Great big thanks to C. Casta�eda(gab_ab@edsamail.com.ph)
who created 3 pieces of fantastic fanart of Kumiko,
which I've posted on my webpage for your viewing pleasure.
Make sure to e-mail him with how much you like them so
he'll be encouraged to do more. :)
Also slightly smaller thanks to Kichigai, Orlean, Richard
Beaubien, and Michael Hopcroft who all commented on the
last chapter and to everyone whose ever sent me comments
on this series. Those little notes of encouragement are
what makes me eager to work on this. :)
***
Kumiko the Demon-girl
(A Lime-flavored Original Fic)
By Ammadeau
Roy.Fokker@UNSpacy.org
http://www.thekeep.org/~amm/
Chapter 6: Soapsuds
***
Natsume smiled as she adjusted her glasses with one hand,
juggling the heavy shopping bag with the other. She was walking
among the other shoppers that thronged the sidewalks on that cool
night under the neon glare of night-time adverts.
It had been a good day. The financial situation with the
coffee shop had finally been settled, the last of the non-perishables
she needed were in her bag, and she had even made some headway
in cleaning the place up. The last was thanks to her two new
employees: Ken and his girlfriend Kumiko.
The sandy-haired woman sighed as she glanced up at the
bright stars, somehow managing to shine though the glare of city
lights. A good day, but not a great one. No meeting with Aomori-
san until after mid-terms, because her mentor wanted Natsume to
give her exams her full attention, and no one waiting for her when
she got home. It wasn't due to lack of trying; she had a track
record of rejections almost as impressive as Ken's, even though her
technique was a lot more subtle. Guys had hit on her often enough
to know that the problem wasn't with her looks, but then she had
no interest in men.
"That sounds like Ken and Kumiko," Natsume thought out-
loud as she heard voices coming from a nearby alley. She started
off in that direction, but then stopped, wondering if she really
should be intruding. Ducking into an alley probably meant they
wanted a little time alone for a quick... Natsume forced herself not
to think about it. Because she knew if she did, she'd just have to
peek. She was tentative friends with Kumiko and didn't want to
ruin that. Besides, the girl scared her a bit. Ken, on the other
hand, was fun to tease.
That was when Natsume heard a third, unfamiliar female
voice. A voice filled with such anger and sadness that she felt
moved by it even before she could make out the words. Feeling a
bit bad about it, but unable to control her curiosity, Natsume
leaned closer to listen in, thinking that the group had to be just
around the corner from her. She became so absorbed that she
failed to notice her glasses slipping closer and closer to the tip of
her nose.
"...you again, Kumiko, after... after... Somehow, you have
managed to sink even lower. I hope we shall never meet again,"
said the mysterious voice, ringing with a clear note of betrayal.
What could stir such powerful emotions? Despair and
melancholy bound together in a single act? Natsume could only
think of one thing: love. It became clear to her what had just
occurred. This woman had been in love with Kumiko. Whether
she ever had the chance to express that love, and what Kumiko
thought about it, Natsume did not know. That didn't change how
betrayed this woman felt at the sight of Kumiko and Ken together.
It surely must have broke her heart.
Natsume was so lost in thought that she wasn't paying
attention to where she was going and collided with something,
knocking her to the ground. The world became a vague blur as he
glasses were knocked from her face, landing with clinking sounds,
enticingly nearby. Natsume normally could perceive things close
up without any aid, but it was hard to see anything on the darkened
corner.
"Are you looking for these?" said the softest, most melodic,
and most importantly female, voice Natsume had ever heard as
gentle hands returned her missing glasses to her.
She hurriedly slipped her glasses back on, only to look up
into the concerned face of a beautiful woman, the streetlight
causing her strawberry-colored hair to shimmer like the waves of
the ocean under moonlight. Natsume could only stare, her mouth
hanging open in surprise.
"I apologize for knocking you down," the woman spoke in
a voice that was trying to remain calm, but threatened to break at
any moment. Natsume couldn't help watching her small pink lips
form each syllable. "Please forgive me."
"No, no, that's okay! I'm fine, really! There's nothing to
forgive!" Natsume said quickly as she sprang to her feet and
grinned, trying to reassure this distressed woman. She had to be
extremely kind-hearted to be so worried over accidentally
knocking someone over.
"But you have dropped your possessions because of me,"
the woman pointed out as she bent to gather them up again,
carefully placing them back in the bag as if they were fragile as
eggshells.
Natsume quickly came to her aid, frantically picking up her
misplaced items while covertly studying this woman; her long
silken hair, her light blue eyes, her summer dress that fluttered in
the light breeze, revealing a well-proportioned body underneath.
It suddenly clicked in Natsume's mind that this was the
woman who had spoken to Kumiko only a few short moments ago.
No wonder he voice sounded so troubled; this was a woman who
had been betrayed by the one she had loved. She looked like a
foreigner; probably had come from far way to see Kumiko again.
"Thanks," Natsume told her cheerfully as she hefted the
refilled shopping bag in one hand, offering the other to the woman.
"I'm Natsume Takemori, pleased to meet you."
The woman stared at her hand, as if weighing the idea of
introducing herself. With a barely perceptible shrug of her
shoulders, she accepted the handshake and told her, "My name is
Ayame. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Natsume-san."
"Now that we're both friends, why don't we get a cup a
coffee, and maybe a little dessert someplace?" Natsume offered
with a welcoming smile, blushing only slightly. "Looks like we
both could use it."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Natsume-san. I must be
going now," Ayame explained with a short bow as she started to
walk away.
"Wait a minute!" Natume shouted at her retreating form as
she dug around insider he bag while hurrying to catch up, all the
while muttering a small prayer for her glasses to stay on. Her
conscious wouldn't let her let a woman who was obviously still
hurting inside to just walk away like that. Besides, she couldn't
believe that it had been a freak accident them meeting like this, it
had to be fate, and Natsume wasn't the sort of person to let her
destiny escape her so easily.
Ayame paused, turning around to face the human woman,
and was surprised when a small flat rectangle was shoved into her
hands. She studied it, finding the name of the woman she had just
met neatly printed on one side, along with an address and
telephone number. She looked down at the woman with a
confused and questioning look.
"That's my business card, I'm starting my own business.
Just picked them up today," Natsume told her with a nervous grin.
"If you ever want to take me up on my coffee offer, just talk, or
even if you need a place to stay, give me a call. I'm usually
around."
Ayame nodded slowly as she slipped the card into her
pocket. "I will keep that in mind. Good-bye, Natsume-san."
"Good-bye, Ayame-san."
Once the beautiful woman could no longer be seen,
Natsume slumped up against the wall with a sigh of bliss. *I think
I'm in love.*
Kumiko still knelt on the ground, staring at the spot where
the angel Ayame had once rested. Her appearance had been
somewhat different from the last time she had seen her, but her
personality seemed mostly the same. Kumiko had seen her upset
many times in the past, but never this level of anger before. They
had been friends, so why did Ayame say that she never wanted to
see her again?
*Now that no one is in danger of getting sliced in half by a
flaming sword or slashed to ribbons by a whip, can you please tell
me what the heck just happened?!* Ken mentally shouted at the
voice that had so recently popped into his head, one that convinced
him to attack an angel.
