Writing Azumanga Daioh - After [PG SL] [shoujo-ai]

[Guest J-Syxx]

Hi, thought I would maybe share this here. This story is shoujo-ai/yuri, which of course means girl/girl romance. I'm going to post the story here and give the links to the fanfiction.net pages below. If you read please give me some kind of feedback either on the thread or by reviewing it at fanfiction.net. I don't care which one you read, but I don't think all the italics I used will copy to the forum version. Please enjoy, and thanks for reading.

Summary:Years after graduation, Kaorin is getting harassed at work, is lonely, and is miserable in general. Then one day she has a chance encounter with someone from her past.

Chapter 1: [url]http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2910960/1/[/url]
Chapter 2: [url]http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2910960/2/[/url]
Chapter 3: [url]http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2910960/3/[/url]

After

Chapter 1

A young woman, with the dark, diagonally cut hair that was close to shoulder length in the front, stood in front of a table. She swirled the cream into her black coffee with the stir stick until it was of a solid, light brown consistency. Kaori had already clocked out for the day, but sometimes she made herself a cup of coffee to drink on her walk home from the office. She hadn?t done this for almost two months, however, but today she thought she could get away with it again.

Suddenly, a man stepped in front of her. He was tall, handsome, and had brownish, red hair. He pierced into her with his dark eyes.

?Ichiro,? Kaori stated sounding terrified. ?I thought you left.?

?I came back because I forgot something. You know I can?t leave anything not done around here.?

?Well, I was just leaving,? she spat off quickly. As she turned to leave, however, his strong, masculine hand clamped down on the short woman?s shoulder like a vice grip holding her in place. Kaori gulped as she started to shake a bit.

?You?re not leaving yet. Not until I give you some feedback anyways. I was really impressed with how hard you worked on the last project. I just want you to know I really appreciate the extra effort you put in around her,? he said from behind her as he moved his right hand under the back of her skirt and started moving his fingers up the back of her thigh.

?Ppp?pp please stop,? she begged pathetically.

?Ah come on, I know you just like playing hard to get. You must know how much I like that. Even though you?ve been working hard, I don?t know how much harder you?ve been working than everyone else. Let?s just go back to my place and have a little fun. Consider it over-time. You know evaluations are coming up next month. Maybe your performance ratings will go up a bit if you give the right effort.? Finally, he loosened his grip, ?So what do you say??

?I have to go,? Kaori said in a trembling voice as she quickly started walking off in the other direction.

?Fine, but when you want to move up the totem pole around here, you?ll give me what I want,? he stated coldly as if it was an undeniable outcome.

Finally after walking at a very speedy pace down several crowded city blocks, she stopped and looked back in the direction she came. After examining the faces of many of the other people on the crowded side-walk, she should?ve been confident that Ichiro was not following her. However, she still couldn?t help feeling paranoid. She looked down at the coffee she hadn?t let go since she was confronted by Ichiro. The brown liquid splashed a bit in the paper cup as she held it in her still trembling hands. She then lifted one of her hands, and cleared the liquid forming around her tear ducts with her finger.

Finally Kaori found the will to start walking again. Eventually she made it to the park she always passed through that was between her apartment and the office. The trees and lush, green scenery used to help relax her after a hard day?s work. Today, however, they were having no such effect, as had been the case for quite some time. In fact, she really hadn?t enjoyed much of anything recently.

On her way, she spotted a particular park bench down her path. There was someone sleeping on it facing the other direction. The sleeper wore a red sweatshirt with a hood pulled over her head. Most likely it was a transient. She didn?t pay this person much mind and kept trudging towards her destination.

The moment before she passed, the figure on the bench yawned and rolled over just in time to catch a glimpse of Kaori as she walked by. The girl on the bench?s big eyes got even bigger. She immediately shot up from the bench and began trailing closely behind the woman in business attire, careful to be stealthy enough not to be noticed.

They left the park and started walking down a side-walk that was covered with numerous large cracks. The hooded stalker continued to stay only a few feet behind Kaori. She could tell even from this position that Kaori was in a miserably depressed mood.

Coming closer to her apartment building, Kaori started fishing through her purse for her keys as she walked. Finally digging them out, they however slipped through her fingers and fell to the concrete below.

?I?m so clumsy,? Kaori scolded herself. She bent over to pick up her keys that had fallen into a crack while trying to be careful not to spill her coffee at the same time.

With her shapely butt suspended in the air, this was a signal the stalker to take action. ?Hehehe, this should brighten her day up,? the hooded individual thought to herself.

She reached forward and squeezed.

?Ahhhhhhhhh!? Kaori shrieked. She spun around and the coffee from the cup in her hand inadvertently splashed in the molester?s face.

?Owww!? She put her hands over her face. ?Damn, Kaorin, that?s hot!? After wiping away the scolding liquid, she pulled down her hood, and several big, curly and pointy locks of black hair fell behind her head. She looked a bit older than she remembered, but Kaori recognized her face instantly.

?Tt.. tt.. Tomo? Wildcat Tomo??

Tomo?s smirk widened several times larger upon hearing that old nickname again. ?Yup it?s me, The Great Wildcat Tomo Takino!?

?I can?t believe it?s you. I haven?t seen you since high school. I?m sooo sorry about the coffee.?

?Hey, its ok, I can take a little pain.? A new opportunity however suddenly dawned on her though. ?But I promise not to hate you forever, if you take me out for drinks.?

?Sh.. sure.?

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The two were now seated at a dimly lit, small table located in the heart of a local pub. It was one that Tomo had suggested as being a great place with excellent food.

?How come you weren?t at the class reunion a couple months back?? Tomo asked her.

?Oh, I was just really busy at work that week,? Kaori answered sheepishly.

?That?s too bad. You should?ve been there. It was so much fun to see everyone again. Guess who got fat?? She asked excitedly.

?Who??

?Chihiro. It was hilarious!?

?Wow. Last time I saw her was right after her pregnancy. Maybe she wasn?t able to put off the weight.?

?Yeah, probably. Sucks for her. I, however, was the person in best shape there. Everyone was so impressed. Don?t you agree??

?Yes, you look fantastic, Tomo.?

Tomo smiled widely at that answer. ?Why thank you, Kaorin. Of course I do.?

?I?m wondering though are you still best friends with Yomi??

?Yup. She lives in the US now though. She met an exchange student at her college and she moved back to the US with him and got married. She has two beautiful kids now. I still talk to her all the time. She?s still the same stupid Yomi.?

?Well, it?s good you still keep in touch. I didn?t keep in touch with that many people.?

?Hmmmm? Speaking of keeping in touch with someone.? The tone of Tomo?s voice had suddenly changed. ?Sooooo, did you ever hook up with Sakaki??

Upon hearing that Kaori started gagging on her sashimi, with her hands wrapped around her throat. When she finally managed to dislodge the fish from her trachea and stop choking, she replied nervously, ?I don?t know what you?re talking about.?

?Oh, don?t be coy with me, Kaorin. We?re not at school anymore. You can be honest with me now. Admit it. You were crushing on her big time.?

?But how did you know??

?I think everyone at school knew. You couldn?t have been more obvious. ?Oh Miss Sakaki is soooo cool! Oh my god, Miss Sakaki in a swim suit! I need to use the girl?s room,? Tomo performed her best impersonation of Kaori from their school days.

Kaori looked mortified with shock and embarrassment. ?Everyone knew??

