Yui pondered her opening; how was she going to approach the situation at hand? Kyouko's fidgeting continued to rapidly bounce the edge of her blade up and down, hopping from one edge of the potato to the other, failing to find a suitable resting place. Yui gently placed her left hand on Kyouko's shoulder, as if to avoid startling her friend.
"Here, let me help you." Yui gently muttered under her breath.
Yui's offer for help was met with the sound of a dropped blade. Kyouko had set down her kitchen knife in rejection to Yui's offer with an unexpected clatter of stainless steel on the counter top. Kyouko turned her head just far enough to refuse eye contact with her friend, but still allow her to be heard clearly. Head low, chin to her chest, she pouted.
"You're always helping me... Please, let me do this on my own. If not for you, then for me." Kyouko issued her ultimatum.
"It's just cutting a potato..." Yui continued to press her assistance on Kyouko.
Kyouko whirled around in frustration, her soft blonde hair whipping across Yui's chest.
"But it's something I can do for you! I can help you in this way, even if it's just cutting a potato." Kyouko voice shook with a hoarse intensity.
Yui was taken aback. The sudden outburst from her usually cheerful friend was somewhat shocking. Kyouko stood there with her head hung down next to her chest. Yui slowly brought her hand to Kyouko's cheek to reassure her friend. Yui lightly brushed back Kyouko's hair to reach her face. Her hand was met with moisture. At that moment, Yui caught a glimpse of something she had rarely witnessed. Something she had seen few times before, and always dreaded seeing again.
Tears. Few in number, but there was no mistaking it. Kyouko's cheeks were swollen and red from trying fruitlessly to contain her emotions. The occasional clear drop would trickle down her face and branch off into smaller streams of salt water before collecting at the bottom of her face. For the next few moments the air in the room felt thick and heavy. Steam from the pot of boiling water found its way to Yui's forehead. Yui, the usual calm, composed upperclassman was at a loss for words. Seconds seemed to extend far beyond that of what the cosmos had originally intended. No single word could be uttered between the two girls to make everything right at that moment. It was a rare melody of emotion that had to be played out by the two of them. Tears serving as the tempo, soft cries as the melody, and fate's gentle waving hand as the conductor.
Few things could get Toshino Kyouko down. She was renowned for her loud mouth, and resolve of steel. Her bright, contagious smile got her out of trouble just as easily as it could get her into it. She was the first to speak up on any topic, first to come up with a plan of action, and first to take the steps to carry it out. She was a true leader in every sense of the word. People all around her were influenced by her charm, and aura of cheer. It was what fellow classmates and friends came to expect from she energetic young blonde. Yui, however, as her best friend, sometimes saw her at her worst. Tears from Kyouko was not shocking to Yui, but rather, unexpected. It made her feel uneasy, confused, and desperate to remedy the situation.
Kyouko's tears slowly increased in number with every blink of her eyes. Her gaze slowly grew closer and closer to the ground. Half in pain, half in shame, she wanted nothing more than to just run out the door and come back with a smile on after her episode wore off. There was no escape, not because of minor physical barriers like a door, but the emotional barriers proved much stronger and more daunting. Running away simply wasn't an option for someone like Toshino Kyouko. She dealt with the here and now, no matter how painful it proved to be. The present moment is where all the power dwells within her.
"I... I just-" Kyouko stumbled over her words. Each syllable seemed to fall out of her mouth onto the ground. Every malformed word and muttered phrase flopping around on the ground in front of her like a fish out of water. "I just wanted to do something," The occasional sniffing attack plagued Kyouko's statements. "wanted to do something nice for you." Kyouko wiped a side of her face with the purple part of her apron. "You always... help me, and do nice things for me, but I never feel like I return the favor. There has to be something I can do to repay your kindness!"
Kyouko felt the slight pressure of a human hand on the back of her head. Her body not automatically making adjustments for balance, she fell forward into Yui's arms, her tear stained chin coming to rest on Yui's shoulder. The weight of all her karmic debt came falling with her. Kyouko's legs buckled beneath what seemed like her entire world crashing down on top of her. She continued her plight, worried she wouldn't get another chance to properly express her feelings.
