A/N: It's been a while ;) I've been bothered by something, hence the delay of this update. Moreover, yesterday I couldn't log-in on FFN.

And, I really appreciate readers who still dropped reviews even if the stories had long been completed. If you are reading this, I'd like to say thank you again ;)

Chapter 4

Sachiko was being really quiet during the whole trip. Yumi was torn between excitement of finally being alone with Sachiko and wary at the latter's mood. However, as they neared Sachiko's house, the excitement overrode wariness and her breathing became difficult, her mind going blank, her skin tingled all over. She barely remembered what happened with the others already as she anticipated what would happen.

Finally, Sachiko's house came into view. As soon as Yumi stepped out of Sachiko's car, she started to sweat profusely and her legs seemed heavy.

"Let's get inside, Yumi."

Yumi watched Sachiko walked towards the door calmly. How come she was the only one who was nervous to the core? Was Sachiko really that mad? Were they not doing Sachiko's promise last week because of what happened earlier? After all, it was really late. A lot of people surely were asleep at this late hour of the night.

Legs wobbly, Yumi followed Sachiko inside the house.

"I'll take the shower first if you don't mind," Sachiko said coolly.

Yumi nodded dumbly and watched Sachiko get her change of clothes and went to the bathroom. As soon as Sachiko was out of sight, she pressed her palms on her cheeks.

"Relax, Yumi. Take a deep breath. One, two, three…"

After doing breathing exercise for some time, Yumi felt her body relaxed, only to tense again when Sachiko came out of the bathroom. She hadn't noticed that several minutes had passed already.

"It's your turn, Yumi."

Yumi nodded, unable to speak with nervousness. She picked her things and headed to the bathroom hurriedly.

Once Yumi was behind the bathroom's door, Sachiko hurriedly went to her dresser and searched for something. After she found it, she worked things as fast as she could. She didn't know how long Yumi would be in the bathroom, and she wanted to finish her preparation as soon as possible.

Once done, Sachiko sighed with relief.

"Now I have to wait for you, Yumi. Please don't take too long."

Sachiko could almost hear her heart thumping in her chest. This was the night that she and Yumi had been waiting for. Though she had shown an irritated façade with the others earlier, it was completely erased as nervousness set in when she realized that she was finally alone with Yumi, in her house, in her bedroom. There was nothing unusual of being alone with Yumi in her bedroom because it had happened several times already. What was different was the fact that something would happen that would bring her and Yumi closer than before. The promise she made last week would be fulfilled this night. She had never done something like it before. In fact, until Yumi became her girlfriend, she had never thought doing something like that.

When the bathroom door opened, Sachiko almost jumped from her seat in front of the vanity mirror. She pretended to be busy and focused her attention in her reflection on the mirror.

Yumi watched Sachiko brushed her hair gracefully. The way Sachiko's hair moved with each brushed made her hands itched to touch those soft long hairs. Automatically, her feet dragged her towards Sachiko and held the latter's hand that was holding the hairbrush.

"Let me, please," she requested in a low voice.

Sachiko's breath hitched at Yumi's husky voice. She let go of the hairbrush and sat stone-still as Yumi slowly brushed her hair.

Yumi brushed Sachiko's hair lovingly, while Sachiko savoured the feeling. Soon, Yumi replaced the hairbrush with her fingers. She twirled Sachiko's long hair and watched in fascination as the twirled strands straightened whenever she let go.

"I really like your hair, Sachiko," Yumi whispered in Sachiko's ear.

Sachiko hummed in response. She stayed seated for a few more minutes, enjoying the caressed, before she decided that there were still important things left to do. She stood and pulled Yumi towards her bed. She sat the latter in the bed and then reached for a drawer.

"Yumi, I have something for you."

Yumi stared at Sachiko with confusion when handcuffs were handed to her.

"Sachiko?"

"Those were what the others used on you last time," Sachiko explained. She cleared her throat before she proceeded with a blush, "You can use it on me if you want, like what the others did on you last time minus the abducting part. I thought it would be fair…"

Yumi's eyes widened and colour covered her cheeks. Sachiko handcuffed in bed with just a robe on? The image that came in her mind made her whole body warm. With great difficulty, she reached for the handcuffs and gazed at them intently, before she placed them on the table.

"Maybe some other time," Yumi whispered huskily.

Sachiko nodded and waited for Yumi to move.

Yumi gazed at Sachiko, not knowing what to do. It was the moment she was waiting for and now she was having second thoughts! Hadn't she been worried earlier that Sachiko lost her mood already because of what the others did to them? Now that her earlier assumption was proven wrong, she couldn't get the strength she needed to make a move!

"Ah, I remember something," Yumi exclaimed, ruining the quiet atmosphere. She mentally slapped herself as she thought what she should do next. She hadn't really remembered something. She was just…wait. There was something she could use as an excuse.

"Wait here," Yumi said as she searched for something among her things. As soon as she found it, she went back to Sachiko.

"The gift from the others," Yumi explained as she started to open the paper bag.

Sachiko frowned. How could Yumi think something else when she was having a hard time to say what she wanted for tonight? She had worked up the courage to give Yumi the handcuffs as a sign, and Yumi just had to ruin it. Irritation slowly bubbled inside her.

"Ah…" Yumi whispered as her hands trembled. She quickly returned the contents of the paper bag, glad that Sachiko didn't notice the contents.

"What is it, Yumi?" Sachiko asked, her dark mood momentarily forgotten as she saw Yumi smiling nervously.

"Um, nothing, nothing Sachiko," Yumi said as she moved the paper bag away.

