Experimental Temptation

by: Funakounasoul

Disclaimer: Kiyohiko Azuma's the one behind Azumanga Daioh and its characters. I'm just making a fanfic

Comment: I drew a two-page comic a while back with the idea of a "first kiss" scenario (yet another first kiss scenario, actually - I like revisiting this topic, actually, heh). The idea just kind of exploded into what you see below, though. Hope you enjoy~

"Yomi! Did you read the special piece in this month's issue?" Tomo exclaimed suddenly in the vast quietness that was Yomi's room that day. The radio was off, and the two were spending the afternoon by keeping each other company. Yomi was catching up on a class-assigned novel while Tomo was goofing around with some of the magazines laying around. She was focused on a local title, something both girls started reading in junior high, but it had some fun articles that attracted Tomo.

Yomi did not even once look up as she replied in her usual monotone. "No, now let me read my book."

Tomo ignored that reply and continued, "Couples from all over the city were asked what it's like to be kissed. We're missing out on an amazing trend!"

Yomi raised an eyebrow, but continued to read her book. "A 'trend', huh?" she muttered before properly responding to her friend. "Besides, you kind of need a boyfriend for that first."

"…No way!"

"Yes."

"Man," Tomo whined, "you're such a – Oh." A realization hit – a Plan B. It was the perfect idea, and one that could let her experience this trendy activity. "Wait!" she yelled suddenly. "Maybe we can try it! Together!"

Yomi's heart nearly burst out of her chest at the suggestion. "EH?! D-Did you hear what you just said?"

"Well, yeah…Besides, wouldn't this be considered, like, practice?"

"…I guess…" Yomi sighed in defeat. Tomo was set in her ways.

"All right! Let's do this!" Tossing the magazine aside, Tomo shifted around in preparation with Yomi hesitantly following suit. "They say the first one is extra special!" she added enthusiastically.

That bothered Yomi a little. "Extra special? Wouldn't this be a waste, then?"

An awkward pause followed, Tomo clearly trying to come up with an answer. "That's…" she began, but, really, her friend was simply delaying the inevitable experiment. It was making her blush, to be honest, but she could see the blush creeping up on Yomi as well. There was no turning back. "Never mind that!" she finally replied impatiently. "So, let's do this already!"

Yomi sighed, the blush on her own cheeks growing a nice shade of crimson. Well, the sooner it's done, the better, and they can continue hanging out. The article would be forgotten and they could move on with their lives. One and done, right? "Okay, then. On three."

"One…" Yomi began hesitantly. The two looked each other in the eyes, determination setting in. One and done, right?

"T-two…" Tomo murmured nervously. The two slowly closed the distance between them, and they swore they could hear each others' hearts trying to escape their chests. One and done…right?

The last number was never uttered by either girl. Instead, they closed right in for a simple, quick, classic kiss on the lips. It was supposed to be quick, anyway. It was not. A soft moan escaped from one of them, snapping the two back to reality. They looked at one another, then around Yomi's room in slight confusion, breaths still catching up to both girls' lungs.

Yomi was the first to clear her throat. She needed to say something to distract from everything. "...This is a secret, okay? A secret."

"Right," Tomo nodded emphatically. Her laughter was a little too energetic, suggesting force. "A secret. No one needs to know! Privacy and stuff!"

"Right."

With a few awkward chuckles, and with little eye contact, the two resumed their quiet reading. Tomo headed back home about an hour later, much to Yomi's relief.

It would have been easy to say that life returned back to normal – well, as normal as the lives of Tomo and Yomi could ever be – but it never quite did. The tension could be cut up by a knife. Yomi really did not want to be near Tomo, but that girl continued to act like everything was fine. Was it really, though? Yomi did notice an increase in physical contact. Every time that girl wrapped her arm around her shoulders, or whenever Yomi received a head pat, it sent shivers down the bespectacled girl's back. Her face would flush just a bit, but she could recover in time to get Tomo off her back. That day would play on and off in her mind every day – some days more often than others. That day triggered something within, and it was confusing.

This tension was also getting into Tomo's nerves. She enjoyed that experiment. She wanted to relive it so much, she wanted more, but Yomi was being awfully distant. Her comebacks were harsher than usual, too. It was very upsetting. Did she do something wrong that day? She just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. The article did say that one's first kiss was extra special. There was something special about that kiss, all right. She wanted more, but she also did not want to break her friendship with Yomi. She would not know what to do with herself if she had broken up such a long-lasting tie.

