First off, I'm so terribly sorry for the long delay! I've been so busy being nervous about college (and recently depressed, because it's just as hard for me to make friends there as it usually is, especially with trying to keep up with a socialite roommate who thinks spending a night in the dorm is anti-social) that I've just let it fall to the backburner, but hopefully you'll all continue to read this fic!

PLEASE READ THIS SECTION AS IT INFLUENCES THE STORY!

I plan to use Eriko to my advantage! (Mainly because I want everyone to have a happy ending, and I think Eriko would make a lovely lesbian if it weren't for Dinosaur-Man) And I think she's a bit like Chikaru from Strawberry Panic!- she could really fit with anyone if the pairing was written correctly. So here's the deal- I'm honestly having problems deciding who Yumi should end up with. Yumi/Touko is adorable and all, but Yumi is so utterly devoted to Sachiko that it could very easily go that way. I want to put it to a vote- who should Yumi end up with?

Watashi No Meru: Thank you =) And I agree that Sachiko's way of thinking is very simple- it's just that my way of thinking is so opposite (prefers to think things through to the point that it could be considered dangerous) and it's always harder to write characters who are so different. However, I'll be writing more of Sachiko's POV in the future =)

Hyoyeong: Thanks! I love Shimako/Noriko too =) Really the only angst in their relationship would EVER be misunderstandings. But obviously there must be some of those- the show must go on! And as I mentioned in the author's note, I don't plan to hurt anyone- I just don't know who Yumi should end up with. I actually believe that Sachiko could go either way depending on her mood- I think initially she would fight Yumi's decision and not be willing to give up, but eventually the reality would hit her.

tears of the soul: Thanks =) That was actually the chapter I didn't like as much- I don't think I wrote it very well, being rushed and all =P

Bumble Monkey: Well, Youko and Sei I've got together as kind of a given, whereas Eriko will be useful to me later on…and I can't help it- I know I'm putting in too much Shimako/Noriko, but I just adore them =)

Greenerin: Well, I'm not sure who to put together just yet, so make sure to give me your opinion =) And thanks =)

Every Fallen Star, Another Hopeful Heart

Chapter Eight: Satou Sei is in the HOUSE

xXLiStLesSXx

In the dining room, they were greeted with the unsettling sight of Eriko sipping her tea calmly while Sei nursed a huge lump on her head, occasionally whining things like, "stupid Dekochin" and "only trying to help".

Youko went to comfort Sei while everyone else sat down around the table. Touko swiftly maneuvered herself into the seat beside Yumi only seconds before Sachiko sat down, causing the older girl's lip to curl in anger. But like the lady she was, Sachiko sat down across from Yumi instead, in a perfect position to send a warning glare to Touko, who responded with a cheeky smirk.

Noriko took in the scene and rolled her eyes, far too tired to be amused by the situation- the fact that she'd woken in her onee-sama's arms hadn't really registered by this point. She took a seat well away from the Chinesis-drama, as Sei had fondly titled it the day before, much to the chagrin of the Red Rose cousins. Several minutes later, her nose picked up a distinct smell of vanilla, and she turned her head only to find a smiling Shimako slipping into the seat beside her. The brunette reached over and intertwined their fingers as if it were an everyday occurrence, and Noriko flushed beat red, catching the attention of the now-cured Satou Sei, who smirked like a hungry lion.

Her devious mind was instantly thrust into full-gear- she'd never seen Shimako look at another person that way, not until Noriko came along. And the subtle contact she'd keep with the dark-haired girl whenever they were in the same room was the farthest thing from subtle she'd ever witnessed. Sei smirked- who would've guessed that her calm and collected petite soeur would change so drastically when in love?

As far as Sei could tell, getting them together would be easy enough, given Shimako's obvious acceptance of her feelings and Noriko's enjoyment of her affection. Really, she could take this any number of ways, but one in particular appealed to the mischievous blonde the most. It had always entertained her without fail to watch Sachiko get redder and redder until she finally lashed out, unable to hold back her temper when Sei threw herself at Yumi. Judging by recent observation, Touko was very much the same in that category, which meant that messing with the two of them would be no fun at all.

These two, however…her own sisters…she surveyed them for a moment, ignoring Youko's skeptical gaze. Noriko's reaction would be too predictable- the girl was too straightforward for her to do much else other than sit there and stew in her seat, unhappily accepting the fact that Sei was Shimako's onee-sama, and therefore had the right to treat her as such. But Shimako…Sei's gaze flitted to her own petite soeur, who was currently massaging the back of a very red Noriko's hand with her thumb. It was obvious that she accepted her feelings for Noriko, and from something Yoshino had let slip earlier, it seemed as if she were willing to protect that bond.

Apparently, the issue of Aoi Minami had been solved quickly enough with enough attention on Noriko's part, but then again, Aoi Minami had nothing on Satou Sei. Nobody did.

Sei smirked. This trip was going to prove to be very entertaining indeed, she decided, her eyes flickering to Eriko, whose gaze seemed to have floated over to the Chinesis family involuntarily.

