I Hate Holdouts Still
Madoka joined Benitsubasa and Sukaime in the living room, and did his best to ignore their stares. It... wasn't easy. As he sat down in the middle of the couch, one girl on each side of him, he could feel the pressure of their gazes crushing him. He'd left a tense moment with Kaie and Oriha only to step into another one – except he wasn't nearly as in control this time.
"What. Is. Going. On?" Sukaime demanded, sounding desperate for answers.
"Team building exercises?" Madoka offered halfheartedly. Why had he sat between them again?
"You kissed both of them!" Benitsubasa glowered. "We could see the lights!" Kissing sekirei was not something that could be done stealthily, unfortunately.
"I was motivating them!" Madoka insisted, though he knew he was on thin ice. He didn't know why, but Benitsubasa's accusations made him feel guilty.
"Uhuh." Benitsubasa just crossed her arms and scowled at the TV, not that it was even on.
"Hm. Oriha gets a lot of motivation, I've noticed," Sukaime commented idly. Madoka was glad he hadn't begun eating, as he was pretty sure he'd have choked on his food thanks to her.
"Wh-what?" Madoka cringed. How much did she know?
"Well, we use her norito a lot. Plus the night that shall not be mentioned." Madoka instinctively leaned away from Benitsubasa, knowing that she must have been left bristling after that. When he actually looked at her though, she was just blushing and looking a little frustrated.
"She's right!" Benitsubasa suddenly snapped at him. She then let go of her plate with one hand and grabbed Madoka's cheek, dragging him into a sudden, and quite energetic, kiss. "Now it's fair!" Seeming satisfied, Benitsubasa got back to her food.
"Well, someone's getting bold these days." Sukaime chuckled perversely. That's what she said, but Madoka could see how red Benitsubasa's face was, even with the kiss over. "This house is getting a little steamy today."
"You want to make it even too?" Madoka asked her for the hell of it. Why not? He'd already kissed the other three. He wasn't going to stop her if she insisted at this point. Sukaime, however, had started eating and did start to choke on her food. When she recovered from her fit of coughing and sputtering, she took a deep breath and gave him an anxious look.
"Err. I-I'll pass, thanks. Let's let Benitsubasa have her moment." She threw on a hasty smile and too decided to focus on her food. As strange as he found that response, considering what he'd come to expect from his sekirei, he didn't press the issue. He already felt weird kissing so many different girls in such a short period of time, even if one of them had been out of his control.
. . .
It was silent as Oriha sat with Kaie, or at least across from her in the same room at the same table. She really wanted to make Madoka happy, and that was why she chosen to sit there politely, if not happily. A good five minutes passed with nothing happening. Not a single word, cough, or cleared throat broke the silence.
Finally Oriha couldn't stand it any longer. Madoka wanted it, and she was getting restless just sitting there.
"I guess I'll start then," Oriha said abruptly, causing Kaie's head to tilt up instead of staring down at her untouched food. "We mentioned our tuners once, right?"
"Briefly, yes." Kaie shrugged.
"Remember back when we would play cards? The day I first asked you to teach me?" Oriha asked, earning a nod from Kaie. "That same day, while you and Madoka were working, I slipped out to visit mine." Oriha proceeded to tell Kaie about her tuner, focusing on what she could remember about when she was young. Her anecdotes ranged from how she started cooking, to how she came to call her tuner "mom."
That latter bit seemed to get Kaie's attention, though she didn't comment. In fact, Kaie didn't respond at all. Sometimes, when Oriha stopped to think, she'd catch Kaie looking away. Sometimes she caught her doing that even when she was talking. It was the next part that got her attention back in full.
"When I went back that day, she was really upset. Because of me. I remembered, toward the end of my time there, that she didn't seem to care for me. What I found out was that I had been sort of a fill in for her daughter, who she didn't see much anymore." Oriha took a deep breath. "But, when her daughter actually died... she just resented me for taking up all her time instead of letting her grieve."
"I... I see." Kaie was clearly deep in thought, though that soon passed and without prompting further commentary.
"In the end, we made up though, and... well... That's me, for the most part," Oriha said with a quick forced smile. Nothing. "Um, Kaie?" Kaie just shrugged and fidgeted with clear disinterest. "Come on! I told you all about me! You heard what Madoka-sama said! It's your turn now!"
