CHAPTER 9
Jurina couldn’t ignore the warm sensation that filled her chest when the familiar door came into view. Despite the fact she had already been to Rena’s apartment dozens of times now, a smile still grazed her lips when she paused in front of it, and her gaze fell at her feet on the joyful green tank engine welcoming her. The first times she stood at this same place she was so nervous, she couldn’t even find the view amusing. Now, she had to restrain herself from laughing at Rena’s choice of mat. The older Matsui loved trains, and she certainly didn’t mind letting her neighbors know about it.
However, her delight vanished in an instant when she checked the time on her phone, and realized it was already past midnight. As soon as she was informed the recording of her TV show would be delayed she texted Rena to suggest her to come at her place another day, but the older Matsui wanted to hear none of it. It is true to say that since their week holiday at Mayu’s beach house at the beginning of July, they were not able to spend much time together outside of work. The least opportunity was definitely not to be missed. Still, Jurina was feeling a bit apprehensive when she tentatively raised her fist to knock. She really hoped the older girl was not already fast asleep.
It didn’t take her long until she heard footsteps coming from inside, and saw the door opening.
“Hi. Did I wake you up?” Jurina asked worriedly, taking in Rena’s warm but slightly tired smile greeting her. Not to mention she was already in her pajamas: one of her favorite Gundam short sleeves tee-shirt and a pair of red shorts. Not a good sign.
“No, I was waiting for you,” Rena replied, moving aside to let her pass. “Come in.”
Jurina did as instructed and took her shoes off - placing them carefully next to Rena’s in the entrance - still feeling a bit guilty about her tardiness despite the reassuring words. Although the older girl didn’t seem bothered by it she didn’t like being late, especially not on one of their dates.
“Have you eaten?” Rena inquired, and she shook her head at her. “Sit down. I’ll make you some arrabbiata.”
Jurina pulled a chair in the kitchen and watched her silently as she put the kettle on, her eyes then falling on the packet of pasta Rena took out from a cupboard. An unfortunate incident suddenly submerged Jurina’s memory and she squinted to try and read the inscription on it - starting to really panic - but she was unfortunately too far away to see properly. However, her action didn’t go unnoticed by Rena as she tilted her head briefly to look at her, a broad smile immediately falling on her lips.
“Don’t worry, those are not spicy,” Rena laughed.
Jurina growled at her reaction, not sharing her amusement at all. A few months ago, when Rena asked her to prepare some pasta for both of them she chose the wrong kind by mistake, and ended up with very spicy food in her plate. Rena didn’t even blink when the food touched her tongue - obviously used to the spiciness by now - and only realized the problem when an almost crying Jurina drank a whole glass of water in one gulp. Since that day, Jurina promised herself to never take some food from Rena’s cupboard without checking the label twice. Unfortunately for her, Rena’s kitchen was a real minefield: she couldn’t open one cupboard without falling on spicy food. Who knew there were so many levels of spiciness?
“Don’t make fun of me,” Jurina protested. “I can still remember the taste as if it was yesterday.”
Rena was still chuckling when she slipped the pasta in the boiling water of the pan, before turning around and approaching the girl - who had her arms crossed over her chest in frustration - and leaning over. “What are we going to do about that?”
Jurina arched an eyebrow at the older girl’s playful tone, before encircling her waist and pulling her onto her lap gently. Arms wrapped around her neck in reaction and she rested her forehead against Rena’s, shutting her eyes in content as she relished their closeness. Yes, the older girl accepted her demonstrations of affection in public - whether it was a friendly hug or a light kiss on the cheek - but there was an established line never to cross. One that she agreed to, and understood very well.
Her lips searched the ones facing her, and she tilted her head slightly to meet them. Their lips moved slowly against each other and not once Jurina tried to deepen the kiss, satisfied with their current comfortable pace. Rena’s soft lips were truly intoxicating, and she didn’t believe she would ever get tired of tasting them. Although she explored every inch of her lover’s body these past months, those enticing lips still remained her favorite part. Maybe it was because they were denied from her touch for so long?
“You know I love you,” Jurina murmured when Rena pulled away a while later. “But no more spicy food for me.”
“It’s not my fault if you can’t read a label accurately,” Rena declared in a fake offended tone, standing up to go and take care of her dinner. “It said spiciness level 10 in bold letters. Hard to miss.”
Jurina let out a sigh at the light teasing she was still being subjected to, knowing she could come up with no excuse for her small but pretty memorable mistake. She cupped her head in her hand, watching pensively the amused girl who entered her life seven years ago, and her heart after a kiss exchanged on the beach for a videoclip. Manifestly, she didn’t share her undivided passion for spicy food - among other things - but it didn’t prevent her from adoring her with every fiber of her being.