PGBR

Touko sat beside Yumi, poking at her already mutilated eggs with a fork, her appetite having escaped her for the moment. She was deep in thought- too much so for this early in the morning, and didn't even notice when her hand unconsciously reached for Yumi's when Sachiko gave her a challenging glare.

How long could this go on? In Touko's eyes (and those of the remainder of the Yamayurikai, she was sure) this entire battle was only postponing the inevitable. How could anyone- how could she ever mean even half as much to Yumi as Sachiko did? She wasn't blind, nor was she stupid, and she knew she'd told herself she wouldn't give up, but still…

Feeling the weight of someone's gaze resting on her, Touko glanced up to find Yumi watching her with a concerned smile. Instantly her body went into protective mode and she grinned back as widely as she could, attempting to quell Yumi's concerns. The older girl brightened and squeezed her hand before going back to her breakfast.

Touko's smile dimmed slightly and she turned her gaze, entirely by accident, onto a very interesting (and slightly worrisome) sight. Sei was watching Shimako and Noriko intently, her gaze focused mainly on the black-haired girl who was still a bright crimson from the contact with her onee-sama.

Noriko better watch out, she thought with a small frown. She'd heard stories of the previous Rosa Gigantea from Sachiko- or, rather, heated monologues on how she needed to keep her hands off of her Yumi-chan, or so help her…etc. Touko watched in amusement as Noriko gave a little start, her eyes wide and riveted to the smirking blonde across the table. Shimako frowned slightly, confused, and Touko thought she saw the hand on Noriko's tightening just a little bit.

Or maybe 'Shimako-sama better watch out' would be more accurate…

PGBR

Sachiko's lips were pursed, her eyes narrowed in obvious disapproval of Sei's 'grand idea'. She didn't see the point in travelling up to her cabin only to abandon it for the sake of the small city several miles away, especially for something they could do all the time back at home. But Sei had been very adamant in wanting to go see a movie, despite the fact that the small cinema was about five years behind in its titles, claiming that there was nothing to do back at the cabin. Sachiko frowned. There was plenty to do.

She felt a weight on her arm and instantly melted beneath the innocent smile that her petite soeur wore, removing her arm only to wrap it around Yumi's shoulder. Normally she would have gone for her waist, but she'd caught Touko watching them out of the corner of her eye and decided to go for the kill. Yumi seemed shocked at the sudden display of affection, but didn't comment on it, and Sachiko was glad, because there wasn't much she could do to explain herself. It was her nature to hold tightly to the things she cared for the most, just as it was Touko's, and her instinct told her that the curly-haired brunette was a threat.

Yumi snuggled into her, and she led them up to the window, allowing Sei to choose the movie and simply handing over the money for her ticket as well as Yumi's. However, the teenage girl at the counter (who seemed to have perked up from her original bored state since they had arrived) returned half of the money. "Sorry, but she's already been paid for by that cutie over there," the redhead stated, her expression revealing that she wasn't that sorry at all. A real live love triangle, right before her eyes- it beat sitting around at a ticket counter all day, for sure. She gestured to Touko, who was now smirking in Sachiko's direction.

Sachiko gritted her teeth and fought the urge to growl 'mine' at her cousin, instead pulling Yumi closer, successfully wiping the smirk from Touko's face, leaving her looking dejected and almost lost.

PGBR

Inside the theater, Sei began to put her plan in action, unbeknownst to the two girls who seemed to be lost in their own little world. She had purchased the tickets for all three of them despite their protests- she'd almost felt a little guilty when Shimako's face fell. Her petite soeur was obviously trying to step up to the plate for Noriko's affections. But if she left it to Shimako, things would happen at a snail's pace or not happen at all. The small theater had assigned seating- it was easy enough for her to switch their tickets around so that she was right in the middle of the two of them. That done, she handed them their tickets and set off to claim her seat while Noriko argued with a very stubborn Shimako over snack payment.

"They're so cute, they could almost give one a cavity," Eriko noted from between the silently sparring Chinesises, her hand pressed protectively against her cheek, a far off look in her eyes. "Itai…"

"Ah, worry not, Dekochin!" Sei exclaimed loudly, slapping a hand down on Eriko's back with a force that knocked the smaller girl forward several feet. Eriko quietly brushed her hair back, regaining her composure flawlessly. "Satou Sei is in the house!"

"Maria-sama have mercy," Youko muttered, apparently immune to Sei's puppy eyes.

PGBR

To Sei's right, a visibly disappointed Shimako attempted to act unaffected while Noriko sat there looking confused.

"Ano…Sei-sama…"

"Shh!" Sei whispered, placing a hand over Noriko's mouth. "Not another word," she continued, poking the black-haired girl's nose affectionately. Curious, Shimako turned at just the same moment, and her brows furrowed slightly before she forced herself to look away. This was her onee-sama, after all, not Minami. Sei wouldn't…

Yes, she would.

