A/N: Oof! More Diakko!

Disclaimer: I don't own Little Witch Academia or any of the characters uwu

Akko looks surprised, and to be honest, Diana is as well. She's never held on to anyone like this—except maybe her mother—and that realization in itself made it all the more emotional for her. She notices that others are coming their way but she ignores them in favor of gripping onto Akko's robes. Quite desperately. She didn't care about their curious stares. The world was safe, the missile was gone, and that was all and well, but at the forefront of her thoughts was Akko, and the fact that she nearly fell from space and it was only a miracle that the Shooting Star came out of nowhere and—

"You're okay," Diana exhaled.

It's the first time she feels it. A sensation (was it a sensation?) that would pursue her in the days to come; a feeling she was unfamiliar with.

Stillness; there is nothing else but right now.

"Yeah," Akko giggles, a little unsure how to react, "how about you?"

"I am well," Diana allows her arms to relax, her expression soft and off-guard. She appreciates Akko's reciprocal embrace and mumbles, "I'm quite sore, but surely rest will be enough to—what's funny?"

Akko was grinning. "Oho! is that concern?"

The Cavendish part of Diana wanted to nag that smug grin off her pretty face. It wanted to raise her eyebrow, and put her hands to her waist because this wasn't the time to be acting silly! But all she can manage is an exasperated sigh and, "how could you be so cheeky at a time like this?"

Before Akko can answer, her—wait, no, their—friends are closing in and fussing over them and Diana doesn't have time to dwell on the fact that she thought Akko was pretty, or on that peculiar feeling from earlier.

It's been a few weeks since the incident, and Akko is ready to fly.

The broom is wobbly under her touch but by Jennifer, she will stay airborne for more than five minutes or die trying! She grits her teeth and focuses on everything she's learned so far, trying to grasp at what it means to float. She strains to remember that thought—that feeling—that she held on to the first time she managed to fly on her own. Everyone was there to watch! She could do it again, and for longer and farther this time!

She realizes that she's hovering a little bit higher now and smiles. It was working! Akko bit her lip and tried to reach deeper, inwards, capitalizing on that. It was hard to describe, but it felt like peacefulness. Stillness. When else did she remember it?

Ah. Her broom began to steady itself. The sky. She floats a few inches higher. The missile. I'm on a broom, and the Shiny Arc, there's a warm hand on mine and—

She notices that Diana is watching her while nursing her tea.

The broom's movement comes to a stop, and Akko is confused—and then terrified because she takes a nosedive and oh my god she was kidding when she said she was going to die trying!

"Good morning, Diana!"

Diana feels temporarily blinded by Akko's smile, and then inwardly berates herself at how dramatic that sentiment was. Honestly. She looks up with her eyebrows raised. A few months ago she would have expected a threat, or a challenge—she didn't know, maybe both?

But things were different now.

"Good morning, Akko."

"Lotte, Sucy and I were planning to go to town this afternoon!"

Right, Diana nods to had the afternoon free so that the professors could prepare exam materials.

"We mostly plan to walk around and maybe have coffee, but—" Akko sits on her desk (she wants to nag her), casually leans forward and into Diana's personal space, and has an excited gleam in her eyes when she asks, "—maybe you want to come?"

There it was again, hanging in the eight inches between Akko's face and her own, that mysterious feeling from before.

Diana is surprised at how appealing a trip to town with Akko sounds right now, "I would not be averse to it." She winces a little, that might have been a tad too cold, but Akko is apparently immune to the cold because she nods in excitement and is racing towards Lotte and Sucy.

Diana leans on the palm of her hand, watching from afar while Akko gets herself into a predicament within five minutes of leaving her side.

Lotte waves for her to join them.

It was a welcome change.

–

"You look… really cool," Akko mumbles, arms crossed while looking away in a flustered frown.

Akko hates to admit it, but Diana really did look cool. She apparently misjudged the weather ("Diana Cavendish? Misjudged? Imagine that!") and put on too many layers and opted to slide her sweater off, making do with a white button-up that was rolled a quarter of the way up her arms. The collar framed her neck prettily; the top two buttons were undone.