"Why? We're sekirei, we don't have stories about our past. We're born, with no real parents to speak of as far as we know, and then we're tuned. This is the same for all of us. Until we meet our ashikabi, we have no identity – not one that matters anyway. We're lucky if that changes even then." Well, Kaie had certainly been convinced to speak. It didn't help the situation though. Oriha didn't get how Kaie could say all that after she'd just heard a story about Oriha's past. Maybe Kaie hadn't been impressed.
"So what? You're not going to talk?" Oriha was getting angry. Kaie shook her head. "Well, then that's what I'll tell Madoka-sama! I did what he asked and you didn't! I can't do anything more if you won't even try! Guess who he's going to be happy with after this!"
"Hmph, fine then. Go do your best to make him happy. All you're really doing is exactly what you were before. You're taking advantage of this to try and get ahead and take him for yourself. Nothing's changed. Why should I try? What am I getting out of it? That's who you are! That's who we all are!"
"Of course I'm going to take advantage of it! If you're not going to try then you're no good for him anyway! At least I care about him enough to try! At least I can make him happy! Ugh, I can't believe I told you all that stuff about me!" Oriha crossed her arms, an angry snarl adorning her face.
"That's just fine," Kaie said stiffly, leaning back into her chair tiredly. "I've been out of the running from the start. Benitsubasa's his first, Sukaime's his friend, and you... well he clearly likes something about you." The bitterness in her voice was thick and impossible to miss. It made Oriha stop and think. Perhaps, at the very least, she shouldn't take Kaie's attitude so personally. In fact, she suddenly thought of something.
"You... you're really that upset about being the last one, aren't you?" Oriha guessed, a hint of sympathy in her voice. She'd been in that position once. She hadn't been Madoka's first, nor even his other sekirei. She'd been a third wheel – an afterthought.
"Is it that obvious?" It was a rhetorical question that dripped with resentment. "For every memory he has of me, he'll have even more for the rest of you. I lose out more every day! He didn't even want me!"
"You spend almost all day with him though! Hell, you've probably seen more of him then all of us put together by now!"
"I told you! It doesn't matter! There's nothing even remotely romantic about that..." Kaie sighed, seeming to have burned herself out as quickly as she'd flared up.
"So? You still get to see him. All day, almost every day. That's time, every day that we don't even get to see him. Say whatever you want, I'm still jealous!" Seeing him, hearing his voice, touching him; those were all things Kaie could do that Oriha couldn't for those eight hours, give or take, on work days. It didn't matter how small those things may have been, it was still something.
Kaie actually smiled a little after Oriha said that. "I... guess you're right." Kaie suddenly blushed. "I mean, I do get to look at his butt when he stocks the lower shelves. That's nice." Oriha's jaw dropped and she stared at her incredulously. She'd never expected something so vulgar and absurd from Kaie. It was... laughable.
Oriha literally found herself laughing. It wasn't lough or uproarious, but she giggled uncontrollably. Soon Kaie joined her, if only for a second.
"See? We all have our... things." Oriha sighed. She realized she had one last story to tell. "You know, it's not like I was wanted either. I mean, knowing Madoka-sama, who's to say he wanted any of us? He hates the Sekirei Plan and MBI and he had to make you work just to feed us. Each one of us just made his life harder."
"I guess. But–"
"Madoka-sama saved me from Higa. I bumped into, literally, him on the street while I was running away. He was nice, he helped me up. We almost walked away from each other, but then Higa showed up. He could have just left and then Higa would have winged me, but instead he came back to make sure I was OK. That's when he found out I was a sekirei. He still could have left or given me to Higa, but he helped me run away instead. He was kind and brave. He was my hero. And... for a few moments anyway... I liked the way he looked at me. I was reacting to him on top of it all, so of course I wanted to be winged." Oriha felt herself flush happily at the fond memory.
"I wish that I could say something similar. I was hiding in a tree while you three almost died..." Kaie pouted in disappointment.
