Close Your Eyes -- Yaya/Tamao

[A Moment In Subtext]

Strawberry Panic!
Close Your Eyes
By. A Moment In Subtext

"My Nagisa-chan is with Etoile-sama today," Suzumi Tamao told Nanto Yaya.
"And my Hikari-chan is with Amane-sama," Yaya admitted.
They sighed identically, then glanced at each other.
"You really like Hikari-chan, don't you Yaya-san?" Tamao asked.
"I. . .why would you ask that?" Yaya asked nervously.
"Don't worry. I, too, long for someone I can never have."
"Does anyone. . .else know?"
"Nagisa-chan is the only one I've told. And I do not think anyone who did not have a similar problem would notice."
Yaya relaxed a bit. "It's true, I've loved Hikari from the moment I heard her voice, singing outside the church."
"That does seem to be the trend." Tamao agreed.
"What do you mean?" Yaya asked.
"Well, you fell in love with her after hearing her sing, and Amane-sama also fell in love with her after hearing her sing. Hikari-chan's voice makes girls fall in love with her."
Yaya laughed, then nodded. "I see. When I first learned we were roomates, I thought, maybe, someday, we could become more than best friends. But when she layed eyes on Amana-sama. . .I knew, then, that we couldn't."
"At least you had the time to hope!" Tamao exclaimed. "I had barely gotten to meet Nagisa-chan before Etoile-sama began to hit on her. My Nagisa was lost then."
"So." Yaya said finally.
"So?" Tamao repeated in confusion.
"We both want that which we can never have. Perhaps. . ."
"Perhaps what? Yaya-san, what are you saying?"
Yaya turned to look at her. "You are very beautiful, Tamao-chan."
"I'm. . .what?" Tamao asked, growing shy under Yaya's gaze.
"Beautiful. Truelly, you are." Yaya said. "Perhaps we could be good together."
"What? No!" She pulled her hands away from where Yaya had clasped them with her own. "I will never give up on my Nagisa-chan! Never!"
"Then don't." Yaya said, leaning so her forehead rested on Tamao's. She put her finger on the other girls lips when she began to protest. "Close your eyes," She whispered.
Startled, Tamao obeyed.
"Pretend that I'm Nagisa-chan." Yaya instructed. "Pretend I'm her. I don't mind." She barely waited for Tamao's slight nod before replacing the finger with her lips.