"You always help me with my homework even when it's already late. You always make sure I have something to eat, even if it's unhealthy for me, like Rum Raisin, because you know I like it. You always walk with me to the club room even though I take forever to pack up my stuff after class. You al-" Kyouko's incoherent rambling was cut short by Yui forcefully lowering Kyouko's face into her neck and shoulder. Kyouko proceeded to cry harder and louder than before, the occasional "I'm sorry." falling out of her mouth.
Yui was at a complete loss for words. It had never occurred to her that those kinds of mundane tasks had such an impact on her friend. Kyouko had been keeping track of everything. Things Yui had just let pass her by. The only thing she could really comprehend clearly was the feeling of Kyouko's soft blonde hair running through her fingers and how the upswing of her locks carried the faint smell of vanilla. Why had she never thought of these things? All of her wasted hours spent on Kyouko's dilemmas seemed to have no place in her mind, as if they never mattered. Surely it had to be stuffed somewhere in the back of her mind, considering the immense impact it had on her friend. It wasn't because she was indifferent to Kyouko's shortcomings, or wanton desires. The answer was emotionally crippled, laying collapsed in her very arms. Yui knew what she wanted to say, but the words just wouldn't come out of her mouth.
'Just tell her you love her.' Yui bit her lip.
Kyouko's emotions were beginning to transfer to Yui. Yui could feel tears well up inside of her. She knew if she lost control, it was all over. The evening of self-discovery and intrigue would turn into a messy crying fit over uncut potatoes. Ultimately, Yui was more than contented standing there comforting her sobbing friend. In a twisted sort of way, she wanted to savor the moment for as long as she could. Yui saw the scene she was in from a different angle than most might. She was the only one capable of seeing Kyouko in her entirety. In the visage of a tear stained broken young woman who cared so deeply for her friend, Kyouko had become complete to Yui. Kyouko's tears completed the puzzle of Yui's feelings for her. This was Yui's chance, and she planned to take it. Out of her mentality, came the words she was looking for:
"Kyouko... I think I know of a way you can repay me." Yui gently rested her head against Kyouko's.
Kyouko's crying had slowed to a dull series of whimpers. She managed a response in the form of a glimpse into Yui's seemingly celestial expression. Kyouko's clouded crystal-blue eyes spoke leagues above anything that poured out of her mouth that night.
Yui took up her friend, still heavy with regret, and pulled her seemingly limp body in close by the waist.
"It may seem selfish, and out of place for me to demand..." Yui's eyes wandered down Kyouko's tear-laden shirt before returning to the warm sapphire pools she so deeply desired to confess her feelings to. "...But, don't ever regret who you are. Because, I truly love that person, more than you can possibly imagine."
A bright white flash filled the room. Lightning. Followed by the close roar of thunder. The two figures stood motionless in a now black room, the pale glow from the dull cook-top flames in their tear-filled eyes their only remaining visual connection with one another.
As the water on the stove continued to bubble. Yui felt the embrace of her friend slowly wrap around her person. As their bodies contoured to the others shape, Yui felt the warm sensation of lips on her ear.
"The word of The Empress is absolute..." Kyouko's breath on her ear seemed to warm Yui's very soul.
"I love you, Kyouko. Don't ever change." Yui continued to run her fingers through Kyouko's hair, savoring the smell of every disturbed strand.
The two students would remain there in silence for the next couple of minutes. Simply enjoying the others company in the now colorless void of a kitchen; their only company the flickering gas stove light reflecting off of their drying eyes. Every beat of the others heart resonating through their chests; a consistent reminder of the bond they had forged over the years. Every breath between them, a song of relief letting oxygen flow through their bodies, like water to a bed of flowers. The occasional squeeze from the other silently speaking the same words over and over:
'Just a bit longer... lets stay like this.'
The End.
Writers Note: Hello, and thanks for reading Stir Occasionally Over Heat! I really hope you enjoyed the little love story between these two. This is my first attempt at writing romance and I would really appreciate any constructive criticism you would be willing to put forward. Thank you so much for making it this far. I hope you join me on future writing adventures!
