~Chapter 4: Down by the crocodiles lair~
"FAAAAAAAAAAAAATHER!" Yumiko screamed as loud as she could, dashing towards the tall man at formidable speed.
"Woah, easy now!" Alex chuckled and caught Yumiko before she barrelled into him, lifting her up and holding her easily against him, "what's all this in aid of?"
The young girl, no older than 11, pouted and pointed her finger accusingly at a young child approaching them.
"Ah, Heinkel."
"Vas? She tell on me again? Honestly! I svear I don't know how those worms got in this evening' lunch. Or where Yumie' panties are," Heinkel put her hands in her pockets and looked innocent for a few seconds, before Anderson' burning gaze made her look at the floor, "...I'll go apologise and grab them."
"Good." Alex just shook his head laughing before letting Yumiko slip down out of his arms, the young girl dashing off after Heinkel but being stopped as another lad appeared around the corner.
"Hello Ricky!" Yumiko bounced on her heels and held her hands behind her back.
"It's Enrico Yumiko. Enrico." The young lad just glared at her and shook his head, about to walk off again, only being stopped by the girl grabbing his arm.
"Come, come, come! Me and Heinkel finished the tree house!"
"And I would care, why?" Enrico just looked at her and then back at the hand on his arm.
"Because you know deep down you want to see it."
"No I really don't." Enrico tugged his arm free and turned away from her.
"Oh well. Guess that means me and Heinkel will have to eat all the biscuits ourselves." Yumiko put her hands on her hips and sighed loudly, as if the chore sounded impossible.
Maxwell froze for a second before turning his head slightly to look at her.
"...What type of biscuits?"
"Heinkel nicked mother superior' selection box." Yumiko smiled at him and Maxwell couldn't help but blush.
"Well...I suppose-" He was cut off as she grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him with her.
"Come on! Before the old bat finds out what we done!"
Father Anderson sighed happily as he observed Maxwell willingly allowing Yumiko to pull him along, blushing furiously as Yumiko giggled happily and skipped down the hallway, leading him to the garden.
~Four years later~
"How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!
How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes in
With-"
"With gently smiling jaws. Ja, ja, ja, ve know!" Heinkel just shook her head and removed another card from her hand, placing it face down on the floor.
"No offence Yumiko, but don't you have any better material?" Maxwell quickly looked at her with an evil smile, munching on another biscuit and making sure Heinkel couldn't see his great hand.
"This is my FAVOURITE book. And you have to admit, it is good." Yumiko sat cross legged with the big book in her lap, the illustrated pages catching her attention and she ran her fingers over the dusky pictures.
"Mmm, I suppose so, but I-AHA! Four queens und three aces!" Heinkel pulled out the last card and scattered the others on the floor, flipping them over to reveal their true selves.
"What?!" Maxwell looked over his cards, disgusted at the correctness, "You...you cheated!"
"Germans, NEVER cheat!" Heinkel placed her hands on her hips and looked on victorious.
"No, you just know how to start wars." Maxwell threw down his cards and glared at her.
"Vas?! You want to fight! Have at thee!" Heinkel flew forward and was just about to land on Maxwell, but was jolted back at the last second by Yumiko' hand pulling at the corner of her shirt.
"NO. FIGHTING. You two both know the rules. If Father Anderson hears us, we get kicked out." She stood above Heinkel, looking sternly at them both.
"The thing started it." Maxwell said, munching on another biscuit.
"Thing?! Why you fuc-"
"Heinkel!" Yumiko slapped Heinkel around the head, "act more feminine! You're going to be a nun one day!"
"Hah! Me?! A nun!" Heinkel rolled about on the floor and laughed so hard, she clutched at her stomach, "Oh my god! No vay! I'm gonna' be just like Anderson!"
"Catholic woman can't be priests. But...you are right on that. I can't see you as a nun." Maxwell sat back, relaxing on his elbows.
"Ja. Any way, I suppose it's for the best really. I mean, can you imagine me in a penguin suit? Now you Yumiko...you would suit a skirt like this one nicely." Heinkel grabbed the hem of Heinkel' skirt and flicked it up, Yumiko squealing loudly as the two on the floor got a good view of her pink bloomers.
"Oh! Heinkel!" She screeched like a banchi and turned to give Heinkel another slap. Unfortunately, she still wasn't used to the new rugs and as her foot twisted, it got caught up and she fell backwards.
"Yumiko!" Maxwell' voice called out from behind her and everything happened so fast.
Yumiko had expected to land on a hard bit of floor, but instead, was stopped halfway and landed with a soft bump. When she opened her closed eyes, she gazed up into Maxwell', flushing furiously at the realisation what they were doing.
When Maxwell had caught Yumiko, his arm had gotten stuck and when she jolted her head at the slight impact, he slipped down and their lips had just fallen against each other.
Both stayed very still for a couple of seconds, just staring at each other as if expecting the other to do something.
It wasn't until they heard the small snort of Heinkel did they pull apart violently and turn towards her.
"HEINKEL!" Both yelled at her, instantly placing blame on her.
"Oh gott...you both look like beetroo-HEY! VHAT DID I DO?!" Heinkel went from chuckling to looking very shocked in three seconds.
After a severe shouting match and Yumiko and Maxwell hitting Heinkel with pillows, they were called in for supper and all three left separately, Maxwell looking back at Yumiko all the time and touching his lips with his fingertips, remembering how sweet she tasted for those few seconds.
