"How much do you think I'll get for all this shit, anyway?"
Turning and looking down at her oldest friend, Satsuki shrugged and said, "It depends what's in demand at the moment, I suppose."
Huffing and adjusting the cardboard box full of music theory textbooks on her hip, Nonon said, "I hate this town, nobody appreciates good music anymore. I'll probably get twenty bucks for all this. Who fucking knows how much I paid for these originally! Goddammit!"
Snorting, Satsuki tried to calm her down, "You never know, Nonon. These people might be more reasonable than you think. I looked them up, they're known for being fair in buy-back situations. Of course, you won't get every penny back, but you'll get more than you would at the university bookstore."
Nonon scoffed, "Well, whatever. Fuck the university bookstore, they've been fucking me over since they paired up with all the professors to make us all buy the newest editions every semester. I'm so glad I'm graduating next semester. Won't have to deal with their bullshit anymore."
Satsuki chuckled and pulled out a scrap piece of paper with some scribbles on it, "Okay, I think it's the next block. We're looking for a place called 'Matoi Bookstore'. Sounds family owned… so uninspired." Sighing, Satsuki put the paper back into her bag.
"They could be called 'Dick's New Twist' for all I care, as long as I get some of my money back. I saw this baton at the last educators convention, holy God, fucking hand carved with wood from this tree in Australia that smells like bubblegum or some shit, I want it so bad!"
Satsuki just rolled her eyes. "Are you referring to 'Oliver Twist'? The author's name is Dickens, not Dick." Turning the corner, they saw a small shop smashed between two huge buildings that had a handmade sign that read 'Matoi Bookstore'.
Grimacing, Nonon said, "Whatever. Looks like a shit hole."
"Agreed."
Opening the door, Satsuki peered in the shop. It was a small place, with books lining the walls from ceiling to the floor, and a small cash machine at the front. "Hello? Is anyone here?" Letting Nonon in behind her, Satsuki continued, "We've got some books we'd like to sell you."
Coming out from behind the small dividing wall towards the back of the shop, a girl with shoulder-length black hair came running up to them. Giving her a once over, Satsuki saw the girl had a streak of bright red hair in her bangs, making Satsuki tilt her head in interest.
"Hey, hey! Welcome! You said you had some books to sell? You've come to the right place! Are these whatcha got?" The girl gestured to the box Nonon had put on the floor next to her.
"Uh, yeah. So how's this work? You just go through them and deem the ones worthy of keeping and give me prices for them?" Nonon asked, crossing her arms.
The girl grinned, "Pretty much! I'll take these to the back and go through 'em real fast. Feel free to look around!" Looking at Satsuki, the girl said, "Uh, the classics are in that nook to the left if you were wondering."
Widening her eyes, Satsuki said, "Oh. Thank you."
Smiling wider, the girl picked up the box next to Nonon's feet and turned to go to the back. "Yeah, uh, you just look like a classics kinda girl; my name's Ryuko. If you need any help just holler for me."
Once Nonon was sure she was out of hearing range, she said, "That was fuckin' weird." Swallowing roughly, Satsuki muttered her agreement and went to the classics section, leaving Nonon to her own devices.
While browsing the titles Satsuki thought about that girl, Ryuko. From the minute and a half she had been in contact with her, Satsuki was already fascinated. Ryuko had slightly larger than normal canine teeth, and her eyes were a nice cobalt blue.
Her outfit had been interesting, denim cutoff shorts with a light purple v-neck t-shirt, aviator sunglasses resting on the top of her head and last season's cloth covered shoes on her feet.
With a light blush dusting her cheeks, Satsuki thought, She's pretty cute… Plus she's got a good sense of personality, given that she guessed I was going for this section by just looking at me.
Picking up a book to look at the price, her thoughts were interrupted, "Hey, that's a good one," Snapping her head to the left, she saw Ryuko smiling at her, "at least, that's what I hear. I'm not a big fan of him, personally." She finished, looking at the author's name on the cover.