?Yup. I don?t think anyone cared though, at least as far as I could tell. I thought it was adorable myself.?

?I had no idea it was that obvious. I can?t believe everyone knew.?

?You still haven?t answered my question though.?

?No, I never did,? she answered. ?I finally got the courage up to tell her how I felt when I met her again a few years after school. After I asked her out she just said, ?No thank you,? and went back on her way like nothing had happened at all. I felt like such an idiot. That?s the real reason I didn?t go to the reunion, I didn?t want to face her again.?

?Hey, don?t be so hard on yourself. It?s not your fault you didn?t know. I couldn?t tell which way she went myself. Sakaki is kinda hard to figure out. I?m sure she didn?t mean any harm by how she answered you. That?s just the way she is. She?s just kind of weird that way.?

?I guess you would know better than I do. I never did get to know her as well as you and the others did.?

Tomo quirked an eyebrow. ?But I bet you?ve had plenty of hot girlfriends since then, right??

?No, not that many. I guess I?m just plain looking.?

Tomo frowned at that answer. ?That?s bullshit Kaorin. Hell, I always thought you were one of the cutest girls at school. I should know. Being the cutest girl at school, I was the authority? she stated still proud over that fact which had never been questioned in her own mind.

?Well, if you say so.?

?Fine, I?ll prove it then.? Tomo stood up from her chair. ?Attention everyone!? She shouted. Everyone in the room suddenly ceased their various conversations. There was complete silence as everyone?s attention in the pub was now fixed on the table with the two women. ?I?d like to conduct a little survey,? she told everyone. ?Who here thinks this girl sitting next to me is cute??

Her question was met by a barrage of whistles, hollers, cheering, and different comments such as ?She?s hot!? and ?I?d do her!? all directed at Kaori who was now sweating bullets and had two small, thickly out-lined white dots for eyes. Tomo on the other hand was smiling quite broadly as she listened to the reaction.

?Ok, that?s enough,? Tomo shouted for them to stop. That command was met with loud applause from everyone in the room, until it shortly subsided back into the regular sounds of the bar.

?So, you still think you?re not cute??

?All right, all right, I believe you,? the beet faced Kaori replied.

?Good,? Tomo said extremely satisfied.

At that moment, several men started converging on their table.

?Get the hell out of here,? Tomo growled at them. ?That was a question, not an invitation!? She kept sneering until all the men backed away.

The two kept talking for about a couple of hours or so. Kaori really enjoyed her company, and Tomo appeared to be having a great time as well. She noted though that Tomo must?ve been pretty hungry because she kept ordering more and more food and beer.

Eventually, they decided it was time to go and the incredibly large bill came. Tomo pulled her wallet from her back pants pocket and opened it over the table. A 5-yen coin and two 1-yen coins fell out. ?Guess that?s all I have left.?

?Don?t worry, I can get it.? Kaori extracted her credit card out of her purse a paid for it without a second thought.

After Kaori got her card back, she laid a generous cash tip down for the waitress and stood up from her chair. Tomo also stood up, but stumbled clumsily over her feet when she tried to step forward. She outstretched her arms and grabbed a hold of Kaori?s shoulders to brace her fall.

?Guess I thought more than I drank,? Tomo said with suddenly slurred speech. With her arms still draped over the shorter Kaori?s shoulders and her chest pressing against her back, Tomo moved her head above Kaori?s left shoulder and placed her lips very close to Kaori?s ear. ?Kaorin, sweetie, can you take me home?? Tomo asked blowing her warm breath into her ear.

?Sure, Tomo.?

Kaori walked towards the exit. A big sweat drop formed on her face as many of the bar?s patrons stared at the site of Tomo with her arms wrapped around the shorter girl?s frame, as Tomo shuffled along under her support.

They made it out onto the street, and Kaori hailed a cab with her free arm. She opened the door, and carried Tomo towards it. Tomo drunkenly crawled to the far side of the back seat. When Kaori got in and sat down, Tomo suddenly collapsed into her lap. She nuzzled her cheek in between her thighs. ?Mmmmm, comfy,? Tomo said dreamily.

?So where to, miss?? The cab-driver asked, getting an eye-full form the rear-view mirror.

?Tomo where do you live??

Tomo responded from Kaori?s lap with, ?Mananagawawa.? She asked her again, getting a similar response of incomprehensible, drunken gibberish.

Kaori gave her a little shake and repeated the question. ?But I don?t want to go to school, mommy,? Tomo said as she wrapped her arms around one of Kaori?s legs and squeezed it like it was her stuffed animal.

Finally giving up, Kaori gave the address of her own apartment to the cab-driver.

A few minutes later the cab stopped in front her apartment building, and they both got out. Tomo was still was apparently unable to walk under her own power, so Kaori put her head under one of her shoulders to hoist her up. ?Come on Tomo, you can spend the night at my place.? Tomo smirked, but as Kaori turned to look at her she suddenly regained her glazed over look

Finally, after much effort to carry the comparatively heavy Tomo, they made it to the door to her apartment. Kaori dug her keys out of her purse again, and unlocked it.

The second the door swung open, Tomo walked right out of Kaori?s support in a straight line, almost marching into the room with no trouble at all. ?Ah, we?re finally here. Thanks for carrying me. You?re such a sweet-heart,? she said now sounding completely sober.

?I thought you were drunk.? Kaori said extremely confused.

?Are you kidding me? That was nothing. I?d have to drink at least three times that for it to even phase me.?

?Do you want me to call another cab to take you back to your place??

?Nah. I can?t go back there anyways. They changed the locks on me because of some jerk.?

?What jerk??

?Some guy. He was always asking me for money and stuff. Boy, was he annoying.? Tomo looked around the room. ?Wow, this place looks great. I?m sure going to like living here.?

?Whaaaat?? She asked, now even more confused than before.

Tomo just ignored the question and started walking all around the apartment inspecting everything. She walked into the kitchen. ?Nice looking fridge.? She opened the door and inspected the contents. ?But what?s all this? Where?s the junk food? You know all this healthy stuff is no good for you, Kaorin.?

Next, Tomo entered the bedroom. Kaori followed behind her still very much in awe of what was occurring. ?Wow, the bed?s nice and big.? Tomo quirked her eye-brow at Kaori again. ?Like your leg room, huh??

?Ummm? Yes.?

?Oh, I see,? she said in a knowingly, saucy tone. Tomo walked up and pushed down on the mattress. ?Cushy yet firm. I like it. We?ll have to see about durability though. You can never tell that for sure unless you really put it to the test.?

She spotted the door to her bathroom and walked into it. She looked the shower over. ?Ooooh, clear, glass door. Excellent choice. Now to test the water,? Tomo said as she pulled the red sweat shirt and the t-shirt underneath over her head exposing the smooth, creamy skin of her back. She then un-did her belt, and her baggy jeans fell to her feet, revealing trim legs and pink under-wear. Kaori was still standing in the door way, completely distracted by the display.

?Naughty, naughty, Kaorin,? Tomo said in a mischievous voice as she unhooked her bra.

?Oh, I?m sorry,? Kaori said embarrassed as she turned around and left.

She went back to the kitchen, and shortly heard the sound of the water spraying from the shower head. She then decided to prepare some herbal tea.

Several minutes later, Tomo re-entered the living room. Her hair was dripping wet and her still moist body was wrapped up in a white, terry bath robe. She was also moving Kaori?s tooth brush back and forth in her mouth.

