Yumi looked up and glanced over at the bed where Sachiko lay reading. She hadn't heard the rustle of pages in a while.
An affectionate smile came to her lips. The book Sachiko was reading had fallen to the bed as her girlfriend had drifted off to sleep.
Yumi stood up and walked over to Sachiko. She closed the book, placed it on Sachiko's dresser and lovingly pulled the covers over her sleeping form. She placed a tender kiss against her forehead before returning to her seat.
She still had a fair bit to go with the essay. Glancing at the wall clock, she grimaced. It was almost midnight. Where had the time gone? No wonder Sachiko had fallen asleep. At this rate she would never get her essay done. She still had a little under half-way to go.
What was taking her so long?
'Sachiko...'
Yumi shook her head reufully.
She had to get her girlfriend out of her head. Every time she began to make progress, her thoughts would drift, and she would find herself daydreaming.
The evening's events were also at the top of her mind. She'd been moved by her petite seour's reaction. It pleased her to know Touko had no problem with her and Sachiko's relationship. She didn't know what she would have done if Touko hadn't accepted it.
But the protectiveness Touko displayed had surprised her. She did however think the younger girl had been a little harsh on Sachiko.
She knew Sachiko loved her. She knew she was important to Sachiko. And she knew Sachiko would never intentionally hurt her. She would not push the girl to stand up to her family. She trusted Sachiko to do so in her own time. Under her own willpower. When she was ready. Not before.
'But what if she never feels ready?'
Yumi sighed as she pondered the question.
What was going to happen to them in the future? Would they still be together in a year? Two years? Ten years from now?
Yumi shook her head.
'Stop! You can't think like that. You've just become her girlfriend. You haven't even made love yet. Now you're thinking about ten years into the future...'
Yumi sighed again. She was moving ahead of herself. She needed to stop dwelling on things she had no control over. She would enjoy each moment with Sachiko on its own merits.
With that thought, she returned to her essay, determined to stay focused this time.
xxx
Sachiko stirred as she awoke to the sound of a pencil hitting the hardwood floor.
"Yumi?"
Sitting up in bed, she blinked her eyes a few times to re-oreint herself. She glanced at the time. It was a little past 1:00am. She moved her gaze towards the table and smiled.
Yumi was hunched over the desk, her head pressed up against her notebook and her hands hanging by her side. She looked so cute.
'Poor Yumi. She must be exhasted. I wonder if she's finished her essay.'
Sachiko pulled off the covers and moved to Yumi's side. Gently, being very careful not to wake her girlfriend, Sachiko extricated the girl's notebook and read over her work.
Yumi wasn't finished. She still had a few more points to cover before writing a conclusion. And then she'd have to type it out on her laptop...
Sachiko pondered over the situation.
She should really wake Yumi up. But the girl looked so peaceful...
She didn't have the heart to wake her.
But she didn't want Yumi to fail either. Not after all the work they'd done.
What should she do?
Sachiko placed the notebook down onto the table with resignation.
She had no choice. Unless she wanted to wake Yumi, she would have to finish the essay herself.
Moving to the bed, she grabbed a pillow and blanket. Returning to Yumi, she carefully placed the pillow under the girl's head and covered her with the blanket.
Satisfied that her girlfriend was comfortable, Sachiko sat down and moved her attention to the girl's essay.
She couldn't believe she was actually doing this.
She would never do this for anyone but Yumi.
xxx
Sachiko covered a yawn as she hit the print icon. She was done. Risking a glance at the clock, Sachiko grimaced. It was almost 3:00am. It had taken her a little longer than she'd realised to finish.
The sound of the printer startled her and she instantly moved her attention to Yumi.
What had she been thinking? The noise would surely wake Yumi. She should've waited for morning to print.
She instantly relaxed as Yumi made no sign of waking up. She was dead to the world. Nothing was going to disturb her. With a sigh of relief, Sachiko stood up and moved to her girlfriend's side.
It was time to put her to bed.
With that thought, she removed the blanket and placed Yumi's left hand around her shoulder. With her own hand, she encircled Yumi's waist and gently guided her out of the chair.
Yumi mumbled something in her sleep and leaned in against Sachiko.