A smile plastered Jurina’s face when she stepped into the bathroom and noticed her blue toothbrush accompanying the red one in the beaker. A month ago, Rena suggested her to move a few of her things to her apartment, and Jurina knew it was partly motivated by her bad habit to sometimes forget stuff when she got invited to her place. Now, her toothbrush was always waiting for her in Rena’s bathroom each time she happened to come, as well as her clothes in the drawer the older girl allocated her.
Jurina looked through the mirror while brushing her teeth, watching the older Matsui who was reading a manga in bed. The young ace could tell by her focused expression that she was pretty much engrossed in the volume 5 of
Ad Astra, and she chuckled softly when a shocked gasp left Rena’s lips all of a sudden. Was the astute Hannibal luring the proud Romans into another trap? She wasn’t herself a bit fan of mangas, but Rena’s passionate speeches about her current favorite story was nearly convincing her to give it a try.
Jurina switched the bathroom’s light off when she was done and walked towards her side of the bed - sliding under the red sheets and taking in the pleasant light smell of lavender - before inching closer to the older girl and propping herself up on one elbow. For a little while, she contemplated the quiet older Matsui immersed in her reading, who would have looked like a Roman statue if not for her brief readjusting of her glasses on her nose, or regular turning of a page. Curiosity finally got the best of her and she went to lean her head on her shoulder, taking a peek at the book that always rendered her so excited each time a new volume got released.
“Who is this one?” Jurina questioned, pointing at the blond-haired boy clad in a white toga on the right page.
“It’s Scipion,” Rena informed her. “One of the Romans greatest minds.”
“And this bearded person?” Jurina noticed a fierce looking dark-haired man on the left page.
“Hannibal Barca, Rome’s deepest fear. He was a wonderful tactician,” Rena’s voice lit up in enthusiasm.
“But didn’t he lose against the Romans in the end?” Jurina frowned. Yes, her memory was a bit rusty when it came to History - definitely not her favorite subject - but she was almost certain this person Rena seemed to admire a lot did not meet an enjoyable fate.
“Unfortunately, he did,” Rena sighed, putting the book down on her lap. “In Tunisia, defeated by Scipion.”
“Something is telling me you’re going to get very upset when the story ends and the Romans win,” Jurina joked getting an immediate glare in reply, until the older Matsui’s eyes fell on her pajama top.
“You’re wearing it again,” Rena noted, brushing aside her manga and letting her fingers trace the familiar Hawaiian greeting at the bottom of the white tee-shirt. Her brows furrowed at the view, now remembering a question she meant to ask the girl during that evening in last April, but completely forgot thanks to a very distracting Jurina. “You were so eager to have it. Why did you never wear it until that day?”
Jurina’s previous amusement vanished and words got stuck in her mouth at the unexpected question. While pondering over what to reply, she watched Rena putting her book and glasses away, before laying beside her. It was not that she didn’t remember that day in the shop in Hawaii - quite the contrary - but she was apprehending her reaction if she shared what crossed her mind. A nervous chuckle finally left her lips. It was obvious by Rena’s patient - but curious - expression that she would not be able to change the subject easily. “You’re going to find me childish.”
“No, I won’t.” Rena squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Tell me.”
“It’s because it was a gift from you,” Jurina started, immediately noticing Rena’s confusion. “I know, technically, you only paid for it because I had no money left,” she continued quickly, “but somehow, my mind didn’t see it this way. I guess that’s why I couldn’t bring myself to wear it. It was too precious to me.”
Jurina waited in apprehension as Rena seemed to process the piece of information, until she saw her mouth tugging into an amused smile.
“I never took you for the sentimentalist type,” Rena teased.
“That’s exactly why I didn’t want to tell you!” Jurina groaned, turning around in frustration. “I knew you would make fun of me.”
“I’m sorry,” Rena giggled, catching Jurina’s arm and pulling it lightly to try and prompt her to look at her, to no avail as a fuming Jurina stubbornly refused to comply. “I’m not mocking you. It’s surprising coming from you, but it’s cute.”
“Cute,” Jurina grumbled. “You think I’m being ridiculous.”
“Not at all,” Rena replied seriously, encircling her waist from behind. “I can see this tee-shirt holds some deep meaning to you, and I respect that.”
When she got no response, Rena nuzzled her nose into the crook of Jurina’s neck and placed a few light kisses there, feeling the younger girl against her progressively relaxing at the action. Her eyes fell on her next target and she nibbled carefully on her earlobe, knowing exactly which reaction she would obtain.
“You’re not playing fair.” A soft moan left Jurina’s mouth despite the protest and she turned in the embrace, startled when bold lips immediately captured hers and soft fingers caressed her chest under the tee-shirt. Jurina could recognize these signs all too well: a clear indication of what the older girl had in mind, but contrasting with the tiredness she witnessed on her features upon her arrival early on. She definitely could never say no to those alluring lips and sweet ministrations, but found herself a bit hesitant. “Are you sure? You seemed a bit sleepy,” Jurina murmured.