?Would you like some tea?? She asked. The kettle and two teacups were set out on a tray on the coffee table.

Tomo removed the tooth-brush from her mouth. ?Yes, I thought you?d never ask.? Tomo then saw something on a near by shelf, ?What?s this??

She removed the picture frame from the shelf to get a closer look. It was a photograph of Kaori and Sakaki in their old, pink sailor uniforms. She had her arm around Sakaki?s and was laying her head close to her shoulder. Kaori?s face was completely flushed. Sakaki, being put into this impromptu situation on the last day of school for the sake of Kaori?s crush, had a slightly surprised look on her face. Her look wasn?t that much different than the usual, expressionless mask she always wore, but a trace of un-comfortableness was there.

?Oh, I remember taking this one. I forgot how cute it was. I remember you kept begging me for copies all break, until I finally caved in and gave you one the day before you went to college.?

?It?s pretty pathetic that I still keep that picture around, huh??

?No, that?s not pathetic. I know how it feels to love some one for a really long time and then find out later they didn?t feel the same way about you.?

?You do??

?Yeah. You should be happy you got the chance to feel that way, and cherish those memories. But, you have to sort of forget about it too. It?s really hard, but you can do it if you have spirit, determination, and guts!?

?Where did you learn that?? Kaori asked impressed.

?I think I heard that from an anime.?

A sweat drop formed on Kaori?s fore-head and then evaporated.

Tomo then stared directly at Kaori. ?Hey, you got something on your face.?

Kaori brushed her left cheek. ?Is it gone??

?No, not that side.?

She brushed her right cheek. ?Did I get it??

?No, not yet. It?s more in the center,? Tomo said pointing at her face and getting closer.

Kaori brushed her chin and lips, ?Did I get it this time??

?No, here I?ll show you.? Tomo walked up until she was inches from her. ?Its riiight here.? Tomo suddenly pressed her lips against Kaori?s.

She kissed her softly at first. Tomo then removed her lips and made contact with Kaori?s brown eyes. Looking into them, she definitely saw approval, so she took that as a cue to mash her lips harder against Kaori?s. Tomo was surprised when Kaori opened her mouth to give her better access, and soon both their tongues met.

After what seemed to last forever, both women pulled their mouths apart and sucked in air greedily.

?Tastes like tooth-paste,? Kaori suddenly commented. That irrelevant comment caused both Tomo and Kaori to uproar into laughter.

After she finally stopped laughing, Tomo told her, ?I can?t believe that?s the only thing you had to say.?

?Hey, it?s true. But it was the best tooth-paste I ever tasted.?

?Oh, yeah, I bet.?

?But, hey, what?s that?? Kaori pointed off into the distance.

?Huh?? Tomo foolishly turned to look.

?I don?t see any?,? Tomo?s speech was cut off when she turned around and Kaori?s lips suddenly pressed hard against hers. Kaori wrapped her arms around Tomo and almost tackled her, causing Tomo to fall back onto the couch. Kaori ended up on top of her still refusing to remove her lips.

After another very lingering kiss, they again pulled their lips apart. ?Hey no fair, Kaorin,? Tomo said looking down, referring to the fact that her robe had come undone in the front revealing the details of her curvaceous body and silky skin. Kaori started to unbutton her top. ?No, that?s my job,? Tomo said taking over for her.

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Some time later, they were both snuggled up together under the covers of Kaori?s bed.

?So, what would you rate me from 1 to 10??

?Oh, that was wonderful,? Kaori said dreamily. ?I give you a 10.?

Tomo shot her hand up from under the sheets displaying two fingers stretched into a victory sign. ?Wildcat Tomo is the best!?

?She certainly is,? Kaori leaned over towards Tomo and gave her another short kiss.

?Better than any man, woman, or child!?

?Child?? Kaori asked shocked.

?Uhhhhh.. No, that?s not what I meant. I guess that one doesn?t work for sex,? Tomo said surprised she found a situation where that line didn?t apply.

?Tomo, can I ask you something??

?Sure. Go ahead, Kaorin.?

?Would you stop calling me Kaorin??

?Why?? Tomo asked confused.

?I never liked that name. Everyone at school just started calling me that one day. I never chose to be called that.?

?Wait, you have another name?? Tomo asked sounding even more confused.

Kaori rolled her eyes and turned over to face the other direction.

?No, wait. I was just kidding. I know your name is Kaori, but I like Kaorin a lot better.?

Kaori turned back over. ?Well, I don?t like it.?

?Ok, I?ll call you Kaori, but can I call you Kaorin sometimes,? Tomo said as her voice got softer. She placed her hand on Kaori?s cheek and ran it over her smooth skin, down her neck, over her shoulder, and down her arm to where she gripped her hand. ?It can be something special I get to call you and no one else.?

?Sure,? Kaori pleasantly agreed as she blushed deep red.

?And since I have to call you Kaori now, you have to call me Miss Tomo.?

?Whaaaaaat??

?Yeah, like you used to do with Sakaki,? Tomo explained. ?Whenever you see me I want you to be like, ?Woooow Miss Tomo is sooooo cool! If I ever got to touch that awesomely hot body and those huge melons of Miss Tomo?s, I?d just shrivel to the ground and die,? Tomo said her hands clasped with a mock starry, far away look in her eyes.

?No,? Kaori stated in a combination of annoyance and embarrassment.

?Come on, I just know you want to call me Miss Tomo.?

?I don?t,? she stated firmly.

?Pleaaaaaase, I wanna be Miss Tomo.?

?No.?

?I wanna be Miss Tomo. I wanna be Miss Tomo. I wanna be Miss Tomo. I wanna be Miss Tomo. I wanna be Miss Tomo.? she begged repeatedly like a little kid.

?No way. Not now. Not in a hundred years. Not in a million years. Not in ten billion years. Not when the sun collapses into a black hole and sucks the earth into oblivion.?

?Ok, but can you at least call me that when we do it??

?I?ll think about it.?

To Be Continued

[Guest J-Syxx]

After

Chapter 2

?Gyubei stop eating my pants!? The short, dark haired girl screamed at the animated dairy cow.

?Moooooooooo!? The cow replied before it proceeded to continue munching on the agitated girl?s trousers.

?Hahahahahaha,? Tomo laughed hysterically at the plasma tv screen from her position on the couch. ?That was great,? she said clearing a tear from her eye. ?This is the best show ever. They should show it all day!? She then took the spoon she had been gripping and resumed shoveling soy milk and whole grain cereal into her mouth from the bowl she held, her eyes completely hypnotized by the cartoon.

Tomo then heard the sound of the front door being unlocked from the outside followed by the creaking sound it made when it was pushed open. ?Welcome home baby!? She exclaimed exaggeratedly to greet Kaori.

When Tomo turned her head to actually look at her, however, she could see that Kaori herself was not in such a joyous mood. The short woman in the gray suit coat and matching blouse had black smeared under her eyes from running mascara, the cause of which were tears that still continued to trickle down from her eyes and down her cheeks.

Tomo dropped her bowl of cereal on the coffee table splashing milk on it, ran up to her, and gripped her arms. ?What?s wrong Kaori??

She didn?t respond, other than to avert Tomo?s eye contact and look down.

