of relief swung free in her heart, and she smiled. "I wanted to..to apologize. For not making sense earlier."
Jeremie blinked at her. "Not making sense? Aelita, don't worry-"
"No, please. I..."She could feel her brain threatening to turn her complete sentences into rubbish, and took a deep breath. "It's confusing, and strange, and I'm sorry, it makes no sense, you see-" get to the point, you idiot! Aelita thought to herself, annoyed- "and I'm sorry," she finished lamely, not looking up at him.
"Aelita, there's something bothering you, then just say it." Concern seemed to have overwhelmed his embarrassment, as Jeremie took a step closer and put a hand gently on her shoulder. "What ever it is, you don't have to apologize for it."
But what if I just can't get it out?! Hissed a panicked voice in her head. Aelita blushed. "I...um..." She looked up at him. "Well..." His eyes were so honest. For a second she forgot to be nervous. She forgot what she was going to say totally.
"Can you show me, maybe?" Jeremie moved closer, his expression kind. Aelita's heart thudded hard, twice.
Show me. Not tell me.
Taking a deep breath, Aelita leaned in, pressed her lips to his, lightening quick. Her brain stuttered to a halt.
Show me, not tell me.
Blushing furiously now, her heart dancing instead of pounding, Aelita leaned back, then backed up. Jeremie's eyes were now wide as saucers behind his glasses, and a vivid neon blue.
"There." She met his eyes squarely even as she shook slightly. "I said it." Then before Jeremie could do little more than smile, she turned and hurried off.
Behind them, Yumi smiled as she quietly snuck back to her seat. "Well done, Aelita. Very well done."