Chapter Text
Patience, people often said, was a virtue. And as with any of the other virtues out there, Saijou Claudine was convinced she had it – or so she thought. On this particular evening, however, her patience had been put to the test.
Three hours earlier, her friend and flatmate, Hanayagi Kaoruko, had left their home for her weekly Japanese dance club and now she was awaiting her return with guarded curiosity, for tonight would be different than usual. Kaoruko would bring home what she called 'a friend'. She had invited said friend tonight because she believed they were all in desperate need for some further coaching in their studies. With exams coming up, why shouldn't they use the help of a senpai, after all? Any normal person might have just taken this opportunity of studying with the help of someone currently working towards their master with positivity, but Claudine was not a normal person. Not by any means, no. She was smart, she was good, she always got top marks – and she didn't need any help to get there. What difference could this person make? She was already at the top.
Claudine glanced at the time and clicked her tongue. Kaoruko had told them they probably wouldn't make it until later this evening, but seeing the clock almost striking 7 PM frustrated her to no end. Ridiculous! Claudine appreciated her free time in the evenings, considering her days were packed not only with lectures, but also various classes in dance, as well as vocal training – she really didn't want to lose the limited amount of cool-down time she had.
A groan reached her ears from the other side of the room, where her other flatmate – and Kaoruko's girlfriend – Isurugi Futaba, was lazing on the sofa. She rolled her eyes at Claudine, waving her hand dismissively in her direction.
“You really gotta stop that, Kuroko.” Her eyes had dropped to Claudine's hand on their dining table, her fingers tapping on its surface faster and faster. She then winked at her, a toothy grin spreading on her face. “You would think you're waiting for the arrival of your blind date, not a study partner.”
“Wha-! Futaba!” Claudine growled. “Who do you take me for? If this had been a date, I would've at the very least dressed up a little!”
“You... haven't dressed up?” Futaba stared at her, disbelief in her voice. “...How much was that shirt you're wearing?”
“This old thing? I think it might've been a little under thirty thousand yen. It is perfect lounge wear.”
“Thirty thousand?!” Futaba almost choked on the word, then sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation. “You're... something else, Kuro.”
Claudine ignored Futaba and went back to the revitalising activity of tapping her fingers to an unknown, but very aggressive beat, the sound seeming to echo through the otherwise quiet room. She rolled her eyes with a heavy groan when another fifteen minutes had passed. This was ridiculous! She should be having a nice, relaxing, hot bath right now and not and be here waiting for a stranger to ruin her night.
“Ugh!” Claudine got to her feet with a loud groan, stomped over to the sofa and plopped herself down at the other end of it, slumping into the pillows. Futaba chuckled under her breath, giving her enough space to put her legs up as well. Claudine pulled out her phone, furiously scrolling down her various social media feeds, not taking in any of the posts she came across. She hadn't noticed just how tense she had gotten until the sound of the door in the hallway interrupted the silence and she almost threw her phone into the air.
She scrambled to her feet and strutted towards the door, eager to meet this mystery person Kaoruko was so set on them to meet. Let them try to best Claudine all they wanted – she would not lose! When the door finally opened, it was Kaoruko who met with Claudine, and her eyes widened slightly at the view, before her face settled into a smirk.
“Oh my, Kuro-han, what a scary face! Please do not kill my friend before you have even introduced yourself.”
She turned around, ushering in her friend – and Claudine felt her breath hitch. She was faced with what might have been the most striking person she had ever seen. She was, in no uncertain terms, utterly stunning. Head held high, eyes sparkling with pride – she carried herself with the confidence of a goddess. Her long, brunette hair was adorned with a ribbon the colour of periwinkle and she had an air of elegance surrounding her, despite her choice of wear being casual and comfortable. The sheer audacity of this woman to look this good, without even trying!
Like Kaoruko's had before when first faced with Claudine this evening, so did her eyes widen slightly at her sight. She caught herself quickly, though, and put on a lovely and charming smile instead. When she spoke, her voice was smooth and pleasant.
“Good evening, I'm Tendou Maya.”
