Guys, I am so, so very sorry for being SO inconsistent this year, because I hate it when people can't finish fics too, and I've been doing the same to all of you who are reading my work. Anyway, I FINALLY got motivation to continue this story, so please forgive me for being so inconsistent and unreliable D: I guess if I don't get many reviews I'll give this fic up for good, I usually don't say things like this, it's just because sometimes my fics die if I don't update them for a while…anyway, please review, and I'm sorry D:

Obsidian and Cobalt: Thanks :3 Yep, I really love Chikaru and Tamao, poor Tamao needs someone to fix her heart :3

ImTheCatalyst: Thanks, I'm glad you like it :)

PeepQ: I feel really bad now, lol, college has been kicking my ass and I only just now picked up this fic again. There probably weren't men allowed, I'm so sloppy with the general rules of the campus D:

Stavri: Thanks :3

Shadow Apparation: Thanks :) Of course, I didn't update at ALL for like forever, I'm sorry D:

RomanticVulcanolight: Thanks :) I really was concerned about the realism, so I'm glad you found it realistic :) I do understand that, it's sometimes hard to understand how Shion WOULD react, considering how little her personality is explored in the anime.

Kaze Rei: Thanks :3 When I fall for people, I usually fall pretty hard, so my reaction/portrayal might be typical or atypical, I'm really not sure. Either way, thank you :3

kaizer20: Don't worry, I won't kill anyone :3 Thanks :3

whitley: Thanks :3 I think I did talk to you a while back, it really has been a long time since I updated this.

Thefanofstuffs: Ah D: I'm sorry I disappeared for so long, but I'm back now :3 As for Hikari, I really didn't mean to make her look like the bad guy, sorry D: It's just that some girls react like her- no matter who they hurt, they'll go for the girl they want without MEANING to hurt anyone. Sorry if it came off as otherwise…I hope to fix everything back to normal with the Spican three, so there's that :3

KisaCross: Thanks :3

XxxxX

How Can You See With Your Eyes Closed?

Chapter Thirteen: And Tape Your Heart

xXLiStLesSXx

XxxxX

Tamao woke up the next morning with an odd emotion swirling around in her stomach. There was a heavy, but not entirely uncomfortable weight pressing into her midriff, and something warm kept hitting the back of her neck. Trying her best not to change her position too drastically, she tilted her head back only for her heart to skip a beat- the cause of the warmth and security she felt was none other than Chikaru spooning her in her sleep.

The Le Rim president stirred slightly, tugging the blunette closer to her and burying her face in Tamao's loose, long locks, causing the younger girl to nearly choke on her own saliva. Collapsing back against the pillow, Tamao stared wide-eyed at the window next to the bed- it was still that awkward transition between dark and light, and she just knew she wasn't going to be able to get back to sleep with her newest fixation holding onto her like this.

Hesitantly, she scooted backwards onto the bed, closer to the raven-haired girl, and couldn't help but let out a small moan of pleasure as the girl's arms tightened possessively around her waist. "Tamao-chan…go back to sleep…," Chikaru mumbled sleepily into the younger girl's neck, causing Tamao's eyes to snap wide open.

"Ch-Chikaru-sama?"

"Mmm," the older girl hummed in a noise of affirmation. "Now go back to sleep."

Tamao lay there, positively rigid in Chikaru's embrace for a good several minutes before she slowly began to relax. What had she been so afraid of, Chikaru waking up and realizing she was holding onto her? Obviously it was nothing surprising to the older girl, and Chikaru already knew that Tamao had tried to move closer to her. For once, it seemed, there was no risk in letting herself indulge, and Tamao let out a quiet sigh before rolling over to face Chikaru.

The Le Rim president blinked sleepily as Tamao's arms snaked around her waist, the blunette's head resting against her chest, and she fell back onto her back, wrapping a lazy arm around the younger girl's waist. She nearly purred in contentment when Tamao cuddled into her, but held herself back.

All in good time, Chikaru.

PGBR

Shion awoke with a start, her jaw clenched and her hands working at her sides.