"Don't be silly. You were his hero in the end. Isn't that good too?" Oriha wasn't sure why she was being so nice to Kaie, but she found it wasn't as distasteful as she'd have expected. She found it was actually refreshing to just relax and talk. "But like I said, I wasn't wanted. It's weird. I didn't have to ask him or make him wing me, he wanted to kiss me."
"I don't understand."
"He wanted to kiss me," Oriha repeated, "but he didn't want to wing me. He got upset right after he kissed me and realized what he'd done. He hadn't meant to make me his. He... knew that it bothered me and didn't blame me, but that's still my memory. I was happy, but it was cut short. It's not perfect. He's been really nice to me since then, and I'm happy most of the time, but nothing will ever make that all better." It was the one thing between her and Madoka that could never really be fixed. Kaie might have had another way to look at things, but she didn't.
Oriha couldn't help but notice the sad, troubled look that grew on Kaie's face. She seemed to grow increasingly nervous. Kaie's hand slowly moved up, covering her mouth, but then startlingly quickly she pulled her hand away to grip the edge of the table.
"It's my fault he got kidnapped!" Kaie blurted out.
. . .
There, she'd said it. It only seemed right that she take her turn now. It wasn't truly that she blamed herself, and she knew Madoka didn't blame her either, but she felt it was a fact nonetheless. It time that she told her own story. She gave Oriha an abridged version of what had happened when Madoka was taken, starting with the clothes store and ending with her terminating Tankako.
"I... uhhh... well..." Oriha seemed to be at a loss for words suddenly. "So she did it to get back at you?"
"I don't know if that's the best way to say it," Kaie responded, her voice lifeless. She'd let herself go numb as the story went on so that she could get through it without breaking down. "It wasn't really revenge. She just wanted to feel better than me for once. It was jealousy."
"Well you won! So that's good, right?" Oriha threw on a smile. "You protected Madoka-sama!" Kaie gripped her knees, not answering Oriha. Oriha's reaction didn't quite go along with how Kaie felt about it. There was more yet to be said. There was one part to the story that even Madoka didn't know, that Kaie had kept to herself. "Um, that's a good thing." Oriha spoke up again, sounding confused. "Kaie?"
"We weren't just two sekirei sharing a tuner." Kaie's hands tightened, her nails digging into her thighs, her work dress offering no meaningful protection against the sharp pain that inflicted. "When our tuner needed time to work alone, he'd give us things to keep us busy. Books, manga, television; anything that would keep us quiet. When you grow up like that, as a sekirei, there are... concepts that you don't really learn. One day we stumbled across the word 'sisters.' It seemed like a good thing. We thought that we must be sisters. We were girls who were growing up in the same place, so it only made sense..."
"Oh." Oriha's eyes went wide and she went rigid in her chair. Neither looked at each other.
"But I was always better than her, it seemed. She didn't like that and in time it all fell apart. But that was a long process. For years we lived under that illusion, and I was happy. I don't know if we were like real sisters. I still don't really know what real sisters would be like, but-" She shut her eyes and a tear broke free. "But I loved her anyway."
"Sorry." Oriha leaned forward onto the table. "I guess we both knew what it was like to have family, in a way. Except... you..." Oriha didn't finish her sentence, but that didn't matter. Kaie knew what she meant to say. Kaie hadn't had a happy ending.
"I was so cruel at the very end. So... selfish... and weak..."
"The end? What do you mean? You were saving Madoka-sama! How were you selfish?"
"I held her in my arms, because I wanted one last memory... before I... but then I hesitated. I stopped. I had her exactly where I wanted her, defeated, and I thought I was ready, but my hand just stopped. The words wouldn't come to me. She had all the time she needed to terminate me instead. I lost that fight at the very last moment, but for some reason I'm still here and she's not." Kaie had run that moment through her mind over and over again. Holding Tankako for her own, selfish desires and so that she'd be able to easily terminate her after she'd had her moment. Reaching for Tankako's crest, making her motives clear... Then, a moment of silence before Tankako reached for Kaie's crest, upon realizing what Kaie intended.
Then, Kaie had finished her norito first, despite having given up her advantage. She'd run through it over and over, and still her conclusion was the same.
"Tankako... she... let me win," Kaie said haltingly, her composure dissolving with each word. "I don't know why, but... that's the only answer I can come up with."