Silence. If whoever or whatever had spoken before was
still listening, it wasn't bothering to answer him now. Well, there
was at least one other person could to tell him what was going on.
"Kumiko, what was that all about? I think if an angel was
after you, they'd use a... less dramatic way of going about it." Not
that he knew all that much about angels, but he would have
expected them to be a bit less violent.
"I don�t really know," Kumiko replied with a shrug of her
shoulders as she slowly got back to her feet. "Ayame-chan used to
be my friend. I have no idea what could make her react that way."
"How can a demon possibly be friends with an angel?" Ken
asked in confusion. It was more thinking out loud than anything
else, but he was surprised when Kumiko didn't give him some sort
of answer.
He turned to see that she was looking up at the star-filled
sky with a face that was mostly expressionless. She still seemed in
shock over what had just happened. He also noticed that the fight
had made her even dirtier, something he wouldn't have thought
possible considering how the both of them had been smeared with
ice cream. He decided that philosophical discussions could wait
until they'd both had a nice long shower.
Ken tapped the demon-girl on the shoulder, causing her to
look up at him in surprise. He gave her what he thought of as one
of her better smiles and said, "Let's go home now, okay?"
With a tentative smile on her lips, Kumiko nodded.
The sun had long since set, leaving the streets in darkness,
save for the occasional pool of light provided by a street-lamp and
the stars twinkling in the sky.
Ken guided Kumiko back to the main streets. There were a
few people there to give the two strange looks, but Ken just
ignored them. They didn't have any right to judge without
knowing everything he had just gone through. He was too irritated
and mentally exhausted to care anyway.
Kumiko walked along with her shoulders slumped and her
head down, dragging her feet to make scraping sounds against the
pavement. She hugged herself tight as she shivered slightly, but
didn't say a single word about the cold she must have been feeling.
She hadn't said anything to Ken at all since they had left the alley,
not even trying to hold his hand.
Instinctively, Ken wanted to rush over and comfort her, but
his mind kept him in check. He had slowly realized that this might
be the opportunity of a lifetime, especially when if he let this
chance pass him by, his lifetime wouldn't be for much longer. The
demon-girl was stunned, depressed, cold, vulnerable. If he was
able to alienate her further by playing up on this suffering, he just
might get rid of her without getting killed.
Emotionally, Ken was repelled by the very notion of being
so cruel, especially to a woman. Logically, he knew that Kumiko
would not hesitate to make him suffer, having done so a number of
times already despite only knowing her for a day. Why should he
have the tiniest particle of sympathy for her when she was
gleefully killing him bit by bit?
Ken took another step forward, only to choke as a collar
that suddenly materialized around his neck, cutting off his supply
of air. He turned around in anger to find out what he could have
possibly done to deserve this, only to see Kumiko some distance
from him, still staring at the ground as she walked forward at a
snail's pace.
The demon-girl looked so pathetic that Ken had to struggle
against the welling up of sympathy her felt. After a few moments
he decided it wasn't worth the effort. There was no way he could
think clearly at the moment. He needed to get home, have a
cleansing shower, a long rest, and consider all this in the morning.
If that meant missing out on an opportunity, then fine. With his
luck, he was likely to only make things worse anyway.
"Cold?" Ken asked her in a tone that he vainly tried to keep
neutral as he stood before her, looking down at the slouching
demon-girl.
"A little," Kumiko replied, looking away from him as if
embarrassed to admit her weakness.
"How about I carry you home then? My apartment isn't far
now," Ken said with a smile, holding his hands out to her.
Kumiko looked up at him in surprise, her eyes momentarily
regaining their normal light, but then she suddenly looked back at
the ground and muttered, "You don't have to."
Ken wondered what that was all about. He had been
bracing himself for when the demon-girl leapt into his arms.
Shaking his head slightly, he knelt to offer his back to her. "I
won't mind if we go this way, so hurry up and get on. We have to
get you home so you can warm up."
*Ken-chan,* Kumiko though in surprise, before nodding
with a smile and snuggling up to his warm body with a sigh of
pleasure. She wrapped her arms around his neck while encircling
his waist with her legs, pressing her body as close to him as she
could to block out the cold night. The demon-girl purred
contentedly, resting her head in the crook between his neck and
shoulder.
Ken blushed, not exactly prepared to be enveloped by soft
female flesh, made all the more enticing by the sounds of delight
that she made. He was too busy remembering how to walk to be
concerned about escaping her clutches at the moment.
It shouldn't have been difficult for an angel with full
control of her abilities to find a place where she could be alone and
unobserved. Ayame had to wander around in the guise of a human
for some time, however, before she was able to regain that level of
control.
With a sigh, she threw off her disguise and was an angel
once more, flying to a secluded place where she could report on
the colossal failure her assignment had become. She would offer
no excuses and calmly accept whatever they judged a fitting
punishment for her failure. She fully expected that the decision to
instate her as a full angel would be overturned. Instead, she would
be allowed to pass on. After seeing Kumiko again, especially what
she had become, Ayame no longer feared that fate. She found
comfort in the idea of her own non-existence.
Ayame's fingertip began to glow with a pale blue light as
she traced a circle in the air before her, blue trail linking back to
itself like a serpent biting its tail. "Noriaki, Angel of Investigation,
I humbly request an audience with thee."
As she finished the incantation, the interior of the circle
suddenly shone with a flash of silvery light, only to fade, revealing
the visage of her superior. "Greetings, Ayame. How is... why are
you doing that?" he ended in a confused tone.
Ayame was on her knees before him, her head bowed so it
touched the floor. "Sir, I have made a horrible mess of the mission
you have honored me with. I can offer no excuses for my actions.
I allowed emotion to cloud--"
"What happened exactly?" Noriaki interrupted, having half-
expected this. This wasn't the first time Ayame had lamented to
him about her failure, and it was usually over some tiny detail that
hadn't made any difference anyway. "And please stand up. It's
difficult to speak to you this way."
"Sorry, sir," Ayame apologized quickly as she stood up
straight.
"Are you all right, Ayame?" he asked her very softly, now
seeing the twin trails of moisture that fell from her eyes. Perhaps
she hadn't been ready for the human world after all. He knew from
his own experiences that it could be a strange and confusing place.
"I'm fine, sir," she replied, absently wiping her tears away.
*How mortifying,* she thought, not even realizing before that
she'd been crying. "Due to... complex circumstances, I allowed
myself to be seen in my angelic form by the boy, sir."
"There was a risk of that happening all along," Noriaki
reassured her. "As I have told you, this is no ordinary boy. I do
not see this as being a problem, as long as no other human saw
your angelic aspect."
"No, no other human did, sir," Ayame confirmed, then
added. "But that is only one of the grave errors which I have
made. After confirming the presence of the demon..."
"So there is a demon interfering with the boy after all,"
Noriaki interrupted. "The Great Chorus believed the rumor to be
true, though they very much wished it were otherwise. This may
require action."
