We Need To Talk... Again.

Cicilia blinked in confusion as Sayumi stated that she had a "date" scheduled, wondering if she had some surprise planned for her this evening. If that was so, they would wait on the talk! She certainly didn't want to ruin what would be a very romantic evening with what she had to say! If only it were so. Cicilia had gotten better reading her lover's expressions over the months they've been together and her expression right now said she was playing... Whatever she had to go too, it wasn't that important. Probably was about getting her back into some matches!

"...Oh... Tell me how it went when you come back, okay?" She responded softly, nuzzling her back and squirming a little more at her suggestive touch! When she asked about the tank-top, Cicilia only smiled, glancing over at her closet before returning her loving stare back where it belonged. "I've got enough that we can share..." She whispered, placing a small smooch on her cheek. "Only come in white and black though." She paused for a moment, her grin turning quite suggestive itself! "But... I like it when your chest spills out of things..." She lamented almost sadly. "You're so sexy that way..."

It was THEN Cicilia went on the attack, rolling over atop her lover and making out with her furiously! God, she was in love with her... Just being around this cute, lavender-haired sweetheart made her mind go fuzzy with attraction. Her body, her personality, her endless creativity and thoughtfulness... Everything she did, Cicilia loved and cherished with almost Zealot-like vigor. She didn't even know if it was possible to put this girl on a higher pedestal than she already had below worship! The German was almost sad she had to break their kiss but, on the plus side, it seemed to turn her lover to her way of thinking. She let out a soft moan of pleasure as her partner kissed along her collar, the boxer's eyes nearly fluttering closed at the sensation! She was so helpless to her... So vulnerable... She loved that she could feel this way with her.

"...Yeah... You're right..." She whispered before scooting down a bit to kiss one of Sayumi's nice pillowy breasts! "...I love you." She whispered before kissing the other one then sliding out of bed! She was practically shameless with her nudity when it came to her lover's gaze. In fact, she welcomed it! It made her feel... proud? Something like that, that she had managed to draw the eye of someone as gorgeous as her. The Juggernaut would walk across the room to the closet, opening up the doors so that her partner could look inside when she was ready. Taking her time (for one reason or another), Cicilia would get dressed in a simple black tank-top of her own and some loose shorts, preferring to forego the bra this morning. Blah, what did she care. She wasn't going out today anyway. Cicilia looked back at her partner in bed, smirked playfully before walking out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to make breakfast. She WAS only planning to make cereal... but her little tussle with Sayumi inspired her to go a little beyond putting stuff in a bowl.

Grabbing some ancient pancake mix out of the cabinet, Cicilia began the process of actually COOKING something herself, something they both could enjoy! She wasn't the cleanest of cooks, what with the mix littering the counter here and there in it's dusty powder form AND in it's batter form but hey... the product was nice and the smell of it cooking in the pan was godly. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like eating pancakes... She hadn't since she came to Japan, she knew that much.

“I know.” Sayumi remarked softly, poking her tongue out at Cicilia. Her confident air of defiance was broken briefly when her lover laid lips on her chest, sending a small shudder down her spine. She cooed softly, content as each was given a small attention, back arching ever so slightly inviting more but it never came. She gave a soft sigh, easing back into the bed as her girlfriend crawled away.

Sayumi pulled the blankets up over herself as she rolled over, tastefully covering parts of herself as if she was in a depiction of Venus. On her chest, she plopped down her elbows on the bed, chin in her hands as she wasn't even subtle about watching Cicilia, going so far as to whistle and give her small cat calls.

When Cicilia did glance back her way, all of that would abruptly stop, her eyes looking off to a far corner of the room, playing innocent as if she had been minding her business the whole time. She couldn't hide her smirk, she wasn't fooling anyone really, but that wasn't the point. It was fun and cute, which made it fall into her usual routine quite nicely.

When she was finally left alone, the lavender haired girl flopped back over into bed, willing herself to rise while her body proceeded to make a solid case for going back to sleep. She laid there for some time on the verge until the smell of cooking wafted through the cracked doorway. A foreign scent, one she hadn't recalled ever making an appearance in their apartment. Pancakes?