Claudine hated how much she liked the sound of her voice, and also how Tendou Maya was exactly her type. This couldn't get any worse, unless she was as smart as Kaoruko claimed she was.
“Saijou Claudine. A pleasure to meet you, Tendou Maya.” Claudine greeted with as much bravado in her voice as she could for such a simple introduction. She held up her hand for Maya to shake and almost felt a bit insulted when she watched her deliberate for a second before raising her own to grab it. Claudine couldn't stop herself from gasping quietly at the contact – the hand grasping hers was cold, unnaturally so, in fact. She had no time to think much about it as her hand slipped out of hers again when Futaba got up from the sofa to greet her as well.
“Yo! Isurugi Futaba, nice to meetcha!” Futaba waved her hand in greeting, grinning at Maya and gestured to the kitchen. “Can I getcha a drink? It's gonna be a long night, so if we wanna get anything done, some caffeine might do us some good! How about a coffee?”
“Thank you, Isurugi-san. A coffee would be lovely. Black, please.”
Claudine rolled her eyes. Of course Tendou Maya would drink her coffee black. She grimaced to herself before turning to Futaba. “Could you make me a coffee, too?” She hesitated for a second, wrinkling her nose. “...Black, as well?”
Futaba gave her a puzzled look. Both her and Kaoruko know Claudine did not usually drink her coffees black. She much preferred them with milk or cream and some sweet sugar. She decided not to question her on it and instead shrugged and gave her a thumbs-up. She didn't bother asking Kaoruko, she knew her girlfriend would prefer a sugary soda over coffee any day.
“Oh? Feeling brave tonight, Kuro-han?” Kaoruko giggled, hiding the lower portion of her face with her fan. Her eyes sparked mischief and Claudine shot her a threatening look, knowing full well Kaoruko would not stop there. “I thought you preferred your coffee sweet?”
To Claudine's absolute relief, Tendou Maya had the good grace to stay quiet, although she didn't miss the smug little smile on her face. Huffing, Claudine crossed her arms in front of her chest and stomped to the table to get herself ready for a night of cramming. Maya followed and took the seat opposite her, calmy taking out her notebooks and a couple of textbooks from her bag. She got comfortable, leaning her head on her palm and watched Claudine with obvious interest.
“So, Saijou-san, what are you majoring in? Hanayagi-san told me you have history with theatre and are, in fact, kind of a prodigy?”
“Theatre and Dance. I've been acting ever since I've been a child and wanted to study the depths of my craft before continuing my career on the stage.”
“Ah, so you're a veteran, then? Very interesting.” Maya observed her for a second and Claudine could see she was paying close attention to the features of her face as well as her hair, making her blush lightly. “I would love to one day see you perform. I'm sure you are dazzling, on stage.”
“Oh, I sure am, Tendou Maya.” Claudine puffed out her chest, willing herself not to break under her stare. She met her gaze with her own, unwavering and filled with self-confidence. She took the opportunity this unplanned staring contest had provided to take in Maya's features herself. She had beautiful lavender eyes and sharp cheekbones. It couldn't be denied that Tendou Maya was unbelievably handsome, and it made the heat in Claudine's cheeks increase. Oh, she definitely was her type. At the sight of her reddening face, Maya smirked smugly. She could read Claudine like an open book.
Without any knowledge of it, it was Futaba who rescued Claudine from this hopeless battle. She put the steaming cups of coffee in front of them, smiling at the grateful nod that Maya gave her. Without hesitation, Maya raised it to her lips and took a sip, an action Claudine immediately copied, although she stopped just before drinking it. Her nose scrunched up as she watched the dark liquid in front of her, the overwhelming aroma of the coffee filling her nostrils. She almost gagged when she tried it. Bitter. Ugh. She could do this. She would totally win against Tendou Maya, even if it meant drinking disgusting coffee for the rest of her life.
But soon, Claudine made a scarring discovery: she was totally losing against Tendou Maya.
