In Touch With The Ground
As happened most days, Mei woke up before Yuzu did. Usually, Mei was akin to a cat and upon opening her eyes, she would wake up at once. There was no clogged mind and no lingering sleep in her eyes. Today was different though. Mei yawned, struggling to drive her tiredness away and face the day ahead. She had fallen asleep later than she had intended and for that, she and Yuzu were equally responsible.
She awoke to the familiar weight Yuzu's head resting on her shoulder. Her love was sleeping as deeply as always. Her steady breathing warmed Mei's skin and Yuzu's hair tickled her neck. She inhaled sharply, letting the scent that belonged to her Yuzu invade her senses. Her body was still tingling because of last night; she was still delicate and sensitive and Yuzu's scent was enough to awaken her desire once again.
If only there was time. Mei's gaze drifted toward the bedside clock, it cruelly stated that she was out of luck. It was time to greet the day. She reached for her lamp and turned it on. A soft orange glow chased the darkness to the corners of the bedroom.
Mei's eyes went to drink in the sight of Yuzu. She could not fathom of a time she had not been allowed to wake up in Yuzu's embrace. She knew there had been such a time but the potency of her current feelings made it impossible for her to recall it, or even conceive it. She was where she was supposed to be. Where she was meant to be. She belonged here and nowhere else.
Mei loved to gaze upon Yuzu as she slept. She took her time studying every detail of her beautiful love's appearance, from the gentle slope of her neck to the inviting sharpness of her collarbone and the delicate curve of her shoulder. Both were made to be bitten and had been, although Mei felt merciful and left no marks on Yuzu on this occasion. Not where they could be seen at least.
Mei raised the arm she had wrapped around Yuzu and delicately trailed her fingertips over her lover's bare shoulder. Yuzu twitched slightly, responsive as always to Mei's touch. It would not be enough to wake her up though, far from it. Besides, Mei had only just started her daily study of Yuzu's many perfect traits.
Yuzu's face was the part she loved studying the most, it was simply flawless in every detail. Her skin was warm to the touch and so incredibly smooth – A result of her twice-daily ritual of leaning over the sink and applying various exfoliating products to her face. It was a routine that took a level of discipline that many would not expect of Yuzu, but Mei knew that her partner was extremely dedicated... In her own way, of course.
Mei ran the tip of her index finger along Yuzu's gorgeous features; it was a feather-like touch that would not wake her from her slumber. It was not time yet. She trailed her fingertip over the spot between Yuzu's lower lip and her chin. It was a delicious spot. Yuzu was particularly sensitive there and during kisses, Mei's lips would often slip to it and tease it gently. Yuzu never failed to let her know how much she appreciated that. Then again, Yuzu never left her wondering and never had her guessing. She would always let Mei know how much she loved something, and she loved Mei above all things.
She ghosted her fingertip along the sweet bow of Yuzu's jaw, another favorite biting spot of hers. She avoided touching Yuzu's nose as she knew it would make her love sneeze.
As it always happened when she looked at Yuzu's sleeping face, the sudden need to stare into those love-filled green eyes of hers and behold that sunny smile became an imperative. She longed for them. Nothing in the world was comparable to the feeling of Yuzu looking and smiling at her. The love she had for Mei would blaze in her eyes and the happiness she felt at looking at Mei would set her smile alight.
...And it would not be an act of greediness, waking her up, since the clock spoke clearly.
Mei ducked her head and gently parted Yuzu's lips with her own. Her touch was tender and slow – An act requiring the finest of motor control. She loved to take her time when it came to waking her sleeping beauty up. She took Yuzu's upper lips between hers and held it tenderly, it was so soft. She wished she could bite it.
She could not resist slipping to one of her favorite spots: the skin separating Yuzu's lower lip from the tip of her chin. She ghosted kisses over it until the tip of her tongue cheekily came out to tickle it.
She went back to deftly kiss Yuzu's parted lips and she finally felt the change in Yuzu's breathing pattern. Her lips became bolder, she felt Yuzu come awake into her kiss and join in. Their kiss deepened, it became daring and passionate.
Mei finally got what she was looking for. Yuzu's eyelids slowly parted, dazzling her lover with those glorious green irises. Even moments after waking up, Yuzu's face was full of love for Mei. It was a testament to her sincerity. Mei revelled in the knowledge that she had Yuzu's unconditional support. It made her feel capable of doing anything and everything she wanted.
Emerald eyes drinking in the sight of her, Yuzu's hand raised to cup her head and bring Mei even closer. Mei's arm curled even tighter around her lover's body, fingers taking hold of Yuzu's bare shoulder possessively.
And as their passion grew, their limbs entwined under the sheet. Their nakedness only escalated their ardor and soon their hands went for more intimate touches.
"Yuzu." Mei tried to pull back from Yuzu's lips unsuccessfully. Her attempts did not carry the proper conviction and her lips could not stop meeting Yuzu's. Her body was acting in complete defiance of her brain.
Yuzu rolled over on top of her while placing most of her weight on her forearms on each side of Mei's shoulders. Mei felt Yuzu's golden locks tickle her face and pool upon her the bare skin of her neck. Her breathing picked up and the beat of her heart quickened in anticipation when Yuzu's right leg deftly parted parted her thighs.
"Me-i" Yuzu's voice was one of need for at the moment, there was nothing but Mei in the world for her.
Mei inhaled deeply as contact was made and could not stop herself from tightening her hold of Yuzu. Yuzu was hers.
"We…" Mei paused to catch her breath. If not for her steely will forged over years of solitude, she would have never managed to speak the next words. "We are going to be late."
Yuzu 's face slackened into the most incredulous expression it could muster. It did not surprise Mei though, since she was aware that she was asking the impossible.
"….late for what?" Yuzu's voice was warm with desire. She was right. They were meant to go out for the weekend. No meetings to attend, no clients to entertain. Just a long weekend in Fujikawaguchiko with the family. Still, Mei's sense of duty was legendary for a reason.
"We have a sched-" Yuzu's lips cut her off again, the urgency of the kiss did not make it any less devoted. Mei felt her body react of its own volition. Her need for Yuzu transcended her will. Her senses were filled with nothing but her lover. Yuzu's scent felt like gentle spring rain. Yuzu's touches, so passionate and yet still gentle and generous. Yuzu's taste, her mouth, her skin, flavors that were for Mei and no one else to savor and the sight of Yuzu's verdant eyes, ablaze with love and desire...
"We can spare a few minutes Mei. " Yuzu managed to say against her lips in between kisses. The delicate familiar weight of Yuzu's body on top of hers had her far from trapped. It was not that she could not move away, she simply did not want to. She was aware that if she truly demanded Yuzu to stop, then her lover would immediately cease any activity. The battle had happened within Mei's mind, but as the seconds passed by, it became clear which side was going to prevail. It had never been a contest to begin with.
"Yuzu." By then Mei's pride was the only reason that kept her talking. "It usually takes much lon-" Another kiss, slow and adoring caught Mei's words. Mei's felt as melting under Yuzu's attentions. She felt irreplaceable.
"We'll make do!" Yuzu whispered in her ear before starting to nibble at her lobe. Mei had but one answer to give now. She rolled sideways, bringing Yuzu with her. Her lips found the column of Yuzu's neck as she set to adore the smooth skin with her mouth. Her right hand caressed Yuzu's ribcage, her lover inhaled sharply, it trailed to grip Yuzu's small delicious hip firmly and drew her closer still.
Mei's hand slipped even further down, and she was rewarded by the sight of Yuzu tossing her head back and coming undone under her touch.
As it was, it took them longer than few minutes to make love to each other, though neither girl felt bad about it. Their schedule was self-imposed and so it was flexible. The thought of a schedule being flexible was not a pleasant one for Mei but in this particular case, it had proved to be a blessing. They had decided to keep things relaxed, it was meant to be a stressless day after all and hurrying up would ruin it.
Lover time over, Mei had washed up and dressed herself in a pair of tight dark jeans and paired a burgundy silk shirt with it, her attire for the day. Yuzu had resolved to stay in her pajamas since she had breakfast to prepare and did not wish to risk her clothes should an accident take place. She also just liked to walk around the apartment in her pajamas, but kept that fact to herself.
Mei set to wake up Atsuko.