The appetizing aroma intrigued her. Neither herself or Cicilia we're exactly great cooks, so meals tended to be simple or take out. With new found haste she dressed herself. While she still had plenty of time before she had to go, if she was going to greet the morning she might as well do it the right way. Clothes cradled in her arms she moved into the bathroom to freshen up and apply some light makeup.

A pale pink button up blouse, black slacks, slightly pink socks. Gripped between her fingers were a pair of smart looking black dress shoes with slight heels. She looked professional, business like almost with her more subdued color palette and demeanor. As she passed by the kitchen she craned her neck to get a look on what was going on before delivering her shoes to the doormat to be slipped on once she was ready to go. She came back to the kitchen all smiles, hands clasped behind her back, ready to eat.

“Smells good. You should totally do this all the time. Cake for breakfast is always good… well sorta cake. It's in the name.” Her pristine teeth were on full display with a big warm grin as she sashayed her way closer, but far enough back to be mindful of getting her clothes dirty on the powder covered surfaces.

Despite the mouth-watering goodness that was starting to stack up on a nearby plate, Cicilia had been thinking more and more about how she was going to voice her concerns... No matter how much frosting and sprinkles she could think to cover it with, she just didn't find any explanation she liked...

Be careful, Sayumi... There are people out to hurt you now...
Sayumi, I don't want you to go anywhere without me, alright? I... worry about your safety...
Don't go anywhere! Just.... Stay here until I can fix things!
I'm... I'm scared....

How fucking pathetic. She was so afraid for her... So afraid... There were nights where she could only fall asleep because she had her partner in her arms, her presence soothing all the worst-case scenarios that inevitably arose, enhanced by the dark. Had she never met Margaux... Had that fucking insane BITCH died somewhere in her backwards-ass country, Cicilia wouldn't be feeling these things! She would still wait for Sayumi to get home with anticipation, but with healthy joviality, as if waiting to surprise her with a gift! Now, it was far darker... as if the last time they said goodbye would really be the last time... She had grown paranoid and Cicilia knew it, taking note of how much more hostile she was to random strangers that had only tried to be friendly. She knew they were, the genuine shock and pain on their faces when she lashed out so suddenly... Apologies were starting to taste stale on her tongue.

How long...? So many have made threats against her just to get at the boxer. How LONG until she was the one standing beside her partner in a hospital room...? How long until she had to wait to see if she would live or die? She stared into the sizzling batter on her pan, flipping it over after a minute or two to reveal it's golden-crispy underbelly. How long would they make her wait...?

Cicilia JUMPED with Sayumi's sweet words, the sudden jerk sending her pancake FLYING from the pan.... landing neatly on top of the stack with a healthy *Plop*. The German blinked at the miracle that was the pancake sticking it's landing, contemplating whether or not she should be amused before her lover spoke again!

God, she was so pretty... That make-up, that smile... It seemed to melt away Cicilia's troubles. She was so bright and shining even in the boxer's hole of darkness... Just being there, grinning like there wasn't anything wrong... She... She needed a hug... Maybe once their talk was over... Maybe...

"Heh... Yeah..." Cicilia agreed with a faint smirk, grabbing a kitchen-towel to wipe off her fingers. "I think I will... I should do some more work around here, huh?" She smiled as if it were a joke... it was unsure if it was... The grin on her lips said one thing but the heavy, almost evasive eyes of the boxer said another. "WELL! How about I set up the stuff, hmm? I got some syrup too!... Somewhere... Can't have pancakes without it, right?" Another half-joke. She brought over the freshly and (dare she say) well cooked cakes over to the table before going back to the cupboard and retrieving the plates and such. With everything set up, the German would retrieve the syrup from where it hid in the back of the fridge and take her seat at the table. Everything was aesthetically perfect... But a heavy mood lingered about the Juggernaut as if the gravity around her had just doubled.

"Tell me what you think!" She insisted, forking a pancake of her own. "I hope you like them!"

Sayumi waltzed her way up to Cicilia as her girlfriend turned away from the refrigerator, slipping an arm around the front of the woman's waist. Leaning in, her lips pressed to her lover's cheek, purposely leaving an imprint of her lipstick where she kissed for her own amusement. She stepped opposite Cicilia, giving her a small spin as a finger sneakily hooked through the small loop in the syrup bottle's neck to allow her to steal it away in passing.