Looking back at the book in her hand, Satsuki said, "Oh, yeah. Same. I just heard from a friend that this one is worth checking out because of the plot." Ryuko hummed, leaning against the shelf, looking at the opposite wall of books. They stayed there in silence for a while, until Ryuko cleared her throat and said, "Oh, I forgot why I came to find you, I think your friend left, I need to give her a price for the books she brought in."
Furrowing her brows, Satsuki put the book back on the shelf and pulled out her phone, finding a text from Nonon that read 'Hey I had to pee. I couldn't find a bathroom in that place. I'm across the street at the Starbucks. Be back in like twenty minutes. There's a long ass line.' Shutting her phone, Satsuki told Ryuko the situation.
Scratching her nape, Ryuko laughed, "There's a bathroom upstairs. I probably should've mentioned that."
Eyebrows raised, Satsuki said, "This place has an upstairs?" Ryuko nodded, "Yeah! Wanna see? There's a little nook to read as well, so you can read a few chapters before you buy and stuff." Gesturing for Satsuki to follow her, Ryuko went around the dividing wall and led Satsuki to an old wooden staircase lining the wall.
"You're not leading me to my murder, are you?" Satsuki asked dryly, slowly following Ryuko up the stairs. Walking into a room the size of a small bedroom, Ryuko laughed, "No, no. That would mean I'd have to replace the carpet, do you know how expensive that is? Holy shit." Putting a hand on her hip, she gestured to another door near the corner of the room with her thumb, "That's the bathroom."
Glancing around, there was a couch lining the wall on her left, a few chairs scattered randomly throughout the room, and a love seat on the wall to her right. Satsuki sat on the love seat, since it was the closest and looked the cleanest. "So, do you own this place or do you just work here?"
Ryuko remained standing, "Well, it was my mom's but she passed away a while back. Dad wanted to keep the place, so I offered to help out with it. Turns out I'm pretty good at it and we get a lot of customers like your friend. They see I'm fair with my pricing and they come back to buy other stuff. It's a nice little cycle." Ryuko gave Satsuki a once-over, "Are you done with school?"
Crossing her legs, Satsuki said, "No, I have a semester left." Resting her elbow on the armrest she continued, "What about you? You don't look much younger than me."
Putting her hands in her pockets, Ryuko pursed her lips in thought, "I have two semesters left." Satsuki hummed. Ryuko turned to look out the window on the opposite wall. Resting her face against her hand, Satsuki said, "Why don't you sit down? It must be tiresome to be on your feet all day."
Ryuko gave her a strange look but complied, sitting next to her on the love seat. Crossing her arms, Ryuko started, "So, uh, what's your major?"
"Business Management. Yourself?"
"Same, actually! Where do you go? I haven't seen you around here before."
The conversation went on for a good ten minutes, each girl saying where they were from and what they wanted to do when they graduated. Turns out both of them wanted to take over the family business.
By the end of it, Ryuko had turned to face Satsuki fully, a leg crossed under the other, and an arm lying across the back of the seat. Satsuki couldn't look away. Ryuko's eyes were so expressive, she couldn't stop herself from leaning in a bit, the way they lit up even more after they found something more in common. It was beautiful.
Hearing a bell ring below them, Ryuko blinked a few times, as if coming out of a spell, "Ah, that must be your friend." Getting up and leading Satsuki back downstairs; Ryuko went to the back to get the estimate.
Finding Nonon, Satsuki asked how her trip was with a knowing tilt of her lips. "Took like thirty years! There was a line for the bathroom and coffee! What the fuck!" Taking a sip from her drink, Nonon cooled off a bit, "Did you find anything?"
Shrugging, Satsuki said, "No, not really."
Seeing Ryuko come around the corner, Nonon said, "Alright, what are my babies worth?"
Grinning, Ryuko gave her the price. Nonon almost dropped her cup, "Seriously? You're fucking serious? Oh my God, that—that's amazing! Yes! Yes! I'll take that to the bank, hell yeah!"
Satsuki piped up, "That's very generous of you."
Walking behind the cash machine, Ryuko shrugged, still smiling. Getting the cash and receipt, she walked back over and handed them both to Nonon, who was grinning like a mad woman.
