Previously on A Happy Dream:
Kyoko and Sayaka just conceived their sixth baby! But will this interfere with their sex lives?
After Sayaka had left the room, Kyoko started to freak out a tiny bit. Sayaka's little fake advancement had thrown her off guard, and if she hadn't frozen, who knows what she would've done?
She shuddered in horror at just how much control her libido had over her thoughts. Seriously, what the hell was wrong with her? She never had to deal with that issue before in her life, so why was she suddenly all out of sorts when it came to Sayaka? She couldn't make sense of it. Yeah, she was attracted to Sayaka, and that was weird in and of itself, but that's wasn't what was bothering her. Kyoko felt like there was… more to it than just wanting to jump the other girl's bones.
Maybe it had something to do with that friendship thing Sayaka was talking about earlier? It had been a while since she had any sort of relationship with people, but for some reason she felt like there was more to it than that. Something that kept her coming back, a missing connection she couldn't make sense of.
When the hell did her life get so complicated? She didn't want to think about all of this shit! Not the fact that she was attracted to her new friend, or that she had a business card burning a hole in her pants pocket, or anything!
Kyoko growled in aggravation—she had to get her mind off of this somehow. She threw on a bathrobe as quickly as possible and stormed out of the bathroom, picking up the clothes she'd taken off earlier and shoving them into the really odd laundry chute thing before slamming the door. After that she leaned against the wall, folded her arms, and furrowed her brows in annoyance while she waited.
It was Sayaka's job to get all dramatic about feelings, not hers. What happened to the days where all she had to worry about was where to sleep and what to eat? Actually she knew fine well those days weren't exactly over. It was probably only a matter of time that Sayaka would kick her out after all. Maybe she should go back to her temporary residence and collect the clothes and other items she had stashed there. Well, assuming it hadn't already been stolen that is. Still it would be handy to have on hand if she decided to skip town again if things got too weird.
When the machine buzzed a couple of minutes later, she changed into her clean street clothes. With that taken care of, she peered around the apartment with a scowl. Since Sayaka was taking a nap or whatever, there was nothing to do now! Not that she wanted to do Sayaka, mind you! She just meant…ah screw it. She did want to do Sayaka, so sue her! Goddammit, she was supposed to be focusing on figuring out how she felt about Sayaka, not arguing with herself about ways to do Sayaka!
All she knew was that she didn't want to go back to thinking about her life, so she needed a distraction. Her first idea brought her attention to Sayaka's door. Earlier she had been slightly disappointed about Sayaka not inviting her to take a nap, but then she remembered Sayaka was a hair molester, so it was probably for the best.
Since she had nothing better to do, Kyoko decided to check if Sayaka had fallen asleep yet. She quietly opened the door, and started to listen. Instead of hearing snores, she heard Sayaka talking to herself. Wait "Madoka…?" Oh she was probably talking on the phone. She decided to listen for a while and see if she could use anything to tease Sayaka with later. As she listened, apparently there was a lot more that happened to Sayaka than your typical school day. It was still pretty dull though, so she stopped listening when she heard the line "I'm proud of me too." It was so cheesy that it made her want to gag, so she took her leave.
The gist of the conversation was that Sayaka had officially given up on violin boy. Then again, Sayaka had mentioned something about confessing earlier, didn't she? Yeah, it was right before she mentioned Homura almost got naked for her. Huh.
Well, it's not like she cared anyway, Kyoko groused as she walked away, even though a tiny, annoying part of her felt relieved. Now she didn't have to listen to anymore of Sayaka's crappy love life! Hopefully.
'Well that was a pretty dumb waste of time,' she thought, 'now what?' Her usual distractions were either taking a nap or eating. She decided to let her body tell her which one sounded the most appealing. Now that she was listening to it for a sec, her stomach growled loudly and her eyes demanded sleep. Guess she was more tired than she realized. Food did sound pretty good, but sleep would take much less effort. She took the latter option because staying awake meant thinking, and thinking meant decisions that had to be made, and decisions meant that her life would be changing one way or another.
She flopped backwards onto the couch and placed her hands behind her head. She cleared her head and closed her eyes. Whether it was a park bench or a couch, sleep always came easily to Kyoko, even if it never treated her well.
.=.=.
Sayaka couldn't have been asleep for more than an hour before something unpleasant woke her up. That 'something' being just plain silence. The blunette groaned and rolled over in her bed, burying her face in the sheets.
It was way too quiet, wasn't it?