Tomo took her fingers and gently lifted up her chin to regain contact with her brown eyes. ?Hey, it?s ok. Whatever it is, I don?t care, you can tell me. I?m here now, you can trust me,? she told her. ?Come on lets sit down.? Tomo guided her to the couch by the arm and sat her down. ?I?ll be back in a second.? She ran to the kitchen looked around until she found a clean dish rag. She ran half of it under warm water and returned to the couch. She took the cloth and gently wiped Kaori?s cheeks and under her eyes cleaning the black stains and the tears. She then padded her face dry with the other said and sat down close to Kaori. ?Now can you tell me what?s wrong??

?He? hee,? Kaori mumbled out and stopped.

?He did what?? Tomo asked looking at her concerned.

?He touched me again,? Kaori blurted out quickly and looked back down. Even saying it was more humiliating than she could stand.

?Who?? Tomo asked, already beginning to get angry at the he in question.

?Ichiro.?

?Who is this son of a bitch??

?He?s my boss.?

?How long has been going on??

?Months. I tell him to stop, but he never listens to me.?

?Don?t they have ways of reporting that? Get his ass fired. Or better yet, call the cops and get his ass thrown in jail.?

?He?s really popular with upper management and all the men and women at the office. I?m afraid if I complain and get him in trouble, it would be bad for my career there.?

?How do you know that will happen? You shouldn?t put up with that asshole just because he?s your boss.?

?Other than him, I just love my job. I worked really hard to get into that company. It was my dream to work there. I couldn?t believe they even hired me. I don?t want to lose it all now.?

?Well if you won?t do anything about it, I?ll have to take care of him myself,? Tomo said as she pounded her fist into her hand.

?Oh, Tomo, please don?t! I don?t know what Ichiro would do to you. I think he could be dangerous. I couldn?t stand it if you got hurt by him.?

?I can?t stand seeing you get hurt by him either, Kaori. If you don?t do anything about it, than I will.?

?Ok, ok,? she begged. ?I?ll do something about it.?

?You sure??

?Yes,? Kaori said weakly.

?You promise??

?Yeah. I will.?

?Good. I don?t want to see you like this again. And I want to be the only person who gets to touch you. You don?t mind if I touch you right??

Kaori managed a smile at her, ?No, I like you.?

?Good, because I sure like being close to you.? Tomo said as she scooted closer and wrapped her arms around the shorter woman. Kaori responded by lowering her head and resting it her chest. ?It?ll be all right, I promise,? Tomo said as she wiped away some of her own tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes. Tomo just held her, and Kaori remained in her position feeding off of Tomo?s warmth for quite some time.

Eventually, Tomo asked, ?Do you feel any better??

?Yeah, I do. I used to come home from work and cry to myself. I?m so glad you?re here, Tomo. In fact, you?re only thing I could think about at work. I couldn?t wait until I got home to see you again,? Kaori explained cheering up a little.

?Does this mean I can stay??

?Can I ask you why you didn?t just go home to your parents after they changed the lock to your apartment??

?Hmmmm?. Well, I haven?t been there for years, so the idea just didn?t occur to me.?

?Why?? Kaori asked shocked. ?What happened between you and your parents??

?They threw me out of the house after I came out. It?s funny though. They didn?t even seem to care that much when I came back home after I dropped out of college after only one semester. It was almost like it was no big deal at all. But apparently their daughter liking girls was just too much for them.?

?I?m so sorry.?

?No, its ok. I?ve been over it for years.?

?So you haven?t talked to them all this time??

?Nope.?

?Haven?t you thought about talking to them again, maybe you could patch things up??

?I did for a while, but they never contacted me again after that, so I assumed they just didn?t care anymore. Maybe I will talk to them again one day, but I don?t want to get too worked up about it.?

?I still haven?t told my mom yet. I don?t know if I want to now after hearing how your parents reacted.?

?No, you should. My parents were just jerks. I don?t know how much they ever really cared, but I remember your mom being really nice.?

?She is nice, and she was a great mom. I love her a lot. But what if she still doesn?t understand??

?You?ll never be sure unless you try.?

?You might be right, but I don?t think I?m ready yet.?

?Well if you keep pushing it off like this, it may never happen. Maybe I shouldn?t have told my parents then when they could still kick me out, but at least now I can be myself.?

?Well, if you?re going to be living here, I guess she may end up finding out either way.?

Tomo lit up brighter than the sun. ?Does that mean I can stay??

?But if you stay here, I want you to try and get a job. I don?t want you just sitting around watching anime all day,? she said glancing at the tv and the coffee table covered with spilt milk and bran flakes.

?Ok, for my new job I?ll be your house-wife.?

?Hmmmm?,? Kaori put her hand on her chin. ?Do you cook??

?Does instant stuff count? My ramen noodles are world famous.?

Kaori just ignored that answer. ?Do you clean??

?Of course I do. I?m like a world class maid, like from those anime except with bigger boobs.?

Kaori looked around at all the random articles of clothing and empty food containers strewn about across the room and quirked an eye brow at her. ?You call this clean??

?Ummm? Yes.?

Kaori just gave her a blank stare.

?Ok, ok, I?ll look for a job, but that means I get to stay right??

?Yes. I?d really like it if you would.?

?Yay!? Tomo jumped from her spot on the couch and landed on Kaori pinning her down. They looked into each other?s eyes and felt each other?s breath for a moment, before their lips met, slid into each other, and they both enjoyed a long, sensual kiss.

After a long while, they pulled their lips apart and came up for air. ?Wow, a hot, new girlfriend and a new place!?

?It?s just your lucky day, I guess,? Kaori said smiling.

?Oh, I want to call Yomi and tell her the good news.?

Tomo went over to the phone which sat on a table to the side of the couch and dialed in a series of digits. She sat listening to the receiver for a moment and then dialed in some more. When a pre-recorded voice asked her to give her name after the beep, she shouted into the phone, ?Tomo Takino, Wildcat High School Graduate!?

?You?re not calling her collect are you?? Kaori inquired.

?Yeah, but don?t worry. Yomi doesn?t care. She thinks it?s hilarious.?

After a while, Tomo heard a familiar and annoyed dead-pan voice at the other end of the line, ?Hello, Tomo.?

?Guess what??

?What,? Yomi asked sarcastically mocking excitement.

?I got a new girlfriend!?

?I feel sorry for her.?

?Ah, come on. I know you?re just saying that to hide your immense jealousy.?

?Oh yes, Tomo. I?m sooooo jealous that I?m going to buy a one way ticket to Japan, and abandon my husband and children to elope with you right this minute.?

?I?m waiting.? There was silence for an extended length of time. ?I?m still waiting.? There was even more silence. ?What?s wrong Yomi? Are you too fat now to make it this far??

?What about your new girlfriend,? Yomi muttered about ready to snap.

?Well not only is she a new girlfriend, but she?s a live-in girlfriend!?

?And by live-in girlfriend, you mean you?re the live-in girlfriend,? Yomi instantly deduced.

?No! Are you deaf? I said I have a new live-in girlfriend.?

?Fine. Then where are you living right now??

?At my new live-in girlfriend?s apartment.?

?Then how are you not the live-in girlfriend?? Tomo could almost sense the vein on Yomi?s head pounding over the phone.

?It just so happens that I just moved in to live-in with my new live-in girl friend. Pretty strange coincidence, huh??

?Yeah, amazing.?

?But forget about that. That?s not the awesome part. It?s someone from our old school.?

?Really,? Yomi asked now genuinely interested.

?Yes! You won?t believe who it is! I want you to try and guess.?

?Ok?,? Yomi thought for a moment. ?Is it Chiyo-chan??