Mei tiptoed into the dimly-lit room. She turned on the night light and its pale glow extinguished the darkness from the bed. Mei spotted Atsuko's sleeping form quite clearly under the covers... or partially under the covers, as it turned out. Atsuko was all over the place, limbs shooting out in every direction, dark hair fanning all over the pillow and one of Selene's paws firmly gripped in her hand.
It was a sight that Mei treasured. Her fondness for watching Yuzu sleep had taught her that she enjoyed few things more than watching a loved one sleep so deeply and peacefully. It gave her a measure of serenity. When putting Atsuko to bed, she and Yuzu would often stay several minutes after the child fell asleep, just to marvel at the sight of someone so perfect, someone that had made their life so unbelievably richer.
Having Atsuko had been a blessing for the whole family. Her birth had brought all of them together. Shou spent more time at home than ever before and was finally experiencing the joys of fatherhood for as much as his hectic work permitted. Ume seemed to have gained a further state of blissfulness after the birth of her youngest daughter.
Yuzu could not believe her family had grown even bigger; it was what she had always dreamed of. As for Mei, she had discovered shades of love she did not know to exist before. Who would have thought love to have so many facets? Taking care of Atsuko and seeing her grow up had proved to be a source of unparalleled joy.
As much as she wished for Atsuko to enjoy sleeping a little longer, Mei could wait no more. She had to wake her up. They had to leave within an hour and breakfast was a long affair for Yuzu and Atsuko.
As she always did, Mei leaned closer to the child to gently cup her face in her right hand before starting to delicately caress her head. It did not take long for Atsuko to start stirring. She blinked a couple of times and released the widest of yawns. Mei thought that she looked like a little lion cub. She yawned again before focusing her eyes. On spotting Mei, a smile conquered her face, she threw her arms around her sister's neck and hugged her tightly.
"Nee-san!" In spite of just waking up, her voice was as cheerful as ever. "Good morning, Nee-san!"
"Atsuko." Mei lifted her into her lap before kissing her head slightly. "Good morning."
"We have to leave now, Nee-san?" Atsuko pulled back but kept her arms around Mei.
"Not quite." Mei ran her fingers through Atsuko's hair, brushing it back into a somewhat uniform style. The child always had a wild look on waking up. "Your sister is making a special breakfast."
"Yes!" Atsuko cheered at the mention of food. She did not seem intentioned of losing her hold around Mei's neck, Mei knew it was an unspoken request. One she was happy to oblige.
She dreaded the day she would no longer be able to lift her sister in her arms. She was growing at a frightful rate. Mei wondered if Atsuko felt the same.
It would not surprise Mei if she did. Sometimes, Atsuko would fake falling asleep on the couch as she knew that Nee-san would carry her to bed then. Of course, upon entering the bedroom she would inevitably wake up, it was time to read with Nee-san after all. Mei had figured her out the first time she faked falling asleep but she truly had no reason to let Atsuko know.
Mei walked into the kitchen and was greeted by the sight of Yuzu setting steaming plates on the kitchen peninsula while humming and swaying along as she did. Yuzu knew how to sway her hips, it was a most hypnotic dance and the fact that she was still wearing her tight pajama shorts did not help. At all. Their intense start to the day had left Mei hyper aware and the alluring sight was enough for her body to tingle in anticipation once more.
A blush colored the tip of Mei's ears. She had to create a distraction, lest the blush spread all over her face. If Yuzu were to realize the cause of it, Mei's peace would most likely cease to be.
Holding back a sigh, she gave Atsuko a light kiss on the forehead and put her down. As predicted by Mei, the child dashed to Yuzu and hugged her about the waist.
"Yuzu-nee!" Yuzu turned into the embrace and Atsuko looked up at her, chin resting on Yuzu's stomach. "Good morning!"
"Easy there, little samurai!" Yuzu lifted her sister into a hug and kissed her loudly on the cheek. "I am not going anywhere. Good morning to you too!" She put Atsuko down and moved aside to reveal the breakfast set she had been working so passionately on. "Splendid morning actually! Tada!"
Atsuko could not stop herself from squealing out! "French toast!"
"Launch your attack, little samurai" Yuzu helped Atsuko on the stool. "These are no good cold…HEY!" Yuzu noticed Atsuko's bare feet for the first time.
"Where are your slippers? And your s-" It was better to not go there.
"Mei?" She turned toward her lover with a most surprised expression. It wasn't like Mei to miss such things, as if on cue her beloved sighed rather loudly.
Mei stilled her face to look neutral. A smile was threatening to break through at any moment. In truth, she had only missed the bare feet because of Atsuko's legs being wrapped around her waist and after putting her down, she had been busy staring at Yuzu. Mei knew there had been no malice on Atsuko's part yet she felt the unusual impulse to tease her sister a little. After all, she knew better than to walk barefooted.
"Atsuko. You tricked me."
Yuzu gasped dramatically, immediately picking up on Mei's play.
Worry spread at once over Atsuko's delicate face. "Nee-san, I did not! I would never!" She sounded quite alarmed. Her confused and panicked expression was such a surreal sight.
It was too much. Yuzu could not hold it any longer. She burst into laughter. The look on Atsuko's face was priceless.
It was then that Atsuko caught on to what was happening and her panicked face tightened in the most overly dramatic of pouts. She did everything she could to appear quite perturbed.
Yuzu's laughter eventually subsided as Mei maintained her poker face. Her Aihara genes would not allow her to back down now. Yuzu quickly determined what was going on and watched on quietly with a bemused expression.
"Atsuko, go and put your socks on." Mei commanded, feeling a slight pang of guilt as the words left her mouth.
Atsuko all but jumped off the stool and scurried out of the kitchen, prompting a wink from Yuzu as she left. Yuzu then turned to face her lover, a knowing smile painting her face in mischief.
"Hehehe, your little sister might not have known what you were doing, but I do." Yuzu whispered. "I'm flattered, of course."
Mei jumped at the opportunity. She had only a few moments before Atsuko would return to the kitchen. She approached Yuzu with a wry smile and gently ran her slender hands across Yuzu's shapely hips. Yuzu trembled slightly at the touch. Mei knew exactly where Yuzu's most sensitive spots were and took full advantage of that knowledge.
"What else could I do?" Mei asked before trailing tantalizing kisses up her lover's jaw. "This is entirely your fault." She practically purred into Yuzu's ear and made her twitch as her breath reached Yuzu's skin.
The sound of thudding along the floor brought an abrupt end to the exchange. Yuzu gave her lover a warm smile and stepped back towards the kitchen counter.
Breakfast was a loud experience. Yuzu and Atsuko would often stop to praise the deliciousness of Yuzu's French toast and they shared the need to converse while eating. Silence was not an option when those two were together. Mei had joined in too, willing to partake in the joy of such a simple pleasure. On top of that, Yuzu's French toast had been nothing short of unbelievably tasty. It was certainly one of many delicious recipes that had been passed down from mother to daughter.
Yuzu had disappeared to get herself ready while Mei did the dishes and Atsuko helped her by drying them off. They both needed a private moment of closeness after the socks debacle. Not that there had been any real concern on Atsuko's part over Mei's true disposition yet it had been a first and so she had needed the reassurance. Mei had cherished the moment as well. She had little doubt over Atsuko having gauged her true intent, yet she would hate nothing more than for her precious sister to think her upset over such a trivial matter.
Once they were finished, Atsuko had left her sisters to sort the packing on the living space huge table while she went to get ready for the day.
In hindsight, it would have been wiser to pack the day before as they had planned to. Mei and Yuzu had been overcome with an imperative need for closeness and had instead spent the evening in each other's arms on the sofa while a movie played on the television. Once they made it to the bed, their needs had morphed in nature and kept them awake longer than expected.
Mei shook her head while folding a blanket. What had gotten into her? She had little control over her desires when it came to Yuzu but those last few days had been ridiculous to say the least.
It had been a particularly stressful month for the pair of them and Atsuko too. Mei knew that she did not need to justify her need for her lover's embrace, but her rational mind had to seek out a reason.
Yuzu had long stopped packing; she had been staring at her phone for the last five minutes. She had the brightest smile on her face and Mei was growing unbearably curious over the cause of it. It was not a significant cause for concern as when it came to packing, Yuzu's deft hands would easily recuperate her lost minutes. The limited space offered by Japanese housing had led to her adopting creative techniques to maximise the amount of clothes and toiletries that she could cram into a drawer or bag.