Sayaka groaned again and forced open her eyelids. Her vision was fuzzy and her body felt stiff and sluggish. It was moments like these where Sayaka remembered why naps sucked. Or maybe it was because she was woken up against her will by all this loud quiet! Not to mention the dream that was rapidly fading and made her feel as if she was forgetting something important. When she tried to recall what it was, the redhead's face immediately came to mind.
"Kyoko?" Sayaka croaked out as threateningly as she could with a dry throat. She fumbled out of bed as fast as she could, staggering over her own feet towards the door. When she yanked it open, she only hoped Kyoko hadn't run out on her while she was sleeping. The apartment was quiet and foreboding, the empty darkness sending a chill down her spine.
"Kyoko!" The clarity in her mind was still reeling from having just woken up as she looked around for signs of the redhead. She suddenly stopped short when a random snore erupted from the throat of the one she was looking for.
Following the noise to the couch, Sayaka found Kyoko lying on her back asleep. Her own snore seemed to have startled the girl in her sleep, and her face scrunched up as she shifted slightly to the side. Sayaka slowly covered her face with her hands, ashamed with herself at how fast she had almost come to panicking over her. She breathed out and rubbed her tired eyes before dropping her hands from her face. Soft blue eyes lingered curiously on Kyoko's now peaceful, slumbering expression.
She didn't look like she was having a nightmare this time, unlike the last time she saw her sleeping. 'That's good,' she thought to herself, unconsciously reaching down to gently brush the hair out of her face. Sayaka froze, fearing that she had woken her up with the gesture. The redhead just curled her lips into a small, fanged smile and slept on.
Sayaka smiled softly in relief. No point in waking her up since she could probably use the sleep. And she didn't feel like going back to her own nap now that she was wide awake from her brief moment of panic. Maybe if she had just invited Kyoko to sleep with her, there wouldn't have been a reason to panic and she could've gone back to sleep. She wouldn't be surprised if Kyoko had listened to her conversation with Madoka anyway…and would it have been so bad to have someone to hold while she cried instead of a pillow? Sayaka automatically snorted at the ridiculous notion, a little taken aback that she would even consider such a strange thing.
Suddenly her stomach growled, which drew her attention towards the kitchen. Kyoko had made her pancakes this morning, so it was only natural to return the favor. It was the least she could do.
.=.=.
Kyoko's nose was revived before Kyoko's brain. Her limp body rose upright in reaction to the tantalizing scent, eyes still closed and brain just barely sparking to life. Her nose took one deep whiff of the air and it was enough to make her mouth water instantly. Kyoko wondered what that delicious smell was, and gradually opened her sleepy red eyes to find out.
She stood up with a groan and shambled over to the source, spotting Sayaka at the kitchen counter with her back turned to Kyoko. She appeared to be chopping something up while other food was cooking on the stove.
"Hey," Kyoko greeted while she rubbed an eye with the back of her hand. "What's cooking?"
Sayaka turned to her. "Hey, Kyoko," she said, sniffling. Kyoko jerked back in surprise when she saw tears streaming down the other girl's face.
"Eh, what, what's wrong?" Kyoko asked, now startled awake.
"Oh," Sayaka wiped at her eyes, a smirk on her face. "I was just chopping onions!" Her hand gestured to the cutting board with onions on it.
"Ah…" Kyoko mused and blew hair out of her face in annoyance. "You freaked me out there for a second. I suck at consoling girls when they cry," she muttered, moving until she was standing next to Sayaka.
"I know," Sayaka said teasingly, remembering when she had a meltdown in the elevator with Kyoko the other day. The redhead had offered her Twinkies as a way of comfort when they got back to the apartment. Her attempt at making her feel better was a bit awkward and unrefined, but worked all the same. Kyoko wasn't as bad at dealing with crying girls as she thought she was, though Sayaka would never admit it out loud.
"I'm just whipping something up— shouldn't be much longer!"
"Hmm," Kyoko leaned against the stove and peered into the frying pan. Steam wafted in her face and she breathed it in, making her mouth water even more. "So you can cook."
"Don't sound so surprised," Sayaka replied, going back to chopping. "Sayaka-chan is about to blow your mind!"
Kyoko chuckled heartily at that. "I can think of better things for you to blow," she muttered quietly.
"What?"
"Nothing! Nothing at all. Anyway I'm starving, so chop-chop will ya?" Kyoko said with a stupid grin.
