Chapter I-I

~Her POV~
 

I abruptly sat up in bed, my silky pajamas loosely flowed over my body. My eyes flitted open after I yawned a deep, satisfying yawn of morning air. My baby blue satin covers of my bed lay in a heap at my feet, with my cat, Tobias, resting himself upon them. His dainty gray paws lay beneath his furry head, his whiskers lazily spread out into the space around his feline cheeks. My fingertips grazed the sheets beneath me, and then, I saw the sun for what seems to be the first time in my life. My gaze was attentive and directed towards the curtains billowing with the gentle breeze from the window that overlooked the courtyard. All our kuri rooms did, but mine had the advantage of having the fountain statue of Asacki boldly facing my direction. The green moss that grew on the soft light brown statue only accented the age of the structure, but blended wonderfully with the stone courtyard.

    About the sun, however. The sun that morning was the most brilliant sight. The feeling that crept into my veins and melded deeper into my soul stirred me awake, and awakened my curiosity. The rays warmed my entire soul, the darkness in my bloodstream fleeing with the powerful light, and a jolt of new found happiness greeted the morning.

    Why I never experienced such joy and radiance from the sun before, I cannot say. Maybe because that was the day that changed everything. Just from three simple words. My name is Sakina Aoi and this is part of my story.

 

~Narrator POV~

 

    "Aoi! Aoi!" Kinade Sai raced towards Sakina Aoi, barely managing to catch her breath when Aoi finally halted by the main entrance to the Girls' Abellia Academy. The outside world of the Academy was draped heavily in gardens and meadows of flowers, cherry blossoms, and dirt pathways that lead to various areas of the Academy. Further from the Academy, the Chiha Forest sprang forth, growing seemingly endless towards the sky, the luscious foliage beheld many wonders; one of them being a natural spring.

    "Ah?" Aoi turned to face the orange-haired girl who so viciously sought her out. Aoi's books clattered to the ground as their eyes met and their emotions ran relentlessly. However, Aoi looked away shyly, her blue eyes shifting to her feet. Aoi could feel the red-hot blush apparent on her cheeks. "Yes, Sai?"

    Sai's restless energy kept her bouncing up and down on her heels excitedly. She gazed at Aoi in wondering puzzlement; her hands clasped her books to her chest. Sai tried to hide the white powdery residue of flour on her school uniform. She had forgotten to change outfits after cooking lunch today. Although, that slice of butter cream-frosted, chocolate cherry cake was totally worth the flour spill Sai created in her kuri kitchen.

    "I was just wondering..." Sai's cheeks flushed a deep crimson, "if you would like to come over for dinner tonight. I'm making herb chicken, homemade french fries, an Alfredo side dish, and there's desert, too..." Her voice trailed off for her nerves were finally kicking in along with the adrenaline rush, drowning her in a sweet high from a drug that she never knew she was addicted to...until recently.

    "Umm...Dinner? T t t tonight?" Aoi's soft voice whispered into the almost-delicate air, her curious eyes meeting Sai's for the second time. Sai's eyes gazed back into hers for what seemed like hours, penetrating deep down into the depths of each others' soul. Aoi disconnected the contact, and she bent over and collected her fallen books. "I would love to, Sai," Aoi found herself saying, more so to the ground than to Sai.  

    Sai's natural high peaked, and she giggled happily and skipped all the way back to her kuri, preparing for Aoi's presence. Aoi stared after her in wonder and curiosity, but she smiled happily. Aoi never admitted it to Sai, but she adored her culinary skills and loved her concoctions that she created throughout the years.

    

    Aoi, upbeat and humming to herself, ambled her way through the Academy doors and up the spiral staircase to the Academy art studio. Aoi grabbed a handful of clay and began kneading it into a flat, pizza crust-like shape, thinking about dinner. What if something goes wrong? What if I say something stupid or get something in my teeth? Oh my...what if I forget to wear something decent, like something with a giant and totally noticeable stain? Oh no!!  As Aoi thought, her fist pounded the clay, getting more nervous with every passing thought. Next thing anyone knew, Aoi dashed from the art studio to her bedroom, dazzled in blues and silvers.

