Look Northward [Kai]

That one step back. The sound of it had run through her head so often now that it was almost like an old friend. That one step back. She'd been so stupid that day, frankly she was insanely lucky that Yumi hadn't ended their friendship right then and there or at least never texted her again. Instead, they'd been talking for almost a week now, sharing memes, jokes, having fun. There was an ease to their conversation that Kai hadn't really experienced with anyone else. Yumi was a good friend. A good, good friend. Somehow that thought made her a little sad.

Still, she'd given herself another day off today just to explore Tokyo, running around the city burning energy, doing some thinking. As much as she had thought about that almost-kiss, her positivity had won out in the end for the most part. She couldn't change it now and Yumi seemed to have moved on as well; it was just the last vestiges of her own insecurity that were holding a small part of her brain there.

As she sprinted through the city, dodging civilians with ease, never breaking stride even when walls got in her way. She'd gotten good at judging jump distances by this point, able to switch directions or use other objects for leverage without really thinking about it. This was how she cleared her head, just taking in the cool air, people-watching, enjoying the sensation of just moving. The city wasn't particularly busy today, no major incidents, no sports games, no large events of any kind. A boring, normal day. The type of day she had come to expect from Tokyo. After all, this was her jungle and she was it's Tarzan, in a way. She might not protect it like Yumi but this place was her domain.

Skidding to a stop as she rounded a corner, Kai took some time to look around, searching for a bit of a new challenge. She remembered in her high school days she'd enjoyed climbing the large buildings and just looking out over the city... perhaps she could do that again, even if it wasn't strictly legal. After all, people had so much more to worry about these days than a woman who wanted to a tough hike up a staircase. Her gut filled with worry for a moment. This particular jungle had so many predators now... what if one of them overcame Yumi...?

No. She shouldn't think like that.

Yumi could take care of herself. The girl can shoot lighting out of every part of her body, why should she be scared of anyone or anything? Besides, what the hell was Kai going to do to protect her if something happened? Give him a 300% mark-up on deliveries. With a short sigh, she shrugged to herself, jogging to the back door of the building into the stairwell and pushing it open. Unlocked, as usual. She'd known the janitor here for years, he always forgot to lock this thing. Yet before she stepped up onto the first stair, she paused, pulling out her phone.

Typing and running at the same time was harder than it looked; Kai was at least used to it considering she barely ever stopped running. It was time to apologize. Face-to-face. Yes, she'd done it by text before but... it was different when the person was standing right there in front of you. It would mean more. By the time she reached the top of the building, Yumi had agreed to meet her and told her to... look to the North? What, was she Gandalf the White? No wait that was east, nevermind.

She wasn't winded by the run of course, she never was. Instead she stood there doing some stretches, taking a quick picture of the place by strapping her phone dangerously to one of the janitors mops and leaning it over the edge and just generally waiting. It wasn't long until she saw... something. What the hell was that?

It dipped low and then shot upwards. Kai heard a hell from the balcony below a few moments before this brilliant blue streak appeared, knocking her on her ass. Blinking as Yumi landed, Kai could only chuckle and give a quick clap. "Bravo! Bravo! Curved Lightning, everyone!" She picked herself up from the ground, stepping over to her friend. They hadn't seen each other in person for almost a week now, nerves were building a little. What if she really hadn't forgiven her? Was she going to blast her off the roof with a bolt of lightning or something? No... no Yumi wasn't like that.

"You sure you didn't shatter your knees doing that? Or your knuckles, really." She gave a confident grin, even if she didn't feel that way inside, even if she was awe-struck by her friend's appearance. She really did look like a real Hero! Wow! "Looks badass though! Taken down any bad guys today? I imagine there's not really a shortage of 'em, hehe. All evildoers should fear the name Curved Lightning!" Striking a fighting pose herself as a joke, something felt kinda good about it. Wouldn't it be cool to be a Hero?

Focus, Kai. Focus.