Sayaka muttered a predictable reply along the lines of 'you're always hungry,' then went back to the task at hand.
Kyoko simply smiled and leaned against the counter on her elbow with her face propped up by her hand, and watched Sayaka cook. She had to admit: seeing Sayaka cook, apron over her t-shirt and pajama bottoms and all, felt very homely. Kyoko liked the feeling. Then a mischievous grin spread across her face as she also entertained the thought of Sayaka in nothing but the apron.
Having finished the onions, Sayaka turned to her and her eyes widened immediately. "Kyoko, you're on fire!"
"Are you trying to say I'm hot?" Kyoko started to say, but then looked down and noticed she was right. She had thought the warm sensation was coming from her perverted thoughts, not an actual fire!
"Gah!"
The side of her tank top had turned into a ring of fire that was quickly growing wider. The redhead hastily tried to pat it out. Sayaka pushed the frantic hands aside and grabbed the top of her shirt, ripping it off over Kyoko's head and throwing it to the ground. Both girls panted over the smoldering singed cloth while they caught their breaths.
"Jeez, are you alright? What kind of idiot presses themselves against a hot stove?" Sayaka asked in a disbelieving tone as she grabbed a towel and quickly ran it under cold water.
"Ah dammit, your stupid stove ruined my favorite top! I thought it was supposed to be advanced or some shit!" Kyoko hissed in pain when Sayaka walked up to her and pressed a cold towel right up against her belly, where the fire had started. "Uh…I don't think you're supposed to put something cold on a burn wound," Kyoko said, trying to recall something she'd heard.
Sayaka yanked the towel away in a panic. "Then what do I do?" She got on her knees to get a better look at the red mark on Kyoko's stomach as Kyoko leaned back against the counter.
"Hell if I know! Maybe you should blow on it or something?" Kyoko suggested off the top of her head. She gasped in surprise when Sayaka did just that, gently blowing cool air across her bare belly, sending some very tingly sensations over her sensitive torso. All of a sudden Kyoko was very much aware that she was currently topless with Sayaka on her knees in front of her. Now the burn was the furthest thing on her mind as her face went beet red. She placed her hand on top of Sayaka's head to stop her.
"Forget it, it's not that bad," Kyoko urged.
"Wait, I think it might be working!" Sayaka insisted eagerly, doing it again and making Kyoko flinch at the action. Her teeth gritted as she resisted the urge to push Sayaka's face against her.
"How in the hell can you tell if it's working or not?" Kyoko spoke over her embarrassment, voice an octave higher.
"I don't know!"
"Then stop blowing me!"
After her exclamation, the still smoldering tank top suddenly flared up with renewed flames, making the two girls shout in alarm. Sayaka sprang up and stamped out the fire with her foot, then leapt into Kyoko's arms in pain when she realized she wasn't wearing any shoes. Kyoko fell over from surprise, her hand brushing the heat knob of the stove as they both went down.
They tumbled to the floor in a heap, with Kyoko on top and accidentally crushing Sayaka's face beneath her naked chest.
Then the stove top burst into flames.
.=.=.
"What the hell, we're still alive," Kyoko observed after they stopped the fire and she had proper medication applied to her burns.
Sayaka was washing soot off her face. "Lets try not to think about it too hard..." Sayaka took her own advice, occupying herself with putting slightly-charred food on plates.
After a moment Sayaka was setting down the completed dish in front of Kyoko on the table.
"Ta-da! Hamburger parmesan. Grilled hamburger patty topped with mozzarella cheese, topped with olive-rubbed spaghetti noodles, topped with pasta sauce, topped with parmesan cheese." Luckily the fire didn't affect the food too much.
"Holy crap!" Kyoko's eyes sparkled, and she was practically banging her utensils into the table like a little kid in expectation. "I have to admit Sayaka, that looks goddamn impressive! It almost looks out of your league..." She shot Sayaka a narrowed-eyed look of distrust, as if the food belayed some sinister purpose.
Sayaka sat next to Kyoko with her own plate. "Don't question it, just eat it."
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Kyoko said with a grin, and Sayaka couldn't help smiling back, pride swelling up in her from Kyoko's unexpected eager reception. Usually everyone refused to eat what she cooked! She wondered why that was, exactly?
When Kyoko took a bite of the food, her taste buds exploded and and her eyes nearly popped of her head as her hand came up to her mouth. Kyoko's eaten many questionable things in her life, but this was just... "Oh god," Kyoko choked out after she forced her mouthful down her throat. She hastily reached for a glass and chugged down the contents, hoping to at least wash the taste from her mouth. "That's the worst thing I've ever eaten!"
