VI
As the days passed Utena and Anthy spent more and more time together. Juri didn't like it, but what could she do? She could hardly forbid Utena from seeing Anthy. That would only push Utena away from Juri, and besides (as Utena might say) … it would be wrong.

Still she couldn't help but agonise over it, ruminating on the various terrible possibilities now that Himemiya Anthy was back in their lives.

The doorbell rang.

"Hello, Arisugawa-san." Juri grimaced and stepped away from her front door which she'd just opened. Of course, it was their new neighbour, Himemiya goddamn Anthy.

"Utena is out," Juri said shortly, petulantly glad that she was able to deliver the bad news herself. She turned away, expecting that Anthy would leave, then stopped surprised when Anthy called out:

"Wait!"

Juri turned back slowly.

"I came to see you."

Juri goggled. Anthy sounded quite calm (but then again, didn't she always?). Anthy's hands were folded demurely in front, and Juri couldn't help but notice that her beautiful flower-covered sundress was one of the latest fashions. There was no denying that Himemiya Anthy was a beautiful woman. That was currently one of the things that Juri hated the most.

"Really?" Juri finally said, at a bit of a loss. "Well, come in, I suppose …."

Anthy came in.

They knelt together at the low table, and had tea. It was disturbingly reminiscent of that day only weeks ago, when Anthy had arrived out-of-the-blue to keep her designated 'tea and cookies' date with Juri's precious partner.

Juri was on the back-foot, and she knew it. So, she said nothing, and sipped her tea. She was perversely determined to make Anthy speak first.

Unfortunately Anthy didn't seem to be put out by silence. She merely sipped tea and gazed around the room with what seemed like avid curiosity. Juri saw that she was looking at the photographs of herself and Utena, happy together.

There were quite a few photos: The two of them horse riding, fencing, Utena playing basketball while Juri cheered from the sidelines, Juri modelling on the catwalk while Utena watched proudly. Juri's favourite was a candid shot taken secretly by a friend. Juri stood behind Utena, embracing her. She was kissing Utena's head with a look in her eyes that could only be described as devotion. Utena's eyes were closed, and her body was limp with trust and pleasure.

Anthy's eyes lingered on that photo. Juri blushed; then hated herself for doing so.

Anthy's eyes met hers across the table, oddly probing. Finally, she spoke, and her tone was cautious in the extreme.

"I know you hate me."

Juri choked on her tea, coughing and spluttering. She could feel herself blushing uncharacteristically, and loathed Anthy anew. What was the manipulative bitch up to now?! Striving to regain her customary poise, she hunted in a pocket for one of Utena's monogrammed handkerchiefs to wipe her lips.

Anthy's eyes moved to the handkerchief. Then she daintily pulled a handkerchief from her cleavage and showed it to Juri, looking almost sad.

"See, I have one too."

They stared at each other across the table. Stalemate, thought Juri. Is this match even winnable? I can't give up … but how can I possibly win? It would take a miracle!

Juri didn't believe in miracles … except, that somehow Utena and she had been so happy together, and Utena believed in miracles (foolishly). Couldn't Juri draw on that somehow? She'd take any help she could get, just now. She'd never wanted anything so much as to hold onto Tenjou Utena. She didn't care if Utena and Anthy were star-crossed soulmates, or whatever the party line might be; she cared about her own happiness, her own desire to love and be loved!

She'd didn't care if that was selfish!

"I've changed, Arisugawa-san," said Anthy softly, placing her handkerchief on the table between them. "I'm not playing games with you, I swear."

Juri glared at her with deep suspicion.

"Well … I've mostly changed," Anthy corrected. "But certainly, enough that I'm not playing games with you now. This is too important."

"What is?" snapped Juri, stiff with tension.

"Utena," said Anthy directly, locking eyes with her. "We both care about her."

"More than anything," whispered Juri, before she could stop herself.

"I can see that she loves you," said Anthy. She glanced around the room at their photograph collection. "That you've been …" her voice trembled, "good together". Her eyes closed in what looked like pain.

Against her better judgment, Juri found herself leaning forward, striving to see this version of Anthy better - to determine what was real and unreal.

"I'm glad," said Anthy though she sounded sad. "Glad for Utena's sake, that she wasn't alone all this time." Her eyes snapped open suddenly and seemed to bore into Juri's soul. "Annoyed and sad for my own sake of course. I want Utena just for myself. I'm sure you know just what that's like."

Juri's jaw dropped. It was just so … shocking. She'd never thought to hear the truth from Anthy's lying lips. It was almost like talking to Utena.

Could this be something to do with those duels Utena talked about, and 'world revolution'? Maybe it wasn't all made-up nonsense to cope with traumatic memories (which was Juri's number one theory for the half-remembered weirdness that bubbled up occasionally for Utena or herself).

"What do you suggest?" Juri found herself asking. She was genuinely curious to hear what Anthy would say next.

"We share, of course," said Anthy. Juri's jaw dropped back open. Anthy smirked, just a little.

"It's not my preference, naturally, and I'm well aware it isn't yours either. But it solves everything … nicely. And it's not like I haven't shared lovers before. Even … Utena."

Juri thought her eyes would burst out her skull she was goggling so much. The last was too much reality even for her cynical self; the words wouldn't compute. But as to Anthy's offer … to her utter shock she heard herself answering:

"All right."

Anthy smiled at her, a small knowing smile that Juri recognised, hated, and just in this particular moment, accepted as deserved. With a decisive nod Anthy rose to her feet in one fluid motion.

"It's all decided then."

And just like that Anthy was leaving the apartment, leaving Juri to kneel in the scattered remains of her dignity and dreams. It was just like those half-remembered duels – wait, they had actually happened?! Yes … orange roses had rained down, and Juri had been shocked into sobriety by Utena's sudden miraculous victories.

Only this time, to lose was somehow also to win.

Unmoving, Juri stared at the closed front door for she didn't know how long. Eventually the door opened and Utena burst inside.

"Juri!" she said cheerfully, dropping down to drape an affectionate arm over her partner's shoulder. She glanced at the teacups. "You had a guest?"

Juri put her arm around Utena automatically, and gratefully leaned into her partner's strength.

"You'll never guess what happened …." Juri laughed drily. "I don't believe it myself …."