So effortlessly and annoyingly cool.

"Thanks," Diana sounded a bit shy. "Where did you want to go?"

"Glastonbury!"

Diana raises an eyebrow, "we are already in Glastonbury."

"I know," Akko smiles, breathing in deeply. This was familiar territory; the street is bustling with activity and the normalcy that was day-to-day life. She wants to take it into her bones—all this loveliness—and her smile breaks into a grin, "anything goes from here on out!"

"And Lotte? Sucy?"

"Bookstore," Akko began to crane her neck left and right, which way to go? She needed to see something fun, "and mushroom picking."

"Perhaps we should join Lotte at the books—"

"Bo-ring!" Akko whined, grabbing Diana by her wrist. East. East seemed like a good direction to go. The fact that the smell of freshly baked goods seemed to waft from that direction has nothing to do with her decision.

"A stomach is a good compass, in any case," there's a teasing tone in Diana's voice, and Akko is blushing because—damn it—she was found out. "If you were hungry you could have just said so."

"And ruin our sense of looming adventure?"

Diana actually chuckles, "don't you think we've adventured enough to last a life time?"

Akko pulls on an exaggerated thinking face, "maybe enough for another ten years. But not quite a life time!"

"You've certainly garnered enough injuries to last a life time."

"And I can take on more!" Akko raises her fist in determination, "Professor Chariot didn't become Shiny Chariot overnight! No pain no gain!"

"Your dream of reaching Shiny Chariot—" Diana begins, and Akko whips around because she thought they were over disagreeing about Chariot, good lord, why can't Diana just give herself a break and admit that she loved Chariot as much as Akko did and stop the whole 'debasement of magic' argument that she was so tired of heari—

"—is really admirable, Akko."

Diana is smiling fondly at her.

Oh.

"Why do they have to make it so complicated!?"

Diana watched as Akko frowned, nearly snapping her pencil in half, "it would be so much easier to just simplify the equation."

She knew Akko was going to hate the answer but, "the traditional way is upheld."

"Impractical way," the brunette huffed, "I know I'm not good at a lot of stuff but I know math!"

Diana held back a chuckle. She watched Akko bear down on her homework with vengeance and rage, and figured she must have said something right a few months ago in Glastonbury.

After their little trip to town (and all its bakeries), they found themselves spending more and more time doing mundane, non-life-threatening activities. Such as studying together. It was during their afternoons in the library that Diana learned of Akko's penchant for numbers; she didn't have the best grades, but she managed Astronomy through physics, Divination through (simple) probability equations, and had a better grasp of Magical Philosophy when she treated abstract concepts as variables that could interact with each other.

"I'm quite impressed with your arithmetic," Diana admitted, looking at Akko's worksheet with reserved awe. She wrote so quickly, skipping steps and using her fingers in rapid succession before squiggling down an answer in characters she couldn't understand.

"I'm Asian," Akko snickered, offering no further explanation.

Diana tilted her head in curiosity.

"Oh—pfft—sorry. It's just there's this thing in the non-magical world where Asian people are—never mind," Akko waved a hand, "it's kind of stupid and stereotypical."

Diana was left more confused than she was before, but she drops the subject before it can confound her further. But now she's curious, and with a little sheepishness in her voice, she asks, "tell me about your home?"

Akko's eyes sparkle, she looks adamantly excited, and it takes Diana's breath away a little.

"Well, Japan is halfway around the world and…"

She is completely engrossed. Akko launches into a hushed exposition—they're still in the library, after all. Math is forgotten and their books are pushed aside. The blonde witch is fascinated because Akko's family sounds amazing, although a little silly in a way she should have expected. "We have a hedgehog," Akko informs her while twirling on her pen. There were pink trees, and snowcapped mountains, and children below twelve who can make it to school on their own—she is particularly impressed by that last one.

