Hey, look, something really, really old.
Yes, I was that bored.
Apply Standard Disclaimers Here
30 Kisses Theme #19: Red
Insomnia II
by: P.D. Pirl [12/15-22/05]
The tension in the room had turned into ice, so much so that the air was suddenly cold, though, Eriko wasn't sure if it was the humidity or the heated glare she
was receiving from Sei that gave her an undeniable urge to shiver. However, not only did Eriko hold ground, she drove a spear through the ice by doing something
deemed as unthinkable: she pushed Sei further by wrapping an arm around the shoulders of the still rattled Youko. "Well," she sang, her eyes fixed on Sei, "I suppose
we've nothing more to discuss. You may all leave, now."
Hasty and anxious goodbyes were passed on as younger Roses hurried to the door, keeping in their minds to keep a good distance from the meeting room. Once
assured that they were alone, Eriko pressed herself to Youko and rested her chin on the brunette's head. "Why so angry, Sei?" she purred and grinned at Sei as
though she was holding in her arms a most coveted treasure: a prize she refused to relinquish for just anything.
Sei rose to her feet and slammed her palms on the table. "Don't play dumb with me!" she growled, "You-you...!" Sei choked on her words, as she was clearly trying
to hold her temper down, but with every advance Eriko made towards Youko, the more she considered just lashing out.
"I kissed her," Eriko said for Sei; she also made sure to sound confused and innocent. "I'm also holding her," she swung another arm around Youko to emphasize her
point, and she didn't know how she was able to keep a straight face when she saw that mad, possessive expression on Sei's face. "Is there something wrong, Sei?"
"Yes!" Sei roared, as though Eriko just said the most blasmphemous thing in the world and Sei was damning her for her ignorance.
"Hmm, how so?" Eriko hummed absently, concerned more with combing Youko's hair with her fingers than she was with Sei. It seemed only now that Youko had
recovered from the initial shock brought by Eriko's kiss and she immediately became rigid in Eriko's arms, which the Yellow Rose pretended to not feel and so, she
continued to toy with Youko's hair. "Tell me, Sei," Eriko murmured lazily, "tell us - tell Youko."
"Because---" The rest of the words were caught in Sei's throat and disolved into another indignant growl. Hearing Youko's name, may it have been from Eriko,
seemed to have granted her a meager amount of control and her feelings; though, she wasn't entirely sure just how much of it was in her grasp, nor did she really
think it was worth the risk. Completely avoiding eye contact with Youko, Sei pushed herself from the table and turned for the door. "I don't remember signing up for
your freak show," she muttered darkly before she left and slammed the door behind her.
Eriko laughed softly, "I didn't think she'd give it away so soon." Her little fest was cut short by Youko struggling out of her embrace. "I wouldn't go after her if I
were you," she sang brightly as she smoothly disengaged herself from her frantic friend. Not fully recovered, Youko could just look at her in disbelief, and Eriko felt that
she owed Youko, at least, a little hint. "I kissed you," she said nonchantedly, her hands already grasping both Youko's bag and her own, "because she's weaker." Still
not mindful of Youko's personal space, she reached out and cupped her friend's chin, "We'll see which of us is right about Sei."
Youko calmly eased out of Eriko's grip and reached for her bag; she was confused when Eriko refused to let go of her property.
"Are your parents coming to fetch you?"
"No," Youko berated herself for answering too soon, but decided she was still ahead enough to stop now.
"Oh?" Eriko feigned shock; badly. "How did you intend to go home, then?"
"Needless to say, I think I am now without a means of going home," Youko responded, an impassive mask on her face. Perhaps what she had done was more out of
instinctive defense than an attempt to deter Eriko from making a connection to Sei, but by the grin on Eriko's face, she knew she had failed in the latter. "I suppose,"
she said, intent on ignoring that knowing smile, "that you would be so kind as to take me home?"
"I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind," Eriko chriped. "Now," she began, an arm around Youko's face; she smiled again when she felt Youko tense, "aren't you glad I
was around? Otherwise, you'd be stuck here."
