The Sweet Sound of Seibells

Yumi goes to Sei's house for the ex-White Rose's birthday and Christmas party. The sleepover goes great until bedtime, when Yumi is kept awake and hot and bothered by the loud sex coming from Sei's room. Sei x Youko, as heard by Yumi's blushing ears.

A/N: Merry Christmas! ^o^ This is my last Youko x Sei oneshot for the year - an early gift to anyone who finds my stories readable. :P I should add that this story contains heavy sexual references. Aside from Youko x Sei, I'm thinking of doing more Shimako x Noriko, and possibly Sei x Shimako/Shizuka. Have a great holiday and a happy new year. And if you're interested, please check out my Buddhist writing (the link is on my profile).

Christmas Eve

The sun had nestled behind the mountains when Yumi arrived at Sei's house. It wasn't big. Her family was typical "middle-middle" class. The residence was one of those that stuck out at the corner of the street, a suburban, crisp and clean Japanese home. But to Yumi, it was just as special as the Rose Mansion. How could it not be unique? One of Lillian's onetime Roses lived within. And this Rose was particularly special to Yumi. She had been a mentor figure, second only to Sachiko Onee-sama. Now, she was an undergraduate at Lillian University, complete with a cool, boyish haircut, white shirt and snazzy trousers.

"Sei-sama!" cried Yumi, waving her hand keenly at the window on the upper level.

The former White Rose's head emerged, and she grinned. "Ah, welcome! You look gorgeous, Yumi! I'll be right down."

Yumi smiled at Sei's exaggerated praise. She was wearing her usual red jumper and jeans: hardly the ravishing outfit. But she had grown to become quite fond of such teasing. "Are you doing something important?" she called.

"Me? Up to something important? Ah, not really. I fell asleep and I'm lazing about now, but Youko's downstairs cooking. Dinner will be ready in half an hour." Sei disappeared from the window, and before long Yumi was sliding off her shoes inside. "You've never visited my house before, have you?"

"That's because we were always going to other places," said Yumi.

"Well, Youko wanted to have this party for old times' sake, since it's my birthday as well as Christmastime." Sei beckoned Yumi in. "Come on! I'll show you to the kitchen. That's where all the action's at."

"Wait!" Yumi held out a wrapped box of chocolates, beaming from ear-to-ear. "Happy birthday, Sei-sama… and Merry Christmas!"

Sei pretended to faint from emotion, swaying from side to side. "And this is why you're my exclusive guest!"

"No one else is coming?" asked Yumi in surprise.

"I didn't even know this sleepover-cum-party was happening," said Sei, winking. "You can ask Youko about it. Let's go!"

"Wow," cried Yumi, staring at the dining table's assortment of Japanese and Western food. It felt very homely yet in tune for Christmas. "You're amazing, Youko-sama!"

"Think nothing of it. After all, Sei's too busy lounging around too cook," said Youko, stirring a pot of hot curry. She had an apron around her black shirt and skirt. "Why don't you and Sei sit down? I'm just about done."

Yumi and Sei made themselves comfortable at the table, and Youko brought over the pot. The night had already set on the suburbs, and the sky outside was black. The rice was steaming hot and the takoyaki, Sei's favourite fast food, had been reheated. Sei looked extremely pleased by Youko's thorough arrangements. "Now this is a dinner. Gassho!" she cried, closing her eyes and clapping her hands together. Yumi giggled. Sei noticed and grinned. "Fine, fine. God bless you, me, and everybody, now let's eat!"

"There's only three of us," sighed Youko, rubbing her head. "You can be so excitable over nothing."

"You love it," said Sei, spooning a serving of salad into her bowl. "It's my birthday, and I'm famished." She gestured at the roast. "And I never get to have stuffed chicken like in American movies! Thanks for this, Lady Mizuno."

"Dear me, you are a quirky lady," said Youko, shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders. "Yumi-chan, do help yourself. I hope the food is to your liking," she added, motioning for Yumi to begin eating. Yumi joined her own palms keenly, and thus began the feast. They ate, chatted, and gossiped late into the night, and to her surprise Yumi didn't notice the absence of the others. Instead, she felt a presence about Youko and Sei, one which was unique and rarely shown to others. The way they looked at each other, the way they exchanged teasing, even the way they sat facing Yumi, were all somehow different. Yumi felt as if she was in the presence of true adults. Was this the magic of the domestic setting, which let everyone drop their guard and just be themselves?

