Chapter 1: The Greatest Night of My Life

"I love you, Hanamaru."

Yohane couldn't remember a single day in her entire life that was so happy as this one. She was sure that the record for "World's Best Day" had been set three days before, where Hanamaru confessed that her feelings had grown into something more than romantic a long time before... but this, the day of their first date... this was a level of pure bliss that not even Yohane's vivid imagination could ever dream was possible.

"I..." A kiss on the cheek. "Love..." A kiss on the forehead. "You..." A kiss on the neck. "Too..." A kiss on the lips that lasted so long that anyone who watched might wonder if it would ever end. "Aww... am I giving you too much pleasure?" Hanamaru purred as she stared down at her lover, Yohane's face bright red as she gasped for breath. "You'd better get used to it, because I'm going to kiss you a thousand times a day... I love you so much that I think I might die if I don't..."

Hanamaru descended upon Yohane and pleasured her lips with kiss after kiss. Yohane wrapped her arms around the smooth neck of her childhood friend, wrapped her legs around her slender back. Hanamaru's promise to kiss her a thousand times was a promise she seemed destined to break, for she kissed Yohane far more than a thousand times that night.

"Hanamaru..."

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Yohane's dark red eyes, just an inch away from her own, were swimming with tears. A pitiful whimper escaped from her throat. "Shh... it's okay..." Hanamaru whispered as she wiped the girl's tears away, Yohane's blurred vision clearing up for a moment before more tears came to replace those wiped away.

"I never thought anyone would love me..." Yohane's voice cracked as she whispered, her nails digging into Hanamaru's back. "I was so lonely for so many years... this, this Fallen Angel thing, I just made it up because I thought nobody would accept the real Yoshiko Tsushima... I still can't believe this is real... I feel like I'm going to wake up any moment, and I'll... I'll be alone again..."

"Shh... don't you worry, my silly little angel..." Hanamaru whispered gently, stroking Yohane's head as she sobbed weakly into her shoulder. "We'll have the rest of our lives for me to prove that this is real... I love you so much, Yohane... let's be together forever..."

There were many lovely moments sprinkled throughout this day they'd spent together. Hanamaru sang 'Snow Halation' in a private karaoke booth in such a girlish yet beautiful tone that Yohane blushed and stammered all throughout her own song whenever it came her own time to sing. While ordering a meal at a restaurant, Hanamaru started playing footsy with Yohane, the Fallen Angel losing her composure and becoming so flustered that she ordered a 'bamhurger.' Hanamaru invited Yohane to the temple where she was raised for the first time and introduced the girl to her family; they were keeping the fact that they were lovers secret for now, but Yohane's heart rarely knew the chance to slow down as Hanamaru kept on sneaking kisses on the cheek every time they were alone.

But this... this night that Hanamaru returned to Yohane's apartment with her new girlfriend and made love to her for the first time... Yohane knew in her heart that, so long as the girl known as Hanamaru Kunikida was her own, she would be happy forevermore.

Hanamaru returned home to the temple shortly after 10 PM; though she was given a strict, traditional upbringing at the temple, Hanamaru was such a good and trustworthy girl that she was allowed to stay out late occasionally so long as she notified her guardians beforehand. Yohane wasn't likely to know sleep any time that night. The girl's tears were dried up for the moment, smiling from ear to ear as she hugged her pillow to her chest, memories of the magical, dreamlike day she'd just experienced dancing through her head. Hanamaru told her that they couldn't see each other the next day because she would be busy with shrine work, but that was okay. Yohane was sure she would burst if she felt any more love or emotion.

Yohane wasn't the only one with a smile on her face, however... Hanamaru wasn't too familiar with these 'cell phone' things yet, the girl having convinced her parents to buy her one after being given puppy dog eyes from her friends in Aqours, but she knew enough to dial the number of someone who wanted desperately to hear her voice...

"Hana?" The bright, clear voice of Mari Ohara resounded through Hanamaru's phone. "Uuuu, I missed you!" Hanamaru could imagine the pout Mari was giving at the other end of the line.

"I missed you too, my little Mari Canary. Mwa! Kissies from me," Hanamaru said sweetly as she sent wet kissing noises over the phone. "So, Mari..." Hanamaru said coyly, smiling as she crossed her legs and twirled a finger through her hair. "About our date tomorrow..."

End of Chapter 1