The lavender haired girl pulled away with a wink, moving towards a cabinet to find a small container to pour the syrup into for easy drizzling. “The syrup is half the reason for having them. "She chirped happily, filling the second hand container before setting it in the microwave. Butter and syrup were a must for any good pancake breakfast, no better way to combine them than a bit of heat. She dialed in a number and started the process along with a small beep.

While she waited a few seconds, Sayumi leaned out to tear off a paper towel from the roll, the ceramic container was about to be hot so she folded it over a few times to help her carry it once it was done. Once the syrup was heated, she made her way to the table with the carefully carried container, some of the whipped butter from the fridge, and a knife for the butter.

She settled across from Cicilia, preferring to easily be able to look across at her than be right up next to her. Pancakes on her plate we're each handled one by one, a bit of butter, hot syrup to help melt it, than repeated until she had a healthy serving in front of her… then extra syrup on top. She liked her pancakes swimming in the stuff apparently, which helped if a few of them were slightly overcooked.

Sayumi beamed happily, taking things slow and careful to not drip anything on her nice shirt. She popped a piece of pancake into her mouth after swirling it through syrup, humming thoughtfully at the taste. If they had been a bit too darkened or the mix a tad bit old, she didn't seem to mind. She smiled, taking bite after bite. “Totally make this more often.” She mumbled softly, mouth still half full.

Cicilia never had to ask Sayumi for reminders why she loved her... She never had the opportunity to second guess. She holds her when she's feeling on-edge, kisses her without any warning or apparent reason... She blushed heavily when her partner smooched her cheek, sensing the make-up smudge left there from her partner's warm, soft lips... She looked upon Sayumi with almost a dreamy-like gaze, as if they were both within a heavenly world where nothing mattered but them... In this new, divine lighting, she saw not just another girl with a holy personality but a Goddess in full, only lacking the soft angelic wings that typically manifested with them... Cicilia never thought she was good enough for her... This beautiful, sweet woman who put up with all her flaws, who helps her every damn day by just being there... Who comforts her when she needs it and loves her...

Cicilia had always been the one to instigate things for the most part but never did she feel like she deserved the kindness Sayumi blessed her with and yet it just kept coming... Every time she said she loved her, she meant it with every fiber of her being. Every time she kissed, it was an attempt to express the warmth in her heart when she saw her... Holding her and hugging her, she could feel their hearts beat as one, Sayumi's warmth so intoxicating.... She wanted so badly to pull her lover into her arms, smother her in kisses and just... just... she didn't know but damn it, she'd do something!

...Or she would have... She had to wrestle with herself to keep on track, to keep her head in the game. Not today, no... She couldn't put it off any longer... Remember, Cici... this is the most important woman in the world to you... She loves you... trusts you... Don't let her down by keeping quiet on this.

The two sat down at the table and began their pancake feast, the German happy to see Sayumi enjoying her meal! In fact, she was stuffing her cheeks SO fast, she was starting to muffle her words up a bit as she spoke! She smiled at that, sighing happily. She would do ANYTHING to make her happy... and now that meant making pancakes at least once a week, she supposed!

Cicilia, on the other hand, ate much more slowly, taking only two from the stack and even then, she'd only taken a couple bites out of one... In truth, she wasn't really that hungry. Nerves tended to have that effect... As the time to talk drew ever nearer, the boxer's apprehension grew... Fear of what Sayumi would say... would DO... She didn't know... Her angel... her beautiful, sweet, innocent Sayumi was going to taste the bitter truth of this fucking wrestling world and SHE had to be the one to hold it up to her face... GOD she hated it but she'd rather it be her than anyone else... Once her partner had her fill, the boxer would speak, her words slow... cautious... Like cutting the wires on a ticking time-bomb...

"S-so..." She started, wincing at her own stutter. She met her partner's eyes, her gaze almost pained, giving away her role as the harbinger of bad news. "Sayumi.... I got some things I have to tell you... Um... This place... AFW... It has some bad people, right...? I... I think some people... Want to hurt me... And... to do that... they have threatened to come after you." God, it hurt her to say this... to break the peace she had enjoyed. This was supposed to be HER fight, HER problems! Sayumi shouldn't have to bare the brunt of these things but... that wasn't in her control... They would come for her whether Cicilia wanted it or not... She had to warn her... to keep her safe...

