The cold bracing her arms and legs kept Sarah more than aware of how she was dressed. The qi pao might have looked nice but it didn't do much to protect from St. Paul's air at night. The chill on her skin contrasting with the warmth of Reiko's hand and her general feeling of euphoria. They'd walked quietly like this since leaving the prom, Sarah guiding the way back to her house.
The silence didn't feel awkward to her; but that thought in itself made her wonder whether she should say something to break it. She decided not to, the calm was nice after all that noise in the hall and she didn't think she could express the way she felt any better with words than without.
Besides, if anything was making it awkward it was the way she kept looking over her shoulder every couple of minutes. It wasn't exactly a rough neighbourhood, but she wasn't used to it that late at night; especially not so far from her house and without her parents, and definitely not dressed like she was. She twisted her head to take another look before reminding herself she was being silly, and tried looking up for a change.
The night sky was mostly clear, besides a few clouds clumped here and there, and she had a good view of the stars. She'd never bothered to learn and keep track of the constellations or anything but she loved looking up at them. Sure the city lights stole their brightness and made the view pale in comparison with that out in the country, there were so many dimmer ones which just disappeared without pitch darkness, but what there was was still beautiful. When she was younger she'd fancied becoming an astronomer, before she'd discovered all the things on Earth she had to be concerned about. Maybe ignorance would have been bliss.
With her attention elsewhere she scuffed her shoe against a crack in the pavement and stumbled a little. Oops.
Disaccharide
((Reiko Ishida continued from The Dance Must Go On))
Reiko could not recall a more peaceful time in her life. Here, on this night, prom night, walking hand in hand with the first girl she had openly admitted to herself she was attracted to, not a soul around save the occasional car. Just her, Sarah, and silence. Not an awkward silence. A good silence. Peaceful. Their first chance to truly be alone after the roller coaster that was prom. That was all behind now though.
The tiny girl could feel her date shivering from the cold, so Reiko did her best to try and warm her up a bit, pressing herself closer to the other girl. Reiko had offered her suit jacket to Sarah earlier, despite it being way to small, but Sarah had politely declined. Reiko had expected as much from the stubborn girl, recalling how she had to practically yell at her to stop trying to do something stupid when they had their.... little mishap. She smiled inwardly at the memory. It was like some cheesy high school movie... only bloodier.... and more painful.
Reiko was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the weight on her hand pitch forward as Sarah stumbled. In a moment of panic, fearing Sarah would trip and hurt herself, the tiny girl's free hand shot across, gripping the other girl's shoulder tightly, but not in such a way as to hurt her. This was probably unnecessary, as Sarah had appeared to have gained her balance anyways, but this thought was lost on Reiko. Her simple movement had brought the two girl's faces within inches of each other, looking directly into each other's eyes. It had never been something Reiko had noticed to that point, due to always being in dark locations, or otherwise occupied, but she couldn't break away from Sarah's eyes. They were like looking into a deep pond. So mysterious. So wonderful. So beautiful. What were behind those eyes? It was at that moment that Reiko was finally able to decipher that weird feeling in her chest she had been feeling all night.
Love.
Reiko could not recall a more peaceful time in her life. Here, on this night, prom night, walking hand in hand with the first girl she had openly admitted to herself she was attracted to, not a soul around save the occasional car. Just her, Sarah, and silence. Not an awkward silence. A good silence. Peaceful. Their first chance to truly be alone after the roller coaster that was prom. That was all behind now though.
The tiny girl could feel her date shivering from the cold, so Reiko did her best to try and warm her up a bit, pressing herself closer to the other girl. Reiko had offered her suit jacket to Sarah earlier, despite it being way to small, but Sarah had politely declined. Reiko had expected as much from the stubborn girl, recalling how she had to practically yell at her to stop trying to do something stupid when they had their.... little mishap. She smiled inwardly at the memory. It was like some cheesy high school movie... only bloodier.... and more painful.
Reiko was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the weight on her hand pitch forward as Sarah stumbled. In a moment of panic, fearing Sarah would trip and hurt herself, the tiny girl's free hand shot across, gripping the other girl's shoulder tightly, but not in such a way as to hurt her. This was probably unnecessary, as Sarah had appeared to have gained her balance anyways, but this thought was lost on Reiko. Her simple movement had brought the two girl's faces within inches of each other, looking directly into each other's eyes. It had never been something Reiko had noticed to that point, due to always being in dark locations, or otherwise occupied, but she couldn't break away from Sarah's eyes. They were like looking into a deep pond. So mysterious. So wonderful. So beautiful. What were behind those eyes? It was at that moment that Reiko was finally able to decipher that weird feeling in her chest she had been feeling all night.