"H-hey, look before... before anything I just want to say I'm sorry. For... trying to kiss you. I just-... I dunno... I guess I don't really have an excuse, hehe..." Kai shrugged a little, trying to laugh it off but clearly still feeling bad about it. "Like I said before I'm... I'm no good at this, y'know?"

• Words: 929 • Tag: Yumi Tasukai •

Kai couldn't help but blush a little watching her adjust herself, going from that super powerful Pro Hero in training to Yumi Tasukai; model, cosplayer, blogger, all round beautiful woman. It was a drastic change but one that somehow felt like it fit her. That inner strength she'd seen before felt like it was manifesting in the form of her power, like she was tapping into some raw, powerful emotion. As raw and powerful as thunder and lightning itself. Her name fit so well. Curbed Lightning. Two words that normally didn't go well together but were two parts of a whole person, two sides of the same coin.

Umeboshi? She hadn't heard of her, must be a newer hero! Or at least one she hadn't seen in passing on the news yet. Someone else to learn about, for sure, especially if Yumi's praise about them was accurate. Of course it was accurate, it was Yumi! She wouldn't praise someone like that without reason! "It's hard to imagine you on patrol honestly, you're super energetic! Probably for the best though, yeah? Seeking out trouble is bound to get someone hurt." For a brief moment she wondered what she'd be like as a Pro Hero, or at least if she'd be the patrol type. Probably not, she was way too impulsive, so she was kinda being a little hypocritical.

She was a little curious what criminals Yumi had taken down, though... she was impatient to get to the real issue, the real reason she'd brought Yumi all the way up here. She winced a little as she tried to find the words, feeling so awkward now that she was here. Doing it via text had been so easy! But now that they were face-to-face, suddenly she was scared Yumi wouldn't want to deal with this. She was a Hero, she shouldn't be bothering her like this!

What she needed? She... supposed that was true. Yumi had already forgiven her, bringing her here to apologize was supposed to be cathartic for her. Now she just felt selfish but... at least she knew Yumi had long since forgiven her. That was good. A good first step. Towards what? She didn't know. Best not to get her hopes up. The physical contact was certainly comforting, she could tell Yumi was a Pro Hero considering how good she was at calming people down. A part of her almost made a joke about 'feeling a spark' but... that hardly seemed appropriate. "Yeah... yeah you're right, I'm s-... I'm just gonna get myself stuck in an apology loop. Thanks Yumi, I appreciate that."

Not that that'd ever stopped her before.

Blinking as Yumi patted her shoulder and walked past her, Kai felt herself fill a little with relief. That had gone... well not exactly to plan but good enough. The weight hadn't quite lifted from her shoulders but the pressure wasn't as bad now, she could relax a little. She let out a quick sigh of contentedness, following Yumi to the edge of the building and leading against the brick red railing. Her smile was still a little apologetic but a lot of that optimism had returned. "Well... at least I got that out, huh?" She chuckled a little, looking out over the city. "It's beautiful up here, in it's own way, y'know?"

Kai rubbed her face with her hand a little before turning her gaze to Yumi, trying to look her in the eyes woman-to-woman. "Look, I am so, so grateful you're an amazing person. From the magazine snafu to the kiss, you've done nothing but respond with support and friendship. That's why I was so concerned about... making sure I apologized in person. You deserve that much respect and more." Her characteristic grin returned, if slightly weaker than usual, giving a little salute. "You ever need help with anything, I'm here. No matter what it is, no matter what support you need, I'll give it! I'd consider it an honour."

She felt like there was so much more she wanted to say but... she held her tongue. It wasn't fair to dump all that on Yumi, not now. Her eyes returned out to the city, looking out over the horizon with a small smile. "Has something been getting you down lately? I noticed it a little bit at the cafe but... I didn't want to say anything. Just wanted to focus on making that a good night for you. You seemed like you needed the stress relief."

It could just be related to her Hero work of course; Kai still kinda had no idea what it was like to do that. She'd met a bunch of other UA students in the last few days but the vast majority of them seemed really optimistic about the future. Yumi did as well, certainly now but on that first day something was clearly distracting her. If Kai could help in any way, she would.