"Excuse me?" Sayaka rose in immediate offense, hands on the table. "It is not!"
"It totally is!" Kyoko matched the other girls' affectation. "How exactly did you manage to pull that off, huh? It looks and smells fine, for crying out loud!"
"It is fine!" Sayaka maintained, boldly shoveling as much food she could hold into her mouth only for her eyes to go wide immediately. She nearly spit the food right out but one look at Kyoko's smug look and she forced herself to chew. She stubbornly maintained eye contact with the redhead as she swallowed the huge lump of despair in the form of food in her mouth. She reached for her own glass and took a long drink.
"...See?" Sayaka's strained voice was lined with bruised pride. "It's not so bad..." She couldn't stop the massive shudder that came over her from the lingering taste in her mouth.
Kyoko grinned widely as her eyes took in this hilarious sight. 'What the hell, this is kind of hot,' Kyoko thought to herself after a moment, her concern with discovering what she was into only growing as Sayaka made the most disgusted face ever.
"Oh my god, okay, this is pretty bad," Sayaka admitted after quickly wiping her mouth with a napkin.
"You weren't wrong about blowing my mind with your food, at least!" Kyoko guffawed loudly in triumph as she brought another helping to her mouth. "Please tell me your cooking doesn't taste like this all the time."
"Not all the time," Sayaka replied defensively. She left out that it's been a while since her last attempt to cook. Years, to be exact. Her last attempt had involved a younger Madoka crying after eating Sayaka's cookies.
"Well, whatever."
"Are you crazy?!" Horror washed over Sayaka's face as Kyoko nonchalantly took another bite. "You don't have to eat that!"
Kyoko shook her head firmly as she quickly and thoroughly chewed. "'S fine," she muttered around a mouthful of food. "Can't waste this. 'Specially food you made for me!" She shot Sayaka a grin, which was ruined by the grimace that forced its way through the smile. "Thanks for the meal, by the way."
Sayaka blinked at the remark, honestly bewildered. Her gaze followed Kyoko's every movement, hypnotized as she brought yet another mouthful of food to her lips. "You're welcome?" she stated in confusion, though her eyes softened with genuine affection. Kyoko grunted, trying to focus on finishing her meal.
The blunette looked down at her own plate with reluctant determination. If Kyoko was eating the food... then so should she.
Kyoko made a sound of appreciation when Sayaka renewed the effort of consuming her own creation.
The following minutes was spent in silence for the most part; aside from the occasional gag.
Growing restless, Kyoko wiped at her mouth and peered over at Sayaka. Maybe she should try initiating conversation? She was never one to over think and usually she just said whatever came to mind, but since they were friends or whatever now, perhaps she should be more... what was the word? Friendly?
So then… what should she talk about? Maybe about that weird dream she had about being a candle? She quickly dismissed that idea since what little she remembered left her unsettled. Maybe she could ask about what Sayaka's deal was with that guy?
Kyoko grimaced at the thought. She didn't want to talk about that at all! But it was something that was pertinent to Sayaka, so… maybe she should try caring more about it, as much as the notion pricked at her conscious like an insistent mosquito. In any case, it seemed like Sayaka had talked about it already, so it wasn't like she was going to talk her ear off about some random boy she happened to like for. Some. Reason. Kyoko. Could. Not. Fathom!
The redhead grit her teeth and attempted to force the question past her lips.
"S-so…"
"So what's bothering you, Kyoko?"
"Huh?" Kyoko was surprised at the quick turn-about and blinked in confusion. The blunette pointed at Kyoko's face and then to her plate.
"You stopped eating, and you look like you're thinking too hard." Sayaka shrugged. "I don't want you to hurt yourself by using your brain too much, so you might as well tell me, the amazing Sayaka-chan, what's up."
'You're bothering me!' Kyoko thought indignantly while giving Sayaka an irritated huff as a response. "I was actually about to ask you a similar question."
"Were you?" Sayaka asked curiously, and Kyoko nodded in response. "Heh, that's new," Sayaka mused. After a moment though, the girl shrugged. "I confessed to the guy I liked today. It didn't go over very well."
"Ah." Well, she fessed up quicker than expected. The last time Kyoko had tried to get Sayaka to admit her feelings, she had to corner her in an elevator! The redhead tilted her head, wondering what had changed in their relationship between now and then. Was it the whole friendship thing, and she trusted Kyoko more now, or something? Kyoko pushed the questions to the back of her mind and went with the flow. "Get rejected?"
