Hi everyone! Here I am with my little thing again!

With the umpteenth but never truer THANK YOU to my kind QC, Angel0Wonder ^_^ Thanks for your hard work and, most of all, your advice senpai!

Hope you like it and THANK YOU so much for all your support, it's been amazing writing this thingy and reading all of your feed back, really, I'm so grateful!

I'm in your kind care!


The girls came home looking devastated by the two-day-camp of mid terms. That Friday evening none of them seemed to have the will or strength to hit the road and go have fun.
Harumi was again a guest at the Aihara's. "Oh, God! my brain must look like an umeboshi right now. I can almost feel it bump and bounce, dry and tiny against my skull..."
Yuzu was next, "Mooom, please tell me you have some leftovers in the fridge, I'm starving... Jeez! They didn't want to let us go!"
The girls sat heavily at the dining table. Yuzu's mother welcomed them in. "Dinner will be ready in a blink... Girls you look worn out! How did it go?"
Mei, who hadn't opened her mouth still, had reached them at that moment. She mumbled something unintelligible then went to take a glass of water.
Mrs. Aihara looked at her gloomy expression. Mei was usually serious and composed but her face showed pure dread and agony.
"Mei, what's wrong sweetie, are you not feeling well?"
Yuzu and Harumi huffed. The blonde waved a hand, saying, "Don't bother her, mom. She's been mumbling the whole time 'I failed, I totally failed..."
Harumi supported her. "Yeah, like she could... Miss 100%."
Mei grunted at them, then doom seemed to fall on her again, and she disappeared. Going to lay on the couch with a huff.
Mrs. Aihara looked at her, then asked the other two, "Are you sure there's nothing to worry about?"
Harumi pointed at the couch, "It's an overachiever's classic, they all go panicky and terrified and then they score a perfect 100. I wouldn't worry about that..."
Mrs. Aihara gave Yuzu a slap in the head, her lips thin in a tense smile.
"But maybe a good sister could be more caring and supportive..." she hissed, pointing to the couch with her head, then pushing her daughter down from her chair.
Yuzu blushed a little and went to the sofa, crouching down near Mei.
"Hey..." she said, touching the point of her nose.
Mei hummed and hid her face deeper in the cushions.
Yuzu made a quirky smile. "Come on, don't tell me you really believe you failed, it's plainly impossible! You studied harder than ever and I..." She lowered her voice, "and I watched you, all the time... You wrote a lot on those papers and you looked confident doing it. There's no way you were wrong."
Mei lifted her face a bit, a pout still curving her mouth. "I'm sure I failed one of the history question... I wrote Nobunaga instead of Ashikaga."
Yuzu frowned a bit then lightened up. "Oh, the one about the revolt? But it was the Tokugawas ruling!"
Mei looked at her doubtfully, but hopeful, standing on her elbows.
"Are you sure?"
Yuzu lifted her head but she didn't even have to ask, because the history book was already flying above the sofa, almost hitting her straight in the face. She was about to reproach but Harumi was already pleading mercy, "Sorry..."
Yuzu sighed, then crouched back, browsing through the pages and then pointing at one of them. "Here it is. The Tokugawa sedated the Shimabara rebellion in blood in 1638."
Yuzu's prowess made Mei smile in pride and her expression softened, while she went to lie on the couch again. This time facing the blonde, leaning on an elbow. "And you? How do you think you fared?"
Yuzu leaned onto the couch too, resting her chin on her crossed hands, sitting on the carpet. "I should have done well, I've never filled so many questions before, that's sure. So let's hope I at least didn't get them all wrong!" she ended with a sheepish smile.
Mei smiled at her happy-go-lucky attitude. Her free hand went to rest on Yuzu's cheek, almost without her recognition. The blonde stilled, blushing. They were covered by the seatback of the sofa but still very close to the others in the room. Yuzu whispered cautiously, "Mom could..."
The brunette just stared at her at first, then moved closer to Yuzu and let a kiss drop on her lips. It was soundless, quick and... Well... With just a nip of the tongue. But Yuzu had never felt so excited as that moment.
She stood up wobbling a bit, turning her face away from kitchen then giving a quick look at Mei, smiling quirkily lying on the sofa. The blonde was redder than she ever was. Her ears were going purple while she staggered. "I'm going t-to... Have a bath!" Her voice came out too loud in the last part. In her brain she was rejoicing about finding a solution in spite of the hormonal shower.
Harumi chuckled at her expression. "Well, congratulations on that, Yuzu-chi."
Her mother was still busy in the kitchen. Mei smiled to Harumi, lifting herself from the sofa.
Mrs. Aihara's attention, though, had been raised by the loud announcement of her daughter.
She turned towards the girl, reprimanding. "How rude of you, Yuzu, leaving your guest here to wait for you, while you take a bath...? At least invite her in too!"
Harumi rose up a brow, staring at the girls with a smirk.
Both Mei and Yuzu turned their heads towards Mrs. Aihara, "NO!" they cried out together.
Mei fell silent as as stone, her eyes fixed at her feet, paled.
Mrs. Aihara just then realized what she had said and, checking that Harumi was looking away from her, mouthed an embarrassed "I'm so, so sorry" to her daughter.
Yuzu cleared her voice, "Hm... We'll take turns, right? Our bathtub is too small... Isn't it mom?"
Mrs. Aihara blushed and bustled about casually with some kitchen utensils.
"Really... Really too small. And anyway you're all grown up now. You need privacy..."
The room echoed in silence.
Harumi chuckled, then plainly laughed at the awkward atmosphere there was in the living room.
Mrs. Aihara retired herself with the excuse of making dinner.
Harumi clapped a hand on her leg, laughing louder.
"You should see your faces!"
Mei went to grab her by an arm, and dragged her to the stairs, where she caught Yuzu too, to bring everybody up to her room.