    Clothes poured out of her closet into piles on her bed. Shirts, pants, dresses, skirts all cluttered her king-sized bed. On two feet, Tobias pawed the back of Aoi's knee as she sorted through her scattered garments. Unwanted clothes flew all over her room until she came to a decision- a beautiful flowing deeper blue dress layed out upon her bed. 

  

   Ten minutes to one. Her nerves began to kick in, the jitters shook straight through her body as she worked on preparing the ingredients. Sai's hands worked with the herbs and the newly thawed runners, continuing to put them into a glass pan as she finished with them. Hands shaking and smelling like raw chicken, she barely managed to finish without spilling over a container of dried herbs- the fresh herbs in the garden had not peeked out through the earth quite yet. The garden spread out for an acre or two beneath Sai's kuri window, stretching out far into the horizon. Much of her cooking herbs were picked from this gorgeous garden, and served as well for the Academy's kitchens on the ground floor. Aoi's kuri was located on the other side of Sai's, but separated from walls three feet thick. 

    Sai continued to frantically work, tossing out her supposed failures and starting from scratch at least three times before she was completely satisfied with her creations. The plates were set out alongside the waiting silverware, and glasses put out to match. Bowls and platters of Sai's creations lined the center of the elongated stained wooden table. Four O'Clock. Everything was ready, except for Sai! Sai rushed to her room and searched for something to wear.

    Too late. A knock at the door alerted her. It was a soft, sort of sweet knock, as if Aoi meant to not be bothersome, in which she wasn't, but rather the reason for the dinner occasion. Sai frantically slipped in and out of new attire, eagerly opening the door when she was ready- or so she thought. A soft giggle escaped from Aoi.

    "Hi there, Aoi," Sai huffed, mostly out of breath.

    "Hi, Sai. Uh...did you know your shirt is backwards?"

    Sai felt her cheeks glow rosy. She quickly strode to her room to fix the error. When she walked through the archway into the coat hanging area, Sai really looked at Aoi for the first time.

    "Whoa...Aoi..."

    "What is it, Sai?" Aoi tilted her head in curiosity, completely intrigued by Sai's speechlessness.

    "I...You...That dress is really pretty on you." Aoi's turn to blush. Their eyes met for a split second, and the world was still. Neither girl moved an inch. "Uh, would you like to sit down?"

    Aoi nodded, blankly staring into space, presumably thinking. Sai led her into her dining room, pulled out her chair, and gently guided her into it. They sat across from each other.

 

~Sai's POV~

 

    I stared at her for what seemed to be hours, but the clock shook me from surrealism and told me it had only been thirty seconds. My hands grasped the stomach area of my shirt, I couldn't stop trembling. My nerves...I suppose. Aoi glanced over my creations, and I hoped she really liked what I made. After all, I put love into it. Aoi reached out for some chicken and pasta, and I mirrored her after she helped herself. I bit my lip in an attempt to not say something utterly stupid.

    I couldn't tell Aoi that I am completely in love with her.

    At least, not yet.

    The words would not, could not, come through these now-silenced lips. I had never been so quiet in my life. Aoi sensed it and her gaze shifted to watch my facial expressions. She twirled pasta with her fork and put it to her sweet lips. She nibbled on the appetizer, still watching me. I started to nibble on some french fries, feeling the all-too-familiar feeling of blushing. Aoi smiled at this. That only made me blush more. Trying not to say the words that started to form in my head, I shoved more fries down my throat before getting up and returning with my cake from this morning. Aoi looked over the chocolaty creation and motioned with her hand for me to come to her. My feet obeyed.

    Taking the cake and setting it down, she carefully sliced a piece and cut it into miniature square cake pieces. Stabbing one miniature, she moved the fork to my lips, and my lips parted and accepted it. Aoi's smile stretched from cheek to cheek, lighting the room with a happy, yet peaceful, grace.

    We cleaned up the table and I left the kitchen in it's tumultuous disaster. Aoi and I swiftly walked to my room and I sat on my red satin sheet bed. Surprisingly, she joined me. She snuggled her way into my arms, and with a mind of their own, my lips whispered, "Aoi, I love you. I would never hurt you."

