Shojo Kakumei Utena - Utena/Anthy: To Grow
Title: To Grow
Author: Chaser/ “iroh_fancier”
Fandom: Shoujo Kakumei Utena
Pairing: Tenjou Utena/Himemiya Anthy
Rating: G (y’all aren’t bothered by a little kissing and hand holding between women here, I am assuming)
Warnings: Major spoilers for the end of the series … and my limited understanding of apartment buildings in Tokyo.
Request/Prompt: First home
Word Count: 1,321
Summary/Notes: Major spoilers for the end of the series abound! This is pretty much what it says on the tin; what happens when our heroines sign a lease?
The apartment really wasn’t much to look at: just a small loft with a kitchenette and a bathroom with a shower door that always hit the toilet if one opened it too far. The faucets dripped, the cable went out every time it rained (which had been often lately), and the landlord’s response to all of it was, “I’ll look into it” - at least, when he actually answered his phone or his email.
It lacked the comforts of Ohtori Academy, but in many ways that was a relief.
“I’m sorry, Anthy,” Utena said the third time the electricity went out.
“Sorry?”
It might just have been the candlelight, she told herself, but Utena’s usual smile was missing, and the frown in its place made her feel both sad and vaguely guilty. She reached across the kotatsu and found Utena’s hand.
Her lover sighed, but didn’t resist as Anthy laced their fingers together. “I don’t know, I mean, we don’t have any furniture but this,” she rapped her knuckles against the kotatsu, “and we eat instant ramen every night and…” she gestured at the half-lit room and sighed. “I just wanted to give you something better.”
Even now, a good year after they had both left the academy, Anthy wasn’t used to truly smiling. It felt wrong after so many years of simply grimacing placidly. But she smiled now as she folded Utena’s hand between her slender palms.
“I don’t mind eating ramen every night. It’s better than my cooking.”
This earned a chuckle from her Prince; no matter how much Utena loved her, there were some unfortunate truths that love couldn’t-and shouldn’t-explain away.
“And I really think that candles are romantic.” Anthy shuffled around the table on her knees to sit closer. “And I don’t really watch TV very much…just the shopping channels.”
“Shopping channels?”
Anthy nodded. “I like looking at the watering cans and the pruning sheers. And Chu-Chu likes the stuffed toys.”
“Chuu,” the little creature sleepily agreed from the saucer where he had fallen asleep on top of a cookie.
Utena sighed. “But I can’t buy any of it for you. Not with what they pay me to deliver pizza.”
“I just like watching,” Anthy insisted. It wasn’t exactly true that amethyst bracelets and the occasional silver tiara didn’t catch her attention and make her feel a little pang of longing, but Utena didn’t need to know that. Besides, as nice as pretty jewelry was, it was just metal and stone, really. “And sometimes it’s the only channel we can get.”
Utena chuckled. “Yeah, good thing you’ve always had some pretty weird tastes when it comes to TV.”
Anthy giggled shifted close enough to lean her head against her Prince’s shoulder. The two sat in silence for awhile, listening. Everything was amplified in the semi-darkness. Water rushed through the walls from a drain several floors up; a rusty air conditioner wheezed and banged in the evening outside. Beyond the front door came the sound of racing footsteps; a woman laughed and a man’s voice murmured, low and heavy. Briefly, Anthy wondered if Saionji and Wakaba would date each other, now that the duels were less than a distant nightmare. Even then, Anthy had liked Wakaba. Using Mikage to steal her hairclip had felt like a betrayal, and as much as she would have liked to, Anthy knew she couldn’t entirely claim that her brother had forced her to do it-and to do far worse things.
Akio… anymore, Anthy tried not to think about her brother at all. It wasn’t always easy, but the part of her that had awoken when her coffin opened knew that loss and pain were part of growing up.
As was joy. And love.
“Utena…” Anthy squeezed her partner’s hand.
“No. I know what you’re going to say and… no, OK? I mean, I hate that this isn’t a good place, but I’m not going to make you work.”
“But I don’t mind.”
Utena shook her head. “We don’t need to lie to each other anymore.”
“It’s not a lie,” Anthy insisted. “I went to the flower shop today-just to look at the seed packets. There was a help wanted sign in the window; one of the florists moved away.”
“No.”
“But Utena-”
“Anthy, really. It’s all right.” Utena turned her head and gave her partner one of the charming, innocent smiles that never failed to make her pulse rise. “You’ve been through so much, and I know it isn’t easy. Maybe when you’ve had a year to rest and recover, we can talk about it.”
“But I don’t feel tired, and it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Though that wasn’t exactly true. “Well, just phantom pain,” Anthy corrected herself, and ghosted a finger over her breastbone to indicate where.
“And, I mean, wouldn’t being around all those flowers be… kind of upsetting?”
“Maybe a little,” Anthy admitted after taking a moment to consider. “Sometimes when they have roses on display, I feel…” she touched the line between her breasts again. “There are so many memories in those flowers. And a lot of them are bad, yes, but some of them are good.”
