Climbing the Mountain

Eka's eyes followed Harumi as she traversed the small apartment and sat down across from her. The Georgian girl sat up from her reclining position, as she sensed something going on in the heart beating under the white button up. Harumi asked her question, and Eka placed a hand down on her knee. She was sitting cross legged now, leaning forward a little bit, brows furrowed. It was a question that she knew that she could not take lightly. She took a deep breath. Letting the question linger in the air too long before answering it would have played hell with Eka's anxieties, but from what she could tell of her friend, honesty would be valued over a quick answer.

"I think you are amazing, yes?" Eka said before she paused for a bit. "And you I think like to have a very tough exterior. I must say that it is very tough, yes?" Eka raised her hand and balled it into a fist. "And it is very cliche that every person with a tough exterior has a heart of gold, but I don't know. When I am speaking with you, I feel I can be my genuine self. I am not sure what in you engenders that in me, but I like it." Her hand fell back down on her knee. "And you contain multitudes. There is something to be said about being revealed, and not announced."

Eka scooted forward a bit. "This may sound very silly, yes, but I feel that many women here are ready to bare themselves to the world. And perhaps it is just my background, but I have a tendency to say and do too much. Even just a minute ago, you were concealing your face with your fan, peering out over me with your beautiful eyes." Eka said beautiful. Beautiful eyes. That meant something to her, and it would surely mean something to Harumi. She tried to buck up and keep going. "And I so badly wanted to see your face. That is a good feeling, yes? Wanting something like that."

Eka scooted up a bit more. She had her palms down on the table, and was looking straight into Harumi's eyes. "And I would very much like to be your friend, for as long as you would keep me around, despite my weirdness." Eka smiled a bit. "But I think it would be very nice if we were something more than that, yes?" The Georgian girl blinked. "A few dates would be nice. Like maybe trying the whole relationship thing, yes?"

Eka placed her palms up and slid them across the table, to see if Harumi would hold hands.

Harumi waited eagerly for Eka’s response. The judoka knew her question was sudden, knew what asking it meant…It was something she needed to know none the less. Even if the truth was hard, or embarrassing, it needed to be out in the open. Dancing around such an important issue would simply cause problems. Like a bout, this needed to be dealt with grace and planning. Harumi may have thrown the decisive strike, and now she would learn what she had wrought.

Eka took her time answering. Something Harumi appreciated. A quick answer may have been comforting…but a thought-out answer, one that was crafted out of honesty, was what she truly desired. She didn’t want lies, nor comforting words. The more Eka thought about the question asked, the longer she pooled her feelings together, the more honest she would be. Finally, she spoke. The Georgian continued to speak after a pause. She came closer after each sentence. Every word ended with her steady approach. Harumi had to fight the urge to use her fan to hide her face. Harumi could only look away, her cheeks turning a dull red. Eka reached her hand out to Harumi, earning her friend’s attention.

“Eka…we will always be friends, no matter what happens. You are always welcomed here, no matter what happens. I understand, I can come off as rough and rude…I scared so many off by hiding behind this mask, the only mask I can wear if I want to feel safe. Without it, I’m lost, but with it I am alone. I hate feeling like that.”

Slowly, Harumi reached over and grabbed ahold of Eka’s hand, the Judoka still too shy to look into her friends’ eyes.

“I want to change that. I don’t know much about…relationships, but if you are willing to have me…I don’t mind taking my first steps with you.” Harumi said as she gently squeezed the Georgians hand. She quickly cleared her throat, and her fan once again popped up to hide her face. it seemed that fan was the closest thing Harumi had to a physical security blanket, and she seemed to calm down just a little bit.

Eka was crestfallen for a moment. Harumi turned away. The Georgian girl was on the edge of her seat, wondering if she had spoken out of place and revealed the burning passions of her heart to someone who could not reciprocate. Harumi probably thought that she was stupid. That Eka's desires were the fleeting emotions of someone who was still emotionally a teenager, not to be taken seriously by a woman who was as centered and strong as Harumi was. She sank back down, her shoulders slumping, as she waited for Harumi to open her mouth and drive the dagger through her heart.

Then a miracle happened. At first, she spoke as if Eka were stuck in the friendzone. Then she lit a fire in Eka's heart that was not going to be extinguished. Eka instantly perked up when Harumi revealed to her what was on her heart. She let out a joyful noise, something between a ram's bleating and a yelp of surprise when Harumi moved to hold her hand. Eka gripped Harumi a little too tightly at first, overwhelmed by the moment.