"Stop laughing like that at least!" blurted Mei, letting both Harumi and Yuzu go, into her room.
Harumi still was grinning. "Impossible! Not with you looking like that... I didn't know you were even capable of expressing something so trivial like emotions on your face."
Yuzu started laughing, only to feel her face twist in the effort to be serious, at the freezing look Mei shot her.
Meanwhile Matsuri; taking off her earphones once hearing the sudden chat in the room; sat silently on the bed, unnoticed.
Mei was still worked up and said in a loud voice, "You could have said something to ease the situation! Didn't you notice how embarrassed her mother was!?"
Harumi laughed again. "And lose the chance to look at your terrified face? Not for all the gold in the world..."
Yuzu looked at both the girls, chests out, eyes darting in defiance, pointing aggressively to each other. Two lionesses.
She huffed, then lifted her hands in surrender and joined Matsuri in watching the scene from afar.
Mei replied, "It was not fear... I was astound by your stupidity! It should have been common sense to immediately refuse such a proposal!"
Harumi provoked her, pointing a finger to her chest. "You were already picturing it, admit it. Me and her, naked, washing each others' backs... Or who knows what else. Hey! Oh oh, oh my god you're livid!" Harumi laughed finally, fleeing away when Mei tried to grasp her finger and catch her, jumping on the bed behind Yuzu's back.
Mei steamed out while looking at the other girls expressions, staring at her like they never had seen her this way before. Then she turned around with a deep scowl, making her way to the door.
But Yuzu jumped down from the bed, grabbed her from behind and hugged her. "Oh, come on... She was just joking a bit," said her voice, sweet, and close to her ear.
Mei looked at Yuzu's arms circling her, and took a breath. Then she whispered, "I know," feeling a warm comfort coming from that simple hug.
Mei breathed deeply once more, then couldn't resist the urge to kiss her cheek.
Yuzu moved only after some instants, turning towards the other girls in the room, scratching her head in embarrassment.
Harumi had a "Can't win against that" smirk on her face.
Matsuri shook her head, smiling at the flushing Yuzu. Then turned her attention to Mei, who had moved closer and had grabbed the book she was reading.
"A manga?" asked Mei severely, pinching the book.
Matsuri remained calm, sliding down from the bed and going to the desk, where Mei followed her briefly after. "It was just a break... Look, I'm already to page 45 and I managed to solve the ones you circled."
Mei gave her an approving look and they chatted a little more of algorithms and equations, giving the chills to the other two girls, who slowly took their distance.
Harumi pointed at them. Thinking back to what she had said to Mei, but feigning ignorance with Yuzu, she donned a disgusted expression.
"What is... That?"
Yuzu sat on the bed. "Oh, it's still news for me too. It seems Matsuri is a little genius in maths and she's going to apply for a scholarship in our school."
Harumi gawked, "What!?" You should have been nice to her but... That's going way overboard!
The pink haired girl was looking up to Mei in admiration.
Yuzu frowned. "Yeah... They got close".
Harumi laughed, "Don't be silly. She's just tutoring her..."
Yuzu didn't change expression. Harumi hugged her shoulders and shook her a bit. "Oy... Stop that, ok?" Feeling terribly sad but hiding it behind a smile, she said. "You are the one and only in her heart. Trust me."
Yuzu smiled to her in such a sweet way, Harumi was forced to get far from her, nearly right away. Going to browse the books in the library, to keep Yuzu from seeing the tears starting to prickle in her eyes.