The plan was to spend the afternoon studying, but she doesn't care. She stays still, allows the moment to linger on, because Akko is telling her about home, and Diana wants to know everything—everything—about it.

"What are you giggling about?"

"You're enjoying this aren't you?"

"I don't see why I should not. The sky is particularly clear tonight—it's a great opportunity for practical application of astronomy."

"Whatever you say."

"Although the grass will likely stain my clothing."

"Oh no. We mustn't let the ojou-sama—"

"—the what?—"

"—be exposed to the imperfections of nature. Pfft"

"And what might be so funny?"

"There are leaves in your hair, Diana."

–

The library lamps burned yellow. It was getting late, and Akko was sure she'd probably dozed off a couple of times by now but she was trying, okay?

"Akko."

"Mmnot asleep," she pouted.

"I'd say you're about halfway there," Diana chuckles gently. Akko notices that even the flawless Diana Cavendish looked tired tonight.

"Can't we call it a night yet?" Akko says around a yawn. It's apparently contagious, because Diana lifts an elegant hand to cover her mouth while she yawns herself.

"I might actually have to agree with you."

Akko stickers her tongue out, "that's a first!"

She sees Diana raise an eyebrow, unimpressed, but Akko only giggles. That expression doesn't work on her anymore.

They've been through this often enough; studying together every other day became a routine, and it did wonders for her grades. But there was always a sting of disappointment whenever Diana gathers her things—she doesn't remember when she started feeling it—but she will placate herself with the thought that they'll study again. Perhaps the next day, or even as soon as tomorrow, but it was sure to come either way.

Still, she found herself reaching out to tug at the cuff of Diana's sleeve. She wanted to call it a night—but she didn't want her to go.

"Akko?" Diana had that soft expression on again. The one she never wears anywhere else.

"Nothing," Akko chuckled sheepishly, looking down on her still-opened book. "Don't go yet for a bit?"

"If you wish," Diana hummed. Her quick response made Akko feel warm inside, and on a (very, very brave) whim she let go of the blonde's cuff, her fingers splaying out and brushing against Diana's knuckles. She held onto Diana's pinky finger, pulling it towards her when Diana twists her hand so that she can brush her finger tips along inside Akko's palm.

Akko tries not to combust. That would be embarrassing, and there was this mysterious feeling at the pit of her stomach that she needed to figure out.

Her gaze move up to Diana. She looked a little flustered, but her blue eyes seemed focused on their fingers' timid dance, and Akko hated to break their trance—this stillness—but, "we'd better get going."

Diana intertwines their fingers and firmly grips Akko's hand, "yeah."

Akko finally puts two and two together and she is so, soscrewed.

"It's just Diana," Sucy spoke with her back towards Akko, apparently more interested in her newest detoxifying (or was it re-toxifying?) draught than in the brunette's freshly unveiled feelings.

"Just Diana?!"

"It was going to happen sooner or later," Sucy said flatly.

Lotte was absolutely swooning, "it's just like the seventy-third volume of NightFall!"

Akko and Sucy—for once—share a look.

"It's the one where Baron Divish the Aristocrat falls in love with the peasant girl from the mill!" Lotte had clasped her hands together, sighing wistfully while romanticizing in her imagination.

"Peasant girl?" Akko narrows her eyes while Sucy barks in laughter.

"Peasant Akko," Sucy's grin in downright murderous. She swirls a vial in her hand. "I like it. Drink this, Peasant Akko."

"Or it could also be volume fifty-four," Lotte pauses thoughtfully, "wherein Frederick Fredricksen falls in love with his long-time rival!"

"That's more like it!" Akko angrily yells, and then she recoils at the realization that she had just compared he love life to NightFall, "wait—no. I'm not in love with her!"

"But you like her," Sucy quipped.

Akko nodded, "I like her."

She liked her.

She liked her and saying it out in the open was felt both relieving and condemning. It was for real now. It wasn't like, just a thought.

Her bespectacled friend was already invested, though. "What are you planning to do?"