?Ewwww, no! That?s just sick. Try again.?

?Ok, how about Osaka??

?Ummmm? no. That would just be weird.?

?Miss Yukari??

?No, but I did have this dream about her once. She had me do this extra credit assignment where she leaned over her desk and told me to lick her as??

?It?s Kaorin! Right,? Yomi shouted over the phone to cut her off.

?Wow, you?re good. How did you know??

?Just a good guess. Is she there now??

?Yeah.?

?Can I talk to her??

?Sure.? Tomo reached out with the receiver towards Kaori. ?Yomi wants to talk to you.?

?Hi, Yomi,? Kaori said timidly into the phone.

?Hi, Kaorin.?

?I?m really sorry for calling you collect.?

?That?s not your fault, I don?t mind,? Yomi lied. ?I?m just glad to talk to you again. It?s been a really long time.?

?It has, since graduation I think.?

?How come I didn?t see you at the class reunion??

?I was just really busy that week.?

?That?s too bad. Everyone there missed you.?

?I wish I could?ve made it,? Kaori said regretfully.

?So where are you working now??

?I work at the Daitokuji Financial Group?s corporate headquarters.?

?Wow, I?m impressed. That?s a really prestigious firm. I tried applying there before I moved to the US and they rejected my application.?

?Thank you. I still can?t believe I?m working there myself.?

The two continued their friendly chatting from opposite sides of the globe. Eventually, the conversation turned to the conspicuous subject Tomo.

?Isn?t if funny how Tomo is exactly like she was in high school?? Kaori asked.

?I used to think it was immaturity, but now I?m certain there?s something wrong with her brain.? Kaori laughed loudly at that.

Tomo listened to the conversation from the side-lines as Kaori?s laughter got increasingly louder

?And I?m sure you?re familiar with her infamous snoring by now.?

Kaori giggled loudly. ?She sounds like a polar bear!?

?Hey you?re not talking about me, are you,? Tomo asked.

Yomi continued, ?And what about the way she chews her food??

?Just like a cow eating grass. I didn?t want to say anything, but my god is it funny.?

?What is she saying about me?? Tomo pulled on Kaori?s shoulder. ?Come on tell me, pleaaaase.? She just ignored her and kept talking.

The two kept making fun of Tomo until eventually Kaori?s conscience got the better of her. ?Maybe I should go. I don?t want to leave you with such a horrendous phone bill. Are you sure I can?t pay it??

?No, it?s all right. It wouldn?t be the first time. You can pay me back by taking good care of Tomo, ok??

?Ok.?

?Make sure she behaves and doesn?t mooch off of you too much.?

?Sure.?

?And most importantly make sure she doesn?t choke to death on her food or wander head first into moving traffic.?

Kaori laughed again. ?Ok. I?ll do that.?

?Bye, Kaorin. Don?t be a stranger.?

?Ok. You too, Yomi. I really enjoyed talking to you. Bye.? Kaori hung up the phone.

?I can?t believe you, talking about me behind my back. What kind of live-in girlfriend are you??

Kaori pulled down the bottom of her eye-lid stuck her tongue out at her.

?Hmph! I should make you sleep on the couch tonight.? Tomo put her chin up and looked away from her, feigning anger. However, in reality she was just really glad to see Kaori in a much happier mood compared to the miserable state she had found her in earlier.

To Be Continued

[Guest J-Syxx]

After

Chapter 3

Tomo and Kaori were currently enjoying dinner together in Kaori?s small, but cozy kitchen. Kaori finished chewing her bite of food and looked over across the table at her girl-friend.

Her hair had recently been cut to a shorter style, pushing her black, pine-tree branch like locks up closer to her head. Kaori had liked her long hair, but she found the shorter style had its own charms as well. This was the hair style Tomo had preferred since the last year of high school, but she really hadn?t the money to maintain it for the past several months. Thanks to Kaori?s generosity, though, she now had money for a hair-cut. Kaori had gone to get her hair done with her, but only to touch it up. Many things may have changed over the years, but Kaori?s distinctive hair style was one thing that remained constant.

While still staring over at her, Kaori was also very pleased to see Tomo digging her face into the food she had cooked for them. Her cooking was something Tomo had taken an immediate liking too.

On the opposite side of the table, despite her enjoyment of the meal, something was continuing to bug Tomo in the back of her mind. She stopped eating for a moment and brought her face up from her plate to look across the table at her companion. ?Did they take care of your problem at work, yet,? she asked curiously.

?They?re still investigating it,? Kaori lied.

?Well, I hope they hurry up with it.?

?I think these things take time, but I don?t want to talk about that right now. How is your job hunt going,? she asked.

?I went and tried applying at a bunch of good looking places, but they kept looking at me like I was missing something.?

?Hmmm?? Kaori put her hand on her chin and thought for a moment. ?Can I see your résumé??

?What?s résumé? Is that some kind of French soup? Sure sounds good.?

?Are you serious??

Tomo?s big, brown eyes just stared at her blankly.

?Ok, don?t worry about it,? Kaori assured her. ?I?ll help you write one.?

?Ok, although writing a soup sounds kind of hard.?

?You?re probably going to need references too. Can we use any of your old bosses??

?Well, the restaurant I was a waitress at closed the week after I was fired. Leena who I worked for at the flower shop I think is still in that coma she went into after her mental break-down, and last time I saw my boss from MOS Burger he said a bunch of really weird stuff to me. I think it might have been a voodoo curse or something, I?m not quite sure.?

?Okaaay, never mind,? Kaori said hearing more than enough. She thought for a little longer until the solution came to her. ?I?ll be your reference. In fact, I?ll have you apply at my old company. Everyone in the HR department knows me. So if they see my name, you?ll at least get an interview,? she explained. ?I really don?t like them, anyways,? she added in a soft murmur to herself.

?Why can?t I work at the company you?re at now??

?No.?

?Oh, come on, it?ll be a lot of fuuun.?

?Not a chance.?

?Just think of all the jokes we could play on each other. Remember back at school when they were stupid enough to let me get my hands on the copy machine, and then I distributed that baby picture of Yomi taking a bath and eating a bar of soap to everyone in school. It could be like that every day... Eating soap, god, what a stupid baby,? she said before she laughed again at the prank from years ago.

?Even if you murdered me and then dragged me back up from the depths of hell, the answer would still be no.?

?Well, ok,? Tomo lowered her head giving up. She then perked it back up again, ?But what if during this interview with this other company I ask the questions? That would be pretty funny wouldn?t it??

?If you don?t take this seriously, then you?re not getting any more of my fish tacos.?

?WHAT,? Tomo asked looking completely shocked. ?Not your fish tacos! Tomo stood up, pushing her chair back, and pointed her finger at Kaori, dramatically calling her bluff. ?You wouldn?t!?

Kaori folded her arms and shot an icy, stern look right back at her. ?I would.?

Tomo sat back down in her chair and stared down mournfully at the last folded tortilla on her plate. Its contents were red snapper, avocado, lettuce, tomato, daikon radish, and Kaori?s home-made special sauce. A future without this delicious specialty of Kaori?s seemed bleak at best.

?And if you don?t, you?re not getting any sex either.? Tomo?s head dropped into her plate. ?But we can worry about that later. Tonight I was thinking maybe we could go see a movie. Maybe something romantic.?