After a while they were all called downstairs for the dinner. There was Oden; a tasty way to warm oneself in a wintery evening. Yuzu and Harumi were at ease, chatting between them. Matsuri busted in their topics from time to time, making them laugh.
Mei and Mrs. Aihara watched them from behind their bowls of broth.
They smiled to each other. It was nice to have a serene, familiar atmosphere in that house again. Once dinner was over, Matsuri and Harumi were left free to watch TV on the sofa, while Mei asked Yuzu to help her clean the table.
The blonde said, after a little while. "Say... Should we tell mom about tomorrow?"
Mei lowered her eyes. 'Will you promise me you'll behave as just sisters until mid terms end?' The promise they exchanged with Yuzu's mother, twirled in her head. She looked at Yuzu.
"I don't see reasons to hide it... We... Kept our promise, didn't we?"
Yuzu's cheeks reddened, "Mo-more or less..." thinking back to a certain office, a sofa and lots of kissing.
Mei got closer. "So, are you going to tell her?"
"Me!?"
"She's your mom!"
"But I thought we could tell her together!"
Mrs. Aihara popped suddenly in their talk, starting to wash the dishes.
"What are you two going to tell me?"
The girls linked looks and joined her at the sink. Mei was the first to start. "Yuzu was thinking about going to pay a visit to her grandparents, tomorrow."
The woman smirked, pretending not to understand. "Sure! Why don't we go together?"
The brunette gaped a bit. "Actually... I thought of showing Yuzu a place I'd like her to see, after it, and..." Mei gulped.
Mrs. Aihara was about to smile at her hesitation, but kept her act together 'till the end. Mei resumed.
"I thought we could pass the day together... Alone," finally said the girl, taking a breath.
The woman put a hand on her shoulder, smiling, "was it so hard to say?"
Then she passed the sponge to Yuzu, smiling at her too. Mei breathed relieved.
"Ok... Have fun! But, wait, are you going to stay out at dinner too?"
Yuzu and her mother turned to Mei, the brunette blushed a little, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.
"We'd be back right after it... Is it all right?"
Mrs. Aihara mumbled. "Only if you promise me that you'll be careful. And you won't mingle in weird places."
Mei got all serious. "Rest assured, I'd never put ourselves in danger... And... We'll call the moment we're there."
The woman smiled at her and to her daughter. "Ok then..." she left them.
Mei huffed out, looking sideways, then started washing the glasses.
Yuzu had kept silent all that time.
Mei stared at her thoughtful expression. Did she change her mind?
"If... If you still want to go... Obviously."
Yuzu sprang out of her thoughts. "Yes! I-I want to go! It's just..." Her voice became lower. "I was thinking on how we'll look from outside. I mean... Will people think we are a-a couple?"
Mei's ears became red while she washed the bowls. "I don't know... I guess it depends on... How we behave?"
Yuzu dropped the sponge. "You know, mom told me that her 6 years with my father were the happiest of her life but also the most embarrassing. He was European and he was... Showy, in the way he was with her. You know, 20 years ago, a blonde, tall Gaijin; circling her shoulders, or worse, her hips, while walking down the street. Kissing her nonchalantly in front of everyone. She needed months to get used to all the comments that followed them along the way."
Mei looked at her, knowing where the talk was going.
Yuzu resumed. "Do you think... We'd be even more targeted?"
Mei looked at her. "I'm sure of it," she said bluntly, leaving Yuzu in despair.
The brunette resumed. That was not a point to be taken lightly. "There could be someone... Doing heavy jokes on us, or even call us names... Does this bother you?" Mei looked at Yuzu's face turning to a sad expression.
Sure it was bothering her. It was bothering her too.
She asked then, "to the point of giving up?" Staring at her.
Yuzu turned towards her, a determined look on her face. "No," she said simply.
Mei sustained her look, then Yuzu blushed. "Anyway... It's not like we need to kiss on the street or anything..."
Mei blushed too, "O-of course... Still being legally sisters and all..."
For a while the sound of splashing water was the only one that could be heard. Yuzu got closer after some time, their shoulders grazing.
"But... We're not on the street now, are we?"
Mei blushed, looking at Yuzu leaning closer.
She hissed in a rushed whisper, "They're just on the other side of the room!"
Yuzu didn't stop, she glanced at the living room.
"Everybody's busy watching the movie... And I really, really want a kiss right now."
Mei turned her flushed face towards the living room, finding only backs turned towards them. When she turned her head back, Yuzu was millimeters away. She closed her eyes and waited in a shiver until their lips met, soft, warm. Yuzu reached for her chin, leaving a little foam on her, then nipped at Mei's lower lip. They parted, looking back right away.
Nobody had moved, or noticed.
"This movie's really good, isn't it?" came Mrs. Aihara's voice from the living room. The girls smiled, feeling a little awkward. Then ended the chores and they joined everybody else on the sofa.

Ichinomiya looked good even under the thin November rain that had started to fall. The girls took a stroll, under two umbrellas.
Being under the same one had seemed too married couple-ish.
Yuzu was naming all the places she knew or telling an anecdote bound to it.
The little town was no more than a 2000 soul village and had its schools all cramped in a big campus. Yuzu showed where she and Matsuri, and pretty much every child in town, had passed its adolescence.
Then they went to the residential area. "See? And that is the park where we used to play. Her house was right here," she said pointing up to a tall gray building. "I went there almost everyday after school, since her mother came back late from work. I managed to make some pocket money to buy all sorts of frilly things and gadgets. I was pretty proud of being, you know, independent already at that age."
Mei listened to everything she was saying, thinking she could feel the warmth of her normal life in her words. Then the topic fell on babysitting again.
"...When she grew up a bit we used to play painting her face with my make up and wearing my things. Thinking back to it now, we were both so flashy with the lipstick all doodling our faces!"
Mei smiled. Yuzu felt sorry she had kept silent all the time. She smiled back to her, "I'm sorry I keep talking about her all the time..."
Mei shook her head. "It's ok... It's nice to hear she was not always that bitchy."
Yuzu laughed, but Mei spoke again. "And... I think I'm only just envious of someone who's known you so longer than me..."
Yuzu blushed, watching Mei closing her umbrella and noticing only in that moment it had stopped raining. Mei's hands were really red from cold.
Yuzu patted her forehead. "What a jerk, I totally forgot I brought gloves!" she said, searching her coat's wide pockets.
"Here..." she said handing them to Mei.
The brunette pushed them away, "Oh no. You wear them..."
But Yuzu held them in place, "Come on, your hands look painfully red..."
Mei resisted her offer again and walked away a bit.
Yuzu thought for a moment, then reached her, "Let's split then..." she said.
"Here, take the left one," while she donned the right one.
Mei looked at her a little baffled, wearing the glove. But when the blonde stretched her ungloved hand to her, she blushed in understanding.
"Oh..." was all Mei managed to say.
Yuzu slowly reached for her hand, holding it and then hiding it in the pocket of her coat with her own. It warmed more than just their hands.
They walked close and silently for a bit, then Yuzu intertwined her fingers with hers. Mei looked at her, gazing forward, rosy cheeked in a slight embarrassment. She held her hand tight and Yuzu turned to look at her, then stopped on her tracks, stopping Mei too.
"I... I know we can't do it and saying it's kind of useless but... I think it's only fair that you know... I was..." she looked around seeing nobody was near enough to hear. "I was thinking I want to kiss you really bad right now."
Mei blushed scarlet and turned her face away. Wha-what a stupid thing to say!
Then looked up and found Yuzu was looking at her so longingly you could actually read her thoughts on her face. Mei leaned on Yuzu's shoulder.
"Me too..." she whispered, tightening her hold on her hand in the pocket.

