x.x Disclaimer x.x I do not own Azumanga. However, this story I've created for these characters is totally mine. If anyone says otherwise, I shall smite thee!! – Love forever, me.

Poke-able

Chapter 2

One Condition; Taken Aback

By Sailor Creative
(Revised May 5th, 2008)

The next day came like it always did. Yomi had stayed up most of the night doing homework while Tomo played on her computer, yet again. The two girls were sitting in their seats waiting for the others to show up for class. Like always, Yukari was no-where to be found.

"Why do you always come over just to play on my computer?" Yomi asked seemingly out of no-where.

Tomo blinked as if she just came out of a trance.

"Uh... The answer is France!"

Yomi rolled her eyes at Tomo's response, "Class hasn't even started yet."

"Yes, ma'am! England it is!"

"You're not even listening to me, Tomo!"

"Oh… what were you asking me then?"

"Why are you always playing on my computer? You have one at home don't you?" she asked again, somewhat irritated.

"Oh. That. Well, uh, yours is faster. You have DSL and I only have cable…"

"I see. That makes sense I guess."

"Plus if I crash it, it's not mine anyway!" The short-haired brunette laughed insanely as tears formed at the corners of her eyes. "Ahh… It hurts to laugh!"

"WHAT?! You little ungrateful….!"

"Hi Yomi. Hi small-boobs!"

The two girls looked up and saw Kagura standing there in front of them.

"Yo' small-brains, here to bask in my glory?" Tomo put on that smug, cat-like look of hers.

"Not really, I wanted to talk to Yomi."

Tomo looked between the two of them. "Fine. Do whatever you want. See if I care, because I don't."



"Good," retorted Yomi.

"Fine!" replied Tomo.

"Fine!"

"FINE!!"

"Er… okay." Kagura scratched her head.

Yomi rolled her eyes, "Anyways, what did you want to ask me?" Tomo stuck out her tongue in defiance.

"Oh-Right. I was wondering if you could help me with yesterday's homework. I didn't get the last two problems and I'm really bad at math…It took me forever just to get as far as I did…." The athlete laughed nervously as she scratched the back of her head.

"Sure, no problem."

Kagura pulled her homework out of her schoolbag and handed it to Yomi. "I kinda started it, but the more I tried to do it the more conf-"

"Wait a minute!" Tomo interrupted, standing up all-of-a-sudden. "How come SHE gets to copy your homework and I don't? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huhuhuh?"

Tomo continued her chant until she was face-to-face with Yomi. The later twitched and resisted the urge to punch her in the jaw, but settled with pushing her away.

"It's not copying, I'm helping her figure it out. Besides, Kagura actually attempted and completed most of her homework. You don't even try to do it, lame-brain!" The spectacled one replied hotly.

"Honestly Yomi. Name-calling?" Tomo flipped her hair, calm as ever. "Mature, real mature, Yomi."

Yomi's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head. "You're the one who started it…"

Tomo looped her arm around the girls' neck. "Now, now Yomi… We mustn't fight in front of the-" Tomo blinked for a couple seconds. Yomi sat there confused for a moment and then smiled.

"I guess you've finally noticed then, eh?" Yomi's smile widened.

"No!" Tomo jumped in mid-air and tried to shield Kagura. "You mustn't look!" Kagura moved the shorter girl out of the way.

"I wanna see…"

"IT'S A TRAP!" the vertically-challenged girl insisted, waving her arms wildly in the air.

"Ahh…. "

Yomi flipped her hair and cocked her head to the side. "I got them pierced yesterday."

"No way! How come I didn't notice?" the wildcat declared.



"You were on the computer all night, remember?" growled Yomi.

"…Oh."

"They're really pretty Yomi," Kagura commented. Yomi's earrings were simple studs with a light pink heart-shaped diamond.

"I have to keep it in for six weeks so the hole doesn't re-seal," Yomi explained to her. At this time Chiyo-chan had joined the group and Sakaki found her usual place in the back by the window. Tomo listened quietly for once in the background in-between Kagura and Yomi. Before they knew it Osaka and Chihiro had shown up too and joined the conversation. Everybody took turns ogling over Yomi's new studs. Everybody did, except for one.

"Alright, alright already!"

The girls stopped their conversation to find the owner of the voice. Unmistaken-ably it had belonged to their wildcat, high-school girl Tomo. A small, furious blush had crept onto Tomo's cheeks when she had yelled and her small hands were clenched together.

"They're just freaking earrings, who gives a crap anyway?"