Tomo lifted her head from her plate. The tortilla shell slid off of her face, leaving much of the sauce and other ingredients sticking to her. ?Yeah, a movie sounds good.?

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The two women were now walking down a city side-walk together, hand in hand, on their way to the movie theatre. They passed by numerous people. Most didn?t pay them much attention, but a number still gawked at the sight of the two females holding hands.

Tomo glanced over and pleasantly examined the features of her companion. She used to find her trade-mark haircut humorous in high school, but it had really grown on her in the past couple of weeks. Her dark and very oval eyes, which were currently staring at the path ahead, were another thing she had started to really enjoy. She then focused in on her round cheeks, and that?s when she noted that they currently held an extremely rosy complexion. ?I thought you said you weren?t embarrassed to hold my hand in public anymore??

?I?m not,? Kaori answered her confidently.

?Than why are you blushing so much??

?Because you?re holding my hand.?

?Oh, you?re so cute when you get like that!? Tomo said as she moved her lips over and planted a wet kiss on her reddened cheek, which caused it to blush even more. Not yet satisfied, she planted a string of several more kisses. ?I could just eat you all up!?

Despite her nervousness of being in public, Kaori moved her head over and gave Tomo a short kiss on the lips. ?Maybe later.?

Tomo laughed. ?I?ve taught my girl well,? she said as she started moving her palm back and forth across the top of the woman?s dark-brown haired head and kept on doing so.

?Please stop petting my head.?

?That?s a good Kaori,? she said as she continued to stroke the top of her head.

?I?m not your dog.?

?You?re a good girl, yes you are. Yes you are,? she said making a ridiculous face at her.

?Tomo, we?re in public,? Kaori pleaded as she noticed a whole lot more people were staring at them now.

?Would you bark for me??

?No, I won?t bark for you.?

?Come on, bark for your master.?

?No.?

?If you bark for me, I?ll give you a little treat.?

?Stop it Tomo, we?re already at the movie theatre.? They stopped walking having reached the end of the line of people waiting for the outside box office.

Tomo removed her hand but then continued, ?You?re going to roll over for me later.?

?Tomo, please, people can hear us. Ahhhhhhhhhh!? Kaori suddenly jumped behind Tomo and gripped onto her tightly from behind, as she began to shake and sweat uncontrollably. All of this had been in response to the man in front of them in the line turning around.

It was a middle aged man. He wore a drab, gray suit, with a white shirt underneath, and a loosely tightened tie resting over the top of it. Protruding from this suit was a stalk of a neck that held up a head with a boney, pale face and unkempt hair on top of it. While the two women remembered him having jet black hair, it was now beginning to show noticeable signs of gray. Underneath the hair was a pair of perfectly circular glasses that still seemed impenetrable, never disclosing what his eyes were really doing on the other side. However, below these was by far his most striking and memorable feature. That was his always gaping jaw which caused his mouth to continually be wide open, leaving him seemingly in a perpetual state of shock.

The man just stood there staring at them with his open mouth for what seemed like a very long period, until Tomo finally decided to greet him. ?Mr. Kimura, funny seeing you here? heh, heh,? she said a bit taken back by the man?s sudden appearance herself.

His lips finally moved, ?Well, good evening Tomo, and good evening to you too Kaori.? His body leaned, unnaturally far to the left so he could get a look at her. Kaori shrieked again, and pressed her head into Tomo?s shoulder to avert his glance. ?I wasn?t expecting to meet some of my former, favorite students today. What a pleasure.?

?The same,? Tomo said not sounding too convincing.

?I?m curious, what have you two been up to recently.?

?Well, Kaori, she?s a big shot at the Daitokuji Corporation,? Tomo said pointing her thumb back at the shivering girl hiding behind her. ?I?m going to be a corporate big wheel too as soon as I get hired at this new place I?m going to work at. Maybe even a vice-president or CEO or something.?

?That?s great. I?m always glad to hear my students are doing so well.?

?So what are you doing in town, Mr. Kimura,? Tomo asked. ?Teaching Classic Lit??

?No, I haven?t taught since my teacher?s license was revoked after the incident.? After the utterance of the last word in a disturbingly dark voice, his head turned 45 degrees clock-wise, and then suddenly snapped back into its normal position.

?Eeek,? came from behind Tomo?s back.

?Uhhhhh? So where are you working now,? Tomo asked almost not wanting to know the answer.

?I train seeing-eye dogs.?

?Ok? Do you like that job??

?Yes. The pay is better than what I made as a teacher, and I feel great pride knowing that I?m doing something that really helps people.? Upon hearing that, Kaori began peeking back over Tomo?s shoulder.

?Well, that?s good,? Tomo said.

?Yes? Yes, it is. It?s a good thing? a very good thing? Well, it was nice talking to you ladies again. Beautiful day out isn?t it,? he asked staring up into the sky before he turned back around to face the other direction.

Still behind her, Kaori moved her lips near Tomo?s ear and whispered into them, ?He seemed a lot nicer, and he didn?t even call me Kaorin. Maybe he?s changed.?

Mean while, there were 3 young, school-age girls in front of Kimura in the line. They were chatting amongst themselves loudly, gossiping about another girl at school. They were also becoming increasingly nervous because of the ominous looking man behind them who kept staring down at them through his glasses. ?So you girls like movies, huh,? he suddenly asked them.

?Y..yy..yes,? the pudgiest of the three stuttered to answer the man with the gaping mouth.

?You know, I have a video camera. How would you girls like to make your own movies??

?Ahhhhhhhh,? all three girls shrieked in unison and scattered away from the movie theatre and off into the sunset.

?CHOO CHOOOOO,? Kimura called out to them, which caused the girls in the distance to move even faster.

?Ok, maybe not,? Kaori said as another cold shiver ran up her spine.

After the three girls? departure, Kimura was soon at the front of the line. The box-office attendant asked him for help, and he answered, ?One for Hello Kitty vs. Doraemon vs. Pokemon: All-Out Cuteness Attack.? He took his ticket and disappeared behind the movie theatre door.

Kaori was relieved to see the disturbing man from her past gone from her vision. She then dug in her purse until she extracted her credit card, and stepped up to the box-office window. ?Two for??

?Mid Afternoon of the Not Quite Dead please,? Tomo asked as she cut off Kaori mid sentence.

?The Not Quite Dead?? Kaori asked her. ?I thought we decided we were going to that romantic comedy, Sleepless in Sapporo.?

?Sleepless where,? Tomo asked playing dumb.

?In Sapporo. You know it?s the one about the couple who falls in love by instant messaging each other, but it ends up they were living right next to each other the whole time and never knew it. But then they find out they can?t be together because they work for rival political parties. It sounds so romantic,? Kaori said as she clasped her hands together and stared up into the sky with sparkling eyes as a parade of imaginary, tiny angels blowing trumpets flew behind her head.

?Blah,? Tomo said sticking two fingers down her throat and her tongue out in disgust. ?That one looks boring, besides I heard this one is way more romantic.?

?How? It?s a horror movie. How could a horror movie possibly be romantic??

?It?s about a young woman who falls in love with a zombie, but they?re trapped between two different worlds. She?s a rich high society girl from the city with demanding parents, and the zombie is an animated corpse who rose out of the dirt of the local cemetery. So they elope together and join the circus to become famous trapeze artists.?

?I don?t believe you.?

?Would you please hurry up and decide,? the box-office attendant asked becoming increasingly annoyed. ?We do have other customers you know.?