"To do?" Akko raised an eyebrow.

"About Diana," Lotte poked at Akko's forehead.

"Nothing," Akko swatted her hand away, "I don't think there's anything I can do. Every time I do something shit goes down."

"That's so unlike you," the bookworm crossed her arms. "Don't you at least want to try telling her?"

Admitting she had a crush to Lotte and Sucy was easy as pie. That's just how Akko was. But to Diana? Well, to take a rather crass quote from the modern internet age, 'fuck no'.

"You said that out loud," Lotte sighed.

"Well I meant it out loud!" Akko crossed her arms, blushing. "If Diana herself doesn't kill me for even thinking about anything romantic around her, Hannah and Barbara will."

"Doubt it," Sucy said.

"I…" Akko feels her throat constrict, the implications of her feelings surfacing as a tightness in her chest, "I don't want to lose her as a friend."

"Stop pining," Hannah groaned exasperatedly into her pillow.

Diana blinked, "pardon?" Hannah almost never spoke to her in such a manner.

"You're pining." Her auburn-haired friend sat up, crossing her legs while looking across their dorm towards Diana. Barbara was out attending a NightFall convention with Lotte, and Akko jumped at the first excuse to leave the castle with them.

"I don't follow."

"You study with Akko on Thursday evenings, but she isn't here today, and you've been sighing into your books for half an hour now."

"A—Akko?" Diana looked indignant.

"Brown hair? Unnervingly red eyes? Walking landmine? Susceptible to self-combustion?"

Diana raised an eyebrow. "Her eyes are not unnerving."

"That's your takeaway from everything I said?" Hannah groans. "You hold hands in the library. Go stargazing while lying on the grass. Stare lovingly into each other's eyes—"

"We do not."

"Stare competitively at each other's eyes?"

A little flustered, Diana looked away. "Akko is just… affectionate."

"This is true, but you aren't."

Diana doesn't anything, and Hannah takes it as a sign to continue.

"You've literally never held mine or Barbara's hand."

"That's because neither of you are constantly in danger of blowing something up."

"Is that why you do it?"

Diana sets her jaw and turns back to her book, "I don't know what's gotten into you."

Hannah looked at her for a solid minute before taking Diana's out, "you don't know what's gotten into yourself either, apparently."

–

Diana was just thinking about her peculiar conversation with Hannah a few nights ago when she noticed it. 'It' being Akko's socks.

By all accounts, Akko should have had a multitude of dress code violations by now. But maybe wearing ankle socks and a skirt the wrong length was easily overlooked when you got yourself in more trouble than even Amanda O'Neil did. It was kind of impressive, in its own not-to-be-emulated way.

Still, Diana found herself distracted and made a mental note to tell Akko about it the next time they studied together. The weather was understandably warmer as summer approached, but it was no excuse to compromise on school-presribed protocol. She'd also have to remind Akko (and O'Neil) to keep their ties on during class hours.

"Is there are reason you're trying to melt Atusko's legs with your eyes?" Hanna whispered, looking much too smug.

The blonde witch felt an internal panic attack and tore her eyes away with conviction. She looked at Hannah, almost apologetic before catching herself in the moment. She blinked, confused—why should she apologize? She didn't do anything wrong.

"Dress code violations," was all Diana could say that had some semblance of dignity.

Despite looking unconvinced, Hannah dropped it, falling back into her conversation with Barbara while half-heartedly listening in on the lecure.

She wondered if her behavior really did change so drastically. Hannah wouldn't point things out without reason, and she wasn't exactly wrong about Diana wanting to be around Akko all the time. She enjoyed her company. She made her… feel things. Sometimes she didn't understand them, but they weren't unpleasant feelings.

She looked down at her hands and remembered the times they held onto Akko.

She liked those feelings.

But now wasn't the time for a thorough examination of her psyche, and she had spent enough time dwelling on Akko and her definitely-not-pining emotions for her. She glues her eyes onto the board and is surprised to see that Akko is standing with her back to the class, rapidly jotting down numbers in disorganized equations. Oh. She was doing her math thing again, and Professor Ursu—Chariot?—seemed to approve of her alternative solution.