The evening had been exactly what it said on the tin – a study session like any other. However, Claudine soon had to admit the worst truth of the evening, and that was, that Tendou Maya was not only smart, but smarter than her. She had a vast knowledge on theatre and art history, and from the couple of comments traversing other topics, on everything there is. It almost made Claudine's blood boil when Maya confidently corrected her on French theatre history. French. Theatre. Claudine was French! How dare she know more than her about French theatre in particular! It was ridiculous! Laughable! Impossible! And yet, here Claudine was, put in her place by someone she had only just met.
And yet! Claudine couldn't deny that talking to Tendou Maya was invigorating. Neither Kaoruko nor Futaba could hold a discussion with her for long, but with Maya she had some of the most eye-opening conversations she had ever had. She could keep up with her thoughts and theories, her ideas and views. She challenged where necessary, agreed when needed. It was refreshing, to say the least.
It was near midnight when Kaoruko got up from her cosy pile of pillows on the sofa. She had given up on studying hours ago, instead rolling around with her phone in hand. She had whined at Futaba for snacks and drinks constantly, acting like her usual entitled self.
“I am so very sorry to disturb the two of you, but alas, it might be time to call it a night here. I need my beauty sleep.” She bowed towards Maya. “Tendou-han, thank you for joining us tonight. I do hope you will keep doing so in future sessions?”
“It would be my pleasure, Hanayagi-san.” Maya returned the bow to Kaoruko, getting up from her chair and packing up her stuff.
“Will you be alright by yourself, Tendou? It's gotten quite late. Could stay the night if you wanna?” Futaba was looking out of the window, into the darkness below. Their city wasn't riddled with crime by any means, but a woman travelling alone at this time was still just asking for trouble.
“Ah, thank you for the kind offer, Isurugi-san” Maya replied with a firm shake of her head. “I will be fine by myself. I may not look it, but I am quite used to the bustle of the city at night. It is not the first time I'll be out by myself.” She turned to Kaoruko again. “Please let me know when you wish to meet again, Hanayagi-san. It was very nice to meet you all and I am looking forward to repeating this.”
With a snap, Claudine closed the book she had been holding and got to her feet. The others flinched at the sudden sound and Futaba raised a careful eyebrow at her.
“...You okay, Kuro?”
Claudine strutted up to Maya and pointed a finger at her nose. Maya was taken aback – a first victory for Claudine.
“Tendou Maya!” Claudine's bluster fizzled away and she had to avert her eyes as a blush crept up her cheeks before she could continue, in a much lower and insecure voice. “...Le-let me at least take you to the station.”
“Hm?” Maya tilted her head in confusion, but then smiled. “That won't be necessary, Saijou-san. I am perfectly fine by myself, thank you.”
“I insist! It is a dumb idea for a woman like you to go out by herself at this time on a Friday night!”
“But wouldn't you also be out by yourself once you have seen me to the station, Saijou-san?”
“Tha-that's not the same!” Claudine stuttered and she glared at Kaoruko when she heard her giggle. “I know this neighbourhood, I will be fine!”
Maya regarded her in silence, head still tilted. She then sighed and shrugged her shoulders, her eyes glinting in amusement at Claudine. “I was not planning on taking the train back home, Saijou-san. I greatly enjoy and appreciate my night time walks. However, you could always see me off at the entrance downstairs, if you insist on taking me part of the way anyways.”
“We-well! That's fine, too! Let's go, then!”
She stormed past her, grabbing her coat from the hanger before waiting for Maya to get dressed herself. Together, they left the flat and wandered down the hallway towards the stairs, but when they passed the elevator, Claudine stopped and made a sound of surprise.
“Oh, it's working for once.” She pointed at the buttons. “This building is so crap, the elevator almost never works. They must've had someone over to fix it today. Wonder how long it's going to last this time...”
“Hanayagi-san told me the same upon our arrival earlier.” Maya chuckled and stood next to her, close enough for their shoulders to brush. “She also complained about the 'dreaded thing's' awfully slow speed.”