Mustering all her strength, Sachiko lifted her girlfriend into her arms and carried her to the bed. She was surprised at how light Yumi was.
She took a moment to find Yumi's pajamas before returning to the bed.
It didn't take her long to slip off Yumi's shirt. She hesitated before removing her bra. She was still getting used to the new familiarity between them.
Sachiko allowed herself only a moment to take in the sight of Yumi's breasts, before she slipped her pajama's around her shoulders. She fastened the buttons briskly and moved her attention to Yumi's jeans.
She couldn't control the racing of her heartbeat as her fingers reached for the girl's waist. With unsteady movements, she eventually managed to release the top button and was now sliding down the zipper. Her breath quickened as her knuckles brushed against Yumi's panties and she had to fight the urge to press her hand against the girl's centre.
Pushing the thoughts from her mind, Sachiko made quick work of pulling the jeans down Yumi's legs and replacing them with the girl's pajamas.
When she was done, she crawled into bed behind Yumi and drew her close into a spooning position.
"I love you," she placed a gentle kiss against Yumi's neck as she whispered the words. "Goodnight."
xxx
"Onee-sama! It's 6am, time to get up. You don't want to be late for school. We've got the Yamayurikai meeting at 8 remember. Come on, wake up. Onee-sama! Sachiko-sama! Wake up!"
Yumi groaned in protest as her little sister jumped onto the bed and started shaking her.
"Touko-chan..."
"Come on Onee-sama, wake up," Touko jumped off the bed and pulled away the covers. "You don't want to be late. Onee-sama! You too Sachiko-sama!"
"Just five more minutes," Sachiko protested as Touko pushed her away from Yumi and settled herself in between them.
"Wake up," Touko bounced up and down on the bed to stir the two girls. "I knew this would happen. What time did you go to bed? Did you get your essay finished Onee-sama?"
"My essay...?"
Yumi rolled out of bed in shock as she remembered the essay.
Touko leapt off the bed and headed towards the table in search of the essay.
"I forgot. It's not finished..." Yumi groaned as she stood up. "I can't believe I didn't finish it."
"It looks pretty finished to me," Touko leafed through the printed pages until she came to the last page. "There's even a conclusion. Here," she extended her hand to Yumi. "See for yourself."
Yumi frowned as she took the essay from her little sister. "How...when...?"
"I finished it," Sachiko explained drowsily, not bothering to sit up as her eyes drifted shut again. "Didn't want to wake you..." Sachiko moved back onto her side and curled herself up into a feotal position. "Now let me get some more sleep."
"You finished it?" Yumi's eyes went wide and she rushed back to the bed. "Sachiko..."
Ignoring her little sister's presence, she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and placed a tender kiss against her lips.
"Thank you. Thank you so much. You are the best girlfriend ever." She placed another kiss against Sachiko's lips in emphasis.
"Hey, enough of that," Touko interrupted. "You'll be late for school."
Yumi looked over at her petite seour and smiled.
"Oh, right, thanks Touko-chan. Come on Sachiko," she grasped her girlfriend's hand as she stepped out of bed. "Time to get up."
Sachiko allowed herself to be dragged out of bed reluctantly. The moment Yumi let go of her hand however, she fell back down against the mattress and allowed her eyes to close. Sleep took over her almost instantly.
Yumi shared a knowing look with her little sister. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Touko-chan, do you think you could make us some English tea? Something with a lot of caffeine in it?"
"Sure," Touko agreed with a nod. "I've already asked the kitchen staff to have some ready. I thought it might come to that."
"Great, do you want to bring it in here? I don't think we'll be able to get Sachiko up otherwise."
"In here? While she's still in bed? Sachiko-sama would never think to have tea in bed. It's not proper."
No, of course not, Yumi frowned. She'd probably never had breakfast in bed either. She was surely breaking some house rule by even suggesting it. The staff would certainly tell Sachiko's mother and then...
"Oh, don't worry about it," Touko interrupted her thoughts with a cheeky grin. "I bet the staff will have a field day, but it sounds like fun. I'll bring in some breakfast as well."
