. Disclaimer . I do not own Azumanga. I'm just using the characters. (But wouldn't it be fantastically insane if I did, though?) However, this story I've created for them is totally mine. If anyone says otherwise, I shall smite thee!! – Love forever, me.

Note: Just a reminder that if you haven't figured it out already, this story features Tomo x Yomi and is currently rated Teen.

Poke-able

Chapter 5

English, Trees and Interrogations

By Sailor Creative

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Her eyes averted back and forth between the clock and the paper. How long was this going to take? She drummed her pencil against the table.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The girl scratched her head nervously, staring at the paper and then back at the clock, which was still trying to drive her insane with its constant ticking. A small droplet of sweat gathered at her forehead and fell off her face and onto the ashen document of evil. Yes, it was pure evil.

"Will you stop tapping your pencil, Tomo!" Yomi shouted.

Tomo looked up at her girlfriend who was sitting on her left. Flames started to seethe through her glasses.

"Well it's not my fault that Yukari's blind date never showed up!" Tomo insisted.

"True. We weren't supposed to have our English test until next week," sighed Yomi. Of course, Yomi had studied ahead of time, but she was still wasn't as prepared as she would like to be.

"It'll be okay, Miss Tomo!" cheered Chiyo-Chan. She pumped her adolescent fists into the air. "You're going to pass! I know it!"

Tomo looked at Sakaki, who nodded supportively, and then looked at Osaka who was staring into the 5th dimension.

"Coconut hurricanes…" Osaka muttered. Her expression was peaceful, yet demented. Sakaki scooted further away from the girl with a hint of fear of her face.

"What are you thinking?" Sakaki asked quietly.

"It'll take a lot to study that much in two days," said Yomi.

Tomo gritted her teeth. What else could she do?

'I only copied Yomi's and Chiyo-chan's homework… I don't understand this crap! What would I need English for anyways?!' the wildcat thought to herself. She tried to stare at the English work she was trying to complete on her own for once, but she couldn't concentrate. It wasn't her fault, anyways.

'Stupid Yukari. Stupid Yukari!'

"Let's keep studying everyone! We have to work hard!" said Chiyo-chan.

Once again, the group had become lost in concentration and silence. Still unable to concentrate, Tomo tried to look at Yomi's notes, but she kept covering them up with her hand, and Chiyo-Chan was at the other end of the table. She seriously doubted that Sakaki would let her take a look.

But instead of dwelling on her eminent doom, her left hand slipped underneath the table towards Yomi's direction. She was hesitant at first, knowing that the others might think something was going on; however, for some reason she wasn't even thinking about it as the tips of her fingers brushed against Yomi's skirt.

"Oh no!"

Her hand retracted and a small blush exploded on her face.

"What's wrong, Miss Osaka?!" Chiyo-chan asked.

Osaka stared at the paper with a concerned look on her face.

"Well, I had just thought of the answer, but then there was another coconut hurricane… I have to try harder next time," said Osaka, who continued to stare at her paper.

"Miss Osaka, do you need me to help you some more with your homework?" said Chiyo-chan.

"Oh Chiyo-chan, if only I had your pig-tails! Then I could use your super powers to pass the English test," said Osaka.

"Um… My… pigtails?" asked the orange-haired girl.

"Then I could fly away before the coconut hurricane came!" the other girl insisted, flapping her arms.

"If… you say so, Miss Osaka," replied Chiyo-chan, still worried.

After the outburst, Chiyo-Chan had moved so she could sit next to Osaka, and they returned to their silence. This new seating arrangement allowed Tomo to take a peak…

But before that, her left hand had left the table, and started to reach for the other girl once more. Although her eyes were looking at the paper, her mind was elsewhere. And she figured everyone else would be concentrating on it, or in Osaka's case, the coconut hurricanes.

Her heart started to bounce against her rib cage.

Inch by inch.

She slowly let her hand drift against the floor. In truth, the only thing between her friends knowing what she was doing was the wooden surface above and the papers that were on top of it. Anymore, it seemed like Tomo would take any opportunity to be closer to Yomi than what she was normally allowed. But they were sitting so close, and no one would notice if she had her hand down like it was. It certainly didn't feel unnatural to have it that way, either.

She was so close, and now her fingers could feel the fabric of the other girl's skirt.

A little further.