Love.
Sarah froze, suddenly finding herself looking straight into Reiko's eyes. She wanted nothing more right then than to take Reiko in her arms, hold onto her warmth and kiss her, forever if possible, but her action was halted by anxiety. The fact was, she'd never done it before, kissed someone that is, and she was nervous. She didn't want to mess it up or do the wrong thing or hurt Reiko or push her away. What if she poked her in the eye with her glasses or spagged on her face or something? And was it even the right place to do this? It was her first kiss; that was meant to be special right? They were just on some street near her house in St. Paul and she was freezing but what was wrong with that really? Where else could she want to be? She had Reiko, the opportunity and the motive so why couldn't she just go ahead and commit the crime?
Why was she doing this? She always made excuses for not doing what she wanted, always and she nearly always regretted it. And even when she'd tell herself that next time she'd do it right, next time she would do differently either she'd do the same again or "next time" would never come. Thinking about it was making her tear up and when she realised she was still centimetres away from Reiko's face and that she was seeing her get flustered and upset she only came closer to crying.
Suddenly, not really expecting it herself, she leaned forward and pecked Reiko on the lips. It felt nice. She pulled back and opened her eyes to see Reiko's reaction, biting her bottom lip like she always did when uncertain. She couldn't quite describe the look on her face but it definitely wasn't negative. And so she moved in for a second time, curling her arms around the smaller girl's waist, her motions somewhere between sensuous and awkward. For a second time she leaned forward, but this time she had no intention of pulling back.
Why was she doing this? She always made excuses for not doing what she wanted, always and she nearly always regretted it. And even when she'd tell herself that next time she'd do it right, next time she would do differently either she'd do the same again or "next time" would never come. Thinking about it was making her tear up and when she realised she was still centimetres away from Reiko's face and that she was seeing her get flustered and upset she only came closer to crying.
Suddenly, not really expecting it herself, she leaned forward and pecked Reiko on the lips. It felt nice. She pulled back and opened her eyes to see Reiko's reaction, biting her bottom lip like she always did when uncertain. She couldn't quite describe the look on her face but it definitely wasn't negative. And so she moved in for a second time, curling her arms around the smaller girl's waist, her motions somewhere between sensuous and awkward. For a second time she leaned forward, but this time she had no intention of pulling back.
Everything around Reiko seemed to slow, in much the same way she had often felt when she was in "the zone" while skating. Her senses seemed to flare up, and every small detail was accented. The sight of Sarah's face, the feel of her exposed skin on her hand, the pleasently faint smell from the other girl as her face inched closer. Then, Sarah kissed her.
A jolt of electricity shot through the small girl's body, from her lips all the way down to her toes. A dumb smile crossed her features, despite her attempts to hide it. She was actually surprised that Sarah had made the first move. She always looked so timid, the type who makes excuses for anything she wants to do. Not to mention she looked so adorable when she bit her lip like that.
Before Reiko could say anything, Sarah leaned in again, wrapping her arm around her waist. Reiko followed suit, her arm on the other girl's shoulder shifting around and resting around her neck. This time she returned the kiss, her movements a little more confident than Sarah's. Now time seemed to stand still as the two girls embraced, their lips connected in the purest expression of passion known to humankind. Despite the awkward, inexperienced motions of the larger girl, Reiko had never felt better in her life.
After what seemed like an eternity, Reiko broke the kiss, breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding on her ribcage, as if it was trying to break through her chest. The taste of Sarah's kiss lingered on her lips, and Reiko savoured it. She had a feeling tonight was going to be an interesting night to say the least. The smaller girl rested her head on the larger girl's shoulder, thankful they were in such close proximity, lest her legs gave out. No doubt they would have to get moving again soon, but right now Reiko was going to just enjoy the moment.
A jolt of electricity shot through the small girl's body, from her lips all the way down to her toes. A dumb smile crossed her features, despite her attempts to hide it. She was actually surprised that Sarah had made the first move. She always looked so timid, the type who makes excuses for anything she wants to do. Not to mention she looked so adorable when she bit her lip like that.
