- Disclaimer: Citrus characters do not belong to me.
Yuzu flipped through several pages in her magazine, briefly scanning the latest must-haves for the season. With summer in full swing, girls in bikinis were highlighted in the latest issue, each sporting very bold choices of swimwear. As her eyes darted from left to right, even she had to admit they were all cute - the swimsuits and the girls alike.
And yet, it didn't matter to her at all. Yuzu only had eyes for one person, her younger step-sister, Mei. She lay flat on her stomach, feeling the heavy sense of disappointment settle in. With the way things were going during summer break, she doubted she'd ever see Mei in a bikini.
It came as no surprise when Mei announced that she'd be busy for most of the Summer. Yuzu sincerely hoped she would be able to spend more time with the girl since school was officially over. Why did these responsibilities always carry into her vacation days? Even Mei needed some time to herself, she wasn't a mindless robot.
Yuzu rolled over, glancing up at the bedside table which read 7 p.m. An entire day had already passed and all she could do was wait for Mei's arrival. Sure she had friends, Harumin for one, but even she was pretty busy with family business.
Yuzu pushed herself off the bed and walked out of the room, closing it shut behind. The house was eerily quiet until she heard the door open, marking Mei's awaited entrance. As soon as she stepped into their dining table, she found the younger girl sitting down on the couch.
"Oh, you're home." Yuzu walked over nonchalantly, keeping her voice as calm as she could.
Mei simply replied with a curt nod, her face momentarily scrunching with what seemed to be pain. She pressed a hand to her forehead, her fingers slipping towards the bridge of her nose. A minor migraine surfaced and she dropped her head, releasing an exasperated sigh.
"You don't look too good." Yuzu immediately sat next to Mei, the back of her hand set right onto the girl's neck.
"Just a headache." Mei replied as confidently as she could.
"You don't have to do this, you're over-working yourself." The fatigue was evident in Mei's eyes, the girl looked like she barely had any sleep.
Yuzu was right, she didn't have to do it, but she needed to. With her Grandfather still recovering, there was much that had to be done. Her father wasn't any help either since he had already chosen a different path. There was no one else left to oversee her Grandfather's school and responsibilities other than she, herself. "It's nothing, I'm fine Yuzu." Mei lifted her head, keeping up a strong front for her older step-sister.
"Are you sure?" Yuzu leaned up to the girl, her face hovering too close for comfort. With her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, Mei couldn't help but gaze at the slope of her neck.
It was a long day and the next was sure to pile up with even more work. It was then that Mei tore her eyes away from Yuzu's nape, brushing off whatever agenda she was conspiring deep within the confines of her mind. "I assure you, I'm alright."
Yuzu wasn't convinced, not in the least bit, but even she knew that Mei would stick by her words. It was only a few months back when Mei fainted in school. Apparently, she had a horrible habit of pushing herself beyond the limits. She only hoped that Mei wouldn't fall into the same unfortunate circumstances a second time.
There wasn't much she could do to ease Mei's responsibilities, but Yuzu did have an idea to relieve a portion of her stress. A jolt of confidence surged from deep inside and she summed up the courage to finally plant a chaste kiss onto Mei's lips. She stayed only for a few seconds, hoping hard that it wasn't enough to upset the girl. After all the tedious waiting, she felt her impulse get the best of her. Yuzu was convinced it was bound to happen, one way or another. "I-I'm sorry!" She apologized immediately, bowing her head sincerely.
Mei didn't seem fazed by Yuzu's reaction at all. She could've reciprocated the kiss, though even she had to admit she wasn't in the mood. It wouldn't do her justice if she felt every ounce of her energy drain away. Doing so would leave her vulnerable, with no control over Yuzu. "It's fine." She took her step-sister's apology and rose to head for their room. "I'm going to take a bath."
"Would you like me to join you? I mean, I can wash your back." Yuzu offered hastily.
Mei released a sigh. "No, I'll pass for today." Wow, she really wasn't in the mood. It was as big as a surprise for herself too.
Left alone in the living room, Yuzu dropped her head, sinking back onto the couch. She was expecting some sort of reaction from Mei, but this was definitely a first. "Guess I'll have to try a little harder."
As Mei stepped out of the shower, her hand rubbing the towel over her long dark hair, she realized Yuzu wasn't in the room as usual. This really was an off day.
She took her seat, adjusting herself on the desktop to settle some papers she had taken home. It wasn't much, but even with Himeko's generous offer, she couldn't just dump the responsibility onto her friend. Besides, she felt better when she completed them herself.
She leaned over and took a pen in hand, signing several documents until a pair of hands rested gently on her shoulders. "What are you doing?" Mei paused immediately, moving her pen away from the important papers.
"I just wanted to help you relax." Yuzu's fingers clung onto Mei's shoulders, spreading out to give her a light massage. "You feel really tense."