The couple however remained completely oblivious to him. ?Aww, come on, baby. Have I ever lied to you??

?Yes! Plus I don?t like horror movies, they?re too scary! I can?t even stand seeing blood.?

?Live a little, Kaori. Besides, I heard this one isn?t scary at all. The reviews say it?s almost like a kid?s movie. There isn?t even any blood in it, I swear.?

?Well, if there?s no blood and it isn?t that bad, mayb...?

?Great! Two for the zombie-splatter flick,? Tomo said as she ripped Kaori?s credit card out her hand and gave it to the man through the slot in the bottom of the glass.

?Finally,? he said irately. He quickly swiped the card, and printed out two tickets. ?Here ya go, please enjoy the show and get out of my line!?

A few minutes later, Kaori passed through the swinging doors into the theatre showing Mid Afternoon of the Not Quite Dead. She was shortly followed by Tomo who was gripping a big tub of popcorn, a soda, and several boxes of candy.

Kaori scanned the theatre. It was largely deserted, being a sea of empty seats save for a couple of suspicious looking characters sitting in the back. ?Why is there no one in here,? Kaori asked. It didn?t seem to make sense based on the sizeable line they encountered outside.

?Probably because it?s so popular everyone assumed it was sold out. I of course decided to come, because I knew that?s exactly what they would do. That must make me a genius.?

?I guess so.? They went and sat in a secluded row of seats near the front of the screen. Tomo instantaneously began digging her face into all the food they had bought.

?Want some jujubes,? Tomo asked with a mouth full of candy, soda, and popcorn.

?No, thank you.?

Tomo swallowed her food. ?Why not??

?I really don?t like them.?

?Don?t like them, what are you nuts??

?Noooo, I just never liked them. I?m not real big on candy.?

?Not big on candy,? she asked in complete disbelief. ?Ok, now that is nuts. Come on, just try one. For me, pleaaaaaase,? Tomo begged as she held out one of the small, red, gummy, pieces of candy between her fingers.

?Well, ok,? she agreed not wanting to hear anymore whining.

Instead of just handing it to her, Tomo instead kept the jujube held firmly between two fingers and pressed it gently against Kaori?s lips, and nuzzled it against them softly.

?Open wide,? she told her playfully. On command Kaori parted her lips, and Tomo moved her fingers and the candy through them and inside her mouth making contact with her tongue. She let her fingers linger for a moment over her tongue, until she finally released the jujube and slowly pulled her fingers back out of her lips.

Kaori chewed for a few seconds and then swallowed. ?Some how they taste much better than I remember,? Kaori said as she gave Tomo a devilish smirk.

Tomo returned Kaori?s smile. ?See, I told ya. You want more right??

?Yes, please.?

Tomo kept slowly inserting the candy into her mouth one piece at a time, much to Kaori?s enjoyment. Then suddenly Kaori felt the need to reciprocate. ?Would you like some Tomo??

?You know I would.? Kaori then took the box of candy from Tomo, and shook it until one green jujube dropped into her palm. She gripped it between her thumb and index finger, and then moved it until it passed through Tomo?s soft, supple lips, and her fingers and the candy met her warm, wet tongue inside. After playing with her tongue for a few moments, Kaori removed her fingers. ?Yum, really sweet, just like you.?

Kaori giggled. ?You?re so corny.?

?Hey, I?m not cormamama?,? Tomo was cut off after Kaori stuck a hand full of more candy into Tomo?s mouth.

After Tomo finished gagging, they continued playfully feeding each other through the previews. After they ended, the two women then stared up at the movie screen, both in strong anticipation but for different reasons.

Eerie music began pumping out of the surround-sound system from all sides, before the words, ?Mid Afternoon of the Not Quite Dead directed by George C. Camero,? appeared in big, foreboding white type across the huge black screen. Kaori already getting a bit nervous wrapped her fingers around Tomo?s arm.

The black screen faded into a mid afternoon?s fall sun shining down on an old, country road located in a sparsely populated farm-town somewhere in the United States. Slowly a car made its appearance from far off in the background from around a hill. It slowly crept up the winding road until it finally came close to the camera, and the camera turned to watch it drive further off into the distance.

The old, yellow sedan kept traveling over various beaten roads across a barren landscape that was only inhabited by dying grass and the occasional leafless tree. Finally, some signs of human civilization appeared in front of the car in the form of a field of short, chiseled, stone blocks that jutted up out of the ground. The old car kept driving closer over a gravel path until names, dates, and other English words such as ?father? and ?daughter? could be made out on the grave markers. Finally, after penetrating the heart of the cemetery, the vehicle rolled to a stop.

The passenger door opened up, and out walked a very attractive, young female. Her beautiful, shoulder-length, purple shaded hair, as well as her brown, almost amber eyes nearly glimmered in the sun. She was shortly joined by the driver who was an equally, young, skinny male with strawberry-blonde hair and aqua-blue eyes. He was holding a memorial wreath they had bought for the occasion, which had red and white flowers attached to the front of small cross. The boy and the girl walked forward some distance through the stone monuments, crunching dried up leaves on the grass as they walked.

?There it is,? the girl spotted the grave they had been seeking. They both walked up to it, and the boy kneeled down.

?I wonder what happened to the one from last year,? he said, after stabbing the wire stakes which held up the wreath into the ground in front of the head-stone. ?Each year we spend good money on these things. We come out here and the one from last years gone.?

?Well the flowers die and the care-taker or somebody takes them away,? she explained.

?Yeah, a little spit and polish, you can clean this up, and sell it next year. I wonder how many times we bought the same one,? he asked as he stood up, mocking cynicism strong in his voice.

?You?re such an asshole Ken.? The pretty girl then got down on her knees, clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and lowered her head to pray silently in front of the grave.

Thunder suddenly crashed, and the loud sound boomed down through the theatre?s sound system. Kaori?s grip on Tomo?s arm tightened even more from the sudden fright and she leaned over closer to her chair, as she continued to nervously watch the film.

Back up on the screen, Ken looked up at the dark clouds from which the thunder had emanated. He then looked over to some distance back inside the cemetery where a man in a worn suit was limping along slowly among the graves.

Ken finished pulling his black, leather driving gloves onto his hands which he had taken from his pocket, and looked back down impatiently at his female companion who was still continuing to pray. ?Yeah, like god listens to you anymore, ya big slut.?

?Shut your pie-hole,? she shouted up at him before she finished her prayer.

?Do you remember one time when we were small, and we were out here,? Ken recalled. ?It was right over there,? he said pointing across the cemetery close to where the lone man was shuffling along and moving in their direction. ?When that old guy jumped out from behind that tree, exposed himself, and said, ?Look at these,?? he said impersonating the old man?s voice. ?Ha, remember that, right over there?? The girl got up and started walking away from him. ?Well, you used to be really scared here.?

?Ken.? Her discomfort was overt in her voice.

Seeing her reaction he said, ?Well, you?re still afraid,? obviously trying to get further under her skin.

?Stop it now, I mean it,? she shouted at him.

A sinister smirk developed on his face. ?They?re coming to get you, Sora,? he said in a creepy voice.

?Stop it! You?re ignorant!?

?They?re coming for you, Sora,? he continued in that creepy voice as he grabbed onto a tombstone for dramatic effect.

?Stop it! You?re acting like a child.?

?They?re coming for you.? He then saw that the man he had spotted earlier was limping even closer. The details of his face could now begin to be seen. His skin was as white as ghost and his face was positively ghoulish. ?Look! There comes one of them now.?