Yuzu's grandparents' house was a little villa, reachable on foot from the center. Mei straightened herself a bit, while Yuzu hurried her last steps on the entrance gate. A gray haired woman, a kind smile on her face, went to open the door. She was a lot shorter then Yuzu and reached up for her shoulders to hug her grand-daughter. "Granny!" said Yuzu cheerfully, leaning down a little.
"Aw, you're taller every time you visit! I missed my little rabbit," said the woman caressing Yuzu's ponytails. The blonde laughed and the woman looked over her shoulder, noticing Mei a little behind. "You came with a friend!?" she said looking really surprised.
Yuzu stood straight up and pointed to Mei with a hand.
"She's my mother's husband's daughter... And also my classmate."
"Your stepsister!? Oh! It's so nice to meet you finally!" said the woman bowing her head and smiling warmly.
Mei bowed deeply, "Aihara Mei... The pleasure is mine, sorry for coming unannounced. I hope we're not bothering you..."
The woman made way for them to enter. "Oh, don't mention it. We're two retired lazy old people. We're glad to have a visit, from time to time..." said in a playful reproach the woman.
Yuzu scratched her head a little. "I'm sorry grandma, I should come more often..."
The woman made them seat in the living room. Speaking to Mei she said, "See? When I'm scolding her, she's back to calling me grandma right away..."
Mei smiled to her, she could feel the affection behind that little jest.
Yuzu asked, after a while the woman had went to the kitchen to bring tea, "Grandpa isn't here?"
"He went to the club. He should come home for lunch."
Yuzu explained, "He's a Shogi player..."
Mei lifted her brows, interested. "I can play Shogi..."
Yuzu looked at her, smiling "I should have known..."
Mei smirked, "What..."
The blonde smirked back, "Oh, nothing. It's just, I can totally see it. You in a furisode, sitting on a porch, in front of the board..."
Mei frowned, "You make me sound so old-fashioned."
Yuzu chuckled, "It's not old-fashioned, It's... Just you."
Yuzu's grandmother had been watching them for a bit. She smiled seeing her grand-daughters so friendly with each other. She sat down with them, serving tea. "So how's your mother... Is Aihara-San still abroad?" She asked, addressing both of the girls.
It was Mei who replied."He's in Cambodia right now, he's going to come back next week..." her expression a little melancholic.
Yuzu asked, "Will he make it for the festival?"
Mei replied, "I hope so.." looking, though, terribly worried.
She was anxious to see her father again. But the moment he came back home, the moment her and Yuzu had to talk with him about their relationship.
Mei shook that worrying thought from her head. That was not the moment.
Yuzu's grandmother rested a hand on her shoulder, mistaking her worry for longing. "I'm sure he'll make it... It's the cultural festival time, isn't it? Will you dress up in kimonos?"
Yuzu grinned widely, "Sure! I told mom I needed a new one, my middle school one, it's almost waist length now..."
The woman chuckled, "You sprouted like a soya bean these years... What about you, Mei-chan?"
Mei blushed a little at the cute suffix she was called with, "I... My role is to manage things so they work out well, I don't think I'll take part in the celebrations..."
Yuzu's grandmother looked surprised at the official tone the girl had assumed.
Yuzu said, "She's the president of the student council..."
Mei blushed, "Yuzu, you don't have to..."
The woman noticed the absence of suffix in Mei calling her sister. They're close.
But Yuzu went on any way, "...Even though we're both first years. She organized all the clubs activities on her own. She's the best at school, always the first ranking."
While Mei watched her hands on her knees in embarrassment, the woman chuckled. "Oh my... Then what are you doing around my delinquent granddaughter!? Speak the truth Yuzu, is she here to keep an eye on you?" Then addressed the brunette. "Did she get into trouble? She's always been the difficult one."
Mei smiled, "There were some... Problems in the beginning."
Yuzu mentally thanked Mei for the euphemism.
"But she got her head together and... She's really improved herself in such a short amount of time."
A clack on the door and Yuzu sprang up to greet her grandfather.
"Grandpa!" The man widened his smile and hugged her.
"Oh the little rabbit is back to her hole!"
Then Yuzu introduced Mei, "This is Mei, my... classmate. She can play Shogi, you know?"
They had lunch together in idle chat and, while Yuzu baked some cookies with her grandmother, Mei played a game with the man, who complimented her for giving him truly a hard time, even if in the end he was the one to win.