They both watched the light above the doors illuminate the number of the floor the elevator was currently on, slowly changing from floor to floor. After what felt like an eternity (but was surely no longer than a minute) the doors slid open with a metallic squeak and they squeezed into the small cabin.
“Beats the stairs any day.” Claudine mumbled as she pressed the button taking them to the bottom floor. As she stood beside Maya, Claudine noticed the closeness of the space. She had taken this elevator plenty of times in the past, with both Futaba and Kaoruko, and never noticed just how narrow the space was. But with Maya here, she became increasingly aware of the proximity between them, and when she glanced up at her, her breath got stuck in her throat again.
Maya was watching her, eyes so intense and dark it sent a shiver down her spine. She could see her leaning down towards her, just slightly, but enough to make their shoulders touch with more force. She didn't just see, but also hear Maya taking in a deep breath through her nose, filling her lungs with air. She could've sworn she shuddered for just a second. Then, the doors opened and Maya straightened herself, leaving for the building's exit. Claudine, not entirely sure if she had imagined the whole thing, scrambled after her, heart beating faster than it should.
The cold air hit their faces when the doors out the building opened, cooling Claudine's cheeks down. Maya stopped next to her, taking another deep breath. When she turned to face Claudine again, her eyes were back to their normal brightness and she smiled that charming smile at her.
“I can't wait to see you again, Saijou-san.”
The way she said her name that time was nothing short of seductive. She rolled the syllables on her tongue and her eyes sparked with... something. Claudine couldn't tell what it was, but it made her feel both vulnerable and excited and as she watched Maya's back strolling down the road, away from her home and into the darkness, she couldn't deny that she, too, couldn't wait to see her again.
-.-.-.-.-
To Claudine's utter delight, she didn't have to wait very long at all before she got to see Maya again. It was Maya herself who had asked Kaoruko to meet up again just a few days later, and even if Maya only ever seemed to be free in the evenings, they soon settled into a regular schedule of study sessions.
Maya's presence, as much as Claudine hated to admit it, pushed all three of them further, teaching them more about the various topics they were studying than even the courses themselves did. Maya seemed to know near everything there was to know about any of their modules, even if she herself didn't study the topics herself. At times, it was infuriating to be outdone by her, but it also offered Claudine the goal to strive higher and higher and push herself to greater heights.
She also learned a great deal more about Maya herself, like how she was studying Musical Theatre and hoped to one day perform great classics in front of huge audiences. Claudine had no doubt Maya would succeed; she was incredibly charismatic and she was sure that where ever she went, her mere presence would draw in anyone. She also learned that Maya had a keen interest in dance – Claudine couldn't stop herself from imagining dancing with her one day. With the way Maya carried herself, Claudine could tell she must be a fantastic dancer, as well.
On top of bettering herself in an academic sense, Claudine also looked forward to each of these sessions as Maya had proven to be rather flirtatious towards her. It always made Kaoruko groan, while Futaba often rolled her eyes with a blush on her face. But Claudine couldn't help being happy about it; after all, Tendou Maya was very attractive and surely there wasn't a single person in the world who wouldn't appreciate that kind of attention from such a person? It gave Claudine a huge boost in confidence and she soon started prettying herself up before Maya arrived, much to the delight of Futaba, who was very much rooting for her.
“Oh my, Kuro-han. I never would've thought you would get this infatuated with Tendou-han.” Kaoruko one night teased her, just after Maya had left them – she had brushed her hand against Claudine's waist as she walked past her into the hallway, leaving her a blushing mess. “It almost seems as if you may have a crush on her.”
“Wha-?! I do not! I absolutely do not have a crush on Tendou Maya!”
Kaoruko, of course, was right. She was so obvious it was almost painful, blushing every time Maya so much as glanced in her direction. Claudine herself would always feel as if she was on cloud nine, a pleasant haze settling on her mind whenever Maya was near – her thoughts were drawn to the other and she often times accidentally ignored the others when they spoke to her, mind so overtaken by whatever it was Maya was doing she just missed them. Futaba thought it was adorable; Kaoruko thought it was pathetic.