"Be sure to come back! Tell your friends, too!" Ryuko turned to go back to her post in the back, but not before looking at Satsuki and saying, "I enjoyed talking with you. I hope to see you around more often."
"Y-Yes, I enjoyed speaking with you as well. I would like to come back soon; the atmosphere is very calming here."
"Alright, then! See you next time! Later!"
Walking down the street, Nonon turned to Satsuki with a shit-eating grin, "Wow, I can't believe you stuttered. What the fuck did you two do while I was gone?"
Satsuki put a hand to her face and sighed, "She caught me off-guard, that's all."
"Hmm, still. She's pretty hot, I guess. You like her, don't you? Don't fucking lie, Satsuki."
Satsuki shrugged, "She's cute. That doesn't mean I want to court her or anything. Besides, I'm very busy as it is, I wouldn't have time for that sort of thing."
Nonon sighed, "Whatever. Just ask her out for coffee or something one day. If it doesn't go well, then we can all move on with our lives; if it does go well, then you have a chance at being happy, like you deserve."
Satsuki didn't answer, staring straight ahead.
Two weeks. It had been two weeks since Satsuki had been to that bookstore with Nonon. Every day she had thought about Ryuko. Be it for a quick minute or taking over the whole afternoon like the last two days; Satsuki was fed up.
Looking up from her computer, Satsuki put a hand to her face, sighing. Why am I even thinking about this? Who cares? Groaning in frustration, she looked at the time. It was a little after one o'clock. Standing and stretching until a satisfied sigh passed her lips, Satsuki got her bag and put on her shoes. She was going to put an end to this.
Almost twenty minutes later, she walked in the little shop to find a few children running around, unattended. A young boy, maybe eleven or twelve, with brown hair came around the corner and smacked right into her leg.
Rounding the same corner, Ryuko appeared, holding one of the other kids by the neck of his t-shirt, looking extremely pissed off.
"Oi. Mataro. What did your sister and I tell you this morning? Huh? Exactly. No. Running. In the damn store!" Dropping the boy she was holding, Ryuko stomped up to the boy next to Satsuki, presumably named Mataro.
"What! We weren't running! I was just walkin' real fast and this pretty lady came in and I was blinded by her stunning presence so I bumped into her!" Looking up, Mataro gave Satsuki his best puppy dog eyes, "Sorry about that, by the way."
Finally glancing at Satsuki, Ryuko squinted her eyes, as if trying to remember where she had seen her before. Satsuki just looked at Mataro and said, "Flattery gets you nowhere. Stop disobeying Ryuko, I'm sure she doesn't appreciate it."
Eyes lighting up in recognition, Ryuko pointed at Satsuki, "Ah! I know! You're that girl who walked in with that music major like a month ago! I never caught your name by the way."
"Satsuki."
Watching Ryuko mouth her name, seemingly committing it to memory, was strange to say the least for Satsuki. It was like she thought it was a prayer or something.
Ryuko tilted her head, suddenly interested, "That's pretty. So you're from Japan? Or at least of Japanese decent?"
Nodding, Satsuki went into small detail about her upbringing, the boy next to her slowly backing away and getting out of Ryuko's sight, taking advantage of the situation along with the other children.
"Anyway, the reason I came in here was because I wanted to ask you something."
Blinking, Ryuko shrugged and said, "Fire away."
Steeling her resolve, Satsuki bit the bullet, "I was wondering what time you get off work today, because I would like to get some coffee with you or even dinner if you'd like."
With a growing smile, Ryuko put her hands in her pockets, "Are you asking me out?"
"More or less."
Looking at the clock above the register, Ryuko yawned, and said, "Well, I've gotta get the kids back within the hour, and I guess I'll be done for the day. You wanna guard the store for me until I get back? Yeah, I'd like some coffee and dinner with you. Although, you look like you enjoy tea more than coffee, but whatever, sounds cool."
"Interesting analysis." Satsuki gripped her bag tighter. This girl was so perceptive it was almost scary. Even with those thoughts running through her mind, Satsuki knew the rush she was feeling wasn't fear, but anticipation. She hadn't felt this excited in a long time.