"I see that you have finished packing everything, Yuzu." Yuzu's head snapped up at the slightly ironic tone in Mei's voice. Irony was something Mei had only learned recently. She still had a long way to go before she truly harnessed its intricacies though.
"Ehehehehe... Sorry." Yuzu pocketed her phone and set herself to the task at hand.
"Me-i" She said in a delicate tone while holding the first aid kit that Mei had bought specifically for the journey.
"This thing is huge, are you sure we nee-"
"Yes." Mei cut Yuzu off – Something she usually would not do. She felt very strongly over this matter though. "This is the complete set. I do not wish to be caught unprepared."
"Okay…" Yuzu sighed to herself, this thing was going to fill half a bag. "Maybe we could get an ambulance following us…" She smirked mischievously at Mei. "Then we'll be even safer."
"I am not taking risks, Yuzu" Mei's tone broke no argument. It was the end of the discussion. She nodded to herself and packed the bug repellent along with the sun cream. She and Atsuko had a milk-like complexion and it did not take a strong sun to turn them a colour resembling salmon sashimi.
Shou should have had the same problem but his travels had managed to toughen him up somehow and he no longer got burnt quite as badly. Ume and Yuzu could spend a day basking in the sun and their skin would darken yet remain unblemished. It was absolutely fitting, in Mei's opinion. It would fit Atsuko better as well.
"Yuzu." Something was still bothering Mei. "Why were you smiling at the phone a few minutes ago?" There was a note of jealousy in her voice and she did not bother to cover it. Besides, her possessiveness delighted Yuzu greatly.
"Ah!" Yuzu's smiled radiantly. While packing away some undergarment. She had made sure to pick the corset with all the laces. Mei loved to untie them with her teeth. A slight blush dusted her cheekbones at the thought. She shook it away and quickly zipped the pocket she had just filled.
"It's work-related. I am still getting emails over the camel..." Yuzu's voice swelled with pride. Mei's chest was flooded with happiness over it. Her sweet beloved Yuzu deserved all the success in the world.
"That was three months ago, Yuzu." Mei smiled tenderly at Yuzu. Her love was beaming at her and spilling happiness everywhere. "It really made an impression then."
"Sure did! How did Matsuri pull it out at three in the morning, in the middle of Tokyo?" Yuzu raised both arms in a gesture of surprise while shaking her head before continuing in an even chirper voice. "She said it took less than one phone call!" She shook her head in pure wonder. "That girl amazes me."
"Mizusawa is nothing if not... resourceful." Mei conceded. She truly bore no ill-will towards Matsuri. They were not friends but the pink haired girl had proved her loyalty to Yuzu a hundred times over and Mei could only be grateful to her for that. She was Yuzu's precious friend and closest collaborator. Atsuko was in awe with her too, though Mei wished that she would stop referring to the girl as "Matsuri-sama" – A needlessly grandiose title that the pink-haired devil had requested for herself.
Mei moved to pack Atsuko's bag. She wondered where Yuzu had found such item. It was child sized, yet it sported the fearsome design of a dragon and a white tiger. They were locked in an eternal struggle from which neither could emerge victorious in what looked like the sky. Atsuko had fallen in love with it at first sight, of course and had all but tackled Yuzu into the ground, where they had a couple of minutes wrestling with each other, maybe trying to recreate the bag design. Mei had no idea, in truth.
They had looked deliriously happy though and Ume had snapped quite a few pictures of the pair. Mei had a few of those pictures printed out. They were locked in the drawers of her desk at the Academy. She loved to look at them whenever stress got too much to handle.
She then found herself folding one of Atsuko's shirts. It was one of her favorite, sporting Uesugi Kenshin's two swallows crest on the front. When she moved to fold another, she noticed it bore the same design on the front, except the shirt was purple instead of being orange. When another identical shirt, this time in green, happened into her hands, she could no longer keep quiet. She had to unravel the mystery.
"Yuzu, why does Atsuko need to have the same shirt in three different colours? Mei asked in genuine curiosity while holding the green version of the garment toward Yuzu.
Yuzu looked unfazed by her question. She put her favorite pair of jeans into her bag. Mei had greatly approved her lover's choice when she had picked them out... Yuzu's bottom was an absolutely delicious sight in those pants.
Yuzu zipped the bag and by the smirk on her face, Mei feared she had read her mind. She had to get a hold of herself. Yuzu reached over to take Atsuko's shirt from Mei's hands and held the garment by the sleeves, showing its design in all its martial glory.
"For the same reason she has three or more different books about Uesugi Kenshin, Mei!" Yuzu delivered a quick riposte. It sounded so obvious to her, but all Mei could do was raise a regal eyebrow.
"Yuzu." Mei started in her most gentle voice. The one she reserved for her little sister. Yuzu was honestly missing the point. "The different historians have different takes on the story. It isnit the same."
"Mei." Yuzu chuckled slightly. She was the picture of confidence. "Different colours have different colours that they match with. It's exactly the same."
Mei's eyes widened in surprise. Yuzu's point was very astute and a fair one at that, she had to concede. She mentally chided herself for doubting her lover. That sneaky girl of hers was rarely caught unprepared nowadays.
As if on cue, Atsuko exploded into the room, the biggest of smiles conquered her face when she spotted the shirt Yuzu was holding out. She did not stop her dash, she simply detoured toward Yuzu, a maneuver that had Mei fearing for her safety.
The sudden turn had brought her a few millimeters away from the sharp corner of the table. Thankfully, that sister of hers was fast and the control she had of her lower limbs was phenomenal whenever she was running. Otherwise, she would be rather clumsy. Sugimori-sensei had found a goldmine and she knew to treat the Chairwoman's sister with the utmost of respect.
Atsuko all but crashed into Yuzu, wrapping her arms around her oldest sister's waist enthusiastically. Yuzu was quick to put the shirt down and returned the embrace with the same ferocious affection.
"Yuzu-nee!" Atsuko rested her chin on Yuzu's stomach and looked up at her. Twin pairs of green eyes sparkling at each other. "Did you know that Uesugi Kenshin was a girl?"
Yuzu chuckled at Atsuko's enthusiasm, she released her from the hug and knelt in front of her.
"So you keep telling me, little samurai." Yuzu bumped fists with Atsuko, a gesture of companionship Mei had seen them use quite often. She would have to try it out someday, but now she had other matters to tackle…
"Atsuko." She said in the same gentle voice she had used on Yuzu a few moments before. "It is just a theory. We do not know for certain."
"She was a girl, Nee-san! I'm sure of it!" Atsuko declared with complete certainty.
Mei could not resist the urge to smirk. When the words came from Atsuko's mouth with such conviction, she could forgive herself for believing them. It was sure to be a joyous, if brief, trip away from the city.
In Discord and Rhyme
Mei sighed.
She knew that letting Yuzu be in charge of the car's sound system was a recipe for disaster, but did not realise the full extent of how miserable a situation it would turn out to be. Just how many "greatest hits" did Perfume have? Mei could not be certain, but it was apparent that Yuzu and Atsuko knew all of the words to every single one of them.
She had expected the journey to last approximately two hours, but heavy traffic had slowed their progress to a crawl and it was now looking like the journey would take closer to double that amount of time. The blazing sun beat down on the car, turning it into a large oven. Despite this, Yuzu and Atsuko were undeterred and their singing seemed to grow even louder.
Even then, Mei could not bring herself to ask them to switch the music off or at least stop singing. She ignored her throbbing head and tried to take comfort in the knowledge that the two people she cared about the most were having a wonderful time. There was something oddly endearing about their passion, which far overstepped their singing ability and filled the lyrics with sincerity. Mei tried to focus on the positive aspects of her current position and willed herself to ignore her growing discomfort.
It was beginning to seem like a foolish decision to drive instead of taking the train. Carrying their luggage through various stations seemed like a preferable hardship compared to what they were now experiencing but hindsight was always a wonderful thing. The heat had far exceeded what the weather reports were suggesting and Tokyo's already congested roads became further blocked by all manner of unplanned delays.