• Words: 829 • Tag: Yumi Tasukai •

Flying huh? She'd joked about that in the chat but... well she had just catapulted herself up the side of a building it'd make sense that she could somehow fly. How did lightning let you fly? Was it something to do with magnets again? Ugh... science made her brain hurt. Still, that was a damned impressive power she had; it was amazing to her how Yumi was so... perfect. Awesome power, super good person, beautiful, successful. It was hard not to be in awe of her whenever she was around despite her friendly and personable personality. She sincerely hoped no one had taken advantage of her kindness but knowing the world either it had already happened or was only a matter of time.

"So you're her eyes in the sky, so to speak? Wow, Sticky Fingers, you sure are impressive!" She snickered as she tried to joke to lighten the mood in her soul a little, to try and ease the knotted up tension inside her. The fact that she said she accepted the apology was... cathartic. Like that weight on her shoulders had eased even more, or at least settled into a more comfortable position. She'd known Yumi had accepted the apology but hearing her voice speak the words was... nice. Granted she quite liked Yumi's voice anyway but that wasn't the point. "Hehe... I think one's fine for me. Not one to say the same things over and over again, y'know?"

She shoved her hands into her pockets as they stared out over the city together, wincing a little as Yumi spoke about people 'not caring about her'. Who wouldn't care about her? Who wouldn't treat this wonderful woman with respect? She was beautiful, strong- Ok Kai, you already said that, calm down. A short breath escaped her lips, steeling herself for the conversation that she was hurtling towards. Even she knew where this was going to go. "Of course I care about you Yumi, you're... a good friend." She offered an encouraging smile, giving her a little tap on the arm but inside the word 'friend' felt so... hollow.

Yumi's response to her encouragement was clearly cautious but that much was at least understandable. They were new friends, even if they'd talked for at least over 100 hours at this point if you combined in person and in text. Friend or no, someone coming out and saying they'd support you no matter what was going to be met with at best cautious optimism. Still, it was a start.

"You don't know why you're amazing? Are you serious?" She let out a chuckle, grinning with amusement. "Geez, how much time have we got? We might be here a while if you want me to list it all." In a bold moment of confidence she allowed herself to give Yumi a wink, though felt her stomach sink right afterwards. She really shouldn't be pushing her luck like that...

Boyfriend.

That word hit her like a rock. She'd suspected that was probably the case but... hearing it confirmed made it hurt more. Yumi was taken, of course she was. Why wouldn't she be, look at her and talk to her for five minutes and you'd understand just why she had become so smitten. No, no, she had to focus. She was trying to help a friend here, not get a date. That was especially true now that she knew she was taken. "I can't even imagine how stressful all that could be... protecting people, doing your modelling work, studying, all while having problems with your-" She tried to hide her slight sigh. "-boyfriend."

She paused as Yumi continued, blinking a little at the first words that came out of her mouth. They broke up! Wait- No! That wasn't a good thing, stop it. She tried to listen intently to what was being said, absorbing it all, but in the back of her mind some chibi version of her was having some sort of dance party in celebration, she really wished it would stop, this was serious! She wanted to reach out, to tell her she was wrong and that she hadn't been giving out mixed signals at all but... knowing Yumi she'd never believe her. She and Yumi were alike in that sense, no matter how much someone told them they weren't in the wrong, there was always that little nagging feeling. "Since I imagine we'll never agree... how about we call it even, eh? A truce!" Grinning wide, she held out her hand to shake Yumi's, trying to alleviate more of the tension that kept building between them.

But there was something else she wanted to say... she just wasn't sure if this was the right time to say it. Her heart hammered against her chest like it was screaming to escape, her face lighting up in a small blush. She wanted to say it but... considering everything that had happened and everything they'd just talked about... how was she supposed to follow that?

