So, since there isn't going to be a chapter this month, this is to help tide us all over ;) The canon probably won't be all fluff and rainbows, but l can always dream, right? Also, this chapter will be slightly more M.
Thanks for the feedback and faves, guys!
I'll be focusing on the challenges of coming out soon, I think. Something I hope the manga will tackle in this arc. #lovewins
Mei exhaled a long breath. The steamy bath and it's comfort did little to relax her. She raised a hand to brush against her neck. Her face warmed as she recalled the heat of those phantom lips that had been so possessive.
Outside, she could hear Yuzu preparing ingredients for dinner. They'd both gotten slightly wet from the walk home, but Yuzu was insistent Mei take a bath first in case she got sick. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the memory of those distracting green eyes. She couldn't run away anymore. The dinner was tonight. Tonight...
And just when she'd managed to forget the indignity of having to suffer a stranger's touch.
There was also the matter of her having gotten too dependent on the blonde. Now, she'd feel helpless if the girl decided she didn't want to deal with her bullshit anymore--
When she realised she was actually too good for her.
Still, Mei knew she had to tell Yuzu. She'd felt worse the longer she'd kept it a secret. Amazing how that person had managed to make her feel obligated to truths... Or maybe she wasn't used to having someone who cared enough.
Which was why the thought of being alone again felt so terrifying.
A knock on the door startled her from her reverie. Water sloshed as she dropped her hand from her neck, as if caught in some embarrassing act.
"Mei, what would you like for dinner? You can choose, Y'know, cause you waited after school today for me and all."
"..." Silence greeted her.
"Mei?"
Mei buried her face in the water, the uneasiness in her chest intensifying. She resurfaced and took a deep breath.
"... Yuzu? I have to go out for dinner tonight. It's something for grandfather"
A pause on the other side of the door.
"Uhm, okay. I'll wait for you to come back then before sleeping." The voice answered merrily.
Mei let a long sigh, steeling herself. She wrapped herself in a towel before opening the door. Usually she wouldn't have cared with modesty, enjoying the sight of her sister becoming all flustered. But today was different.
She collected her features, burying her face behind a stoic mask and calm eyes, a stark contrast to her pounding heart.
"Yuzu... I'm engaged." She tried her best to look her in the eye. "I'm meeting him for dinner tonight."
Her mask slipped slightly when she saw her lover process this. That familiar cheery face morphing to shock, then disbelief, and finally hurt, when she realised that Mei wasn't joking.
It was clear this was the last thing she had expected. Mei felt bad, realising she should have eased her into it. She'd forgotten that most people in society didn't live by the same standards or norms that was imposed on her.
"What... What are you saying? We're dating aren't we? What engagement? Is that teacher still your fiancée?!" Her outburst was filled with wrath and shock. Mei shrank from it. She'd never really seen Yuzu mad before.
"No. Grandfather arranged another suitor. I... Haven't met him yet. Tonight's the first time. I thought... I wanted to let you know before I went." Mei avoided that piercing emerald gaze. She was too much of a coward to face the betrayal in them.
"Before you went? Why are you even going?! (Goshdammit Mei!) You're dating me, aren't you?"
Mei felt a twinge of annoyance at how simply Yuzu viewed it.
"It's not so easy, Yuzu. I have a predetermined path I have to walk. Himeko does, too."
"Your father chose to walk his own path."
"Yes, and he abandoned me and my family in the process... "
Yuzu fell silent. Her next retort dying in her mouth.
"Mei..."
Mei sighed.
"I..." She felt her throat tighten as those concerned eyes searched. Probed. As they slowly understood, piecing together her behaviour and the reason for her mood the past few weeks. But it was the sympathy in those eyes that was the worse. She'd have preferred it if the warm pools of green were furious at her.
Yuzu had always stood by her. Fought for her. Even when she did not deserve it. Especially when she did not deserve it.
She leaned forward, resting her forehead on the surprised girl's shoulder. Her hands reaching up to grasp her arms, almost in desperation.
"I..." She swallowed. Realized she was shaking.
"I'm sorry for telling you so late. But... I still need you, Yuzu. Can you still need me, too?" It was pathetic, it wasn't what she really wanted to say. But it was the best she could give right now.
Mei's heart pounded a mad stampede as she waited for Yuzu's response. She didnt have the courage to lift her head. Her fingers bunched in Yuzu's shirt.