They walked away between warm goodbyes and promises to come back.
After some time walking, Mei smirked, feeling a little excited.
"So... We just had our first date, right?"
Yuzu didn't have the time to confirm, and she felt herself being pulled behind a hedge and kissed lightly on the lips.
She stilled at first, but then she leaned onto Mei. Closing her eyes only after taking a sweet brief look at the brunette's face so close.
When Mei parted from her, Yuzu noticed the smallest of smiles lingering on her lips. She stared and blushed.
Mei asked "What...? " almost chuckling.
Yuzu shook her head, "If I say it, you won't admit it..." she said lowering her face.
Mei pulled her chin up, "What..." she said again, staring at Yuzu's eyes with a longing look.
Yuzu smirked "...That you look happy."
Mei blushed scarlet while Yuzu went to look at her feet not to stare at her embarrassment.
But the brunette reached for her cheek and lifted her face back up. She was still flushed and she stuttered, "G-guess why..."
Then she kissed her and this time she pushed herself through Yuzu's lips in a deeper kiss, holding her firmly in place. Some panting, hot seconds passed, but Mei soon realized that wasn't the place for these sort of effusions. She detached a little, seeing Yuzu was totally abandoned onto her, with her eyelids flickering and her lips still parted in hard breathing.
She felt a shiver, and a jolt of arousal told her it was the moment to stop that game.
Yuzu was twirled away from her spot, not realizing at first she had stood on her toes to have a better reach of Mei's lips.
She saw the brunette was steadily preceding her on their way to the station, and she was pulling her by the hand. Yuzu felt her knees were still a bit jelly and imagined Mei was still flushing red for embarrassment... Or maybe not for that. Because she obstinately refused to turn her face towards her.
She smiled to herself, "So where is this place you wanted to show me?"
Mei still didn't look at her. "You'll see it when we're there... It's not so far, anyway."
Yuzu made a quick stride to reach for Mei and they walked to the station side by side, slowly overcoming the sensation of being too daring to hold hands in public.
The trip was silent but serene. They enjoyed the feeling of being together between total strangers on that crowded subway. When they changed line, Yuzu exclaimed, "Are we going towards the sea!?" Mei smiled at her honest and a little childish excitement and nodded.
Yuzu held her hand tighter and waited for the train to go back to the surface to shout, "Look at how stormy it is!"

On the coast the sky was still serene but a wild wind was blowing from the ocean, and when they reached for the cliff it was a spectacular fight between rocks and waves, sending prickling droplets of foam to their faces. Yuzu was gaping at the shore and when she turned to smile to Mei, her hair was ruffled by the wind, framing her face. Mei got closer and pulled up her hood, not realizing she had an idiot smile on her face all the time.
Yes, even Mei Aihara has the foolish look of someone in love.
But Yuzu would have never made her aware, at risk of not seeing that expression ever again. Instead she leaned on her, hiding her face on her coat. "It's beautiful... Is it here you wanted to show me?"
Mei shook her head and, following the line of the shore, she pointed to a promontory not so far away.
"My house..." said Mei with a nostalgic nuance in her voice.