"I've... had a few things weighing on my mind lately as well, admittedly." That was false, it was one thing and she was standing about a foot away from her but still. "I enjoyed our day together, I really did. And-" Go on Kai, say it! Just get it out! "I'd-... uh... I'd love to do more of them? Y'know, just go out on the town and have fun as-" She stopped herself there. She couldn't bring herself to say 'friend', that's not what she wanted. She didn't want to lie to Yumi but was also really, really bad at this whole 'serious topic' business.

• Words: 944 • Tag: Yumi Tasukai •

D-date!? She never-...

"G-geez... I never said date!" She blushed deeply for a few moments, staring at the ground hundreds of feet below, before breaking out into a little chuckle, then into a full blown laugh. "Fuck, am I that easy to read? I'm not exactly subtle, am I?" She shook her head with a grin, looking back out over the city, somehow feeling a little better after that. To think that Yumi could read her like an open book was kinda... comforting? Like she had someone who legitimately understood her, or at least could see things. That was just so refreshing, after years with a family who didn't understand.

As she went on to explain her point of view, Kai listened intently, her smile a little weaker but still with that positive glow from earlier. So that was a no, in short. A no because they hadn't known each other long enough and Yumi didn't want to rush it. In all honestly not only had Kai expected this but she'd wanted it. She'd known for a long time that she was way too hasty with certain things, after all just look at all of her previous relationships! The longest one had only been two weeks!

Every word out of her mouth only seemed to confirm to Kai that she'd chosen the right one, that she'd found someone to love. L-love... woah, it was so weird to be using that word. She hadn't used it in this context for... god, how long had it been? High school? Ugh... she needed a life. She was silent for a while, not a smile on her face anymore but a look of true, honest contentedness. Like she had found some sense of inner peace after all those emotions had twisted up in her chest. Eventually she let out a soft breath, turning away from the railing to look at her, managing a small smile.

"Then for the first time in my life... I wanna take it slow. I have a habit of trying to do everything at a million miles an hour, including love. That's not fair to you and it's not good for me." She took a deep breath, her smile growing brighter. "You're awesome, Yumi! Truly! I'm gonna give you all the space you need, no pressure at all. If at the end of that you still like me, then... well, y'know." A little shrug, not trying to be dismissive, just not sure what to say beyond that.

"There's not a person on this Earth that's made me feel the same way. And that is exactly why I am one hundred percent ok with this right now. I don't see it as rejection, I see it as you doing what you need to do to make yourself happy." She had no idea if she was really making any sense or getting across what she wanted to but hey, what the hell, she might as well say everything at this point. A brief glance at the skyline again as it turned a deep red-purple, the sun casting wonderful colors across the evening sky.

"In the mean tiiiime... I'm still always going to be here, helping you, supporting you, being your friend." A little nudge on the arm teasingly, giving her a playful look. "Did you think you were getting rid of me that easy? Hell no, I'm here for life. Friend or otherwise!" With that, she looked back out to the city, her smile genuine and warm, hands in her pockets as she just enjoyed the cold air... and the company of the woman next to her. She loved Yumi, she knew that now, truly. But...

The sun doesn't rise in ten seconds.

• Words: 625 • Tag: Yumi Tasukai •

She seemed so unsure, so unfocused. That was what Kai noticed most from Yumi's responses. She clearly wanted to get something out, to say something but the words were either difficult to find or difficult to say. This woman had been hurt, clearly. Hurt by people in her life far beyond anything Kai could ever have experienced. She watched her walk, listened to her speak and yet had never been more sure in her life that she was doing the right thing. Yet as Yumi spoke, she could only listen in turn, giving her time to get it all out.

Holding out for her? She hadn't thought of it like that; if someone came along that made her happy like Yumi would she go off with her instead if Yumi wasn't ready to reciprocate by the time the opportunity came up? Well... why not? Yumi was a beautiful woman and she loved her but she'd also make an awesome friend, an amazing companion if need be. It was a testament to her character that she was someone Kai wanted to spend her life with, lover or not. She didn't say anything though, just let Yumi speak. She didn't want to interrupt her train of thought and derail her.