"... yes." Youko whispered her response, her eyes cast forlornly at the very spot where Sei had been.
It was a little passed midnight when the phone sprang Youko out of her sleep. It took her a moment of blind searching to find the phone, which had been, ironically,
lying atop the table by her bedside. Whoever it was calling, she figured, this person knew enough to know she had her own line; that, or it was a fluke, but either
way, Youko was thankful, for her parents certainly wouldn't stand for phone calls this late at night. Still a little too tired to open her eyes, Youko didn't check who the
caller was and mumbled in a croaky voice, "Hello?"
"I can't sleep."
Youko's eyes immediately shot open when she heard that voice. "Sei," she sighed, her guard down, "why can't you sleep?"
"Oh, maybe because my pretty little rose decided to leave me waiting in the garden with only a big, fat cat to keep me company." Sei barked from the other line,
obviously meaning to joke; obviously failing miserably at hiding from Youko that she was upset. "If you were going to dump me for a wide piece of forehead, the least
you could have done was tell me, really."
"Sei, no," Youko couldn't believe she was struggling for words, "I---"
"I was joking, Youko," Sei lied, a painful laugh following. "I can't sleep because I haven't been getting much of it lately. Also, there was that time I stayed up all
night and you made me sleep all day; it didn't really help my body clock."
"You took those papers from me, Sei; we could have done them together and finished sooner." Youko reasoned, though she didn't know why she was starting to
smile while she chided Sei. "I can't believe you shoved me out of your car and drove off with them like you just robbed a bank---" she paused suddeny when a memory
struck her, "I can't believe how you shoved me out of your car."
Sei laughed so much; she only managed to say, "I knew groping you would get you out of my car fast!" Indeed, Sei had done just that. When Youko realized that
she planned to finish the papers on her own, Sei opened the door and immediately slipped her hand under Youko's bottom; she then gave a rather hard squeeze that
sent the usually composed Youko bolting out of the car.
Youko couldn't stop the blush that heated her cheeks.
"Hmm," she droned, satisfied, "you're blushing right now, aren't you? Though, I'm sure: not as much as you did when I squeezed your cute little---"
"SEI."
Sei allowed herself another laugh before she skipped right ahead. "So, you were sleeping," she said, her voice now back to its grim tone, "is that because you've
already gotten your good night kiss?"
Youko wished Sei had kept at poking fun at her, because it was certainly easier to deal with than this. "I didn't know it was going to happen, Sei."
"You let it happen, anyway," was the gruff answer.
"I was shocked," Youko defened, her voice now matched Sei's hostility.
"You looked like you enjoyed it," Sei continued to accuse Youko, all the while wondering why she couldn't seem to bite her tongue or just shut her mouth, "just as
you enjoyed how she held you and fondled you."
Youko felt that she had taken enough abuse from Sei. "And how does this concern you, Sei?"
Sei was quiet, but everything felt like a repeat of the day's earlier event.
"Did you like it?" was Sei's response.
Youko stifled a yawn and groaned. Another night without sleep, she whined in her mind, and asked Maria-sama what exactly it was she did to be denied sleep.
Truthfully, she had only fallen asleep out of emotional exhaustion. She had worn herself ragged wondering what Eriko wished to accomplish by kissing her in front of
Sei; and, more important, she wondered why Sei had reacted the way she did. Youko recovered fairly quick from the kiss; it was Sei who had held her in place.
Youko searched for every logical, platonic answer there may be for Sei's reaction, but she couldn't find one. Really, why did Sei feel so strongly about that kiss?
What did it mean to Sei? What did she mean to Sei? To Youko, Sei had made it perfectly clear that they were nothing more than friends, and though, as of late,
certain events have made Youko question that border they've drawn between them. Had they been slowly walzting to the other side of the line?
Where were they, exactly?
What were they, exactly?
The questions frustrated her, because she couldn't find the answers. True, she had noticed the little changes between her and Sei; noticed so very, very clearly
that their relationship seemed to be moving to a more intimate direction, but she refused to put it into words. Youko felt that her judgement was partial, and she
didn't trust her feelings enough to conjure an objective point of view. She didn't trust her heart enough not to block her mind. So, she just kept quiet, and reminded
herself that Sei would never see her as anyone more than a friend, painful it may be.