"Sir, I have not yet explained my shame," Ayame told him,
struggling with herself. Just thinking about it again was bringing
the same emotions out of her, emotions she had no wish to feel
again. "After I witnessed what the boy and... the demon were
doing... I... I lost my temper and I'm afraid that in my rage, I
attacked the demon and the boy as well."
"Attacked?" Noriaki repeating, looking completely
astonished.
"Yes, sir," Ayame confirmed with her head bowed. "It was
fortunate that no one was harmed."
"What did this demon and the boy do to drive you to such a
state?" Noriaki asked, still sounding confused. With good reason
as he had never seen Ayame be anything but kind to anyone she
had met, whether they deserved such kindness or not. He could
not conceive of anything that could drive her to a murderous
frenzy.
Ayame blushed deeply and stuttered out, "They were... they
were..."
"They were what?" Noriaki prompted.
The angel-girl's face turned as red as he hair, finding
herself unable to say those words.
After a moment of thought, Noriaki said in a shocked tone,
"You don't mean a... close relationship?"
"Very close, sir," Ayame confirmed, still blushing.
"I will need to confer with the Great Chorus about this. It
is one scenario that no one seems to have anticipated," Noriaki
said, then his image wavered and faded, though the blue circle
continued to glow with a steady light.
Ayame sagged to her knees, letting out a breath she didn't
realize she was holding. This one mission was turning out to be
harder than all of her assignments over a nearly a century
combined. She felt drained; unable to concentrate on much of
anything except the desire for a cleansing mediation, or even a
long nap.
She couldn't help thinking how strange it was that being
seen by a human was almost a non-issue. Heaven had been
working to keep its true identity from humans even since its
inception, and the accounts that filled their religions were normally
due to slip-ups by careless angels. The reason for keeping this
secret was quite practical, as it would dramatically alter the way
humans live their mortal lives. Then again, if this boy could...
know a demon so well, he would have strongly assumed the
existence of Heaven anyhow.
With a small flash of silver light, Noriaki's image
reappeared. His face was now a mask, not revealing the smallest
notion of the news he was about to impart.
"Ayame, you have completed the mission given to you.
However, due to the rash actions you have taken, the Great Chorus
have decided to delay your instatement to full angel status for a
period of one year. During that time, you will remain on Earth and
keep a careful watch on Kensuke Iwakami, making regular reports
to me. Is this clear, Ayame?"
"Yes, sir," the angel-girl replied in the best professional
tone she could manage. It was far better than she thought she
deserved. She would do her best to make up for her mistakes, even
if it meant seeing that... demon again.
"Good," Noriaki told her, his mask breaking with a smile.
"You should be aware that some of your powers won't work in the
human world, while others will be greatly reduced. What I'm
getting at is... do you have a place to stay? The Great Chorus want
you to do everything yourself as a test, but I could probably
arrange something without them knowing..."
"That won't be necessary, sir," Ayame assured him with
what she hoped was a comforting smile as she fingered the
business card in her pocket. "I believe I can manage that myself."
Ken was thankful that Kumiko had elected to walk herself
once they entered the warmth of his apartment building. Giving
her a piggyback ride wasn't nearly as exhausting as carrying her in
his arms, but it was much more distracting. He nearly walked into
walls and poles several times, not to mention the occasional
passer-by. It might not have been so dangerous if she didn�t
squirm so much, but for some reason he never thought to tell her
not to.
Kumiko was had her arm around him, leaning her head on
his shoulder with a contented smile as he fumbled to unlock the
door of his apartment. She looked like she was back to her normal
self, telling him that he'd missed his chance to get rid of her.
Somehow though, he couldn't make himself care right now.
Shower and sleep occupied his thoughts.
"We're... home?" Ken began to announce, only to blink in
confusion as a wave of cold air broke over him, causing both he
and the demon-girl to shiver.
His room was a mess; even more of a mess than he had left
it in. Papers were scattered about on the floor among random
volumes of manga spilled from his bookcase. His matress had
been knocked off his bed and his dresser tipped over. Even one of
his precious wall scrolls had been shorn in half by something.
Among all of this lay shards of glass like scattered snowflakes, a
trail leading to a shattered window from which cold air poured in.
"Shut the door, it's cold!" Kumiko suddenly snapped at him
as she rubbed her arms for warmth.
"But we have to go inside, Kumiko. It's my apartment,"
Ken explained to her as patiently as he could, in no mood to be
yelled at. "Do you think that angel did this?"
"Why would Ayame-chan do something to your stupid
apartment?" Kumiko asked with narrowed eyes.
"It is not stupid!" Ken shouted back. He had to go through
a lot of trouble to get this apartment, but it was worth it. It was just
the right size, walking distance of the campus, and even had its
own shower. He wasn't going to stand for it to be insulted by some
ignorant demon-girl.
"It's stupid! It's stupid!" Kumiko insisted, stomping her
foot for emphasis. "What good is such a cold place?"
"Look, I'm not the one who broke the window!" Ken told
her heatedly with an upraised finger. "It's not my fault, so stop
getting angry at me!"
Kumiko's eyes narrowed to slits as with a hard tug, the
collar appeared around Ken's neck, bringing them eye to eye. "It's
your stupid apartment, so do something about it, slave!"
With that, she shoved him inside, causing Ken to land
painfully on his back. But he was so enraged at the moment he
didn't even feel it, not even the scratches caused by the glass as he
cut and bled.
Ken stood, totally ignoring the demon-girl girl as he
examined the problem of the shattered window. He quickly noted
that his bookcase was large enough to block the hole, and with a
few blankets for insulation, should be fine for just the night.
First clearing the path with his hands, not even caring about
the sharp glass, he got to the side of the bookcase and gave it a
good shove, finding that he could hardly budge its weight. If he
had been thinking clearly, he might have considering emptying the
bookcase before moving it, but now he just shoved it even harder,
getting more angry as it failed to move more than a few
centimeters.
Ken leaned back and gave the bookcase one last shove with
all of his might, surprised that it moved so easily in place that he
fell to the ground. Accepting the hand to help him up, he came
face to face with the demon-girl. It was then he realized that it was
Kumiko who had shoved the bookcase into place, and not his own
feeble strength.
Kumiko's lips trembled, looking ready to burst into tears at
any moment. "I'm... sorry for getting mad at you," she said, her
voice nearly breaking from the difficulty of getting the words out.
"You're not going to say that you never want to see me again like
Ayame-chan. Are you, Ken-chan?"
Shock was something that Ken was coming more and more
familiar with as he got to know this demon-girl, but never in his
life had he been more shocked than he was at that moment. Ken
thought that she simply saw him as her slave, who she was only
kind to if she also benefited in some way. He never thought that
his feelings towards her would ever make any difference to
Kumiko. If the loss of a friend could make her this insecure,
maybe she wasn't so self-centered after all.
This was also a great opportunity, he realized. With the
right words here he would never have to see the whip again, or he
could even... he could... his thoughts trailed off as tears began to
spill from the demon-girl's eyes. Without a word he reached out
and held her close to him, stroking her hair as she cried on his
chest.
*I really am spineless,* he thought, unable to say anything
that might deepen the hurt she was feeling now.
"Warm," Kumiko said with a small giggle after her brief
storm of tears had passed.
