Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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"You smell really good, Maki-chan – as usual. I can't help but wonder, though: is that a new perfume you're wearing?"
She had been alone in the music room up till a moment ago, when a toned pair of arms wrapped themselves around her middle. Her girlfriend's warm breath ghosted over the skin of her neck, tickling her, but that was hardly noticeable in comparison to the dampness pressed against Maki's cheek.
"Your hair's still wet," said Maki in a blunt manner. Her hands did not waver in their task of churning out an instrumental piece on the piano. "You should go dry it properly. I don't want you catching a cold."
She knew that her advice had been duly ignored when she felt lips pressed against her pulse point. Her girlfriend inhaled softly before commenting: "Ginger and Mandarin peel? It's a nice, mature scent but don't you hate mikan, Maki-chan?"
"Rin," Maki warned, "I'm being serious about drying your hair properly. And I don't hate mikan in general; I just dislike eating them. I rather like this perfume, though."
"It suits you," said Rin, before promptly burying her face in the crook between Maki's neck and shoulder. Her voice is muffled when she says, "And you worry too much, Maki-chan. Haven't you heard? Idiots don't catch colds!"
"Rin."
"Rin."
"Hoshizora Rin," growled Maki, ending her song with an abrupt crash replete with clashing notes. She swivelled around on the piano bench to grab the lobe of her girlfriend's ear between her thumb and fore finger.
"Ouch! Maki-chan, that hurts, nya!" whined Rin, throwing a pout in for good measure. "I'll dry my hair properly so please let go, already!"
Once released from Maki's grip, Rin sank to the wooden floorboards with a harrumph. The younger of the two towelled her hair begrudgingly, shooting glares at Maki as she did.
"Maki-chan can be so mean at times," said Rin, her tongue stuck out at Maki.
Maki rolled her eyes at that. She snatched the towel right out of Rin's grasp, drawing a small but indignant "Hey!" from the girl seated on the floor. Rin couldn't complain, however, once Maki began towelling her hair for her. In fact, the Nishikino heiress had to bite back a smile when her girlfriend began purring contentedly. Maki couldn't help quipping that Rin could be so spoiled at times.
"I can't help it," Rin shrugged. "What can I do when I have such an amazing girlfriend who dotes on me?"
"Please," Maki snorted. "We both know it's actually because of how much Hanayo babies you over the years."
"Hanayo wasn't the one who bought me the new gaming console for Christmas," Rin pointed out.
"Shut up," said Maki, curtly dismissing the argument that she knew she had lost. "And why are you dressed up, anyway?"
It was true. Instead of being in her school uniform, Rin was dressed up in a pale grey, long-sleeved Henley tee beneath a navy hoodie-vest. She had opted for a pair of khaki cargo pants instead of her usual skirts or shorts. The only thing that matched the school's dress-code was the pair of indoor shoes that she had on. All in all, it was a very casual look; the pushed-up sleeves was a nice detail that added to the overall feel of the outfit.
"I… wanted to surprise Maki-chan," said Rin, beaming up at Maki. "Are you surprised, Maki-chan?"
And there Rin went again, disarming Maki with that incredibly winsome smile. They've been dating for almost a year by then but Rin still looked at Maki with awe, as if she still couldn't believe that Nishikino Maki was her girlfriend. One might have thought that a goddess had descended upon Earth (or something of that magnitude) from the look on Rin's face when she looked at Maki like that; there was an underlying hint of reverence in Rin's loving gaze. It was kind of embarrassing, really.
A flustered Maki quickly attempted to change the topic. She said, "I wish you would have told me, though. I would have dressed a little nicer."
"But that would defeat the purpose of a surprise," came Rin's reply. "And, besides, Maki-chan looks really cute in her school uniform."
By then, Rin had risen to kneel. Her hands were firmly placed on the piano bench on either side of Maki. It was pretty remarkable how much Rin had grown in the past year-and-a-half; even when she was kneeling on the floor, the top of her head was only a couple of inches beneath Maki's own. And before she knew it, Maki was leaning forward to meet her girlfriend in a lazy kiss. Rin tasted of peppermint; she must have brushed her teeth during her post-training shower, Maki deduced.
