A/N: Written for snowysatoru for Chocolate Box 2017.
Hanamaru tapped her pen against her cheek. She was submerged in the throes of thought, calculating.
Sprawled across her bed and hugging a zebra-shaped plushie, Ruby watched Hanamaru intently from across the room. Hanamaru stared down at her notes wistfully, eyebrows draw and rigid, her face settled into a hard line. She shifted on Ruby's desk chair backwards, elbows resting on the desk.
Hanamaru had to make a perfect decision.
She scoured the notebook in her hands. In neat rows, several little bullet points kept a list in order. Names of places and a mash of ideas scribbled along the page. Her guide seemed substantial.
Yet she was nervous her choices were not enough.
Ruby was not good at this kind of thing. Neither was Hanamaru, honestly, but she had gotten a decent bit more practice out of reading romance than Ruby.
Today would mark an extraordinary occasion. Hanamaru's heart fluttered in her chest. Even though she had known Ruby for so many years and protected her, her preparations would concrete their relationship after their first kiss with a first date.
Sighing, Hanamaru quelled the raging fires in her beating heart. She glanced up at Ruby. Ruby pet the zebra's velvety black head and hummed quietly.
Hanamaru propped herself up on her elbows. "How about… For our date… we can go to the aquarium?"
"We went there with Aqours last week as a special outing," Ruby reminded her, smiling patiently.
Hanamaru chewed on the eraser on her pencil. She crossed "aquarium" off the list with a little flourish. "If not that, what about… Oh, a museum? Art"
"Mmm…" Ruby did not reject this idea, but she had done educational research for her classes before meeting with Hanamaru. After all, she had wanted to clear up her whole schedule to spend time with her. "Not really interested in artifacts or anything today. Art may be kind of nice, but… I don't know."
Hanamaru reminded herself that Ruby was not especially the reading type like herself. She could race through a museum and read through all the historical notes easily and commit them to memory, but Ruby did not fit the same mold. She still loved her for that because Hanamaru always taught her everything she needed to know about the exhibits, and Ruby's eyes would delightfully lit up.
Cycling through the numerous places in town, Hanamaru frowned and stared up at the ceiling. Go window shopping downtown. Visit a coffee shop. Make a reservation for dinner at a luxury restaurant. None of those especially fit either one of their personalities, and Ruby might not enjoy anything too overstimulating for her first time on a date.
Ruby's indulgent expression faltered in guilt each time Hanamaru suggested a place and she rejected it. Nothing quite rang a bell for the right location. Hanamaru crossed the duds off her list. She had spent so long on it Ruby squirmed. She must be terribly selfish, but Hanamaru did not feel particularly flustered. After all, she only wanted to make Ruby comfortable and less likely to regret anything.
Still, romantic novel knowledge was not helping Hanamaru in the least. Why did romance have to be a complete breeze in fiction, not in reality itself?
Hanamaru leaned against forward into the chair.
"How about heading over to the beach?" Even though the beach was a commonplace landscape for them in Numazu, the beach as a staple for a date was still highly ingrained in romantic culture.
A glowing crimson sunset would never compare to the red hue of Ruby's hair, but Hanamaru would be delighted all the same to trace her fingers through such silky, delicate locks of hair. The crashing of the waves would be a lovely addition to her staring deep into her girlfriend's eyes for countless minutes…
Giving it a small bit of consideration, Ruby shook her head. She was so devastated she had to brush her off again she clutched the zebra plushie's middle.
The sunset above the sea's horizon would be beautiful. Sapphire water glittering in the evening light for miles and miles was always memorizing. In her mind's eye, Ruby imagined the clouds cresting over the western sky, low and peaceful over the midnight of space swallowing up the whole world.
Ruby recalled the way she had fallen on the beach during practice the other day. She could still taste the little bit of sand from her embarrassing fall.
Mistakes were a hazard for working hard, but…
Now that took the wind of Ruby's sails.
She truly hated to shoot this one down, too.
"The beach reminds me of practice," Ruby gritted out, shivering. She refused to have her date overthrown with rough images from their recent idol practices.
As things considered, Hanamaru understood. She hardly wanted to Ruby to feel like they were working while just trying to have fun. She rubbed her temples, perfectly perplexed. Where else was there to go?
Hanamaru snapped her fingers. "The movie theater!" It was so in genuinely mundane and dark inside it could work. She was so proud of herself at this she nodded fiercely, though her confidence slipped down the drain as soon as she noticed Ruby's reaction.
Ruby paled instantly. She envisioned Yoshiko laughing and pointing at the large movie screen in front of them, shrieking ominously at every forlorn and foul noise. "Yoshiko-chan took me a scary movie on demons recently. I—I'm recovering from it. I don't think I can subject myself to that again."
The urge to rip out the pages from her notebook and throw them everywhere was strong. Releasing her annoyance would be cathartic, but she only sighed remorsefully. Yoshiko would have to weave her way into this matter, too. Not that Hanamaru minded, but she literally had no other possible ideas preplanned. Her spirits dropped face-first in a pile of mush.
Hanamaru's head dropped against her elbow. One breath. Two. The world was way too difficult to two teenage girls ready to have a day of fun. Yoshiko foiling her last attempt was especially a downer.