Ken released her, blinking to realize she was back to her
true self once again; red eyes, bat wings, and all. She smiled up at
him, exposing the tips of her fangs, her normally cute appearance
spoiled by her wet and dirty face. He also noted that her body was
still filthy even though she had reverted to her black leather outfit,
causing him to idly wonder how her change worked exactly.
"How about a nice hot shower and a long nap?" Ken asked
her with a smile.
"Umm!" Kumiko agreed with enthusiastic nod, picking him
up and heading for the bathroom.
*Here we go again,* Ken thought, unable to contain his
amusement.
Natsume knew it was late and she had an exam the next
day, but she couldn't sleep when there was so much work left to do
on the coffee shop. The cleaning she had done with the help of
Ken and Kumiko had only revealed what a shabby state the place
was in. Repainting would have to wait for when she had more
time, and more help, but there was a hundred little things she could
start getting done now. Not to mention she kept seeing that
beautiful woman every time she closed her eyes.
*Ayame-san.* As she polished the countertop, her
thoughts kept straying to the woman she had only just met, who
might have well been Kumiko's former lo-- She stopped that
thought before it could be completed, knowing that it would only
stir up sadness or other unwanted emotions in her now.
Like wondering why Kumiko had chosen Ken of all people.
Natsume knew better than anyone what a nice guy Ken could be
and he was handsome after a fashion, but there wasn't anything
particularly special about him that she had noticed. Nothing that
made him worthy of setting aside such a... awe-inspiring woman.
Still, Natsume couldn't help feeling sorry for Ayame. To
come from America or some other place far off, filled with such
hope for a joyful reunion, only to have it so casually crushed,
running into the person she most wanted to meet at the worst
possible time. It must have been the shock of her life.
Ayame was clearly a strong woman to keep from breaking
down, but Natsume knew from experience that she'd feel much
better if she talked it out with someone willing to listen, someone
who had gone through something similar herself, someone like...
Natsume shook her head. Now who was the one filling
herself up with false hope? Better to crush it now. Ayame was
probably already on a plane bound for home, doing her best to
forget all about Japan and everyone she had met there. For their
paths to accidentally cross a second time... Natsume knew she
didn't have that kind of luck.
A knocking at the door startled Natsume out of her
thoughts, which was a good thing as she realized she had been
polishing the same spot for over ten minutes now. She wondered
who could be knocking this late at night, but figured it must be
someone who had saw the lights on and wanted a quick cup of
coffee. While Natsume would have loved to welcome her first
customer, she hadn't even set up the coffee machines yet, having
set them aside until the cleaning was done. She snatched up her
glasses and made her way to the door.
"Sorry, but we're not open... yet...," Natsume began to say
as she opened the door and fumbled with her glasses, only for her
voice to trail off when she clearly saw who her late night visitor
was.
"Good evening, Natsume-san," Ayame told her with a bow.
"I'm deeply sorry to ask this of you, but I currently have no place
of residence and no currency to pay for a hotel room. Since you
mentioned it earlier, I was wondering if it wouldn't be too much of
an inconvenience to put me up for the night."
After a few minutes of silence passed, Ayame stood up
straight to see that Natsume was staring up at her blankly, as still
as a statue. She hardly seemed to be breathing. "I'm sorry to have
troubled you," the angel said with a short bow and made to depart.
"No, wait!" Natsume shouted, instinctively grabbing the
woman's wrist to keep her from leaving. *Smooth, girl,* she
thought to herself. *Fate finally throws you a bone and you freeze
up.*
Ayame turned back to face the girl, studying her curiously.
The angel had spent a great deal of time studying about humans,
but she could not understand Natsume's earlier reaction, or the
panic that seemed to fill her now. This woman must have a truly
charitable nature to become so concerned over a complete stranger.
"I was just surprised to see you again so soon," Natsume
explained nervously as she released the other woman's wrist, trying
hard to not think about how soft her skin had felt. "I'd be...
honored if you stayed with me. I mean, the place isn't really ready
for guests, but you're more than welcome to stay."
"Thank you, Natsume-san," Ayame said formally, bowing
deeply to the sandy-haired girl.
"Don't... don't mention it," Natsume replied, adjusting her
glasses in attempt to hide her nervousness, though the blush that
freckled her cheeks still gave her away. "You must have had a
long day... to still be out so late. I'll show you where you can
sleep, unless you'd like a bath first."
"Bath?" Ayame repeated curiously as she followed
Natsume into the still-disheveled interior of the coffee shop. The
angel certainly felt the need to cleanse herself several times over
after her recent experience; a bath would be most welcome. It
would relax her body and help to forget about... her.
"Yes, a bath," Natsume replied, her blush deepening a bit
as she quickly lead the other woman up the stairs, embarrassed
over the current untidy state of her coffee shop. "I was just about
to take one myself. My furo is big enough for two so we could
take our baths together and talk a bit... that is if you don't mind."
"Why should I mind?" Ayame said, blinking in surprise.
She knew that she herself was often overly careful not to give
offense, but could not think of a reason for this girl to act so. It
should have been the other way around. Could she have somehow
figured out Ayame's true nature? It didn't seem possible, but the
angel decided to do her best to put her host at ease. It was the least
she could do in return for her generosity and thoughtfulness.
"Some people will only bathe alone," Natsume explained,
finding that her initial nervousness had faded somewhat. "I just
thought that you might be one of those people."
"I would be a poor guest to keep your furo all to myself,"
Ayame said, now remembering the quaint notion of privacy that
most humans had. It seem to the angel to serve no purpose, other
than to conceal deeds that shouldn't be done in the first place. She
didn't like the idea of secrets. Noting her host's continued
nervousness, Ayame smiled at the girl and added, "Besides, I find
you excellent company, Natsume-san."
The angel wondered if she had said the wrong thing since it
seemed to make the girl much more nervous than less. Ayame
sighed mentally; studying humans for nearly a century hadn't
prepared her for interacting with one face to face like this. She
would simply have to do her best and hope that she didn't make too
many mistakes.
"You're bleeding, Ken-chan," Kumiko pointed out casually
as she held his hand up for inspection.
Ken's second shower with the demon-girl was turning out
to be much more subdued than the first. Kumiko lathered him up
while he returned the favor, the water that rained down upon them
washing the soap and grime away, swirling and vanishing down
the drain. He kept expecting, half-hoping, that Kumiko's light
touch would lead to something else, but she continued to smile,
content with this simple act. Perhaps she had already reached her
quota of soul bits for the day.
Because of Kumiko's emotional outburst and this oddly
peaceful shower, he had forgotten all about the broken glass that
had cut into him. He held his hand up, watching as it turned the
water red. "I guess I am," he replied amused, hardly feeling the
cuts at all.
"And there's a big spot on your back," Kumiko added,
poking the cut in question.
"Oww!" Ken shouted, bending over in pain. He had
definitely felt that one. It must have been from when the demon-
girl had tossed him in the room, landing hard on a bed of broken
glass. He couldn't get angry at her for this; he should have known
better to antagonize her, especially after watching her get spurned
by what seemed to be a close friend.
