Here, Again
"Ne~ I'm bored~"
Arms flailing wide, there was a thump and a corresponding 'oof' as the younger girl pounced on the older one from behind. Burrowing her cheek into the exposed nape beneath her, the girl purred like the kitten she was often mistaken for.
"Reina, be serious now." Her older companion chided, though her voice held more amusement than scolding. She held a sheaf of papers neatly tucked in a folder, the pages showing signs of having been thumbed through frequently.
"You're no fun when you're all about work." Reina sulked into the neck she was nuzzling into, eliciting a soft giggle from her target.
"Your script seems fairly worn too." Reina flushed at the remark. She never did like to have people notice her efforts save for the result she had to show for them. It was just a matter of pride for her, to be able to seem like she mastered something with only the barest of surface work done in front of others. No one was ever privy to her hard work behind the scenes, and she intended to keep it that way.
"Ai! You're not supposed to say that!" Reina pouted, prompting a sheepish grin from Ai.
"Sorry." Reina squirmed her way to the front of an apologetic Ai, dropping into the indulgent lap of the older. The little yankii stared up at the older.
"Quit saying that! Reina doesn't need Ai apologizing to her." Ai smiled.
"Sorry."
Reina growled. "You're doing it on purpose now! Stop it!"
Ai grinned again, this time more widely. "Sorry."
The older girl collapsed in a fit of helpless laughter as soon as the words left her lips; Reina pretty much seeing fit to deliver 'punishment' in the form of relentless tickling.
One would have assumed them to be best friends for years with the way they fooled around with each other, but the truth was that no more than three months had passed since their first meeting. As mentor to the adolescent Reina, Ai once tried and failed to be the aloof older sister, given that she was three years older and had had experience in that role, but Reina was hardly one to let her stay at arm's length forever. With persistence rivaling that of a cat on the hunt, Reina had all but pinned Ai down until the older allowed her the freedom to act as she wished outside of work.
Definitely worth it. Reina thought smugly as she witnessed her handiwork. Ai was sprawled on the bed, the folder somehow having relocated to the other side of the bed, and the girl herself still gasping for air with tears in her eyes from too much laughter. The reading glasses she had been wearing earlier had also fallen off, giving Reina an unobstructed view of Ai's happy face.
She looks so much better like that. Reina thought approvingly. Sprawling next to Ai on the somewhat narrow bed, Reina grinned to herself at her achievement.
It was then that the kitty cat was reminded abruptly of yet another fact: Ai was never one to take things lying down. Reina squealed as Ai took advantage of her inattention to descend with all fingers outstretched, returning the tickle attack with double the fervor.
"Stop, stop! I yield!" Reina surrendered, rolling onto her back and raising her hands in submission. Ai smirked triumphantly, sitting squarely on Reina's legs, effectively pinning the younger girl beneath her.
"That'll teach you to ambush me." Ai folded her arms, shooting an imperious look down at the prone yankii. Reina grinned wryly.
"Yeah yeah..." As if that would make her stop. Reina enjoyed these playful antics too much to give up on them, and she suspected Ai knew (and enjoyed) them as much.
"So are you ready to help me then?" Ai switched back to work mode without warning. Reina only sighed and rolled her eyes, since an Ai in work mode was an Ai who ran her like a slave driver. Except nicer. Maybe.
"Yes I'll help you practice your lines, senpai." Reina put on her most sincere face for all of five seconds, before she burst out laughing. The corresponding look of disapproval on Ai's face lasted almost as long, before she began giggling as well.
"Well hurry up. Time's wasting."
Reina looked up at Ai. Ai stared back. A long pause, before Reina finally said.
"Sure, as soon as you get off me."
Ai had the grace to blush before scrambling off the younger girl in a hurry. Reina sat up slowly with a smirk.
"Didn't think a feminist play involved pinning down your partner on a bed..."
"Reina..."
~*~*~
"Ah! It's already so late..."
Ai turned to look at the clock even as Reina stood up, pulling out her cellphone.
"Gotta call the folks..."
Ai smiled. "Reina's really a good girl."
Reina pretended to glare. "What's that supposed to mean?" Ai laughed and leaned back on the couch.
"Nothing."
Reina hmphed and turned her back on Ai, putting the phone to her ear. Ai took the time to pick up her pen, making little notes on her script. She could easily hear Reina's end of the conversation, which made her smile just a little wistfully.
"Yes mama, I'm with Takahashi-san...yes I'll be alright. When are you and papa coming back? Oh? Oh...it's ok...Reina can wait... Un, good night. Bye bye."
Reina's face held just a trace of disappointment as she turned back to face Ai. The older girl tilted her head up with concern, reaching over to take Reina's hand, guiding her kouhai to sit down by her.
"What's wrong?"
"They can't come back until after Reina's birthday..." Reina sighed, leaning on Ai's shoulder for support. Ai squeezed her hand lightly, reaching over to hug Reina.
"I'll celebrate with you, alright?"
"Really?" Reina lit up like a little kid, all trace of dejection disappearing in a flash. Not for the first time, Ai wondered just how mercurial Reina really was. Her moods came and went in a flash, and it was almost impossible to read her...or far too easy, since some of her responses were really just that predictable once you got to know her.
"Yes, really. It's a promise." Ai held up her pinky, and they solemnly pinky-swore. Then Reina leaned happily into Ai's embrace, practically crawling onto Ai's lap in the process. Ai only smiled indulgently, letting Reina wriggle into place without complaint.
"So, can Reina stay over tonight?"
Ai looked amused. "You already told your mom that you were going to stay over, didn't you?"
Reina grinned. "Yes I did."
"And it never occurred to you to ask me first." Ai reached up to poke Reina in the cheek.
"I'm asking now!" Reina pretended to snap at the intruding finger. Ai laughed.
"You're incorrigible."
"So is that a yes I hear?" Reina asked quite shamelessly, rubbing cheeks with Ai, who was trying and failing to look stern.
"Well it's not like I can just kick you out at this time of the night." Ai paused, then added with an absolutely straight face.
"Maybe I should..."
Playing along, Reina looked absolutely horrified...before they both cracked up laughing.
"Nice! You're improving." Reina patted Ai on the top of her head like a little dog, making Ai snort and shake it off with a wry grin.
"Thanks?"
Reina sat up straight and folded her arms, mimicking a school teacher-like pose, lowered her voice, and said in the deepest voice she could manage.
"You've got a long way to go, young one."
Ai snorted and shoved Reina off her lap.
~*~*~
"Are you asleep?"
"...I'm about to."
"Oh..."
"Are you cold?"
"Um..."
"...come on up."
"Ah, warmth~"
"The bed's a bit small, hope you don't mind."
"Nah, Reina's ok. This is fun, our first sleepover!"
"Mhm..."
"Are you sleeping already?"
"If I said yes, will you shut up?"
"...sorry..."
"Just kidding." A soft laugh. "This is nice."
"Isn't it? ...ne, Ai?"
"Hm?"
"...why do you live on your own?"
"..."
"Reina thinks it's really amazing how much like an adult Ai is...Reina could never live on her own!"
"It'll come to you in time too."
"What about your family?"
"...I call my mother sometimes."
"Oh..."
"Let's sleep. I've got a meeting in the morning."
"Un. Oyasumi, Ai."
"Oyasumi, Reina."
And the lights went out.
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There. I should really sleep. Work in the morning. O_O
Topic: Destiny Love [16/02 - In My Own Time] (Read 68845 times)