"Ne, Maki-chan," Rin murmured once the kiss was broken, "do I… do I look okay?"
Maki smiled fondly at her girlfriend. "More than okay," said Maki, leaning in to peck Rin's lips again. "You're gorgeous."
The relieved smile on Rin's face was equal parts endearing and heart-breaking. Sure, their time with µ's had helped Rin regain some of her confidence about her looks, but the insecurities that she carried throughout her childhood had become so ingrained in her personality. Sometimes, Maki wished she could go back in time and protect Rin from the teasing of her childhood bullies – but she couldn't. Instead, she'll pick up the pieces hoping that, one day, Rin would truly believe that she was beautiful.
"Maki-chan," Rin piped up in between the numerous chaste kisses they've been sharing, "I really like kissing you – and I'm sure you know I do – but we'll probably get locked in the school if we don't leave for our date soon."
"Fine," said Maki with a sigh. "But you'll have to move; I can't get off the bench with you being so close."
Thank goodness for the fact that it was already rather late in the evening and most of the student body had cleared off the school ground. Otherwise, they might have heard their Student Council President's undignified shriek when Rin scooped her right off the bench.
…
Their weekday dates followed a simple but comfortable routine.
Unless it was a special occasion, their dates typically stuck to the pattern of dinner and a stroll around town. The appeal of the dates wasn't so much on what they were doing as it was on the fact that they were taking time out of their hectic schedules to be together. Free time was scarce these days; Rin's days were filled with basketball practices, and Maki was often booked by the Student Council – and when they do have time to spare, it was hardly ever just the two of them because they've both promised not to leave Hanayo out of the loop. Throw in the heavy workload they've been facing in preparation of their university entrance examinations into the equation and one could see that it was truly a miracle that they were still squeezing dates into their busy lives.
They had their dinner at a small ramen shack wedged in the corner of some neighbourhood. It supposedly sold the best noodles on this side of town (Maki thought that their soups and broths were pretty good, too), and Rin was prepared to fight anyone who claims otherwise. True to tradition, the meal was followed by an aimless stroll that was packed with window-shopping. They've ducked into a shop or two at some point, with Maki requesting to look at a couple things in the local music shop and Rin practically throwing herself against the glass displays of the pet store. Eventually, they settled on walking the long way home.
Rin had been sweeter than usual that evening, in Maki's opinion. They usually split the bill on their dates but the high school athlete had been pretty adamant about buying Maki dinner that day. There were the little things, as well, noted Maki. Rin had ordered for her today, and Maki had to admit that she was at least a little impressed when Rin accurately predicted Maki's order; she hadn't realised that Rin has been paying attention to her preferences all along. And, she hadn't noticed it at first but Rin had been rather quick to get the door whenever they entered or left a shop, holding it open for Maki to pass through. So, chivalry isn't dead, after all.
Their hands were intertwined as they walked – with Maki's fingers laced between the gaps of Rin's – but Maki had gone further and wrapped herself around Rin's right arm. It was times like these that Maki truly appreciated Rin's growth spurt that had caught all of them by surprise. In her second year of high school, the second shortest member of µ's quickly shot to be the group's tallest member; Nico was particularly salty once Rin crossed the 160cm mark. Rin would often say that she was three centimetres short of being a professional basketballer but Maki thought that the point guard had more than made up for her lack in height with her enthusiasm and agility. Not that Rin was particularly short. On the contrary, the girl was a good 167cm tall – which, Maki soon found out, was a comfortable height for Maki to rest her head on her girlfriend's shoulder when they walked. Maki only ever complained about Rin's height whenever the latter uses it to hold things out of Maki's reach. Unfortunately, that was also something that Rin was wont to do.
Maki was quite literally jerked out of her thoughts when Rin's long strides (which Maki has becomes used to keeping up with) faltered for a split second. She could feel the tenseness in Rin's arm, and it was clear that Rin had stood up a little straighter. Rin's grip on her hand was just a little bit looser than it had been. Maki glanced up and followed Rin's line of sight: right up ahead, a little way down the road, was a middle-aged lady who was staring dead straight at the two of them. It was clear from Rin's rigid posture that the incident from a couple of weeks ago was still fresh in the other girl's mind.