Diana chuckled. She could imagine the expression Akko made whenever she had a problem to solve—her brows knit together with her tongue in her cheek.

The brunette ran out of space at the bottom of the blackboard and opted to continue writing at the top, straining onto her tiptoes while she reached for the available space.

It hits her like a brick to the head—Akko's calves are toned, and Bellatrix save her she was staring.

Blood is rushing up her neck and to the tips of her ears; she hopes no one is looking at her because her cheeks are probably flushing red. Diana Cavendish was never one to swear, but her mouth decided to betray her faster than her mind could keep up—

"Shit."

She barely noticed Hannah choking on her own laughter.

Akko was going to kill Lotte and Sucy—and maybe Hannah and Barbara, because it's a pretty big coincidence for all four of them to ditch Akko and Diana for "things that just came up—sorry!"

"You seem upset," Diana spoke carefully while they walked side-by-side in town.

Akko didn't like the tone her friend had adopted lately. She was so… careful. Sometimes even a little bit skittish around herself. She's lost sleep over the thought of Diana's changed behavior. Did she figure things out? She didn't want to lose this friendship—it took so much for it to grow. It gnawed at the back of Akko's mind, making her nervous and defensive around Diana. Probably made things worse. Damnit.

But how would she find out? Lotte? Never. Sucy? While questionable with regards to her motives almost eighty percent of the time, Akko knew Sucy would be loyal in her own, weird, mushroom-y way. Maybe she was just too obvious. Akko was always an open book—it's almost poetic that Diana was an avid reader.

She might have picked up the symptoms and decided to back off. There were no linked arms while the pair walked around Blytonbury. Diana was jumpy at the smallest contact.

"Akko," Diana's voice snapped her back to reality. She smiled, amused, "you look like you've got a problem to solve."

"I think I do," Akko sighed.

"Can I help?"

After a short pause, Akko was surprised with her response, "I don't think so."

The other witch looked taken aback by her response, and she felt a pang of guilt for being so cagey.

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

"No," Akko shoved her hands in her pockets.

"I see."

"Sorry."

"It's alright," Diana looked at her with genuine understanding. It made Akko's stomach flutter but also made her feel worse.

But that's how it's always been, right? Akko realized that Diana had been endlessly understanding of her as time went on. They had a rocky start, but she suspected their mutual respect and connection wouldn't have become what it is—what it was?—if they didn't have the drive to get to know and surpass one another at the beginning.

What was she doing? She looked down to her feet, watching as she took one step after another, going nowhere in particular with Diana by her side. She hated this awkwardness. She missed taking Diana's hand and dragging her to sample every loaf of bread available.

She hated these feelings.

"Thank you, though," Akko turned towards Diana, smiling at her softly despite her inner turmoil. She hoped Diana wouldn't see that it was strained.

Diana hummed, off-handedly mentioning that maybe they should head back.

Akko agreed, and they began walking back to the Leyline, suffocated by a different kind of stillness.

It was uncomfortable.

Diana misses her so much that it hurts.

"What did you do?" Hannah prodded her gently. Barbara had apparently been looped in on recent events because she was curled at Diana's other side and offering her strawberry yogurt.

"Nothing. We returned shortly."

"We're sorry for ditching you back in Blytonbury," Barbara blurted out, evidently guilty.

Of course, Diana had her suspicions but had no intention of holding it against them. She could appreciate the sentiment. It wasn't her fault it didn't pan out the way they must have planned.

"What are you going to do?" Hanna tucked a stray curl behind her ear, evidently affected by Diana's (poorly concealed) moping.

"I will give her space if that is what she wishes."

"Go to her." Hannah looked at her intensely.

"She told me she would be studying on her own to prepare for our preliminary examinations. I don't want to encumber her with my—"

"Literally everyone knows she studies better with you around."

"I respect her desire to learn independently from me."

