recolle | Lucky to have been where I have been [Closed]

Lucky to have been where I have been [Closed]

WHO: Eleanor Lamb and Yukiko Amagi
WHERE: Their apartment
WHEN: January 20th, lunchtime.
WHAT: Birthday cake, lunch, confessions.
WARNINGS: Sappiness.

Eleanor had left pretty early in the morning to go to her parent's for breakfast, a birthday tradition that she'd been under explicit instructions to not break once she'd moved out. Something about 'cutting off college funding' which had probably been a joke but, well, better to not chance it, right? Besides, she liked birthday breakfasts, they were...comforting. Familiar and warm and reassuring. And after the last few weeks of her brain basically going insane, she'd needed that.

After New Years Eve and the kiss, and then talking to John a few days later, Eleanor had planned to talk to Yukiko as soon as possible. But then with the subway, and the dome and school starting back up, there were so many little excuses to put it off that she found herself more than willing to latch onto. Her entirely unfounded fears certainly helped with that too.

But she couldn't keep doing that. She knew it. And she didn't want to. She needed to know, one way or another. Hopefully John was right. But even if he wasn't...

Well, either way. And it wasn't like she hadn't spent more than enough time planning out what to do. Or at least what to say. She had a whole speech prepared, which was ridiculous but at least the idea made her feel better. So, with all that in mind, she finally pushed the door to the apartment open, closing it in a hurry to keep too much of the cold out.

"Hey, I'm home!" She called out with a genuine smile, swinging her purse off to set it on the table by the door then shrugging free of her coat and hanging it up. "I know I'm a little later than I said, I hope that's okay." She added, moving further into the apartment and towards the kitchen where she guessed Yukiko would be.

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The morning had been a flurry of activity for Yukiko. She was always a mid-morning riser, and today was no exception. Eleanor's birthday was an important day, and this year it was for more reasons than one. This was their first birthday in their apartment and the first birthday after some rather startling revelations about their relationship over the last two months. Yukiko had not missed that something was up, and she couldn't deny that she wanted to talk to her friend about it, but she could never find the time. Between worrying about Sakura to worrying about Yu to class and family life and so much other stuff, it was hard to focus and really think through the conundrum that was Eleanor Lamb.

That had been something put out of her head today too, though. Today wasn't the day for it, today was for less confusing things. Like cake. Baking what she knew to be a particular favorite was one task she never shirked, and preparing a bunch of favorite foods for lunch was another. It took a little longer than she anticipated, and she barely even noticed the time when Eleanor wandered in after her breakfast. Smiling brightly, she shook her head at her best friend.

"Not at all, birthday girl. The cake is just now cooling, and I have the food nearly ready. It's all sitting in the oven to stay warm. I didn't go too heavy, since I know your parents like to make breakfast a big production."

A snuffling sound heralded the arrival of Al Capug, as well, the pooch happily bounding up to Eleanor and starting to snuffle at her legs.

"And look, even Al is here to say Happy Birthday."

And there she was in the kitchen, clearly having cooked a lot of things, judging from the wonderful smells. Eleanor's smile was immediate and a little bit embarrassed somehow by the Birthday girl comment, for some reason.

"Oh they really did, you know my mother when she gets going. It's a good thing my sisters were there or I'd still be at home eating." She grinned, leaning down as she spoke so she could give the mafia dog the appropriate attention.

"Hey Al, I-" the pug leaned up to lick at her face and Eleanor laughed, trying to guard her face. She was actually wearing a bit of make-up for a change and didn't need dog-locks smearing it all over. "Al, stop that!" She gave the pug a second gentle shove away and he bounded back almost immediately, so instead she just scooped him up, holding him under one arm like a sack of potatoes as she stood again.

"Everything smells delicious, Yukiko," she said after a second of composing herself. Okay. Food was still technically in the oven, she had a few moments here, now was the time. Or she could put it off until after lunch, would that be better? Maybe they-

A particular smell caught her attention from the oven and her brain hiccuped for a second. "...Did you make cornbread muffins?" She asked, and before Yukiko could answer, Eleanor stepped over to the oven to tug it open and peer inside. Huh. She closed the door and turned back to her. Still holding the squirming dog.