It had occurred on an evening similar to this one. The couple had just finished their meal and was enjoying each other's company as they walked about. Maki's hand had been in Rin's. All was fine and dandy till someone jostled them in passing. Maki had been ready to give them a piece of her mind when Rin quickly released her hand. The hurt and fear had been clear in Rin's chartreuse eyes as the orange-haired girl watched the woman who had rudely bumped into them make a snide comment to her friend while sneering at the two high school girls, clearly noticing their school uniforms. Maki would have called out at the women to sod off and leave them alone had she not been so pre-occupied with making sure if Rin was okay. Maki ended up dragging Rin off by the wrist, but not before shooting their antagonist a glare. Rin was awfully silent for the remainder of their evening, and neither did she take Maki's hand in hers again.
Keen on preventing a similar episode at present time, Maki gave Rin's hand a firm squeeze to let the other girl know that it was alright. Rin squeezed back in reassurance and ploughed on, albeit a little mechanically. It was clear that the event has affected Rin, but it was also evident that Rin was trying her best not to let it get to her. Rin continued to accompany Maki home. Though the atmosphere enveloping the two was different from what it was before, Maki was just glad that Rin hadn't let go of her hand as if her touch scalded the orange-haired girl.
…
The plan was to part ways when they got to Maki's house but things did not go as planned.
A little bummed by the downcast mood at the end of their date, Maki had invited Rin over to work on their homework together. Rin, who was always eager to spend a little more time together, readily agreed despite her grave mood. And it did start out with them working on their homework – it really did – but, somewhere along the lines, the two of them had gotten a little… distracted.
'A little distracted,' in this case, would entail Rin's lips nipping at the skin of Maki's neck. It also involved Maki tangling her fingers in Rin's bright orange hair in an attempt to bring her girlfriend closer to her. It would also include Rin digging her palms and knees into the mattress as she tried to keep as much of her weight off Maki as was possible. 'A little distracted' would also feature Maki slipping a hand under Rin's shirt, and the latter springing away in alarm when she realised that Maki's fingers had grazed something that was very obviously not a bra.
Well, that last bit definitely killed the mood: the two of them are now 'a whole lot distracted' by something else entirely.
"Rin?" Maki asked, propping herself up on her elbows. "What was that-"
"Nothing," was Rin's reply. "It's nothing. We should get back to our homework."
Maki frowned at that. It was definitely not 'nothing'; Rin wouldn't be hiding it if it was.
"Take off your shirt, Rin," said Maki in a quiet but firm voice.
"N-Nya?"
"Take it off," repeated the girl, a little more authoritative this time.
Chartreuse eyes narrowed at that. "No."
"Rin-"
"I said 'no.'"
"So help me, Rin; I'll have that shirt off of you even if I have to do it myself."
"Damn it, Maki-chan. I'm telling you that it's nothing. Why won't you believe me?"
"Because it's clearly not 'nothing,'" challenged Maki. "I need you to do this because it's anything but 'nothing' and I'm worried for you, okay? And before you say it… I can't just not care, alright? So, please, Rin; please let me know what's going on."
Rin remained silent for a bit after Maki's explosion. She was mulling things over in her head – Maki knew at least that much. What Maki didn't know was how Rin was going to react; the Hoshizora girl was nothing if not stubborn. But the girl eventually did relent. It might have felt like an eternity before Rin made up her mind but she did take off her shirt. Maki noted that Rin's hands were trembling.
The sight that greeted her was one that Maki had expected. Bound around Rin's chest was a swath of elastic bandages that pressed the girl's already-modest chest into a flat plane. The skin around the bandage was visibly red, and Rin winced a little when a deep breath caused the messily-done bandages to roll up a little more. That couldn't be safe, Maki thought. Elastic bandages were made to constrict more whenever they were stretched, and the rolled-up sections were making things worse. If Rin continued to keep them on, the athlete was at a risk of having some of her ribs fractured. Bruising would be the least of their worries.
"Rin," said Maki in as calm a voice as she could muster, "you really need to take them off now. I know they probably won't fit right but you can borrow one my bras for the time being, alright? If you don't, the pressure from the bandages might just break your ribs. We'll talk about this once you've changed, alright?"
