The Princess Outside A Fairytale Story

Laura Reese

Ryuu sighed, moving her shoulders in a circular motion, feeling satisfied hearing her bones cracking at the movement. She kicked the door of her apartment close as she made her way towards the couch to take a seat and closed her eyes for a moment. She was really tired today. She didn’t rest. She skipped her break and only eat lunch for 15 minutes so she can return to the office already and get back to work. She did work hard so when the clock finally hit 5:00, she can go home and won’t need to do overtime. Why? Because she’s worried. Syr is alone in her apartment but no- she’s not worried about Syr, she’s more worried about her apartment. Who knows what could that psycho princess do in my apartment?

Ryuu has just taken a seat on her sofa when she heard someone shrieked in pain. She was sure it was Syr since she doesn’t have anyone with her at the moment except for Syr. Even though she’s tired and she barely even got to breathe, she stood up from her seat and walked towards the direction where she heard the sound, to the kitchen.

A messy kitchen is the first thing that registered in her eyes. She frowned at the sight, she hate messy places. Even though she’s not as great as her wife in cooking, Ryuu never wants to see her kitchen messy. Ryuu roamed her eyes more and finally found Syr has her back turned on her, doing something on the sink.

“Syr what did you do to my kitchen? It’s so messy here. Are you trying to cook or just messing around?”

Ryuu asked slowly walking towards Syr. Syr however didn’t hear her because she was too busy wincing in pain.

Ryuu finally is closer enough to see what Syr is doing. She pursed her lips at the sight and then her eyes lowered to the sink and saw the water turning into light red. Then she suddenly realized what happened and what Syr is doing, she hurried to Syr’s side and grabbed Syr’s hand where her cut is to inspect it.

“What the hell happened? What did you do?”

Ryuu asked frowning and looking worriedly at Syr.

Once the finger was taken away from the water, the blood spilling out from the cut finally became visible.

“I-I just accidentally cut my finger but it wasn’t that deep, the blood just won’t stop.”

Without saying anything, Ryuu suddenly pulled Syr’s index finger closer to her mouth then started sucking the blood coming out on it. 

Syr’s eyes widen in shock as her whole face became flustered. The feeling of Ryuu’s soft lips against her finger made her heart skyrocketed. She immediately pulled her hand away from Ryuu, blushing madly, and hid her hand behind her.

“W-What the hell are y-you d-doing?”

Syr asked, almost stuttering at every word.

“Stop complaining and asking questions. I’m just helping you so your wound will heal faster. Don’t you know that?”

“B-But it wasn’t necessary. It will soon heal on her own.”

Syr averted her eyes from Ryuu’s eyes, feeling really embarrassed at the moment.

Ryuu sighed then grabbed Syr’s hand again, startling Syr.

“Just shut your mouth Syr and let me do this or else you want me to pour some alcohol on it..”

Ryuu said before she again sucked the blood coming out of Syr's cut.

Syr just averted her eyes, still blushing madly and covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

Syr has never become this embarrassed in her 28 years of existence. No one has ever made Syr’s heart fluttered. No one has ever successfully messed her head. No one has ever made her feel like this. It was Ryuu and Ryuu only.  Though she wasn’t sure if it’s a good thing or not.

After several more long seconds, Ryuu finally lets go of her hand. Her cut is no longer bleeding. After mumbling her thanks, Syr hurriedly exited the scene and went towards her room. She locked the door behind her as she leaned her back onto the closed door. Syr placed her other hand on her chest, wanting to feel her heartbeat then looked at the cut on her other hand.

What the hell just happened?

Syr didn’t mean to stay in her room for long because she doesn’t want Ryuu to suspect her or something. But she can’t calm her heart that easily. The beats of her heart are still loud and rapid. Syr took a deep breath and fan herself with her hand. She looked for a mirror in the room and gladly found one. She looked at her reflection and saw how red her face became.

She again took a deep breath and again and again. Once her face are no longer as red as earlier, she finally opened the door of her room and walked towards the kitchen again. She found Ryuu has her back turned on her and busy cooking.

“Ahm. Thank you.”

Syr said slightly, startling Ryuu since Ryuu didn’t notice her presence at all. Ryuu looked back at her and gave her a small smile and nodded her head.

“It’s okay. If you want some band-aid for your cut there’s a first aid kit in a cabinet in the bathroom.”

Syr then started walking towards the bathroom and searched for the said first aid kit. But she of course washed her hand first, of course, since Ryuu's saliva- never mind. Finally done sticking a band-aid on her finger, Syr closed the kit and returned it onto the cabinet. Syr. Syr finally went back to the kitchen again in hope that she can maybe help Ryuu with some other things.

“Ahm. Do I have something I can do?”

Ryuu looked back at her and gave her an amused grin.

“Just sit there, okay?”

Syr pursed her lips but nodded. Syr looked around the dining table and just noticed that her mess earlier are no longer there, Ryuu maybe cleaned it already. Now she felt bad more and became even guiltier. Ryuu is tired from work but here she is, cooking dinner for both of them, she even cleaned Syr’s mess. That only made Syr more determined to learn cooking. She definitely needs it so she can be of any use to Ryuu.