"Diana," Barbara actually grabbed her by the shoulders. "Go to the goddamn library."

–

Diana set her things down on an empty desk.

Akko is nine—painful—meters away in the library. Alone. Hunched up over a book with a desperation that implied 'Finnelan is deadass going to fail me if I flunk one more test!'

Diana chuckles because she could almost hear Akko's voice. She misses her, and the tables and chairs between them feel like an ocean. She wants to reach for her dainty hands, to have Akko pull on her sleeve and play with her fingers.

She just wanted to be near her.

Then Akko worries her lip—she's get a problem to solve, again. She lifts a dainty hand to brush her hair behind her ear, and Diana realizes she is falling before the same hand can make it back on the desk.

–

The smell of fresh grass and evening dew was a refreshing gust that Akko really needed. Her thoughts were throwing a party in her head, but she needed to focus. If she wanted her brain to have some semblance of functionality, she needed to leave library.

Unfortunately, the singular cause of both her joy and her woe decided to follow her out to the garden and claim the spot to her left. Diana was looking at the stars, hugging her knees towards her chest. They weren't speaking for a few moments.

"The largest constellation?"

"Hydra," Akko automatically replied.

"The big and little dipper are considered—"

"Asterisms."

She watched as Diana's lips curved upwards, eyes still trained to the sky, "you'll do well in the tests."

"Thanks."

Diana's blue eyes left the stars in favor of Akko's, "I… feel like I need to tell you something."

Akko laughed dryly, "me too."

Once again, they found themselves on either side of an invisible wall. When Diana changed her position, crossing her legs similar to Akko, she had scooted an inch closer and Akko shuddered from where their knees touched.

The wind, the trees, even the stars stayed still.

Unable to help herself, and feeling a little overemotional if she was being honest, Akko softly tugged on the cuff of Diana's sleeve.

Come on over?

Akko was caught off guard—Diana caved. She took the brunette's hand in her own and pulled her in. She happily fell into Diana's embrace, nearly knocking her backwards. She was tearing up a little; it was just like that day after defeating the Noir Missile. Diana's hands had balled into fists, gripping onto Akko's robes as if she might disappear at any moment. Akko wrapped her arms around the other woman's neck.

"There are so many things I don't understand," Diana's voice was shaky against her temple, "except that it feels wrong to be away from you."

"I—" Akko heaved. Her heart felt like bursting. "I totally get what you mean."

"I'm sorry for being so dense. I thought—I didn't want to—"

Akko actually chuckled, swooning a little when Diana pulled away to lay her palm on Akko's cheek. "Didn't want to make our precarious friendship completely awkward?"

"That's quite right—although I never thought our friendship was precarious."

"Well… is it awkward?"

"That depends," Diana said, a little bashful, "are we… just friends?"

"I don't think so," Akko nuzzled into the crook of Diana's neck. "But we totally skipped the part where we talk about our feelings and agree to that."

"Aren't we doing so now?"

"Hm," Akko hummed in thought, "you have a point."

"You were pushing me away."

Her chest tightened with guilt, but Akko supposed the truth was the best thing to say. "When I realized how I felt… everything we did together was different for me. It didn't feel right to keep going on like that if you weren't on the same page."

Diana was looking at her a certain way that made her heart skip a bit. It was so… soft.

"Can I kiss you?"

Akko expected a heart-attack, but instead she finally understood. The stillness in-between was love, and at this moment she would break free from staying still and move. She movedcloser—towards Diana's lips, towards Diana's arms, and perhaps all the way into her heart.

Diana already had hers.

A/N: Hello! Sorry if it's sooo long, haha, it actually took me a few days to finish this. I worked on it a little at a time with prompts / one shots in-between.

So I'll be focusing on finishing the asks I've received (about 10ish more!) and a multi-chap Diakko AU which I've been preparing for ehehehe I hope u all like it! [I'm so sorry if those asks are taking so long, life has been freakishly busy and I'm beginning to fall a bit sick huhu.]