Very tentatively, he reached out and touched the cut
himself, flinching in renewed pain, but reassured that it wasn't
anything serious. After nearly being cut in half by a flaming sword
wielded by a furious angel, it would have been very anticlimactic
to be done in by a few shards of broken glass.
"Could you not touch the cut anymore please, Kumiko?"
Ken asked, wincing for the third time.
The demon-girl giggled a bit nervously. "Sorry, Ken-chan.
I was just curious. I normally don't get to see blood up this close,
and those were from dead humans so I guess it's a bit different.
You do stop bleeding eventually, right?"
Ken nodded, wondering if it was just wishful thinking to
hear a note of worry in her voice. "Yeah, humans are fragile, but
we heal pretty quickly. Most of these should be okay by morning.
And I wouldn't have these cuts in the first place if I had been more
careful about the broken glass."
"You mean these?" Kumiko asked, holding up a shard of
glass about the size of her finger, peering at it closely. "They use
this stuff in Hell for various things, but I never noticed how nice
and shiny it was before!"
Ken briefly wondered where she could have been hiding
that, standing completely naked in the shower with him, even
without her larger wings or tail. When his head started to hurt, he
shrugged and added it to the mental list of things he would ask the
demon-girl about someday when he wouldn't be too afraid of the
answers. He had a feeling that it would be a very long list by the
time he finally got up the nerve to ask.
"Yes, it is shiny, but it's also very sharp, sharp enough to
cut fragile human skin," Ken told her, hoping she'd get the point
that it was not a good idea to use it on him.
Her eyes filled with curiosity, Kumiko dragged the
glittering shard across her forearm, pressing deeply but not leaving
so much as a mark behind. She smiled as she rubbed her smooth
pale skin, the shard of glass having vanished somehow.
"Demon-girl's are a bit more durable than humans," Ken
said with a smile as he shut off the shower, deciding that they were
as clean as they could possibly be, and knowing that it probably
wouldn't last for very long anyway. If all they were going to do
was shower, there wasn't much point in extending it.
Kumiko nodded absently as Ken began to towel her off,
presenting various parts of her body to him to be dried. "We don't
bleed either, at least I think we don't. I never seen a demon who
did."
"Well, bleeding is definitely not a good thing, so I better
find some gloves before I clean up the rest of the glass out there,"
Ken said as he rubbed the demon-girl's hair dry, eliciting a string
of muffled giggles. Her hair looked just like normal human hair,
except for the color, but each strand felt as strong as steel. He was
also a bit surprised that the sight of her little bat wings on the top
of her head no longer phased him. Had he become used to this
demon-girl already?
"You can borrow my gloves if you want," Kumiko offered
as she began to towel Ken down, starting with his feet and working
her way up. He was surprised by this sudden service, last time she
had simply ignored him after he had dried her off, but he wasn't
about to complain.
"I don't think you're gloves will fit me," Ken replied,
wishing that Kumiko wasn't quite so rough with the towel. He had
enough things to replace is it was. Besides, her naked form
kneeling before him was causing a whole different kind of
nervousness.
"Well, I suppose I could pick up the glass," Kumiko said as
she finished drying him off, ending by planting a kiss on the end of
his nose. "But that'll mean that you owe me a favor."
Ken could have pointed out all the things he had done for
her, especially the dinner bill which still hurt to think about, but he
didn't want to upset this sudden change in their relationship. It was
far better than having to do whatever she said because he was her
slave, but he reflected that with his luck this change would only be
temporary. Once the demon-girl had regained her confidence after
losing her friend, it would be back to slave duty again.
Both clean and dressed, with Kumiko in her demonic form
sans large wings and tail, they proceeded to neaten up the
apartment. The demon-girl went on a hunt for broken glass while
Ken did his best to insulate the bookcase by stuffing blankets
around it and then tidying up the room. He finished by returning
his bed to the proper state, adding a sheet to replace the one
Kumiko had so casually sliced in half.
Instead of just throwing the glass away, Kumiko had
emptied out a large jar that Ken had kept random items in and
filled it with the reflective shards, which she now twirled around in
her hands to watch the ways the shattered glass caught the light.
Ken decided it was a better idea to tend his wounds than complain
about his things dumped on the floor though. Kumiko seemed to
be in a good mood now and he thought it would be very bad for
him to spoil it.
Ken laid down and shut his eyes. Saying that it had been a
long day would be the understatement of the century. It felt as if
someone had crammed all the activities of a month into just
twenty-four hours. So much had happened, so much to think
about, but in the end he couldn't ignore his body's desperate cry for
sleep. In short, it had been a long day and he was worn out.
"Ken-chan," Kumiko whispered into his ear as she
snuggled up at his side. He could feel the silver buttons of her
leather outfit pressing up against him. "What are you doing?"
"Going to sleep, Kumiko," he replied. "It's very late."
"But you can't sleep yet!" Kumiko exclaimed as she
dragged him up in a sitting position.
Ken felt the room lurch and sway around him, reminding
him unpleasantly of the only time he'd been drunk. Thankfully,
this one wasn't accompanied by the urge to lose his dinner. "I'm...
really tired, Kumiko. I'm sorry, but I need to sleep. I'll do
whatever you want in the morning."
"You still owe me a favor," the demon-girl pointed out with
a grin as her hand tip-toed its way up his chest, her sharp nails
thankfully leaving no marks as they passed.
*Not now,* Ken thought with a slight frown. Any other
time he'd gladly, well at least half-willingly, have sex with this
cute demon-girl, thereby surrendering up a small piece of his soul
that she may continue to exist, but right now was the worst
possible time. She may react badly to being told no, but he had a
feeling she'd react worse if he feel asleep in the middle of...
"You're supposed to teach me table manners!" Kumiko
interrupted his thoughts as she shook him by the shoulders. "You
promised to earlier, remember?"
Ken found that the demon-girl's shaking him was adding
the feeling of nausea that had been previously missing from his
pseudo-drunken state, and wished she'd stop, though at the moment
lacked the ability to tell her so. Instead, he closed his eyes to keep
the room from swirling like watercolors poured down the drain.
"Ken-chan?" Kumiko asked with a blink as she stopped
shaking her slave to study him intently. He looked paler than
normal, which she took as a good sign since it was her normal skin
tone, but the way his mouth just hung open with his eyes shut did
look a bit odd.
Ken blinked and shook his head, immediately wishing that
he hadn't. "Ahh, I can't teach you any of that now, Kumiko.
There's no food left in the apartment and no stores are open this
late. So how about we wait until the morning, okay? If we go to
sleep now, it'll be morning before you know it," Ken said as he
attempted to smile at the three Kumikos he saw, hoping that
demon-girls didn't know about twenty four hour convenience
stores.
"Well, okay," Kumiko agreed after a minute or so of
thought. "But first..."
The demon-girl trailed off as she slipped out of her skimpy
black leather outfit to reveal pale skin underneath, skin that was
hot to the touch as she brought Ken's hands to her stomach,
guiding them upward.
*Well, I don't need to go to sleep right away,* Ken thought
as he drew Kumiko in for a kiss.