"Yeah," Sayaka confirmed quietly.
Kyoko recommenced eating, choosing her words carefully. "Sucks." Genius.
Sayaka snorted. "Yeah."
Kyoko gave Sayaka a steady appraising look. "You alright, though?"
Sayaka smiled softly at her. That must have been the first time today where that question did not bother her, and she answered sincerely. "Yes."
Kyoko chewed thoughtfully. Sayaka's voice was upfront with a hint of sadness, but it wasn't really a sadness that gave Kyoko concern. It sounded honest, a hopeful kind of sadness, if there was such a thing.
Huh. Kyoko guessed that her friendship quota for this conversation had been met and she nodded at the blunette, grinning in approval. "So what're you going to do now?"
Again, that question came up. Sayaka shrugged lamely. "I'll guess I'll learn to play the guitar, write a song about it, and make millions." That got a snort of amusement out of Kyoko.
"As long as the song isn't overly pop-y or sappy, I'm down."
Sayaka saw that Kyoko was already halfway through her plate while she herself had eaten about half as much. She had wanted to ask about what was bothering Kyoko while she still had her at the table, bound by food.
"Your turn," Sayaka said expectantly. Kyoko raised a brow at her. Sayaka continued, "That's the reason my day sucked. Well, besides you almost killing us with your stove ineptitude." She smirked teasingly, making red eyes narrow at her. "I showed you mine, so you show me yours. That's fair, right?" She presented as casually as she could. She was really hoping Kyoko would reveal what she had been doing today while Sayaka wasn't with her. Hopefully nothing stupid.
Kyoko made an uncomfortable noise and glared off to the side as she considered that. It really wouldn't be fair to ask about Sayaka and not expect to get asked a similar question in return. Was Sayaka already learning how to deal with her?
Pft, as if.
Point was, Kyoko didn't want to talk about what bothered her, because it would be letting Sayaka know that she actually was the point of annoyance in Kyoko's conscious at the moment. Of course there was a more pressing, time-sensitive thing that bothered Kyoko as well: the internship. It wasn't something Kyoko had planned on sharing, but since she was staying with Sayaka anyway, the blunette would have to know eventually, right? Assuming Kyoko actually decided to take the internship.
When Kyoko's eyes returned to look at Sayaka she was surprised to see Sayaka's face up close to hers. The short haired girl had her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Kyoko's face.
"What?" Kyoko snapped.
"I told you not to hurt yourself thinking too hard," Sayaka muttered as she searched Kyoko's eyes, making the other girl tense up. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly further. "You haven't done anything suspicious, have you?"
"I can't think with you looking at me that close!" Kyoko rolled her eyes and leaned forward to bump their foreheads together, pushing Sayaka back. Kyoko admonished with a modest blush coloring her cheeks, "You've barely eaten. Hurry it up, or I'll finish it for you."
Sayaka sat back and rubbed her forehead where Kyoko bumped their heads together, frowning in slight disappointment. "Fine, fine," she sighed, digging into her meal. If Kyoko didn't want to talk about it, then there really wasn't anything Sayaka could do about that.
"So I have this friend," Kyoko suddenly said in a loud awkward voice.
Sayaka blinked in surprise. "You have other friends?"
Kyoko glowered at her for a moment, cleared her throat, and then proceeded to pretend Sayaka hadn't just spoken. "So I have this friend," she growled out in annoyance. God, this was stupid. Not only was she going to share with Sayaka, but she was telling it in the dumbest way possible! She could barely get the words out of her mouth!
"She got this offer for an internship, but… she doesn't know whether she wants to do it or not," she said quickly in a single breath. "It's unclear to her."
Sayaka's face just looked plain confused. "Huh? Your imaginary friend was offered an internship?"
Kyoko wanted to grab her and shake her. She certainly wasn't making this any easier for Kyoko to say! "She's not imaginary, shut up and listen!"
"Okay okay, I'm listening!" Sayaka said with her hands up to placate the redhead. Kyoko grumbled a few choice words before starting again.
"Anyway… this internship came out of nowhere, right? She didn't want it, didn't ask for it, but… it's there! And she doesn't really know what to do about it, or whether she's cut out for it or if she even… deserves it."
