Heime woke up with her head still on Anthy's hospital bed, her cheek resting on Anthy's warm thigh. She sighed softly. She had to go to classes, she knew. She stood, stretched, ran her fingers through her hair, then leaned over and kissed Anthy's forehead.
"I'll be back after school, okay, Anthy?"
She turned and left the room, picking up her bag as she did, and walked to class, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She attended classes, aware of the whispers echoing from the other students around her, and as Utena took the seat next to her, they shared a sad look before lessons began. Kuonichi met them outside of class, waiting for Wakaba, who's hand she was holding every chance she got beat up. They look cute together, thought Heime, and hoped the best for them. Around mid-day, the story was everywhere about Saionji and his mutilation. She gave a grim smile as she heard some girls discussing it.
"I heard they stabbed him!"
"I heard they cut off his nipple..."
"No, both nipples, stupid, remember?"
"I heard they took off his...you know..."
GASP "No way! Really!"
Heime just smirked and walked on. When Utena heard the story however, she immidately went to confront Heime.
"Is the story true? Did you do all that to Saionji!"
Heime shrugged. "Yes, I did. Is there a problem? I told you I'd make him pay for hurting Anthy."
Utena growled.
"He could have died!"
"All the better, I say."
Wakaba walked up and nodded. "I agree."
They all turned to her in surprise. Wakaba had always been a somewhat peacful girl, and to hear her wish someone dead was rather unsettling. Utena sighed and rubbed her eyes, taking her hat off and running slender fingers through pink locks.
"All right. It's agreed not to know any of this, yes?"
"Obviously," Kuonichi said.
Utena nodded and patted Heime's shoulder.
"Let's get to class."
----------
Kuonichi escorted Wakaba to class, smiling a little to her. She was beautiful, but Wakaba seemed to either not know it, or she refused to believe it. Her older brother's mistreatment of her must have lowered her self confidence horribly. Well, she thought, I'll have to fix that. She cleared her throat.
"So..um...Shinohara-kun, I w-was wondering if maybe y-you'd like to have dinner with me in my dorm sometime..."
Wakaba stopped and looked up at the taller, green haired Saionji girl.
"I don't know...I mean, I'd love too, but I'm so worried about Anthy right now...you know?"
Kuonichi bowed her head.
"Oh...well, that's okay. I mean, I don't think Himemiya-kun would want us to sit around moping, do you? I think she'd like it if we started dating...That is, if you wanted to ever go out on a date with someone like me...heh.."
Wakaba looked into the same Violet eyes that Kyouichi Saionji had, and found that even though they looked the same, she liked them much better than the eye of that lunatic. She stood up on tiptoe and kissed Kuonichi on the cheek.
"Dinner, your place. I'll bring the Instant Ramen."
Kuonichi blushed as she saw Wakaba saunter off, then she caught herself as she saw the sway in the girl's hips, and blushed harder as she saw a glimpse of pink panties under the fuku skirt. She adjusted her collar around her neck and went off to her next class, her heart in her throat, but still grinning like an idiot.
-------
Utena and Heime sat down beside Anthy's bed, and began to talk.
"So, how did you get mixed up in all of this, Heime?"
Heime only shrugged.
"I got told about this miraculous power, and though I could use it to help my country, if I could. Akio promised me I could do it with the power of Dios, but it turns out he only wants it for himself."
Utena shook her head, trying to clear it.
"Wait, Akio? As in Anthy's brother? What are you talking about?"
Heime narrowed her eyes.
"You didn't know? He calls himself 'End of the World'."
Utena closed her eyes, breathing deeply.
"No..no way..he...he wouldn't...His own sister? He uses his own sister as the Rose Bride?"
Heime touched Utena's arm. "
It pissed me off as much as you, Utena."
Utena shook her head again.
"No..it doesn't make me mad...it makes me...sad. He would do that to his own sister..."
"I think it just makes him sick, is all. To pass his own sister around like a trophy piece..."
Utena sighed and layed her head down on the sheets of Anthy's bed.
"Oh Anthy...I'm so sorry he did this to you..."
She took Anthy's hand, and to her surprise, felt her thinning fingers clutch at her own. Utena gasped.
"Heime, she's holding my hand!"
Heime got up and went to get the doctor. A moment later, he came in, looking grave. Anthy was still holding Utena's hand.
"Hm...interesting...let go of her a moment."