“If you say so, Kuro-han.” Kaoruko shook her head, a small cat-like smirk playing on the edges of her lips. “Who would I be if I didn't believe you?”
-.-.-.-.-
“Ugh!” Claudine groaned. She felt like she had been doing that a lot these days. Her head was hanging from the sofa, her hands holding onto one of the pillows firmly. It was a surprise she wasn't ripping it to shreds. “That insufferable woman!”
The second Maya had left their flat that night, Claudine had thrown herself on their sofa and started spewing profanities. Futaba patted her shoulder empathetically. The only thing missing in this pitiful display would have been Futaba saying 'there, there' as she tried to comfort Claudine.
"That... did not go as I had expected.” Kaoruko hummed, tapping her folded up fan against her chin in thought, her cup of tea (green, with an ungodly amount of sugar) long forgotten on the table in front of her. She pursed her lips, “I did not expect Tendou-han to refuse quite so firmly. Especially with her barely concealed need to touch you tonight.”
A furious blush tinted Claudine's cheeks. Maya had acted even more bold than usual, brushing her fingers over Claudine's hands every time she leaned over to point at a passage in her book or putting her palm against her shoulder and sides whenever she excused herself to their bathroom or kitchen – it had driven Claudine crazy all evening; she had been in a constant state of fluster all night.
In the prior days, Kaoruko had teased Claudine relentlessly, until she finally admitted to them that she did, indeed, fancy Maya – and both of her friends were intent on helping set her up. Futaba had been so excited to finally be a 'wingwoman', a phrase Kaoruko deemed 'cringe' – their big plan was to invite Maya out shopping with them – just a generic trip to the mall – during which they would excuse themselves to leave Claudine and Maya alone. Claudine wasn't quite sure how they were confident enough to even refer to this as a plan, but she nonetheless appreciated their help; she was very aware that she would never ask Maya out herself, after all.
But when Kaoruko had finally asked if Maya would be free the coming Saturday, they were all surprised to see her shake her head. She had plans, apparently. But she also refused Futaba's suggestion to reschedule to a day that would suit her – she simply stated that she was uncertain she would have any days free in the near future. Plan ruined, Claudine had sulked for the rest of the night and not even the pleasant fog on her mind could brighten her mood again. Maya had left earlier than usual that day, seemingly sensing the unease in the air. She did apologise a couple more times before she left.
“Unbelievable!” Claudine yelled, tightening her grip on the pillow. “What kind of person doesn't have a single hour of free time during the day?!” Tendou Maya, obviously, she thought to herself. “I guess even if she were to date me, I would be cursed to only see her at night.” Ugh.
“I guess that would be better than never at all, right?” Futaba carefully suggested and tried easing the pillow from Claudine's hands, “At least Tendou never hesitates meeting us here in the evening.”
Claudine huffed and shot her a quick look.
“...better than nothing, right?” Futaba added, ready to dodge a pillow to the face. It never came.
“You're right...” Claudine huffed and sighed dramatically. She let Futaba take the pillow off her and sat back up. “Merde. I guess things could be worse.”
Claudine did not see the twinkle in Kaoruko's eyes as she thought of a new plan.
-.-.-.-.-
When Kaoruko entered their flat on a seemingly normal Tuesday evening, Claudine and Futaba were lazing around in their living room, watching mindless reality tv shows. It had been a quiet day up to this point. That was about to change.
Kaoruko had strutted into the room with a self-satisfied grin plastered on her face, while humming an obnoxious song to herself. She had not bothered saying hello to either of them; Claudine and Futaba weren't surprised by this behaviour. She disappeared into the kitchen, not once shutting up. A couple of minutes later, when she returned with a can of soda, her grin had gotten wider and her humming somehow even more grating. She made as much noise as possible without talking to them, begging for attention.
“Fine, I'll bite!” Claudine exclaimed with exasperation. “What did you do?”
“Fufufu!” Kaoruko giggled, an impish grin on her face. She winked at Claudine. “I have solved all of your love troubles, Kuro-han.” She beamed at them. “When I saw Tendou-han today, I inquired if she were free in the evenings at the very least, as we would all like to continue our study sessions. She will be indeed! So I invited her over next Saturday.”