Her expression was more curious and concerned than sad or disheartened. Kai wanted Yumi to be happy and seeing her work herself into a frenzy like this was making that protective instinct inside her roar. Hard times? So clearly someone had experienced some problems that she just couldn't deal with? Extra pressure on top of all the other stuff she'd experienced, like trying to shove too many pairs of underwear into a drawer. How'd she come up with that analogy? She had no earthly idea. She'd dipped her hand into the fire to try and get that prize and been burned so many times she couldn't stomach it any longer.

Slowly her lips formed back into that charismatic smile that had become so commonplace, finally understanding what she meant. Truly, deeply seeing what Yumi needed, what she had been craving all along. Perhaps it was some miracle that had brought the two of them together in that case because Kai knew exactly what her place was now. She began to close the distance between them. Slowly, step by step, until there was only about a foot or two between them. Suddenly, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Yumi's waist and back, holding her close in a way only a friend or a lover could. Comforting, consoling.

"It sounds like you need someone to lean on yourself."

She let those words sink in for a moment, before letting her go, placing a hand sportively on Yumi's shoulder. "You should know by now, Sticky... I wait for no one. You gotta keep up!" That grin returned, bright and radiant, truly feeling her heart swell at the prospect of finally understanding and wanting Yumi to understand in turn. "So you see relationships as a step above friends, huh? I can live with that. Saves me money on anniversary gifts in the future." With a little wink, she let go of the girl's shoulder, just staring into her eyes. She wanted her to know just how much it meant to her that they had this talk, that they had gotten it all out.

"I've not got any problems like depression or whatever. I'm perfectly satisfied if we just end up as friends and that even if we end up dating that it'll be more casual. Every moment 'waiting for you' isn't wasted, Yumi. Because while I'm 'waiting' I get to be by your side. Being your friend, being someone you can rely on. Not someone you'll have to pull out of the gutter every day." She gave a little shrug, that grin melting into a content smile. Quickly she unzipped her jacket, tying it around her waist again to reveal her bikini top underneath, not really thinking anything of it just trying to absorb as much sunlight as possible as the Sun began to dip lower and lower.

"Things are weird for you right now, I get that. But have I ever told you that, no matter how interesting the life of a mailwoman must seem from the outside, it's a fairly dull job? An important one, but a dull one. There's a certain... mundane quality to it, keeps me grounded, y'know?" All that may seem a little pointless, but she paused for a moment to let Yumi digest that, looking back out over the city again. "I'm no Hero. I don't have some tragic backstory; my parents were a little tough on me but it's not like I'm gonna break down in tears because of it. I'm just... your average woman. If you wanted a non-complicated partner, then I'm your girl."

She stared at the ground for a moment, shrugging slightly. "But that doesn't change my original point. Last week was fantastic... and I'd love to do it again. As friends." Kai held out her hand for a handshake, an offer of peace and resolution to this very emotion-filled discussion. "Though if you do want to turn it into a date, please do let me know at your earliest convenience. Trust me, I know all the best restaurants in town!" A wink to break the tension, followed by a little giggle. Joking at the expense of herself was what she did all the time, it was how she broke down barriers and made sure people were comfortable.

She just hoped she'd done enough to reassure her favourite person...

• Words: 938 • Tag: Yumi Tasukai •

If she was truly honest with herself the hug probably wasn't a great idea, even if it was meant to be friendly. She could feel the awkwardness in their embrace, the uncertainty, the fear. Yet also... something more. Something genuinely warm and accepting. She'd never shared the warmth of a woman in such an intimate way before, hell she wasn't even sure she'd dated a woman before. Flirting and interest? Sure. Even coming quite close to a kiss? Definitely. But hugging another woman? Even a friend? Nope, she was completely inexperienced. Besides she had never really been good at that physical affection thing, she always tended to show her love through words and gestures. This was new...

This was nice...