Youko glanced at the clock. "Oh my, it's ten," she said. "I'm bringing out the cake before it gets too late."

Rei had helped Youko with the design: it was decorated with the floral pattern of a white rose, and its icing was the flavour of almonds and vanilla. Around the edge was green and red icing, to add a Christmas flavour to the birthday cake. Yumi placed a candle at the centre, and Sei made a rather long wish, closing her eyes and falling silent for an entire minute. Typical. They each had a slice, and there was a quarter left after they were done with Rei's scrumptious masterpiece. Youko placed it in the fridge, and turned to Sei and Yumi. "I trust this was a good way to spend Christmas Eve."

"You betcha," laughed Sei, her finger tapping the table casually and her leg folded over the other. "I hate to say it, but your cooking skill is second only to Rei's." She grinned. "I used to dislike Christmas. I might just have to change my mind now."

Yumi stood up and gave an almost reverential bow. She decided not to ask why the others hadn't been invited. "I have to say this again, Youko-sama… and Sei-sama. Thank you for inviting me."

"Oh, stop that," chirped a flattered Youko, looking extremely pleased with herself. "It was high time Sei actually celebrated Christmas, so I just had to be part of it." She paused. "When you're ready, why don't you be the first to take a shower first, Yumi? We'll play some card games before bedtime, and you can sleep in the guest room next to Sei's."

"You know this house really well," commented Yumi, surprised.

"Better than I should, I suppose," muttered Youko to herself.

Sei's bedroom

Youko smiled as she ruffled through her strawberry conditioner-smelling hair with a damp towel. Around her body was wrapped a larger one, exposing her long legs. "What's wrong, birthday girl? You've been unusually quiet," she said, looking at Sei, who was reclining on her bed. The mattress was slightly cramped, but they were only university students and they weren't in the business of striking out on their own yet.

"It's nothing," said Sei quickly. She wore nothing more than her bra and a pair of trousers. "I'm just… really amazed at Yumi. She's such a wonderful and mature girl. No wonder why you invited only her. You wanted me to see what she had become, independent of the others. You wanted me to be proud of her."

"A long time ago, you told her to be grateful for someone as 'cool' as you admiring her," snickered Youko, stretching out her leg and nudging the bed with her toe. "Are you now saying that was a lie?"

"Probably," whispered Sei. She was fragrant – she smelled of lavender from the fields of Hokkaido. "Because tonight, I realize that I wish, more than ever, I was like her in high school. It might have saved me so much pain, so much wasted time."

"So the flawless, dashing Rosa Gigantea finally admits she's not perfect." Youko approached the bed and slowly draped her arms around Sei's lithe body. Her knees pressed against the mattress as she sat on her lover's lap and stared down, her ever-wandering, restless sweetheart. Rosa Gigantea gazed up at Rosa Chinensis, who parted her pink lips to speak.

Shiori has gone, and Shizuka-san is in Rome. Let it stay like that. So you can…

"Kiss me," she demanded quietly.

Sei obeyed, her hand reaching up for the back of Youko's head. "You were always the fussy one, aunt Youko," she whispered, stroking at the other's flushed mouth. "You had to insist on this little party just to make me smile."

"Don't call me aunt," rebuked Youko, between gulps of air. How annoying, that she had to stop in between the kissing to breathe. Warmth – the fire of desire – began to spread through her body. "I'm happy because you truly enjoyed yourself tonight. You never wanted to celebrate your birthday or Christmas. But as your own Onee-sama once said, time heals all wounds."

"Dummy," laughed Sei, fondling and tickling Youko's torso. Rosa Chinensis let out a cry of delight and amusement. "Time doesn't heal wounds, it just makes us forget about the pain. The ones who healed my wounds were the people around me, who put up with me and kept me with them despite my insufferable attitude. You above all know how that was like."

