Yellow Raincoat
Staring at a plate of flavored rice wrapped in egg. "So… are these supposed to be the Morton’s Salt Girl?" she asked.
"What?" Bruce asked, looking over. "No, they’re just little rice shapes I made. I thought the egg looked like a yellow raincoat, so I gave them faces. Eat them, they’re delicious."
"You even gave them seaweed hair," she pointed out. "You want me to eat adorable little people! I can’t do that. I’d feel like a cannibal or something."
"They’re rice and egg! It’s only cannibalism if you’re eating your own species. I made these for you. Try them."
Lilah met his expectant gaze and uncertainly picked up her chopsticks. She stared at the oval plate holding twelve egg wrapped rice girls with black sesame eyes, red pepper mouths, and cut seaweed sheet hair. She picked up the one nearest to her and brought it to her mouth, closing her eyes so she didn’t have to see the approaching little face as she bit the egg wrapped rice girl in half.
She chewed, swallowed, popped the rest of it in her mouth, and with her mouth full opened her eyes wide to give him a delighted look. "It’s delicious!"
He looked so relieved that she liked the food he’d made that she finally had to understand a truth she’d been avoiding: He had feelings for her. She was important to him. Because he liked her.
She picked up the next nearest rice girl and held it toward his mouth. "Eat with me," she said.
He looked into her eyes as he opened his mouth and let her feed him. They smiled at each other, a delightful tension filling the air around them.
He used his chopsticks to pick up another rice girl, offering it toward her.
He fed her. She fed him. They fed each other. Laughed nervously. Flirted delightedly. Eventually they gave into their passions as she swallowed the last bit of the eleventh rice girl and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to pull him close.
They kissed, tongues mingling, and in tandem they left the dining table to retreat to the living room. They weren’t ready for anything more than this, but there was something nice about sharing kisses and hugs as they twined together on the couch.
Behind them, unnoticed, the last rice girl raised her head from the plate, saw that they were gone, and hurriedly climbed to her formless feet. She looked around her, silently mourning her sisters. Then she focused on saving herself.
She didn’t understand what had brought her to life. Didn’t know how long this life was going to last. But she would enjoy every moment of it until the very end.
She awkwardly climbed down from the table, using a chair to help her reach the floor. Then she ran away as fast as her legs could carry her, thinking to herself, "Run run run, as fast as you can!"
=END=
~Harper Kingsley
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I love this!