Before Reiko could say anything, Sarah leaned in again, wrapping her arm around her waist. Reiko followed suit, her arm on the other girl's shoulder shifting around and resting around her neck. This time she returned the kiss, her movements a little more confident than Sarah's. Now time seemed to stand still as the two girls embraced, their lips connected in the purest expression of passion known to humankind. Despite the awkward, inexperienced motions of the larger girl, Reiko had never felt better in her life.
After what seemed like an eternity, Reiko broke the kiss, breathing heavily. Her heart was pounding on her ribcage, as if it was trying to break through her chest. The taste of Sarah's kiss lingered on her lips, and Reiko savoured it. She had a feeling tonight was going to be an interesting night to say the least. The smaller girl rested her head on the larger girl's shoulder, thankful they were in such close proximity, lest her legs gave out. No doubt they would have to get moving again soon, but right now Reiko was going to just enjoy the moment.
Sarah wasn't thinking clichéd expressions of love as they kissed. She wasn't thinking much at all actually. Though there were a few things in her mind. The first was thinking how it felt really really really really nice. Really. The second was that she should probably try her hardest not to forget what it felt like. Because it was going to finish... eventually... Okay, probably no time soon, and she had the feeling remembering it would not be a problem. The last thing was how Reiko still had a trace of sugar from the brownie on her lips.
Eventually Reiko broke off the kiss, and as they stood there in each other's arms, Sarah felt like she could just melt. That would be nice. She laid her head against Reiko's and came as close to liquefaction as she could. They just stayed like that for a few minutes. Holding Reiko's body tightly and feeling her heartbeat going even faster than her own, she just felt so warm, so loved. And if it weren't for the cold breeze that crossed her back and sent a shiver ricocheting down her body that would have been all she felt. It seemed like a cue.
She gave Reiko another kiss on the cheek before she spoke again. "Let's get home." She waited until Reiko lifted her head off her shoulder before unwrapping herself. "It'll be warmer." She held much closer as they continued on their way than she had beforehand. Home wasn't far away now, just a couple more streets. She was looking forward to getting back into the warmth, having a mug of hot chocolate and spending more time with her love.
Eventually Reiko broke off the kiss, and as they stood there in each other's arms, Sarah felt like she could just melt. That would be nice. She laid her head against Reiko's and came as close to liquefaction as she could. They just stayed like that for a few minutes. Holding Reiko's body tightly and feeling her heartbeat going even faster than her own, she just felt so warm, so loved. And if it weren't for the cold breeze that crossed her back and sent a shiver ricocheting down her body that would have been all she felt. It seemed like a cue.
She gave Reiko another kiss on the cheek before she spoke again. "Let's get home." She waited until Reiko lifted her head off her shoulder before unwrapping herself. "It'll be warmer." She held much closer as they continued on their way than she had beforehand. Home wasn't far away now, just a couple more streets. She was looking forward to getting back into the warmth, having a mug of hot chocolate and spending more time with her love.
Reiko would be lying if she said she wasn't disappointed when Sarah said they should keep moving. If she had her way they would have just stayed there in each other's arms until who knews when. Although the prospect of being warmer was a good one. The small girl was used to cooler temperatures, mostly because of her figure skating. She was also usually moving while in those situations. The shivers coming off of Sarah were rather noticeable. It probably didn't help with what she was wearing either. Reiko tried her best to get in close with the girl, partly to keep her warm, and the other part being she just liked the feeling of the other girl's body. It just felt so.... natural.
As the pair walked in relative silence, looming closer and closer to their destination, Reiko couldn't help but think. How would Sarah's parents react? Knowing what little she did of them, she was confident that they wouldn't pose much of an issue accepting their relationship. Her real worry laid in what /her/ parents would think. If there was one thing about the Ishida household, it's that everyone was honest with each other, no exceptions. Coming out to them was going to be a challenge, but she would bridge that gap when the time came. Hopefully she'd be able to do so with the support of her sister, and ideally, with Sarah at her side.
"Hey..." Reiko said suddenly, not really expecting it. "I was wondering.... well, eventually we're going to have to... tell people. About us, that is. I mean, I don't want to hide from anyone just because people might view us negatively." As she was saying this, images of her friends popped into her mind. Paige, Amber, Carol, how would they react to finding out? Sure, Paige had probably put two and two together after her little outburst on her at prom, but how would she react to hearing it officially? Maybe she was just thinking too hard, and needed to enjoy the time she had now, and worry about stuff like that later.
