Chapter one of my first series of side stories. Enjoy.
Side story 01 – Part 1
Light, like the limbs of a tree, filled the sky. It was night and the moon was full, though no one could tell it. Clouds hung low over the city of Tokyo. The sounds of thunder echoed off of the steel and glass monoliths that sprung forth into the night sky. Rain, like tear drops, ran down the windows of a darkened apartment. Two figures sat on the couch, one sitting up, and the other laying with her head in the other’s lap. A long since thawed cold compress had fallen off the swollen cheek of the girl who had lain down, while the other girl dozed, her head falling forward every so often, her hand absently running itself through the other’s hair.
A clap of thunder boomed closer to the apartment window. The window rattled a bit due to the exploding air disturbing the sleep of the girl lying on the couch. She blinked a bit in the darkness, trying to get her bearings. The dull pain from her cheek flashed back into her psyche, still foggy with sleep. The fog lifted when she felt a hand moving gently through her hair, almost caressing her face and neck. She glanced up and saw the dozing girl, in whose lap her head now lay. The momentary light flashing in through the window would cast shadows across the sleeping girl’s face, but also just enough light for Ai to see sure sign of tears. The memories of the past day flashed through her mind as her had gingerly rubbed her swollen cheek.
Another thunderclap woke the other sleeping girl, her head snapping up, and the hand not in Ai’s hair moving up to rub her neck. She groaned a bit, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She looked down at Ai for a moment before realizing what her hand was doing, which she instantly removed.
“You didn’t have to stop…” Ai pouted.
“Sorry Ai-chan…” Lin laughed shyly.
“Why are you apologizing?” Ai smiled up at Lin.
“I don….are you ok?” Lin picked up the cold compress and was about to go get a fresh one, but Ai wouldn’t move. Instead, she snuggled closer to the other girl.
“Yeah…I’m alright… of course I’m sad about everything…but I have a clear conscience at least…”
Ai looked up at Lin again before continuing.
“Please don’t hate them… don’t hate Reina for this” she pointed to her face, “Don’t….” A tear trickled down the bruised cheek. Without thinking Lin wiped it gently away. Ai shivered at the touch.
A few moments of silence passed by before either decided to talk.
“Lin… would you like to move in together?... It’ll help financially, and help keep you and me from being lonely.”
“Are those the only reasons you want me to move in?”
“No…” Ai turned her face away from the younger girl, trying to hide the red that was creeping across her face.
“Ok Ai-chan…you convinced me … but who will do the cooking?”
“You better take that amused look off your face… we’ll both do our share.” Ai mock glared at the younger girl after turning back over in her lap.
“Let me go get another compress for your cheek.” Linlin began to stand up, lifting Ai’s head gently.
“No…I don’t need another one…” Ai tried to prevent the other girl from getting up.
“You at least need some medicine.”
“Mou…”
Ai pouted again, but let Lin get up. Lin walked to the medicine cabinet in the kitchen, while Ai sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest. She watched as Lin walked away…
Ai…stop it! She’s 18…
Lin smiled at her on her way back from the medicine cabinet when she noticed Ai looking at her.
…what’s going on with me?...
Ai smiled back, averting her eyes and hiding her face behind her knees. Lin handed her the medicine before rejoining her on the couch.
“Ai-chan… are you sure you’re ok?” Lin’s face betrayed her concern.
“Yes…”
“Are we moving in here?” Lin tried to change the subject when she noticed the expression on Ai’s face.
“No…I want to get out of here…we’ll try and find a new place soon. We’ll stay here until then.”
“Ok Ai-chan… we should get some sleep…even though we napped a bit… I’ll sleep here.”
“No!... I mean…don’t worry about it…we can share – the bed is big enough.” Ai smiled a bit trying to convince the younger girl.
“Ok Ai-chan…” Lin got up and followed Ai to the bedroom.
Ai walked into the bathroom, coming out a few moments later in blue pajama pants. The white camisole she wore caused her skin to glow in the lightning light.
“You can borrow something of mine. We’ll go get your stuff tomorrow.”
Ai handed Lin some clothes to change into. Lin walked into the bathroom and got changed quickly, grabbing her discarded clothing and folding it up. Lin walked back out into the darkness of the bedroom. Ai took her hand and led her to the bed - her eyes finally adjusting to the darkness when she laid down. The two girls laid side-by-side, facing the ceiling, silence passing between the claps of thunder. Ai rolled onto her side, wrapping her arm around Lin’s torso.
“Thank you Lin-chan…for staying with me…for defending me…” Ai sniffled a bit.
“You don’t need to thank me Ai-chan…”
“Yes I do!” Ai embraced Lin a bit tighter.
Lin wrapped Ai in an embrace of her own, bringing her head to rest on Lin’s chest. Ai laid in Lin’s embrace, her breathing slowly becoming regulating as sleep finally took her. The storm outside passed into nothingness as sleep took the two girls… the storm of memories stayed behind and would take much longer for it to pass…
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