Ordering her tea, Satsuki sat at a table in the corner of the Starbucks, waiting for Ryuko to join her. Once she did sit down, Satsuki noticed the necklace Ryuko was wearing. It had a long chain, so the actual pendant fell close to her stomach, and the pendant itself was a tiny, red half-scissor.
Pointing it out, Satsuki said, "That's a neat necklace. Where did you get it?" Ryuko looked down and rubbed at the chain with practiced ease, "Oh, my dad gave it to me as a high school graduation gift. Not sure where he got it, though."
Nodding, Satsuki sipped at her tea. "That's nice. My mother gave me something similar. Only it's a traditional Katana."
Ryuko hummed, "Did you do Kendo in high school?"
Absently gripping her cup a little tighter, Satsuki answered, "Yes. I stopped my last year, though. Tore my ACL right before Nationals."
Playing with the straw of her iced coffee, Ryuko said, "Oh. I'm sorry. Uh, I did martial arts in high school. Still do, actually. Although, not as often as I'd like… How did you tear your ACL?"
Meeting Ryuko's eyes, Satsuki said dismissively, "My sister."
Ryuko blinked. "Your… sister?"
"Yes. She thought it would be funny if she tried to run over Nonon, the girl who sold her books to you, with my car at the time. I never ran so fast in my life. I pushed her out of the way just in time."
Ryuko looked taken aback. "Holy shit. That's fucking crazy! Did your parents do anything?"
Satsuki gave Ryuko a sad smile, "No. Mother claimed that I shouldn't have let my keys be so easily taken by my little sister. I'd do it a thousand times over, though. That pain is nothing compared to the grief of losing a friend."
Gripping her necklace, Ryuko looked out the window they were sitting next to solemnly, "Yeah. I know what you mean."
Sitting in silence for a while, finishing their drinks, Satsuki mulled over what to try and defuse the tension she had caused with. They had already talked about education, mostly. Conversations about her own family were out. Suddenly, Satsuki knew what to bring up.
"Hey, so whose kids were those earlier?"
Ryuko brightened immediately, "Oh! Well the one that ran into you, Mataro, he's Mako's little brother. She's going to med school right now, so I help her out whenever I can. Sometimes he's a bit much, but I'm basically family, so it's all good." Satsuki nodded in understanding, they must have dated or something, "So how long have you known Mako, then? You two must be close if you're taking care of her siblings."
Ryuko let out a bark of laughter, "Yeah, I met her when I moved here. She's… eccentric to say the least. She really brought me out of my shell in high school."
She gave Satsuki a knowing look, "If I'm being honest I never really wanted to date her, though. She's my best friend. Plus she's still with her high school sweetheart, anyway."
Satsuki messed with her cup, embarrassed. "Oh. That's nice." She looked up to see Ryuko leaning over with her chin resting in her palm, clearly staring.
She cleared her throat awkwardly, "What?"
Ryuko shrugged and said, "Nothing. You're just really nice to look at, very pretty. I think I like your eyebrows the most, though." Flushing, Satsuki couldn't look away from Ryuko's stare.
"That's very sweet of you to say."
Ryuko grinned and leaned back, still staring, "It's true. Are you finished with your tea? I know a cool place we can eat down the street." Nodding Satsuki stood and followed Ryuko out of the Starbucks.
With her hands behind her head Ryuko turned to look at Satsuki, "Do you like Italian?" She gave a noncommittal shrug, "It's fine."
Ryuko stopped walking. "What would you prefer?"
Blinking, Satsuki said, "Honestly, talking about home gave me a strange craving for curry—" Turning on her heel, Ryuko said, "Alright! I know a good little shop a few blocks from here. They're pretty authentic."
"Wait! Are you sure? We don't have to do that. I was just thinking out loud…"
Ryuko beamed, "Hey, when a pretty girl tells me she has a craving for curry, I don't screw around."
Flushing to her ears, Satsuki said, "You're very forward."
Ryuko shrugged, "I gave up on hiding my feelings a long time ago. If I want to say something, I will. I don't pull punches anymore." Putting her hands in her pockets, she started walking in the direction of the restaurant, Satsuki tailing behind her.