“I don’t see how any of it could be,” Utena muttered as she reached for her teacup. “Really, aren’t you being just a little masochistic here?”
She had a point, Anthy thought. “Perhaps. But I’m not good at very many things, Utena. Just sewing and cleaning and taking care of animals.” She scratched Chu-Chu’s head and her familiar churred sleepily. ”But nobody hires seamstresses anymore, and the animal shelters only want volunteers. I could probably make more tending the flowers than I could cleaning hotel rooms, too.”
Utena’s hand strayed to her shoulder. “You don’t need to make sacrifices anymore, you know.”
“I know. But this really wouldn’t be a sacrifice.” And as her hand covered Utena’s, Anthy knew that she was being completely honest. “Please?”
The rusty air conditioner rattled away for several minutes, a gritty counterpoint to the soft sound of Chu-Chu’s snoring.
“You’re going to do this anyway, no matter what I say, right?” she asked at last.
Anthy just smiled.
Utena sighed and kissed her girlfriend fondly. “Well, all right. But you’re going to quit if you get too upset, OK? And don’t let them keep you after work-not if you don’t want to stay.”
“OK.”
“And not if they don’t pay you.”
“Utena.” Anthy returned the kiss. “I’ll be fine. I’m not a princess.”
Utena considered that, and her look changed from doubtful to calm. “Yeah,” she laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re not, huh?”
The teapot was empty then, and Anthy got up to fill it. As the kettle boiled, she turned back to her lover, an idea suddenly blossoming.
“I was just thinking…”
“Hm?”
“This apartment wouldn’t be so bad if we had some decorations.”
Utena looked at the walls and scrunched up her nose. “Mhh. Yeah, you know? It could use a little sprucing up.”
“When I was walking home from the market yesterday, I found a frame shop. When I get my first pay check, we could buy some paintings.”
“Yeah…”
“And some new bed rolls, for when it’s too hot to sleep under the kotatsu. And maybe some new dish towels and a couch…and some vases.”
“What would we need vases for?”
This time, Anthy’s smile didn’t hurt at all. “Well, isn’t it obvious? They’ll probably give me a discount for working there. And flowers would look nice in the kitchen, and on the windowsill.”
Utena stood, and her arms slid around her waist. “You know, I think they would,” she said as she pressed their foreheads together. “But, um, you weren’t thinking of-”
And when Anthy laughed, it was loud and strong enough to make her girlfriend jump. “Oh no, of course not! I was thinking daisies.” She nodded. “Yes. Daisies, snapdragons and poppies. Definitely poppies.”
Author: Chaser/ “iroh_fancier”
Fandom: Shoujo Kakumei Utena
Pairing: Tenjou Utena/Himemiya Anthy
Rating: G (y’all aren’t bothered by a little kissing and hand holding between women here, I am assuming)
Warnings: Major spoilers for the end of the series … and my limited understanding of apartment buildings in Tokyo.
Request/Prompt: First home
Word Count: 1,321
Summary/Notes: Major spoilers for the end of the series abound! This is pretty much what it says on the tin; what happens when our heroines sign a lease?
The apartment really wasn’t much to look at: just a small loft with a kitchenette and a bathroom with a shower door that always hit the toilet if one opened it too far. The faucets dripped, the cable went out every time it rained (which had been often lately), and the landlord’s response to all of it was, “I’ll look into it” - at least, when he actually answered his phone or his email.
It lacked the comforts of Ohtori Academy, but in many ways that was a relief.
“I’m sorry, Anthy,” Utena said the third time the electricity went out.
“Sorry?”
It might just have been the candlelight, she told herself, but Utena’s usual smile was missing, and the frown in its place made her feel both sad and vaguely guilty. She reached across the kotatsu and found Utena’s hand.
Her lover sighed, but didn’t resist as Anthy laced their fingers together. “I don’t know, I mean, we don’t have any furniture but this,” she rapped her knuckles against the kotatsu, “and we eat instant ramen every night and…” she gestured at the half-lit room and sighed. “I just wanted to give you something better.”
Even now, a good year after they had both left the academy, Anthy wasn’t used to truly smiling. It felt wrong after so many years of simply grimacing placidly. But she smiled now as she folded Utena’s hand between her slender palms.
“I don’t mind eating ramen every night. It’s better than my cooking.”
This earned a chuckle from her Prince; no matter how much Utena loved her, there were some unfortunate truths that love couldn’t-and shouldn’t-explain away.
“And I really think that candles are romantic.” Anthy shuffled around the table on her knees to sit closer. “And I don’t really watch TV very much…just the shopping channels.”
“Shopping channels?”
Anthy nodded. “I like looking at the watering cans and the pruning sheers. And Chu-Chu likes the stuffed toys.”
“Chuu,” the little creature sleepily agreed from the saucer where he had fallen asleep on top of a cookie.
Utena sighed. “But I can’t buy any of it for you. Not with what they pay me to deliver pizza.”