The more she spoke, the more Sayaka became intrigued. She was becoming wrapped up in the story, and her interest became apparent as her eyes seemed to grow larger and she found herself leaning forward. Kyoko had never spoken about other friends before, had she? And she was naturally tight-lipped about herself, so would she really bring up someone else's problem? Especially with her? And wait, didn't she mention something about an internship earlier? It seemed like she was joking then when Sayaka had asked about her day. Was Kyoko… was she attempting to…? Open up to her right now? The thought sent a thrill through her and she latched onto the idea.
"An internship? That's great, Kyoko!"
Kyoko winced at Sayaka's exclamation. "I-is it?"
"Of course it is!" Sayaka was smiling widely, though she didn't know if it was because Kyoko might be asking for advice from her, or because of the actual internship. "Why wouldn't it be?" Kyoko shifted in her spot uncomfortably and Sayaka's smile faded somewhat. "Unless… It's not a questionable internship, is it? It's a scam, isn't it?"
"What? No. No!" Kyoko snorted. The delinquent played around with the food left on her dish, feeling a little uncertain. "Like I said, I – this friend of mine - she doesn't deserve a chance like that. She'd probably just screw it up anyway. It always seems like everything she touches turns to shit. Actually," she turned her eyes to the side ashamedly, "everything she touches… goes up in flames."
"That's not true," Sayaka said, leaning back in her seat, watching Kyoko. "Well, the fire thing is, but… isn't that just a mental issue? A mental block?"
"Yeah, a mental thing…" Kyoko felt annoyed that her problem was broken down to a simple "mental issue," but she begrudgingly relented. She supposed it was a mental issue. Kyoko resumed eating with renewed fervor, tearing into her food as if channeling her frustration with the situation. Was telling Sayaka even going to be helpful? Kyoko was starting to doubt her decision.
"I get that," Sayaka said quietly, catching Kyoko's attention.
"Get what?"
"The mental thing," Sayaka answered in a muted voice while smiling slightly at the wording. "I mean, I didn't confess to the guy I liked for years because of some… mental block that I placed on myself. I was afraid to get hurt, you know? I was afraid that I didn't deserve him. And in the end, I got hurt anyway." Sayaka smirked mirthlessly. "It wasn't surprising, though. Because I kept holding myself back, I lost him. There's no one to blame but myself."
A dark look briefly crossed her features but she shook it off to continue. "I don't want… or rather, I refuse to hold myself back anymore. To hell with weird mental blocks. Because from now on, I want to try being more direct with my feelings. The next time I fall in love with someone, they'll be the first person to know the moment I realize it!" She declared her resolve with a winning smile. "Though, I suspect I won't have to worry about something like that for a very long time."
Kyoko was staring at her in slight wonderment. Sayaka's resolve to improve herself was admirable at least, but they both knew it wasn't going to be so easy. Still, what Sayaka said about mental blocks seemed to make a lot of sense. After all, she had created her own blocks that prevented her from growing roots, to form relationships. But now that she thought about it… wasn't she slowly overcoming those blocks herself? Because of Sayaka? Seemed like all she needed now was the right push.
"My friend really doesn't deserve it though," Kyoko pointed out as if it was the obvious thing to counter Sayaka's words.
Sayaka shrugged in response. "Then, work hard to prove yourself wrong. Oh, I'm sorry, your friend," she corrected herself as Kyoko's face displayed her embarrassment. Sayaka's face turned kindly. "But if you really want to know what I think, I think you deserve good things to happen to you."
Kyoko scoffed slightly in disbelief. "Yeah right."
Sayaka wondered what that was all about. "I'm serious, Kyoko. I think you deserve all sorts of things coming to you, but good things too!" Sayaka said jokingly, but Kyoko pursed her lips and shook her head, looking away from her as if refusing to compromise on this point. Sayaka's smile faltered.
"Kyoko," Sayaka said her name in a way that beckoned the other girl to look at her. After a moment Kyoko's crimson eyes glanced at her expectantly, and Sayaka was slightly taken aback by the fact that her eyes had taken on a glassy quality.
Sayaka didn't really know what to say, so she wordlessly put her arm around Kyoko's shoulders and pulled her in for a tight hug. Kyoko's body stiffened up immediately and Sayaka could actually feel her strong pulse picking up through the other girl's body. But Kyoko wasn't actively resisting or pushing her away, so Sayaka pressed her face into Kyoko's hair in the most reassuring way she could.