Claudine didn't really see how that solved any of her problems. “How's that changing anything? I was expecting to see her again at some point, I just wanted some priva--” Claudine's eyes widened in realisation. Saturday, Kaoruko would be gone until almost midnight; and of course, Futaba would have to pick her up from the station once she returned, which meant... leaving Claudine alone for a while. She shivered.
“Oooh!” Futaba whistled when she got it as well. “That was a great idea, Kaoruko! That'll give you and Tendou some time to yourselves, right, Kuro?” She raised her hand to give Claudine a high-five; Claudine left her hanging.
“Wh-what?!” Claudine stammered, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. She stared at Kaoruko for a full minute, feeling herself turning redder and redder – oh, she felt as if she was about to burst into flames. Being alone with Maya in her own flat is not something she had expected at any point, let alone within less than a week and without being consulted about the plan in advance. Her head spun at the idea and she felt herself getting dizzy.
“You're so very welcome, Kuro-han.” Kaoruko smirked, looking pleased with herself.
Claudine's mouth opened and closed a couple of times, having apparently forgotten how to talk in shock. She watched as Kaoruko turned around without another word and left the room. Oh dear, Claudine thought; and it was the only thought she was capable of. Oh dear.
-.-.-.-.-
And so, almost two months after their very first meeting, the fated Saturday had come along, and Claudine was not ready. Oh, she was not ready at all. When she had awoken, she felt herself panicking and actually tried to convince Kaoruko to stay home.
“My, Kuro-han.” she had said with fake concern, her voice saccharine-sweet. “As much as I would love to stay, knowing how much you will miss me, I do have some duties to my family. Alas, I will not be able to stay with you today. Futaba-han will surely distract you until your fated hour.” She winked at Claudine, and then she had left.
Futaba did not distract her. Or rather, she was unsuccessful in any of her attempts to do so. Claudine spent much of the day restless. She would sit down, stay still for a couple of seconds, get back up, pace and then repeat the process. Time was moving at a snail's pace, while it also seemed to race. When Claudine noticed the dark night sky outside their window, she swallowed thickly. And before she could brace herself, their doorbell rung.
Futaba answered it, and to no one's surprise, Tendou Maya entered the scene. And when she did, Claudine felt as if the room underwent a significant change in pressure. She could feel her heart throb in her chest, almost as if trying to escape. Like when she first met Maya, her breath hitched and she had to remind herself to breath. She would die tonight, she thought to herself.
“Yo, Tendou! How ya doing?”
“Good evening, Isurugi-san. I am well, how about you?” Maya's voice was soft, and it made Claudine visibly shiver. She would never be able to do this.
“Good, good! Lookin' forward to another productive evening!” Futaba flexed her arm with a toothy grin.
Maya laughed quietly at the motion, before turning to Claudine and greeting her as well. If she had noticed the slight wobble in Claudine's reply, she had the decency to not comment on it. She then looked around the room, “Is Hanayagi-san not present tonight?”
“Nah, Kaoruko will be home later, she had family business to attend to. I'll pick her up once she arrives at the station. It'll be just the three of us for now! Hope that's alright with ya, Tendou.” Futaba explained, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. Claudine recognised that Futaba was a little nervous herself and she realised that this is the first time the two of them had been alone with Maya.
“Ah, I see.” Maya gave Futaba a warm smile, “Of course I do not mind being with just you two. You're friends as well, after all.” She settled down at their table, ready to work. “What can I help you with tonight?”
Claudine would've huffed at Maya's self-confidence had it been a normal evening. Of course Tendou Maya was there only to help, not to study herself. However, it was not a normal evening. Maya had been in their flat for not even five minutes and Claudine already struggled looking at her without feeling a blush creeping up her face. She felt Maya's gaze on her, awaiting a reply. Not knowing what else to do, Claudine fished for the first book she could reach. “I-I'm just gonna read through my copy of... uh... a... A History of Baroque Music... yeah.” She wanted to punch herself. How pathetic.