It was so like Yuzu to aid her in any way, but this approach was new. Mei breathed out shakily, feeling her muscles tense then relax. She commended Yuzu's touch silently as her eyes closed in heavy concentration.
"Like I said, you shouldn't push yourself too hard Mei." Yuzu pressed around her shoulders firmly. There were a couple notable knots building up around her muscles.
Mei finally dropped her pen, her fingers curling into a fist. There was a tingling sensation that surged through her extremities, quickly making its way to her heart. At this rate, it would only take minutes for her to melt under Yuzu's touch. "Nngh..."
She pressed on a pressure point, causing Mei to slump slightly. "Just relax." To Yuzu's right was a mirror, reflecting Mei's flustered expression. Her cheeks were burning red, her eyelashes fluttering with every stroke of her hand. Was she enjoying this? It was a little hard to tell given her current position.
"Yuzu..." Mei's breathing hitched in her throat, stopping her short from completing her sentence. Just when did Yuzu learn how to manipulate her so easily? Perhaps it wasn't intentional, but even so...
"Tell me where it hurts the most." Her words slipped into Mei's ear, earning a stifled moan from the younger girl. This plan was turning out better than she had expected.
The heat below her legs only worsened as Yuzu's massage carried on, her fingers dropping in different angles to fish out any sore spots. Mei grit her teeth, her forehead shedding a light bead of sweat. It was taking all her willpower to hold back any unnecessary noises that might come from her throat.
She placed one hand on top of Yuzu's, guiding her hand along her left shoulder blade. "Here"
By the looks if it, Mei had been doing more than just the ordinary paperwork. Yuzu was beginning to think it wouldn't take long for the girl to reach her limit. She continued kneading Mei's shoulder, eventually pressing harder than she did before.
"Haa-" Mei clenched her hands into fists, unable to contain a satisfied moan. Yuzu swallowed hard, knowing full well that she couldn't afford to stop until she was completely finished. She lasted quite a while before her ears couldn't take anymore and her fingers curled with exhaustion.
Mei finally caught her breath, slightly disappointed when Yuzu removed her hands from her shoulders. She then felt obligated to return the favor. Mei rose from her seat, taking once quick step to meet Yuzu. "Thank you."
"O-Oh," Yuzu's cheeks were still flushed to the brim, her green eyes sparkling with genuine happiness. "Anytime Mei."
It wouldn't be a big debt, but she would feel guilty if she didn't repay Yuzu's kindness. "What about you, is there anywhere that hurts?"
Mei pointed out to her shoulders, gesturing that she was willing to do the same favor. However, it wasn't like she needed one at the moment. All she ever did during the start of summer break was laze around at home. "Uh...well...you see..." It didn't change the fact that she did hurt somewhere specifically, a place that was difficult to mend.
Mei began to show signs of concern, her eyes narrowing at Yuzu. "What is it?"
She took Mei's hand in her own, guiding it to the left side of her chest. "It hurts right here."
Mei softened her eyes, comprehending only a fraction of what Yuzu's words meant. She could feel the irregular heartbeat of her step-sisters', the way it skipped a beat when her fingers lingered on her chest.
"It hurts me to see you overwork yourself Mei." She tightened her grip on Mei's hand. "I...I don't want anything bad to happen to you."
"Yuzu..."
"Like when you collapsed at school." It seemed like a distant nightmare, watching Mei fall apart without her being unable to do anything about it. She was helpless and it frightened her to no end. "I was so worried, I thought you...you-"
Mei could feel Yuzu's body trembling, she was always one to show a lot of emotions, more so when she felt strongly about something. She took her free hand to lift Yuzu's chin, whose green, radiant eyes once gleamed with happiness many times before. Now, she looked lost, heartbroken as though all that held importance was taken away without a moments notice. Mei closed in, feeling the dire need to sooth Yuzu's uneasiness. After all, she was undeniably the root of her troubles.
A single tear slipped away, dropping along Yuzu's cheek as Mei pressed their lips together. It sent a warm surge over her entirety, her heartbeat increasing as Mei parted their lips, leaving a second for them to take a breath. This was all she ever wanted, to be close to Mei, enjoying her company for whatever time they had during summer break.
"It'll only be a few more days." Mei stroked Yuzu's cheek. It was tempting not to kiss her again, given their proximity to each other.
"Just please, promise me you'll have help - from Himeko or anyone else." It was amazing how genuinely concerned Yuzu looked. This was one of the few times she accurately portrayed an ideal older sister.
"Very well." The curve of Mei lips flashed a miniscule grin, her eyes trained on Yuzu's lips. She was sure to repay Yuzu for the massage, besides, she was finally starting to sink back into the mood.
Thanks for reading
