I'll Be Waiting
The clock above Yuki’s kitchen counter read 16:00.
“Hey.”
Rika poked Yuki’s cheek.
Yuki was fast asleep, her energy drained from tears and three nights of poor sleep.
“Hello?”
She softly poked her cheek again.
“If you sleep to much now, you’ll have trouble sleeping tonight.”
After their declaration of love to one another, and her promise to never leave Yuki to her fated nightmares, Yuki fell asleep in her arms. She said she felt safe before dozing off.
Rika let her fall asleep, arms wrapped around her neck. Her obsidian hair smelled of hibiscus as she rested her head on Rika’s shoulder.
Rika felt Yuki drift off to sleep, and she herself felt it enveloping her.
She carried Yuki to her bed, as if she were a princess. Set her down and laid next to her, pulling covers over both of them.
The soft sheen of Yuki’s hair reminded her of Butterfly wings, she dreamed of a botanical garden, surrounded by fluttering wings. Yuki approached her with a bouquet, they each held golden rings fitting them onto each other’s fingers. Family members cheered in the background, and they kissed.
Rika’s eyes opened, she had her pictured she and Yuki’s wedding. It was everything she could want. Yuki had looked beautiful, and she had felt her heart flutter faster than the wings of the butterflies.
In reality her heart was actually fluttering. She looked at Yuki sleeping next to her. Her face was as serene as it was beautiful. The kanji that spelled her name truly fit her.
Rika felt herself blushing.
/That’s so embarrassing./
She saw Yuki’s soft lips, and remembered the last part of her dream, and then that morning.
/That’s thinking so far ahead. Probably too far./
Yuki’s hand lay open next to her face. Rika set her hand on top of Yuki’s. Yuki’s fingers interlocked with hers even though Rika thought she was still sleeping. Yuki rolled to her side. Wrapping herself in Rika’s arms, without a word she drifted off to sleep once more.
“I would happily marry you right now.”
Rika wasn’t sure if Yuki had heard her, she probably didn’t, but she meant every single word.
“One day, I’ll ask you properly.”
Rika closed her eyes once more.
“I’ll be waiting.”
Rika was unsure if it had been part of her dream, or Yuki had indeed responded to her. It didn’t matter to her, because she knew she would.
Rika began dreaming of a wedding again, she wrote every detail into her memory. It was a vision of Heaven.
Something woke her up.
She felt Yuki’s hand gripping her side. She buried her face deeper into her chest. Her breathing became quicker, Rika heard her soft voice growing louder.
“I’m sorry.”
Rika immediately knew what was happening.
She began gently stroking Yuki’s hair. She felt sweat dripping from Yuki’s forehead, her voice becoming whimpers.
“I’m sorry.”
Rika continued holding her tight, she whispered into Yuki’s ear.
“I’m right here.”
Yuki began shivering as she held Rika, softly crying.
“Don’t leave.”
“Never.”
Yuki began settling down, no longer whimpering and her breathing relaxed.
Rika shushed her gently, as she tucked Yuki’s hair behind her ear. Whispering again.
“I’ll be here as long as you want.”
She hugged her tightly once more then looked at her angelic face. Rika frowned slightly.
/This isn’t good. She can’t sleep well if I’m not here all the time./
Rika looked at her face thinking.
/I could move in. Still./
Rika kissed Yuki’s forehead.
/She has too many worries on her mind. I’ll call mom./
Rika’s mother was a psychologist, she had a small practice in the city. Rika couldn’t pretend to know if something was wrong, or what.
Rika remembered Yuki’s tortured look when she had arrived.
/Mom will know./
The first challenge though was seeing if Yuki would go in the first place, she hadn’t on her own. And, for many people there was a taboo.
/I can’t see her like that again./
She kissed her forehead once again.
She then saw that the light had begun to change. The room took on an orange glow.
“Hey.”
Rika poked Yuki’s cheek.
Yuki was fast asleep, her energy drained from tears and three nights of poor sleep.
“Hello?”
She softly poked her cheek again.
“If you sleep to much now, you’ll have trouble sleeping tonight.”
Yuki’s eyes slowly opened. She and Rika stared into each other’s eyes, in the light her blue eyes had purple accents, and her hair glowed like a halo.
“You’re here.”
Rika nodded, as she did her curls glinted in the light.
“Yes I am.”
“My dreams...”
“Were they beautiful?”
“They are right now.”
Rika smiled and ran her fingers through Yuki’s hair.
“This isn’t a dream.”
Yuki caressed her cheek, admiring every detail of the angel in front of her.
“In my dream...”
She paused for a moment.
“I’d like to live together.”
Rika paused for a moment, she was nervous, it was a big step so soon. Her heart began racing.
Yuki ran her thumb along her lips.
“I know it’s a lot, but...”
Rika nodded.
“Yes.”
Rika kissed Yuki.
“I meant what I said.”
She smiled.
“All of it.”
