Too soon, the closeness between them vanished.
Yumiko clenched her fingers as Magna drew away in an effort to keep from holding her in place, keeping her there. They hadn't been this close in months. And not just physically.
She didn't want to lose it.
Especially not so soon.
Who knew when they would find it again?
If they ever would?
But if Magna shared her reluctance, it didn't show. Instead, her attention was focused solely on Pamela Milton's group. Again.
What I wouldn't give for an empty room.
"How do you think they'd react if I kissed you now?"
"Don't you dare."
Magna smirked, leaned in a little.
She shot a finger up between them. "Don't."
Yumiko was not above dragging her out of this ball by the ear. Dance be damned. Just because she was aching for a kiss didn't mean she wanted to make a display out of it. Or have it used as a tool to piss off the Miltons.
(she also knew Magna was entirely teasing.
which was. . . more disappointing than it should have been)
Smirk only growing wider, Magna tried her luck again, leaning in.
"I'm serious." Yumiko held firm, her finger between them serving as a last bastion of defense.
"Then why are you grinning?"
Biting her lip, she fought back the expression.
Because I missed this.
Missed you.
"Because the sight of you in that bow tie is ridiculous."
Magna's jaw dropped. "You just said you found it hot."
"I do. Still doesn't make it any less ridiculous. You in a dress shirt and bow tie."
"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, tugging her closer. "No need to rub it in."
Yumiko grinned, more than a little delighted by the inches of space disappearing between them once more.
Only to expand yet again.
For God's sakes.
Her frustration was called short, however, when Magna raised their entwined hands into the air, spinning her into a twirl not at all suited to the sedate music currently filling the room.
Yumiko smiled, submitting to the motion and watching the grin expand across Magna's face in response.
Yes.
She'd missed this.
The playfulness.
She hadn't had much playfulness in her before Magna. Had felt it start to slip away again, in the months living here. Felt herself slipping away along with it, back into her old skin.
It wasn't a comfortable fit.
"You look nice."
Yumiko raised a brow. "Just nice?"
She rolled her eyes. "Stunning. Is that better?"
Biting down on her smile, she resettled against Magna's form, tracing a finger along the top of one suspender. "Perfect."
Hands landed against her back, holding her close. Yumiko closed her eyes against the sensation.
Magna sighed.
"What?"
"Just thinking about how unfortunate it is that this dress isn't backless."
Yumiko smacked her hand, grinning. "Stop it."
She knew Magna was only teasing, but a part of her wished she wasn't.
She also couldn't deny that the thought of feeling Magna's hands on her body without the barrier of clothing was more than a little tempting. Even too tempting. Better for her sanity - and self-control - that wasn't the case.
"You started it. All that shit about my bow tie."
She had a point.
"Well, now I'm ending it." Yumiko smiled, before narrowing her eyes. "Behave."
Because there's no way I'll be able to if you don't.
"Fine." Magna made a show of heaving an exaggerated sigh, eyes turning towards the heavens, before refocusing on her once more. . . gaze suddenly appraising. "You know, I don't think I've seen you in a dress since before the world ended. Kinda weird."
"Imagine how it feels." Yumiko smirked. "Absolutely bizarre. I should have worn pants."
Unfortunately, there'd been a dress code.
"And deprive me of this rare sight?" Magna waved a hand over her, grinning. "I don't think so. Bringing back some wonderful memories of prison."
She raised a brow. "Wonderful?"
"Well, they're all memories of you, aren't they? And you were the only wonderful to exist in that place."
Yumiko's heart skipped a beat at the words.
She'd mostly worn suits when visiting Magna, rarely ever dresses.
But apparently, those times had made an impression.
She fought to keep her expression casual, and her voice along with it. "Really? Because you used to try and chase me out the door every time I walked through it."
Magna affected a look of innocence. "I don't recall. . ."
Yumiko grinned, jabbing her in the ribs.
She batted her hand aside, smirking. "You scared me."
"I scared you?"
Yumiko was the one meeting a maximum-security prisoner convicted of murder in the first degree.
"Sure." She shrugged. "I liked your visits. Liked you. Which was scary as fuck considering I didn't think they would last. Thought every time you came would be the last time."
So she'd pushed her away.
Of course she had.