Hopefully Ume was having a better time of it as she rode toward Fujikawaguchiko
on her fearsome red bike with Shou as a passenger. Ume was an excellent biker and quite skilled in the handling of her Ducati. She seemed to be in a fight to tame the roads though and as prudent as she was, she rode to the best of her bike's performance and her Ducati was quite the performer.
Mei had rode with her once —-She had spent the short trip holding onto her mother for dear life while keeping her eyes shut. She knew Shou to share her disposition, so maybe someone was faring worse than they were at the moment. Yuzu had no trouble riding with her mother as she shared her love for speed.
Atsuko was eagerly waiting for the day her mama would finally take her on a ride. Even Ume thought it to be a tad to soon for Atsuko to experience the wonders of her Ducati and she had zero inclination to give the child a lukewarm experience by fashioning an age oriented ride for her. It was better to wait.
Mei sighed again. Another song. Another congested road to traverse. Another degree added to the temperature.
Despite growing up there and spending her entire life living there, Mei found herself in awe and disbelief at the size of the metropolis she called home. There were so many individual cities on the map that spilled over onto each other clumsily, each having roads as busy as the last one. She raised the crumpled map once again, hoping to see a route that she had not seen previously. Yuzu turned down the music and glanced over at her.
"Yeah, I had the same idea." Yuzu knew that Mei was scanning for a way out of the endless stream of slow-moving cars. In spite of her cheerful disposition, Yuzu seemed to be as stressed as Mei, as she kept scratching her head, loosening up several wisps of hair from the topknot she had gathered it into. It gave her a somewhat shabby chic look, which reminded Mei of a much younger Yuzu studying for her exams. Even after having known her for so long, Mei was still impressed by her lover's ability to pull off just about any look with panache.
Fortunately, Yuzu's makeup appeared to be heat and waterproof, otherwise Mei had little doubt that she would be looking like a panda by now.
"Even if it ends up taking longer... Anything to get out of this." Mei's tone was exasperated as she glanced up at the road ahead while fidgeting with the map in her hands. Even her silky shirt had started to feel unbearably hot and she could feel perspiration pooling on the small of her back. She kept her arms close to her sides to conceal the sweat patches that were forming around her armpits. Burgundy was not the wisest choice of colour for the weather.
The traffic halted once more and Mei took the chance to hold the map towards the driver's seat. Atsuko craned her neck from the seat behind Yuzu to take a look at what was going on. Her sisters did not look happy at all, which somewhat troubled her. The terse expression on Yuzu-nee's usually cheerful face was a foreign one and to see Nee-san's calm demeanour dissipate under the hardship of strain concerned her even more.
Her shirt had gotten sticky and her favorite pastime for long journeys, which was looking at the landscape through the windows, had been denied to her the moment they got stuck in the traffic. She dared not ask where they were or how long it would take to reach their destination.
"Maybe if we turn left at the next junction... and then down here." Yuzu prodded the map with her index finger, which was tipped with a new and masterfully applied layer of cherry red varnish.
"Yes, that should work." Mei tilted her head ever so slightly, providing a tacit sign of approval for the impromptu change of route. It was worth a try, anything was better than being stuck in the traffic, powerless to do anything but wait.
The traffic between Fuchu and Hachioji had finally broken the trio but as it was, it had turned out to be an ill-advised idea, for changing the route did not improve the situation at all. A few more beads of sweat had started to form on Mei's neck and she could not help but sigh every now and then. Her sighs were no longer a sound of annoyance much as they were ones of distress.
Yuzu's eyes had started to feel strained from seeing the same locale for mile after mile, she kept taking off her sunglasses and rubbing her eyes to no avail. To further strain her patience, she could feel the occasional thud on her back seat as Atsuko swung her legs impatiently. Yuzu could not begrudge the child for her losing battle with boredom as she too wanted for nothing more than the journey to be over.
"Is this thing working?" Yuzu huffed out, she took one hand off of the steering wheel and waved in front of the vent pointing towards her, feeling nothing more than a feeble blow of lukewarm air.
"Barely, Yuzu." Mei had noticed the issue several miles back but dared not mention it. There were enough complications to fret over already, pointing out that the air conditioning was not working properly would only further exacerbate the diminishing of their spirits – Especially since there was nothing to be done and as they were barely moving, rolling down the windows was not a viable option for cooling down.
"Atsuko, darling, please don't kick my seat." Yuzu asked with a sigh, yet she managed to keep her voice even and gentle for her beloved sister, in spite of her disquiet growing with every passing minute.
"I'm sorry." Atsuko's voice was sincere. She genuinely had not noticed she had been kicking Yuzu-nee's seat, her senses dulled by the ceaseless monotony. She had reached her limit. The car was hardly moving and her sisters appeared to be as stressed as ever, which bothered her as much as the heat and stillness did, if not more.
"...it's very hot Yuzu-nee." Atsuko said in a rather small voice. She had started to feel a slight queasiness in her stomach but could not bring herself to mention it.
"I know, sweetheart, I know." Yuzu smiled ruefully while raising a hand to massage the back of her neck. Her muscles felt tight and a dull pain had settled in her shoulders.
On hearing Atsuko's voice, Mei immediately turned around to pass a water bottle to the child. The sight of Atsuko's small red face had Mei search for some wet wipes to offer her. She hunted the dashboard for them to no avail and even rooting through her bag proved futile. They must have put them in the suitcase. Mei quickly made up her mind and doused a handkerchief with some water.
"Atsuko. Freshen up a bit before drinking." As Yuzu did before, she kept her voice gentle and even, carefully trying to disguise her bad mood. She knew it to be pointless as Atsuko was quite perceptive – A trait picked up from her mother's side of the family.
She handed the wet handkerchief to her sister and watched in concern as she dutifully rubbed it on her nape and neck. Atsuko was doing as badly and she and Yuzu were. They had to get some reprieve and soon. She passed the water bottle to her sister then and watched in worry as Atsuko only took a few small sips before passing it back to her. She looked as miserable as Mei felt, creating a perpetual spiral of even greater anguish.
The traffic began to thin out but that gave way to a new set of problems. The road they were currently driving on after leaving the urban areas had proved to be quite uneven. The car would jerk now and then as it passed over the sun-scorched and poorly-maintained back road. Yuzu was undoubtedly a skilled driver but she could do nothing to stop the car from bobbing up and down on its suspension.
Ume's car was simply not made for such roads; it was a city car, though most road cars would not have fared well on such a surface. Not for the first time, Mei cursed herself for not suggesting the train. She could not resist the urge to imagine the rhythmic clack of the rails. At least the bumpiness of trains was consistent.
"We should've taken your car, Mei." Yuzu huffed while fighting to keep the car as steady as possible. Mei had only driven through city streets until now, so she would have little experience to draw upon for how to approach such a thoroughfare. Yuzu's work had taken her all around the country and consequently, her driving experience was far more varied than Mei's.
Mei felt relief over not being behind the wheel. The roads were not only damaged but curvy too. Yuzu had been forced to keep the car at a low speed as she navigated through an obstacle course of blind spots. They had seen no other cars on this road, but Yuzu would not trade off the safety of those she loved in order to get to the destination slightly quicker.
The tall trees surrounding the road spared them from the unforgiving sun but also made it impossible for breeze to circulate, if there was any. The thick canopy had created a sort of dome, trapping the temperature to higher degrees on the road level. The green leaves were coated with thin layers of moisture. Even the forest was sweating.
On top of that, there appeared to be little to no signs and no other drivers had been seen for miles. Yuzu's mobile had lost any internet connection a fair while ago, a fact that had greatly stressed her. The loss of the safety net provided by online maps put her on edge. Mei could see Yuzu's brow strictly furrowed in a study of tension. If not for her growing frustration and her dull throbbing in her head, she would have reached over to rub Yuzu's slim shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
As it was, she could think of nothing else to do but look forward and keep quiet. Mei could not magically teleport them to their destination or call upon some clouds to nullify the sun's wrath. The sense of powerlessness frustrated her a great deal and all they could do was endure the situation they currently found themselves in. She took another sip from her water bottle to temporarily allay her parched mouth
"We should roll the windows down." Yuzu said, her voice devoid of her usual gentleness. She was fast approaching the end of her tether. "I can't breathe in here." She angrily wiped her wet bangs from her forehead.
