Shatter - Chapter 7

Konoka kissed her mother goodbye on the cheek, and placed her hand on the door handle.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Konoka said. Her mother smiled and nodded, and Konoka turned toward the street. Parked next to the curb, sat Asakura in her car.

"Remember that Setsuna is coming over tomorrow, don't be late for her again!" Her mother yelled, before closing the door.

Konoka grinned at Asakura, as she got out of the driver's seat.

"Need help with anything?" She asked.

Konoka shook her head. "No, I'll just throw this stuff in the back seat." She said, indicating her overnight bag.

"Fair enough." Asakura commented. She moved around to the passenger side as Konoka threw her bag into the back seat. Asakura opened the passenger door for her, and Konoka thanked her as she got into the car.

"So where are we off to?" Konoka asked, buckling herself in as Asakura hopped in beside her.

"To the mall!" Asakura exclaimed, starting her car.

"Isn't the mall here boring, though?" Konoka asked.

Asakura shoulder-checked, then put the car into gear and accelerated away from the curb.

"Yes it is. Which is why we're going to the Fort today." She said. Her left foot came off the clutch, and her knee jammed against the steering wheel as her hands groped for her seat belt. She found it and clicked it into place in time to regain control of the car, and upshift into the next gear.

The Fort was the nickname for the town about half an hour away, Konoka knew. Named so for it's historic buildings, rich culture, and overall militaristic feel. The monuments and memorial graveyard there certainly helped things.

Konoka smiled. She loved road trips. She rolled the window down as Asakura turned the music up. Hair whipping in the wind, Konoka gazed at the near-cloudless sky.

888

Setsuna downshifted, and pulled into a familiar driveway. Setting her park brake, she set the transmission into neutral and pulled out her phone. The first number at the top of her call history was the one she wanted, and she pressed 'call'.

It rang a few times before Asuna answered, and rather than a 'hello?', Setsuna was greeted with,

"Dammit, are you here already?"

Setsuna laughed. "Yeah, I'm outside, in the driveway."

"Well park that thing and get in here! I'm not even close to ready yet."

Setsuna smiled as she disconnected, then she shut off her car. Sticking the car in reverse, she got out and locked the car up.

"You're always running late, Asuna." She said to herself. Climbing the steps, she knocked on the door. She was rewarded with her phone ringing in her pocket.

"What?" She answered, knowing it was Asuna.

"Just walk in, it's unlocked. No one's home, I'm upstairs in my room."

Setsuna ended the call, and opened the front door. Entering, she looked around the home she had come to know as well as her own. Nothing had changed here.

Kicking off her shoes, she ran up the carpeted stairs on the left, heading toward Asuna's room.

Hanging another left at the top of the stairs, she knocked twice on the door before opening it and walking in.

Asuna stared at her in the mirror, her back to Setsuna as she stood covered only by a towel, currently putting her hair up into a messy ponytail.

"Hello there." She greeted.

Setsuna looked her up and down. "Hi." She responded, moving toward the bed.

"Running a wee bit late, are we?" She asked, flopping down and leaning against the wall. After a moment of indecision, she grabbed one of Asuna's pillows and jammed it behind her head.

Asuna's bi-colored eyes followed her every move in the mirror as she readjusted the towel around her ample breasts. She shrugged.

"Whatever."

Setsuna smirked. "Oh well. Now I get to watch you try on clothes, so it's not all bad."

Asuna rolled her eyes. "Easy, girl. I thought it was my job to make the sexual comments, and your holy duty to shut me down, ever the ice queen?"

Setsuna shrugged. "Who says we can't switch it up a bit?" She asked.

Asuna fixed her with a stare, still looking at her in the mirror.

"Because you don't even like girls." Asuna pointed out. "It just doesn't work."

Setsuna pouted. "That's a stupid rule."

Asuna grinned. Her mirror sat on a large wooden dresser, which she now opened the top dresser to. Pulling out a pair of black panties, she slipped them on.

Setsuna watched as they slipped up her legs, disappearing under the towel.