Yuzu almost always forgot that Mei's family was rich, filthily so.
A traditional style villa, built right on the higher cliff was dominating the sight.
Yuzu went wide eyed, sweet Jesus Christ...
Mei took her hand again and lead her onto the humid solid sand, to the feet of the building.
Under the house the wall of stone formed a little bay, where weed and woods had gathered. There the flow of the water wasn't so strong and only occasionally a wave bigger than the other splashed onto the stone, soaring up on the wall. Mei sat on a dry spot and Yuzu gaped face up at the building over her head. Then pointing to something moving on the sand...
"Oh my god, how many are they!?"
Mei chuckled at the city slicker Yuzu. A hundred or more purple crabs were crawling on the sand, going to find refuge under the weeds in waiting for the tide to retire, now that the sun was lowering.
Yuzu was stepping on the stones, playing with a stick in a fight with the claw of a crab. Mei smiled again at the sight, warning her not to get too close to where water hit. When a voice erupted from the sea making the blonde yelp in surprise. A man in diving gear, armed with a harpoon and a little net, was emerging between the rocks. Gray hair was revealed when he took off his mask and hood.
"Cough-cough-Ojousama! Nobody was expecting you, are you staying for the night?"
Yuzu gaped at the suddenly close man who walked backwards with his fins on the sand.
Mei stood up and smiled, waving as she got closer to her old acquaintance.
"Just for the evening, until dinner time if it's not too much of a bother..."
The man took off the upper part of the suit in the cold winter afternoon.
"Not a bother at all, this house has missed you for too long!"
Yuzu walked near, to see the shiny things that were crawling inside the net.
A white squid, some black and brown urchins, a little octopus and two big olive colored crabs that were trying to cut their way out. The man smiled at the curious blonde girl.
"Any friend of my little miss is my friend... I'm Shoutaro," he said bowing.
Yuzu was about to bow as well, but they just heard Mei's voice shout a "Watch out!" and both the man and Yuzu were hit by a huge splash of foam and water coming from a backwash wave.
The man laughed then bowed to the now drenched blonde girl in excuse for his inability to protect her, and went quickly to recover his precious hunt that was threatening to be returned to the sea. Mei walked near to the blonde, covering her with her coat.
"Shoutaro would you please tell Misato to receive us?"
The wind was fierce and Yuzu was already clattering her teeth. "Waaa, I'm so sorry, I got distracted... Brrrrr... so cold."
Mei shielded her from the wind, while walking back up to the shore and then to the entrance of the home. Meanwhile the man had preceded them inside, from a steeper but quicker way.
A maid opened the door for them right away and Mei disappeared in a room, coming back with a big towel after a second. The brunette held it for Yuzu at the entrance, rubbing her, to dry the water at least from her hair. Yuzu smiled when she felt some warmth go back to her bones and the maid collected their wet coats and shoes. Mei thanked the lady, who welcomed her back. Then wrapped Yuzu tight and accompanied her to her room.
After a long wooden corridor, behind a dark heavy sliding door; a spacious room, facing a veranda on the sea, was Mei's bedroom.
The brunette went away and came back with a hairdryer and a new blouse.
Yuzu didn't wait for her to say it and got rid of her humid cold garment. Mei turned on the hairdryer and with a simple patting gesture, invited her to sit in front of her, while she knelt on the floor. After some minutes Yuzu felt all better and reversed her head back to look gratefully at Mei behind her. The brunette ruffled her now dry and warm hair and smiled at her upside-down relieved expression. Then went to kiss her, both of them enjoying the softness of the fuller lower lip. The thing had happened so naturally, both of them smiled in realization.
Mei picked up the new blouse to cape it around Yuzu's shoulders. "Here..."
"Thanks..." Yuzu donned it and stood up, seeing a yellowish light coming from the round, thinly grated windows on the veranda doors. Yuzu was about to open them, but Mei blocked her hands, "It's too cold outside..."
Yuzu smiled to her now numerous attentive gestures and limited herself to stare in wonder at the spectacle in front of her eyes.
The sun was setting already in that wintery afternoon by the sea. But the clean, crisp sky, revealed all of his shades, from gold to fiery red. Reflecting them on the rocky bay. Afar, where the sight could barely reach, the Miura peninsula stretched in the Pacific ocean, until the familiar silhouette of mount Fuji, capped by snow in the distance.
"This is so... " Yuzu struggled to find words to describe what she was feeling and Mei hugged her from behind, resting her chin on her shoulder. Yuzu felt so happy and warm and safe.
Mei was relaxed, naturally comfortable in that house she knew so well.
Yuzu had happily noticed the way she had moved with confidence in the home where she had spent her infancy, even after many years. She rested her hands on Mei's, who didn't move and instead got closer in her embrace. She felt Mei's steady breathing on her neck. "You smell like the sea..." she said.
Yuzu looked again outside the window. Now the warm light of the sunset was entering the room, painting the walls of red and orange. Yuzu felt like being in total peace for the first time in her life.
She whispered, "Can we make it last forever?"
Mei looked in her same direction and together they watched in silence as the reflections on the sea slowly became azure and then silver and dark.
Mei left the softest of kisses on her neck, then looked into Yuzu's eyes, finding she was turning to look at her at the same time. Mei reached for Yuzu's face with her fingertips, trailing the line of her jaw and leaning closer for a kiss.
Again, it had happened so naturally and spontaneously they both smiled, this time not in embarrassment, but reassuringly.
Yuzu looked up to Mei in expectation and the brunette didn't have neither the will nor the strength to make her wait.
They turned to face each other and kissed thirstily, both reaching for the other's neck and face, to pull each other closer. Yuzu leaned on the veranda doors as Mei started playing with her tongue and her hands reached lower to undo the buttons of her camisole.
"I just put it on..." Yuzu said playfully. But Mei kissed her neck while undoing the first button, making her whimper in pleasure. "Then let me be the one to take it off..."
Yuzu looked at the ceiling, while trying to grab at the last fragment of rationality she felt Mei was slowly but steadily kissing away.
"Won't they hear us?"
Mei raised her head, looked at her, then made a sign to wait a minute.
Mei went to the corridor outside. Yuzu heard a door clack close and the brunette went back with a key in hand, which was used to close the door to that room too.
Yuzu was still leaning onto the sliding doors of the veranda and Mei quite blatantly checked her out from head to toe, with her disheveled hair, her blouse open on a panting chest and her lips red and a bit swollen because of the kissing. Mei gulped, then let the key drop on the floor and covered the distance between them in a haste.
She crashed her mouth onto hers, grabbing hold of her waist and nape as for dear life.
Yuzu let herself be drawn in that kiss. Her breath hot and hitching into her throat, while Mei started to move feverishly onto her. Yuzu tried to make her way through the layers of Mei's clothes, until finally reaching for her skin, her waist, her sides.
Mei groaned and pressed herself onto Yuzu, pushing a leg between hers.
When the blonde's fingertips grazed her back under her sweater Mei quickly took it off, not bothering to check if some of her hair went in the way when she hurriedly went back to kiss Yuzu.
The blonde felt her knees wobble when Mei got closer again and rocked her hips onto her, sending shivers down to her lower belly. She eyed the bed in suggestion, feeling it was only matter of time that her legs were turning to jelly.
Mei broke the kiss and helped Yuzu sit down on the low bed, then crawled slowly by her side, while the blonde smiled sheepishly, laying down. Mei gathered her hair on a shoulder and lowered herself to graze Yuzu's lips with the softest of kisses. The blonde, though, wasn't satisfied with it and circled Mei's shoulders with her arms, holding her close and pulling her even closer.
The brunette smiled and slowly let herself be drawn down, laying on top of her, legs intertwined, bodies close. Mei kissed her lazily and sweetly, while Yuzu was losing even the strength to hold her, grazing her neck, fingers through her black hair. The blonde was suddenly awakened from her slumber. She moaned loudly when a movement of Mei's hips sent a trail of pleasure that made her arch against her. The brunette smiled and kissed her hard, feeling teeth graze her tongue and stared at her while Yuzu shook again, reacting to another wave of pleasure. The blonde breathed hard between the kisses and her now grasping hands reached for Mei's butt, to press herself onto her even more. Mei grasped for Yuzu's thigh to lift it up a bit and improve their contact. Her hand revealed, as the fabric of her skirt fell back, a softness she failed to appreciate completely on their last rushed encounter. Mei took an instant to look into Yuzu's eyes as her hand went to the hem of her skirt, looking for the zipper to loosen. The blonde gave her a hand and lifted her hips to get free of it. Mei stared at her own hand slowly grazing Yuzu's soft and slender leg, then reached for her own skirt hem, waiting for Yuzu to help her get rid of it.