She felt the edge of the skirt, and the softness of Yomi's skin began. As soon as she had put pressure where she was touching, Yomi had jerked a little and looked at Tomo at the corner of her eye. Tomo only glanced when she saw the movement, but replaced her sight solely on the paper, hoping that Yomi would do the same. She let her fingers slow against Yomi's knee, sending small prickly impressions on the tip of her finger. Soon enough, her playfulness got the better of her, and she started to tickle Yomi.

Yomi started to shudder, trying to suppress the tickling. In spite of the innocent tickling, Tomo's hand had wandered underneath Yomi's skirt.

"What are you doing?"

The two girls became statues and Tomo immediately pulled her hand away.

'What has gotten into me?! What are they going to think?'

"I was just trying to see how they worked."

Chiyo-chan frowned.

"If you keep pulling on her hair, her father will become angry."

Tomo looked up, realizing that Chiyo-chan had been talking to Osaka, who was still holding onto her hair. Sakaki looked very serious and Chiyo-chan seemed quite confused.

"Well, I guess she wouldn't be Chiyo-chan without them," noted Osaka.

They started breathing again.

"Hey, y'know what the problem is? I think that we've been studying for too long. We need a break!" said Tomo, throwing her arms behind her head.

"Do you really think so?" asked Chiyo-chan.

"Haven't you been-taking a break this whole time?" asked Yomi.

"I think we should go to the park. We've been cooped up in here for 4 hours now!" she insisted. The other girls acknowledged this fact.

"I'll get us some snacks!" said Chiyo-chan.

The girls rose from the seats and packed up their things for the day. As soon as they were outside and the snacks were ready, the five girls made their way to Aikono Park.

"It's a really nice day out," commented Chiyo-chan, who was petting Mr. Tadakichi.

"Yes, it is," said Sakaki.

"Is that who I think it is?" said Yomi.

"Is it the squids from Jupiter?! Nooo!"

"Hey guys!"

The girl ran over to them, smiling.

"Hey, Sakaki!"

"Hello."

"What are you doing here, Miss Kagura?"

"I was jogging. It's part of my training for the swim team," replied Kagura. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We're going to the park! Do you want to come with us?" Chiyo-chan asked cheerfully.

"It doesn't sound like a bad idea," said Kagura.

"Maybe you should go shower first," said Tomo, holding her nose.

"W-wha-Why would you say something like that!" replied Kagura, angrily.

"Nothing, small-brains. If you have to ask, you'll never know," she chirped.

"C'mere, you little…!"

The athlete started to chase Tomo, but it was only a matter of time before her endurance ran out. When the rest of the group had caught up, Tomo was pouting, holding her arm.

"That's what I get for being honest?"

"You bring it on yourself, Tomo."

"I thought that you'd at least sympathize with me. But no. Our years of friendship amounts to nothing…" replied the wildcat, crying false tears.

"Y-you just want to copy by homework again," Yomi told her.

When the group got to the park, Chiyo-chan immediately ran over to the swings. The skies were singing songs of sweet blue without a cloud in sight. And the grass was green, and springy and danced against the sky in its song. Everything else seemed to melt away into this paradise found anew. Even though it was such a beautiful day, there weren't a lot of people at the park.

"Come swing with me, Miss Osaka!" the young girl insisted.

As everyone settled into their new surroundings, everyone forgot about homework, school and Miss Yukari's sudden English test that had been unleashed on them. It was so peaceful. And she was still so close.

"Psst, Yomi!"

The spectacled one glanced at the wild-cat, who had one hand covering her mouth as she whispered to her.

"What?" she whispered back.

"Come with me. I want to show you something."

Yomi thought for a moment. At the moment, Chiyo-chan and Osaka were still on the swing-set, and Sakaki was with Mr. Tadakichi. Kagura was also trying to get Sakaki to race with her.

"Hurry, before they notice!" ushered Tomo. The two girls got up from the teeter-totter and quietly disappeared into the bushes with little rustling. As soon as they had passed a large group of bushes, they were swimming through more greenery and trees towering above them. As they walked through the deserted path, their feet crunched noisily against the dead leaves and twigs.

"Where are we going?" asked Yomi.

"I wanted to show you. Not tell you," replied Tomo.

"Why are we still whispering?"

"I have no idea."

Tomo finally started to slow down, and reached for Yomi's hand.

"We're almost there," she told her.

