A/N: So, I guess I'm the first one posting on this account, huh? Well, this will be my collection of one-shots I'm (Ryuchu) writing as requested by members of the Lesser Known Pairing club over on Vocaloid Otaku. This doesn't mean I'll be taking requests here, just to let you know.
About this story in particular...it's okay I guess...personally, I find it to be on the kind of short side, but what can you do. I hope all the LilyxKiyoteru fans out there enjoy this one-shot (and everyone else of course)!
Dedicated to: Ria (I'm just gonna use your guys' VO names for this part)
The first thing I noticed about her were her eyes.
Working as a bartender for three summers, I've seen people of all types, but she was the first one that had eyes like that. They were bright blue – which in itself is surprising around this area – and they seemed to be the perfect mix of contradictions.
When you looked into those eyes, you were both repulsed and entranced. At least, when I looked into those eyes for the first time, those were the emotions that ran through me like lightning. I wanted nothing more in the world than to go talk to this woman, but the concept terrified me.
Although, I was probably also put off by the fact that she was currently draped on the arm of another man.
She wasn't mine to pursue; she had another.
At the time, I sighed to myself and went back to work, but as I mixed drinks and attempted to make small-talk, I couldn't help but feel my gaze wander over to where the woman and her lover sat.
This time as I looked her over, I wandered away from her eyes to take in her whole figure. She had long, blonde hair that made her look decidedly exotic; she wore a tight-fitting black dress that left little to the imagination; her figure was…
I stopped myself before I could finish that thought as I felt a warm blush begin to work its way on to my face.
It was inane that this woman who I had never met, who I had never even learned the name of, who only looked my way when her lover came to order a drink, had manage to capture my attention so effectively. But it was true; the whole night I would steal glances at her whenever I could, I would listen to snatches of her voice that I could manage to catch over the quite din of the bar – I kept hoping that she would come over and order a drink, but she never did; she simply sent her lover.
Although that wasn't too terrible; every time he came over, it was another chance for me to catch a glance of those blue eyes that may have only been looking past me, but at least they were looking in my direction.
She and her lover stayed for a long time and the man kept drinking and drinking, quickly losing all inhabitation and becoming louder and louder. Interestingly, the woman seemed to pace herself well enough that by the end of the night, the only effect of the drink seemed to be making her smile spread slightly wider.
At about two in the morning, the two of them left – or more accurately, the woman practically carried the man out since he was unable to under the power of his own inebriation leaden legs.
That was about three months ago.
It's kind of funny how one event, one woman, can stick in my mind so much. Although I suppose it makes sense why this memory's returned to me. I should be working on that rum and cola a young man just ordered, but my eyes are drawn undeniably to the end of the bar.
She's sitting there, her electric blue eyes staring unwaveringly ahead.
"Hey! You listening at all?"
I'm pulled painfully back to reality by the voice of the young man who ordered a rum and cola and I manage to give a disarming smile, "Yes sir, one rum and cola coming right up."
As I turn around, I can hear him mumble angrily to himself, but I can't quite make out the words. I guess it's all the same to me; he's not the one I want to talk to anyways.
The thought of the woman at the end of the bar returns once more, but I'm careful to push it away as I work on the drink. The bar has a reputation to maintain and teaching doesn't exactly pay the bills – I need this summer job.
"Here you are sir." I give him a perfectly practiced smile to show him just how pleased I am that I could be of service. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him open his mouth to say something more, but I turn away and head down the bar.
Down to where she's sitting.
"Can I get you anything miss?"
The sound of my voice causes her to jerk her head up. Her eyes are colored with surprise before her face settles into a wide, cocky grin. Without missing a beat, she lays her head in her palm and allows her smile to spread even further.
Right about now, I'm feeling like a mouse cornered by a cat.
"I don't know; what would you recommend?"
Her voice is quite – I almost have to lean forward in order to hear her – but firm. Her eyes continue to flicker with the contradicting lights of repulsion and enticement; the feeling is even more powerful now that she's up close, right next to me, with all her attention and wiles directed only at me. Her eyes really do look electric blue in the dim light of the bar…
Oh wait, I'm supposed to be answering her question.
"W-Well, for a lady such as yourself, I believe you may want to try a Mai-Tai, Pina Colada, or something else tropical like that."
…Her response is to give a few snorts of laughter. Well, at least she has the decency to look away instead of laughing directly in my face. Plus, since she's not looking at me, it's easier to hide my growing blush.