When they embraced again, the feeling was completely different. The warmth of each others' skin on their legs and through their panties was a growing heat that shook them when their rocking met halfway. Mei was the one in control and she slid onto Yuzu a bit, while pressing herself against her. The blonde arched her back and reversed her head in response. She blinked her surprise in a little whimper and enjoyed the change of pace of Mei lowering herself to kiss and lick her neck. Seeing she was on the right path, the brunette lifted herself a little and repeated the movement. This time Yuzu clenched her eyes and breathed out soundly, then looked at Mei straight in the eyes, meeting her in the next wave with a shaking breath. Mei stared at her, moving onto her and feeling her need to just go on. Yuzu reached for Mei's face, passing her fingers through her hair and pulling her into a hungry, messy kiss. When Yuzu was hit again by a jolt of pleasure Mei just pressed her body on hers again, with a last arching of her back, feeling and hearing her now loud moan on her open lips. Then Yuzu's hands clawed at her shoulders and her legs clutched her thigh in the climax. Eyes clenched, their breaths mixed in a shaky burning last kiss.

After an instant Yuzu slowly tried to open her eyes, but failed miserably.
Mei smiled, going to whisper in her ear, "Take your time..."
But Yuzu tried again, this time looking at Mei's vaguely proud smirk. She left soft kisses on her face, while she admired the recovering of her victim, sliding down from her, resting by her side.
Yuzu rolled, going to hide her face in Mei's chest and holding her. The brunette let her do it, while Yuzu mumbled something unintelligible. "What?" chuckled Mei, detaching herself a little.
Yuzu though didn't seem to want to let her go and followed her movements, going to top her, still hiding her face, this time in the nape of her neck. She started laying a trail of kisses there. "Mei..." down to her collarbone, "Mei..." and to her chest. "Mei... Mei, Mei, My Mei!" Chanted the blonde, while kissing between her breasts, her stomach, belly, halting to look at her smiling expression and then hiding her blushing face onto her.
Mei blushed at that. She smiled passing a hand through her golden waves, while Yuzu caressed her side, her leg, sometimes leaving pecks on her belly.
Mei smiled to Yuzu when she looked up at her. "Should I go and get something to eat? So that we won't be disturbed for dinner... You could rest in the meantime." Yuzu nodded and slid off from her. Mei wore a yukata and headed out, while the blonde laid on the sheets, spreading her arms and breathing their scent on the covers.

Yuzu was sleeping on her belly when Mei came back with some sandwiches and tea. She watched her peaceful expression while laying the tray down on her desk and smiled in seeing Yuzu's cheek a little puffed onto the covers.
She slowly knelt on the bed and leaned onto her, to kiss that too inviting pink cheek.
She lingered an instant but the blonde didn't seem to notice. She kissed her again, "Yuzu..." Mei called whispering in her ear.
"Hmmm..." and no other response.
Mei smiled and leaned again onto her, to whisper "Yuzu..." then kissed her ear and stared lovingly at that beautiful girl laying in front of her.
From that close, she felt like that was too much to behold.
"I love you... " The words escaped her lips in a flow, almost without her reckoning.

The blonde seemed to not have processed the words. "Hmm.. Hm!?"
Then she sprang up on her knees, blinking away sleepiness and gaping at Mei, who was waiting peacefully for her to awake definitely.
Yuzu's face was a mess, hair ruffled, the lines left by the sheets on her cheek, and she was gaping like an idiot.
Mei thought she never looked so beautiful as that moment.
She chuckled a bit, getting closer, she grazed Yuzu's cheek with the back of her fingers.
The blonde closed her eyes for an instant, then followed her every movement, not wanting to look away even for a second. Mei smiled and Yuzu felt her eyes becoming teary.
'She said it. 'I love you,' She had said it'.
Mei kissed her lightly, "Was it too sudden?"
Yuzu shook her head.
"Then why are you crying?"
"It's stupid... I won't say it," said the blonde launching herself to hug Mei, who caressed her hair.
"Come on..."
"It's an idiocy..."
"What's wrong...?"
Yuzu took some time. "I... I've always thought I'd be the first to say it..."
Mei chuckled, detaching herself to look at her in the eye.
"So you're sad because I beat you to it?" she said, amused.
"Do-don't laugh at least! Aaaw... I should never have told you," said a now openly crying Yuzu, to Mei who still was laughing a bit.
The blonde girl felt like crying her heart out. She was sad and happy in a way she never felt before. "I'm sorry I was still sleeping when you said it..."
The brunette smiled and dried the tears from Yuzu's face.
"I just felt like saying it... It's not such a big deal."
Yuzu sniffed and smiled, her lips still trembling when Mei went to kiss them. A little last sob shook her, then Yuzu let go of everything and let herself be drawn by the hands that were caressing her, and the lips kissing her. Mei slowly took off her yukata then leaned on her, pushing her down, not before having opened the lace of her bra. Yuzu was abandoned in her arms, moaning softly at every touch.
Mei looked at her between the kisses and found that the tears were gone.
She lifted herself from the embrace to remove the lacy bra that was still tangled to Yuzu's arms and lowered herself to kiss her breasts, wanting to wake her up from her slumber.
A light bite on a nipple and Yuzu hissed and arched against her mouth. The blonde blinked her passiveness away. She stared at Mei in a new determination. She slid down to reach her and kissed her forcibly. Her tongue darting into Mei's mouth, while her hands were on her butt, clawing, sliding under her panties to feel her naked skin, then going to her waist to press her against herself, in a need of new closeness. Mei managed to breath just in time before another greedy kiss clashed onto her lips. Yuzu was holding her firmly in place, a hand on her nape, messing with her hair, the other going to undo her bra and quickly removing it. Mei felt her breasts touch Yuzu's and panted into the blonde's mouth in excitement.
Yuzu tried to roll over but Mei resisted and pushed her back down. "I'm not done with you yet..." she said while trying to regain her breath. Mei freed herself from her hold, then looked at Yuzu below, smirking while sliding down between her breasts, her stomach and following down to her bellybutton.