Kyoko's natural scent hit her, and it oddly enough made Sayaka feel a little nervous and her heart sped up. She smelled like a cool breeze on a red autumn day, and Sayaka had to resist the impulse to inhale more of that pleasant scent.
"Kyoko, you've helped me out more than you know just by being here," Sayaka said softly, Kyoko's pulse fluttering beneath her fingertips. "If you decide to do this, I'll help you. Alright? We'll make it worthwhile."
"I don't need help," Kyoko spoke up, voice slightly rougher in a way that Sayaka might not have picked up on if they weren't so close. "I've never asked for any help."
"Well too bad, because Sayaka-chan is on the job!" Sayaka worked up a smile and released Kyoko from her hug to flex her bicep muscle.
Kyoko just stared at her in slight disbelief. This was ridiculous. She was seriously just hugged and reassured just now! And it was goddamned freakishly effective! Her insides actually felt slightly shaken by Sayaka's actions, and she could only pray it didn't show on her face. Was there no limit to the span of emotions this girl could evoke from her? Was this some sort of hero-idiot superpower?
The redhead chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before sighing in defeat and sagging slightly in her spot.
"Fuck it, I'm convinced," she said the words with a slight bewilderment, as if she couldn't believe Sayaka managed to talk her into this shit.
"Really?" Sayaka's smile slowly grew to a full-on grin.
"Really," Kyoko huffed and looked away, hiding a smile. At that, Sayaka threw both arms around Kyoko and hugged her even more tightly. "Dammit woman, stop with the hugging!" Kyoko yelled, reeling from all the hugs she was suddenly on the receiving end of. She couldn't remember the last time she was hugged so much! Well, she could, actually. Kyoko wallowed in that memory for a second before she was distracted by Sayaka saying something about making her a third wife and she playfully shoved the overzealous blunette off of her.
Sayaka didn't seem to mind the shove, because she was honestly happy at the moment. Happy that Kyoko confided in her and that she was able to help in some way. She felt that in some way she was already fulfilling her resolve to be a better friend. And what better person to start with then the person who pushed her past her own mental blocks?
"So what's the internship, and how did you get it?" she finally asked, taking the time to shovel the contents of her plate into her mouth before it got cold and possibly worse.
"Ah… Gimme a sec," Kyoko stood up to reach into her pockets, pulling out the business card Junko had given her and holding it out for Sayaka to see. "Here."
Needless to say, Sayaka's reaction was quite priceless and it involved spit takes and even more hugging.
The day their walls crumbled was streaked with the fading red of old feelings, and the vibrant beginning of new ones.
.=.=.
Homura noticed right away that she was the odd one out at this dinner table.
"So I think my friend will be fine as long as she has someone with her all the time!" Madoka relayed over the dinner table to her parents.
"That's very observant of you, Madoka. It's good to be aware of the people around you and their situations," Madoka's father Tomohisa said encouragingly as he spoon fed Tatsuya, Madoka's baby brother.
"Yeah, but you can't count on people to be there for you all the time. Eventually, she'll need to learn to face things herself, don't you think?" Junko contributed, eyes reading a newspaper article as she spoke.
"But she always faced things on her own, and that's where she messes up," Madoka pointed out thoughtfully.
"True," Junko flashed Madoka a smile over the newspaper. "Fifteen points, Madoka."
"…Out of how many?" Madoka blinked in confusion.
Homura was seated next to Madoka and hadn't had the chance to contribute anything to the conversation. She didn't really have anything to say about Sayaka Miki other than the girl shouldn't be allowed to reproduce.
"But look at it this way, Madoka," Junko slipped herself a bite from the homemade meal in front of her. "Your friend is very lucky in a way. She's young, so she can recover from these things quicker. If she's smart, she'll learn from her experiences, and maybe she'll handle things better if she encounters the same scenario again."
"I guess that makes sense," Madoka said carefully. "A million points!"
"Out of how many?" The pair shared a warm chuckle, both mother and daughter.
When dinner had started and they all gathered at the table to eat, Junko had launched into discussing her frustration with the behavior of her boss's son. After that, Tomohisa discussed Tatsuya and the possible preschools to enroll him in. Then it was seemingly Madoka's turn to talk about her day and Sayaka's situation. Was nothing a secret between these people? The family was very friendly towards one another in a way that was picturesque and would have been unbelievable if Homura wasn't witnessing it with her own eyes.
"Speaking of youthful experiences, get any confessions from your secret admirers lately, Madoka?" Junko suddenly piped up, putting her newspaper down to lean over the table conspiratorially. "Anything new on that front?"
