Of Plans and Practices

Mission 5: Yuri Attempts to Not Fall Apart

Why were they not kissing yet?!

Anya pressed her lips together in frustration but she continued to chew on her buttered toast. She would save the wonderfully-smelling sausages and eggs for later.

Popsy and Momsy were sitting across from her at the breakfast table as usual, and it seemed to her that each day, their chairs were inching closer and closer to each other-which was really good in her opinion.

There were furtive glances at each other and shy smiles, and even their thoughts revealed that there was headwind? Headway? Anya tilted her head. Ah! Improvement between them with these practices.

But when she probed further into their thoughts, she didn't see any images of them kissing on the lips. Everybody knew that couples did that! Bondman always kissed the girls he saved. Why can't Popsy do that to Momsy?! What was taking so long with these two?

Anya took a bite of her sausage and almost cried at how good it was, but the taste of bitter disappointment was stronger. She glared at them. They were denying her the greatest WAKU-WAKU ever!

Obviously, they wanted to kiss. Momsy's thoughts alternated between what will I dos and oh, my gods. Popsy, in a rare fit of self-doubt, was hesitating and was constantly running through scenarios in his head of when to properly do it. But each scene ended abruptly-without their lips even touching!

Frustration caused Anya to grind her teeth and violently chew on this mouth-watering frankfurter that Popsy had cooked to perfection.

Hmph!

Must she startlegize again?! Anya thought, taking an angry swig at her milk, then plunked it down on the table with a loud thunk. She was getting tired of trying to help them. Even Mr. Chimera was losing his patience.

"Anya, why are you scowling so early in the morning?" Popsy asked, and Anya looked up into his kind blue eyes. He was smiling at her, trying to tease her out of her sour mood not knowing that he was the cause of all this discontent.

"Anya wants to see Momsy and Popsy mouth-kiss!"

The red of his face matched the tomato on her plate.

"Not in front of you, we're not!"

"Mrmmargh!" Anya huffed.

***

Because things were getting better, Yor no longer started in surprise or nervousness when he would help her button her coat.

Ever the gentleman, he would help Anya first with her coat. After doing that he'd turn to her and hold out hers, his hands at the lapels, expecting her to slip her arms into the sleeves. And then after helping her shrug it on, he would step in front of her and tug the front together. Always, she could clearly feel the way his fingers would brush the skin underneath her chin, or her neck.

And Anya would stand and watch them, satisfaction clear on her little face.

"Popsy, you missed a button right there!" she would yell each time and point to the one right underneath her breasts.

"You're right, Anya. Thank you."

And Loid would reach for the button that he almost seemed to miss each time he did this.

Then he would continue to rest his hand on the small of her back the entire time while they made it down the flight of stairs until they were stepping onto the street and had to part ways.

She liked feeling the warmth of his palm there. Somehow, instead of feeling nervous, she was reassured by its steady press against her.

Again, she wondered what she'd done in her past life to make her this lucky in her current one because she was so grateful to be married to Loid Forger. Him with his steady, comforting presence. With his kind blue eyes. With his gentle, caring hands.