Roses Grow
by sharnii
Chapter 3: A Time to Leave
By the beginning of my third week of incarceration, I was going crazy. I paced the apartment restlessly. I even had a route.
Bedroom. Circle the bed. Pause to finger the soft material of Anthy's folded nightgown.
Bathroom. Stare helplessly into the mirror. Think that my eyes looked somehow different. Often pull up my shirt to check if that raised scar was real. Turn around to look at its twin on my back disbelievingly.
Bedroom. Pace restlessly. Avoid looking in the dresser mirror.
Balcony. Lean on the railing while staring down at the city. Had things really changed? They looked the same… Stare up at the sky. When it was very blue I would feel a sense of deep unease begin to eat away at me. I would retreat quickly.
Hallway. Pause and stare mindlessly at the two lonely photos on the wall. I knew them by heart. On the right wall was the photo of Anthy and I, with ChuChu on her shoulder. On my shoulder rested a masculine arm in a long red sleeve…cut off at the elbow. On the left wall hung a photo of the gates of Ohtori…from the outside. It didn't look right to me. Unreal.
Loungeroom. Stalk around and around the russet couch. Eye the books. Perhaps flop down on said couch and make a cursory effort of reading one. Give up after about two minutes. Throw it down in frustration.
Kitchenette. Peer into the fridge for food. Decide that my roiling stomach couldn't handle any. Collapse at the table and stare down at it with my head in my hands. Stare at ChuChu tugging futilely on my wrist. Leap up and shove chair to floor, not sure why my emotions were reeling.
Begin again.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat with minor variations.
Finally…
Hear Anthy fumbling with lock. Race to return abandoned books to bookshelf and chair to table. Plonk down in chair just as she entered kitchen.
Smile artlessly and ask how her day was.
Avoid her knowing gaze.
When she returned home on Friday evening there was a strange light in her eyes.
"It's time," she told me, sitting down across from me.
"Eh? Time for what?" I asked. I noticed vaguely how her red blouse hugged her curves. Then I blushed.
I looked up to see her amused eyes watching me.
"Time for us to leave this apartment. At least long enough for me to take you to dinner."
"Oooh really?" I was beside myself with excitement. "Gee Himemiya, that's fantastic! I'm dying to go outside; I can't stand it in this rattrap."
"I know it's been hard," she acknowledged, "but you've needed the time to grow stronger. Your energy has returned, right?"
I thought about that. If energy counted as restless pacing…
"Where are we going?" I followed her into the bedroom, bouncing lightly with excitement.
Her smile was coy. "It's a secret."
We walked to the "secret" which turned out to be a cosy restaurant only blocks away. I found my hand of its own volition slipping into Anthy's. We strolled in companionable silence. The air was fresh, if a little cold; it emphasized the warmth of our clinging hands. I found the unbearable tension that had been mounting in me start to slide away.
After only two blocks my breath began to shorten. Once again my weakness filled me with irritation. I didn't notice I was growling under my breath until I felt ChuChu's soft paws stroking my neck, from his sudden perch on my shoulder. Anthy had also slowed her pace to match mine.
"Don't worry, Utena", she said softly. "It's to be expected."
"I can't help it," I said, in a rare moment of self-insight. "I have to be strong. I have to be ready. Who knows who'll come after you next? I have to protect you!"
She had stopped walking now and was turned to me, her eyes wide in the moonlight.
"Is that what you want?" One dark hand reached up to cup my cheek.
I leaned helplessly into her touch.
"Yes," I whispered. "More than anything."
"That's funny," she whispered back, "it's what I want for you."
I stared down at her, suddenly at a loss.
"But why? I don't need protecting…do I?"
Her eyes seemed to darken, and her hand fell away.
"More than you know." She wouldn't say anything more. I sighed. She could be annoying like that.
In the restaurant we sat at a secluded corner table, hidden behind a large potted tree. Anthy ordered a very old red wine, which made me wrinkle my nose at its bitterness. I appreciated its warmth though as it slid down my throat. We were gazing at each other over our glasses when the unexpected happened.
A man pushed past the potted plant and stood towering over us.
"It is you!" Touga pushed his long red hair out of sharp blue eyes. His voice lowered to almost reverent tones.
"Tenjou Utena…"
I blushed. Anthy grimaced. ChuChu leapt onto Touga's designer shoe and started biting his ankle. Touga hopped around in pain.
"Get off me, you foul…demon…monkey!"
I got to my feet, intending to pull ChuChu off his victim and the second surprise crashed past the plant.
"Kiryuu, where the hell have you gotten to?"
Saionji stopped and stared at us, his jaw dropping.
"You!" he growled at me. Then he saw my tablemate. "Anthy-san", he muttered sounding like a man drowning.
"This is bad," I murmured just as the third and final surprise flicked the plant aside and stood there in smart white slacks and shirt.
"I see," said Juri, her voice quite calm. But her eyes didn't look calm at all.
Now we all shared the corner table, staring surreptitiously at each other and downing too much wine. Our meals came and at first we ate in silence. Touga obligingly ordered more of the expensive red. He winked at me over his glass. His long fingers stroked the rim. Saionji glared at me. Juri stared at me and fingered her locket. I felt a hand stroke my knee and threw a startled glance at Anthy who was now seated to my right. She smiled in what looked suspiciously like gentle amusement. ChuChu sat on my lap and growled.
Juri was the first to break the awkward silence.
"So Himemiya-san…you found her, I see. How fortunate. How long ago was the happy reunion?"
To my surprise Anthy actually looked slightly uncomfortable. Her hand stilled on my knee. A pause. Finally as though the words were torn out of her:
"Three weeks ago."
I looked up to see three jaws fallen open and three identically shocked expressions. A piece of spinach fell out of Saionji's open mouth and onto the table. ChuChu pounced on it with relish.
"Charming, Saionji," said Touga, recovering himself first. Saionji glared at him.
"Three weeks," repeated Juri faintly. "That's all?"
"Why?" I asked, wondering at the strange reaction.
"Still not the brightest bulb in the lamp, are we Tenjou?" smirked Saionji. "Well some things never change, no matter how much time passes."
"Time?" I muttered, glowering at him while feeling a little lost.
"Look at me, Utena-san," commanded Juri. I did.
"How old do I look?" asked the redhead. I was surprised by Anthy's hand tightening suddenly on my knee.
"Um," I said, glancing at Anthy out of the corner of my eye. She looked worried.
"Um, you look…" I felt confused as I looked, really looked at Juri for the first time that night. She didn't look the same, that was for sure. Her hair seemed shorter, and merely wavy where once it had held tight curls. There was actually a light sprinkle of freckles dusted over her nose. That was new. My eyes trailed down past the locket (was it the same?) to sinuous curves. Was Juri…bigger?
"Utena-san," prompted the object of my attention. I blushed.
"Uh, I guess you look different. Older."
"The idiot has eyes," muttered Saionji.
"Beautiful eyes," amended Touga.
I frowned at both of them. Then I noticed they both looked older too. Taller. Broader shoulders. Saionji's hair not quite as wild, although his intense green eyes still held the same crazy light. Said eyes were fixed dreamily on Anthy. I contemplated hitting him.
"It's been five years," said Juri quietly. My attention whipped back to her. I felt my own eyes growing wide as a sudden chill snaked down my spine.
"Five years, Utena-san," she repeated. "Five long years since that godforsaken duel of revolution."
TBC in Chapter 4: Enter the Swords