"Me?" repeated Youko, her eyes widening as she suddenly felt Sei straddling her and locking her slender bare legs. Her hands were itching to dig their nails into the skin of her back. They itched to stroke her, to make her shudder and tremble.

"Merry Christmas, baby," whispered Sei. The light in her eyes was reflecting something different. She gripped Youko's wrists harder, and her voice cracked. "And here's to our happy new year."

Before Youko could even stutter out a reply, Sei had planted another kiss on her mouth, this time more forcible, more ferocious. Youko had to admire her spirit. She also felt herself abandoning all pretence, and she matched Sei's adult passion with an imperious determination. Their bodies began to intertwine, and amidst the blanket and pillows, all was shut away except for the other's scent and form.

Yumi smiled to herself as she snuggled into the futon next door to Sei's bedroom. She had taken a warm bath and turned off the lights. Like any good girl or respectful junior, she had obediently gone to bed like Youko and Sei. Everyone was tired, but only because the night had been so wonderful. Yumi was so grateful she had been invited. If only Onee-sama could have come, she thought. She wondered why the others in the Yamayurikai circle hadn't come. Perhaps Sei wanted a more private reception.

But why, thought Yumi to herself, not Shimako? Was their relationship that strong that they didn't need to see each other to feel bonded? Thoughts of the night's party continued to swirl through her head until she heard a sigh. She thought nothing of it, turning to her side and closing her eyes, allowing her body to gradually shut down. But the sighing persisted, once, twice, then thrice. Yumi cocked her head, slightly curious as to why it was continuing. Was it someone crying outside? No, the window was barely open and the sounds were too close nearby. Concentrating, Yumi could deduce that it was coming from this house, perhaps in the room next door. She began to feel concerned. Was everything all right? Could it be that either Youko or Sei had become upset over something?

Wait a second…

It wasn't just one voice. She could hear two. And they were not strangers – anything but. It was Sei, it had to be. She could hear her give a muffled groan, and somewhere in between, a sharp mewl from… from…

Youko?

An abrupt and dreading suspicion arose in Yumi, and her eyebrow twitched involuntarily. "No, it couldn't be. This is too weird," she mumbled to herself, her face growing hotter and redder by the second. "This is crazy. Your fantasies are way out of control. Do you even have these fantasies usually, silly Yumi?"

Then came the words, the words that were spoken amidst the moans. Yumi almost didn't want to hear or acknowledge it. For several moments, she refused to believe anything at all. But there was no mistaking it – the sounds came from next door – Sei's room. And a mere wall separated them. Oh, my goodness, she thought in alarm. Oh, my, oh my, oh, my.

"Devour me, Sei. Hurry!" rang out Youko's high-pitched voice suddenly, and Yumi almost leaped out of her futon. She jumped again in horror as a stifled thump banged against the wall, before some bizarre, scrambled scuffles could be heard.

What on earth is going on? she thought in shocked dismay. Is this why I'm in the guest room!

"You're never satisfied with me around. Well then. How about this?" came Sei's fiery reply, and Yumi clamped her hands over her red ears desperately, but all her senses save her sight were being assaulted by this… this… carnal madness. Her two mentors, wiser than her own grande souer, were making adoring, erotic, bed-rocking love. She couldn't believe this was happening. Of all things to occur during this innocent sleepover – she felt her legs curl up to her chest, as if trying to protect herself from this noise. But it was so loud. Sei's voice was incredibly sensual, groaning like a fierce lioness. And Youko – she sounded totally different, nothing like the prim, proper, calm and controlled lady who once led the Yamayurikai as Rosa Chinensis. Yumi's eyelids stayed tightly shut as she began to imagine their blushes and Sei's parted lips and alluring eyes. Her warm chest, her arched backside, her curled toes –

What am I doing? she thought frantically, clutching her head. This isn't the time to be thinking about this. I should be – she started, uncertainty overtaking her. What am I supposed to be doing, anyway?

To her horror, she wasn't upset or angry. In fact, her own heart was beating rapidly, and she felt a certain eagerness or curiosity that she had never felt so intensely before. And in all honesty, she couldn't say that she really wanted it to stop, because she couldn't see Sei and Youko's excited faces. She could only listen to what their moans of longing were expressing.