Natsume was trying to keep her arms from trembling,
without much success, as she took out something to wear after her
bath. Everything else she needed was already conveniently placed
in the furo. "Umm, do you have anything clean to wear after... you
know, the bath?"
Ayame shook her head absently as she continued to take in
her host's bedroom. It was small and cluttered, yet a conscious
effort had been made to keep the place neat, everything kept in
some semblance of order despite the lack of space. While the
angel found it more than a bit cramped, especially considering the
vast galleries she was used to, it would still be a pleasant place to
spend the night. She would have no worries about not being able
to meditate here.
"I suppose you can wear some of my things," Natsume said
as she frantically struggled to keep her glasses on her face. "Even
though you're much... taller than I am, one of my night shirts
should still fit you."
"Thank you, that's very kind of you, Natsume-san," Ayame
told the sandy-haired girl with a smile. She had learned about the
nudity taboo that humans had, which she agreed with in public
matters, for it would be much too embarrassing for herself to go
unclothed in public, but in private she didn't quite understand the
concern. She had thought that things would be more relaxed
among members of the same sex, especially when they were going
to be taking a bath together.
*I'm not sure I'm ready for this,* Natsume thought
nervously as she lead her guest slowly down the hall with the furo
as their ultimate destination. She had hoped and dreamed for a
moment like this, but now that it had come she was finding herself
very unprepared. "Maybe we should take separate baths after all.
You probably want to get right to bed..."
"I'm certainly in no rush," Ayame replied with a slightly
puzzled look. "I would like to relax in your furo as long as you
will permit, but if you are uncomfortable in my company..."
"No, no, no, that's not it!" Natsume reassured her with a
violent shake of her head, stopping before the door of the furo.
"It's just that... well, I'm not used to having guests and I suppose
I'm a bit nervous about saying or doing the wrong thing."
Natsume could feel her heart stop when Ayame put her
hand on her shoulder, staring down at her with those blue eyes, so
wide and deep that the smaller woman felt lost in their hypnotic
gaze. As such she couldn't be sure when her heart started up again,
but the blood was soon pounding in her ears, a pounding that
nearly drowned out the sound of the woman's voice.
"You are very kind to be so concerned, Natsume-san,"
Ayame told her softly. "But I'd much rather you be less worried
and risk some slight against me than to act so nervous around me.
I know better than anyone the desire to make a good impression, so
I promise not to be offended, okay?"
Natsume began to return to normal, until the woman
smiled; the most perfect, angelic smile the sandy-haired girl had
ever seen. Her mind suddenly snapped to attention, realizing that
Ayame was expecting an answer. "Okay, I'll try, but I hope it
won't offend you if I'm still a bit nervous."
*Why does she have to have a laugh like that,* Natsume
thought in near despair. It wasn't a horrible bitch laugh, a snort, a
chuckle, or even a giggle; it was a rich, melodious sound that was
nearly music, providing amusement just to be heard.
With an almost inhuman effort, Natsume managed to lead
Ayame inside the small room outside the furo proper without
tripping over her own feet, losing her glasses, or otherwise
embarrassing herself. With hands that were only shaking slightly,
she offered the other woman a small bucket filled with assorted
bath things and a large fluffy towel. "Here you go, guests first."
Ayame accepted the bucket and towel with a grateful nod.
"Thank you, Natsume-san."
Natsume nodded absently as she became intensely busy in
getting her own things ready as her guest prepared herself for her
bath.
The angel-girl slipped out of her summer dress and then her
underwear, folding them carefully and setting them on the shelf.
Then she stretched a bit, her body feeling the strain of her recent
ordeal. She wished she could have assumed her full angelic aspect
to become completely comfortable, hiding her wings always made
her feel a bit off balance, but she would just have to make do.
With one last puzzled glance at her host, who seemed to be
muttering to herself, Ayame slid open the glass door and entered
the furo proper, setting her bucket beside the showerhead while
seating herself down on the small stool there. She hummed a bit as
she began to meticulously sort through and set aside the bucket's
contents until it was empty. As she filled the bucket up with cold
water, she wonder what could be keeping Natsume, who she hadn't
heard enter.
"Is something the matter, Natsume-san?" Ayame called
back to her, tilting her head to see the other girl still seemed to be
going through her bath things. "Is there anything I can assist you
with?"
"No, I'm fine!" Natsume replied quickly as she glanced at
the vague blur out of the corner of her glasses. "I was looking for
my other soap, but I just found it!"
Natsume realized that she hadn't felt quite as nervous
talking to Ayame as she had been before, which was strange as
now the girl was completely naked; not that she could tell without
looking through her glasses... her glasses.
Quickly setting aside the eyewear in question, Natsume
stripped out of her clothes and slowly approached the other stool
next to Ayame, carrying her bucket out before her as if to
forcefully keep her distance from the other girl. Without her
glasses on, the beautiful woman was merely a vague blur that no
longer had quite the effect she had on her before. There still was
her voice to deal with, but Natsume was sure she could avoid
making a complete idiot out of herself now.
A splash and a relieved sigh from Ayame as Natsume felt
drops of cold water strike her skin. "That feels so good," the
strawberry-haired woman commented idly as she got her soap
ready.
"Yes, it does," Natsume agreed, deciding that cold water
was exactly what she needed she quickly filled up the bucket and
dumped it over her head. She shivered, her skin going a bit numb,
but it quelled the heat that had been rising from her body.
As she rolled the soap between the palms of her hands,
Ayame mentally reviewed what she knew about human bathing
practices, especially among the Japanese. What she really wanted
was some way she could repay her host, even in a small way, for
this wonderful experience. The cool water combined with
Natsume's open friendliness were making her feel much better
already. There, she remembered something. "Shall I wash your
back, Natsume-san?"
Natsume nearly jumped in surprise. That had been the last
thing she had been expecting, especially from a woman whose
heart had been so recently broken. Was Ayame actually coming
on to her? It could be like a rebound thing, to get over her loss,
which Natsume wouldn't feel right about accepting, not liking the
idea of taking advantage of her. Then again Ayame seemed like a
genuinely nice person and this could just be her way of being
friendly. Natsume couldn't well refuse if this was the woman's
way of opening up to her; it would mean her being rejected twice
in one night.
"Sure, I guess that's okay," Natsume replied with only a
trace of nervousness in her voice, keeping her eyes on the far wall
and away from Ayame. "But it's only fair if I wash yours in
return."
"Agreed," Ayame said with a smile as she reached out with
her lathered hands to the other woman's shoulders, rubbing them
gently, a bit worried about extorting too much force on the
human's fragile body. After nearly killing a human in her earlier
rage, she felt the need to be especially careful to avoid causing any
harm.
Natsume nearly fell off her stool as the other woman's soft
hands, slick with the foamy soap, slid across her upper back, going
from side to side as they slowly made their way downward. The
sandy-haired woman was having difficulty believing this was
actually happening, expecting to wake up any moment, her clothes
damp as she rubbed her back up against the wall of the furo. She
nearly pinched herself to make sure, but then decided that if it was
a dream, she didn't want to wake up.