Rin nodded glumly and did as she was told. There was no fight left in the girl – no indignation over her actions. It was a couple of minutes before Rin returned from the washroom, changed and ready for a talk; Maki spent those precious few minutes while Rin was changing to compose herself. This was not a situation that she could afford the handle badly.
…
The first thing to tumble off Rin's lips was "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry I kept this from you, and for making you worry," began Rin. "And I'm sorry for ruining the date by being out of it towards the end of things. I just– I don't know, alright? I just wanted to fix things. I just want people to stop staring at us like we're doing something wrong. But most of all, I'm sorry that I wasn't born a boy; that I can't be your boyfriend; and that we can't have a normal relationship. I'm so, so sorry, Maki-chan, for letting you down."
And if Rin's disappointed monologue wasn't enough to break Maki's heart, the hitch in Rin's voice as she tried to hold back her tears certainly did it. Maki was by Rin's side in a second, pulling the taller girl in for a hug. All was silent for a brief moment before Rin buried her face on Maki's shoulder and started sobbing. Rin's arms were wound a little tight around Maki's middle but Maki couldn't care about that at the moment. With tears in her eyes, Maki patted Rin's head with her free hand (the other was occupied in returning the embrace) and cooed into Rin's ear. It was a pretty long while before Rin finally calmed down enough to begin talking.
"I'm sorry," began Rin again, voice thick with tears. "I didn't mean to just start crying all over you; I should probably go grab you some tissues-"
"Shhh," Maki hushed the girl. "It's fine, Rin. Don't worry about that. Do you think you're up for a little chat, though?"
Maki could feel Rin nodding and slowly released the girl. Rin moved back a little so that they could look at each other in the eye.
"Did it hurt?" asked Maki. Her voice held no small amount of concern.
Rin shook her head. "Maybe just a little but it's not like the pain was unbearable."
"This whole evening… Were you trying to look like a boy – and act like one, too?"
There was shame in Rin's voice when she breathed a "Yes."
"And I thought it worked, too," added Rin. "I thought I could finally hold Maki-chan's hand in public without a care, and that we could finally do things that couples normally do without getting judged or feeling threatened. Rin… Rin just thought that things would be fine if everyone thought she was a boy; that way, Rin can finally give Maki-chan the attention she deserves on our dates. And if Rin had really been a boy… We wouldn't be in this mess in the first place."
"… Rin, you idiot," said Maki. "As handsome as you were dressed up as a boy, I much prefer Rin as my gorgeous girlfriend. I don't want a boyfriend, and I certainly don't need you to be a boy to be with you, alright? You're my girlfriend and that is more than enough for me. I love you, alright? I really do, Rin. And I love you for you."
"Really?" asked Rin, as if she couldn't quite believe what she has heard.
"Yes," Maki affirmed. "I meant what I said."
There was silence as Rin let the words sink in. After a while, Maki deemed it fine to continue and asked: "Did you do what you did today because of what happened last time? That little episode with that one woman, I mean."
"Yes," Rin admitted. "I don't know why but that had really gotten under my skin. In retrospect, it was all kind of stupid."
"Yes, it was," agreed Maki, though she softened the blow with a quick peck to the lips. "Sure, she might have been a little… uncomfortable with the idea that we're two girls in a relationship, but I think her biggest bone to pick with us is the fact that we're both still in high school. I thought I heard her saying that we were 'too young for this sort of thing' when we passed them by."
"Oh."
"Yeah, 'oh,'" Maki teased, wrapping her arms around Rin's neck. "But I appreciate the fact that you were worried about 'us' and that you were willing to go such lengths for our relationship… Just don't do it ever again, please."
"I won't," Rin promised, pressing her forehead against Maki's. "I'm sorry for making you worry."
"You better be, dummy," replied Maki in mock irritation. 'Now, are you going to make it up to me or not?"
"I don't know… We should probably be doing our homework."
"Rin."
"Only joking! I must be crazy to choose homework over making out with my girlfriend."
"Rin, please just shut up and kiss me already."
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End.
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