"Drop the frills," She says, her voice low once more, "Give me something straight and give me something strong."
"As you wish ma'am," I comment before I turn around to begin on the drink.
"Lily."
"…Pardon?"
"My name. It's Lily. You've heard of names before, right?"
I can tell she's toying with me and as much as I repeat to myself that I shouldn't let it bother me, it manages to get under my skin. I can tell that my face has heated up once more.
"Of course I've heard of them ma'am."
"Then you should try using them."
She says it as more of a command than a suggestion. Somehow, I'm regretting this decision to come talk to her…but now that I've turned around and I'm looking at her once more, the regret quickly flees.
"Here you are. A glass of just plain rum…Miss. Lily."
It feels kind of bizarre to both know her name and say it aloud after having known her as simply "the woman with the strange eyes" for so long. Not necessarily a bad strange just…different…like our relationship's gone to a more intimate level…
Which is ridiculous considering that our "relationship" consist of us talking for all of two minutes.
"…have one?"
Shoot, she had been talking while I was thinking.
"What was that Miss. Lily?"
"First off, drop the Miss; I'm not a blushing school girl. Second, I asked for your name."
"Oh, it's Kiyoteru."
"Kiyoteru?" She said it funny, drawing out each letter as if she was testing the taste…to be honest, I think it sounded better that way, "…It's kind of plain and boring, just like you."
…Okay, it doesn't sound better that way.
"Well, I didn't pick my name to be particularly fun."
"Obviously not."
Her blunt nature is starting to get to me.
"So what do you do for a day job?" She asks as she once more fixes me with her electric eyes.
"I-I'm a teacher."
"They let teachers work at bars?"
"As long as we don't do anything illegal, they don't particularly care. Besides, I only work here because it's was the only place that was hiring three years ago...although I guess I've come to like it, it's nice and quiet. I guess you could say I'm not much a fan of change."
Everything I've just said is true...but I can't help but wonder why exactly I'm spilling all this to this woman - or rather, to Lily.
"And there lies your problem…." She says with a lopsided grin as she stands up and leans over the bar counter. At this point, she trails off ominously and my eyes are drawn irrecovably to hers. I can tell the two of us are drawing closer, but I…I just can't stop moving forward, "From your name to your profession, you play it too safe. Don't you ever want to try something fun? Don't you ever want to try something a little…wild?"
We're just inches apart. I can feel her hot breath on my lips as I stare back at those enchanting eyes. I know it's stupid, but for a moment I can't help but think of her as a succubus and I her unwitting target. …How long are we going to stand here like this? Is she going to make the first move? Am I supposed to? Just wh-
She…she just kissed me.
It…it wasn't like it was anything long or meaningful, just the slightest peck on the lips. Now I'm standing here staring at her – and I'm sure my mouth is hanging open unappealingly – and she's just grinning back with a cocky grin that's already becoming unsettlingly familiar.
"So, how was it kissing a woman you just met about five minutes ago?"
The way she states the question, she already knows the answer.
All I can manage to do in response to her confidence is sputter out a few meaningless syllables. I want desperately to say something, anything, but apparently that's currently impossible for my body.
"When you find the right words to describe it, feel free to give me a call."
Her face is right next to mine, she's whispering directly into my ear. It tickles a little bit. I feel her push something in my palm, but I'm too busy currently having my mind fly at a mile a minute to truly register what it is.
Suddenly, she pulls back, gives another one of her already trademark grins, turns on her heel and heads out the door. I watch her until she disappears behind the frosted glass of the bar door...then I star for a few seconds more, waiting foolishly for her to come back.
After what must have been only seconds, but felt like hours, I look down at what she pushed into my hands. It's a small piece of paper with a picture of a lily in the corner and a hastily scrawled cellphone number.
As I continue to stare at that lily, I can only think of when I first "met" her three months ago; she had been with another man. What had happened to him? Were the two of them still together? And...why did she just kiss me? Is she just a drunk that won't remember this whole episode in the morning?
And those eyes...those completely indecipherable eyes...
She is going to be trouble.
My mind is screaming at me that there are a million reasons to just throw away that paper and forget about the whole episode.
But the feeling of her lips on my own...
...Maybe I'll just call her tomorrow and see how things go. If she's really just a random drunk, I guess I can just forget about her and go on with my life...
...I know that's a lie.
To use a trite adage, I have tasted the forbidden fruit...and there is no going back.