She wasn't sure if she would rather never had known about Shizuma and Miyuki; it wasn't as if she wasn't very much aware of her fiancée's feelings for her best friend. But every time she thought of the two, all she saw was kissing, and that sick, masochistic part of her just wouldn't let her stop caring, even if it was just a kiss. Miyuki loved Shizuma. Out of experience, the blonde know that just a kiss with the one you love wasn't just anything.

In the midst of her masochistic rant, Miyuki stirred beside her and, unbeknownst to the blonde, was quickly coming to. Blinking several times to adjust to the light, the Miator president frowned as she watched the emotions flit across her fiancée's face. She had a sneaking suspicion of what was bothering Shion- even though the blonde had apologized and acted like everything was fine, she was aware that the kiss between herself and Shizuma affected her more than she was willing to let on.

Miyuki sighed- she knew better than to confront Shion on her suspicion. Best case scenario, Shion would shrug it off and deny it; as endearing as Shion's stubbornness could be at some times, at others it was just downright frustrating. If Miyuki wanted to pull the Spican from this mood of hers, she would have to show her that she didn't want Shizuma anymore.

And she really didn't, as surprising as the thought was initially. A part of her would always love Shizuma, but Miyuki was far from wanting to be with her silver-haired friend, not now that she was engaged to the girl she was so sure she'd hated not so long ago. Shion might have been an unorthodox choice, but the blonde treated her like the princess Miyuki had always dreamed of being, and somewhere along the line, the Miator president found herself falling faster and faster for the Spican.

And it terrified her.

One crisis at a time, Miyuki, she instructed herself, shaking from her thoughts. "Shion," she began, wincing at how sleepy her voice sounded. Shion gave a start and whirled around to face the blunette instantly, violet eyes absolutely attentive, and Miyuki found herself wondering how she could possibly want to be with Shizuma when the blonde before her was so ready to give her every star in the sky if she so much as asked.

"What is it, koi?" the Spican asked, blinking sleepily at Miyuki.

Miyuki didn't say anything, only sat up straighter so that Shion was within reach and leaned forward, capturing the blonde's lips in a slow kiss. The Spican stiffened, startled before Miyuki felt a pair of hands pull her closer by her lower back, and the once unresponsive lips move against her own. After several seconds, she pulled away slowly, bringing her hands to rest on Shion's cheeks, stroking the girl's cheekbones with her thumbs. "I don't want her anymore, Shion," she said bluntly, and the expression on Shion's face told her she knew exactly what Miyuki was referring to. "I can't lie to you and say I'm not still in love with her," the Spican's face fell, her brows furrowing in an attempt to hide the hurt, "but I don't want to be with her."

Shion's jaw tightened, and hard violet eyes met hers in an unspoken challenge. "How can you tell me you don't want her?" she asked, her voice cold and self-depreciating. "If you're still in love with her?" She looked as if she were contemplating pulling away, but stayed within Miyuki's reach, and Miyuki felt a little more of her heart go to the blonde for her honest, unwavering nature. "You…" Shion paused, as if she were struggling with something. "You realize I'm in love with you?" she finally asked, her eyes still meeting Miyuki's with determination. The blunette nodded feebly, still unused to the term being directed at her. "Whether you say you want to be with her or not, the fact that you still love her…it's almost unbearable, Miyuki," the Spican finally sighed, her tone low and calculated, and Miyuki realized how hard it must have been for her to be so open about her feelings.

"I can't make you stop loving her, I can't ask that you stop, and I know I overreacted yesterday, god, I know, but I'm not the kind of person who's good at being patient, or being a replacement. Chikaru…she might be able to do it without any complaint or anything, she might be able to just sit back and watch, but I…I'm selfish, Miyuki, I'm selfish and I'm possessive and you're going to get sick of it eventually because anyone else would be able to give you the space you need to get over her, but I just can't."

Miyuki frowned slightly. "Are you saying you can't do this?" she asked, gesturing to the two of them, surprised by how much it hurt. "Because-"

"No!" Shion cried almost instantly. "No, Miyuki, even if I wanted to end this, I couldn't. I'm just…I'm not going to be easy to live with sometimes, if something happens between you and Shizuma, I'm not going to be really understanding and it might take me a while to be okay with it," she finished, staring down at the covers by this point.