Not one for restaurants? Kai smirked at that, which then turned into a little chuckle. That meant she was at least open to the possibility of dates! Good! That was a start, right? "Fine by me! I know all the best places to just hang out and see the sce-"

She gasped as Yumi stepped closer. So close. Technically they'd just embraced so it shouldn't be weird to be this close but now she was rubbing her hand on her cheeks... a-and her thumbs. W-what was going on? What was she doing? Her face got closer. And closer. Kai's heart began to race, even faster than normal, like she was about to be eaten by a tiger. Her brain told her this was a bad idea, that Yumi was just confused, that they were going to have another awkward moment... but her body... her soul wanted this. Needed this.

It was almost like sparks formed as their lips met; the softest and yet most intense kiss she'd ever felt. Kai tried to contribute back but she was wholly inexperienced, trying to let instinct and what little knowledge she had guide her but... well, it probably wasn't the most satisfying kiss for Yumi. For Kai though? Her cheeks lit up a bright red, her breath escaped her body as if someone sucked it out slowly with some sort of vacuum and her hands shakily landed on Yumi's hips, unable to really figure out where else to put them. Her first same-sex kiss.

Wow.

As Yumi lingered, suckling on her bottom lip, Kai was left pretty much speechless, her heart pumping so hard she was worried the old girl would give out. She felt so lightheaded and breathless, blinking as she felt that intense, beautiful warmth, like nothing she'd ever experienced before. Was this love? Was this genuine love? Fucking hell! Opening her mouth to try and speak, only a soft, awkward croak came out, unable to really form words. Without saying anything else, she just... closed her eyes, taking in this moment like an afterglow, playing that moment back in her mind once, twice, three times, as many times as she could.

Her eyes followed Yumi's hand, even as the intimacy of their closeness made her feel so wanted, so alive, like she could sprint down the side of this building easily, even with the waning sunlight. Speaking of which... the glow from the sunset coated her companion with it's golden orange, panting her like some visage of perfection. She was almost blinding to Kai, as if looking at her for too long would rob her of her sight but it'd all have been so, so worth it.

In all honesty it felt like whatever gremlins turned the cogs in her head were having a dance party right now and were loading up on booze; every movement felt sluggish, like everything was moving in slow motion. But it was a good feeling, a satisfied feeling, tinged only by the hesitation in her partners movements.

She could only nod softly at Yumi's demonstration, not trusting herself with words right now. Every time she'd try it'd just be another little squeak or croak that just made her look more and more awkward. Her face lit up a soft shade of rose pink, her body quivering in response to those little loving touches. "T-thats... fine...!" She managed to finally force out, still very shaky from the kiss but her lips turned to a smile. A breathless, slightly befuddled smile, but a smile nonetheless. "O-of course I'll accept you... you're... a-all I want right now..."

The comments about her lips and the soft playing of her hair only seemed to make her blush more, truly unsure what to really do with herself right this second. Should she go in for a second kiss? Was that the right move? Was she supposed to back away and play hard to get? Was she supposed to thank her? Everything in her brain crashed like a bunch of trains hurtling towards a turntable, you could almost see the smoke pouring from her ears as her mind worked overtime.

With how fast Yumi turned around, Kai jumped, clutching at her chest as she was suddenly ripped from the moment. "C-christ on a bike you gave me a fright there..." She almost giggled but saw the state Yumi was in, her mirth melting into a need to just... be with her, right now. "H-hey... least we're even now, right?" Jesus Kai was that the best you could do? What a lame thing to say. "I... uh... f-for what it's worth it was... pretty amazing, hehe... t-that's not very comforting is it? I'm real bad at this..."