For months, the two remained at this silent standoff. Emotions raged within and were only let out when Tomo went just far enough to trigger Yomi's aggravation. While it was a temporary relief, it could not fight off the inevitable. Soon, those girls were going to explode, but the question was…when?

One day, just before the weekend, Tomo noticed a note in her shoe locker. It simply read "Come to my place. Tonight." She did not even need to read the bottom of the note to know it was from Yomi. It could be about anything, she thought to herself as she tried to push the quick onset of memories from that one day for the umpteenth time since it happened. Anything at all, she mused to herself as school began and classes came and went almost like a blur. It could not possibly be about that day, she thoughtfully chided as she got into her PE uniform.

She took one small glance at Yomi from across the locker room out of curiosity. She always did envy that girl's body, but now, it had an extra allure to it Tomo never noticed before. She started around her legs, making her way up her torso. Yomi was facing away from her, so she was unable to take a look at the best area (in her opinion), but she still could not help but linger on her hair. She wanted to run her fingers through it and enjoy the feeling. As she made her way toward her head, though, Yomi finally turned around. She noticed Tomo staring at her, but she made no comment, instead providing a silent, almost alluring glance, like she was holding back. For Tomo, however, that glance hit her hard, and the memories of that day came flooding back. The whole incident replayed in her head, all of it, including the pervasive thoughts she had about what could happen if they had continued.

To be honest, it was kind of…hot.

NO.

Annoying! It was very annoying! GRAR!Tomo remained in the locker room a few extra moments after Yomi left. She was the last girl in there now and took advantage of it by splashing her face with cold water real quick. She really needed to focus. PE was an afternoon class, which meant she only had a few hours to go. A few hours until she walked to Yomi's…She wondered if she could take her time going there instead of walking with her.

"Tomo's been acting weird all day." Kagura mused as she did some pre-class stretches. "I wonder what's up with her."

All eyes fell on Yomi, as if she knew the answer. While that was sometimes the case, Yomi did not appreciate the sense of reliability today. "Who knows," was her terse response. The girls' eyes lingered just a little longer, but they all left her alone. Yomi looked toward the locker rooms and sighed. She knew Tomo was still there. She could only guess what her deal was today, and it probably had to do with her note. She was unsure of what reaction the girl was having, however. Her note was simple enough. Maybe too simple…too vague. No use in fixing that now, she thought to herself. She decided that keeping her distance was the best course of action, partially to let Tomo relax, but also to avoid having another near-incident, like what almost happened in the locker room.

She had noticed the usually-wild Tomo was silently staring at her. Immediately, Yomi's mind raced through scenes of that one day, and how she almost wanted to do more before both of them stopped so suddenly. They were the last two in the locker room. She was very close to just walking up to that girl, gently cupping her face just to experience that kiss one more time…But the sound of classmates chattering just outside the doorway snapped Yomi back to the present. Now, as PE finally began, she hoped the rest of the day flew by quickly.

For the rest of the day, neither girl made any sort of contact. In PE, they paired off with other girls. Eye contact was limited after that. This only exacerbated the feelings of anxiety, tension, and even something more – something neither girl could quite explain, but it was a new feeling that added to the others and, overall, drove them up the wall. As everyone went their separate ways, both girls did just that – they took different directions to go home.

Yomi tried not to worry too much about it. Logically, Tomo may want to change out of her clothes. Perhaps she had something going on at her place first and then she would come over in the evening. It made sense. Tomo usually did hang out in the evening, when Yomi's mother was away at her job. Her father would arrive very late at night, which, by then, Tomo would have either returned to her place or was already fast asleep after exhausting her vast energy reserves. Perhaps that was exactly what Tomo was going to do. With a satisfied nod, Yomi continued home…and waited.

Waiting…

Tomo was never very good at waiting. She had decided to go home for a change of clothes and give her dog some well-deserved care. A weekend would normally be a fun and relaxing time, but Yomi's letter was still on her mind. She could just…not go tonight. Due to their constant avoidance all day, she had never let Yomi know she even saw that note. She could have very well lost it, or perhaps, she forgot about it altogether. With each new excuse, a sense of remorse washed over her. It would be kind of stupid to leave her hanging, she thought. Besides, it had been a while since they hung out in a non-school setting. Granted, part of that was due to…that day…but maybe this was Yomi's way of moving past that. Their friendship was most important. It had gone on for this long, why should one silly experiment ruin that?

"She's probably expecting me around the usual time," Tomo mused aloud, petting her dog as a quick dose of comfort. Outside, the sun was beginning to set. Soon, it would be safe to head over.