Dinner went by in a flash; Satsuki hadn't had that much fun just talking with someone in a long time. Their banter was playful but at the same time it gave Satsuki a feel for Ryuko's wit. It almost rivaled her own; almost being the key word.
Throughout dinner, Ryuko had played with the ends of her hair and grazed their hands a number of times. It shocked Satsuki a little, but remembering what Ryuko had said before about not hiding her feelings, it didn't bother her as much.
These things would've set her off with anyone else. She had had many first dates go wrong in her twenty-two years. Girls would try the same stupid tricks over and over, just to get her in their bed. It pissed her off to no end, but the way Ryuko was doing them didn't come off the same way.
The way Ryuko touched her, or attempted to touch her at times, was almost gentle, as if all she wanted was contact. Satsuki appreciated that more than anything. Ryuko wasn't trying to get a one-night stand; she was looking for an actual relationship.
After paying, Ryuko walked Satsuki back to the bookstore, "Well, that was the most fun I've had on a date in a while! Are you busy next week?"
Blinking, Satsuki went through her mental calendar, "I'm free next Friday night, actually."
Ryuko grinned, "It's a date!"
Both girls said their goodbyes and as Satsuki turned in the direction towards her apartment, Ryuko said, "So, uh, come by the store any time you want. It would probably make my day, honestly."
Looking back, she saw Ryuko scratching her nape, smiling at her. Satsuki said, "I'll come by as much as I can." Upon seeing Ryuko smile wider, Satsuki turned around fully and began the trek to her apartment, trying to fight her own growing smile.
Stepping into the store a few days later, Satsuki's face was met with a box an older man was carrying, successfully knocking it out of his hands onto the floor, spilling its contents.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, dear! Here, let me help. Are you hurt? Ryuko! I've injured a customer!" Holding her nose in an attempt to not get blood on her clothes, Satsuki got a look at the man she bumped into.
He was almost a foot shorter than her, but only because he looked like he had a back problem. He had an eye patch and white hair with a matching full beard and mustache, but the trait that Satsuki connected to Ryuko was his eye. It was the same color as Ryuko's, a little panicked at the moment, but still the same cool calming blue.
The poor man fretted over her until he saw Ryuko run out of the dividing wall towards the back of the store, the same panic in her eye as her fathers. Satsuki tried to tell him she was fine, really.
"Dad! I told you not to carry that stuff; I'll get it, oh my God. Holy crap, Satsuki, I'm so sorry," Ryuko reached over the cash register to the box of tissues sitting on a shelf on the wall, "Here, here. Let me help."
Grabbing Satsuki's hand that was covering her nose, Ryuko gently placed a tissue on her face in its place. Letting Satsuki apply the necessary pressure herself, Ryuko backed up and glared at her father.
"What! She just walked in! No knock or nothing!" Looking at Satsuki apologetically, Ryuko's father stepped closer, "I'm so sorry dear, is it broken? I'll, uh, cover the expense if you want—If it's broken. If it's not, then I'm not paying for anything."
"Goddammit, Dad. You know what, just—I'll deal with it, okay? Damn. Just finish the register crap and go to your poker night already, fuck." Rubbing her temple, Ryuko stared at her father wearily.
Putting his hands up in defense, Ryuko's dad went to the register, counted some things and made to leave. Before he walked out the door, he placed a hand on Satsuki's shoulder, "Listen, I'm sorry, alright? Accidents happen, yeah?"
Satsuki shook her head and said, "No, no. It's quite all right. I barged in without thinking; it's fine. Not broken. We're good." The older man smiled and nodded. Looking at Ryuko he deadpanned, "You better not be making me leave so soon cause you're gonna do the do with this nice girl upstairs, Ryuko—"
"Holy. Shit." Ryuko's entire face was red as she pushed her father out the door violently screaming at him to shut the fuck up. Satsuki finally had it. Letting out a snort of laughter, she grimaced a bit from the pain, mindful of the blood still dripping from her nose.
"God. He's so embarrassing." Looking up, Satsuki saw Ryuko leaning against the door with her face in her hands. Smiling, Satsuki waved at her dismissively, "We've all got embarrassing family members. Although, I don't think any of mine would be so open to talk about sex with strangers."