But how Sei had acted the day before - it suddenly made Sei's side of the line blurry. Before, Youko clearly placed Sei behind the line, while she would trip and fall
to the other side from time to time. It helped knowing Sei could not be moved; it was a pillar to hold onto, to keep her from completely falling. But, now, Youko
couldn't seem to find that line; everything was suddenly blurry.
More so than before, at least.
There have been times that the line had become blurry, but it usually cleared up the moment they separate. The distance gives her more perspective, she would
think, and it would keep her grounded; keep her from flying. How Sei spoke, how she looked - how Sei looked at her and spoke of her - Youko felt a thrill run down her
spine; it excited her, and before Sei found her own ground, Youko had thrown herself in the air with Sei. But Sei's regaining of sense seemed to reach her, and when
Sei was gone, so was that magic.
Suddenly, Eriko's intentions started to become clear to Youko. Eriko was forcing them to use words; Eriko was pushing them to acknowledge something they both
feared. It began even before the kiss, Youko remembered: it started when Eriko asked her about Sei's attachment towards her, and when Eriko tried to crumble her
control by making her touch Sei, Youko was still able to come out unfazed.
Obviously, Eriko's target now was Sei. It was a wise decision, indeed, as Sei's inability to regard the situation with dettachment and disinterest, Youko felt that she
needed to carry them both. Showing to Eriko that Sei's reaction affected her greatly was not an option; disclosing exlcusive affairs such as the now routinary drives
from school to home were was another, as well as their secret little place in the garden where they usually ate lunch with Goronta - Eriko must not know any of these,
even if it meant leaving Sei in the dark.
Now, Youko just had to know if she was doing all this for Sei, or if she was doing this because she was afraid that what Eriko was trying to get them to see was
real. Did she really want for things to stay the way they are? Did she want to remain somewhere on that blurry line? Before that incident, Youko thought it was also
what Sei wanted. But she was beginning to question that truth; because, from the way Sei had looked at her the other day, it would have been clear to anyone that
Sei had wanted her.
Scratch that - Sei didn't just want her, Sei looked like she was about to go on about how Sei owned her.
Youko rubbed her temples and bregrudingly decided to go with what Sei wanted. She hoped Sei had recovered far better than she did.
Eriko happily hummed to herself as she practically skipped along the road towards the Rose Mansion. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so lively and
eager about anything; frankly, her making Sei jealous everyday proved to be a most enjoyable habit. Youko seemed like a helpless kitten in her arms, unsure of what
to do, and Sei was like an enraged wild animal held by an invisible wall. Eriko intended to help them break down that wall, but not without getting something out of it,
too. Apart from the hilarity of the entire thing, Eriko found some satisfaction helping her friends, never mind her bizzare method.
It didn't help that Eriko never cared for their audience, just that she made sure to be a thorn in Sei's side every chance she got. The reactions from both Sei and
Youko delighted Eriko to say the least; regardless of her close relationship with the two, never did she imagine she would see, much less, be responsible for, the day
that Youko would be reduced to nothing but a blushing, stuttering mess and Sei become blind with jealously, coupled with a very extreme posessive streak.
Though this little game had demanded quite a lot from Eriko: spying, snooping, arriving early and leaving late during meetings - she had no complains. She planned
to enjoy this fun episode for as long as it would last, which, she felt, was about to end. Today, she intended to actually slip her hands inside Youko's blouse, with Sei
watching, of course, and pretend to fondle the Red Rose; she was already giggle at the mere thought of how Sei would take that.
Still in a giggling fit, Eriko leisurely stepped inside the meeting room, certain she was alone. The assumption was proven wrong immediately when she felt rough
hands grasp her shoulders and slam her against the wall. A yelp left her mouth before she could stop it, and her eyes widened when she saw her assailant. "S-Sei,
what are you doing here so early?" She grinned sheepishly at the blonde, who wore a girm face and was glaring at her menacingly.
