(no subject)
Ukraine was firmly ensconced in her old armchair, repairing necklace chains with a pair of delicate pliers, when a rap at the door heralded her sister's arrival.
"Come in," she called. "The door's not locked."
The door slammed shut in Belarus’s wake with a thump that made Ukraine flinch. She took one look at her sister's thunderous expression and laid her work on the end-table. "Belarus, what in heaven’s name -- has something gone wrong?"
"Everything is as usual," Belarus said in Russian, glaring at no one in particular. "Very, very usual."
Ukraine sighed. "I'm sorry," she said, and stood to pull her into a hug. Belarus closed her eyes and allowed her head to droop heavily onto Ukraine's shoulder, and for a moment, Ukraine could almost believe that they were young again, that she could soothe away her little sister's sadness with a hug and a kiss. Impulsively, she brushed the hair from Belarus's forehead and touched a kiss there. Belarus looked up with heavy-lidded eyes, then raised herself on tiptoes and returned the kiss --
-- on her lips. She jerked, startled, but Belarus had managed to free her arms to pull Ukraine close, pressing her narrow hips to Ukraine's generous ones, running thin fingers through Ukraine's hair. Ukraine tried to remember -- breathe through the nose, watch out for the table corner, breathe -- as Belarus shuddered and ground against her; tried to stand braced for the two of them until Belarus sighed at last and relinquished her hold.
They regarded each other for a long second, Ukraine wide-eyed and Belarus still breathing heavily. Then Belarus turned and stepped away, and hand on knob, whispered: "Thank you for your comfort, sister."
The door closed with barely a sound.
"Come in," she called. "The door's not locked."
The door slammed shut in Belarus’s wake with a thump that made Ukraine flinch. She took one look at her sister's thunderous expression and laid her work on the end-table. "Belarus, what in heaven’s name -- has something gone wrong?"
"Everything is as usual," Belarus said in Russian, glaring at no one in particular. "Very, very usual."
Ukraine sighed. "I'm sorry," she said, and stood to pull her into a hug. Belarus closed her eyes and allowed her head to droop heavily onto Ukraine's shoulder, and for a moment, Ukraine could almost believe that they were young again, that she could soothe away her little sister's sadness with a hug and a kiss. Impulsively, she brushed the hair from Belarus's forehead and touched a kiss there. Belarus looked up with heavy-lidded eyes, then raised herself on tiptoes and returned the kiss --
-- on her lips. She jerked, startled, but Belarus had managed to free her arms to pull Ukraine close, pressing her narrow hips to Ukraine's generous ones, running thin fingers through Ukraine's hair. Ukraine tried to remember -- breathe through the nose, watch out for the table corner, breathe -- as Belarus shuddered and ground against her; tried to stand braced for the two of them until Belarus sighed at last and relinquished her hold.
They regarded each other for a long second, Ukraine wide-eyed and Belarus still breathing heavily. Then Belarus turned and stepped away, and hand on knob, whispered: "Thank you for your comfort, sister."
The door closed with barely a sound.