Attack of the 5ft. Lesbian

Five layers of masking tape was all it took to keep them together. The tape resting on the bridge of his nose was so slick, however, that the glasses threatened to slide right off his thin nose every time he bent over. The nervous gesture was already a well-established habit, but admittedly, it slowed them both down as they were trying to pile mats and canvas in the gymnasium. When they finally finished, both of them chose a corner on which to rest and catch their breath. Neither was built for this sort of heavy lifting, but Uryuu's training since childhood gave him a slight advantage in recovering from the strenuous activity. "I'm going to the water fountain," was his only warning as he rose to his feet and left the lesbian behind.

The footfalls of his hard-soled shoes haunted Chizuru, the way the echoed through the cavernous gymnasium. When the creaking door slammed behind him, she startled upright and kept her hands clenched tightly to her knees! The silly ghost stories she overheard Orihime telling her other friends started to play through her mind. With the little hairs pricking up on the back of her neck, she scrambled off the dusty mat and persued Uryuu at a brisk-- make that flat-out run.

Though he was well aware of her presence, Uryuu's shoulders tightened all the same when he heard Chizuru's panicked approach. Years of training wouldn't allow any other reaction. The ex-Quincy actually found himself scanning for wayward spirits as Chizuru approached him from behind. When she was within two feet, he snapped up dramatically from the water fountain and turned with his arm raised to wipe at the extra bit of moisture at the corner of his mouth. Chizuru nearly tumbled backward, blue in the face from fright. Uryuu paused to blink questioningly at her. "What are you so frightened about?"

"I'm not." Brave as she tried to sound, the girl's voice waivered so that even she was aware of it. Steeling herself, she turned up her chin, "I only came for a drink. I worked hard too, you know." Though Uryuu cast a doubtful eye, he still stepped aside but kept watch as she drank her fill. Together, they returned to the gym and the bed they had made.

Two awkward and boring hours were spent in silence. Uryuu, like the model student, used this time to study. Chizuru merely curled up on the other side of the mat, huddled and silent save for her chattering teeth. Peering over the top of his glasses, he eyed the shivering cocooned lesbian. With a sigh, he slid his satin bookmark into place and called out to her, "Hey, why don't you come closer? We can..." Really, he didn't want to bring himself to say such an obvious thing.

Trust Chizuru to point out the obvious, though, "Share bodyheat? With you?! I'd rather freeze." Then again, if she froze to death, she'd never see her smiling Hime's face again. Not even a full five seconds later, she conceded, "Fine! But don't try anything funny."

Funny? Him? Did she forget to whom she was speaking? Uryuu was certain he didn't have a funny bone in his whole body. "I wouldn't touch you if you begged me, miss."

For some reason, that struck Chizuru like an icicle to the spine. How could he say such a thing? Momentarily, she curled up more tightly in her canvas cocoon and then abandoned it to drag the thick fabric into disarray by holding it to her like a cloak and sulkily shuffling over to the ex-Quincy. Making a disgusted sound at the disorder she'd dragged the carefully-laid canvas into, Uryuu made certain to claim enough of the fabric for himself as well as his bubble of personal space. That, Chizuru violated immediately as she plopped down beside him. The tall teen was almost bowled over by the mass of canvas-wrapped girl and for a moment, eyed her suspiciously as if it were on purpose. However, she refused to make eye-contact, insisting on staring straight ahead and pouting instead. She could suit herself! It was just as well with him.

A full hour passed and still she sat shivering and huddled in the layers of bunched canvas. Uryuu's patience had long ago reached its limit, but his stuborness kept his mouth shut. So, it was Chizuru who spoke first, "You're in the Crafts Club with my beautiful, darling Hime aren't you?" She knew the answer, already, but she wanted to ease into the topic so her jaw would have something else to do besides vibrate.

Her Hime? "Inoue?" He asked rhetorically. "I'm the Chairman of the club now." He didn't feel any need to expand on the subject."

"So, do you sculpt?" Orihime had gone on at length about Ishida Uryuu, no matter how she tried to change the subject. Truth be told, Chizuru was a little jealous.

"No, I sew."

Which led her to strike back at the ace student. "Don't you think that's a little... gay?"

"Don't you think wearing boxers under your skirt is a little butch?"

Touché. Chizuru sank further into the canvas, mumbling in defeat. Why was she suddenly ashamed of who she was? In fact, she was proud to call herself a lesbian! Granted, all she ever managed to do was oggle girls, daydream, and draw little pictures of herself with her sweet Hime. Her proclamations did little else but get her shunned or hit. But still, she was true to her soul, to the very core a woman lover! So why would his words cut her so deeply? She watched him out of the corner of her eye as he pushed those mended glasses back up his nose. "You shouldn't mock other people's sexual preference, you know."

What?! He turned an openly disgusted gaze on her, though his eyes were hidden effectively behind the glint of his glasses. "That's hardly the case, I assure you."

"Then why did you bring it up?" How conveniently, she ignores the fact that she struck first. "Or maybe you're jealous..."

"Why would I have any reason to be jealous of you?"

"Because I," she pulled the 'hood' of her canvas cloak back, "Hold the key to Orihime's heart."

The raven-haired boy choked a laugh into nothing but a curt cough. "You...? It's Kurosaki she adores," he replied so coldly that it shocked Chizuru to look him straight in the eye.

While she wasn't the most intelligent girl in school, Chizuru prided herself on being able to read people. In no time, it dawned on her that she and the head of the class here had far more in common than she would have previously supposed. "Ahaaaaa..." Perhaps she could play off this little tidbit for some leverage.

--end ch2--