"You made cornbread muffins." It was such a silly thing but Eleanor knew how much work was involved and...she wasn't surprised, of course, but just...kind of derailed. There went her planned speech out her ear. Her expression was probably caught somewhere between happiness and frustration.

Yukiko patted flour off her apron and began to wash her hands, watching Al make a nuisance of himself as always. He was generally a pretty good boy, and he was the most easy going mafia boss in recorded history, but that didn't mean she could excuse this. Well, unless Eleanor was going to punish him like that. He deserved that.

The question about muffins was enough to make her forget the dog, a nervous little twitter forming in her stomach. Had she remembered wrong? did Eleanor not actually like cornbread? It wasn't an extremely difficult thing to make, and it went well with everything else, but had she inadvertently...

No. No it seemed fine. She snapped her mouth shut to keep from apologizing and nodded when Eleanor seemed pleased. That was good. Better.

"Yeah, I remembered that you liked them. They're ready at least, they should be cooled enough. If you want to go ahead and start with those, we can?"

Eleanor shook her head after a couple seconds, laughing softly. "No, we...we can start however you planned it, I was just surprised." Which was silly. She really was on edge wasn't she.

Seeing Yukiko look as startled as she had been there had been a bit off-putting too. It was hard to ever really startle her like that, Eleanor knew. Was she nervous too? Her cooking had gotten back to being great, it couldn't have been that and...

Okay, stop. She had to stop. And she was pretty sure she was staring at Yukiko as her mind raced, which she had found herself doing a lot lately but the apron was just so cute and Yukiko was always so pretty and-

Stop.

"Yukiko, I need to tell you something. Or, no, I need to ask you something." A breath. "No, that isn't right either. I just-"

She cut off again and her shoulders dropped as she tried to calm down. There was that nervous energy burning it's way into her motions again. "Ugh, damn it." She turned, taking a few steps to the side, gesturing with her arm that wasn't currently holding a dog.

"I had this whole thing planned out," she said with a frustrated little laugh. "I was going to come home, say hi, give my terrible speech which clearly I am not going to do since I can't remember most of it, and then just...I don't even know."

Yeah she was definitely in nervous energy rambling mode.

"And then I got here and you're...well, you're you so you're always throwing off my train of thought lately and then the food and-" She paced a few steps back the other way as she continued to talk. "And it smells amazing and you look amazing and god I'm rambling aren't I."

She stopped halfway through her next pace back across the room, closing her eyes to try and gather her thoughts again. Okay, this was going terribly wasn't it...

Yukiko listened quietly. As always, quietly. Unperturbed by the rambling way Eleanor was talking, she stood still and listened with her head tilted to one side.

A vague, vague idea of what this might be about began to form in the back of her head. That unspoken feeling of something sweet, almost too sweet, that had formed in the last few months. Something that even she recognized was more than just ordinary nerves.

You look amazing.

You're always throwing off my train of thought.

I need to ask you something.

I need...

Need

That was the word that stuck out to her most in all of that. Eleanor needed her.

She dipped her head, a muted but no less genuine smile flickering across her lips, and she took a step closer. Reaching out to scratch Al's head, she looked Eleanor right in the eye. She felt the same way, she thought...

"It's okay, Eleanor. Just say it straight out. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. You've been pretty distracting lately, too. And there are times where I think you are the only person that's keeping me from going insane."

Especially if it was what she thought it might be.

Eleanor's mind blipped for a moment as Yukiko spoke, not quite processing properly now that her rambling train of thought had been briefly derailed. She would've thought she'd be used to that by now but there it was again, every time. She felt herself glancing down at Yukiko's hand as she petted Al, the poor dog having given up squirming and just hanging there in Eleanor's arm.

"...Oh." She said, though she wasn't even sure why, and after a few seconds she turned just long enough to set the dog down on one of the kitchen chairs before she turned back to Yukiko, eyes settling on hers. How many times had she looked Yukiko in the eyes over the years? Thousands? It had never felt like this, not until recently, not until...

Well.

She opened her mouth to speak, stopped, tried again, stopped with a slightly frustrated breath, then closed her eyes for a moment, gathering up her courage, and when she opened them...

