Prelude

Prelude


Chapter Three:
Lingering Touch

The long and slender minute hand ticked on as the woman donning the wristwatch rested her right elbow on the café table. Ikuko was late…not fashionable late either…thirty minutes late. Around her customers gradually dwindled; but it wasn’t until the hour hand reached five did Setsuna arise from her chair. Inwardly she scolded herself for feeling disappointed. This was the third time that Ikuko had stood her up without warning. Almost a month since the younger woman’s tearful confession on the park bench Setsuna could feel their close bond start to drift apart.

‘It’s for the best though,’ the Mistress of Time mused while waiting for the bus. Where she planned on escaping to Setsuna didn’t know. Just away from the café where they had sat down and shared the afternoon hours. As days passed Setsuna began to look forward to that small window of time that they spent in each others company. Setsuna had never been one for conversations; usually she would listen patiently to Ikuko prattling on about things that were of importance to her.

Listening to Ikuko’s voice was like a balm which gradually soothed away Setsuna’s feeling of loneliness, to the point that every time she had to return to the Time Gate it became increasingly painful. In the same respect without her there, the café held no amount of solace never mind that it was always packed with people.

High-heeled plum colored shoes clanked against the steps to the bus as Setsuna boarded. Not even glancing around to see what other forms of humanity were also taking a short journey, she took the nearest vacant seat. A dispassionate gaze looked out the window just as the bus pulled away from the curb. A sense of melancholy took over the woman as her mind replayed the fateful moment when a close bond was abruptly severed.

---Flashback---

Ikuko had been standing against the wall of the café, waiting to be seated when Setsuna had walked in. The woman smiled, unlike a few days prior this smile was broad and genuine. Setsuna could tell that Ikuko was brimming with good news and was just bursting to tell; however the dam didn’t break until they had been settled.

“Kenji and I made up,” Ikuko confessed, the cheerfulness in her tone hinting to Setsuna that they had done more than ‘make up’.

Almost as soon as Setsuna processed that statement two emotions warred within her. A part was ecstatic for Ikuko. But…there was another feeling which was trying to surface.

“Oh? Well that’s good…really good,” Setsuna said, suddenly feeling a tad bit ill.

With a dreamy sigh Ikuko rested her elbows on the table, supporting her head upon the open palms, “Yeah. I mean it was rather awkward at first. It was almost like walking on egg shells because I didn’t want to tell him how I was feeling…”

Setsuna hadn’t meant to allow her attention to wander; but it was hard to tune her ears to listen while her eyes stared intently at Ikuko. Her expression was all-around cheerful, cheeks alight with color, the corners of her lips curled in a smile, and her eyes…

“Setsuna?” Ikuko asked, looking curiously at her friend, who had just seemed to be spacing out.

The older woman blinked as she saw a hand waved in front of her. Blinking Setsuna actually looked at Ikuko who seemed a bit concerned.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

Setsuna gave a brief nod, but before a word could confirm the tea and cakes had arrived. Taking their cups and sweet treats both thanked their waitress before the young woman wandered off to serve someone else. Setsuna took the liberty to watching Ikuko, who had closed her eyes while taking the first few sips of steaming tea.

In the back of her mind a voice was prodding conscious thought.

‘Why am I feeling like this? I should be happy that Ikuko and her husband are back on the right track. That’s part of my mission isn’t it? To make sure that Usagi-san is born in this time and grows up in a good home? So why…do I feel so miserable?’

Setsuna quieted that voice with a cold dose of reality and reached for the tea.

Her hand grasped the delicate teacup rather roughly, causing some of the hot liquid to spill onto her hand. Out of reflect the scolded hand jerked dropping the teacup to the table, which amazingly didn’t break but did manage to spill tea.

Ikuko looked over at Setsuna and without a second thought of the dripping liquid she grabbed a napkin and gently dabbed it on the offended hand.

Setsuna could have sworn that a small ‘jolt’ had passed between them upon the sudden contact.

As Ikuko’s gentle finger ran over Setsuna’s she felt the slight shock as well. Her eyes widened a bit.

‘Must have been static electricity,’ Ikuko reasoned; however that excuse didn’t explain why her cheeks suddenly felt a bit warm.

Carefully the piece of cloth wiped off the remains of the tea and was eventually removed. Both women glanced up at each other as Ikuko slowly slipped her fingers away.

An awkward grin followed by a nervous chuckle, “ Set-chan is such a klutz,” Ikuko lightly teased, all the while wishing the blush on her cheeks would cool and fade away.

Setsuna found herself mourning the absence of those slender fingers, but stubbornly refused to admit it even to herself. Instead she gave a slight nod, a silent confession that she was indeed a ‘klutz’ before asking a waitress for another cup of tea to replace the one which had spilled over the table.

Even thought she sat directly across from Setsuna Ikuko didn’t meet her gaze until both teacups had been drained. Arising to her feet the housewife laughed slightly, in a swift smile and a ‘good-bye’ left her before she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

In the minutes that she lingered behind Setsuna felt like kicking herself. She was so certain that something had occurred between them.

---End Flashback---

A missed opportunity.

An opportunity for what?

Setsuna felt that it was safer not to ponder that question any further.

“Last Stop! Juuban District!” the bus driver called out.

Looking up Setsuna found herself alone, save the driver. In the wake of her musing the sun had long since set, leaving nothing but an inky black sky dotted with pinpoints of light. Departing Setsuna stood on the sidewalk until the bus pulled away. Looking to the street across she knew almost instantly that she was standing across from a very familiar house.

Remaining rooted to the opposite sidewalk Setsuna debated about whether to contuine down the street to her apartment or pay an unprompted visit to Ikuko. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the thought of ‘him’ being there as well.

‘You’re being utterly ridiculous,’ Setsuna inwardly berated, ‘It is his house, his wife. Stop acting like you’re jealous.’

Still Setsuna found herself crossing the street, opening the slightly ajar gate, and then stood on the doorstep.

Slowly her right hand moved to ring the doorbell, but it hovered in midair as the door opened of its own accord.

Behind it Ikuko beamed, “There you are Kenji! You’d better hurry inside, dinner is getting cold…” her sentence trailed off when Ikuko noticed that it was not her workaholic husband but Setsuna standing at the door.

A short glance passed between them before Ikuko lowered her eyes to stare at her feet, which were shod by comfortable house slippers.

“Oh my mistake Setsuna…I thought that you were…”

Setsuna abruptly cut her off, “ If you and Kenji ‘made-up’ Ikuko…why are you still waiting for him?” the woman asked, a hint of cynical undertones.

“Well its’ not like this…often,” Ikuko said quietly, her gaze still looking away as a persistent and inexplicable blush revenged her cheeks.

Not waiting for either explanation or excuse Setsuna launched the next question, “ Ikuko…why have you been avoiding me?”

Ikuko looked up this time, their gaze locking, both waiting for an answer to manifest itself.

Notes: Yeah! AFF.Net has given one of my favorite projects back! ‘Snuggles’ I know that this chapter is a bit shorter than the others but I am just testing the waters, trying to get back into the groove, ect. Anyways I hope that you’ve liked this chapter!
Ja ne!