Utena let go, and Anthy's fingers relaxed. The doctor lifted her hand, holding it the same way Utena had, but Anthy's hand hung limp.
"Miss Sakuya, would you please try holding Miss Himemiya's hand?"
Heime nodded and took Anthy's hand from the Doctor, and she felt Anthy's fingers tighten around her own in response. The doctor made a note on his pad before stroking his beard.
"Interesting."
"What is it?" asked Heime, still holding Anthy's hand.
"One moment please. Miss Tenjou, please take hold of Miss Himemiya's other hand, if you would."
Utena did as she was told and took Anthy's other hand, which tightened when Utena took it.
"Very interesting," commented the doctor.
Utena and Heime stared at the doctor.
"What's interesting?" they said together.
"She responds only to you two. Numerous people have come in and checked on her, and they've held her hands to check her pulse and so on, and she never responded to any of them. Obviously she holds a deep connection with the both of you. Tell me, what are your relationships with her.?"
Heime and Utena shared a glance. Heime raised her hand.
"I care about her, a very great deal, and she's living with me."
Utena nodded.
"I care about her too, and she used to live with me."
The doctor nodded and scratched his head.
"Well, it seems to me that she has possible feelings for the both of you. She may even be torn between the two of you."
Utena and Heime shared another glance before sweatdropping.
-------
Kuonichi scrambled around her dorm room, trying to set everything up before Wakaba got there. She fumbled with a match before lighting the candles set on the low table. She heard a knock, and burned her finger on the match. She sucked on the burn a moment before opening the door to see Wakaba, dressed in a pair of slim blue jeans and a white t-shirt. Kuonichi gulped a moment before she stepped aside to let Wakaba in. Her usual ponytail was down, and her hair fell in curls around her shoulders.
"Y-you look great..."
Wakaba grinned. "Are you always this articulate?"
Kuonichi blushed before bending and kissing Wakaba's hand.
"I made us a bit of dinner..."
Wakaba grinned and help up a steaming box of chicken chao mein.
"And I brought a little something too. Went out and bought it myself."
Kuonichi smiled and quickly leaned in to kiss Wakaba on the cheek.
"Thanks...So...ahem...shall we sit and eat?"
Wakaba smiled and sat, dealing out the food she had brought, then doled out the Yakisoba that Kuonichi had prepared. They pressed their palms together, bowed to eachother, and said in unison,
"Itadakimasu." (Ritual expression said before eating)
They dug in, and Wakaba smiled.
"This is great, Saionji-kun!"
Kyouichi grinned and blushed, bowing her head to hide it.
"Th-thanks...heh..."
She cleared her throat.
"I'm...i'm really glad you came to eat dinner with me, Shinohara-kun..."
Wakaba shrugged a little and smiled shyly.
"I was happy to...and, if you want, you can call me Wakaba.."
Kuonichi blinked in surprise.
"Are you sure?"
Wakaba just grinned and nodded, her hair falling across her eyes.
"Yeah...can I call you Kuonichi?"
Kuonichi grinned and nodded, her spiky green hair a bit of a mess from the steam from the cooking pot.
Wakaba scootched over and kissed Kuonichi on the cheek before continuing her meal.
"I really like you, Kuonichi. It's only been a few days, but I like you. You've proven that you're nothing like your brother. I'm sorry we got so mad at you."
Kuonichi scratched the back of her head, sweatdropping.
"Nahh...it's no big deal..."
Wakaba smirked at her. That evil smirk that Utena had come to fear. Even the sound of running footsteps was enough to make Utena flinch, but Kuonichi had not yet learned. But she would. Oohhh yes, she would.
"Uh...why are you staring at me like that?"
Wakaba tackled Kuonichi, knocking her on her back as Wakaba nuzzled her face against her shoulder.
"Kuonichi-samaaaa!"
"GAH!"
Wakaba giggled and, blushing, planted a kiss on Kuonichi's lips. Kuonichi immidiately stopped struggling and held still for a moment, eyes wide, before sliding her arms around Wakaba, gently kissing her back, inexpertly so, since this was her first kiss (though that's a secret she'll take with her to the grave). Kuonichi broke the kiss and smiled, blushing, up at the brown haired girl.
"I like you too, Wakaba...Say...did you know you have a really huge forehead?"
She poked it lightly with her index finger before Wakaba bit it.
"YEEEEOWWWW!"