"Yes, of course I will have you, nothing would make me happier than to have you, and you have just made me a very happen woman, yes?" Eka was speaking quickly now, and her bouncy accent went up and down even higher peaks and even lower valleys. "And I am very inexperienced. So we will have to make it up as we go along, yes? And that will be very fun. We will do anything that we want." Eka was already thinking about trips to ice cream shops and walks along the beach and fun little sushi dinners that they could have together. But that would be later. There were still things to do now.

She squeezed Harumi's hand once more, this time a little bit more softly. Harumi was using her fan again, and Eka found it all the more precious after what had just happened. "I am very happy now, yes?"

Eka seemed very excited to hear Harumi’s acceptance, squeezing the Judoka’s hand a little too tightly as the Georgian squealed happily. Harumi was glad she had her fan in front of her, otherwise Eka may have noticed her smile twitch slightly in pain.  She quickly realized her own strength, and softened her grip around Harumi’s hand as she merrily rambled on about how happy she was to take Harumi. The teal topped woman let her friend speak, finding it to be one of her charming points. If Eka got excited, she let people know. Harumi herself was excited as to what would progress in the future, but she held her tongue and fanned herself in a manner that promoted calmness. But even that fan, nor her mask could hide the hue on her cheeks.

Together, they lightly squeezed each other’s hands as the Judoka scooted closer towards Eka, until they were shoulder to shoulder. It seemed she still couldn’t put the fan down, and she began to fan even faster than before, as if that was her way of dispelling the excited energy she was feeling at the moment.

“I am…rather happy as well.” She chuckled behind her fan, her shoulder shaking slightly as it leaned against the taller Georgian, “It’s all so…new. And there is something else…”

Harumi began to fan even faster and harder than before, this time it was her voice that seemed shaky and quick.

“Y-you see…my family is a traditional sort, and we always grew up doing things the traditional way, so…uh. Well, when my Father and Mother began going out they…er…well they made the agreement…on a…kiss.”

Harumi looked up towards Eka, wondering if her friend understood the subtle implication the Judoka tried to slide in there. Was it subtle? Perhaps she was being a bit too obvious, or maybe even forward! She was new to this entire thing, but if they would experience everything together, then this was something Harumi had wondered about for a very, very long time. The two had a connection…and Harumi wanted to explore it as Eka did. Together.

They were sitting very closely together now, shoulder to shoulder. It had been far too long since she had experienced any sort of physical contact that did not involve someone being flung to the canvas shortly thereafter, and Harumi was really putting it all out there. Eka's heart picked up the pace a little bit. She shifted. Harumi was nicer with the hand squeeze than Eka had been, and the softness was much appreciated. And then Harumi suggested something that nearly made her heart leap out of her chest. While she didn't say it directly, she very heavily implied that she was looking for a kiss.

Eka didn't say anything. At least not for the time being. She scooted back a little bit to grant herself enough room, and then moved to swing her leg over and straddle Harumi. From there she would wrap her arms around the Judoka and lean in. Eka was not the most seasoned lover, but what she lacked in practice she more than made up for in enthusiasm. The Georgian girl moved in and planted the biggest kiss that she had ever done right on Harumi's lips. It was a long one too. Eka had always thought it was one thing to speak of passions and an entirely different one to act on it. And given all the pent up energy she had, she very badly wanted to act on it.

She brought herself back, and shook her hair out a little bit. "This is a very good tradition, yes?"

Harumi waited expectantly for Eka. Would she respond verbally? Or simply kiss her? Harumi had gone through a few different scenarios, and she was sure she was ready for each and every one! At least until Eka scooted backwards a bit.

“Eh?!?”

Harumi blinked in confusion as her partner backed away for a moment, completely befuddling Harumi. For a second, Harumi’s brain was just the static noise of dead air…Did she say something wrong?

Before she even had the chance to ask, Eka swung her legs around and wrapped them tightly around Harumi’s waist! Then, before the Judoka could make a move, Eka lunged at Harumi, wrapping her arms around her tightly before leaning in to give her a big long kiss! It was forceful, but passionate! Harumi may as well have been a breathing pillow, as she was taken by complete surprise by the mighty display of love. Eka eventually dragged Harumi to the ground, still continuing her kiss where it was getting hard for Harumi to breath! After a few minutes more, Harumi felt as though she would pass out, and actually found herself lightly tapping on Eka’s bicep. By the time the Georgian let Harumi go, the silent samurai was extremely light headed…and had a big, stupid grin on her face.

“It’s…the very best!~”

To be continued…