"It's the squids from Jupiter again, isn't it Tomo?" Osaka asked, with a blank expression permanently etched into her face.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Kagura yelled.

"Why are you angry today Ms. Tomo?" inquired the red-headed prodigy.

Tomo shrugged. She looked up into Yomi's hazelnut eyes that were pooling with confusion.

'I could never stay angry with you for very long….'

"…To-"

"Whatever." She sat down at her seat and pretended to fall asleep with both arms curled underneath to support her head as a pillow. Tomo hadn't expected an army to come to Yomi's rescue as a reaction.

"What the hell was that about?" Kagura asked aloud.

"Tomo must be very exhausted," Chiyo-chan remarked.

"Squids from Jupiter-I'm tellin' ya…" the dense one insisted.

Yomi looked behind her at her troubled friend and reached out to her. She looked so frail and delicate curled up in the chair like that….

"...T-"

"MORNING CLASS!"

Everyone turned around to greet Ms. Yukari, who was surprisingly cheerful that morning. The teacher stood there for a few seconds, a wide grin apparent on her face.



"You have a pop quiz today!" she announced oh-so cheerfully.

"She must really enjoy this," someone murmured.

"Is today over yet?" No one in particular called out.

Yomi sat and turned around to see that Tomo was still pretending to be asleep. Her hand reached out to move her gently.

'Umm… Maybe I… should give her some space. She seemed pretty mad at me…' Yomi thought weakly. She retracted her hand.

When Yomi had faced the front, Tomo opened one chocolate-colored eye and heaved a quiet sigh.

x.x.x.x.x.x Later that day

When school was finally over, Tomo walked home with Yomi after school like they always did. But the two girls didn't say anything to each other. It was weird because Tomo is usually talking non-stop about nothing.

Yomi looked between the road in front of her and her best friend.

'I wonder what's been bothering her lately?' she wondered. 'It's not like her to be so … quiet.' She chewed on the bottom of her lip.

'What could I possibly say to her…?'

"So… ahh… Play any good video games recently?"

"Not really. I haven't gotten anything new in a while," the other girl replied nonchalantly.

"Are you still into fighting games and RPGs?"

"Pretty much. I like one-person shooters sometimes…"

"I see…"

'Wow… great conversation skills there alright…' Yomi criticized. What else was there to talk about besides school?

"Hey look, I'm home already," Tomo chirped.

The two companions stopped in front of the house. It was pretty average and well-kept. It looked small on the outside, but it was big enough since Tomo's older brother had moved out and it was just Tomo and her parents now.

"I guess I'll see ya tomorrow at school then, huh?" said the wildcat.

"Hey Tomo…." said Yomi.

"Yes?" said Tomo.

"You know, if anything's bothering you….You can just let me know. You know that right?"



Tomo's eyes drifted away for a moment, and then brightened a second later. "You're so straight-forward. I like that about you Yomi."

She paused.

"But-nothing's bothering me. Why would you think something's wrong? I mean nothing's wrong."

Yomi shook her head and grinned, "Well, you notice these things when you're friends with someone for so long."

"I guess. But I mean, it's nothing, really." Tomo waved her away, "I'm just tired is all."

She turned around to go home. That is, until she felt something tug on her left arm when she attempted to leave.

Tomo stole a glance over her shoulder and held her breath. Yomi's long, delicate fingers wrapped around Tomo's arm and pulled her back. A small blush crept onto the shorter girl's face.

'Y...Yomi…'

"Uhhh… Ahh…Y-Yomi…?" Tomo could've sworn that her face was very warm and probably becoming pink.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she mumbled, her eyes burning intensely into Tomo's.

Tomo gulped, "Yeah. Totally."

"Really?" said Yomi.

"Ummm… Uhhh…. R-Reeally Really," Tomo replied.

Yomi smiled weakly. "If you need me, you know where to find me, Okay?"

Tomo nodded and shakily placed her hand over Yomi's, "Okay."

'Yomi is actually… worried about me….' That thought alone made her feel giddy.

"Are… you going to let go of my hand now?" Yomi asked timidly.

"You have to let go of my arm first, sweet-cheeks," Tomo replied. She mentally smacked herself for holding Yomi's hand for so long.

The spectacled girl released her grip on Tomo's arm and withdrew her hand. They waved goodbye to each other and started walking their separate ways.

"Just admit it Yomi, you can't live without me!" Tomo called out.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"See ya, Yomes!"

"Good-Bye!"



