Fitting Back Together

I Want To Love You

For the next few minutes, they danced in silence, Magna relinquishing the role of leading without a word.

It felt like an offering.

A yielding of control.

Or maybe Yumiko was just reading too much into it.

(and apparently, she wasn't the only one)

On their next turn, she was confronted by the sight of Tomi giving her a not so subtle thumbs up. With both hands.

Considering how tense things had been between them lately, the gesture was more than a little bit of a shock.

Enough of one that she couldn't help but pause. Stare.

And in doing so bring Magna's attention to the source of that stare.

"I see your brother's still my biggest fan."

Yumiko heard the edge of bemusement to her tone, possibly even bewilderment. They'd only met the once before everything ended and Magna had been as confused then as she was now by his apparent endorsement of their relationship - though that likely also had something to do with the fact that, back then, there hadn't even been a relationship to endorse.

Yumiko's mouth curved. "He's always thought you were a good influence on me."

"So he has a few screws loose is what you're saying?"

She chuckled. "No. But apparently I can be a little uptight. Need someone to shake me up a bit."

Magna snorted. "Is that what he said?"

"The exact words."

Minus a few other. . . less than flattering ones.

"How does he explain the time you got arrested then?"

Yumiko held up a finger. "That was for a good cause."

"Uh huh." Magna smiled slightly before shaking her head. "Honestly, I think he'd just be happy to see you with anyone who wasn't that bitch."

She couldn't quite suppress a grin. "Her name was Nicole."

Magna shrugged. "Bitch fits better."

Yumiko couldn't disagree.

But she didn't want to talk about Nicole. Not now. Not here.

Especially when the tension between them seemed to finally be abating.

Lowering her hand, she returned it to Magna's shoulder, feeling the heat of her skin through the course material - and experiencing a brief, inflexible surge of frustration at the barrier. "You're right about him thinking anyone would be a step up from Nicole. But wrong about that being the only reason he likes you."

"It's the tattoos, isn't it? Everyone gets weak for those."

Yumiko rolled her eyes but couldn't help the upturn of her lips at noting the smug look on her face. "Sure. It's the tattoos."

"Thought so." After a moment, Magna's smirk faded and she could see the faint traces of uncertainty creep in. "Did you tell him?"

"Tell him what?"

"You know. What I did."

Yumiko tried not to tense, shook her head. "No. No, that's not my secret to tell."

"Considering it involves me hurting you, I'd say it is."

Another thing she didn't want to talk about right now. That brief exchange earlier had been more than enough.