What was this primal empathy that she was feeling deep inside, which slowly, slowly made her heart and hand wander? What was this sad yearning stirring within her, which brought fire and a tinge of pain to her bosom? After all, Sei had been affectionate to her too. Yumi had even given her a tender peck before she left Lillian. But…

I've never seen this side of her before. It's nothing like how she used to surprise me with her hugs. This is totally… different. This is… the real thing. This is Sei when she's not joking around. This is when she's really serious, thought Yumi in realization. And she'd never let me know this if she could help it. I'm learning about a secret she doesn't want to share…

"Sei, oh my goodness, Sei, you're too much – aah!"

Not again!

Yumi clamped her hands over her mouth, ashamed that she had overheard those words. "How do you like that, you greedy little thing? How do you like that, my naughty fangirl?" came Sei's calm voice, and Yumi's blush returned, burning brighter than ever. Sei's calm growl was smooth, her heavy panting punctured every now and then with a whimper of surprise and gratification from Youko. Yumi felt her body arching instinctively, her breath growing heavier and her heart pounding so loudly it almost drowned out Youko's unrestrained cries of pleasure. She knew it wasn't her fault; she didn't do anything to place herself in this situation. Yet it was because she was witnessing something so intensely private that she felt guilty for even enjoying it. Even if she didn't want to believe it.

The thumping and shouting suddenly died down, and quiet pervaded Yumi's room. All she could hear were Youko's agonized words: "Sei, I love you. Stay with me, even when I'm old and unwanted."

"Right back at ya, Little Miss black kitten," came Sei's reply. The sighing continued for several minutes, and Yumi had already lost track of the time. All she could hear were Youko and Sei's murmurs and whispers of affection, which were much tamer but possessed their own sensual atmosphere. Yumi placed her hand on her chest, her body tensed and confused.

It was true that this had been a wonderful night. But it had also begun to feel melancholy, because it reminded Yumi that Sei, for all the love she had to give, could only give that kind of love to women who she saw as her equal. And she had chosen Youko. Not Shimako, despite their bond. Not Shizuka, despite their mutual attraction. It was Youko who Sei saw as her counterpart, the eventide to her morningtide, the moonlight to her sunbeam. And that hurt Yumi somewhat, even though she never thought for a moment that Sei should be hers. But after she left and became a university student, there was just this illusion of an image…

That maybe… perhaps…

Sei did feel devotion to her.

Silence. The couple had probably fallen asleep. Yumi was left wide-awake and hot and bothered with images of Youko and Sei's violent passion flashing through her young, confused mind. She lurched out of her futon and staggered to the cabinet on which the clock rested. She fumbled for the lamplight and squinted, momentarily blinded. She stared at the hands on the clock: 2:12am. Oh, my God. How long were they at it for? How long have I been listening to them? How long was I lying here, thinking these dirty thoughts and letting them distract me?

Yumi could only fall asleep, at long last, after another half hour. And even then, she could hear their aroused voices and horny words.

Morning

Still in her pyjamas, Yumi trudged out of the guest's room to the bathroom when Youko's voice chirped across the corridor. "Good morning, Yumi-chan. Did you sleep well?"

Yumi jumped, her face reddening as she turned slowly to face Youko. The older woman had a puzzled look on her face. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "You look almost frightened. Did you sleep well? You've got rings under your eyes."

"It's a lovely morning, isn't it? Is Sei-sama awake?" squealed Yumi reflexively. A hot blush began to creep over her face as all the memories from last night came tumbling back. It didn't help Youko was in a sexy pink nightdress. Just what happened in there…?

"She's snoring away as far as I can see," smirked Youko. "But it was her birthday last night, so I'll let her off. I'm going to cook breakfast. You'll stay until midday, won't you? Yumi-chan."

"Certainly, of course! If it's okay with you, I'll go take a shower first! Yes, that's it! A nice, long cold shower!" chirped the embarrassed Yumi awkwardly, skipping to the bathroom. She hadn't noticed that she forgot to bring her towel. "A cold shower would really calm me down – I mean, refresh me!"

Youko blinked in mild bewilderment as Yumi bounded off.

"But it's winter!"

THE END