"Do you think it's because she might have still-"
"Cared? That was my first thought." Kaie gave a slight nod. "I... It's possible. I almost wish that wasn't the case. Because if that's true, then what I had to do... to my little sister..." Mid-sentence she broke down, hiccuping as she tried to repress the memory of that moment. "What she let me do... forced me... to do..."
"I don't know if this will help," Oriha spoke softly. "But... maybe she finally got what she wanted in a way. She found a moment where she could be stronger than you. I know it has to be sad, but it's not bad that she cared right? She must have found those feelings for you at the end, and that let her be brave enough to sacrifice herself."
"And... in that moment... she was finally better than me." Kaie was stunned by the realization. What had happened was no less painful, but that was an explanation she could accept. She was happy with that thought, but for now that happiness was still buried by sorrow. "Thank you."
"So... I guess we did it."
"Huh?" Kaie looked at Oriha. Did what?
. . .
"We talked. Both of us," Oriha explained. She was a little surprised herself. She hadn't expected it to end well. Once they'd started though, it had become surprisingly easy. She didn't fully understand it, for it made no sense in one respect. Weren't they still rivals?
"I... I suppose we did." Kaie nodded.
"So what are we going to do now?" Oriha asked, and Kaie shrugged, giving no answer. "Maybe... we really can get along. I mean, it gets lonely sometimes, doesn't it? We can't always have Madoka-sama. Not even you."
"That's true..." Kaie still seemed hesitant.
"And I miss having family." Oriha's sudden declaration made Kaie's jaw drop.
"Wh-what are you-"
"I-I'm just saying, we're both sekirei, and you're right, we don't know who our parents are, or if we even ever had any, so who's to say how we're related or not. I'm not saying I could replace your sister, and that's not what I want anyway." Oriha leaned across the table and held her hand out. "But... hating each other is no fun. At the very least, let's stop that, OK?" Oriha smiled, and she didn't have to force it this time.
"I... I..." Kaie stared at Oriha's hand with something resembling fear. But, slowly, and albeit unsteadily, she raised her hand and began to reach for Oriha's. Before their hands could meet, Oriha suddenly pulled her hand away and smirked mischievously. "Wh-what?" Kaie looked hurt that Oriha had pulled back.
"Just... promise you'll find something besides cards to do together, OK?" Oriha knew that had been mean, but Kaie had kind of deserved it. She could call it even now.
Kaie finally smiled back. "Of course." This time Oriha did let Kaie take her hand. Oriha giggled and squeezed Kaie's hand.
"See? We're less lonely already!"
"Yeah. You're right."
. . .
Benitsubasa leaned against Madoka, her food long gone, as they watched television. Madoka had insisted they keep the volume low that night, which actually made sitting with him feel cozier. The TV distracted her less from reality, she supposed.
It also meant that she immediately noticed when Oriha and Kaie walked into the room, carrying their own food that they apparently hadn't eaten yet, and sat at the base of the couch side-by-side.
"Uhhh, girls?" Madoka spoke questioningly, looking down at the back of their heads. "What are you doing?"
"Oh, sorry. We're done!" Oriha turned her head momentarily to look at Madoka as she answered.
"Um. And? That was... fast." Rather than answer him though, Benitsubasa watched the two exchange glances. With their heads turned sideways, Benitsubasa could observe a few "secret" messages exchanged by the two. Oriha mouthed something, and Kaie winked back. Oriha then leaned against Kaie's shoulder, much like how Benitsubasa had been leaning against Madoka.
The only sound in the room for the longest time was the sound of the television, and no one was paying attention to it.
"Well. That... answers that." Madoka slowly leaned back into his seat, looking befuddled.
"Oh crap!" Sukaime started, leaning across Madoka's lap to look at Benitsubasa. "They're beating us now!"
"Huh?" Benitsubasa just stared at her, waiting for her to explain whatever ridiculous idea she had this time.
"They're getting along better than us again! Quick, we need to cuddle!"
"Sukaime... please..." Madoka grumbled, looking annoyed at the invasion of his personal space.
"I really don't care." Benitsubasa, her interest in Sukaime's foolishness satisfied and gone, looked away and went back to leaning against Madoka and enjoying her night. Until Sukaime forced the matter.