As the pair walked in relative silence, looming closer and closer to their destination, Reiko couldn't help but think. How would Sarah's parents react? Knowing what little she did of them, she was confident that they wouldn't pose much of an issue accepting their relationship. Her real worry laid in what /her/ parents would think. If there was one thing about the Ishida household, it's that everyone was honest with each other, no exceptions. Coming out to them was going to be a challenge, but she would bridge that gap when the time came. Hopefully she'd be able to do so with the support of her sister, and ideally, with Sarah at her side.
"Hey..." Reiko said suddenly, not really expecting it. "I was wondering.... well, eventually we're going to have to... tell people. About us, that is. I mean, I don't want to hide from anyone just because people might view us negatively." As she was saying this, images of her friends popped into her mind. Paige, Amber, Carol, how would they react to finding out? Sure, Paige had probably put two and two together after her little outburst on her at prom, but how would she react to hearing it officially? Maybe she was just thinking too hard, and needed to enjoy the time she had now, and worry about stuff like that later.
As Reiko broke the silence Sarah found herself wondering the same thing. She hadn't really thought about it much. For her it wasn't such a big deal. Her family, maybe barring her brothers, knew she was a lesbian already and whether they'd figured it out or not she knew her friends wouldn't have much problem with it. She'd dropped enough 'hints' and then there was that incident with those mean-spirited, if accurate, rumours... Frankly, she thought it'd be surprising if this particular "revelation" actually came as a shock to anyone. Hell, her parents had pretty much known before she had.
It hadn't crossed her mind Reiko might not be in the same situation as she was. But now that it did, well, she wasn't really sure what to do. She hadn't really been in that situation herself so she didn't have much experience to work with. She knew she had to say something though, even if it was only to comfort Reiko. She didn't know how to solve all of her problems, but she could at least manage that.
"Hmm... We'll burn that bridge when we come to it I guess..." She loved that phrase, but it definitely wasn't enough for the situation. "I mean, my friends probably won't blink. .. I don't know about yours. I don't really know them well enough." One of her hands shot up to scratch at the back of her head. She really didn't know how to say the next part without sounding incredibly corny. "And you've always got me to help if you need me." With that, the arm she had around the smaller girl's waist held her a little tighter. Just to show she really meant it.
It hadn't crossed her mind Reiko might not be in the same situation as she was. But now that it did, well, she wasn't really sure what to do. She hadn't really been in that situation herself so she didn't have much experience to work with. She knew she had to say something though, even if it was only to comfort Reiko. She didn't know how to solve all of her problems, but she could at least manage that.
"Hmm... We'll burn that bridge when we come to it I guess..." She loved that phrase, but it definitely wasn't enough for the situation. "I mean, my friends probably won't blink. .. I don't know about yours. I don't really know them well enough." One of her hands shot up to scratch at the back of her head. She really didn't know how to say the next part without sounding incredibly corny. "And you've always got me to help if you need me." With that, the arm she had around the smaller girl's waist held her a little tighter. Just to show she really meant it.
Reiko smiled as Sarah gave her answer, following it with a reassuring squeeze. Her friends she didn't really worry about too much, although the reactions would be amusing to see. Paige would gossip about it for sure, and Amber would probably write an article for the school paper proclaiming something like "local school celebrity comes out"or something equally as dumb. Carol was a bit of an enigma when it came to her reaction, although she knew that she would probably be supportive of her. And then there was Ben. She didn't even want to think about how he would take the news of her coming out.
Her family would be a bit tougher to deal with. Reika would support her younger sister regardless, but her parents would not be pleased, her mother especially. She had always been a bit distraught at her younger daughter's behaviours, from the way she dressed to her weekend trips into the mountains, and everything in between. The news that her daughter was a lesbian would probably be a harsh blow to the poor woman's psyche, but over time she would come to appreciate Reiko for what she was.
"Thanks." Reiko said, a large smile on her face. "I know I can count on you if I need it. The two rounded the final corner, and almost directly in front of them was Sarah's house. The two walked in relative silence up the walkway until they were directly in front of the front door. The sweet aromas of a home cooked meal wafted over the two girls, and Reiko could feel her mouth watering from the smell. The two untangled themselves so Sarah could open the door, but not before Reiko snuck one last peck on the other girls cheek.
Her family would be a bit tougher to deal with. Reika would support her younger sister regardless, but her parents would not be pleased, her mother especially. She had always been a bit distraught at her younger daughter's behaviours, from the way she dressed to her weekend trips into the mountains, and everything in between. The news that her daughter was a lesbian would probably be a harsh blow to the poor woman's psyche, but over time she would come to appreciate Reiko for what she was.