"You seem quite tense, Natsume-san," Ayame noted as she
felt her way along the other woman's shoulders, half-worried that it
her presence that was causing this tension, no matter what her host
had said. "I have studied some massage techniques, but was never
able to put them to use before. Shall I try? I promise to be careful
that I don't hurt you."
*Is she coming on to me?* Natsume thought for a second
time, the question almost enough to snap her out of the warm haze
of contentment she was currently under. She had learned how to
give massages as well, and for a specific purpose. Then again, she
was probably projecting herself onto Ayame. The woman was just
trying to be nice, so Natsume couldn't very well refuse her.
"Sure... if it's not too much trouble."
"Ahhh," Natsume sighed in bliss as other woman began to
knead her shoulders, a day of hard work combined with her recent
nervousness evaporating at that magic touch. In this state of
euphoria, Natsume couldn't even think; all she could do was close
her eyes and enjoy it.
Ayame smiled as she methodically massaged her host's
back, making sure to get it nice and soapy at the same time. Her
human studies were finally paying off as she could feel Natsume's
tension fading under her touch. For nearly a century, the angel-girl
had been serving humanity, but always at a distance. She was
surprised by the joy she felt to help a single human directly. "Does
this feel good?"
"Yeah, real good," Natsume slurred, hoping this moment
would never end. Even though her back was receiving all the
attention, her whole body was tingling, all the way to the tips of
her fingers.
Ayame knew that a massage could be relaxing, but it
looked like she had overdone it. Natsume sounded ready to fall
asleep at any moment. Picking up the pace a bit, she managed to
give the rest of the woman's back a quick massage while coating it
in foamy white suds. "I'm finished, Natsume-san."
*Aww,* Natsume thought, *Just as I was really getting into
it.* But then again, it wouldn't be so bad to return the favor.
Ayame had to be carrying a lot of tension after her recent ordeal.
As her host, the least she could to was help the other woman relax.
"Okay, spin around, it's your turn," Natsume told her, not
yet turning around herself. She was starting to feel comfortable in
the presence of the other woman, but had a hunch that her previous
nervousness would return if she saw her face to face right now. "I
happen to know a bit about massages too, though I'm not quite at
your level of expertise. So if you don't mind, I'd like to practice a
bit on you and you could give me a few pointers."
"If it isn't too much trouble, Natsume-san," Ayame replied
as she turned around and started to lather up her front again. "It
would be my pleasure to receive a massage from you, but it's
doubtful that I could suggest any improvement. I'm hardly an
expert."
*No, just a very gifted natural,* Natsume thought with a
smile as she turned around and stared at the sculpted form of
Ayame's bare back, her wet hair spilled over it like separated
strands of red silk, and just a hint of her full breasts showing from
either side. Natsume sat stunned at a sight that belonged more in a
great painting than in real life.
"Are you all right, Natsume-san?" Ayame asked after a few
moments had passed in silence, not even feeling the slight touch of
soapsuds on her back.
"Fine, fine!" Natsume quickly reassured her. "I was just
trying to remember how to give a massage. It's actually been a
while since I last did this." It was only partly a lie; she gave light
massages to her female college friends, but that never ended up in
this sort of situation, unfortunately.
Natsume swallowed the lump in her throat as she rapidly
rolled the soap back and forth in her hands until they were
obscured completely in a cloud of white foam. Then with arms
shaking, she brushed away Ayame's hair and set her hands on the
other woman's shoulders. The skin was as soft as a baby's, but
surprisingly firm and supple underneath; she must work out even if
she didn't look all that muscular.
Closing her eyes and navigating by touch alone, Natsume
found it much easier to imagine the other woman was Mio, a girl
she had given countless backrubs to in high school; among other
things which she decided would not be a good idea to think about
now. Just relax and let the natural curve of her body guide her
hands downward, only this time remember to stop.
Ayame exhaled deeply as Natsume's hands traced complex
patterns on her back, kneading and caressing with an experienced
skill. The angel-girl felt a bit guilty in her silence, but there were
simply no improvements to suggest. She couldn't imagine this
sensation feel anymore wonderful that it was now. She also found
it a bit difficult to speak as these unfamiliar, yet undeniably
pleasant, sensations ran through her. They started to make her feel
uncomfortable, but she didn't want to say anything that might
offend her host.
Natsume let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been
holding as she finally finished soaping up Ayame's back. Her
earlier tension had partly returned, mostly over resisting the urge to
let her hands wander a bit, especially to those full breasts so
enticingly near. She had thought she possessed more self control
than that, but there was just something about this woman that drew
her in. She seemed too perfect to be real.
"All done!" the sandy-haired girl announced with forced
cheerfulness as she turned around and quickly finished lathering
herself up, scrubbing herself hard as if to cleanse her mind as well
as body. This wasn't the time to let her touch linger.
"Thank you, Natsume-san. That was a very... enjoyable
experience," Ayame said, tilting her head to look at the other girl
as she filled the bucket with cold water yet again, puzzled by the
frantic pace that Natsume soaped herself up with. Well, they had
taken a long time getting clean already, she was probably eager to
soak in the hot water.
"Don't mention it," Natsume replied, trying to sound causal,
as she began to fill her own bucket with ice cold water. Rubbing
herself so vigorously hadn't been such a great idea after all; her
skin felt hot enough to evaporate the suds.
Ayame smiled in joy as the cold water poured down upon
her, washing the thick suds away, along with everything that had
happened to her that day. She would never be able to forget the
sight from the window, it was burned into her mind forever, but
after cleansing herself, she could set it aside for a while where it
wouldn't bother her as much.
The angel stood and stretched a bit as she watched her host
dump the water over her head, shivering as the suds slid off her
body and into the drain. Ayame normally didn't believe in luck so
she had to wonder if there was some sort of divine intervention at
work for her to accidentally run into such a kind and generous
human, one who had offered to help her even before the angel was
aware she would need it.
"I guess we should both hop in the furo now...," Natsume
started to say as she turned around, only to find the other woman's
long and slender thighs only inches from her face. She had to
strongly resist the urge to glance up. "Why don't you get in first...
and make yourself comfortable. I just realized I forgot to shut the
sliding door."
Ayame was tempted to ask why Natsume spun around on
her stool and raced to the sliding door so quickly, only to start to
close it slowly. However, she was worried that this was a human
thing that hadn't been covered in her research and would make her
look like a fool, or worse, offend her host. So instead, she turned
to face the steaming furo, and starting with her foot, slowly slid her
body down in the hot water up to her shoulders with a blissful sigh.
Baths were one of the angel's few guilty pleasures. Ayame
had done her best to always be professional and not tied by worldly
desires, keeping herself cleansed and pure. Part of that cleansing
process just happened to involve taking long hot baths, which
purified the body and relaxed the mind. At the moment though,
she didn't mind admitting how much she enjoyed them.
"Aren't you going to join me, Natsume-san?" Ayame asked,
deciding she wouldn't feel quite so guilty if she shared this with
someone else.
"Be right there!" Natsume reassured her, shivering a bit
from the cold water that still clung to her goosebumped skin. She
was thankful that the combination of hot water and her poor vision
made Ayame's body a vague blur while her face was enough to
make out, but not enough detail to make Natsume nervous. She
quickly slid into the other end of the furo, unable to repress a small
sound of pleasure.