"You've taken something from me," she whispered harshly, lips now twisted into a sneer, "I want it back."
Though things seemed to be proceeding as Eriko had planned, it was useless if Youko wasn't around to hear Sei's confession. So, she chose to play dumb once
again, "I don't know what you're talking about, Sei. I never took anything from you."
"Yes, you did," she growled, gray eyes narrowed dangerously.
To Eriko's surprise, Sei slowly inched forward, her lips barely an inch from hers. Again, she failed to control her emotions and felt her cheeks burn, even as she
blurted out, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm stealing back the first kiss you took from me," she muttered, her grip on Eriko's shoulders vise-like, "I was supposed to be her first kiss."
Eriko, confused and more than a little frightened, couldn't do anything but brace herself for the inevitable. However, that kiss never came.
Sei broke into a wide grin and started laughing. "I can't believe you fell for that!" She freed Eriko from her grip and held her stomach as she continued to laugh.
Suddenly, Eriko felt like Youko. "You tricked me!"
"Call it payback," Sei chirped, though Eriko didn't miss those eyes catch on that dangerous gleam again. "I'm actually here to thank you, Eriko." The hostility left Sei
completely, replaced by a sincerity Eriko never thought she'd see from Sei. "Thanks to your little games, I don't have to play anymore." Her words were vague, but it
was a preferance.
And as Sei made her way to the door, Eriko could think of only one thing as a retort, "Aren't you going to steal back that kiss?" She admitted to herself that, while
in a state of panic, a small part of her actually anticipated that kiss, and though it was clearly impossible, she surmised it wouldn't hurt to attempt to rile Sei again.
She paused in mid-step and turned to Eriko. "Oh, I would have," she purred, then winked, "if that had really been her first kiss."
The door closed behind Sei, and Eriko simply shook her head. Outside, she could see Sei walking with Youko, an arm wrapped protectively around Youko's waist.
She smiled when Youko rested her head on Sei's shoulder and melted into the embrace. Eriko placed a hand on her still burning cheek and sighed wistfully.
Eriko began to wonder if the younger Roses had similar problems.
Apply Standard Disclaimers Here
30 Kisses Theme #19: Red
Insomnia II
by: P.D. Pirl [12/15-22/05]
The tension in the room had turned into ice, so much so that the air was suddenly cold, though, Eriko wasn't sure if it was the humidity or the heated glare she
was receiving from Sei that gave her an undeniable urge to shiver. However, not only did Eriko hold ground, she drove a spear through the ice by doing something
deemed as unthinkable: she pushed Sei further by wrapping an arm around the shoulders of the still rattled Youko. "Well," she sang, her eyes fixed on Sei, "I suppose
we've nothing more to discuss. You may all leave, now."
Hasty and anxious goodbyes were passed on as younger Roses hurried to the door, keeping in their minds to keep a good distance from the meeting room. Once
assured that they were alone, Eriko pressed herself to Youko and rested her chin on the brunette's head. "Why so angry, Sei?" she purred and grinned at Sei as
though she was holding in her arms a most coveted treasure: a prize she refused to relinquish for just anything.
Sei rose to her feet and slammed her palms on the table. "Don't play dumb with me!" she growled, "You-you...!" Sei choked on her words, as she was clearly trying
to hold her temper down, but with every advance Eriko made towards Youko, the more she considered just lashing out.
"I kissed her," Eriko said for Sei; she also made sure to sound confused and innocent. "I'm also holding her," she swung another arm around Youko to emphasize her
point, and she didn't know how she was able to keep a straight face when she saw that mad, possessive expression on Sei's face. "Is there something wrong, Sei?"
"Yes!" Sei roared, as though Eriko just said the most blasmphemous thing in the world and Sei was damning her for her ignorance.
"Hmm, how so?" Eriko hummed absently, concerned more with combing Youko's hair with her fingers than she was with Sei. It seemed only now that Youko had
recovered from the initial shock brought by Eriko's kiss and she immediately became rigid in Eriko's arms, which the Yellow Rose pretended to not feel and so, she
continued to toy with Youko's hair. "Tell me, Sei," Eriko murmured lazily, "tell us - tell Youko."