Before she could protest, Touko was already heading out the door.
xxx
Yumi was gently trying to wake her sleeping girlfriend when Touko returned. She'd gotten as far as getting Sachiko to sit up, but the girl's eyes were still half closed, her head bowed in a state of semi-conciousness.
Touko placed the large tray onto the desk before preparing a cup of tea for her cousin.
Yumi accepted the cup with a smile. "Thanks Touko-chan."
"My pleasure. I'll pour us a cup as well and then grab the breakfast tray. Won't be long."
"Okay," Yumi acknowledged before turning her attention to Sachiko.
"Here," she lifted the cup to her girlfriend's lips, allowing the scent to waft over her senses. "Drink."
"Mmmm," Sachiko obeyed without protest, still not fully concious of her actions.
As she took a few more sips, Yumi was pleased to notice Sachiko's demeanour returning. After a while, she felt confident enough to leave the cup in her girlfriend's hands and reached for the dresser where Touko had placed her own tea.
"Yumi..." Sachiko turned to face her girlfriend after a moment, lucidity returning to her features. "Is this tea?"
Yumi chuckled quizically. "Yes...?"
"Are we not in my bed?"
"Yes we are," Yumi confirmed, taking a sip of her tea.
"Why are we drinking tea...in bed? One does not have tea in bed."
"No, not usually," Touko agreed as she re-entered the room carrying a large tray with toast and jam.
"We couldn't get you out of bed," Yumi explained. "So instead of bringing you to the breakfast table, we brought the breakfast table to you."
Sachiko glanced first at Yumi then at Touko, a look of disapproval in her gaze.
Yumi looked away, suddenly ashamed. Maybe she'd done the wrong thing after all. What if she got her girlfriend in trouble? This was her home after all and she was obviously breaking some house rules.
"I guess it's okay then..."
Yumi looked up, her gaze locking onto Sachiko's. She was surprised to see a warm smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eyes.
"Just don't make a habit out of it."
Yumi grinned at Sachiko as relief washed over her.
"Aye aye. Won't happen again."
Touko-chan laughed and placed a couple of plates on the bed. "Here's some toast."
"Thanks Touko-chan," they spoke in unison as Touko joined them on the mattress.
Sachiko and Yumi looked at one another and giggled softly.
"Yumi, at your house, do you have breakfast in bed often?"
She thought about Sachiko's question for a moment.
"Hmm, no, not often. On my birthday... Or if Yuuki wants something he'll sometimes wake me up with breakfast."
"Your parents don't mind?" Touko queried.
"Not really. As long as we clean up after. We sometimes bring them breakfast in bed as well. If it's their birthday, or anniversary or if we want something from them..."
The three girls chuckled at the idea.
"So you and your brother can be quite devious sometimes?" Sachiko teased.
Yumi giggled in response. "Only when we need to be."
Sachiko and Touko joined in the laughter, amused by the idea of Yumi and Yuuki bribing their parents.
"So this is where the tea party is being held?"
The girls froze, laughter dieing on their lips instantly.
"Mother..." Sachiko placed her tea on the dresser and made a move to stand up.
"It's fine Sachiko," her mother motioned with a smile, "don't get up. I just wanted to see why my kitchen staff was in an uproar this morning. I didn't mean to interrupt your breakfast. It's nice to hear laughter in the morning."
"You don't mind?" Sachiko looked up at her mother nervously.
"No, of course not. So long as it doesn't become a habit, a little self-indulgence is completely acceptable once in a while. You girls enjoy your breakfast."
"Auntie Sayako," Yumi spoke up without thinking, reacting as she would if her own mother had entered the room. "Would you like to join us?"
Yumi turned her gaze to Touko. "There's pleanty of tea left. Touko-chan, would you mind getting another cup and some toast from the kitchen?"
"Oh no," Ogasawara Sayako shook her head politely. "I don't want to intrude."
"You're not intruding," Yumi grinned, oblivious to the worried glance Sachiko shared with Touko. "Please join us Auntie Sayako."
"Well, in that case, I'd love to. Just for a moment. Touko-chan, some tea would be great."
"Right!" Touko leapt out of the room instantly, surprise clearly evident on her face.
Yumi watched with a smile as Ogasawara Sayako took a seat on the bed next to her startled daughter.