"I won't let anything happen to you though!" She quickly recovered. "But... I had to tell you..."

Sayumi's eyes met Cicilia's as her girlfriend broke the silence. There was a tremble in her tone, one that alerted her that something was up. She set her fork aside, wiggling in her chair to sit herself more upright. It wasn't like the boxer to be so nervous, unless it was a personal matter, which she could understand. There were quite a few things Sayumi never really spoke on, mainly her past and her parents. She liked to keep a clean slate from when she moved out here.

A brow arched slightly as Cicilia continued, she nodded along to clue her girlfriend in that she was absorbing what she was being told. AFW did have its fair share of bad people. She knew that, mainly because she watched the product. After that encounter at the gym she had been a bit more observant that not everyone playing at being bad in the ring was actually putting on an act. In truth, this was all just part of the business.

“Let them come, I could use a few new opponents.” The corner of her lips curled into a small smirk. Her hands had dipped below the table, smoothing out her slacks absentmindedly. “I'm not exactly defenseless ya'know… I have beat you a few times.” Nevermind the fact that all of those times weren't really entirely legitimate in combative merit. She was aching yo get back into the ring though instead of playing nurse at home.

She leaned back in her chair, eyeing Cicilia quietly. She would protect her. That was something she had always looked to the German for. She was a bastion against the unknown enemies that leaked in the shadows, but until now those had just been in her head. They were real now, if her girlfriend would be believed. Sayumi had decided a while back not to be a victim again, if she could help it. “So… who specifically is doing this?”

"No! I didn't mean that..." Cicilia tried to explain, not at all trying to suggest Sayumi was defenseless! On the contrary, the cutest woman in the world was also a great fighter in her own right, able to take down people like the German boxer when she put her mind too it! The lavender stated as much, smiling like she'd made any kind of significant point... If only she knew the kind of people she was going to be dealing with... She couldn't help but feel this was her fault, that Sayumi would have to face these people at all. No matter how much Cicilia might want too, she couldn't be her bulwark forever... She just wasn't made for it... Whether it was sleep, exhaustion or something else that kept her from shielding her lover from the cackling hyenas that stalk AFW, The Juggernaut just couldn't be with her always...

She didn't think Sayumi was stupid, however. She may have been childish, blind to reality on some odd occasions but never dumb as evidenced by the next question she asked: Who were they? Cicilia didn't know herself... Only a few names and faces. She had no idea how far these people had reach nor what kind of power they could exercise upon everything within it. All she knew was the threats they made and little tokens of determination they've shown her. Cicilia looked down and to the side, ashamed she had to be saying this at all.  She hated she had to get her involved... Why couldn't this just be between them and HER!? What did her love-life have to do with ANY of this!?

Fucking extorting-ass bitches...

"One of them is a half-pinkette, half brunette named Margaux... French and god-damn crazy... Somehow she was able to get her hands on offical documents which... led to what happened in the alley... She's responsible for it and somehow she hasn't been... you know... jailed yet..." She winced at that memory... Horrid times for them both... "The other main one is a woman named Juno. Blue hair, her attire normally consisting of a nurse-like uniform. She... showed me things I don't want to say if that's okay..."

Don't think of those images...

"Sayumi... I love you..." She exclaimed, glancing back up at her, eyes wet. "Just... please keep an eye-out, alright? And..." She paused again, fiddling with her fingers under the table. "Could... Could I go with you too your 'date' thing...?"

With enough syrup, even the overcooked pancakes had been a treat. This however, this left a bitter taste in her mouth no amount of drizzled sweetness could really cover it. Her gaze had become slightly vacant as Cicilia explained the gravity of the situation, though in truth she hadn't heard much past the name “Margaux”. She soaked in the small description in silence, staring across the way at Cicilia with an eerie look devoid of any emotion, which was odd for someone so animated.

Her mind drifter back to those uncertain days with Cicilia in the hospital. She had never wanted to see anyone like that, let alone someone she cared so deeply for. Having a name to the pain and heartache gave her a feeling… what was it? So foreign, she didn't know how to really place it. Was it clarity? She had come to some sort of understanding, mind churning out ideas to resolve what it was that consumed her for the moment.