With this realization, Shimako tensed in her seat and tried her hardest not to think about the goings-on in the seats right next to her, and the people who were involved. How much could Sei do with her sitting right there, after all?

Just then, the movie title appeared on the screen:

The Hills Have Eyes.

Shimako's knuckles turned white around the plastic edges of the chair. Then again, she could be wrong…

She wondered how Sei had found out- Noriko had only recently told her that she was terrified of horror movies. In a surprising switch of roles, Shimako was actually fairly immune to the particular genre, and had kept the idea that she just knew was running through Sei's mind in the back of her head. Shimako didn't know why it was running through her head, but it was, and now she was going to be stuck watching her petite soeur cling to her onee-sama.

It wasn't as easy as it sounded.

Only a third of the way through the movie, Noriko was shaking in her seat, and Sei easily slipped a protective arm around her shoulders. Several brutal murders later, the black-haired girl was practically in the blonde's lap, and apparently Shimako had been glaring more obviously than she had intended, because Sei turned to her and asked if she'd rather her petite soeur suffer alone.

This question brought out a side of Shimako that was hidden very deeply inside of the normally calm and collected girl. "Of course not," she whispered back with a slight edge to her voice, reminiscent of a certain icy-eyed heiress. "But maybe I'd prefer to be the one comforting my petite soeur," Shimako continued, unable to fight back a slight blush despite her mood.

Sei grinned knowingly, ruffling Shimako's hair with her free hand. "It's called taking initiative, Shimako-chaaan," she cooed. "You must be proactive in order to win the heart of a lady."

Shimako swallowed back her suddenly demanding pride and sat back in her seat, arms folded loosely over her chest as she attempted to ignore what was happening only feet away from her. She knew Sei had guessed her feelings- knew the blonde was doing this to get her to admit the way she cared for Noriko. So it shouldn't be hard at all to sit back and not lay some kind of claim on her petite soeur.

Only it kind of was, and when Noriko buried her face in Sei's shoulder and Sei tightened her arm around her, all she wanted to do was rip her petite soeur away from her onee-sama and growl 'mine', because she knew things about Satou Sei that Noriko didn't.

The emotion was completely unfamiliar for Shimako, and she felt sick to her stomach. Glancing down the aisle a little ways, her eyes fell upon the Chinesis sisters, and she realized that this must be how Sachiko felt almost daily.

PGBR

Touko was currently torn between blessing every single god in existence, regardless of her faith, and laughing hysterically at Noriko, who was too terrified to realize that her two 'sisters' were having some kind of twisted tug-of-war over her. She chose the latter, considering how Yumi appeared to be trembling in her seat beside her, though Noriko being afraid of horror movies was funny for a different reason entirely.

Looking off to Yumi's left, Touko could hardly believe her luck- Sachiko was still doped up on sleeping pills from the ride there. They hadn't taken effect by the time they got to the theater (hence an irritable heiress) and apparently Sachiko was feeling the full force of them now. Touko felt a little bit as though she were fighting dirty, but technically Sachiko had such a head start on her that it didn't really count.

"Are you okay, onee-sama?" Touko asked, resting her hand on top of Yumi's, which was tight in her lap. Yumi spared a glance to Touko and managed to pull off what must have been the most terrible fake smile she'd ever seen. With a reassuring smile, Touko lifted the bar separating them and scooted closer, taking a leap and wrapping her arm tightly around Yumi's waist. At first, Yumi looked as if she wanted to resist, but with another smile from Touko, she gave in and huddled against the younger girl.

PGBR

From a few seats away, Eriko watched the scenes play out with an unreadable look in her eyes.

She knew that she had been naïve to believe that she ever had a chance with the man she used to love. His answer, his excuse- he only wanted her to stop pursuing him so that he could go on with his life.

For what must have been the millionth time that day, her eyes shifted involuntarily to the Chinesis sisters.

She never had been fond of his beard, and the Chinesis family sure knew how to breed them…

PGBR

As soon as the group met outside of the dark theater, Shimako slipped over to her still-trembling (and red-faced) petite soeur, wrapping an arm a little too tightly around her waist, her eyes boring into those of her smirking onee-sama. Noriko, still oblivious to the silent battle, rested her head against Shimako's shoulder, making it easier for Shimako to lay her silent claim.

Sachiko was still a bit wobbly, but was now awake enough to glare at Touko, whose fingers were tangled with Yumi's.

Yoshino was discussing the movie animatedly with a rather sick-looking Rei, complete with sound effects and dramatic gestures.

Sei looked extremely pleased with herself despite the fact that her petite soeur was now glaring at her as if she were the devil's spawn, and Youko had a headache from watching it all.

She caught Eriko staring at the Chinesis sisters almost as if she were in deep thought, and that was the straw that broke the camel's back. She sighed in defeat, massaging her temples with one hand.

Well, that's the end of what could have potentially been a peaceful vacation.

So, Eriko with another girl, yes? I've been wanting to try that particular idea for quite a while…I guess that might influence your votes too =P Who you think would go better with her, that is.