Citrus: Mei's Story vol. 5 - Tested Heart

I. The Coming Storm

         "We're home."
          For the first time since we separated from our schoolmates on the train from Kyoto, we let go of each other's hand just as Mother started opening the door. I stared at my hand in surprise. Just the sensation of her hand no longer within mine was enough to make my hand feel cold. As I was staring at my hand, Mother greeted us as we slipped out of our street shoes.
"Yuzu! Mei! Welcome home, girls! How was your trip?"
         Yuzu ran over and wrapped her arms around Mother.
        "It was amazing!"
          That feels like an understatement.
         As they hugged, I could feel Mother's eyes land on me. I tore my gaze from my empty hand to her smirking face.
        "Really?!"
         I nodded as I tried to hide my blushing.
         Mother, we have a lot to catch you up on.
        "Did anything special happen?"
        I nodded again just before Yuzu spluttered and went completely scarlet.
       "N-nothing really special. R-right, Mei?!"
       They both looked towards me. It took me a moment to remember that Yuzu didn't know that Mother was not only open minded, but had been actively pushing us forward as a couple. Yuzu clearly was desperate to hide our new relationship as girlfriends, while Mother was waiting for the charade to drop so she could openly celebrate the day she had been hoping for. But if it was a choice between Yuzu and the woman I fondly referred to as my mother despite us not being related, I knew my answer. It took all I had within me to maintain a stoic appearance.
"The sunset on the paths of Yasaka Shrine was particularly special last night..."
Yuzu's eyes went wide and her face blanched. I met her pleading gaze with a confident stare that hid a galaxy of love just for her.
Trust me, Yuzu... I know what to say.
"At least that's what I heard people say. Our school had visited it the day before and some went back near the end of their free day. Apparently they even got to witness a confession. So of course they had a lot to say about it. But I'm sure Yuzu is tired of hearing about it."
       Yuzu's shock and nervousness melted away as Mother released her and moved to hug me. Behind her, Yuzu thanked me for what she thought was me hiding what happened. Meanwhile I heard Mother's voice as it she pulled me into her arms.
"Talk tonight after she goes to sleep?"
Mother, we just got together last night and this is going to be our first night in the same room...
I glanced at Yuzu and was rewarded with a glowing smile that forced me to hide my face in Mother's shoulder.
"No. I think that we'll both be asleep then."
"Hmmm? Should I get earplugs ready?"
"Mother?!"
"What?! When I was your age, Naruka couldn't have me to her house when anyone else was there because of how loud I can get. And Yuzu's father wasn't very quiet either. So I figured..."
I don't want to be hearing about— wait, did you just say her house?!
My face burning in embarrassment, I pulled myself free from her grasp and just stared at the woman. She merely smirked and winked before moving past me.
"Why don't you two get changed into something you can wear out? I think I'll treat my girls to dinner out tonight."
       She waved us both off as she started grabbing our luggage. I was about to say we could help but Yuzu grabbed my hand and pulled me down the hall and into our room. She relaxed as soon as our door was shut and regrettably, let go of my hand. Once more I felt my hand grow colder as my body longed for her. She let out a giggle right before flopping on our bed.
       "I'm glad to be home!"
        I want her.
       I walked over to her side of the bed and laid down so I was parallel to her. As I spoke I looked towards her.
       "Me too..."
       Look at me, Yuzu... do you want me as much as I want you?
      Instead, she stretched with a deep sigh and placed her arms above her head.
     "Still, there is one thing that's annoying!"
     I readjusted how I was laying so my head rested near hers.
    "And what is that?"
    "I... it's like I have this fear that if Mom or someone from school finds out... I'll wake up and everything that happened on our trip will be a dream."
      "Yuzu."
     She finally turned her face to look at me and I reached my right hand up so that I could pull some of her hair from her face as I gazed into her eyes.
      "It all happened."
       It was too crazy and full of mistakes and mess ups to have been a dream.
     I pulled her gently towards me so our faces were centimetres apart. As we got closer, she looked at me with an expression that seemed excited but tinged with apprehension as she spoke.
     "We're girlfriends?!"
     "We are."
   And no one is going to take me from you, Yuzu. No one could.
     I gazed into her emerald eyes and had to look away from the nervousness in them as I continued.
"Still, it is smart to be cautious about who is aware of our relationship. Not everyone is willing to accept two girls dating."
"And we're technically step-sisters too."
Actually... no.
"That is how they see us, yes. So I understand that feeling that we need to be careful about who we talk to and how much we share."
She instantly turned her face to look at the ceiling, but I felt her hand take mine as I used my thumb to caress her cheek.
"Mom and Dad can't know."
Um... Yuzu...
"I can't even imagine how they would react to that."
Loudly, with embarrassing amounts of cheering and possibly a wedding cake...
"I think Mother would probably accept... she is the one who raised you, after all."
Plus she not only knows, but has been cheering us on. She isn't even subtle about it. Look at the bed she got us.
     I almost left it there, but then I saw her face twist into a frown.
"But you're right. We don't know how anyone would react. So only tell people that you absolutely trust will accept it, and I'll leave when we tell Mother and Father to you. We'll do that together."
"Okay..."
"There is one great thing about coming home though."
"Huh?"
We have this room as a place where we don't have to hide our relationship. We can do what we want.
"Tonight, we'll sleep in our own bed."
"Yeah. The beds at the hotel were nice and all..."
Suddenly she stopped and I could see a deep crimson blush envelop her entire face as she realised the possible ways to interpret what I had said. So I thought I'd tease her a little.
"It was too cold for me to get comfortable on the trip. I think I got used to sleeping with you in the same bed."
As expected, Yuzu attempted to hide her deepening blush by turning her head away. It was absolutely adorable, and so I tried one more time.
"Maybe we should continue whatever you were doing that night you snuck into my room."
She turned back to stare at me with wide, nervously hopeful eyes.
"Mei?"
I caressed her face once more and then I sat up before it went any further.
"We need to change. Mother's waiting to take us to dinner."
Yuzu groaned in frustration before sitting up and throwing her arms around my neck from behind. I could hear the pouting in her voice.
"That was mean!"
"That was payback for Christmas Eve."
"I couldn't help it!! I got scared!"
"I know, but then we should wait till you're actually ready before we try something like that again."
"But isn't that the kind of thing that lovers are supposed to do?!"
Instantly I remembered the numerous times men had forced themselves on me.
"I don't know. This is my first relationship. My previous engagement wasn't a relationship, it was an arrangement that my grandfather orchestrated. I didn't see him outside of the academy, and I don't think we should do things like he did."
To my surprise, Yuzu was the one to react with a shudder that I felt against my back.
"I completely forgot about him... gross."
        Almost half a year has definitely changed you as well. I barely recognise you from the girl who was trying too hard to get his attention that first day. And now...
She then nuzzled into me.
"Sorry, Mei. I didn't mean to remind you of him."
"I don't mind. It's thanks to you that we don't have to worry about that anymore. But my point was that I don't know what is or isn't supposed to happen in a relationship. So I think we should focus less on arbitrary standards that might not apply for us, and more on the fact that we're together."
"Yeah... you're right."
You don't sound thrilled, but then I don't know how long I can hold back on that either.
I sighed and moved out of her arms and over to where we kept our clothes.
"For tonight, how about we treat going out to dinner with Mother as a celebration for our new relationship? Even though only the two of us will know."
Yuzu's eyes sparkled with newfound excitement as she sprang up and joined me in choosing our outfits.