She couldn't say she was steadier, but Yukiko was still there, and why was she so nervous about this? It was ridiculous.

"I think I'm in love with you," the words spilled out before she could catch them, and her eyes went wide with surprise at herself, and then at what she had said. "No, I mean, I don't think I am, I am. In love with you. At least..." She gave a little frustrated groan.

"I can't come up with anything else. I just...You're always there in my head anymore, and every time you're around I can't seem to stop looking at you and when you smile or laugh I just get this crazy feeling in my stomach like, I don't even know what it's like, I've never felt anything like it before but it feels really nice."

Eleanor, Stop talking!

"And then there's the kissing thing. Because I want to kiss you pretty much every time I see you. All the time." God she was blushing like an idiot as she rambled wasn't she. "Or just hold you or when we watch movies and you lean against me and I just want to kiss you until I can't breath and-"

As Eleanor poured her heart out, rambling as always, Yukiko closed her eyes and let her mind focus on the words. Not the sight of her best friend, just the sound of her voice. This was what she had expected, yes, and the feeling she had been wrestling with for weeks and months now too. It had seemed a small thing, when put beside murders and mysteries and friends pulling away, but now that it was out in the open it suddenly blows up to the size of the Hindenburg.

Her heart swelled, and Yukiko continued to quietly process, letting Eleanor keep going while she waited for the perfect opportunity to settle this issue. Because to her, it was settled. She was dimly aware that this is not the first confession of interest she's ever received, but it is the only one that she's ever reciprocated.

Just that thought sent a jolt through her.

A thrum, a pulse, a soft burst of colors that popped in the back of her head. Her stomach twisted in a knot, a bubbling sensation that she'd never felt before.

And then the opportunity came.

Yukiko stepped in the rest of the way and pressed a single finger to Eleanor's lips to silence her, and then a kiss to her cheek. The thought of interrupting her with a kiss was cute, yes, but they'd have just bumped foreheads that way.

"Eleanor. I feel the same way. I haven't really been able to put it into words...and I've been thinking about it since New Years, but I hadn't quite had the words to say it. I want to cuddle with you, and I want to hug you, and kiss you and spend time with you. You are my most precious person, and if you feel like this too, then we should just stop pretending we're just friends and see where that takes us."

She removed her finger and smiled, a happy blush coloring her cheeks.

"What do you think?"

Eleanor froze as Yukiko's finger settled against her lips, her eyes immediately flashing back to Yukiko's from where they'd wandered along with her words, watching her like she wasn't sure what to expect. Yukiko could be so hard to read and-

And then she spoke and Eleanor felt the entire world shift under her feet. She...she thought the same way. She felt the same thing! And she said it in the most flowery, Yukiko way that Eleanor could imagine but she still said it! Which...

Was somehow just as terrifying as her not saying it? But in a good way? Could terror be good? Well it clearly could be good and-

Shut up brain.

When Yukiko's hand fell away, Eleanor didn't move, just looking at the other girl. The other girl who...loved her.

That thought seemed to snap her up, and she sucked in a breath before she smiled, a big, goofy, ridiculous sort of smile that turned into a relieved laugh that almost turned into a need to cry? After nearly a month of worrying about this and it had all been pointless worry, she could've just said something before! But, it didn't matter, none of it mattered because they were here, now.

"I...think..." Words. She needed words. Nothing felt right though. She couldn't talk the way Yukiko could and she didn't want to start rambling again because she could feel that waiting just there, another explosion of talking. "I..."

She sucked in a long, slow breath, laughed again, and she suddenly closed the small distance between them to wrap Yukiko up in a hug. Okay. Solid ground.

"I think this is the best birthday ever." She answered with a quiet laugh. And then she kissed her.

No forehead bumping worries this time.

Yukiko smiled softly before their lips met, leaning into the hug more than usual. Eleanor was warm and nice, and this was nice, and everything was nice. It wasn't even strange, thinking that this was happening. Not anymore. They were, and always had been close. This was just a new level of closeness, one that sent a swell of delight through her.

The kiss was, in her extremely limited experience, a good one. Short, but sweet and very tender. As steady as she was accepting that she wanted this, the actual act itself was confusing. No great display of passion, but she didn't think that was really either of their styles.