"Oh no, nothing!" Madoka blushed and shook her head. "I'm not really all that popular!" She laughed awkwardly at having been put on the spot with such a question. Homura really wanted to finally pipe up and say something to that, but was a little cowed by the fact that she'd been silent thus far.
"I'm sure that's not the case, Madoka," Junko said, reclining back in her chair and folding down her newspaper. "Every girl has to believe she has a secret admirer or two." She subtly winked in Homura's direction and the dark haired girl blushed wildly as she picked at her salad. "That's the secret to being pretty, remember that."
"Of course, Mama," Madoka consented with a smile. "Dinner is really good tonight, Papa!"
"Thank you, Madoka. Would you mind fetching me a cup of juice for Tatsuya?" her father asked graciously. Madoka just as politely agreed and excused herself from the table to do just that.
Homura could really feel how much love this family imparted with each other. It was... odd. Did happy families like this really exist?
"So Homura," Junko addressed the girl, making Homura sit up at attention. "You were right, Kyoko is a very interesting girl. A handful, but interesting." Junko smiled secretly, dangerous and beautiful as she thought up who knows what. "At the very least, she'll drive my rivals crazy. I almost can't wait."
"Indeed," Homura said slowly. "So she accepted your offer?" She was somewhat surprised by this, but Junko just shrugged as she sipped at a glass of wine.
"Not officially, no. But if she knows what's good for her she'll come around." The older woman put her glass down and canted her head slightly. "Maybe," she added as an afterthought.
"Ah…" Homura didn't know what to contribute beyond that and continued to pick at her apparently home grown salad.
Madoka returned with Tatsuya's juice, handing it to her father and seating herself next to Homura once more. "What about you, Homura-chan?" Madoka asked jovially. Homura blinked, not sure what the other girl was asking. "You're so pretty, your secret admirers probably get all wobbly in the knees!"
"Oh…" Homura flipped her hair a little self-consciously. "Not in particular. And I wouldn't care if I did."
"Really?" the pinkette maintained eating while periodically looking back at Homura in interest. "Why is that?"
"I…" Homura really wished Madoka's parents weren't in the room. "I already have someone I'm interested in," she admitted, hoping her blush wasn't too out of control. Madoka blinked in surprise but smiled widely.
"This is the first I'm hearing about it! Can you tell me who it is, or is it a secret? Do I know him? What's he like?"
Homura felt pained with so many questions concerning Madoka at once and the fact that the girl didn't seem concerned or jealous. "I'll tell you about it sometime," she offered lamely.
"I'll hold you to that!" Madoka easily accepted that answer and briefly touched Homura's arm.
There was an inappropriate ringtone that started playing at that moment and Junko reacted to it, reaching for her phone that she had placed on the edge of the table.
Her husband tutted in disapproval. "You know I don't like it when you take calls during dinner," Tomohisa reprimanded gently. Junko just winked at him playfully as she answered the phone, making the man shake his head with an amused smile.
"Junko Kaname," the lavender haired woman answered breezily. She smiled when she heard the person on the other end. "Oh, hello Sayaka."
Madoka and Homura's interests were piqued at the mention of Sayaka.
"What do I owe the privilege of your call this evening?" Silence. "Oh, Kyoko, huh? Of course, I should've known she'd be contacting me through you. Go ahead and put her on!" Junko flashed Homura a thumbs up. Madoka looked in between the two in confusion.
"Di-did I miss something?" Madoka asked Homura.
"Maybe a little bit," the bespectacled girl answered sheepishly.
"Good evening, Kyoko Sakura. I assume you have something to tell me?" Junko sounded very pleased.
"Evening," Kyoko cleared her throat, obviously nervous. Junko could hear Sayaka squealing in excitement in the background and Kyoko quietly whispering to her to shut up. "This is about your offer," Kyoko resumed, voice steady. Even Sayaka quieted down as they awaited her next words. "It would be an honor if you considered me for the internship position."
Junko grinned. "That's what I've been waiting to hear."
A/N- With this sort of update schedule I kinda feel like a dead-beat parent who only shows up every other christmas slightly drunk, but with the biggest most expensive present I could find that I think you'll enjoy, but your tastes have actually evolved through the years and I don't know 'em because lack of communication?
That was oddly specific.
Anyway, thanks for the support and stuff. And thanks to my betas, RPPuzzle, and Ryhnoholter, who've worked their asses off to get this out.