Grimacing from behind the hands on her face, Ryuko apologized again. She's cute when she's flustered, Satsuki thought. Wiping her nose, she felt for any more damage. Finding none, she took the tissue and went to throw it in the bin by the register.
"I, uh. I'm glad you came to the store today. Even though my dad almost broke your nose. It's nice to see you." Ryuko began picking up the books that fell out of the box her father was carrying. Satsuki suddenly found an interest in her nails, humming.
She wasn't used to people expressing their desire for her so openly. Most were afraid to offend her, given her no-nonsense reputation. Having Ryuko tell her how she felt all the time was certainly refreshing. Ryuko didn't hide from her; it was a nice change, Satsuki didn't like people that beat around the bush much anyway.
Picking up the box, Ryuko turned and placed it behind the register. "So, uh. What's up?" Suddenly remembering why she came, Satsuki pulled out a list from her pocket, "Oh, I have some textbooks I need to buy. They sent out the lists early this semester for some reason."
Plucking the list from Satsuki's hand, Ryuko furrowed her brows, concentrating. Pursing her lips, Ryuko nodded, "Yep. Okay. We've got 'em all. Want me to give you an estimate?"
No way. Does she have it all memorized? Every book in the store? That's insane. Blinking, Satsuki said, "Um. Yes, if that's fine with you. I'm fine with older editions as well." Ryuko grinned and went behind the register and grabbed a calculator. After a few moments she gave Satsuki the estimate for her list.
"Yes, that's fine." Nodding, Ryuko started to pace around the store, seemingly grabbing the books that were on Satsuki's list. Once she was done she rang them all up and Satsuki paid, completing the transaction.
"That was easier than expected," Satsuki said, mostly to herself. Ryuko grinned, "Yeah, our inventory is pretty vast. Got shit from all over in here. Helps when you sell back, too."
Putting her hands in her pockets, Ryuko shuffled her feet. Satsuki could read body language well enough to answer the unspoken question, "I'm done for the day. If you want we can do something after your shift."
Looking up in surprise, Ryuko beamed at her, "Awesome! I get off in like an hour! Think you can wait for me?" Satsuki chuckled, "Yes. I'll go upstairs and get a head start on these," gesturing to the pile on the counter.
"Cool."
"So, what do you wanna do? There's not much on a Thursday afternoon." Ryuko was walking in step beside Satsuki, who shrugged. Putting her hands in her jacket pockets, Ryuko looked to the sky in thought.
Grinning, Ryuko leaned over to get Satsuki's attention, "I know of this new aquarium a few blocks down that does student discounts! I think it'd only be like five bucks for the both of us!" Satsuki quirked an eyebrow, "What are we, on a middle school field trip?"
"I'll pay for you, shit. Come on! There's like nothing else that costs any less around here, plus they let you talk in there, unlike most museum-type places." Ryuko was still grinning while Satsuki made her decision.
Sighing, Satsuki said, "Okay, but if they don't have penguins I'm leaving."
Walking into the aquarium, both girls showed their ID's, Ryuko giving Satsuki a smug look as she handed the cashier a five-dollar bill to cover the expense.
On the right was a giant glass walkway with benches in the middle to sit and watch all the fish and other water inhabitants. Grabbing a pamphlet, Satsuki scanned it looking for the direction of her penguins. Looking up at Ryuko, she saw the younger girl crouched down almost like a frog would sit, gazing at an enormous sea turtle with wonder. "Fucking huge…. Hey! Satsuki! Come look at this!"
Standing next to Ryuko, Satsuki felt a hand on her leg. Checking the source, she saw Ryuko still staring at the sea turtle, but she had let her hand lightly grip Satsuki's calf. "I see it. The penguins are near the end, of course. Best for last."
As if snapping out of a trance, Ryuko took her hand off Satsuki, and stood up. Leading the way, Ryuko put her hands in her pockets and tried to identify as many fish by name as she could. They even made a competition out of it; whoever named the most didn't have to pay for their next meal.
