[ficlet] smexy body art, kinda sorta
Aug. 3rd, 2005 01:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thezETA: most recent (edited) version here.
This ficlet goes out to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hearsawho, after she made a rather vague request about a gazillion years ago. I decided to use Sakura in this fic as well, BECAUSE I CAN, and because Hanako will be showing up in one of metonymy's requests. The characters are all from Sailor Moon Flash.
Squeezing into the crowded music store was like walking into a cave - low ceilings, cramped aisles, dim lighting, stale air, loud pop music... okay, not so much the pop music, but the rest of the ambiance made Binshou feel almost claustrophobic. It took his eyes a moment to adjust after walking in from the bright sunlight, but he spotted her almost immediately. She was rather hard to miss.
How she managed to exude such an air of confidence even while browsing CDs, Binshou would never know, but Nagarekawa Sakura was like a bright beacon in the middle of the shabby store. It made approaching her all the more difficult, and his cheeks burned at the thought of hovering near the unseen spotlight around her. Still, she was the only one that could answer his question, and he wouldn't be able to rest until he knew. Steeling himself with a few deep breaths, he made his way into the winding aisles of music.
He was not quite as tall as her, and the shelves provided him with some degree of cover that made moving through the store easier. Binshou reached the end of the row and double-backed down the next aisle to where Sakura was standing. She didn't notice his silent approach, engrossed as she was in the track listing of the album she held. The moment stretched out like taffy as Binshou brain tried to push his body into action. Say something! Don't just stand there staring. That's creepy. Every second that goes by, you're getting creepier. That's bad, so say something.
"Something!" It was more of a squeak than an interjection. I didn't mean that literally, I don't think.
Sakura gave a startled little jump as her head snapped around to face him. "...something you looking for? That is... are you looking for something? In particular?" He punctuated his confused babbling with a sheepish grin and could already feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. Again. Naturally, this made him want to bush even more.
She fixed him with a mischievous grin. "Why, Susuki-kun! I didn't know you worked here!"
"Oh! Well, I..." He waved his arms around in an attempt to communicate an explanation he had yet to think of.
"Yes, I see," she chuckled. It didn't take a Princess of Wisdom to figure this one out. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Binshou stopped flailing and breathed a mental sigh of relief. He appreciated people who knew how to communicate with the socially awkward. "Well, first I just wanted to thank you again. You know. For the whole resurrection thing. I mean, wow. It's just so thoughtful."
Sakura nodded. "You're welcome... but that's the sixteenth time you've thanked me already. What do you really want to talk about?"
"I, well... it's just..." Even thinking about asking her made him feel like a cad. This was the woman who had saved his life, brought him back from the dead, not to mention looked like the living dead herself for days after for all the energy she used. He should be throwing rose petals at her feet as she walked down the hall at school, not finding some nitpick with her magic. Still, if he didn't ask, it would be stuck on his mind AND his body, and just one was bad enough. "Ever since you saved me, there's this... pink butterfly. On my back. I, uh, guessed that it had something to do with the resurrection, and I was wondering if you know anything about it."
"Well, yes, that is a part of 'Butterfly Conversion Flare'. What exactly did you want to know about it?" She asked as if she didn't already know the answer.
"Well, I, uh... I was just wondering... whether it's permanent, or...?"
Sakura put the CD back, leaned on the shelf, and gave him the most charming smile she could manage. "Oh yes, it's permanent."
Binshou turned pink again. "Oh."
"Oh? Just 'oh'?"
"Well, it's not really a big problem I suppose. It's not as if many people actually see my back, and..."
"You know, Binshou," she cut in, "I'm not sure you realize this, but..." Sakura was having fun, now, and she slowed the tempo of her voice as she leaned in towards him. "...a lot of girls would find that butterfly to be - incredibly - sexy."
There was a tremendous clatter as an entire shelf of CDs fell to the floor, after Binshou amazingly managed to trip into the display case while standing perfectly still. He was no longer paranoid in thinking that the entire store was staring at him. He looked like an idiot. His cheeks were burning more than ever.
But at least they couldn't see his back.
EDIT: epilogue by Alysa!
Tembopolisi: . . . and afterward, Sakura cheerfully helped the store clerk put the CDs back, since she had the good grace to feel guilty, but really she needn't have bothered because after she left the store clerk had to redo all her work since she decided putting the CDs back in REVERSE alphabetical order would be more fun.