Staring at the ground for a moment as she bit her lip in thought, Kai couldn't help but feel like there was something she was supposed to do right now that would fix all of this. But she might as well have been throwing a dark at a fly's wing blindfolded. "L-listen, I... I know you want to take things slow... and that was probably just an impulse thing but... I'm one hundred percent ok with that, I promise you. Look at me..." She stepped up behind her, taking both of her arms with her fingers reassuringly, trying to comfort her, trying to tell her it would all be ok. If Yumi turned around, she'd see that Kai had one of her hands above her eyes, exactly where Yumi had indicated before, which then reached out to stroke her cheek softly. "I'll give you all the time and space you need, all the support you need, because-" Oh god was she really going to say it? Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

"...I love you. I love how you make me feel so happy when I'm around you, I love that we have so much fun together, I love that we can joke about this shit and not make the other feel awkward..." She continued stroking her cheek, looking deep into her eyes. "We shouldn't be girlfriends, or just friends... we should be both. Because I like both... both are so, so important to me."

• Words: 1157 • Tag: Yumi Tasukai •

Kai could only smile as Yumi regained her composure slowly. It was nice seeing her come back from that; normally Kai wasn't very good at this whole comfort thing but she felt like she understood Yumi a lot better than she did most other people. Maybe she and Yumi shared a lot fore in common in this regard than she initially thought. The more she thought back on it, the more she realized that all those short relationships might have actually been her own fault, at lest partially. Both of them would try to rush things, be as fast as possible, do everything they possibly could and then... there'd be burnout.

Here however, she had to be slow and deliberate. For the first time in her life she was doing something that required a great deal of care and precision and it turned out she might just have that familial aptitude that had evaded her for so long after all. "I do owe you, definitely... that was incredible!~" She figured Yumi probably meant it the other way but it was fine, she was feeling a lot of emotions right now, her brain was probably fried; Kai was kind of the same way.

Looking into those beautiful amber eyes was like peering into the very depths of her soul, like even the slightest twitch told her a story a million words could not. Wow, that was poetic! She should remember that line! Yet when she said the word 'love', Kai felt Yumi tense up, want to squirm away from it, to run. But Kai held her ground, speaking her truth. It was just a matter of whether Yumi wanted to believe her or not.

Not girlfriend yet.

"I like the sound of 'yet'!~" Her signature grin returned, snickering slightly at her own joke even through a serious moment like this. It was nice being able to just relax and let her mind speak freely. Yumi had never judged her for anything she'd said, even when she'd said some stupid stuff back at the cafe. The person she was holding in her arms was beautiful. Not just on the outside but the inside too. A truly good person. And in that moment she felt so lucky.

As they moved closer again, Kai could only smile with warmth, feeling it rush through her like a drug. She stepped in as well, trying to make the distance between them inches rather then feet. And then as their foreheads pressed against each other, that intimate connection and feeling of beautiful warmth only grew. Yet at her words, she couldn't help but giggle. "Gosh, getting to kiss an amazing, beautiful woman like this whenever we want... gosh that sounds so awful~ That's such a hard decision~"

She closed her eyes, just losing herself in their closeness for a moment, listening to her heartbeat, taking in her smell, the feel of her skin beneath her fingers, her wonderful voice; experiencing Yumi with every sense she possibly could. This was bliss. True, genuine bliss the likes of which she'd never felt before now. "Of course I'm ok with that, Sticky. No matter what we end up as by the end of this, even if it's exactly the same as we are now... I'm going to enjoy the hell out of every second!"

Yet something occurred to her as the light atop the skyscraper began to fade from that burning orange of sunset to that rich purple of twilight. How in the hell was she going to get down from here? "H-hey uh... is that flight power good for carrying people because... I dunno if I can go back down those steps!" She couldn't help but laugh, her hands resting on Yumi's hips as she was reluctant to leave her space for even a moment.

There was something unspoken between them too, however. Hesitant as she was to form a permanent bond of romance, Yumi had at least succeeded in making Kai a friend. For life. No matter the circumstances, no matter the situation, Kai would be there. Granted there probably wasn't much she could do against a giant monster or something but if Yumi needed to talk, or vent or just hang out and play video games and eat waaaay too many Doritos, she'd found her soulmate.

• Words: 723 • Tag: Yumi Tasukai •