When they had reached the clearing they stopped. There were a few more trees out in the open, most covered in moss and age. There were fallen leaves covering the entire area, and the only sound they could hear was their own breathing. But the atmosphere didn't feel forbidden or haunting. It was still peaceful. Inside the trees they could see wisps of flowers that had once bloomed, and those that had not. The delicate blossoms had also fallen and decorated the ground with their soft kisses. In the middle of it all was a grand tree, full of this soft, pink budding flowers which seemed to stand against the sky and maybe even time itself. Most of the flowers had not yet blossomed into their true form.

"What is this place?" asked Yomi.

Her words hung against the air, full of her astonishment; it seemed like they were in another world.

Tomo smiled, pulling her love behind her towards the mystic tree.

"The park is called Aikono Park, named after the Aikono tree," replied Tomo.

"You can remember that, but not anything else?" Yomi half-joked.

Tomo smiled softly.

"Yomes…"

The two girls stood underneath the large tree with their eyes fixed upon each other. Her eyes, her skin, and her voice… They were so soft. Softer.

Everything seemed so much softer underneath the Aikono Tree.

Her hand, her beautiful, soft hand. If only she could hold it forever, trace every single line; her imperfections, her delicate features, the wrinkles, the scars, and the softness of it all. She wanted to learn it all. She was so close, and she wanted to be so much closer. A small ache started to protrude her thoughts.

"Yes, Tomo?" Yomi said finally.

Tomo swallowed the lump her throat. She didn't have any more words to say. The brunette inhaled a deep breath as she gazed upon the source of her affection. One hand reached up and rested on her face while the other pulled Yomi closer to her. She had to be closer. So much closer, or the pain would run away with her heart.

Still gazing, their eyes formed into mere slits, and then became completely closed. They leaned in, softly, becoming closer and their heads titled at an angle. When their lips finally touched, barely, and then fully onto each other, the pain ceased. There was nothing else but the other girl. There wasn't a universe, or pain, or suffering. The glorious feeling in her chest started to fly and reached her lips. The kiss was soft, and sensible, but there were never enough words to describe it.

It wasn't quite like all of their other kisses. Her heart was still beating rapidly against her chest, creating its own rhythm. If the song was to stop, surely her heart would stop too. If she could chose to only remember one moment of her life, it would be that kiss underneath the Aikono Tree. Their hearts seemed so close, then.

Tomo hugged Yomi, burying her face into Yomi's shoulder. Yomi too, felt the same emotions that Tomo experienced. She held her close and leaned into her body, bathed in her warmth.

But then it happened. The music their hearts had been sharing was gutted out and skewered across the jagged, gnashing teeth of a terrible monster.

The bushes rustled, and the girls instinctively broke apart.

"Who's there?!" Tomo called out.

They heard the crunching of leaves become distant as the bushes and trees started to shake against each other.

"Tomo."

She looked back at Yomi, who was covering her mouth. Her eyes widened in dread.

"I'm gonna go see who that was!" Tomo told her. She tried to mask her own alarm.

"Wait! Tomo…!"

Tomo started into a run, knowing that she wasn't going to get far.

'Damn! If it was Kagura or Sakaki, they'll definitely out-run me… and…'

Before she knew it, she was already out of breath and Yomi had caught up with her.

"Tomo, I told you to wait," said Yomi.

Almost dizzy, Tomo leaned against her girlfriend as she caught her breath.

"Tomo… maybe… what we're doing is…"

"No, don't… say… anything…"

The pain that once seemed to be gone started to crawl back into her chest.

"I… just… I want… to know…who it was… That's all."

After her lungs received the air they needed, the two girls walked out of the trees and the bushes, away from their hidden world. When they came out, it seemed like they weren't even gone for a second. It was strange, and quite eerie.

"One of these guys…"

"Tomo, don't worry about it. I mean… Even if one of them did know… I don't think our friends would do something like that."

"Well, it's still my business to know."

"Hey guys, come eat your snacks!"

The voice of the adorable Chiyo-chan broke their conversation, and Yomi was glad for it. Things were getting as awkward as it was.

"Where were you guys?" Chiyo-chan asked.

Yomi stopped chewing the bite of her sandwich and Tomo nearly choked on juice.

"Are you okay, Miss Tomo?"

"Kef Keh! Yeah… well we were just talking, is all."

The inquirer blinked innocently at them. "Oh, okay."

x.x.x.x.x.x

One by one, she tracked them down wearing her trusty sleuthing cape and cap, complete with swooshing noises, of course. When the time presented itself, she corned each one, boggling them with mind-numbing, tingly questions of resolute supreme awesomeness!

Well, that's how Tomo thought of it. She got up extra early, when almost no one would be in the classroom.