"If you think it would be better, Yuzu." Mei replied noncommittally. She had stopped hoping for things to get better a few miles ago and resolved to simply endure. Switching roads back then had been a terrible mistake. At least there, they were making slow progress on the right road. Now, they were making slow progress in what may have been the completely wrong direction.
Yuzu pushed the buttons by the driver's side and both windows rolled down, a buzzing sound accompanying their descent. A small amount of breeze did stream in and the situation improved mildly. Opening the sunroof was not an option though as Ume's car could generously described as being temperamental. There was no guarantee that they would be able to close it again and thus, it remained shut.
A tense silence settled into the car. Mei could see Yuzu's irritation growing as mosquitoes and other winged insects started pouring in through the window and feasting on her. Even if the situation had slightly improved for Mei and most certainly for Atsuko, Yuzu had all but doomed herself. She should have put on the bug repellent as Mei and Atsuko did, but the blonde woman had refused on the account that the repellent had a terrible smell.
They could stop and retrieve it from the suitcase if necessary, but Yuzu was aware of that and so Mei decided to keep quiet. As it was, she could think of nothing else to do but look forward and avoid aggravating the situation by complaining. Surrendering to the inevitability of their predicament seemed like the wisest option.
As it was, Mei found herself wishing for the music to get switched back on. The silence had become almost as stifling as the heat. They just needed to figure out where they were, once they had that sorted they would be able to devise a way out. Perhaps, there was something she could do after all.
"Yuzu, this does not look like we are going the right way." Mei finally spoke up while taking notice of the forest growing denser around them. There was a small edge to her usual calm tone in spite of Mei's wish to keep her voice as even as ever. The ever-observant Yuzu did not miss it. She felt as frustrated as her lover, after all.
"I'm quite aware of that Mei." Yuzu's voice was just as strained as she kept huffing a stray of blonde hair away from her face. "Let me see the map." Yuzu offered a free hand towards Mei, her fingers snapping impatiently, her unabashed optimism completely absent.
"Please focus on the road, Yuzu." Mei replied absentmindedly, not really paying attention to anything but the map she kept scanning with growing intensity. She refused to concede that she had no idea where they were. It was unacceptable, especially considering they had Atsuko with them.
"Wait!" Yuzu yelped. "What did that sign say?" She asked, having missed a sign half-buried in foliage as she tried to retrieve the map.
"I didn't see it." Mei's matter-of-fact response was ill-conceived and it grated on Yuzu's already raw nerves.
"Come on Mei!" Yuzu's started drumming her fingertips over the wheel to give way to her frustration. "You're my eyes and ears here!" Yuzu's voice had lost her cheery quality and gained a rather sharp and edgy tone.
"There will be another sign." Mei's flat voice made it clear that she was no longer paying attention to her surroundings or the people she was sharing the car with. The map she kept scanning had become the only recipient of her attention. If she could just determine their location, they would surely get out of this mess rather quickly.
"Seriously?" Yuzu snorted, Mei's apparent lack of cooperation adding a new dimension to her distress.
"It was the first sign for miles…" Yuzu shook her head. "…I am turning back for it." She declared while scanning the road for a good point to perform a turn. Up ahead, a junction leading to an abandoned picnic area provided the requisite space to carry out the maneuver.
"Nee-san, I-" Atsuko's weak voice called from the back seat. The child had been quiet for more than an hour, willing herself to be as small and as silent as possible to not aggravate her sisters further.
"Not right now, Atsuko." Mei's authoritative tone had an unusual amount of snap to it. She kept her eyes on the map, index running over the lines, she was close to... Something. Whether that something was finally discovering their location on the map or losing her final thread of sanity, she could not be sure. Both were equally welcome at this point.
"...but Nee-san." Atsuko tried again, a small sob breaking her voice. Mei returned to her senses, forgot about the map and immediately turned around.
A gasp parted her lips on seeing the miserable sight of Atsuko looking pale as a ghost, a small mess of vomit peppering her lap and her thighs. Her eyes were wide and heavy with unshed tears and her chin was trembling as she fought to hold back her dry sobs.
Yuzu had no need to turn around and see what had happened, hearing Mei's gasp had been enough. She quickly moved to pull into the abandoned picnic area. A quick look in the rear-view mirror told her all she needed to know.
Now was not the time for bickering.
Yuzu and Mei got out of the car at once and a quick look was all it took them to understand each other and decide what to do next. Yuzu went to open the trunk and retrieve wet wipes, a couple of plastic bags and a change of clothes for Atsuko. Mei climbed in the back seat in order to help Atsuko out of her messy clothes.
Their trip to the Tokyo Dome City had proven to be a useful learning experience as Yuzu and Mei set about the cleanup operation with militaristic efficiency.
Atsuko's eyes remained fixated on the pale fluid that had made such a mess of her shirt. She could not help but feel embarrassed about what had happened. Yuzu-nee and Nee-san were already more stressed than she had ever seen them before and she knew that they did not need another hardship to deal with.
The sight was ghastly to her - Her beloved shirt that Yuzu-nee had gifted her with was likely ruined. Atsuko longed to be back home, perhaps Nee-san would read to her or Mama would play Lego with her. What was so special about Fujuwa... Fijuka... The place they were going to anyway?
Atsuko was whimpering quietly while staring at her lap. Her hair was wild and drenched with perspiration, her hands were mucky as well from when she had tried to stop herself from being sick. She was a picture of dismay. Guilt as familiar as Yuzu's smile spread in Mei's chest. She should have noticed her sister's distress and it was unforgivable for her to let things go this far. What had she been thinking?
"Atsuko." Mei called to her trembling sister. Atsuko immediately raised her head, Mei's kind voice was in itself a source of great comfort yet it did not manage to quell her anguish.
"Nee-san, I..." She started, chin trembling, green eyes translucent. Atsuko was about to apologise but a look at Mei's face had her know there was no need for it. Quite the contrary. She gave her sister a trembling nod, unable to stop a hiccup from breaking past her lips.
"I-I really love this shirt…" She sobbed in dismay as she took in the sight of the now messy design.
"No worries, little samurai" Yuzu appeared beside Mei, her voice had gained back its cheerful and warm quality. It felt as comforting as a hug would be.
"I'll get it to look as good as new." She winked at Atsuko while handling the wet wipes and a plastic bag to Mei. "Promise."
Mei took a pair of wet wipes and set to the task of cleaning Atsuko's hands. Her touch was a most loving and delicate one as she went to clean each finger with the utmost care, being careful to get in between them too and wipe the spots where germs were most prone to accumulating.
She cradled Atsuko's head in one hand while cleaning up the child's face with the other. Trails of tears were still running down her face at a faster rate than they could be cleaned, but they gradually slowed down.
Atsuko's beautiful green eyes were still wet but she was no longer crying. Now and then though, a hiccup would escape her lips in what was mostly a nervous reaction to her discomfort.
Mei took a few moments to gently brush back her sister's hair away from her face and into a semblance of order. Perhaps Yuzu could braid it later. Atsuko leaned into her caresses as she needed the comfort of Mei's firm touch. Mei wanted nothing more than to take her into her arms and hold her tight but there were still matters to take care of.
After cleaning her up, Mei helped her take her arms out of the sleeves from inside the shirt, then pulled it off Atsuko, collar first in order to avoid making even more of a mess. Mei put the shirt in the bag and moved to help Atsuko out of her similarly soiled pants. She worked in silence, biting back the shame she was feeling. The sound of Atsuko's tears still echoed in her ears and it was far more deafening than any music could ever be. To make matters worse, this sound caused her heart to throb in place of her head.
Once the dirty clothes had been safely bagged away, Yuzu retrieved the bag and handed Mei a fresh change for Atsuko. She had been careful to pick one of the child's favorite shirts: the orange one that sported Uesugi Kenshin's crest on the front. Packing all three had proved to be an astute decision, if only by accident.
Mei's face was a portrait of consternation and Yuzu stopped her from turning around by taking a dainty hold of her forearm. Mei found herself at the end of Yuzu's loving and compassionate eyes. Her beloved could read her like an open book and had not missed the color of her turmoil getting darkened by guilt and shame.
Unlike Yuzu, who had pushed everything in the back of her mind in order to bring forth solely her love and tenderness, Mei was letting guilt agitate her. It was ill-advised to give into such feelings, especially since they had a most precious child in dire need of their care.