Rena pulled away and looked into Jurina’s loving eyes - noting her slight concern - before tilting her head towards the bedside lamp and switching the light off. The room plunged into darkness at once and Rena tucked a strand of hair behind Jurina’s ear as she leaned in for a whisper. “I’m not
that tired.”
Jurina’s heart skipped a beat at her husky tone. It remained a mystery to her how Rena always managed to seduce her without even the need to try that hard. For once, Jurina was glad the darkness concealed her emotions, otherwise the older girl would have seen the yearning her simple words provoked. The ace moved forward and their lips met in a lingering kiss. Jurina’s fingers soon grew impatient and she tugged at the hem of Rena's tee-shirt, very decided to get her lover out of all her clothes as fast as possible.
Rena’s eyes fluttered open and she blinked slowly a few times - getting accustomed to the morning light penetrating her brown orbs - until a small smile fell on her lips when her gaze fell on the naked girl sleeping by her side. The first nights she woke up next to the young ace she couldn’t help but be a bit startled, used to sleeping alone in her apartment. Now, the view brought anything but a warm feeling inside her chest, and she took in the familiar citrus scent of Jurina’s shampoo reaching her, observing her calm features in appreciation. Rena considered herself as a very independent person but lately, she was getting accustomed to the young girl’s presence in her bed; and missing her when she would open her eyes and found herself alone.
She didn’t expect to feel so strongly about anyone - straying away from matters of the heart since her childhood - but she never regretted her decision to confess to her. At first, it did upset her that Jurina chose to hide the truth all this time - valuing honesty between them more than anything, and frustrated by all the misunderstanding her silence provoked - but she refused to dwell on the past anymore. After all, they had been doing a lot of catching up since.
Her eyes traveled next to their joined hands on the pillow. Each time they fell asleep together Jurina would catch her fingers and not let go of them. Even though they often happened to part at some point during the night, she would find them laying on top of hers in the morning. It remained a mystery to her how such an occurrence always happened, but she surely didn’t mind the contact. Jurina’s long, slender fingers: she held them so many times that she knew their touch by heart. Choreographies, interviews, innocent demonstrations of affection, or simple need for comfort: she experienced all of these for years. And much more lately.
Fingers that were at first hesitant to touch her in intimate places grew bolder on her skin. In fact, Rena was convinced not an inch of her body was stranger to the young girl’s caresses, considering the thorough exploration she had been subjected to during their lovemaking. Jurina seemed always curious to discover which new spots could bring her pleasure, attentive to the mere reaction her touch would provoke.
Rena’s body still remembered the intense passion Jurina displayed last night. At first, her intent was to take the lead - wishing to show the young girl how much she missed her - but Jurina managed to reverse their positions in the blink of an eye. When such a thing occurred, she would sometimes try to get the upper hand back and very often succeed - knowing acutely which touches would bend the young girl to her will - but she didn’t put a fight this time. Jurina’s eagerness to shower her with unstinting love was conspicuous, and those fingers that removed her clothes in a haste and mapped her skin with ardent desire put an end to her initial plan, or any rational thought.
The feeling of fingers squeezing hers jolted her out of her thoughts and Rena gazed at the slowly awakening girl. A smile greeted her which she reciprocated, before inching closer and placing a kiss on the young girl’s forehead. As expected, Jurina’s face lit up at once, and Rena found herself amused by the reaction the simple gesture always provoked. “Did you sleep well?”
She got a nod in reply - Jurina watching her silently for a little while - before deciding to go and rest her head on her stomach. Rena ran her fingers gently through the young girl’s dark hair - soon noticing the eyes that were staring back at her shutting at once - and hearing a soft moan escaping Jurina’s lips in bliss.
Rena was thankful her schedule was relatively light today. Yes, she had an interview in the afternoon and a show to perform after that, but she was free the entire morning. She could relish Jurina’s presence without the need to check the time constantly. A luxury that was becoming rare nowadays.
A trail of light kisses was suddenly placed on her chest, and Jurina’s mischievous expression didn’t go unnoticed when she leaned forward and inched closer to her lips. Although she didn’t utter a single word, Rena could tell very well what she had in mind: the fingers moving sneakily under the sheet and now caressing her thigh gave it out instantly. It appeared someone was still in a very playful mood this morning.
“Do you have to go somewhere?” Jurina’s seductive whisper confirmed what she already knew. She would have answered, but she didn’t trust her voice not to betray her emotions when last night’s events suddenly submerged her memory. Instead, she decided to capture those tempting lips in reply, knowing the young girl would get the message easily. The feeling of expert fingers sliding between her thighs told her she surely did.
TO BE CONTINUED