"Move over, Madoka!" Sukaime crawled over him, wedging herself between him and Benitsubasa, going so far as to push Madoka aside some to help her fit.
"H-hey!" Benitsubasa complained as Madoka was moved away from her and Sukaime put her arms around her neck.
"See! Now we're winning again!" Sukaime stuck her tongue out at Oriha and Kaie.
"Someone feels threatened," Oriha commented idly.
"Yes. How unseemly," Kaie concurred.
"Dammit! You're making us lose!" Sukaime scolded Benitsubasa, shaking her. Benitsubasa just frowned, feeling helpless as her comfortable night turned to chaos. "You need to try harder!"Finally Benitsubasa sighed loudly, turned so her face was almost touching Sukaime and then grabbed her chin. She looked deep into Sukaime's eyes, shocking her into silence and eventually earning a nervous gulp.
"Hush," Benitsubasa ordered.
"Y-yes, ma'am."
. . .
"Am I doing this right?" Avaron asked, stricken with worry.
"I... I think so. I've never done this before either," Masukagami replied, just as nervous.
"Does it hurt?"
"Only a little. Keep going."
"There! All done." Avaron leaned back, sitting on her knees. She'd been bandaging Masukagami as best she could, but she'd never dealt with such large wounds. She'd never even seen Masukagami hurt before. That said, Avaron wasn't exactly squeamish around blood, so that helped.
"Good job! Thank you, Avaron-sama!" Masukagami flung herself at her ashikabi, arms going around Avaron's neck and knocking her over.
"H-hey! You're going to hurt yourself! A-and you're not wearing a top!" Avaron complained, scolding the other girl. Masukagami was at least wearing a bra, but that didn't make it that much less awkward.
"Both of those things are OK!" Masukagami exclaimed happily, nuzzling Avaron's neck, "I love you, Avaron-sama. Even if I was naked, I wouldn't be embarrassed!"
"Yes, but what about me?" Avaron asked with a giggle. Such a declaration from her sekirei wasn't really surprising to her.
"I'd be fine if you were naked! A-and if it was at the same time..." Masukagami's expression became... distracted.
"I mean maybe... oh, never mind." Avaron shook her head and smirked. "Silly girl." She ran a hand through Masukagami's light-blue hair. "But I do love you too." She knew she didn't say it enough, so she couldn't afford to not say it back, lest she forget due to Masukagami's antics, which didn't show any sign of ending any time soon.
Masukagami beamed in response, and without warning laid a kiss on Avaron's lips. It was a strong kiss, but Masukagami soon pulled away. Masukagami was a good girl. She didn't try to force her affection on Avaron, despite her obviously overwhelming feelings.
"Sorry, I'll let you up n-" As Masukagami began to rise, Avaron threw her arms around the sekirei's neck and pulled her back into a much deeper kiss. This time when they parted Masukagami looked dreamy and far away.
"I think... that my dear little Masukagami, who takes such good care of me, deserves some affection tonight," Avaron spoke in a markedly seductive manner, even going so far as to bat her eyelashes. She thought back to how Masukagami, without hesitation, threw herself between Avaron and Kaiha. It wasn't just that one moment, though. Masukagami was always brave, always caring, always there. This more recent example just so happened to give Avaron an excuse to "express" her love. Physically.
Masukagami's eyes went wide and when she tried to speak she only managed to produce excited squeaking noises. It seemed that Avaron had been able to quash Masukagami's inhibitions quite thoroughly, at least as far as kissing went, because she soon found her lips under a passionate assault. This wasn't the cute, quick kiss like Masukagami had occasionally stolen. This was bodies intertwined and lips locked together as hearts raced.
The issue of gender was far from Avaron's mind now. She loved Masukagami and cared little about what she herself currently felt. What she did care about was what she could tell Masukagami felt; that did excite her. The little sounds that escaped her, the flushing of her cheeks, and the way she desperately chased Avaron's lips any time she dare move away too much.
It was fun to see her react, to feel her react. She loved Masukagami, and knowledge of her happiness, her pleasure, was all Avaron needed to enjoy this moment. In fact, she wanted to explore that avenue a little more.