Realization stroke Yuzu when Mei didn't stop there but went to pull down the hem of her panties. "Wait!" she shouted, blushing red as a tomato.
Mei didn't falter, talking in a provocative tone, grazing her mound's sensitive skin with her lips. "What's the matter?"
"Wo-wouldn't it be weird?"
Mei kissed her again, holding her finger where it was, hooked on her panties. "For you?"
Yuzu gawked, while Mei watched her feline from over there.
Yuzu blushed and felt her heartbeat raise. Mei was as hot as hell. The brunette reached with her other hand, pulling down another inch of her panties.
Yuzu tried to stop her, "I-I mean... We've been around all da-aaay"

The brunette didn't seem to bother and grazed her with the tip of her tongue.
"You're perfectly fine..." smirked Mei.
To Yuzu, watching her dark eyes, looking at her from down below was the sexiest thing on earth. She didn't want her to stop, she just felt terribly embarrassed. She could feel being totally wet under her panties and Mei was so close she must have... Smelled it.
Mei lifted herself from laying on Yuzu's side and stretched a hand, going to reach for one of Yuzu's. The brunette smiled. Yuzu was feeling her heart beat so strongly in her ears, she thought it must have moved there.
Mei knelt beside her and leaned into her to kiss her. Then crawled onto her, guiding Yuzu's hand to her belly and under her panties, winning her feeble resistance, whispering "I'm the same... All the same."
Yuzu was hypnotized by the feeling of her fingers sliding into her wetness.
How many times had she imagined... Now reality was overwhelmingly compelling.
She moved her fingers and Mei whimpered on her lips, retreating though almost immediately. Yuzu looked at her in confusion while Mei distanced, but the brunette was only trying to maintain her role. She kissed her again, smiling, "It's still your turn..."
Yuzu smiled back and Mei kissed her again, slowly and sweetly. Her hand looking for the fingers that had touched her, intertwining with them. "Your fingers, your lips... Your body... It's just you, Yuzu. I want to kiss you... Would you let me do it?" Yuzu looked at the ceiling while she felt the brunette crawling down onto her. Her hands on her thighs, her breath on her belly, a kiss, before feeling the cloth of her panties graze her legs and being tossed away. Yuzu finally looked down, blushing deeply while pulling her knees up close. But then she met Mei's eyes and they were so calm, so reassuring and inviting she felt all embarrassment being blown away. The brunette rested her hands on Yuzu's knees and the blonde followed her gesture, spreading her legs. Mei lowered herself to reach her and Yuzu licked her lips instinctively, tensing a bit.

Mei's breathing was the first thing she felt, hot and shaky on her skin. Then she grazed her and Yuzu felt her breath being forced out. Mei kissed her mound in slow, wet nipping, then lowered her head, licking her outer lips, hearing a groan from the blonde and feeling Yuzu's hips starting to follow her when she repeated the same wet caress. Mei adjusted herself on Yuzu, clutching her thighs and licking and kissing a little more forcibly.
When Yuzu rocked her hips up on her she darted inside, kissing full mouthed.
Yuzu cried out in a loud trembling moan. She arched against her again, her hands going to reach for the sheets to clench. Mei slowly circled her with her tongue, then went back up, looking at the blonde's head pressed against the pillow. Yuzu looked down and in that moment Mei sucked on her, making her tremble in pleasure. Yuzu bit her lower lip and panted hard. The brunette smirked and went down on her again, licking her clitoris while Yuzu clutched the pillow under her head, clenching her teeth to prevent another loud cry from escaping her throat. Mei's mouth was so hot and soft, Yuzu went to reach for her and pushed back some strands of hair from her forehead. They smiled to each other and Mei sank her face again onto Yuzu, who cried out loud, feeling the flat licking and the tickling Mei was doing on her. She felt a tingle grow within her and her hips darted up at the moment Mei sucked again on her clit. Then Mei sped up the pace, in vertical licking and teasing tickling. The brunette clasped at her thighs to keep her down while Yuzu was shaking and breathing harder. The waves of heat and pleasure hit the blonde one after the other, until her mind went blank and she threw back her head, screaming in her pillow, sweating and panting in that cold November evening. Mei kissed her one last time. She then crawled up beside Yuzu, who was now slowly falling into slumber, and smiled, freeing the pillow from her weak grasp.
Yuzu breathed deeply, realizing of barely having the strength to move. But then stretched her neck to look at Mei between her eyelids and kissing her lightly. She nipped at the metallic, just slightly salty taste of her lips, then fell down again.
Mei looked at her with a smile on her face, then rested her head on her arms and enjoyed the rhythm of Yuzu's breathing for a while.
The blonde rolled onto her, resting her head on Mei's back, feeling her heart was beating too strong and fast.
"I love you too... I love you Mei. I lo-o-ve you so mu-ch"
Mei chuckled. "Oh, why do you have to cry again...?" She asked, rolling to face her and being hugged right away in a teary wet kiss. "I don't know," Yuzu kissed her again. "I don't..." a sob "know..." She was a ball of soft, sobbing, moaning skin. Mei caressed her and kissed her softly. Then Yuzu started to chuckle and Mei smiled. "You're crazy..."
Yuzu grinned between tears "It must be so..."
Mei stared at her intensely. "I'm in love with a crazy, green eyed half Japanese girl." They kissed again.


I had SO MUCH fun writing this thing, really, I never thought... I really loved it.

I think I got to a good point with the story, so I'm going to take it a little more easy with the following chapters. I'm the cruelest judge of my work and I'm not going to publish something that could just ruin the story so far... I had more than a thought of ending it here, 'cause, you know, happy ending yay! But there are still some points to be solved, so, hoping to come out with something deign I really hope to see you soon!