Noticing Yumi's action, Sachiko stopped the former's hand and said, "Let me see that."

"I…I…Here…"

Knowing Sachiko would insist harder if she refused, Yumi handed the paper bag.

Still frowning, Sachiko opened the paper bag and pulled its contents. Her fingers trembled too, when the contents were revealed to her.

"Who…"

"The others gave it to me earlier," Yumi explained quickly.

"Yumi-chan, open it before you lay in bed tonight, okay? You can choose what you want to use," Sei said with a grin.

"O-okay. Thank you, Sei-sama," Yumi said, wondering if she should do as Sei had asked.

"I see," Sachiko said. She, too, was blushing as she held the red ribbons with trembling fingers.

Yumi cleared her throat and said a bit shakily, "Sei-sama said there are choices. I wonder if…uh…"

Yumi's eyes widened as a skimpy pair of red underthings came into view. If someone would wear them, she wondered if it would cover anything at all. They were see-through!

"A-are these things supposed to cover something?" Yumi asked stupidly.

For a moment, silence enveloped the room, except for heavy breathing of its occupants.

Sachiko recovered first and said huskily, "Are you going to wear these, Yumi?"

Yumi's eyes widened some more as she shook her head rapidly.

"No way! They are for you!"

Even as she said it, Yumi's mind had wondered already as she imagined Sachiko wearing either the ribbons or the underthings. Her body felt so warm she thought steam would come out of her at the image she conjured in her mind. She would love to…

"Yumi!" Sachiko called in a rising tone even as she blushed furiously. As usual, it wasn't hard to read what Yumi's thoughts were, especially as a glazed look could be seen in her eyes. That and the fact that Sachiko was thinking the same thing with Yumi, it was enough to make Sachiko's shaking traveled from her fingers to her whole body.

"Y-yes!"

"Do you want me to wear this?" Sachiko asked, not looking at Yumi's eyes. Really. Why was she embarrassed? It wasn't like her plan wasn't similar to this. In fact, it was even bolder. But if Yumi wanted her to…

"Some other time, Sachiko," Yumi answered. What would be the use of those things if they wouldn't stay long enough for her to admire. She could hardly wait anymore! No more hesitation this time!

"Oh. Okay then."

Silence once again enveloped the room. They remained unmoving for a few seconds, before Sachiko reached for Yumi's hand and placed it on the ties of her robe.

Yumi smiled nervously.

"S-Sachiko…"

Sachiko nodded, encouraging Yumi to move.

Yumi stayed silent for a couple of minutes, her trembling fingers held on the ties of Sachiko's robe tightly. Now that it was really it, she was hesitating again! Geez! How long was she going to act like this?!

"Are you my gift tonight, Sachiko?"

It was supposed to be a seductive tease, but Yumi's trembling voice made it sound almost croaked. She silently cursed herself at her failure.

"Why don't you find out yourself, love," Sachiko teased back.

"You really don't want to wrap yourself with ribbons, do you?" Yumi said huskily. She was glad that her voice sounded better.

"Why should have I bothered? You'll take them off anyway."

Yumi flushed red, but it didn't deter her from leaning towards Sachiko and planting soft kisses across her face.

"No turning back?" Yumi asked nervously. Though if Sachiko pulled back, she wouldn't know what she would do.

"I don't intend to."

Yumi grinned, forgetting about being nervous. She was very much turned on by Sachiko's pliant manner, though she loved too her aggressive manner. She gave Sachiko's lips a long passionate kiss, before she pulled away and untied the knot of Sachiko's robes. A smile touched her lips when a sexy red negligee met her gaze. So it was red, too, huh. Red was the theme of her birthday seeing as the others had given her red things, too. She thought the pair of red underthings would match Sachiko's negligee perfectly.

Yumi immediately shook the thought away. It wasn't time to have her mind wandering. She should focus on what was happening alone.

The negligee on Sachiko didn't last long because Yumi had it off in a heartbeat. Her eyes almost bulged out at the sight that greeted her afterwards.

"S-Sachiko!" She stammered.

"Did you not like it?" Sachiko asked stupidly.

Yumi shook her head, her eyes gawking at Sachiko's nude form. No wonder Sachiko didn't want to wear the others' gifts. She had something more daring in mind and that was to be in her birth suit.

"Happy birthday, Yumi," Sachiko whispered shyly. She was showing Yumi something that no one had seen. No matter how much she steeled herself, she still felt nervousness and bashfulness. This time, she fought hard not to tremble, though the blush that covered her body would have matched the negligee she was wearing earlier before Yumi saw it fit to take it off.

Yumi was speechless. She wanted to say something. However, she was having difficulty to breathe let alone speak. And when finally she opened her lips to say something, a different word escaped her mouth.

"Aah!!"

The moment was ruined as Yumi found herself on the floor, while Sachiko's skin almost jumped out of her as she sat up and pulled something to cover herself.

A/N: I know, I know. It's really 'mean' of me to stop right here. But hey, I couldn't help it if my teasing side always dominates my senses ;)

(Cut the author some slack, please! ;)

February is a really busy month for me this year (sigh…) Plus the other thing that's been bothering me…The good thing for me this end of February is that I don't have to walk in pain anymore. After having my feet mummified ;) for more than a week, I can now walk properly without the bandages ;) Hope it will continue to get better until such time that I can run again to my heart's content ;)

And, one more chapter and I will say bye-bye for a while ;)

Well then, until next run!

"…"

I mean, until next time! ;)

---Arvendell---

25 February 2009

2:00 PM