"Because---" The rest of the words were caught in Sei's throat and disolved into another indignant growl. Hearing Youko's name, may it have been from Eriko,
seemed to have granted her a meager amount of control and her feelings; though, she wasn't entirely sure just how much of it was in her grasp, nor did she really
think it was worth the risk. Completely avoiding eye contact with Youko, Sei pushed herself from the table and turned for the door. "I don't remember signing up for
your freak show," she muttered darkly before she left and slammed the door behind her.
Eriko laughed softly, "I didn't think she'd give it away so soon." Her little fest was cut short by Youko struggling out of her embrace. "I wouldn't go after her if I
were you," she sang brightly as she smoothly disengaged herself from her frantic friend. Not fully recovered, Youko could just look at her in disbelief, and Eriko felt that
she owed Youko, at least, a little hint. "I kissed you," she said nonchantedly, her hands already grasping both Youko's bag and her own, "because she's weaker." Still
not mindful of Youko's personal space, she reached out and cupped her friend's chin, "We'll see which of us is right about Sei."
Youko calmly eased out of Eriko's grip and reached for her bag; she was confused when Eriko refused to let go of her property.
"Are your parents coming to fetch you?"
"No," Youko berated herself for answering too soon, but decided she was still ahead enough to stop now.
"Oh?" Eriko feigned shock; badly. "How did you intend to go home, then?"
"Needless to say, I think I am now without a means of going home," Youko responded, an impassive mask on her face. Perhaps what she had done was more out of
instinctive defense than an attempt to deter Eriko from making a connection to Sei, but by the grin on Eriko's face, she knew she had failed in the latter. "I suppose,"
she said, intent on ignoring that knowing smile, "that you would be so kind as to take me home?"
"I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind," Eriko chriped. "Now," she began, an arm around Youko's face; she smiled again when she felt Youko tense, "aren't you glad I
was around? Otherwise, you'd be stuck here."
"... yes." Youko whispered her response, her eyes cast forlornly at the very spot where Sei had been.
It was a little passed midnight when the phone sprang Youko out of her sleep. It took her a moment of blind searching to find the phone, which had been, ironically,
lying atop the table by her bedside. Whoever it was calling, she figured, this person knew enough to know she had her own line; that, or it was a fluke, but either
way, Youko was thankful, for her parents certainly wouldn't stand for phone calls this late at night. Still a little too tired to open her eyes, Youko didn't check who the
caller was and mumbled in a croaky voice, "Hello?"
"I can't sleep."
Youko's eyes immediately shot open when she heard that voice. "Sei," she sighed, her guard down, "why can't you sleep?"
"Oh, maybe because my pretty little rose decided to leave me waiting in the garden with only a big, fat cat to keep me company." Sei barked from the other line,
obviously meaning to joke; obviously failing miserably at hiding from Youko that she was upset. "If you were going to dump me for a wide piece of forehead, the least
you could have done was tell me, really."
"Sei, no," Youko couldn't believe she was struggling for words, "I---"
"I was joking, Youko," Sei lied, a painful laugh following. "I can't sleep because I haven't been getting much of it lately. Also, there was that time I stayed up all
night and you made me sleep all day; it didn't really help my body clock."
"You took those papers from me, Sei; we could have done them together and finished sooner." Youko reasoned, though she didn't know why she was starting to
smile while she chided Sei. "I can't believe you shoved me out of your car and drove off with them like you just robbed a bank---" she paused suddeny when a memory
struck her, "I can't believe how you shoved me out of your car."
Sei laughed so much; she only managed to say, "I knew groping you would get you out of my car fast!" Indeed, Sei had done just that. When Youko realized that
she planned to finish the papers on her own, Sei opened the door and immediately slipped her hand under Youko's bottom; she then gave a rather hard squeeze that
sent the usually composed Youko bolting out of the car.
Youko couldn't stop the blush that heated her cheeks.
"Hmm," she droned, satisfied, "you're blushing right now, aren't you? Though, I'm sure: not as much as you did when I squeezed your cute little---"
"SEI."