Yuzu looked down at the usually calm girl leaning on her, surprised. Her heart skipping at those words. Yuzu had expected a breakup with that announcement, honestly. Not this.
Contradicting emotions coursed through her. Relief, frustration, injustice. Mei's hair had fallen to the side to reveal the curve of her slender neck. She could see the marks she'd left clearly imprinted against that arch of soft pale skin, droplets of water from her bath glistening on bare shoulders.
The hands that clung to her were shaking. It tugged at her heart, snuffed the anger and bitterness in her chest.
She remembered the mad rush they'd had to reach where they were now. She'd always acted without thinking. But Mei never had the same luxury. Yet, the brunette had been acting more impulsive lately, driven by feeling instead of logic. She'd love those moments when emotions had taken over the stoic Mei.
When the girl inside came out.
Yuzu let out a resigned sigh. She already knew she was hopeless when it came to the president. She slid her arms around her girlfriend's shoulders.
"Don't be an idiot. Of course I'll always need you. I'm really happy you cared enough about me to have struggled so much with this, actually."
Yuzu's tangled her manicured fingers into the silky black hair. "But I'm not gonna let you leave me this easily, you know that right?" Her voice belied the nervousness she tried to hide with the false bravado of her statement .
Mei closed her eyes. The ache that had been in her chest for the past few weeks finally lifting. She'd always known what, no, who she wanted, but was she brave enough to let the world know, too? She hadn't even told Yuzu before. She'd been ready to say it that day, but Yuzu had stopped her.
"I... I want to be with you, Yuzu. But I..." She looked up, meeting those familiar eyes at last.
"It's Yuzu," she reminded herself. She let her facade crumble away.
"I don't know what to do." Mei admitted softly.
"It's ok." Yuzu's smile was as kind as always. "We'll figure it out. I'll wait for you to come home tonight. We'll figure something out... You don't have to do this alone Mei."
"But it's my problem. Not yours. I'll fix it. You don't have to worry." Her lavender eyes were determined again. The face of the invincible president who was on the warpath.
Yuzu chuckled. "You should know by now I'm gonna stick my nose into anything that has to do with you, Mei."
"But people might find out. Are you really okay with that?"
"If it's between letting the world know or losing you, the choice is obvious, Mei."
Mei's eyes widened in suprise. Something warm and wet was pricking the corner of her eyes. Yuzu gave her a gentle smile. Brushing a finger to catch the tears before they fell. Mei couldn't believe Yuzu was being this understanding. She'd expected her to overreact, actually.
"But... I'll understand if you decide otherwise, okay. I know your family legacy is important to you. I'll be sad, more than sad, haha" Yuzu rubbed her head awkwardly. Those green eyes becoming wet from just the thought. "But ... I want you to choose yourself Mei. I'll respect--"
She was cut off when Mei suddenly pressed her lips to hers, effectively silencing her. Mei felt delight sizzle through her when the elder girl let out a squeek of surprise, putting a stop to her crazy ramblings. She bit down on her lower lip, letting Yuzu know her displeasure.
Just as quickly, she pulled away, feeling guilty for resorting to such petty tricks again .
Her sister was blushing sheepishly.
"Sorry," she muttered.
Mei only shot her a glare. "I'll go get ready."
She felt Yuzu following doggedly behind her, even when she went into the room and started removing her towel.
"Yuzu?" She asked questioningly.
The blonde was standing in the doorway, a frown on her face. She looked to have come to some sort of epiphany. Her eyes scanned her from head to toe. They were intense, burning on her naked body. Then all of a sudden Yuzu rushed at her. The composure she'd mustered throughout their conversation falling away to reveal the childishly emotional Yuzu she remembered.
Mei had known she wouldn't be able to act so mature and reasonable for long. But she didn't mind her fiercely expressive side anyway. Yuzu caught her around the waist, pushing her up against the wall and pinning her arms above her head.
Stormy green eyes raked past her flushing face, down to the hickeys that stood out stark on her neck. They wandered south to her bare breast... Where they stopped.
"Yuzu..." She warned, even as her body burned with anticipation. Yuzu was unstoppable when she was in one of these moods. Her stomach tightened as that head of blonde bent forward and down.
Mei felt her shift her grip on her wrists to only one hand. Freeing the other to cup her breast whole.
Mei let out an unintelligible word as that hand tightened possesively on her chest. Her head was level with her cleavage. Mei blushed. This was embarrassing. She struggled to shy away but Yuzu used her hips to cage her in.