Yomi watched Tomo run down the walkway and into the house. She stood there for a few moments before finally deciding to move on and get home.

'I hope she'll be alright…'

Her chocolate-colored orbs wandered up to glance at the sky above her. The sun shared its warmth with her and the clouds were small strains of silver wisps against the azure sky.

"Ahhh… For once I don't have any homework to do tonight," Yomi said aloud to nobody in particular.

Within a few blocks Yomi had already reached her house. It was larger than Tomo's, but that was mostly because Yomi's mom was a pediatrician and could afford it. Yomi thought that so much space was ridiculous since it was just the two of them. Her mother and father had been divorced for seven years now. During the summer, Yomi would visit her father or go on vacations with him in places such as Hokkaido. Even after the divorce, Yomi still kept her father's last name.

As soon as the teen got inside she noticed that her mom still wasn't back from work. "Oh yeah… She said she would be home very late tonight… I guess I can just have some ramen for dinner…"

Ding dong!

She turned around. "Coming!"

Yomi ran down the hallway and opened the door to greet her visitor.

"Welcome to the Kir-Tomo? What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd come by since you seemed so depressed without me, my dear Yomi." She swung her arms around the taller girl and squeezed tightly. Yomi gently peeled Tomo off of her body.

"What's the real reason you're here?"

"Yomi, I'm hurt. I just wanted to spend time with you is all."

"That's not very likely. Didn't you copy your homework from Chiyo-chan today? Oh... Right, you want to use my computer?"

Tomo shrugged, "Fine. I want to use your computer."

"Then why didn't you just go ahead and say so? Sheesh." Yomi closed the door and walked down the hallway to her room.

Tomo hung her head, 'Because that's not the reason I wanted to see you…'

"Are you coming or not?"

"Coming," she yelled back.

After she slipped off her shoes she ran after Yomi and took a left down the hall. Usually Tomo didn't get into her room this way.

"Y'know, I'm still surprised that I can find your room. I usually just go through the window," the teen commented blissfully.



"I know… Remember that one time you left it open and I got sick?"

"Er…" Tomo laughed nervously, "Aww, c'mon, Yomi that was back in middle-school! We're in high-school… You know, fresh leaves and… what ever... You know what I mean."

"Sadly, I do."

Tomo stood at the doorway between Yomi's private bathroom and bedroom. Yomi had already applied the sanitation fluid for her newly pierced ears.

'Say something nice… C'mon, think…!'

"Y'know…Your earrings really aren't that ugly..."

Yomi's eyes found Tomo's reflection in the mirror and glared at it.

"Thanks," she replied flatly.

'Swing anda miss.' Tomo thought to herself.

"…Uh that was supposed to be a compliment?"

"I said thank-you didn't I?" said Yomi.

The taller girl turned off the light in the bathroom and stepped out. She then flopped onto the bed and started to fiddle with the stud in her left ear. Tomo leaned against the wall with a content look on her face.

Yomi blushed a little when she noticed the other girl starring, "D-didn't you say that you wanted to use the computer?"

"Well actually, you're the one who said it first."

"It's all yours, if you want it…"

There was a lapse of silence.

"It kind of hurts…" Yomi commented, fiddling with her earring.

"Have you been turning it?" asked Tomo.

"Yeah…" said Yomi.

"You turned it all the way around?" asked Tomo.

"Yes, already. Since when have you been an expert anyways? You didn't even notice I had my ears pierced in the first place."

"Since always, and that doesn't even matter right now. Can I take a look at it?"

"No thanks… I'm pretty sure I can-Ahhhck!"



In Yomi's attempt to loosen the stud she had pulled it completely out. She sat there horrified, looking at the two tiny parts in her trembling hands.

"Oh no!" she panicked. Yomi tried to put it back in by herself, but she kept stabbing herself instead. Tomo could barely keep herself from giggling.

Yomi's hazelnut eyes shot up at her friend. "Tomo, will you please put it back in for me? I can't see what I'm doing!"

The shorter girl smirked, still giggling.

"Please?!" Yomi begged.

Tomo was slightly taken aback by the alarm in Yomi's voice.

"Please?" she begged once more.

The gods had finally smiled in Tomo's favor."I'll put it back in under one condition."

"Tomo, you brat! Just put it in - what if it seals up!?"

Tomo grinned wolfishly. "If you really want me to put it back in…."

She sat down beside Yomi and whispered into her ear.

"You'll have to kiss me."

Yomi stopped and searched the other girls' eyes with a quizzical look on her face.

"W-What? What did you say?" Her face started to turn pink.