"What's the plan for today?" Asuna asked. Setsuna shrugged, quite comfortable where she was.

"Dunno. We could do anything, really."

Asuna said nothing, and continued getting dressed. The towel fell next, revealing her breasts for a second before she slipped on a matching bra.

"What should I wear?" Asuna asked her, turning around and meeting her gaze.

Setsuna hummed. "I don't know. Find anything. Then we can go shopping for clothes!"

It was Asuna's turn to let her gaze wander over Setsuna's body.

"I actually really like what you're wearing." She said, approval in her voice.

Setsuna yawned, and decided to stand up before she fell asleep.

"This?" She asked. "It's not bad."

Setsuna was currently clothed in a pair of dark blue jeans that rode low on her hips with a boot-cut. She had picked out a form-fitting black V-neck T-shirt to go along with it. The V wasn't a deep one; she was aware that she didn't have much cleavage to show off. Around her neck was a thin silver necklace, and it intermittently caught the light, drawing Asuna's gaze to her neck-line.

Around Setsuna's right wrist was a simple strip of leather, used to tie up her hair when needed. Right now it hung straight down around her shoulders.

Asuna looked away as she moved toward her closet.

"Don't want to embarrass you in public, now I need to find something as good-looking." Asuna said.

Curious, Setsuna walked over to look at her clothes.

"I'm sure we can find something." She said.

Asuna pawed through a few hangers, and suddenly something caught Setsuna's eye.

"This!" Setsuna said, reaching out and pulling a hanger out. Removing the jeans, she unfolded them and looked at them.

"These will look pretty good on you." Setsuna said, holding them up. "Here, put them on."

She tossed them to Asuna, who caught them and held them up.

"You sure?" She asked.

Setsuna nodded. "Now I'll find you a shirt."

Setsuna looked through the clothes hanging in her closet, frowning as she found nothing she liked. She could hear Asuna behind her sliding into the jeans.

"Well, this might work." Setsuna said, pulling a shirt down from the closet. She took it off the hanger, and held it up in front of her.

"Yes, this will work very nicely."

Turning around, she stopped to take in Asuna so far. She slid into the tight, light blue jeans, and Setsuna thought she looked pretty good, standing there with one hand on her hip and a grin on her face.

"These jeans have tears in them in places they should not, you know."

Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "I know. That's why I wanted you to put them on."

Asuna turned around, and spread her legs slightly apart.

"See this one? It shows part of my underwear!" She said, tracing a long slash that went up the inside of her thigh.

Setsuna smiled. "Those cuts are in all the right places, I think."

"Now this." Setsuna held out the shirt. It was dark red, and sleeveless. Two thin straps were all that held it up, and it was very form-fitting. (A/N: I'm sure theres an actual name for something like this, but I don't know capris from cardigans. Not my area of expertise.)

Asuna pulled it on, and Setsuna had to admire the way the red accented her raw sexuality. Asuna was very good-looking, and the intense stare from her piercing gaze would send shivers down anyone's back.

Setsuna ran her fingers through her hair, then quickly gathered it up and held it in a mock ponytail.

"Hair up, or down, you think?" She asked.

Asuna hummed softly as she walked over, motioned for Setsuna to let it fall.

"Part of me thinks up, because you look damn good with a ponytail, but when it's down I have something to tug on." She said, jerking lightly on the ends of her hair.

Setsuna bit her lip, and shook her head. "Down it is, then."

Asuna grinned cheekily at her, then motioned toward the door.

"I'm mostly ready to go now, you know." She said.

Setsuna moved toward the door. "Mostly?"

"Just need to brush my teeth. Feel free to wait up here, or downstairs, help yourself to whatever you like, doesn't matter."

Setsuna shrugged. "I can wait til we get to the mall to eat." She said.

Asuna disappeared into the attached bathroom, and Setsuna took a moment to actually look around the room more closely.

Nothing really had changed, she thought. It always felt like years went by between visits, when in reality the longest they've gone without seeing each other was a month, maybe two.