?He?ll hear you,? Sora begged. The man kept walking in their direction, the space between him and the boy and girl becoming smaller and smaller.

?Here he comes now,? Ken said as he grabbed Sora?s shoulders. ?I?m getting out of here!? He ran some distance away, and stopped in front of a particularly tall, obelisk-shaped tombstone. He then watched with a big grin on his face as the man with the torn suit, and un-naturally pale skin hobbled closer and closer to Sora. And that was the moment when from behind the tombstone, a female zombie with long, blonde hair appeared to bite deep down into Ken?s neck, causing red blood to spray up out of it like a geyser.

?WAAAH!? Kaori screamed before she buried her head between Tomo?s breasts. Tomo?s lips curled up into a Cheshire grin as she cradled Kaori in her arms and continued to watch the movie.

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Two hours later, the exit to the theatre opened up into a warm night, lightly lit by the rays from a crescent moon. Out walked Tomo, who still had a broad smile on her face, and Kaori who was still trembling with white dots where her eyes once were.

?Wow, that movie was awesome,? Tomo exclaimed. ?My favorite part was when her left arm was bitten off, so then she swung it around with her right arm as a weapon. That was so cool! What was your favorite part??

?None of it. I hated it. It was the scariest and most disgusting thing I?ve ever seen in my life.?

?But it was romantic right,? she asked with a mischievous grin.

?Romantic how? It was all about eating people?s brains.?

?Awww, come on, you liked it. You were all over me the whole time. I think you were just using it as an excuse to be in my arms. Just admit it. I won?t hold it against you.?

Kaori blushed crimson. ?Well? It was only because I was so scared.?

?Suuuuure, I believe you. Wink, wink.? An utterly terrified expression then developed on Tomo?s face. ?Holy crap, there?s a zombie behind you right now!?

?AH!? Kaori jumped around to see no one there.

She turned back around to see Tomo bent over from laughing so hard. ?Oh my god, I can?t believe you?re so easy!?

?I am not!? Kaori tried frowning at her. The inadvertently cute expression just caused Tomo to crack up again.

?They?re coming to get you, Kaori,? Tomo said in her best impersonation of the spooky voice from the movie. ?They want to eat your brains.?

?Stop it Tomo!?

?They?re coming to get you, Kaori. Woooooooo,? she said wiggling her fingers in front of her face.

Having calmed down a bit from the fright, Kaori decided she was sick of being such a scaredy cat and would play along. ?Stop it Tomo! You?re ignorant,? she said trying to mimic the actress?s voice.

?They?re coming to get you, Kaori.?

?You?re acting like a child!?

Tomo then grabbed her own right wrist, and started wiggling her right hand around like it had gained a mind of its own. ?Oh no, I think I?ve contracted the zombie virus,? she exclaimed. ?I can?t control myself anymore.? Tomo then suddenly closed her eyes and dropped her head down to her chest.

Her head stayed down for several long moments, until Kaori came and pulled on her shoulder. ?Tomo??

Suddenly her head shot back up, causing Kaori to give a playful scream, and Tomo out-stretched her arms in front of her. ?I?m coming to get you Kaori. I?m going to eat you!?

Kaori put her hands on her cheeks, and over-acted saying, ?Oh no, what am I going to do. I better run away.?

She sped down the side walk as fast as she could in her shoes, and Tomo started a pursuit still with her arms out stretched, ?I?m coming to get you!?

?I thought zombies couldn?t run,? Kaori shouted behind her.

?I?m a magic zombie!?

They made they?re way down a city block, zigzagging between other couples and the relatively fewer number of other unsuspecting pedestrians who were still on the street at this hour. Kaori was fast, but eventually Tomo put forth the effort to catch up. As she closed in, she reached forward and grabbed one of Kaori?s round butt cheeks which elicited a loud squeal from her. Finally, Tomo lunged forward and wrapped her arms around her waist, Kaori just being able to use a near by lamp post to stop them from piling over into the concrete. ?Gotcha!?

?Oh no, somebody help me,? she said not too convincingly.

Tomo opened her mouth wide and then bit down on the back of her scalp.

?Ouch! That hurt,? Kaori said before she gave her a mild punch in the shoulder in retaliation.

Tomo then knocked a couple times on the top of her skull. ?Hmmm, seems kinda thick. I don?t know if I?m going to be able to get my way through,? she said. ?Well, if I can?t eat your brains, I?m just going to just have to settle for sucking your blood.? She then moved her lips over to plant them on the side of Kaori?s neck. Kaori gave another squeal before she pushed her off. ?Oh come on, I know how much you like me sucking your blood.?

?But if you leave another mark, I?m going to kill you.? That?s when she saw him. He was across the street. The lamp post he stood under illuminated his handsome, good looks. She could also see that Ichiro was boring directly into her with his eyes, and he looked absolutely furious.

?Hey, what?s wrong, I didn?t think I was that good,? Tomo asked after she noticed that Kaori was trembling again and breathing in deeply. She was completely oblivious to the man behind her across the street.

?I? don?t? know.?

?Wow, you look horrible, even worse than in the movie.? Tomo put her hand over forehead which was sweating profusely and then moved it over to her chest to feel her heart pounding forcefully. ?What?s wrong? Did the movie really scare you that much??

Kaori nodded her head up and down a little bit.

?I didn?t know you would get that scared.? Ichiro gave her a final nasty scowl, before he walked away from them down the street and disappeared into a shroud of darkness.

?Me neither,? Kaori finally let out.

?Hey, look, it?ll be ok,? Tomo said to her as she wrapped her arms back around her and pushed her fore-head up against Kaori?s. ?I?ll protect you from zombies all night if you like.?

After she said that an old lady walked by and gave them a real surprised look. ?That?s right ya old-bag! It?s my job to protect Kaori from zombies,? Tomo shouted at her. The elderly woman then started hobbling much faster down the side-walk to get away from them.

?Tomo! That was so mean,? Kaori scolded her.

?But it was funny right??

?Well, yeah.? She managed a short giggle.

?Hey you want to hit some bars??

?How about we just buy some wine and drink it at home instead? What you said about protecting me all night, that sure sounded nice.?

?Ok.? Tomo then took Kaori?s hand and lifted it up to kiss the back of it. ?I pledge myself to thee as your protector, my lady. I will defend thy honor to the death. I only ask for a small payment.?

?And that is??

?Carnal pleasures later in the evening.?

?Oh, I definitely agree.?

Tomo then started inspecting the area, and then shook her head. ?This just won?t do.?

?What won?t do??

?This side-walk its way too cracked, what if my lady were to trip and fall on her head?? In reality it was perfectly smooth. ?There?s only one solution.? She then got behind Kaori and attempted to scoop her off her feet. She succeeded in lifting her off the ground, and held her butt between her arms as Kaori held onto her shoulders. However, when she tried to step forward her arms began to buckle being too weak to handle the weight and they both fell backwards. ?Ouch my butt!? Kaori then burst into laughter, having landed in her lap, and Tomo shortly joined in the laughing.

Kaori finally stopped laughing some time later, and removed a tear from the corner of her eye. ?Thanks Tomo.?

?Thanks for what??

?For being such an idiot,? she said gratefully.

?Wow, someone finally appreciates me.? They both got another hardy laugh out of that.

?I really do appreciate you,? Kaori said before she kissed her.

To Be Continued