She blinked at her girlfriend's confession of love, brought back into the conversation in a small haze. It took her a moment to adjust, pushing down her thoughts to play her role as a significant other. It took her a moment to recognize the look of concern on Cicilia's face, one she sought to ease with a small smile. “Sure… it's just a meeting with Mariah about booking stuff. You can come along if you want, but it's closed door stuff. Can't have you hearing what all my plans are otherwise that would ruin the surprise.”

The air in the room felt heavy, the tone so grim. She should do something to lighten the mood. A joke maybe. What was her name? Juno? Some crazy nurse? “Hippocratic oath, more like hypocritical oath, right?” She gave an awkward smile. The joke may have normally seemed a bit over her head, because it was. She had actually taken it directly from Momo, her friend at the hospital while she told Sayumi a story about a doctor who was fired for playing grab ass with the interns.

Cicilia did smile... but not because of her lover's joke... This probably ruined their good morning, all this that needed to be said, but she didn't care... So long as she could protect her sweet Sayumi and get her home without danger at the end of each day... that's all that mattered... Slowly, the German would get up from her side of the table, walking around beside her lover before wrapping her arms around her, pulling her into a warm, tight hug. She gently rested her forehead against her partner's her sanguine eyes slowly fluttering shut.

"I know this all sounds crazy..." She whispered. "...and maybe scary but... thanks for listening..." Saying it all... voicing her worries... It helped with a lot of the stress that had been building up over the last couple of days... All these emotions she'd kept up inside were being let out and... she was glad that they were. Sayumi had handled herself better than Cicilia could've ever hoped she would and that... that was something to both cherish and treasure. She was so glad she had someone like her around... Cute always but tough when she had to be... Strong...

"I'll just hang around outside or something..." Cicilia continued before pulling away from their hug slightly. "Maybe I'll even dress up nice after all! I think I've got a dress I haven't worn in front of you yet!" A slightly wider smile spread across her face at that, dressing up for no reason other than to go on a trip with her girlfriend... She didn't normally like dressing in anything but casual but this... this felt like one of those special occasions where it felt RIGHT too... even though it absolutely wasn't. She would gently lean in, delivering a soft peck on her girlfriend's nose, attempting VERY hard to lift the bitter mood that had tainted their morning! With this understanding between them established, there was no reason for them to dwell on this anymore.

"It was gonna be for something like a date but.. you know... I guess I just feel like being pretty today!" So light was her heart after this god-damned heavy weight disappearing, she was actually looking FORWARD to dressing up! And besides... it might just KILL Mariah to see her in a dress... Why not?

For as open and honest as Sayumi tended to be, she had become rather good at internalizing her bouts of paranoia over the years. She worried often about what lay within the shadows or beyond a corner… now she just had names to place on those fears.

In some detached way, it was a comfort. There was power in knowing her enemies, she could be ready or perhaps even strike first. It was a lot to consider, but something she would ruminate on. At the end of the day, her choice of career, happening to meet Cicilia, all stemmed from one pivotal moment of weakness in her life.

Sayumi “meeped” softly as she was drawn into an embrace, reaching up to hold the arms around her gently and give a squeeze. “I can be a pretty good listener… especially after you make pancakes.” She smiled lightly, craning her neck to steal a kiss on Cicilia's cheek when she pulled away.

“Seems like a waste to leave you standing around, but that should be fine.” One eye narrowed, eyeing Cicilia curiously. A new dress? She routinely poured through Cicilia's clothes for things to "borrow" so something within her wardrobe she hadn't seen came as a shock. Had she been hiding it someplace?

She snickered softly, the cuteness of her girlfriend keeping such a thing a secret until now weighing heavier than it should coupled with other things. Between large issues like this discussion and small things like clothes, was Cicilia hiding anything else from her?

The lavender haired girl went momentarily cross eyed as lips grazed her nose, breaking from a small trace. She sat quietly, blinking up at Cicilia with her big beautiful eyes. Without even thinking, she responded softly and innocently.

“But you always look beautiful.” It was so genuine and came so easily it was almost a childlike admission. Indisputable, obvious. Sometimes it was hard to remember how mature she actually was when she displayed a pure innocence in moments like these.