Sei allowed herself another laugh before she skipped right ahead. "So, you were sleeping," she said, her voice now back to its grim tone, "is that because you've
already gotten your good night kiss?"
Youko wished Sei had kept at poking fun at her, because it was certainly easier to deal with than this. "I didn't know it was going to happen, Sei."
"You let it happen, anyway," was the gruff answer.
"I was shocked," Youko defened, her voice now matched Sei's hostility.
"You looked like you enjoyed it," Sei continued to accuse Youko, all the while wondering why she couldn't seem to bite her tongue or just shut her mouth, "just as
you enjoyed how she held you and fondled you."
Youko felt that she had taken enough abuse from Sei. "And how does this concern you, Sei?"
Sei was quiet, but everything felt like a repeat of the day's earlier event.
"Did you like it?" was Sei's response.
Youko stifled a yawn and groaned. Another night without sleep, she whined in her mind, and asked Maria-sama what exactly it was she did to be denied sleep.
Truthfully, she had only fallen asleep out of emotional exhaustion. She had worn herself ragged wondering what Eriko wished to accomplish by kissing her in front of
Sei; and, more important, she wondered why Sei had reacted the way she did. Youko recovered fairly quick from the kiss; it was Sei who had held her in place.
Youko searched for every logical, platonic answer there may be for Sei's reaction, but she couldn't find one. Really, why did Sei feel so strongly about that kiss?
What did it mean to Sei? What did she mean to Sei? To Youko, Sei had made it perfectly clear that they were nothing more than friends, and though, as of late,
certain events have made Youko question that border they've drawn between them. Had they been slowly walzting to the other side of the line?
Where were they, exactly?
What were they, exactly?
The questions frustrated her, because she couldn't find the answers. True, she had noticed the little changes between her and Sei; noticed so very, very clearly
that their relationship seemed to be moving to a more intimate direction, but she refused to put it into words. Youko felt that her judgement was partial, and she
didn't trust her feelings enough to conjure an objective point of view. She didn't trust her heart enough not to block her mind. So, she just kept quiet, and reminded
herself that Sei would never see her as anyone more than a friend, painful it may be.
But how Sei had acted the day before - it suddenly made Sei's side of the line blurry. Before, Youko clearly placed Sei behind the line, while she would trip and fall
to the other side from time to time. It helped knowing Sei could not be moved; it was a pillar to hold onto, to keep her from completely falling. But, now, Youko
couldn't seem to find that line; everything was suddenly blurry.
More so than before, at least.
There have been times that the line had become blurry, but it usually cleared up the moment they separate. The distance gives her more perspective, she would
think, and it would keep her grounded; keep her from flying. How Sei spoke, how she looked - how Sei looked at her and spoke of her - Youko felt a thrill run down her
spine; it excited her, and before Sei found her own ground, Youko had thrown herself in the air with Sei. But Sei's regaining of sense seemed to reach her, and when
Sei was gone, so was that magic.
Suddenly, Eriko's intentions started to become clear to Youko. Eriko was forcing them to use words; Eriko was pushing them to acknowledge something they both
feared. It began even before the kiss, Youko remembered: it started when Eriko asked her about Sei's attachment towards her, and when Eriko tried to crumble her
control by making her touch Sei, Youko was still able to come out unfazed.
Obviously, Eriko's target now was Sei. It was a wise decision, indeed, as Sei's inability to regard the situation with dettachment and disinterest, Youko felt that she
needed to carry them both. Showing to Eriko that Sei's reaction affected her greatly was not an option; disclosing exlcusive affairs such as the now routinary drives
from school to home were was another, as well as their secret little place in the garden where they usually ate lunch with Goronta - Eriko must not know any of these,
even if it meant leaving Sei in the dark.
Now, Youko just had to know if she was doing all this for Sei, or if she was doing this because she was afraid that what Eriko was trying to get them to see was
real. Did she really want for things to stay the way they are? Did she want to remain somewhere on that blurry line? Before that incident, Youko thought it was also
what Sei wanted. But she was beginning to question that truth; because, from the way Sei had looked at her the other day, it would have been clear to anyone that
Sei had wanted her.