Satsuki could tell that Ryuko was almost hell bent on letting her win, though it looked like she was struggling with not blurting things out before Satsuki. Smirking, Satsuki let her have what she wanted and preceded to name every fish they passed without Ryuko get a word in edgewise.
Stopping at the penguins, Satsuki let a real smile shine through. They were her favorite animals, no matter what anyone said. Not only were they adept in water and land, but they were also very group oriented. They sometimes trekked in the thousands, never leaving each other behind.
"You really like penguins, don't you?" Satsuki could her the mirth in Ryuko's tone. Letting it slide, Satsuki hummed in confirmation. "They're pretty cool, I guess. Why do you like them so much?"
Tearing her eyes from the flightless birds, Satsuki turned to look at Ryuko, "I'm not sure. They just kind of speak to me, I suppose." She had never told anyone besides Nonon her love for the creatures, and even that was on accident. She could go on for hours about how they were a superior species, the only thing keeping them from conquering the sky being their wings.
Ryuko gave her a strange look before shrugging and saying, "Man, you must like them a lot if you won't tell me the real reason," she laughed, "I'm all ears anytime you wanna run your mouth about them for real. Nerd."
Satsuki smirked. It was strange to have someone who could read her so well after such a small amount of time. On the other hand, Ryuko wasn't that hard to read, either. "Some day."
Still glancing around the small room full of different species of penguins, Satsuki felt Ryuko's fingers brush her own. Not moving her hand, Satsuki continued to observe the Emperor Penguins in front of her. The backs of their hands were touching, and Ryuko, with a not-so-subtle deep breath, shyly laced a few of her fingers with Satsuki's.
Satsuki almost laughed. So she's all bark and no bite, then. Suddenly, Ryuko let go of her hand and grabbed it again, this time linking their fingers properly. Showing her approval, Satsuki rubbed her thumb along Ryuko's. "Are you done gawking? There's a shark tank I've been wanting to look at for the past fifteen minutes."
Taking one last look at her precious penguins, Satsuki led Ryuko out of the room with their joined hands.
"Oh, man! I'm so stuffed! I fucking love buffets!" Patting her stomach with her free hand, Ryuko turned to Satsuki, "Are we still on for next week?"
Satsuki nodded, "I do apologize for the reschedule. This semester is starting out harder than I had originally anticipated."
Stopping outside the bookstore Ryuko leaned against the brick wall, hand still linked with Satsuki's, "It's no problem. I'm only taking a few classes and they're already kicking my ass."
Satsuki hummed, finding nothing else to say. Glancing down the avenue she saw there was almost no one on the streets. What she didn't see was Ryuko nervously chewing on her lip, having an internal struggle.
Feeling the hand connected with hers pull, Satsuki looked at Ryuko. Nothing about her expression was uninviting, so she took a step forward wordlessly. Ryuko's other hand came to life and rested on Satsuki's hip, pulling her closer.
Putting her free hand on Ryuko's shoulder, Satsuki leaned in, glancing at Ryuko's lips in the process. Apparently this was all the action Ryuko required from her, because she wrapped her arm around Satsuki's waist fully, tugging her so that their faces were inches apart.
Their breath mingling, Ryuko swallowed roughly. Satsuki brushed her hand along Ryuko's neck and threaded her fingers into her hair, finally closing the space between them. Feeling Ryuko's grip on her hand and waist tighten almost immediately, Satsuki nearly grinned.
Breaking away and lingering, Satsuki kissed Ryuko's cheek before pulling away completely. Ryuko gave her a small smile, cheeks pinker than before. "So, uh, why don't we exchange numbers or something so you don't have to walk all the way over here to cancel on me next week." Chuckling, Satsuki pulled out her phone and handed it to her, Ryuko doing the same.
Stepping out of Ryuko's embrace, Satsuki gave her hand one last squeeze goodbye before she started down the street, feeling Ryuko's stare at her back until she turned the corner, completely unaware of the perky blonde pig-tailed woman lurking in the shadows.
A/N: Yooooo! So this is a little thing I've been working on the back burner for a little bit, hope you like it! I would really appreciate any feedback on this, so if you can feel free to leave your thoughts! :) Thanks for reading!