    Her pale skin radiantly changed to bright red. Her eyes joined with mine in a strong, electric-like connection. Our fingers slide and intertwined with each other, soft skin gently colliding and causing delicate friction. My veins were shot up with a voltage of calm electricity. Senses heightened, I could feel where our bodies met, slowly inhaling her scent that was a high all its own, and practically taste those sweet lips. Aoi's passion burned inside her, the feelings she could no longer hide appeared in those eyes growing fierce with the deep pool of love in her soul. Her lips didn't even have to move to whisper to me the words, "I love you, too", for me to know that her love for me burns like passionate fire; her eyes, her expression, her gestures revealed it all. I staggered for breath, my airway closing up with my forgetting of how to breath. All too quickly those angelic lips met my own, one kiss to ignite the romance, to make me feel alive.

    Fetching extra sleepwear for Aoi, she ambled into the bathroom not stunned nor shaken by our kiss. Me, however, I was clumsy. My feet tripped over the red shaggy rug at my bed's side. I plopped onto my sheets, poofing up around my lanky body. The sheets felt cool against my warm body as I snuggled into them. My hand clasped a pillow, dragged it over, and put my head upon it. What is taking Aoi so long? Curling up, I waited patiently. Did she freak out inside, but say nothing about it? Too worried to hurt my feelings? Oh, I hope I didn't screw up...

    Finally, a blushing Aoi emerged from the depths of the bathroom entryway. I shook my head softly to get the surfacing ideas out of my head. Flowing and silky, her new sleepwear clung loosely to her body, enhancing her curves and contrasting beautifully with her pale skin. The pattern bore an exotic floral type design, in which Aoi held out her arm, looking over her new garments with interest. The sleeves towards the wrists flowered out, making the width larger than at the shoulder. The moonlight seeped in from the bathroom window and enlightened the space behind her, shining onto her, Aoi glowing with pale moonlight. Did I mention she looked absolutely gorgeous?

    Her almost silent steps could not drown out the pounding my heart felt, thudding in my chest. I sprawled out on the bed, stretching every limb out, hoping she would snuggle to me. Instead, Aoi sat on the edge of my bed, leaning towards me, watching me with those blue eyes. My heart leaped in midair; I swear she heard it flip. Moving to a sitting position, my tenuous arms wrapped around her waist.

    "Can we talk?" Aoi murmured in my ear, her smile apparent in her voice. I nodded in response.

    "What about, sweetie?" Tilting my head to the side to get a better view of her beautiful features, most prominently her eyes and those precious lips.

    "Stuff in general. Our lives. It's one thing when we don't talk much because of our busy scedules and with you cooking all the time, too, it's difficult to find time, you know?" She guided my hand into hers.

    "Yes, yes. Well, what do you want to talk about, Aoi?" She looked over at me and my tan face flushed. I hardly visited the outdoors, but my skin is prone to tan guaranteed. That might be why I love Aoi's pale flesh; though, we contrast when we are together. She mouthed the word you. I closed my eyes.

    "About me? About Kinade Sai? Well, ask away."

    "When did you arrive here at the school?" I thought back long and hard, my eyebrows furrowed above my eyes. My lips contorted and pushed to the right then to the left in wonder. Kisane, my maid so to speak, hadn't mentioned my life before the school.

    "I don't really know the answer to that question. I've never really thought about it. I mean, I can't remember anything but this place. Suppose we ask Kisane," I whispered, but immediately Aoi grabbed hold of my arm with her hands.

    "That's not a good idea, Sai. I tried asking Nena a month ago, and she went berserk on me. She practicallly screamed never to ask about my origins again," Aoi looked concerned as those words tumbled out of her mouth. I nodded, lost in thought on this matter. Why would they freak out like that? It's a simple question. I'll ask Kisane later, when Aoi's not with me.  "Are you okay, Sai?"

    "Hmm? Oh, yes, Aoi, I am."

Author's Note

Chapter is not edited.