(omfg <3 Sakura)
Ficlet meme!
This ficlet goes out to
hearsawho, after she made a rather vague request about a gazillion years ago. I decided to use Sakura in this fic as well, BECAUSE I CAN, and because Hanako will be showing up in one of metonymy's requests. The characters are all from Sailor Moon Flash.Squeezing into the crowded music store was like walking into a cave - low ceilings, cramped aisles, dim lighting, stale air, loud pop music... okay, not so much the pop music, but the rest of the ambiance made Binshou feel almost claustrophobic. It took his eyes a moment to adjust after walking in from the bright sunlight, but he spotted her almost immediately. She was rather hard to miss.
How she managed to exude such an air of confidence even while browsing CDs, Binshou would never know, but Nagarekawa Sakura was like a bright beacon in the middle of the shabby store. It made approaching her all the more difficult, and his cheeks burned at the thought of hovering near the unseen spotlight around her. Still, she was the only one that could answer his question, and he wouldn't be able to rest until he knew. Steeling himself with a few deep breaths, he made his way into the winding aisles of music.
He was not quite as tall as her, and the shelves provided him with some degree of cover that made moving through the store easier. Binshou reached the end of the row and double-backed down the next aisle to where Sakura was standing. She didn't notice his silent approach, engrossed as she was in the track listing of the album she held. The moment stretched out like taffy as Binshou brain tried to push his body into action. Say something! Don't just stand there staring. That's creepy. Every second that goes by, you're getting creepier. That's bad, so say something.
"Something!" It was more of a squeak than an interjection. I didn't mean that literally, I don't think.
Sakura gave a startled little jump as her head snapped around to face him. "...something you looking for? That is... are you looking for something? In particular?" He punctuated his confused babbling with a sheepish grin and could already feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. Again. Naturally, this made him want to bush even more.
She fixed him with a mischievous grin. "Why, Susuki-kun! I didn't know you worked here!"
"Oh! Well, I..." He waved his arms around in an attempt to communicate an explanation he had yet to think of.
"Yes, I see," she chuckled. It didn't take a Princess of Wisdom to figure this one out. "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Binshou stopped flailing and breathed a mental sigh of relief. He appreciated people who knew how to communicate with the socially awkward. "Well, first I just wanted to thank you again. You know. For the whole resurrection thing. I mean, wow. It's just so thoughtful."
Sakura nodded. "You're welcome... but that's the sixteenth time you've thanked me already. What do you really want to talk about?"
"I, well... it's just..." Even thinking about asking her made him feel like a cad. This was the woman who had saved his life, brought him back from the dead, not to mention looked like the living dead herself for days after for all the energy she used. He should be throwing rose petals at her feet as she walked down the hall at school, not finding some nitpick with her magic. Still, if he didn't ask, it would be stuck on his mind AND his body, and just one was bad enough. "Ever since you saved me, there's this... pink butterfly. On my back. I, uh, guessed that it had something to do with the resurrection, and I was wondering if you know anything about it."
"Well, yes, that is a part of 'Butterfly Conversion Flare'. What exactly did you want to know about it?" She asked as if she didn't already know the answer.
"Well, I, uh... I was just wondering... whether it's permanent, or...?"
Sakura put the CD back, leaned on the shelf, and gave him the most charming smile she could manage. "Oh yes, it's permanent."
Binshou turned pink again. "Oh."
"Oh? Just 'oh'?"
"Well, it's not really a big problem I suppose. It's not as if many people actually see my back, and..."
"You know, Binshou," she cut in, "I'm not sure you realize this, but..." Sakura was having fun, now, and she slowed the tempo of her voice as she leaned in towards him. "...a lot of girls would find that butterfly to be - incredibly - sexy."
There was a tremendous clatter as an entire shelf of CDs fell to the floor, after Binshou amazingly managed to trip into the display case while standing perfectly still. He was no longer paranoid in thinking that the entire store was staring at him. He looked like an idiot. His cheeks were burning more than ever.
But at least they couldn't see his back.
EDIT: epilogue by Alysa!
Tembopolisi: . . . and afterward, Sakura cheerfully helped the store clerk put the CDs back, since she had the good grace to feel guilty, but really she needn't have bothered because after she left the store clerk had to redo all her work since she decided putting the CDs back in REVERSE alphabetical order would be more fun.
(omfg <3 Sakura)
Ficlet meme!