Setsuna smiled, and wandered over to the bed. She let herself fall back down onto it, and closed her eyes.

Asuna had a ridiculously comfortable bed. It reminded Setsuna of her own. She sighed, and turned her head to the side. The faint sound of running water could be heard.

Inhaling deeply through her nose, Setsuna immediately picked up the scent of Asuna. It was warm and delicious, if it could be such a thing, she thought. And very familiar. She loved it.

Suddenly the bed rocked, and Setsuna could feel someone touching her legs as they hung off the edge of the bed.

"Whatcha doing?" Setsuna heard Asuna's low voice ask. Setsuna straightened her head and opened her eyes. She was met with Asuna's piercing gaze as the red-headed girl leaned over her, hands on either side of her head. Her legs gently slid between Setsuna's own. Setsuna could smell the peppermint toothpaste she had just used.

Setsuna didn't answer. Asuna didn't need one. She glanced down at Setsuna's lips, and Setsuna caught the look. Raising her arms, she put them on Asuna's shoulders, gently pushing the girl off.

"That's enough of that." Setsuna said softly. Asuna pouted, put let herself be pushed away.

"You know, one of these days, I won't be so nice." Asuna warned. "I'm just going to come up behind you, and push you up against the wall, pinning your arms above your head as I-"

"Aaaand, that's enough of that as well." Setsuna interrupted.

"Meanie." Asuna pouted.

Setsuna smirked, and moved toward the door.

"It's a bright sunny day out. Let's not waste it inside, eh?"

888

"So tell me, Asakura, what a young lady like yourself is doing with such a nice car?" Konoka asked. She usually enjoyed road trips in silence, preferring the way her mind faded into nothing as she didn't have to think or concentrate on anything for once, but Asakura was a talkative girl, and Konoka didn't want to give her the impression that she found Asakura boring.

Asakura looked over at her, her eyes hidden behind a pair of sleek mirrored shades.

"Please," She said, her head turning back toward the road. "I'm a daddy's girl through and through. There isn't anything I WON'T get if I don't ask nicely enough for it."

"What is this?" She asked. "I'm not good with cars so I can't tell by looking at them."

"A BMW M3." She said proudly.

Konoka blinked. "Is that like a Toyota Corolla, or something?"

"...What?" Asakura's voice was incredulous.

"I told you I don't know cars!" Konoka squeaked, her face turning red from embarrassment.

"I don't know much either, but come on man, it's frickin' BMW!"

Konoka turned her gaze out the window, as Asakura laughed.

"Do you have your lisence?" She asked Konoka curiously.

Konoka shook her head slowly. "My mother and I agreed a year or so ago that it probably wouldn't be a very good idea to put someone like me behind the wheel." She said. She brushed some of her hair out of her face.

Asakura glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Not a good idea...?" She asked.

"I tend to drift off sometimes, and completely lose my focus and attention, unless something has a good hold of it." Konoka explained. "And even then, sometimes I'll concentrate so hard on concentrating on something, that I'll completely block everything else out."

Asakura blinked. Her brow narrowed slightly as she thought about it for a moment.

Here was a girl who was going to be dependant on someone else, probably for the rest of her life, telling her that she had a legitimate disability that made it impossible for her to own a method of transportation and freedom, and she seemed completely okay with it. She spoke it so matter-of-factly that she might as well have been reciting it from a textbook.

Asakura wasn't sure how to get her head around it. Konoka had been dealt a terrible hand in life, yet she had a great attitude about everything. She could be so bitter right now, but she was more accepting of her problems than Asakura was, and they weren't even related to her.

It seemed she had much to learn from this girl.

"How come you move that thing lots?" Konoka asked.

Asakura looked over and saw Konoka pointing at the gear-shift She grinned suddenly, and reached over. Picking up Konoka's hand, she placed it on the shifter, then placed her hand gently over Konoka's.

"I'll show you." Asakura said, slowly intertwining her fingers with Konoka's.

A/N: Reviews are appreciated, as well as thoughts and comments! Let me know what you think =)