Gazing into Yuzu's honest eyes was all it took for Mei to forget her inner struggle. The verdant irises she loved so much centered her being, allowing her to shed any unnecessary emotions. She answered in kind, calling forth all of her love for Yuzu into her own eyes
Yuzu rested her forehead against Mei's for an instant before delicately putting her lips on Mei's. Mei smiled against the touch and pecked her lover's lips twice in quick succession before turning around to properly take care of Atsuko.
Atsuko frowned in confusion when Yuzu-nee's lips curled into a mischievous, knowing grin and Nee-san's eyes widened with surprise. It was hardly the time to be smiling, giving Atsuko cause to worry that her oldest sister had finally succumbed to the Sun's powerful gaze. And yet, against all odds, Atsuko found herself smiling back.
Once Atsuko had been cleaned up, they decided to take a much needed break from the road. The run-down picnic area provided them with a pair of old benches and a table. The facilities were humble but more than adequate. They went to sit on one of the benches with water and snacks at the ready.
Atsuko was safely nestled into Nee-san's arms and had no intention of moving. Ever. She was no longer hiccupping but felt still drained and tired. She had her arms around Nee-san's neck and would gently grab at her shirt now and then, which she knew Nee-san did not mind. Besides, sometimes Nee-san would do the same to Yuzu-nee, especially if Yuzu-nee had just returned from one of her work-related journeys.
Atsuko nuzzled her face into Nee-san's shoulder which happened to be one of her favorite places in the whole wide world. In the meanwhile, Yuzu-nee was braiding her hair. Yuzu-nee was the only one allowed to braid Atsuko's hair. No matter what, she never ever hurt her, not even when it was wet. Mama just could not get it right, perhaps because she had short hair and Nee-san and Papa would not even dare to try.
Yuzu-nee kept humming as she gathered the hair into braids, a song Atsuko knew and loved. It was a lullaby her Mama used to sing and the thought of her Mama singing the same song to Yuzu-nee made her smile. She wondered if Nee-san's mama had ever sung to her. Nee-san never talked about her other Mama and Atsuko knew not to pry.
Sometimes she would catch Nee-san staring into empty space as if remembering something. She would look sad then, to see Nee-san like that never failed to make Atsuko's chest hurt and so she would go to her and hug her tight. To Atsuko's great joy and pride, Nee-san's sad look would always dissolve to give way to a look of love and joy. It did not matter how many times Nee-san would get sad, Atsuko or Yuzu-nee would be there to make her smile, each and every time.
"All done, sweetheart." Yuzu said after fixing the last bit of her braid. Atsuko turned her head to smile sweetly at her and was rewarded with a very loud kiss on her cheek. She rested her head sidewise on Nee-san's shoulder so that she would be able to look at Yuzu-nee. Her oldest sister's sun-filled smile was once again firmly on her face, she no longer looked tense or annoyed which was good. Everything became darker whenever Yuzu-nee stopped smiling.
Nee-san was resting her cheek on her head and would cradle her gently every now and then. Nee-san did not give her as many kisses as Yuzu-nee did and never as loudly. She would just rest her lips on Atsuko's head and forehead for a while and that would be it. Atsuko was in complete awe of both her sisters and was quite fond of the fact that they showed their affection in such different ways. It made her feel quite unique and twice as loved.
She spotted Yuzu-nee's eyes darting up to look at Nee-san and pulled her head back to get them both in her field of vision. It was something she did not want to miss. The way that her sisters looked at each other filled Atsuko with unbridled joy.
She looked on as Yuzu-nee delicately shook her head, her lips relaxed into a knowing smile, her green eyes were filled with nothing but love. Yuzu-nee raised a hand to cup Nee-san's face. As expected, Nee-san all but nuzzled into the touch and smoothly kissed Yuzu-nee's palm twice. They remained so, looking into each other eyes as if they could find anything they needed there and in Atsuko's opinion, they probably could.
Yuzu-nee leaned in for a kiss and as always Nee-san moved to meet her lips halfway. They remained still, lips touching, resting against each other as if holding each other. Suddenly, they both started smiling. Their foreheads were resting together and soon their smiles gave way to giggling. A few seconds later they were truly laughing. Atsuko felt compelled to join in as their happiness was infectious.
Atsuko had no clue over what had prompted such hilarity yet her own laugh was loud and genuine.
"Oh m, Mei! There really isn't much more that can go wrong, is there?" Yuzu placed another kiss on her beloved's forehead while their giggling continued.
"I can think of a few more things that could, but we should not dwell over it." Mei's cheeks became filled with a deep rouge, which was not a result of the heat. "Regardless of that, I could not have picked better company to join me today."
"I completely agree!" Yuzu said while standing up and stretching her arms toward the sky. Her smile became one of wonder when she took in the sight offered to her.
"What a beauty…" She whispered in awe while resting her hand on her hips. Mei and Atsuko where quick to follow her gaze.
"Fujisan!" Atsuko yelped in excitement while bouncing in Mei's lap.
Mei sighed. Happily, for once. She let the view fill her eyes. The car troubles had blinded them to a great deal of things. She had every intention of making up for it. Starting from now.
"Atsuko." Her sister's eyes shifted to her. The child wore a look of absolute trust; she had recognized the tone in her sister's voice. A tone she loved above all things. Nee-san was about to tell her something wondrous.
"Nee-san." She replied in kind while Yuzu went back to sit beside Mei, looking at the play with a bemused expression on her face.
"Are you familiar with the tale of the Bamboo Cutter's Daughter?" Atsuko shook her head, an eager expression tensing up her features in a look of pure anticipation.
"Would you like to hear it?" Mei already knew the answer but she loved to stretch the wait. Atsuko's joyous and enthusiastic face was a sight she never got tired of.
"Do you really need to ask Mei?" A joyful laugh bubbled through Yuzu's lips as she snuck her right arm around Mei's waist. "I mean look at her face!" She impishly tickled Atsuko's sides, making the child giggle and playfully slap at her hands.
"No tickling, Yuzu-nee!" Atsuko protested. Somehow she was suddenly having the time of her life, only mere minutes after her accident in the car.
"No tickling, Yuzu." Mei echoed her little sister's words, using her most authoritative voice. She was quite aware of the fact that Yuzu's hand was resting on her one ticklish spot yet she trusted her lover to keep her secret, in spite of the wicked grin Yuzu was sporting. Her Yuzu cherished being the only person in the know when it came to Mei's weak spots.
"All right, all right, you two." Yuzu leaned in to plant a loud kiss on Atsuko's forehead. "I'll behave." She giggled out before leaning to kiss Mei's lips just as loudly.
The mountain had an otherworldly quality to it. Despite having seen so many pictures and artistic depictions of it, these were no substitute for the real thing. The perfectly conical peak barely looked real as it punctured the clouds with its snow-capped summit. All three of them shared a longing to be whisked away from their current location to the frosty upper reaches of the mountain.
The area surrounding the mountain was a mixture of luscious greenery and sparkling waters. Both Mei and Yuzu had visited Fujisan before, but it felt as though they were beholding it for the very first time. The image gave them a new resolve to reach their destination.
Waiting for the Moon to rise.
Mei took in the sight of Fujisan once again. Fujisan's beauty often led people to forget how dangerous it could be. It had not erupted in over three centuries but it was only a matter of time before it would spit fire to the sky once again. Fujisan could never truly be tamed.
During the off season, it was not a good idea to attempt to climb Fujisan. Mei knew better and was wise enough to respect such a magnificent force of nature and allow it to set the pace. Once Atsuko got older, they were planning to climb it during the Summer, where the greatest hazards on the mountain were the endless droves of other tourists. During summer, Fujisan was ready and willing, with nature and beauty ready to welcome them during the climb.
Mei lifted Atsuko from her straddling position and turned her to sit sideways in her lap, so that she could lean her back toward Yuzu and Mei could look at them both while weaving the tale.
Yuzu looked as eager as Atsuko did, Mei almost giggled at the sight of twin sets of sparkling verdant eyes that were staring at her in utter adoration. Yuzu must have read her mind because her expression shifted from one of curiosity to one of understanding. It made Mei's heart beat faster, knowing how her partner was always in the moment with her.