Avaron released herself from Masukagami's lips. Masukagami immediately grabbed Avaron's face and pulled her back. Avaron's eyes narrowed in annoyance. It seemed her sekirei needed to learn obedience. She bit Masukagami's lower lip, earning a startled squeal from the girl. This time when she pulled away, she wasn't stopped and was able to place a finger to Masukagami's mouth, keeping her silent.
"Just relax, my precious girl." She watched as Masukagami's eyes became pinpoints, her entire body practically trembling with anticipation. Avaron wrapped her arms around Masukagami and turned, flipping her sekirei over and taking her place on top.
Avaron reared back a little, looking down at Masukagami's figure. It was a lovely sight, but it didn't excite her as much as it simply made her curious. What if...? Avaron traced a finger from the base of Masukagami's neck down over her chest. Masukagami jumped under her touch, whimpering slightly as she restrained herself and let Avaron have her way.
Truly wonderful; Avaron grinned. She lowered herself, pulling back so she she could brush her lips against Masukagami's collar bone. Masukagami gasped, her arms suddenly going around Avaron's head, holding her close. This simply earned the sekirei another scolding nip, and her grip loosened. Freed, Avaron proceeded to draw her lips down to Masukagami's chest, feeling the geography of Masukagami's body change and become much... softer.
Avaron let her tongue slip out and trace a little circle. She placed her hands on Masukagami's shoulders and did her best to hold the other girl down as she squirmed beneath her. She found herself taking a sort of twisted pleasure in teasing and tormenting Masukagami this way. The control she felt was intoxicating, and combined with the total lack of guilt because, in this case, Masukagami was enjoying herself. She could get used to this.
"Now... what else can I do to you?" Avaron mused aloud, looking down at Masukagami hungrily. She wanted to find every little spot that would make Masukagami writhe beneath her. She wanted to see her twisted up and breathless. She moved back up, kissing her quickly, but then pulling away just as quick. She saw Masukagami begin to chase her, but stop. Good, she was learning. The conflicted, desirous look in her eyes was delicious.
"Having fun?" Avaron whispered directly into Masukagami's ear, getting a shaky nod in response. "Good," she breathed out heavily, making Masukagami shiver. She then licked the outer edge of Masukagami's ear.
"Avaron-sama, Avaron-sama!" Masukagami cried out between gasping breaths.
"Yeeesss?" Avaron looked into her eyes, licking her own lips.
"I-I feel like I'm losing my mind... I... I want..."
"Take it then. Whatever you want, just try and take it from me!" Avaron challenged her. "See how far you get." She had a feeling if Masukagami really wanted something, nothing Avaron could down would stop her, but she was curious.
She watched Masukagami clamp her eyes shut before suddenly her hands shot out and... gripped Avaron's rear tightly. Her eyes went wide, and when Masukagami nervously cracked an eye open Avaron just shook her head.
"How naught-" But it seemed Masukagami wasn't done. At first she thought Masukagami was just really getting a good feel of her lower assets, but then she realized she was actually grabbing fistfuls of her dress. She then proceeded to pull it up. Avaron sighed, but pushed herself up, letting Masukagami pull the garment all the way off. "Well, now things aren't quite fair!"
Masukagami looked anxious, but Avaron quickly showed what she meant when she grabbed the waist of Masukagami's baggy pants. Soon she was dragging them off, revealing Masukagami's plump but firm thighs. On a whim, she planted a kiss on Masukagami's inner thigh, earning a sharp inhaled breath from the sekirei. So that was another good spot.
Moments later, they were in identical states of undress, clad only in undergarments, though one was significantly redder in the face. Avaron plopped herself down, pressing her body against Masukagami's warmth and using her chest as a pillow. The closeness of the skin-to-skin contact was something that even she found pleasurable. She tilted her head up at Masukagami and smiled, though it was a wicked smile as much as it was a loving one.
"I could do this all night," Avaron announced.
"Wh-what?" Masukagami looked a little worried, but a quick kiss took care of that. That night, sleep was the least of their concerns.
Well, I figured it was about time I let someone have some serious, uninterrupted and uninhibited fun. I tried to keep it more of an emotional scene, but without being too boringly clean. As for how far they go after I cut things off? Well, short of sex... let your imaginations wander. Heheh. Perverts...
Til' next time.