Whell, I got this to the point it is now months ago, and I'm blocking
on where to take it.
Comments, MSTs (should I be so lucky), and criticism  would all be
appreciated, as would your thoughts on where to take this ^^;
(or a title ^^;;; )

Thanks,
	Suika (as usual, 'fic after my .sig)
-- 
********************************************************************************
	  wa ga yo o ba				Which might be higher --
	kyou ka asu ka to		     these falls or the cascade
	  matsu kai no				of the tears I shed
	namida no taki to		     in vain hope of prospering
	izure takaken			     today or tomorrow?
			--from _Tales of Ise_ (c. 9th century)
********************************************************************************
<wroberts@tvi.cc.nm.us>        hail Eris!		*Suika*


------------------------------ cut here ------------------------------


	With a groan I flop the book over, setting it page-down on the pillow
as I think about the implications of what I just read.

	I'd taken C-ko's friendship to be a prize to be won, but hadn't
pursued it as such.  Instead I went after it like it was an object to be
captured, a zero-sum problem.

	How was I to know when I first met C-ko that she had been raised by
weird people, that she'd react that badly to Mariko-chan?  Even A-ko knows
Mariko-chan is cute.  So when C-ko reacted like that I didn't know what to do,
except blame A-ko for turning her against me.  A-ko isn't to blame, and I'd
have C-ko as a friend now if I hadn't alienated A-ko.  

	She is often ready to reconcile, so I shall see what is to be gained
in the morning.  With that I turn out the light, move the book to a safer
spot, mark my place with a bit of paper, go to sleep.


***

	I stand ready as I have every school day for the last six weeks since
they came back into my life, still in my uniform this morning.  I don't know
if this is the best course of action, in fact I fear it may be one of the
worst, but. . .

	There she is.  Walking up to the gate, laughing at something C-ko
said.  That alway has made me jealous.  She spots me, sends C-ko off to one
side, out of the expected path of battle to stand with my henchpersons.  She
walks up cautiously, ready for an attack.

	``B-ko, what is it this morning?  I do need to get an education.'' She
is always so angry with me of late.  Not that I can really blame her, what
with the fact that I have been attacking her every morning just about since
she arrived in town.  She's so pretty when her eyes flash like that.  Before I
can reconsider I act, flinging myself into motion as soon as she is close
enough that getting to her before she can move out of the way will not rip my
uniform off.   No sense wasting the things, as they are a bit of a pain to
replace.  She doesn't react fast enough to dodge for once, apparently she
wasn't as ready as she seemed.  Most likely she was waiting for me to shed the
uniform before my attack, as I usually do.  I am inside her guard, one hand
around her back, the other across the back of her head, my fingers twined
about her short red hair, before she starts to clue in.  Instants later I pull
her unresisting head down to mine, press my lips to hers.  She shifts, like she
almost wants to fight me off, then  starts to respond to the kiss, her lips
spreading against mine.  With a sudden gasp she tears herself away, making me
quite glad I didn't have a firm grip on her hair, for she pulled away fiercely
enough that she would have ripped it out, or perhaps broken my fingers.  I
really almost wish I had the suit on.  No, make that `It would have been nice
to have thought to design a set of modifications to the suit such that I could
have it half-on' since the fields would have kept my ribs from cracking like
that.  Dieties but that hurts.

	``B-ko!''  A-ko's voice sounds from just in front of where I have my
face pressed to the asphault, indicating she has dropped to her knees, and is
probably hovering with her hands just off me.  I force myself to sit up,
brushing my back across her hands as I do so.  Good, it seems only a couple
ribs are damaged.  ``Are you OK?''

	``I didn't have my suit on, what do you think?'' I snap, then
reconsider.  ``Pretty good, only a couple ribs cracked.  The suit doesn't
provide much protection when the fields are off, though.''  She looks pained.

	``I didn't think, sorry.  Let me help you up.'' I nod, let her help me
to the infirmary, sure that I would enjoy this a whole lot more if my ribs
weren't aching like they are.  Even so it is nicer to feel her hands with a
bit less force behind them than usual.  They feel so nice, so strong and
caring, instead of just strong.  I wish. . .

	``A-ko!  Careful!  I need to be able to breathe when you are done!'' I
almost squeek, as her careful, if inexpert, hands tape my ribs.  Do I want her
hands to roam just a bit higher?  I think so, but can I tell her that?  Not
now.  We're not in public, though.  Better wait 'til she's done taping, I
think.

	``Un, that's true.  You can't kiss me if you can't breathe.''  She
looks utterly appalled by that last sentance, a kind of `how could I have said
that!  she'll be angry with me' look.  I smile back, with a look that I hope
is reasuring.

	She kisses me quickly on the forehead, blushes, runs quickly out of
the room, leaving me to put my armor and uniform top back on by myself.  She
did a good job on my ribs, and I can manage without too much trouble.  It
would still be far easier with her to help.

***

	I knod to Ayumi-sensei as I walk into class, take my seat before going
back to my thoughts of the day before.  How could I have done that to myself?
Even more importantly why had it taken so long for me to straighten it out in
my head?  I know how easy it is to turn lust for something into something
else, but how did I turn jealousy so intense that it left me weak in the
knees, that it made me come up with dozens of evil plots to get her out of the
picture some final way, so that she knows that she is suffering for taking my
friend away from me, into the all-consuming lust of the last few weeks?  Was
it that I was convinced that A-ko wanted it that way?  Or that I felt sure I
couldn't win her, and set out to sabotage the relationship before it could
even begin?  Sadly the later course seems most likely.

	``A-ko chan, would you come for a walk with me after school?  I feel
that I need to talk to you about this morning.   B-ko.''  Not the best note
I've ever written, unless one is going on how much must be infered for it to
make any sense, which isn't a good measure.