"Sure would be nice to hang out again…"

As day faded into night, the residential streets quieted down, and Tomo set foot to her destination. She had packed a few things, just in case of an impromptu sleepover. An air of uncertainty remained over her head. Butterflies were flying wildly in her stomach. All while this happened, she was wondering…why? What made today any different than any other time?

Oh. Right.

Yomi's place was finally visible. The entrance had its usual light on, but what caught Tomo's attention was the glow off to the side of the property – Yomi's room. She was still up. A moment of weakness caused Tomo to hesitate her next move, but she knew there was no turning back now. The only thing to do now was to climb over the wall and knock on that window…

That very window, which was currently open, had Yomi glancing right up at Tomo upon her scaling the small wall.

Tomo, in complete shock, did the only thing she could do.

She fell over the wall and landed in an unflattering heap.

It did not take the wildcat girl long to wake up. Even when nervous, she had plenty of energy to spare, and it did its job in helping her regain consciousness. By the time she regained her focus, she realized she was in Yomi's room now – Yomi's bed, in fact. As for the owner of the bed, Yomi herself was kneeling right beside Tomo with a worried look on her face. As Tomo came to, she could see Yomi's expression soften, probably in relief to whatever happened to her.

"Whu…What happened?"

"You fell off the wall…" Yomi huffed, looking away before muttering a weirdly gentle, "idiot."

"Seriously?!" Tomo exclaimed, shooting up in her shock. "How long have I been out?"

"Only three, five minutes at most."

"Oh…"

"Yeah, wasn't long. You're okay." Yomi reached over and placed her hand on Tomo's forehead, nearly melting her back onto the bed. "Kind of glad for that."

She formed a small smile that Tomo had never seen her wear before. It was not sad, nor was it brimming with energy…and, yet, there was a sense that this smile was for her and her alone. A private smile. For a moment, neither girl said a word, almost lost in each others' eyes. Thoughts were barely coherent. There was a proverbial cloud hanging over them, though. It could not be ignored forever. Both of them knew this.

Tomo was the first to snap out of their momentary placidity. "So, ah…" she hesitated as she tried to come up with the words. "What was up with the note? What'd you need me for?"

"Mm? Oh. Right." Yomi got up and walked over to her desk chair. Even though she had prepared for this moment, it was an entirely different experience once it was actually happening. She was unsure of how to articulate the next sentence. Tomo watched as she fidgeted – crossing her arms, lightly tapping her foot, face scrunched up as she tilted her head in thought. She was trying to put together the next string of words carefully. It was rather cute, honestly.

Finally, the thought was put together. As Yomi spoke, she used her desk as a focus, for if she looked at Tomo's face at all, she felt she would lose these words. "Tomo, do you...remember the last time we hung out? Together? School aside."

Tomo blushed, the memories peeking their way through. "Well…yeah…What about it?"

"Did we ever reveal the findings of our experiment?"

"Ex...periment?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Yomi whipped her head back up, expression stern. "You know what I'm talking about."

It was Tomo's turn to look aside. "Err…Okay, yeah. I remember. But wait, I thought you wanted us to move past it."

"I did. At first."

"…Then why…"

"I was confused, okay?" Yomi was now on the edge of her chair, her posture wearied and eyes downcast. "I didn't know what to think, how to react. I went the logical route. We were just playing, I thought. It was a game, and we'd forget about it later." Tomo wanted to speak up, but the bespectacled girl held a hand up to stop her. "But," she continued, "I never forgot it. It ate at me, thinking about it constantly. And you acted like nothing happened. It pissed me off…But then I noticed that you were not acting your usual self. You were just as tense as I was. Awkward. Maybe a bit harsh, just like me…It affected you, too, didn't it?"

"I…" Tomo could feel her cheeks grow hotter in response. She also knew it would be pretty stupid to avoid the question at this point. Yomi had opened up, it was only kind to do the same. Words struggled to come out. Yomi simply waited patiently, still looking away, which did ease Tomo's mind a little. It was better to fight the words without also being stared down, and Yomi apparently knew this as well.

"I…" Tomo tried again, but this time, the words did come. "Yeah. It did get to me, too."

"I see…"

"It felt good, though!" Yomi looked up, surprised at Tomo's sudden outburst. The room was, literally, all hers now, and Tomo was ready to spill thoughts. "I still remember it! I never felt anything like that before! It was so weird…but in a good way! I k-kinda wanted more, to be honest."