When she pulled back, she was still smiling, her eyes closed as she considered what to say next. Words weren't precisely easy. But she had at least two. The two most important ones for today, anyway.

"Happy Birthday."

Leaning against Eleanor, she giggled.

"I'm glad I could make it the best ever."

The kiss probably would have had a better chance to end up in the annals of smooching history of either of them had any real idea what they were doing. Which they did not. But it was perfect for what it was supposed to be, and still left Eleanor a little bit of a giddy mess when it ended.

Her head was tilted slightly down, feeling that rush of heady happiness that came after something really good that could have gone really bad happening, and she caught Yukiko's eyes just as they opened, and couldn't help but laugh right along with her.

"Thank you," she said, biting on her lower lip for a moment. "I can think of far worse ways to turn nineteen." She tightened her grip around the other for a moment, closing her eyes, doing a bit of a 'test hug' against the universe. And when she opened her eyes, it was all still happening.

Oh good.

So she loosened her grip a bit, and then leaned in to steal another quick, kiss before practically bouncing back out of Yukiko's arms. "We need to eat." She declared, so light on her feet she was nearly floating. "Because if we don't I'm just going to keep kissing you and everything will end up cold or burned."

Yukiko giggled to herself and nodded, sweeping away quickly just in case. She didn't want to get away, but this was a lot to process. A whole lot. Especially given that things would probably change slightly...they were living together, after all. But that would come in time.

What mattered more was the lunch, and continuing this good feeling. Grinning, she pulled open the stove and started removing trays. Basically all the hits, things that she knew Eleanor enjoyed. And cake.

"I'm going to go get your present. If you want to go ahead and fix your plate, I'll be right back."

And away she went!

It was a good thing she started working at the oven as soon as she did because otherwise Eleanor probably would've made another grab for her. She felt like she had more energy than she could possibly process, and it was all she could do not to twirl around in a circle until she got dizzy and fell down right there in the kitchen.

Everything might have to start being reasonable and there would be things to worry about and work out and reality was probably going to show up at some point but for today she was going to not think about any of that and just enjoy this ridiculous, happy feeling. And possibly kiss Yukiko again. Well. Definitely. But not right now she was working with an oven, patience Eleanor!

Instead she focused on helping, or staying out of the way, which mostly involved getting out plates and silverware and napkins, and then Yukiko had everything out and wow that cake looked fantastic.

But before she could say anything, Yukiko had mentioned a present and swept out of the kitchen, leaving Eleanor blinking in surprise.

"Huh. I thought lunch was my present," she murmured to herself, before turning to the food and doing as expected, piling way too much of everything on a plate. And not cutting the cake.

Look at that willpower she had.

Yukiko was only gone a moment, and when she returned it was with something all wrapped up in a nice, neat bundle. It wasn't too much, in her head. Just something she'd seen in a shop and thought that Eleanor would like a lot.

"I hope that you like this," Yukiko said with a bit a breathlessness, proffering the box.

Inside was a jewel case, and inside that was a hairclip, studded with a few small aquamarines.

"I think it's appropriate, given all those memories of being under the sea."

Eleanor had just finished setting up her plate when Yukiko returned, and she set it down on the little kitchen table before turning to Yukiko and the package.

"I can't remember you ever getting me something I didn't like, so," she smiled teasingly and sat down, carefully unwrapping the package to find a...jewel case. Well.

She actually hesitated, just for a moment, before opening it. Eleanor didn't get jewelry often, really, she hadn't even gotten her ears pierced until last year, but...

"Oh!" She gasped softly as she opened it up and drew out the hairclip. "It's beautiful," she said after a moment, turning it over slowly. She'd been growing her hair out for the last six months, it was nearly down to her shoulders, but she hadn't really thought to do anything with it and...

"I guess you noticed," she said, almost nervously. "My hair I mean." She added, turning the clip over again. okay, she hadn't worn one of these since she was maybe six, how would she...

"...Okay, where should I put it?" That was a bit better than just going 'help' probably...

It was difficult not to notice hair growing out like that. Yukiko smiled softly and reached out to take the clip, moving to put it into Eleanor's hair. Just to one side, pulling a little back away from her face to give it a kind of sideswept, slightly uneven look.