Yuzu squeezed again on her soft, sensitive mound and this time Mei let out a loud moan. Those slender fingers shifted, exploring the shape of her breast, a thumb brushing experimentally on her hardening nub. Electricity sizzled through her. At the same time, she felt familiar lips close around her other nipple. Her mind went completely blank. All sanity leaving her head as her breast arched obediently into her lover's mouth.
She could only manage broken pants as Yuzu's hand kneaded one breast while she suckled on the other, hard.
Her core was burning. Yuzu had shoved her thigh between her legs even as Mei was instinctively closing her legs shut, effectively pressing Yuzu's even tighter against her. She knew she'd be able to feel how wet she was getting.
A new fear broke thought her. This was too much. And it made her brutally vulnerable.
"Yuzu..." she managed to pant out.
"I'm not done yet, Mei," Yuzu pulled away long enough from her lover's breasts to say. Her eyes stubborn as she looked up.
"So she is mad..." Mei thought, meeting her furious gaze.
"If you're going on a date with a man who has the right to marry you, I'm not letting you just leave like this."
Not breaking eye contact, Yuzu emphasized her point by flicking her tongue out and licking her already swollen nipple with exaggerated slowness.
Mei groaned, unable to stop herself, her knees jerking in reaction.
"You're being childish," she protested, even as she arched her back towards those lips. Her body more honest than her words.
"You can't expect me to be rational about this, Mei. If he tries anything with you... I want him to know you're already mine."
With a determined look in her eyes, she deliberately tilted her face and bit down, right over her heart. Mei cried out, more in suprise than pain.
Yuzu was already licking the indentations she'd left tenderly.
"Yuzu.." She reprimanded half heartedly, as Yuzu continued to suckle and squeeze her breast, alternating between the two. Mei clenched her jaw to keep herself from moaning. She tried to wriggle away.
Yuzu glared at her feeble attempt, sucking hard until her swollen nub hit the back of her throat, forcing Mei to cry out.
"Stop... Yuzu, that's enough." The sight of the blonde grinning devilishly up at her, with her breast still in her mouth made her flush.
"But you're only honest like this, Mei." She emphasized her point by pulling away slighty, deliberately toying with her hardened nipple, drawing out a moan from Mei each time she sucked, or pressed her tongue on the swollen nub of flesh. It was Yuzu announcing "mine", over and over.
Mei tried to muffle her voice in her shoulder, but a punishing pinch on her erect flesh elicited another cry from her, her groin jerking involuntarily against Yuzu's thigh.
She glared at the blonde, who was enjoying this immensely. Her eyes glinting with triumph each time her voice emitted her base desire; each time her body confessed whom she belonged to. The girl knowing she needed to drill it into Mei's dense, logic-prone head.
This was overwhelming. Mei felt like she was about to combust... Yuzu's hand and tongue leaving trails of fire on her skin.
Just when her legs were about to give way, Yuzu straightened. Mei met that loving, stubborn gaze as she tried and failed to catch her breath.
"Something must be wrong with me." Mei realized.
She was feeling affectionate when she should be angry right now. She was still restrained, her naked body completely at the mercy of her jealous lover.
"Come home fast." It almost sounded like Yuzu was giving her an order. The authoritive expression fell away just as suddenly to reveal a frightened face.
"Please, Mei. Don't let him touch you... okay? And absolutely no falling for him."
Yuzu gave her a kiss on her ear, secretly hoping the fiancée never found out about her adorable girlfriend's weakness.
Mei could see Yuzu watching with satisfaction as her whole face burned red. She felt feverish, her body and mind only able to hold one person right now. Which was exactly Yuzu's goal, of course.
"... Okay," Mei promised. Her body slumped against the other girl, suddenly tired with all these emotions roiling in her. It was exhausting, caring and feeling like this; struggling for the past few weeks. But she knew she'd rather have all this than go back to being an empty husk.
Familiar arms held her up, catching her in a loving embrace. She melted into its comfort, her body instictively still craving Yuzu's warmth, Yuzu's touch. She wished her mind had stronger control over her traitorous body. She wished she didn't need anyone.
But it was fine because this was Yuzu...
"Mine, okay?" Yuzu whispered adamantly into her hair. Her arms tight around her.
"Okay..." Mei promised again, closing her eyes.
Obviously, I'm in the Yuzutop faction ;) Hope this wasn't too cringey.