"There was never going to be a last time," Yumiko murmured, smoothing her hands down Magna's shoulders. "Even if I failed in getting you out, I still would have visited." That was a promise she'd made to herself early on. Admittedly, more for her own sake than Magna's. "I was never going to just walk away."
And I'm not walking away now.
Magna gazed back at her, eyes softening. "I know."
. . . at some point, their faces had become close again.
Too close.
Absently, Yumiko fingered the loose strands of hair at the nape of her neck, wishing she could run her fingers through more. That she could sink them into thick curls, feel the heat of Magna's scalp beneath. . . draw her in.
Anchoring her to a kiss.
Just one kiss.
What could it hurt?
When they'd already had a thousand?
Just one. . .
She made the mistake of meeting Magna's eyes again. Breath stilling inside her at how dark they'd become.
Yumiko knew that look. Knew she wasn't alone in her desire.
One kiss.
Even if it was only for a moment. Even if nothing came of it. Even if it ruined everything. . .
One kiss.
Because Yumiko hadn't realized. Hadn't known. That the last time she'd tasted Magna, the last time she'd felt her. . . was the last time.
How could she have known?
How could she ever have guessed they'd end up here?
That night she'd rolled over in bed and pecked the lips of the woman beside her in a kiss goodnight. Brief. Perfunctory. The most she'd dared to take after their argument on the staircase that day. Magna had barely responded, mouth stiff against hers, and Yumiko hadn't lingered. Hadn't said anything before turning back over and going to sleep. A space between them that hadn't been there the night before, seeping into her dreams. Filling them with darkness.
That couldn't be their last kiss.
They'd been through too much, loved each other too long, for that to be their last kiss.
Yumiko swallowed, fingers splaying across Magna's neck, the urge to draw her in growing stronger with every breath.
One last kiss.
Only this time I'll kiss you like I know it's the last.
Like I'll never kiss you again.
The hands on her back clenched, fingers digging in the barest amount and she felt the tension ache up her spine, demanding more. Demanding this.
And without thought, Yumiko's eyes drifted to Magna's lips. Watched as her own echoed the action, lingering. . .
She leaned in-
Magna ducked her head, breaking the connection. "I should probably get back to work."
The words, which might have been a relief to hear at the beginning of this debacle, now filled Yumiko with dismay.
Seriously?
Working to control her expression, she pushed that dismay back down into the depths of her.
"Probably," she agreed softly, relieved when her voice didn't shake. Didn't crack. "But I could stand to dance a little longer. If you want to."
Magna paused, temptation flickering across her face. "Not ready to rejoin your brother's company?"
"Is he still drinking?"
She glanced over Yumiko's shoulder. "Yep."
"Then no."
Magna chuckled. "Fair enough." The hands on her waist strengthened, becoming secure once more. "If that's the case, then I think I could stand to dance a little longer too."
Yumiko smiled.
A/N: So I've given up on getting all this out before new episodes with Yumiko or Magna in them air (if they ever do lol. where are our girls?). I've written all the chapters but they're rough drafts and I'm in my luteal phase now which means that my brain fog is getting worse and worse. Proofreading will likely become impossible soon and, judging on past experience, it can usually take a couple of weeks for me to get back to baseline where I don't feel like my brain's on fire and filled up with cotton wool. Sometimes it can be sooner. Sometimes it can be longer. I'm really hoping it's sooner since *knock on wood* this cycle has been an 8/10 rather than a 10/10 on the brain fog scale so fingers crossed. But yeah I've written the chapters it's just probably gonna take a while for them to get out. Just. . . Please forgive the bits surrounding Yumiko's time in the commonwealth, her relationship/backstory with Tomi which are all going to be overthrown by canon. I really don't want to throw out the chapters I've written and I've already spent more time than I intended to on this fic considering my other ones are in urgent need of care.
There'll be at least one more chapter that I'll be able to get out soon though :)
IMPORTANT: I'm also trying to get the final two chapters of Conflict Resolution up before I post any more chapters in this fic because I feel like both fics, from this point on, flow better when you've read those two chapters. Obviously, if you're not reading my other yumagna fics then this is irrelevant but I wrote Fitting Back Together with those final two chapters in the back of my mind (forgetting that I hadn't actually gotten around to posting them yet).