"Where were you on the night of the 13th?" she asked, pointing her most pointy finger at the suspect.

"Um… in this month or the last month?"

"I'll be the one asking the questions!"

"Oh, okay," replied Chiyo-chan, somewhat confused.

"Now it is my turn to ask… where were you, at the park?"

"We walked over there, and we played on the swing-sets. And then we played on the jungle gym, the slide, and then the swings again… and then we had snacks, and then we played hop-scotch!"

Chiyo-chan smiled.

"You think you're so smart because you can remember everything, don't you? Well when you get old, you won't be able to remember your own name!"

Her face paled.

"I… I won't…?" tears started to crystallize in the corner of Chiyo-chan's eyes.

"Nah, just kidding," said Tomo bluntly.

Her next target had gone asked to go to the bathroom. And immediately after, she claimed that she had to go to. After Yukari granted her permission, she dashed out of the class-room and followed the suspect all the way to the bathroom.

"Um… why are you following me?"

"I'll be the one asking the questions!"

Sakaki stared blankly at the wildcat.

"Where were you yesterday at the park?" She pointed her finger once more, but it didn't seem to intimidate the much taller girl.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom now."

"Wait! Just, answer the question!"

"…I was with Mr. Tadakichi. And Kagura was there. That's all."

She released her suspect, but she suspected Kagura most of all. After school was over, she traced down Kagura until she found her in the changing room.

"What do you think you're doing, small boobs?" asked the athlete. She was already in her swimsuit.

Tomo dismissed the slight.

"Where were you?" she pressed.

"When?" asked Kagura.

"Yesterday. At Aikono Park."

"Umm… jogging?"

"After that.."

"With you guys?"

"After that part…"

'This is getting annoying…' Tomo thought to herself.

"I was with Sakaki," said Kagura.

"And?"

"That's… it… What's with the interrogation?" Kagura closed her locker.

"I'm practicing for Interpol, of course. Not that you could understand with that small brain of yours!"

Before Kagura could retaliate, she heard the coach's whistle that signaled the start of practice.

"Hmph."

Kagura left, but she still wasn't any closer to figuring out who saw them. It had to be someone, and the only person left was Osaka.

"Of course!"

'Where is she…?' she thought to herself.

When Tomo had walked outside of the school, she saw Osaka not too far off talking with Chiyo-chan. Or, she thought she was. When she got closer she saw that Osaka really wasn't talking to anybody. Not that it wasn't normal for that girl.

"Hey, Osaka!" she called out.

The girl looked when her name was called, but still didn't speak.

"Hey Osaka, where we you yesterday at the park?"

"Oh?"

"Are you listening?"

"Oh, hi Tomo. Wha'cha up to?"

"I need to know something. Where were you yesterday at the park?"

Osaka's face suddenly becomes solemn; a look unfitting the characteristic Osaka she knew.

"So I wasn't just imagining it…"

Horror struck her nerves.

'It was Osaka!' she gulped.

"Err… imagined… what?" she asked nervously.

"It kinda makes sense know, sense you were acting strange and all," she continued.

"I knew it would happen eventually."

'Osaka… knew? The hell?!'

"F-for how long?" asked Tomo.

"Well, I wasn't sure at first. I mean, I went to go look for you. It took me a while though… I just kept walking… and then… I heard shouting…"

Tomo stared at her, trying to make sense of her words.

"But I knew it. I knew… that it wasn't just me."

'This isn't happening! This is crazy! This is… Osaka for crying out loud!'

"Oh Tomo, I knew the squids of Jupiter were after ya! I thought they had used their coconut cyclone on you. I wanted to help, but I just ran! If I had Chiyo-chan's super powers… I woulda stayed I guess…"

"You numb-nut! You gave me a heart-attack!"

'That was a close call though… I don't think she saw anything…'

"So you didn't see anything?"

"Nuh-uh. It was sure scary though. Are you okay though? I mean… did they get ya?"

"No, of course not. I'm Tomo, after all!" she smiled smugly.

'Of course she didn't know…'

"Well, good luck on the English test tomorrow, Tomo. I'm goin' home."

'Oh man, I'm so screwed…'

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

To be continued…

I listened to "The Fray" when I wrote most of this chapter… And… that's about it. Haha. I hope you enjoyed this installment!!

As always, I am open to your comments and constructive criticism!

x3 Love Forever, Sailor Creative

x.x.x.x.x.x

And God saw that this was good…. +