Scratch that - Sei didn't just want her, Sei looked like she was about to go on about how Sei owned her.
Youko rubbed her temples and bregrudingly decided to go with what Sei wanted. She hoped Sei had recovered far better than she did.
Eriko happily hummed to herself as she practically skipped along the road towards the Rose Mansion. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so lively and
eager about anything; frankly, her making Sei jealous everyday proved to be a most enjoyable habit. Youko seemed like a helpless kitten in her arms, unsure of what
to do, and Sei was like an enraged wild animal held by an invisible wall. Eriko intended to help them break down that wall, but not without getting something out of it,
too. Apart from the hilarity of the entire thing, Eriko found some satisfaction helping her friends, never mind her bizzare method.
It didn't help that Eriko never cared for their audience, just that she made sure to be a thorn in Sei's side every chance she got. The reactions from both Sei and
Youko delighted Eriko to say the least; regardless of her close relationship with the two, never did she imagine she would see, much less, be responsible for, the day
that Youko would be reduced to nothing but a blushing, stuttering mess and Sei become blind with jealously, coupled with a very extreme posessive streak.
Though this little game had demanded quite a lot from Eriko: spying, snooping, arriving early and leaving late during meetings - she had no complains. She planned
to enjoy this fun episode for as long as it would last, which, she felt, was about to end. Today, she intended to actually slip her hands inside Youko's blouse, with Sei
watching, of course, and pretend to fondle the Red Rose; she was already giggle at the mere thought of how Sei would take that.
Still in a giggling fit, Eriko leisurely stepped inside the meeting room, certain she was alone. The assumption was proven wrong immediately when she felt rough
hands grasp her shoulders and slam her against the wall. A yelp left her mouth before she could stop it, and her eyes widened when she saw her assailant. "S-Sei,
what are you doing here so early?" She grinned sheepishly at the blonde, who wore a girm face and was glaring at her menacingly.
"You've taken something from me," she whispered harshly, lips now twisted into a sneer, "I want it back."
Though things seemed to be proceeding as Eriko had planned, it was useless if Youko wasn't around to hear Sei's confession. So, she chose to play dumb once
again, "I don't know what you're talking about, Sei. I never took anything from you."
"Yes, you did," she growled, gray eyes narrowed dangerously.
To Eriko's surprise, Sei slowly inched forward, her lips barely an inch from hers. Again, she failed to control her emotions and felt her cheeks burn, even as she
blurted out, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I'm stealing back the first kiss you took from me," she muttered, her grip on Eriko's shoulders vise-like, "I was supposed to be her first kiss."
Eriko, confused and more than a little frightened, couldn't do anything but brace herself for the inevitable. However, that kiss never came.
Sei broke into a wide grin and started laughing. "I can't believe you fell for that!" She freed Eriko from her grip and held her stomach as she continued to laugh.
Suddenly, Eriko felt like Youko. "You tricked me!"
"Call it payback," Sei chirped, though Eriko didn't miss those eyes catch on that dangerous gleam again. "I'm actually here to thank you, Eriko." The hostility left Sei
completely, replaced by a sincerity Eriko never thought she'd see from Sei. "Thanks to your little games, I don't have to play anymore." Her words were vague, but it
was a preferance.
And as Sei made her way to the door, Eriko could think of only one thing as a retort, "Aren't you going to steal back that kiss?" She admitted to herself that, while
in a state of panic, a small part of her actually anticipated that kiss, and though it was clearly impossible, she surmised it wouldn't hurt to attempt to rile Sei again.
She paused in mid-step and turned to Eriko. "Oh, I would have," she purred, then winked, "if that had really been her first kiss."
The door closed behind Sei, and Eriko simply shook her head. Outside, she could see Sei walking with Youko, an arm wrapped protectively around Youko's waist.
She smiled when Youko rested her head on Sei's shoulder and melted into the embrace. Eriko placed a hand on her still burning cheek and sighed wistfully.
Eriko began to wonder if the younger Roses had similar problems.