Miyuki could swear she felt her heart breaking in her chest. "I know you won't be," she said quietly, causing Shion's head to snap up, her eyes wide. The Miator president broke into a dry smile. "Do you really think I spent all these years being your archrival without knowing you well enough to know that you're not that kind of person, Shion? I don't expect you- I don't even want you to be okay with it, not really," she admitted with a slight blush. "I just don't want you to be hurt or feel like I want her every time something happens between us." She paused, taking in Shion's hangdog expression. "If you were okay with it, you wouldn't be you, or you wouldn't care, and I don't want either of those. I just want you to know that I don't want her, okay?"

Shion nodded slowly, looking torn between jealousy and embarrassment, and Miyuki's lips curled into a small smile as she leaned back and allowed the blonde to crawl over to her and capture her in another kiss.

PGBR

In contrast with the other two girls, when Tsubomi woke up to find Yaya's arm flung haphazardly over her stomach, she threw it off without a hint of regret at waking the other girl. Yaya woke with a start, stretching and yawning widely, as if nothing were wrong, even as Tsubomi skittered around the room, looking for something to wear.

After a few moments of busy silence, Yaya pulled herself into a sitting position, admiring the view as Tsubomi changed out of her pajamas and into an outfit that was far too thin for the weather. "Keep your eyes to yourself," the pinkette snapped once she realized the older girl was staring at her.

The brunette blinked in surprise. "Since when can I not look at my girlfriend?" she asked, and Tsubomi almost wanted to laugh at how very confused the older girl sounded. Instead she scoffed and threw a pillow at Yaya's face. "Hey!"

Tsubomi growled, whirling on the other girl. "Have you forgotten what happened last night?" she asked, her tone sharp with barely concealed hurt. "Just because I let you sleep here doesn't mean I forgive you! Just shut up and don't say something stupid for five seconds, okay?" she muttered as Yaya pulled the pillow from her face and tossed it off to the side.

"You can't hate me," the brunette pointed out bluntly, and Tsubomi growled, feeling like ripping out her hair in frustration.

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do," she snapped, her eyes flashing with a thin layer of anger concealing the hurt. Then, noticing the painfully confused look on Yaya's face, she sighed. She doesn't even realize why it hurt you so much. "You're insufferable, just go away."

Yaya groaned and fell back against the pillows. "Just talk to me, Tsubomi, I know you well enough to know you don't want to leave it like this," she said, her tone thick with frustration that just barely masked an undertone of desperation that Tsubomi unfortunately could not hear.

"Do you even realize how much what you did hurt me?" Tsubomi asked quietly.

Yaya sat up again, brows furrowed defensively. "Hey, she kissed me-"

The pinkette let out a frustrated growl and stomped her foot, a gesture that Yaya might have found adorable at another time. "You don't even realize what you did wrong!" Tsubomi cried, nearly in tears. "You don't even realize how much you hurt me! You think just because she started it, it makes everything okay?"

Yaya recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "I said I was sorry-"

"And that makes it all better, doesn't it?" Tsubomi asked dryly. "You're sorry, so everything's fine and I should just forgive you and take you back."

"T-take me back?" Yaya asked in a surprisingly small voice. Tsubomi raised an eyebrow as the brunette looked up at her in confusion. "You're still my girlfriend, Tsubomi, we never-"

"I know you're not that thick, Yaya-baka," Tsubomi replied coldly, her voice quivering deceitfully. "You loved- love Hikari-sempai, and now that you've kissed her, you think I'm stupid enough to believe that you still want me? I can't do this, Yaya-sempai, I could stand by your side forever if I was helping you get over her, but I can't be anything more than a friend and watch you wish I was her."

"I don't wish you were her, Tsubomi," Yaya pleaded, finally breaking from her self-righteous mood. "I just needed the closure, I never got closure-"

Tsubomi scoffed. "And now you have," she stated, "too bad it cost you my trust." Grabbing her jacket from the wardrobe, the tiny pinkette headed for the door, her pounding heart the only sign that she acknowledged Yaya's last words before it shut behind her.

"I'm not letting you go so easy, Tsubomi-chan."

So there it is, my attempt at picking this up again and fixing it up- please review if you want me to continue from here!