"Like that, Eleanor," she said before popping forward for a quick kiss. It was going to be difficult to control herself when it came to stuff like that for a bit, but she was fairly confident that it wasn't unwelcome today.

"I think that'll look good on you. It isn't too heavy, is it? It's not a small clip..."

Eleanor was about to answer, probably something snarky, when Yukiko's quick kiss caught her off-guard and left her blushing a bit. The blushing was just not going to stop was it?

So it took her a second to actually answer, thinking about the hair clip. It actually felt fine, really. A bit strange, but she couldn't see it, so it was just a matter of adjusting to the weight.

Which wasn't going to stop her from being silly though.

"No, it's not too heavy, it's fine, it's..." As she talked, her head slowly tipped over on the side the hairclip was on, until her cheek was nearly resting on her shoulder.

"Uh oh," she barely managed to keep a straight face. "I think I'm in trouble here Yukiko."

Oh no. Eleanor, you have just made a grave mistake. You have given a somewhat fluttery, somewhat nervous Yukiko a reason to giggle. She moves forward to close the gap, hugging her friend to her shoulder...and just starts laughing.

She's not even going to be sorry, it's just so ridiculous and she's so on edge that she cannot help but just let loose. Forgive her. Or don't.

A grave mistake, or a glorious purpose? Eleanor loved making Yukiko laugh, it was half the reason her sense of humor was what it was. Years of finding ways to make her giggle had honed it into a terrible, terrible weapon of laugh destruction.

So her straight face lasted into about the fifth second of Yukiko's giggling before she broke out into a grin, wrapping one arm around her in return and slowly tilting her head back up.

"Yes...yes that's it. Your laughter is giving me energy, look, my head is rising again!"

Eleanor no stop.

This definitely has the desired effect, making Yukiko laugh even harder, enough so that she finally staggers back into a chair and flops into it with zero grace.

Still laughing, as hard as can be.

You brought this on yourself, Eleanor.

The worst part was, she wasn't even sorry. Setting off a giggle-fit was solid ground really, something almost relaxing and reassuring because she could do it inspite of what else had happened today.

But she's an old hat at dealing with them anyway, even if this is a bit of a special occasion. So she'll come around the chair Yukiko had collapsed in and lean in to give her a hug from behind and a kiss on the top of her head before dropping down into the chair next to her to actually eat some of the food Yukiko made, and wait for the fit itself to pass.

She might be staring sometimes? A little bit? She still can't seem to stop doing that. At least she feels better about it now...

It takes a minute, but the contact and the kiss do help bring her out of it. When she finishes up, wiping away a tear, she scoots her chair in to the table and grabs up a cornbread muffin. She doesn't mind the staring at all, and so long as Eleanor knows what she's gotten into, she isn't going to feel a shred of embarrassment.

"Well...hah..." she said with a sigh, "Some things never change. You always know just how to make me laugh."

Eleanor just grinned as Yukiko came out of her laughing daze, munching on a bit of food while the other got her muffin.

"Well, I should hope so. You're cute when you laugh. Why do you think I do it?"

That was a bit of a revelation for her too, actually, but at least she could cover it up with a smile. Some things were starting to make more sense...

"Shush," Yukiko murmured, shoving the food into her mouth to keep herself from laughing harder. Her cheeks turned a little pink all the same, chewing the muffin with puffy cheeks.

It took her a moment, but she swallowed and spoke...

"You're so ridiculous. I-It's cute," she offered back with a tremble of laughter almost breaking what little cool she had left.

"Thank you. I am rather ridiculous," she snickered as she agreed, giving a little head-bow from her chair, before taking another bite of her muffin, trying to decide if she wanted to tell another joke. Giggle-fits were fun but they tended to make Yukiko a bit hard to actually talk to.

Instead she waited for the other to finish and swallow the bite she was on, and then suddenly darted forward to kiss her again. Horray for super-agility!

Yeah that was probably going to happen a lot...

Unsurprisingly, Yukiko smiled at the kiss, and while it was pretty brief it was still quite nice. She put a hand on Eleanor's shoulder as they broke apart and gave it a squeeze, looking her square in the eyes.

"How long have you been trying to work up the nerve to say something? Just...out of curiosity."

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