“Alright then,” Maya chuckled, clearly amused. “Let me know if you need any help.” She turned to Futaba. “What about you, Isurugi-san? Anything I can help with?”
“Ah, yeah! There is, actually! I need to get the history of raguko, specifically the Ninjou-banashi, down. I'm not really into spoken theatre, it misses all the bombast of other forms of theatre.”
“Ah, I had a module on raguko last semester, so that works well.”
Claudine watched them from behind her book. Futaba was fiercely taking notes. Maya knew a whole lot about raguko; more so than even the textbooks Futaba was working with. She was so stupidly smart – it annoyed Claudine to no end. And yet, every time that Maya's eyes wandered in her direction, she felt her skin prickle with anticipation. Not long now, and they would be alone.
Throughout the evening, Claudine listened to Maya monologue about the various topics Futaba asked her about. She was in the middle of a long-winded explanation about the German literature movement 'Sturm und Drang', when Futaba's phone began vibrating on the table. Claudine almost fell off the sofa, feeling as if all the air was pressed out of her body. She stopped breathing.
“Ah, hey babe! You need picking up? Huh?! No, I definitely won't make it in 5 minutes! You'll have to wait. Okay, I'm on my way.” Futaba hung up, beaming at them both. “Right! I gotta go get Kaoruko. She's gonna rip my head off if I keep her waiting too long.” She glanced at Claudine and gave her an encouraging wink. “I won't be long!” Futaba grabbed her coat and left with a wave.
Claudine felt hot and exposed. She hadn't looked up from her book, not quite ready to face Maya yet. The silence felt suffocating and laid heavy on Claudine's shoulders. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push herself to raise her head. Gods, why did she feel so heavy?
“Saijou-san.”
Like a bullet, Maya's voice tore through the stillness. Claudine didn't move, didn't reply; her whole body tensed up.
“Saijou-san.”
She could hear Maya pushing back her chair, getting up. Her ears started ringing. She was burning up. Before she had any chance to prepare herself, Maya's hand appeared in her line of sight, taking a hold of the book in her hand and taking it off her, gently.
“...Saijou-san.” Maya breathed, voice husky. “Look at me.”
Claudine felt as if she had been released from some invisible shackles; all of a sudden, her head felt way too light as it shot up to meet Maya's eyes. She was overcome with an intense urge to do what Maya asked of her, no matter what that may be. The air between them seemed to fizzle with electricity and Claudine near yelped when Maya, brazenly, pushed her to lie down on the sofa and then swung her leg across her stomach, straddling her.
Driven by instinct, Claudine lifted her arms and held onto Maya's thighs. She watched Maya's pupils dilate, her eyes darkening with desire. When Maya leaned down toward her, Claudine dug her fingers into her. She shuddered when Maya's breath fanned her ear. “Don't move.”
Claudine obliged, holding still as her senses were flooded with Maya; her touch like static shocks against her skin, her smell sweet like cherries. Her vision was spinning. How did it come to this so quickly?
Maya nuzzled into the crook of her neck, taking deep breaths against her skin. Claudine could feel her pulse quickening at the sensation. Even if Maya wasn't able to hear her heart beating furiously in her chest (she absolutely could hear it), Claudine knew she would be able to feel her pulse quickening against her lips (she was right).
“Ah?!” Claudine gasped when Maya's teeth grazed her throat. It was a gentle action; one that had Claudine seeing stars for just a second. Then, Maya latched onto her pulse point, bit down a bit harder than before and sucked her skin. Claudine's vision went blank and she could not stop the soft noise escaping from her mouth.
With every ounce of strength in her body, she willed herself out of her stupor and pushed Maya away from her. She looked up at her, panting and face flushed a furious shade of red. The look on Maya's face was one of slight bewilderment and shock. She did not expect Claudine to push her away.
“Ma-Maya... Wait...” Claudine huffed. She felt the fog in her mind lift; in that sudden moment of clarity, she finally felt some courage returning to her and she grabbed Maya's face, pulling her down and, before crashing her lips into Maya's, whispered: “At least have the decency to kiss me first.”