"If you really want me to put it back in, you'll have to kiss me…

…On the lips." said Tomo.

Yomi's face began to fade into a deep scarlet at the thought and had lost her voice.

"K..kiss…?"

Her best friend laughed, "Come on Yomes. You know you want me." She winked, playfully.

Yomi's face flushed again with deeper shades of red and hands clutched the small piece of jewelry tighter for dear life. Shivering, Yomi still trying to grasp onto what she was saying to her. Tomo eyed her companion, gauging her reaction.

"Did….. you…..I uhh…" she stammered, trying to find her words.

The two girls looked at each other intently for the longest time. Yomi then glanced down at the stud in her hands and then looked up again at Tomo.

"So what will it be? Are you just going to let your ear seal the hole you paid so much for?" She moved in closer until their legs were touching.



"Um… I-I…"

Yomi held her breath and pleaded to Tomo with her eyes.

"Fine, fine. I'll put it in. Sheesh. Honestly, you're no fun Yomi."

Tomo took the two parts and gently pushed it through the tiny hole in her ear. As she pushed the back of the stud earring in place, the older girl trembled when Tomo's humid breath tickled the back of her neck.

Tomo allowed her lips to brush against the bottom of the spectacled girl's earlobe. Yomi shuddered once more and felt a tingling sensation shoot through her arms and legs. A wave of electricity enraptured their senses and goose bumps rose to the surface of their skin.

The older girl turned her head little by little until they were literally nose-to-nose. Very slowly, Tomo tilted her head to the side and gazed sincerely into the other girl's eyes. Without another thought she closed the distance between herself and Yomi. Just as Tomo's lips pressed softly against hers, a warm feeling was lit inside of her chest. On instinct, the short-haired girl's left right hand supported Yomi's neck while the other caressed her jaw.

Taken aback at first, Yomi was about to pull away. Instead she could only whimper and kiss back. Her arms encircled the other girl and pulled her onto her lap, never breaking their kiss. Snuggled up against the other, Tomo kissed her more fiercely and massaged the back of Yomi's neck as she did this.

When their embrace finally ended, the two girls found the need for air as they panted heavily. Their lips were swollen and cherry-colored.

Tomo smiled softly and lightly tugged on a small strand of hair that had fallen in front of Yomi's face.

"…Yomes…" she whispered softly, planting another small kiss on her cheek. By the time it had dawned on Yomi what had just happened.

"…I… had been wanting to tell you something for the longest time…" her voice became quite small at this point.

Yomi cringed, and devoid of all other thoughts she shoved Tomo off of her. Just as the wildcat fell onto the floor her eyes became misty. She rolled to the side and stared at the floor beneath her.

"Tomo…. I… " her voice died in her throat.

Yomi shook her head as tears formed at the corner of her eyes. 'It can't…This can't be happening… It didn't just happen….' She repeated in her mind.

The room started to become distorted to Tomo as she walked to the window and opened it. She swung her legs over the ledge and jumped down onto the grass beneath it.

Yomi looked at the window and opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She didn't even move from that spot. Even if she did call for her, Tomo wouldn't have come back anyways.

She kept running and running. She didn't even reclaim her shoes that she left. Although she had poor stamina and her legs were burning, the teen didn't stop until she had reached her house. Almost out of energy, she forced herself over to the window by her room and jumped up onto the ledge before falling in with a noisy thud. Somehow her small frame found its way onto her bed.



'It feels like… My heart's going... to die…'

A heavy sob erupted from her chest as she buried her face into the pillow. Her heart throbbed and sagged against her ribcage as she tried to be quiet as possible so her parents wouldn't notice. All the while hot, salty pools of regret and sadness ran down the sides of her face. Every breath she took ensured that more tears and more pain was sure to come.

'I never should have t-tried…to kiss…her…'

Tomo desperately tried to stifle another sob as she drew away from her tear-soaked bedding. She hastily attempted to dry her face, but it was useless. The tears simply wouldn't stop.

'Nothing can ever take it back… And now…! Now…She'll never want to talk to me again…! She probably thinks that I'm a sick pervert…!''

Her hand covered her heart as if to try to stop it from breaking.

"….Yomi…. Hates… me…."

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

To be continued….

I love cliff-hangers, don't you? (Actually, I really don't.) Anyways, I give many thanks to all of you wonderful reviewers so far! I am very grateful and I look forward to reading all of your wonderful comments, ideas, etc.

x3 Love, Me.

And God said, "Click the little review button below." +