“I just like watching,” Anthy insisted. It wasn’t exactly true that amethyst bracelets and the occasional silver tiara didn’t catch her attention and make her feel a little pang of longing, but Utena didn’t need to know that. Besides, as nice as pretty jewelry was, it was just metal and stone, really. “And sometimes it’s the only channel we can get.”
Utena chuckled. “Yeah, good thing you’ve always had some pretty weird tastes when it comes to TV.”
Anthy giggled shifted close enough to lean her head against her Prince’s shoulder. The two sat in silence for awhile, listening. Everything was amplified in the semi-darkness. Water rushed through the walls from a drain several floors up; a rusty air conditioner wheezed and banged in the evening outside. Beyond the front door came the sound of racing footsteps; a woman laughed and a man’s voice murmured, low and heavy. Briefly, Anthy wondered if Saionji and Wakaba would date each other, now that the duels were less than a distant nightmare. Even then, Anthy had liked Wakaba. Using Mikage to steal her hairclip had felt like a betrayal, and as much as she would have liked to, Anthy knew she couldn’t entirely claim that her brother had forced her to do it-and to do far worse things.
Akio… anymore, Anthy tried not to think about her brother at all. It wasn’t always easy, but the part of her that had awoken when her coffin opened knew that loss and pain were part of growing up.
As was joy. And love.
“Utena…” Anthy squeezed her partner’s hand.
“No. I know what you’re going to say and… no, OK? I mean, I hate that this isn’t a good place, but I’m not going to make you work.”
“But I don’t mind.”
Utena shook her head. “We don’t need to lie to each other anymore.”
“It’s not a lie,” Anthy insisted. “I went to the flower shop today-just to look at the seed packets. There was a help wanted sign in the window; one of the florists moved away.”
“No.”
“But Utena-”
“Anthy, really. It’s all right.” Utena turned her head and gave her partner one of the charming, innocent smiles that never failed to make her pulse rise. “You’ve been through so much, and I know it isn’t easy. Maybe when you’ve had a year to rest and recover, we can talk about it.”
“But I don’t feel tired, and it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Though that wasn’t exactly true. “Well, just phantom pain,” Anthy corrected herself, and ghosted a finger over her breastbone to indicate where.
“And, I mean, wouldn’t being around all those flowers be… kind of upsetting?”
“Maybe a little,” Anthy admitted after taking a moment to consider. “Sometimes when they have roses on display, I feel…” she touched the line between her breasts again. “There are so many memories in those flowers. And a lot of them are bad, yes, but some of them are good.”
“I don’t see how any of it could be,” Utena muttered as she reached for her teacup. “Really, aren’t you being just a little masochistic here?”
She had a point, Anthy thought. “Perhaps. But I’m not good at very many things, Utena. Just sewing and cleaning and taking care of animals.” She scratched Chu-Chu’s head and her familiar churred sleepily. ”But nobody hires seamstresses anymore, and the animal shelters only want volunteers. I could probably make more tending the flowers than I could cleaning hotel rooms, too.”
Utena’s hand strayed to her shoulder. “You don’t need to make sacrifices anymore, you know.”
“I know. But this really wouldn’t be a sacrifice.” And as her hand covered Utena’s, Anthy knew that she was being completely honest. “Please?”
The rusty air conditioner rattled away for several minutes, a gritty counterpoint to the soft sound of Chu-Chu’s snoring.
“You’re going to do this anyway, no matter what I say, right?” she asked at last.
Anthy just smiled.
Utena sighed and kissed her girlfriend fondly. “Well, all right. But you’re going to quit if you get too upset, OK? And don’t let them keep you after work-not if you don’t want to stay.”
“OK.”
“And not if they don’t pay you.”
“Utena.” Anthy returned the kiss. “I’ll be fine. I’m not a princess.”
Utena considered that, and her look changed from doubtful to calm. “Yeah,” she laughed. “Yeah, I guess you’re not, huh?”
The teapot was empty then, and Anthy got up to fill it. As the kettle boiled, she turned back to her lover, an idea suddenly blossoming.
“I was just thinking…”
“Hm?”
“This apartment wouldn’t be so bad if we had some decorations.”
Utena looked at the walls and scrunched up her nose. “Mhh. Yeah, you know? It could use a little sprucing up.”
“When I was walking home from the market yesterday, I found a frame shop. When I get my first pay check, we could buy some paintings.”
“Yeah…”
“And some new bed rolls, for when it’s too hot to sleep under the kotatsu. And maybe some new dish towels and a couch…and some vases.”
“What would we need vases for?”
This time, Anthy’s smile didn’t hurt at all. “Well, isn’t it obvious? They’ll probably give me a discount for working there. And flowers would look nice in the kitchen, and on the windowsill.”
Utena stood, and her arms slid around her waist. “You know, I think they would,” she said as she pressed their foreheads together. “But, um, you weren’t thinking of-”
And when Anthy laughed, it was loud and strong enough to make her girlfriend jump. “Oh no, of course not! I was thinking daisies.” She nodded. “Yes. Daisies, snapdragons and poppies. Definitely poppies.”