Yuzu winked impishly at her and quickly put a arm around Mei, drawing her closer. Her other arm raised to circle Atsuko's shoulders. The bench was in a mercifully shaded spot and the slightest of breezes had seemed to start blowing once they left the car. It was enough to let them indulge in their need for closeness.
Atsuko all but relaxed with a happy sigh, cradled as she was between her sisters, she went from feeling miserable to feeling absolutely content. She held her breath in anticipation as Nee-san finally started the tale in the most stentorian tone that she could muster...
There once lived a poor bamboo cutter. One day in his field, he was surprised by a wondrous light and there found a beautiful girl who was only four inches tall amongst the bamboo.
He took her back to his wife and they raised her as their daughter. Every time he subsequently returned to his field, he would find nuggets of gold and soon the family became very rich.
The girl became a fully grown maiden over a period of three months. She was the most beautiful girl in all the land. The bamboo cutter and his wife held a feast in her honor and named her Kaguya-hime. Soon, the tale of her beauty spread and...
"Hime?" Atsuko chirped up. She did not like to interrupt Nee-san when she was recounting something but most of the times her curiosity got the better of her. Besides, if she were to hold back, she feared she would forget her old questions as new ones sprung into her mind. And most importantly, Nee-san did not mind. She always told Atsuko to share her doubts and queries with her.
"Like Mase-san?" She asked, Mase-san did dress like a princess sometimes. It made sense. Atsuko's heard Yuzu-nee's snicker then and looked up to her blonde sister.
"Himeko-san certainly is a precious little princess." Yuzu added while a giggle played all around her words.
Mei could not keep a smile from her lips at the thought of her childhood friend. She had to admit that Himeko had been named quite aptly. Interlude over, she went back to spinning the story.
Every man in the land gathered about the bamboo cutter's House. They all had but a single aim: To ask for Kaguya-hime's hand in marriage.
After some time, only five suitors from noble families were left. Still, the bamboo cutter refused them by saying that since Kaguya-hime was not his real daughter, she did not have to follow his wishes...
"Why does it matter if she was his daughter or not?" Atsuko's brown was furrowed in confusion. Her question was one she felt strongly about as Nee-san was not Mama's daughter by blood but she was Mama's real daughter just the same. What manner of nonsense was the bamboo cutter talking about?
"It was a different time, Atsuko." Mei paused to carefully select her next words, not wanting to lie to Atsuko while not wanting to upset her either.
"Even today, some people value blood relations above all else. Did you know that there is an inn in Komatsu that has been run by the same family for 1300 years?
Atsuko shook her head in wonder. 1300? Maybe even Uesugi Kenshin had visited the inn! She was about to ask Nee-san if such a thing were possible when a thought crossed her mind.
"Nee-san… The school... Does that mean that I will..."
Mei held Atsuko a little tighter then, delicately rocking her in the nest of her arms. She gave her the most serious of looks. She planned to make things perfectly clear to Atsuko eventually, but now it was not the time.
"We will talk about that another time, Atsuko" Mei had yet to give a definitive reply to her Grandfather's request and knew that she could not put it off forever.
Yuzu decided to keep silent then, nonetheless she offered Mei a knowing look and the most confident of smiles. Mei answered her in kind and her eyes held a fiercess Yuzu was quite in awe of.
The five suitors kept pleading with the bamboo cutter. He became exasperated and had no choice but to ask Kaguya-hime to please choose one among her suitors
Kaguya-hime replied that she could not give herself to untested hearts, so she set an impossible task for each of them… and naturally, they all failed.
"Heeeeeeey, now…" Yuzu intercepted with a mischievous glint in her eyes "You can't cut it like that. Give us some details, Mei!"
"Yes!" Atsuko joined in, quite unaware that Yuzu was trying to catch Mei off guard. "Please, Nee-san!"
Mei made a show of sighing, then fixed Yuzu with a mischievous look of her own before continuing in the most deadpan tone she could muster.
Prince Ishizukuri was told to bring back a legendary bowl.
Prince Kuramochi was told to bring back a branch bearing fruits of jade.
Sadaijin Dainagon was told to bring back a pelt fashioned from legendary creatures.
Chiunagon was told to bring back the jewel inside a Dragon's head.
Lord Iso was to return with the shell that the swallow carries over the sea.
Atsuko was all but in awe of her sister, she could do nothing but enthusiastically nuzzle her face into Mei's neck. She loved her Nee-san so very much and was at a loss on how to express such love. She knew there was no need to as Nee-san was well aware of it. But in moments as such, when her sister's brilliancy radiated unchallenged, Atsuko would feel almost shy in the need to express her gratitude to the woman.
Yuzu shared Atsuko's conundrum. She had meddled to catch her beloved at fault and tease an adorable blush out of her but Mei had played her like a fiddle. Now she was the one blushing. And burning. Because Mei was looking at her with a slightly curled mouth that was all but inviting Yuzu to take action.
"Eventually…" Mei started again. Voice loud and clear, commanding all attention to her and putting an end to any unwise thought that might be agitating Yuzu's mind.
News of Kaguya-hime's beauty reached the Emperor, and he set forth to meet her.
On entering the bamboo cutter's house he saw a wondrous light, the source none other than Kaguya-hime. The Emperor pledged his heart to Kaguya-hime. But she told him their union could never be for she was not of this was impossible.
The Emperor was heartbroken and sadly returned to his palace.
"Nee-san! Wait! What does Kaguya mean?" Atsuko gently tugged at her sister's shirt about her shoulder, where her fingers kept playing with the fabric. She almost felt like blushing for not having asked sooner. She knew all names had meanings, Yuzu-nee's name meant a kind of fruit among other things. Perhaps that was why Yuzu-nee had named her workplace Citrus-E.
"Pigeon" was among the many meanings of Atsuko's own name. Not one of her favorite interpretations though, despite her love of chasing the feathered creatures whenever she saw them.
Mei smiled kindly at her sister but she could not stop herself from teasing Yuzu once again and answered Atsuko's question all but in one breath.
"Precious Slender Bamboo of the Field of Autumn"
She lowered her lips to Atsuko's forehead and pressed a gentle kiss there, also concealing her mischievous smirk in the process. A double win.
Atsuko looked at her adoringly while Yuzu was trying and failing to keep her features arranged in a poker face impression. And a poor one at that. Yuzu raised a hand to rub at her cheek, in a poor attempt to hide her smile. A trick from Mei's playbook. It no longer worked for Mei and it was unlikely to ever work for Yuzu. Eventually, Yuzu gave up and took in the wonder that was her beloved while shaking her head.
"Wait!" A sudden thought in her mind. Yuzu raised an eyebrow. "You just knew that?! Just like that, Mei?"
"I actually listened in class, Yuzu." Mei answered teasingly, lips still hiding against Atsuko's forehead.
"What happened next, Nee-san?" Atsuko asked plaintively. She had missed the interlude that happened between her older sisters and wished for the story to continue.
Three years after the royal visit, Kaguya-hime told her father that she loved him but she had to rejoin her own people, the Moonfolk, as she was no mortal woman. The Emperor sent his army to prevent Kaguya-hime from leaving but their arrows proved useless against the Moonfolk's magic.
Atsuko gasped, green eyes wide with worry. She had been told enough tales to know when one was not going to end on an happy note. Nee-san held her a little closer and Yuzu-nee reached to take her small hand in hers. Her sisters could always tell whenever she got sad, even if it was just a little bit of sadness as small as a grain of sand and even if it was over a story. They would always offer her their comfort and Atsuko all but basked in it.
The Moonfolk brought forth the Celestial Robe of Feathers and the Elixir of Life. Kaguya-hime drunk the Elixir, granting her immortality, and wrote a letter to the Emperor. The letter said that Kaguya-hime wished to be with the Emperor for she loved him but unions such as theirs were not permitted. She sent him the letter along with the remaining Elixir.
"But Nee-san…" Atsuko started in a dismayed voice. "If Kaguya-hime loved the Emperor back why couldn't they be together? What did it matter that she was from the Moon?"
"I do not know, Atsuko." Mei had no answer to offer her sister. Sometimes people made mistakes, terrible ones. Sometimes people felt obligated to fulfil duties set on them by others. Duties older than they were. Yet sometimes, people also managed to be stronger and redeem themselves. Sometimes they would say no and set themselves free. Especially if they had a love as strong as the one she shared with Yuzu to light them the way. And it would be one of the greatest victories a person could ever hope to achieve.
