When the Time is Right

By SMYGO4EVA

"You've never felt affection?" Yumie said aloud, as she and Heinkel looked through the documents of Section XIII, boring, drudging work. "You still don't believe you're capable of it, do you?"

Heinkel shifted the papers and placed them in a folder for safekeeping, before turning to Yumie. The light through the window above was almost blinding. "I can't say I have, Yumie. I'm not sure I'm even capable of such a thing, it's not important, not in our line of work."

Yumie frowned, and turned herself so that her eyes met Heinkel's. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

"You're a liar."

Heinkel felt her heart skip a beat, stepping back a bit, a stray paper floating to the floor. "Wh-what? What on Earth are you talking about?"

Yumie stood still, her eyes wavering. "I believe you are capable, but you don't think you're worthy of love, do you? So you lie to yourself, and think such things." She answered, her voice firm and resolute.

Heinkel straightened herself, her mouth going dry. Yumie's words left her at a loss for words. She didn't think that she could feel affection, the feeling that could be used against others, as proven time and time again.

She was a servant to God, she and Yumie, and love was what they had to bury deep within.

Heinkel swallowed, and she looked down to the floor, kneeling and then picking up the strewn paper from the ground. "Yumie, I'm not sure what to say," she answered. "But I know for a fact that I'm not a liar."

Yumie crossed her arms, head tilted. "You say that, but I'm not quite sure. Lying is against everything we stand for, so when you want to tell the truth, to me and to yourself, then I'll wait." She replied, matter-of-factly, and yet almost melancholy.

She lowered her head, turned on her heel, and then she walked out of the room, off to take care of only the Lord knew.

Heinkel blinked, and then she looked down, the paper still in her hand, placing it in the open folder; she felt an ache in her chest, something that wanted her to run after Yumie, to hold her tight.

She closed the folder, the papers intact, opening, then closing the files in the desk next to her. Then, she walked briskly out of the old, stuffy room, hoping to catch up to Yumie.