The two woman leaned back with their eyes shut and let the
hot water caress their tired bodies, its heat seeping right into their
bones. As the silence stretched out between them, however,
Natsume began to feel nervous again. She needed something to
distract her from certain thoughts that were filling her head, so
fished around for a safe topic of conversation.
"You're not from around here, are you? Japan, I mean,"
Natsume asked, hoping that thoughts of Ayame's native land
wouldn't stir up memories of Kumiko.
"Is it really that obvious?" Ayame answered with a small
laugh, grateful for once that humans were composed of diverse
nations and cultures which allowed her to hide her social
ignorance.
"A bit," Natsume responded with a chuckle of her own.
"Your Japanese, for instance, is excellent but too formal. It's like
you learned it in a class or from a text book, but haven't had much
experience with native speakers. Where are you from?"
Ayame mentally eeped, unprepared for the question though
she should have been expecting it. She didn't like the idea of lying
to her kind host, but telling the truth was right out. She'd have to
say something that she wouldn't need to provide much detail on
and risk exposing her ignorance.
"California originally, but I've traveled all over the world
now, never staying very long in one place, though this is the first
time I've been to Japan."
"That must have been nice," Natsume said, smiling with
her eyes still shut as she leaned back to let the hot water pool
around her neck, and her legs just happening to brush against
Ayame's. "Free to go wherever you want, doing as you pleased
without anything to tie you down... you must have visited a coffee
shop or two, right?"
"A few," Ayame admitted guardedly, happy that Natsume's
eyes were closed because her current nervousness must have show
plainly on her face. She felt as if she had just dug a trap for
herself, but thought that saying none would have sounded even
more suspicious. Besides, she knew something about coffee shops
and cafes from her research, so she had something to draw on.
"Great!" Natsume exclaimed in excitement as she looked
over at her guest, her nervousness dispelled by her sudden
enthusiasm. "Because I'm opening a coffee shop of my own soon
and I want to make it the best coffee shop in all of Japan! Well, I'd
settle for having returning customers, but you can help me spice
the place up a bit with things from all the foreign places you've
been to!"
Ayame flinched, wishing that she hadn't lied even though
she had no real choice in the matter. She had always thought that
lies were one of humankind's worst evils and now her point was
being proved true just when she wished that it wasn't. She could
just admit to the partial lie, that she had never stepped in any
coffee shop before without elaborating on why, but Natsume's face
was filled with such joy that she couldn't bring herself to kill it.
There had to be someone in Heaven that she knew with enough
information on coffee shops to make her host happy.
"You're a very responsible person to start your own
business at such a young age, Natsume-san. Your parents must be
proud of you," Ayame told her in attempt to divert the
conversation away from her.
Natsume blushed slightly from the compliment, though it
could have been the heat of the water. It certainly felt a bit warmer
to her than before.
"Well, I guess so, but it's always been my dream to open
my own little coffee shop with homey furniture, finger sandwiches
made from freshly baked bread, and a wealthy clientele. It seemed
like a fun thing to do so I don't know if it's really responsible.
"And my parents don't know about it yet. I'm waiting until
my shop is a success before telling them, just in case it fails so I
can spare myself the embarrassment."
"I'm sure your establishment will be a great success,
Natsume-san," Ayame told her, finding herself truly wishing this to
be so. Her host certainly deserved it, making the angel wonder the
morality of helping her along once Ayame returned to Heaven.
The angel already felt in her debt.
"I wish I really was that confident, Ayame-san," Natsume
replied, her blush deepening. "Now that we've gotten to know
each other a bit, I don't think we need to be so formal. You can
just call me Natsume."
"Then you must call me Ayame, Natsume," the angel told
her with a smile. She had no idea that the company of a human
would be this enjoyable. Before she had tried to take assignments
that avoided direct contact so she could be impartial and fair, but
now she was wondering over all that she might have missed.
Natsume began to nod, then was forced to stifle a yawn. "I
think I've soaked enough for today, Ayame," she said with a
sheepish grin. "I better get out before I end up looking like an old
prune. You soak as long as you want and I'll have my spare futon
ready for you."
"Actually, I also feel quite relaxed. I'll get out with you,"
Ayame told her as she started to stand, revealing the tops of her
breasts, slick with steamy water.
"Wait right there and I'll get our towels!" Natsume nearly
shouted with a panicked voice as she sprang out of the furo and
collected their towels, holding one out in Ayame's direction, while
focusing all of her attention on wrapping the other around herself.
Ayame again wondered about this odd behavior as she
accepted the towel with a small note of thanks and began to dry
herself off. She was starting to believe that there was a small piece
to the puzzle she was missing, something about humans that all her
research had missed which would explain Natsume's reactions.
She would have to look into that as soon as she was able.
"Allow me to collect up these things, Natsume," Ayame
said, the towel slung over her shoulder as she started to arrange the
bath things back in their respective buckets. Perhaps if she showed
her host how willing she was to help out, that would set the
woman's mind at ease.
"No, I... I have to do that, you're my guest," Natsume
insisted, looking away from the strawberry blonde woman
kneeling before her, her lightly tanned skin now gleaming like
polished bronze under the room's lights. "You just go and get
dressed. It'll only take a moment."
"But I want to help you, Natsume, to repay your kindness
in whatever small way that I can," Ayame pleaded as she looked
up at the other woman with her light blue eyes.
Natsume found her mouth had suddenly gone dry, probably
because she had soaked too long after all. "No, you don't need to
do anything for me, you're my guest. Besides... I like arranging
my bath things, it's sort of been a game for me ever since I was a
child."
"Very well, Natsume," Ayame conceded as she stood. "But
there has to be something I can do for you to repay you kindness
and generosity."
"I'll think of something," Natsume replied, laughing
nervously, and trying to do her best not to stare at her guest's firm
rear as it swayed past.
Teeth brushed and a spare futon laid out, Natsume turned
off the lights as Ayame made herself comfortable, the dim light
seeping under the window shade illuminating the woman in a
silvery glow, making her look even more ethereal and otherworldly
than usual. Somehow Natsume managed to tear her eyes away and
settle into her own futon with a small sigh.
Ayame would have preferred meditation, but didn't want to
appear stranger to her host than she already must be. Maybe it was
karma's way of balancing things out to run into someone like
Natsume after finding out how... disgusting Kumiko had become.
She shouldn't have been surprised at how low her old 'friend' had
sunk, but she had still hoped for something better, hoped she
would repent her ways and become... but no, that was impossible.
The choice had been made and there wasn't anything anyone could
do to change it. Ayame would have to accept her first failure.
Natsume turned away from the beautiful woman sleeping
next to her, but her thoughts were still filled with Ayame. She had
never met anyone like her before; someone so kind, so gentle, so
obviously interested in other women. However, what Ayame
needed was a friend now, someone to help her get over her loss, to
cheer her up when she's feeling down, and to be an occasional
shoulder to cry on.
Perhaps after Ayame had fully recovered from her loss and
completely gotten over Kumiko, then possibly something more
than just friends...