"Thanks." Reiko said, a large smile on her face. "I know I can count on you if I need it. The two rounded the final corner, and almost directly in front of them was Sarah's house. The two walked in relative silence up the walkway until they were directly in front of the front door. The sweet aromas of a home cooked meal wafted over the two girls, and Reiko could feel her mouth watering from the smell. The two untangled themselves so Sarah could open the door, but not before Reiko snuck one last peck on the other girls cheek.
The Xu household somehow managed to be simultaneously undersized and monolithic. If they'd been living anywhere else but St Paul it would have been a squashed townhouse between a street of other, similarly squashed townhouses attached side to side. Luckily for them, and their neighbours, the city didn't seem to understand the concept of 'semi-urban residential' and so there was a respectable amount of space between their sometimes raucus household and everyone else. In any case, it's appearance reflected the fact it was inhabited by a 3 child household all of whom considered themselves "Revolutionaries" and not at all averse to a bit of scratched paint and clutter.
Sarah blushed a little with Reiko's last kiss as she fumbled around for the housekey in the unfamiliar pockets of her gown. Finding and inserting it she twisted the key just a little bit to the left, pushed it in a bit further than may have seemed necessary before dragging the entire thing clockwise. It wasn't that the lock on her front door was damaged so much as it was a little bit special. The heavy wooden door opened to the delicious smell of baked potatoes and some as yet unrecognised meat. The warm lights in the loungeroom were enough to illuminate the semi-carpeted hallway they'd just walked into. Sarah turned as Reiko closed the door behind the two. She was thinking about what she should do next, whether to do the possibly slightly cheesy "meet Reiko everyone!" thing or just act like there was nothing unusual and wait for her family to catch on. Her pondering was interrupted by the voice of her father calling from the kitchen. She whipped her head around to reply.
"Hui? Didn't expect you back so early! Dinner should be ready in about, oh, 10 minutes if you want some."
"Thanks Dad!" She'd normally have replied in Chinese but with Reiko there she'd felt she'd make it easier. It was also possibly the first hint to her father that something had changed. Not that it was likely for him to pick up on that.
Screw it, cheesy it was. She held out her hand and asked a quiet "Ready?".
With Reiko's agreement, and her hand, Sarah led the two into the loungeroom. Sitting in a couple of low, second hand and really very comfortable chairs was Sarah's mother and grandmother. Both lively women, both relatively healthy, though her grandmother was maybe an inch or two shorter and a pound or two heavier, and both wearing kind if slightly wicked smiles on their faces.
Sarah took a second to catch her breath before launching into it. "Mum, Wai, This is Reiko."
Sarah blushed a little with Reiko's last kiss as she fumbled around for the housekey in the unfamiliar pockets of her gown. Finding and inserting it she twisted the key just a little bit to the left, pushed it in a bit further than may have seemed necessary before dragging the entire thing clockwise. It wasn't that the lock on her front door was damaged so much as it was a little bit special. The heavy wooden door opened to the delicious smell of baked potatoes and some as yet unrecognised meat. The warm lights in the loungeroom were enough to illuminate the semi-carpeted hallway they'd just walked into. Sarah turned as Reiko closed the door behind the two. She was thinking about what she should do next, whether to do the possibly slightly cheesy "meet Reiko everyone!" thing or just act like there was nothing unusual and wait for her family to catch on. Her pondering was interrupted by the voice of her father calling from the kitchen. She whipped her head around to reply.
"Hui? Didn't expect you back so early! Dinner should be ready in about, oh, 10 minutes if you want some."
"Thanks Dad!" She'd normally have replied in Chinese but with Reiko there she'd felt she'd make it easier. It was also possibly the first hint to her father that something had changed. Not that it was likely for him to pick up on that.
Screw it, cheesy it was. She held out her hand and asked a quiet "Ready?".
With Reiko's agreement, and her hand, Sarah led the two into the loungeroom. Sitting in a couple of low, second hand and really very comfortable chairs was Sarah's mother and grandmother. Both lively women, both relatively healthy, though her grandmother was maybe an inch or two shorter and a pound or two heavier, and both wearing kind if slightly wicked smiles on their faces.
Sarah took a second to catch her breath before launching into it. "Mum, Wai, This is Reiko."