Mei took in the sight of Atsuko's beautiful green eyes, so much like Yuzu's. The trust they offered her was absolute and as such it should be honored. Such trust deserved the uttermost honesty. Mei set herself to recount the tale final act...
When she donned the Celestial Robe Of Feathers, Kaguya-hime all but forgot about the Earth and her loved ones.
Her wedding dress. Mei felt a shiver run through her mind, her thoughts all but froze and she experienced a moment of absolute darkness. The darkness could not last. Upon mentioning the robe, Mei had recalled her own wedding dress. The similarities between the Robe and her own wedding dress was a striking many fitting sessions and the lavish costs involved, the garment seemed absolutely ghastly to her.
She had refused to don it and followed her heart rather than the will of the Aihara patriarch. But what if she had? She would have had to live a life of despair, loneliness and deception, away from the one she loved. Her heart would have dried up long before her mind would have lost her sanity. And yet, she would have not wished to forget as Kaguya-hime did…
"Mei." Mei almost jumped. She had not realised she had stopped talking. Yuzu smiled at her warmly. She knew where Mei's mind had gone. Yuzu calling her name could bring her back from everywhere, no matter how far or deep in the past she had wandered to. She replied to Yuzu with a smile of her own. No cold could ever pose a challenge to Yuzu's warmth. No darkness existed that Yuzu's light could not cast away.
The crestfallen Emperor took the letter and the Elixir to the top of the highest mountain in Susuga and burnt them. He did not drink the Elixir for he had no desire to live forever in a world without Kaguya-hime.
From that time forward, the smoke rising from the mountain's peak would mingle with the clouds of Heaven. And the mountain's name became Fujiyama, the never-dying.
Once the name of Fujisan had been spoken, the tale was all but finished. The trio stood and stretched up. It was time to look at the map and find a way out. After all, Mei and Yuzu had overcome far worse than difficult trips in the pursuit of their love. All worth it, of course.
"Nee-san?" Atsuko's expression grew dark as some cogs in her head began to spin.
"What is it, Atsuko?" Mei kneeled down to her sister's level and made eye contact with her, offering the child her full attention.
"Will the Moonfolk try to take you away too?" Atsuko asked, her small furrowed brow made her expression a grave one.
Mei was taken aback. She wanted to laugh but the total sincerity of Atsuko's question was a clear indicator that such a reaction would not be appropriate. Atsuko was very mature and intelligent in spite of her young age, so it was easy to forget that she was still a child – A child with a very active imagination.
"They tried to take me away already." Mei's serious expression did not budge. Serious questions demanded serious answers. "But I would not let them."
Atsuko's worried look evaporated almost instantaneously and she giggled with delight at the response. Of course Nee-san would not let them take her away. Nee-san was strong! And brave! And-
"And we wouldn't let them take her! Would we, Atsu-chan?" Yuzu swept Atsuko into her arms in a fluid motion, being careful not to aggravate any lingering effects of her nausea. She gently poked Atsuko's nose with her finger, causing the smallest Aihara to squirm with delight.
"No! Never!" Atsuko's resolve had never been stronger.
"Exactly! Nee-san belongs to us!" Yuzu gently set Atsuko back on the ground and pulled Mei into a tight hug. Atsuko joined the embrace by wrapping a spindly arm around Yuzu's leg and the other around Mei's.
They remained stationary for what felt like an eternity, each of them completely unwilling to let the moment end. Eventually, the heat proved too much and the strength of their holds on each other waned, finally forcing them to break apart.
Yuzu then spun on her heel, kicking up gravel in the process, and looked to the sky. The pale Moon could be seen against the blue backdrop, watching from afar as always. Yuzu raised her fist and shaked it dramatically in the direction of the Moon.
"You hear that?! You can't have her! She belongs to me!" Yuzu roared, taking full advantage of their remote location. The echo bounced through the clearing as though the earth itself agreed with the rebellious blonde.
"Yeah! Nee-san is ours!" Atsuko joined in, jumping up and down as though to get in the Moon's face.
Mei could only shake her head as she stood to one side of the impromptu declaration of war on the Moon. Besides she was sure the Moon was smiling down at them. After all, literature always had it partial to lovers and fools: Two characters who were often indistinguishable from one another.
"What a troublesome pair you are." Mei informed the belligerent duo while the glimmer of a smile formed on her face.
It was a wonderful feeling to not just be needed, but to be wanted too. After a childhood of being a dispensable means to an end, the knowledge that there were people who completely relied on her filled Mei with a mixture of pride and responsibility.
Unseen birds chirped away above them while insects continued to whiz around at eye level. Beneath them, untidy crops of grass poked through the gravel covering the ground of the picnic area. Yuzu and Mei took a seat by the least dilapidated of the wooden table and unfolded the map. Meanwhile, Atsuko explored her surroundings, revelling in the chance to catch some fresh air while searching for tiny princesses in the undergrowth.
"Atsuko, darling, please stay where we can see you." Yuzu called out to her.
"Okay, Yuzu-nee!" Atsuko had no desire to be too far from her sisters, but she knew that it was better to put any nerves at ease.
"Okay, let's see if we can work this out." Yuzu smiled at Mei and fixed her eyes on the map.
The two scanned it once more and forced their memories to remind them of the surroundings they had passed. The answer, as was often the case, was right in front of them.
"Wait, Yuzu." Mei let out the smallest of chuckles. "What do you see in front of you?" Mei gestured to the picturesque view in front of them.
"Fujisan?" Yuzu was still a few seconds behind her lover.
"No. In front of the mountain." Mei's eyes guided Yuzu's down towards the shimmering lake and things clicked immediately.
Yuzu looked back down at the map, then back up at the panorama, then back down once more at the map. Her eyes widened and a smile formed on her face. Of course it was that simple.
"That has to be Lake Yamanaka, right?" She enquired, a smile slowly spreading on her lips.
"Yes, which means that we must be here." In the most refined of motions, Mei pointed her perfectly manicured index finger at a solitary road on the map.
Yuzu ran her eyes along the length of the road. They were not actually as far off course as she had feared. The route to their destination was clear and simple. They would not get lost again. Yuzu would simply not allow it.
"So we head back towards Tsuru and then down to Fujikawaguchiko? Seems easy enough." Yuzu engraved the route into her memory and began folding the map back up.
"All right!" Yuzu yelped out, her voice dripping with renewed enthusiasm. That was until she felt another of those invisible winged tormentors bite into the skin of her forearm. She slapped at it in annoyance only to gasp out a second later. Mei had taken her arm in her hand and had brought it to her lips and was now genly sucking on the irritated skin.
"M...ei." Yuzu managed to get out the name in a broken whisper. She was suddenly aware of every inch of her body. Mei's lips, so soft yet daring, kept soothing her skin with their tantalizing touch.
Mei's purple eyes held her own gaze captive. They were ablaze with love and desire and Yuzu felt her own body awaken under her lover's gaze. . . with an impish lick and a final wet kiss Mei pulled back. If it were an act of mercy or her lover being at her most merciless, Yuzu could not say.
"Yuzu." The world within a name. Mei held the sight of Yuzu in her eyes all but making love to her. Yuzu's small but powerful frame, her slim shoulder and hips, her flat abdomen, her thighs and calves. And then from the top again to love her smooth forehead, her delicate cheekbones, nose and chin. All of them so very perfect too...
"M—ei." Yuzu's voice broke the love spell Mei had been under and allowed her back into the present.
"... you should really put some lotion on, Yuzu. The bugs are feasting on you."
Yuzu could not stop an happy laugh from bubbling forth. She tossed her head back and put her hands on her hips.
"No worries, love." She smiled warmly at Mei and reached over to put her hands on Mei's slim and enticing hips. "I'm used to it. They're not the only ones that love to bite me."
Mei stepped closer, arms circling Yuzu's waist. She drew her love in a possessive hold.
"Maybe so." Mei captured Yuzu's lower lip between perfect pearly teeth before moving to whisper a tantalizing kiss on Yuzu's graceful mouth.
"...but I do not share well, Yuzu." She leaned in to capture Yuzu's lips once again, this time in a passionate kiss.
End of chapter seven, AKA: The one where Mei does not play among the stars.