Maya's lips were cold, but so very soft. Claudine tangled her fingers into her hair, encouraging her to respond. And when Maya finally did, Claudine melded into her. She wrapped her arms around her neck, pushing herself up into her. Maya's hands found her waist, slipping under her top to allow her hands to roam over bare skin. Claudine's mind had gone blank again and she found her own tongue brushing against Maya's bottom lip.
Maya broke away from her. Eyes clouded over with lust, a smirk formed on her lips. Her mouth found Claudine's ear again, nibbling her lobe and earning her a soft moan. “Now that's a good girl...”
Claudine vaguely noticed Maya tugging at the top of her shirt as she lost herself to the pleasure. She could sense Maya slowing down and tensing up – it made Claudine think of a tiger, ready to pounce. Maya's hands moved up to her neck, tenderly caressing her skin. She pushed back Claudine's face with gentle determination, providing her better access to her throat. Claudine trembled in anticipation.
But all of a sudden, without another word, Maya's body was gone.
Claudine had hardly noticed her slipping off her through the haze in her head, but when her eyes fluttered open, Maya was back at their table. She looked immaculate, no hair out of place. If Claudine hadn't felt as if she were on fire, heart racing in her chest, she would've thought the whole thing had been a dream. But it hadn't been. She wanted to confront Maya, yet before she could open her mouth in protest, the door to their flat was unlocked.
“Yo! We're back.” Futaba entered the living room, helmet under her arm. When she spotted Maya sat at the table as if she hadn't moved at all in the time she was gone, disappointment flashed on her face for a moment. “Hope you two had a good time?”
“We did indeed. Saijou-san is a joy to be around.”
Then, Kaoruko set foot into the room. She did not look at Maya, but rather at Claudine. And when she saw her – dishevelled hair, face still very flushed – a shit-eating grin spread on her face. Claudine swallowed. Kaoruko would never let her live this down.
“Tendou-han, it is so nice to see you.” Kaoruko had turned to Maya; when she did, the smug smirk she had given Claudine had vanished, replaced instead by a bashful, polite smile. “I am so very sorry to have missed you tonight. You know how it is, family matters must take priority in a maiden's life.”
Claudine couldn't concentrate on their conversation. Her mind was spinning. What had happened? How did it happen? And why did Futaba and Kaoruko had to come interrupt them so soon?! They shouldn't have been back so soon?! How long had they been at it?!
Maya left them shortly after. She had exchanged some small pleasantries with Kaoruko, then bid them farewell for the evening. Claudine couldn't meet her eyes. She hadn't looked at her at all since they had parted. A part of her worried this event would deter Maya from meeting them again. She only looked up longingly after Maya had closed the door behind her.
The switch in Kaoruko's behaviour was instant. As soon as she was certain Maya was gone, her sweet smile disappeared from her face and she stomped over to the window to open it wide, before turning to Claudine with her lips curled in disgust. “Gods, it absolutely stinks of pheromones in here, you slut. And to top it all off, Tendou-han nailed you on our shared sofa!”
“Sh-she did not! We didn't do anything!”
“Yeah, right.” Kaoruko snorted, gesturing at...all of Claudine. “Obviously you get bite marks from doing nothing! I sure hope your concealer is good enough to cover those blemishes on your neck. To think I gave you such an opportunity of romance, just for you to be horny instead!” With a soft hmph, Kaoruko stuck up her nose and stropped out the room, as if Claudine's very presence was beneath her.
Next to Claudine, Futaba kept shooting her nervous looks, before pointing her fingers at Claudine's chest. “You... um... you should... uuh...” She kept waving at her, until realisation hit Claudine – one glance down and she saw that the top three buttons of her shirt were undone, revealing her cleavage. Futaba dared giving her a smile. “I guess things turned out fine, huh?”
Hearing Futaba's kind words, Claudine felt the tension that had its grip on her ever since she woke up that morning leave her body and she deflated, melting into the sofa.
“You have no idea.”