A calm silence filled the air. Yomi was in a thoughtful pose, hands clasped together in front of her face. A shoulders heaved upward as she took in a deep breath, but Tomo noticed the details that she was attempting to hide. Yomi was blushing, yes, but there was also a hint of trembling in those hands. Nervousness? Not that Tomo was one to talk – she was also in an uncharacteristic bundle on the bed, her body hugging her as close as possible as she hid her own physical appearance from revealing any more than she already had.

They were both trapped in suspense.

Yomi coughed. "Well, you know…When experiments are done, you're supposed to record the results." She walked up to her bed, the bed which currently contained a shy Tomo, continuing her train of thought. "We never did, after all. By definition, that experiment ended up invalid."

Tomo watched as Yomi took a seat beside her. She was seated a few inches away. Something about her presence eased her a little. "Yeah, that makes sense," she chided softly. "You sure do know your stuff, Yomi."

"I try to, anyway." Yomi finally turned to look at her friend, that smile from earlier gracing her gentle – dared Tomo think, beautiful – face. "Someone has to keep us from becoming delinquent drop-outs."

"Oof, harsh~" The two laughed. It was like a nice, cold shower after a laborious activity. The stress and anxiety they accumulated all this time washed away in one grand dousing.

"So, the first kiss was kind of a waste, after all." Yomi sighed but with a small smile. "I told you it would."

"Well, let's up the ante, then!" With regained energy, Tomo sprang onto all fours on top of the bed, just like the first time. "The article didn't say how second kisses felt!"

"I see. Maybe we should…"

"Find out?"

"Yeah. Let's just see where it takes us this time." Yomi situated herself so she was facing Tomo, just like the first time. "No interruptions. But, if one of us wants to stop, we'll say so, right?"

"Of course!"

A new wave of nervousness hit them, but instead of being fear-driven, it was one powered by anticipation. As they did their countdown again, their eyes revealed eagerness. Hunger. They had held each other back far too long. By the time they reached "two", they simply skipped past "three" and jumped right into that kiss.

It started out sweet, but its heat intensified quickly. Instinct took over, moving beyond the simple kiss on the lips. Held back emotions rushed through the flood gates. Soft moans came from both girls this time. The sounds only fueled them further, and it did not take long for carnal passion to take over. A tight embrace here, an adventurous caress there…Eventually, the two fell onto the bed and melted.

They only knew so much on instinct alone. Only the topmost layers of clothing had come undone. The sight was very familiar to the two from years of PE classes together, but something about this context was exhilarating and fresh. To be able to touch one another, to explore how their bodies felt against their skin and how they curved and dipped, was a hidden desire only just now surfacing within both girls' minds. Many pent up emotions and hidden thoughts revealed themselves this evening, in fact, but neither girl made a comment about it. Instead, they let their hands, and their lips, do all the talking tonight.

The seemingly eternal embrace began to die down when both girls' energies were finally spent. Laying together in that bed, with Tomo resting on top of Yomi's chest, they let themselves slowly flutter back down to earth. They had never felt such peace before. It was very nice.

Tomo snuggled right against Yomi, and finally broke the silence. "So this 's'where we figure out how the 'xperiment went, right?"

"Correct."

"So…what'd we learn?"

Yomi chuckled softly. Though still weakened from the excursion, she managed to raise her hand to give Tomo a light petting. "I guess…if we wanted to put it into words," she murmured sleepily, "we could say the second kiss was actually the truly special one. We actually knew what we were doing."

"Hmm, y'got a point there. Feels better when you expect it."

"I guess…knowing what you're doing the second time makes it more exciting, yeah…"

"Somethin' like that, anyway." Tomo yawned, which, in turn caused Yomi to do the same. "I liked this'un better," she slurred.

"Yeah…I guess…I liked it, too." Yomi looked up at the ceiling, thinking about all the things that lead up to this moment. Strange how a magazine article, of all things, would open up a new side of their relationship. Just a few moments ago, they practically confessed some deep emotions with their actions. They did not even need to say the words aloud. They knew that evening that their bond had grown closer – a depth Yomi felt no one else could really achieve with them individually in the future. This was their bond.

Sleepiness was taking a hold on her now. Even glancing toward her chest, she could see that Tomo had already succumbed to a peaceful slumber. Perhaps this was her cue to do so as well. She had a feeling this would be the most refreshing sleep since that one day, and she would be correct. There was still a whole weekend to spend together. They would have to be careful during the day, but they could always hang out at Tomo's for another type of experimentation. She should ask her in the morning.

For now, though, it would be a night of shared space and warmth. There was no sense of loneliness tonight. These two souls rested soundly…together.