	``I think we should too.  I have a feeling that this is really
important.  A-ko''  The little note comes back to me, and I notice the way
that she is still stroking mine, watching me read while attempting to look
like she is paying attention to Ayumi-sensei.  She doesn't succeed as well as
she might have, getting a face full of chalk dust and duster.  That is such a
strange term for chalkboard eraser that I like to use it a lot.  I hide my
face in my hand, thinking about lunch for the first time today, realize that I
had two bentou packed this morning, and I hadn't even noticed.

	``Daitoukuji-san!''  I look up, duck the flying duster as it almost
hits where it was aimed.  Blessed, but she's in a bad mood; generally she just
bouces it off the top of my head.  Calling my name so that I'll look up and
have it hit me in the face is something she reserves for when things really
turn out wrong.  I guess she's still upset about Kei.  How weird, that went
`poof' in this bout of self-examination, too.

	I look back at A-ko, catch her looking at me, look forward and begin
writing.  `A-ko, would you like to eat lunch with me? I seem to have packed
two bentou this morning.  B-ko'  Having seen just what C-ko's cooking will do
to a person, I don't expect her to refuse.  I fold the note carefully, pass it
back.  She reads it, knods, flinches, and I duck, the duster bouncing off my
head yet again.

	``Daitoukuji-san!  What is it with you this morning?''  Ayumi-sensei
asks for the first time in several weeks.  I think for a moment about the
proper answer.  Should I be smart, which will likely get me sent to stand in
the hall, and out of having to listen to her drone on about US history, a
subject that I have already covered in adequite depth, thank you very much, or
should I tell her the truth in some form or another.

	The truth.  Can't hurt too much.  ``I just remembered how cute
Magami-san is, sensei.  Isn't she cuter than Kei-kun?''  I smile at her, glad
that I have cameras in the room to catch A-ko's reaction, for as expected
Ayumi looks like a beached fish, her mouth flopping and no sound coming out as
she points to the hall, finally getting under control enough to emphaticly
order me out of the classroom.  I lean back against the wall, lost in
incoherent contemplation of A-ko, somehow keeping the ecchi thoughts that keep
popping up from taking over my mind, probably because it would be quite
embarassing to have someone see my expression.  Hun, I probably could keep my
face neutral . . .

	There is a thump from the room behind me before I can go any further
on that thought, and Ayumi-sensei's voice demanding an explanation from A-ko.
She makes an encouraging reply, one that echos mine, but with my name instead
of hers.  Ayumi manages to order her from the room faster than she could me,
so I think she may have been expecting it.

	A-ko leans back against the wall next to me, pulls a pen from one of
her pockets, writes quickly on the notebook she brought from class with her,
hands it to me.

	`B-ko, did you mean that back in class just a bit ago?  I was a little
surprised to hear it.  I'm quite flattered, though.'

	I reply by the same means, `Yep.  I was reading last night when I
realized that I wasn't going to get C-ko by the methods that I had been using,
that, in fact, the method that I had been using _could not_ work.  I think
that broke some of the barriers that I had been using to keep from thinking
about things, for I had two Bentou packed this morning, not three.  I didn't
think I was going to kiss you this morning until after I started moving
towards you.'  I watch her as she reads it, looks up, presses careful fingers
to my face, steps in close to me, and bends forward.  I close my eyes at the
feel of her lips on mine, press myself against her as firmly as I can before
my ribs start screaming at me, slide my hands over the fabric of her blouse as
her tounge presses against my own.

	*Briiiiing* the moment is shattered by the bell, and we break apart as
a torrent of students flows from the room, I hear a bit of giggling, but think
nothing of it until I look at A-ko's face.  I wasn't wearing lipstick, or at
least none that hadn't rubbed off of her face, and her's was a bit smudged.
Red lipstick just doesn't go well with my hair, I fear.

	We walk back into class as Ayumi-sensei leaves, pausing to glare at us
on the way out the door, and I smile sweetly back before I remember that I've
still got A-ko's lipstick on my face.  I glance up at A-ko and elbow her so
she'll remember to smile at Ayumi-sensei.  After a quick glance at me she does,
and Ayumi-sensei whirls and runs to her next class.  I sit down at my desk and
glare at the girl who normally sits next to me, my hand lightly on A-ko's arm.
She takes the hint remarkably well, fleeing to a vacant desk and taking her
stuff with her.

	``That wasn't terribly nice, you know.''  A-ko glares at me as she
takes her seat.

	``I originally bribed her to take that seat, so it shouldn't bother her
too much.  Now bring your stuf over here.  Please?''  I try to smile my
brightest smile, which I'm not so sure is very bright, but she comes over and
pecks me carefully on the cheek, assuredly leaving a bright red lip mark.  I
pull out a mirror but make no attempt to wipe it off, offer the mirror silently
to A-ko.  She takes it and fixes her lipstick, something I'd not seen her wear
before, at least not so far as I could remember.

	My next period teacher looks more than a little shell-shocked at the
sight of us sitting together, and she blinks several times when she takes in
the lipstick distribution.  I smile at her and she sways, looking quite like
she was going to faint.  She doesn't, though, and gets on with the english
lesson.  I rather dislike English, and this time I have something far better to
occupy my mind.  The english teacher is much more slack with throwing the
duster about, for which I am quite grateful.  Chalk dust just doesn't go with
lipstick.  I manage to avoid making a fool of myself for the next couple
periods, or at least any more of a fool than normal.  The last several weeks,
of course, don't count as normal.

	``B-ko, what is with you today?  I've never seen you get in this much
trouble before.''

	``I've not been plotting today.  I hope that I've caught what I wanted
all along.  Have I, A-ko?''

	``You've caught me, if that's what you mean.''