"Did you manage to finish you school work Yumi?"
"Yes, I did, thank you for asking. I don't think I could have done it without Sachiko-sama's help though."
She flashed Sachiko a warm smile before turning her attention back to the girl's mother.
"I'm back," Touko-chan burst into the room at a flying speed.
"Don't run in the house Touko-chan," Sachiko reprimanded. "Yumi, really, you need to teach your petite seour some manners."
"I'm sorry," Yumi was quick to respond, her gaze turning back to Sachiko.
"Hey, don't blame--" Touko caught herself mid sentence as she took in the smirk behind Sachiko's expression. "Sachiko-samaaaa!"
Yumi giggled as Sachiko began to laugh softly.
Ogasawara Sayako watched the easy going display of affection between the three girls with a smile.
"Thank you," she accepted the tea graciously once Touko had poured it for her. "Touko-chan, has Yumi taken you in as her petite seour?"
"Yes!" Touko replied with a grin, her eyes shining. "The three of us are like sisters now. The Red Rose sisters."
"I see," Sayako turned her gaze to her daughter thoughtfully. "I always wanted to provide you with some sisters to play with Sachiko. You were always such a solemn, good natured child. It would have been nice to hear the laughter of little girls running around the house growing up."
"Mother!" Sachiko looked at her mother in surprise. "I never realised you felt like that."
"Well, there is no point bringing up a dream that has no hope of fullfiment, is there? I don't know why I mentioned it just now. I guess seeing the three of you together, laughing, enjoying the morning's breakfast informally, made me feel a bit nostalgic."
Sachiko hesitantly reached for her mother's arm and squeezed her hand briefly.
A little embarrased by her revelation, Ogasawara Sayako took a large sip of her tea and looked away.
"Yumi," Sayako spoke a moment later. "Thank you for looking after my daughter and my neice. You've brought joy and happiness into the household. For that I am grateful."
"Auntie Sayako," Yumi blushed and looked away. "I...I'm the one who is grateful. I'm very lucky to have both Sachiko-sama and Touko-chan in my life."
"You're a sweet girl Yumi," Sayako smiled. "Please feel free to stay over any time. Our home is your home. I'm sure Sachiko will agree."
"Of course," Sachiko nodded with a smile.
"Thank you," Yumi bowed her head respectfully. "I am very honoured."
Sayako stood up and placed her empty tea cup onto the desk.
She then moved towards her daughter's petite seour and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Yumi, please tell your parents that it would be an honour to meet with them sometime soon. I will speak with my husband about a suitable time and will get back to you with the details. It would be our pleasure to have your family over for dinner one night."
"Whaaa...!"
Yumi's mouth dropped open in surprise. Her parents meeting Sachiko's parents? No way! No! Not possible. Her father and mother inside the Ogasawara mansion...just the thought of it sent a shudder down her spine.
Yumi forced the thoughts out of her head. Sachiko's mother was looking down at her expectantly.
"Of course Auntie Sayako," Yumi focused on each word individually, doing her best to maintain her composure. "I'll let my parents know as soon as I see them. I'm sure they will be most honoured by the invitation."
Sayako nodded. "Then that's settled. I shall leave you to get ready for school now girls. You don't want to be late."
And with those words, Sachiko's mother exited the room, leaving a stunned Yumi to stress about her parents. She just knew they would do something to embarass her.
"Yumi, are you okay?" Sachiko placed a concerned hand on the girl's shoulder.
"My parents...my parents and your parents. Sachiko, can you just imagine it..."
Sachiko looked over at Touko and shared a bemused look. They had both met Yumi's parents and were more than impressed by thier good nature.
"It'll be fine Yumi. Your parents are wonderful people. I'm sure my parents will simply adore them. I just hope your parents feel the same about mine.."
"But mine aren't so elegant and grandeur like yours."
"Yumi, don't stress over it. Besides, we really should be getting ready for school."
"Oh no," Touko stood up as she looked at the time. "It's 7:00am. I have to run. I wanted to clean up the Rose Mansion before our meeting this morning. I'm gonna be late."
With that, she quickly collected all the used teacups and plates, stacked them onto the tray and rushed out of the room.