“Ahm. Ryuu, your wife is a chef, right?”

Syr again asked, drumming her fingers at the table. Now that she’s not doing anything, she can now feel her hunger hitting her again.

Ryuu looked back at her, has one of her brows raised in confusion.

“How did you know?”

The thought of Ryuu maybe not wanting her to get in Ryuu’s room crossed her mind. She disregarded that fact. She should be careful of her actions now or else Ryuu will kick her out of the apartment.

Syr scratched her head in embarrassment and smiled apologetically at Ryuu, silently praying for Ryuu not to get mad at what she going to confess.

“I ah- I actually went inside your bedroom to sweep the floor and noticed the picture on your bedside table.”

Ryuu nodded her head but don’t look like she was bothered at Syr coming to her room. She looks like she doesn’t have any problem with that. Syr heaved a long sigh at that, relieved that Ryuu didn’t get mad just like she expected.

Ryuu then remembered that Syr is asking her a question so she looked back once again at Syr, holding a spatula covered with the sauce of the dish she’s cooking. Syr heard her stomach growled more finally smelling the dish that Ryuu is cooking, it was the same dish that she tried to cook for the third time, and not like hers, Syr is sure Ryuus's cooking is delicious. Syr ran her tongue on her lower lip then took a big gulp, stopping her stomach from growling louder than earlier.

“Oh right, my wife is really a chef in a 5-star hotel but the picture you saw is when we’re still on our third year in college. She participated in a cooking contest and won.”

Ryuu said, tried to be cheerful but her sadness is still heard in her voice.

“For how long are you two already in a relationship?”

Syr curiously asked still drumming her fingers on the table. Ryuu didn’t bother to look back to answer Syr’s question, she just kept her eyes on the dish that she’s cooking that will soon be done.

“We’ve been together since our second year in college.”

“How did you two end up together?”

This time, Ryuu looked back at Syr, arching one of her brows again in amusement.

“You sure have a lot of questions.”

The statement made Syr stopped drumming her fingers on the table and lightly bit her thumb in embarrassment.

“I-I’m just curious. Also, it would be awkward if we’re not talking to each other since I will be staying here for 2 weeks, right? Shouldn’t we at least try to get along?”

The grin on Ryuu’s face widen more as she asked, “By talking about my wife?”

Syr shrugged her shoulders and averted her eyes from Ryuu. She looked instead at the table, pretending to be inspecting its plain design.

“It’s not like we have something to talk about except your wife.”

Ryuu nodded in understanding and back her eyes at the dish. She then turned off the stove and faced Syr.

“Then let’s do that while eating. Can you fix the table as I put this on a plate?”

Syr nodded eagerly and immediately stood up. Syr is not exactly sure why is she excited, why is she so curious about Ryuu and Laur's story but she believes that whatever reason is that, it’s not important.

“So what now?”

Syr immediately asked when Ryuu has just taken a seat. Ryuu stared at her then shook her head in disbelief but didn’t say anything. She ignored Syr and shoved some food in her mouth first. Syr then copied her actions, realizing that she was so eager and getting shy for a moment.

“When we’re in college Laura is pretty popular. She had multiple suitors. Our departments’ buildings were across each so I saw her a lot.”

Ryuu started, pausing for a moment the chewing of the food on her mouth. Syr however is attentively speaking and not even taking her eyes off Ryuu.

She really is interested, ha? Ryuu first gulped down the food before she started talking about her wife again.

“I’ve been hearing her name a lot from the boys in my class and even in the next class. I would admit that I have a slight crush on her already at that time. She was really beautiful, especially when she smiled but I never showed it or mentioned it to anyone even to my friends because I believed that there’s no way Laura will ever glance at me twice until-”

Ryuu is walking towards her department, mumbling terms that she repeatedly read on her yellow paper. The said yellow paper is actually her reviewer for her exam later. She took the time to make it because she’s that type of person who will only remember something if she wrote it. She was so busy, so engrossed when someone suddenly pulled her then encircled her hand on her waist.

“I’m actually a lesbian and this is my girlfriend.”

The girl said and even left a wet kiss on her cheek then looked back at the guy who’s staring at her eyes wide opened. Ryuu’s eyes widen also in shock at what just happened and when she realized who is the person who pulled her. It was Laura. It was freaking Laura Reese. The popular girl. Her crush-

Ryuu with a flustered face continued, “She explained to me that the guy who’s she’s talking with that time is a very annoying guy even though she rejected him a few times already. She apologized to me that time and because of that, I had a hard time focusing on my exam that day. I really thought that she will never talk to me again after that. But I’m wrong, she bothered me every day since that time. N-Not that I’m complaining though.”

“Woah. Aren’t your love story sounds like a twist in a novel? That was so cute!”

Ryuu blushed more at Syr’s reaction as she looked down at her food. A small smile made its way on her lips, suddenly remembering those moments. Then that day which Laura left her and these 3 months that she spent alone, wrecked those happy memories making her lips curved downward instead.

“You really love her that much, right?”

Syr asked, noticing the sadness that slowly crept up on Ryuu’s face.

The question made Ryuu raised her head and looked at Syr, directly from the eyes.

“Of course. I never see myself loving someone else’s. Laura is the only one for me.”