*waves* Me again. I finally decided to share another one of my fics ... I posted one before, located
here, if you missed it before
~*~
Title: Concentration Shifting
Author: freya86
Disclaimer: Nothing in this ever happened. God, how I wish it did!!!
Rating: PG
Pairing: pre-Yuko/Kei, Aya/Miki
Summary: It’s occurred to them that this is a sort of odd bonding ritual for friends ...
takes place during the H!P 2003 Winter Concert Tour
~*~
It’s become a ritual for them, ever since Yuko graduated from Morning Musume.
During each rehearsal, when Yuko’s moved to the back of the seats to watch, Kei joins her whenever she’s not needed on stage.
They just sit quietly, watching the others perform their songs, and while they can see everything, they are hidden from their views by the darkness.
It’s occurred to them that this is a sort of odd bonding ritual for friends, but then again, they hardly have the time to meet up during their free days, with Kei still as an active member of Morning Musume, and when they do, there’s usually someone else tagging along, mostly Mari, or Nacchi, or even Kaori.
Time alone is something rare and so they enjoy these few moments a couple of times each year, just sitting together, and as odd as it may seem, they never thought about stopping.
So it’s the same situation every time, just as it is this time, and yet it’s completely different, because today, Kei has fallen asleep, and for the first time Yuko can feel her concentration shifting from the stage, returning to the younger woman sleeping in her lap time and time again, and a smile plays around her lips while her fingers brush through strands of brown hair.
Suddenly there’s a voice right next to her, pulling her out of her thoughts with a jolt because hardly anyone ever finds their way into the back of the concert halls.
“It’s beautiful, ne?”
Yuko’s head snaps up and she sees Miki standing above her, head slightly tilted to the side, eyes not fixed on the stage as Yuko had expected, but instead on Kei, and she’s not sure what to reply.
The confusion has to be written clearly across her face because Miki chuckles and sinks into the seat next to Yuko, hands clasped tightly around her knees.
“The way she can sleep here, despite all the noise, all the people, as if there’s no worry on her mind.”
Yuko finds her eyes drifting to Kei again, observes the way the her arms are wrapped around Yuko’s waist, her face buried between the folds of her shirt and her jacket, nose pushing against Yuko’s stomach with every breath she takes.
It’s her time to chuckle now.
“Yes, that’s just the way Kei is. She can sleep almost anywhere.”
And she trails off as she remembers all the times Kei feel asleep during photo shoots or dance rehearsals.
Next to her, Miki sighs and looks towards the stage and Yuko can see her eyes following Aya as she climbs off stage with Gocchin and sits in the first row.
“I know that feeling”, Miki continues and her voice suddenly sounds a little off, far away, and Yuko wonders where her thoughts have taken her.
“Sometimes, I think, if it wasn’t for Ayaya, I wouldn’t be able to sleep at all. There are so many nights when I just lie in bed because too much is keeping me awake, but when I’m with Ayaya, everything’s different.”
Her eyes skit over to Kei, then up to Yuko, their eyes meeting.
“She must love you very much”, she says, voice lower than before, as if she’s sharing a secret, and Yuko sits dumbfounded for a moment, again not sure what to reply.
Then she clears her throat, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable, a little too close to Miki.
“Of course she loves me”, she says, carefully watching Miki’s face for any reaction, and even before she’s finished she knows that that’s not the answer Miki was hoping for.
“We’ve known each other for many years, have been through a lot together. She’s one of my closest friends.”
But Miki just shakes her head and simply says “That’s not what I meant” and before Yuko gets the chance to react, she sees Aya running towards them, calling out for Miki.
She grabs her hand and pulls her out of her seat before she even sees Kei, still asleep, and she smiles, warmly, first at Yuko, then at Miki, and the way those two look at each other makes Yuko wonder why she hasn’t noticed it before, because they are so obviously in love.
Before they leave Aya turns to Yuko again, the same warm smile still on her face.
“I’m glad”, she whispers, slightly leaning forward so that no one else can hear.
“I’m glad you two finally got your guts together and admitted your feelings. It was about time!”
And she says the last words with a giggle in her voice and a twinkle in her eyes as Miki pulls her towards the stage, where Gocchin is already waiting for them, and Yuko is left with the air around her heavy with the just spoken words.
In her lap, she can feel Kei moving, her arms first tightening, then loosing around her waist, yet not completely letting go, even as she opens her eyes, meeting Yuko’s, and for a moment the older woman can’t help but think what if and her heart clenches, but then Kei yawns and Yuko can’t help but smile down at her.
“Good morning”, she greets her, and Kei giggles embarrassed, stretching her legs as far as she can, before she lays still and looks up at Yuko, her eyes serious.
“Thanks for letting me sleep ... here”, she says, squeezing Yuko slightly, and maybe, just maybe, Yuko enjoys the gesture a little too much, but maybe, just maybe, she thinks, this might not be just a simple thank-you.
So she pats Kei’s head and presses a quick kiss to her forehead, friendly enough, yet it feels utterly intimate in the close proximity of their bodies.
“You’re welcome”, Yuko replies, leaning back in her seat and watching as Kei sits up, fixing her hair, straightening her clothes.
“I’ll be your pillow any time you want me to”, and the look in Kei’s eyes tells her that maybe, just maybe, Aya and Miki were right.
FIN
Topic: Concentration Shifting (Read 2768 times)