Hanamaru's lower lip quivered. She moaned. "This is harder than I thought. In romance novels dates are so obvious for the characters," Hanamaru confessed. A slight whine edged her tone, and she cupped her face in her hands, trying to conceal her face. She knew Ruby the best out of anyone save for Dia and feeling like a failure was unavoidable. She peeked up at Ruby with watery, pleading eyes. "Sorry… We have so many places to go, but I can't think of a single place good enough to take Ruby-chan…"
Ruby's blush cranked up to full max. She sat up straighter and ducked her head apologetically, clutching the hem of at her skirt. "No, it's not your fault. I—It's not really that easy and there's so many variables. There are a lot of factors involved…"
Worrying about the specifics of their date would be too much of a hassle. All of the suggestions were thoughtful except for the obstacles standing in their way. Hanamaru proposed so many details and Ruby preferred things spread on the table in simplicity. Anything on a trial basis work even work for how they could do a date better next time. No rush was necessary, only their fulfillment and enjoyment.
Ruby squeezed her zebra tighter. Her body tingled at a sudden thought. In some bizarre way, Ruby had a niggling feeling in her chest that it was right.
"I think I have an idea. But… it might be a little…"
Eyes rounding to those like a puppy waiting for a treat, Hanamaru glanced at her encouragingly. She looked so elated for anything that would make Ruby happy, Overwhelmed, Ruby screwed her eyes tight from the onslaught of Hanamaru's hopefulness.
Ruby twiddled her fingers nervously on the zebra's floppy ear. The zebra looked at her with a smile for courage and strength. "We can just stay here and relax… if that isn't boring," Ruby added meekly.
Ruby's room wasn't particularly the equipped with the amazing gadgets. Her house was traditional, but she was not as lost in the ways of technology as Hanamaru. The words leapt off her tongue like teeth being pulled, because she knew how unoriginal it was. She wondered if she should have mentioned the possibility at all. Hanamaru would tell her like she had been honest. They had to do something—
"That's brilliant, zura!" Hanamaru clapped her hands. She blushed after realizing her own enthrallment. "It's just… I want to spend time with Ruby-chan. So if we're somewhere else, we might be distracted from each other, and I want Ruby-chan's attention."
Ruby's body seized with warmth and fear at once.
Ruby rolled on her futon and buried her face in the pillow. While Hanamaru was not the outdoors type, her chest throbbed pleasantly. Her idea was special.
Honestly, at this point she had no words. Stifling the giggle threatening to burst out of her lungs made her choke. But she was thrilled she could spend time with her and not worry about outside influences.
Footsteps outside the door alerted Ruby to her sister's deliberate steps approaching from down the hall. The door rattled on its hinges as Dia opened the sliding door. She stuck her nose in as if she were sniffing out anything suspicious.
Dia's green eyes were sharp in plain view.
"What's this about staying here?" Dia asked sweetly.
Ruby had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Oh, no. Her sister had snooped in on them.
"Big sister," Ruby greeted weakly. It took her a second to backtrack and admit to what she knew. Her cheeks puffed indignantly. "Stop eavesdropping on us! We're totally okay by ourselves."
If this continued, things would go south quickly.
Hanamaru watched the train veer closer to crashing every second. She waved her hands to settle their sibling argument, but Dia flicked the door open with a flourish. She would not be denied speaking.
Dia's long hair and skirt flew gracefully backwards as she aligned perfectly into a tall yet proud stance. She placed her hands directly on her hips and glowered. Hanamaru was awed but terrified.
"If you haven't noticed, it's my job to make sure the both of you aren't up to anything outrageous. You will behave and resign from doing anything unsightly, especially if you plan to stay here for the night." Dia's devious hint was laced in her words.
Indeed, the situation downspiraled faster than Ruby had anticipated. She blinked, flabbergasted.
"We weren't… weren't…" Unbridled embarrassment enveloped Ruby's entire frame. If she had been red before she was now a ripe tomato fresh out of the ground. Crimson zoomed to the tips of her ears.
Dia's smirk reflected the glint of a knife.
Hanamaru found something strange in it, but she was unable to place immediately. Dia was usually deadpan and serious. Her expression… was it…?
"I know precisely what happens in these situations." Stern and firm, Dia did not beat around the bush. "I know you love Hanamaru-san, Ruby, but you can't leap into anything that you'll regret later on."
Annoyance building up, Ruby stared for a minute. Hanamaru was watching her, and she may as well have been torching fire through her skull with that look. Her big sister was so… so… Hanamaru would never do anything that would hurt her, and… Ruby snatched a stuffed animal from the nearby pile and chucked it at Dia's head from across the room.
"Go away, big sister!" Ruby screamed.
The poor, heroic zebra sailed through the air, flying with its front hooves out. The zebra's speed made it a charging part of a stampede towards an enemy.
Ruby hated throwing her stuffed animals. Each one had a name and a personality, and she would have to beg for Stripes' forgiveness later. But she could not let Dia get away with mortifying her on such a huge scale. What did she know, anyway?
This was Ruby's first date! Ruby was not a child!
Big sisters like Dia were obnoxious when it came to protecting her sometimes… Though she liked that about Dia most of the time, it didn't give her the right to barge in and tell her things like that so openly.
Dia leapt backwards like a graceful cat and slid the shoji door shut at the exact moment the plushie smashed into the paper frame. It bounced off and landed where Dia's feet had been moments ago.
The door creaked open slowly. The tug on Dia's lips was just a little too wide and playful to be a simple smirk. But she did something Hanamaru shied away from; she sought out eye contact with her and, in a passing second, she winked. She turned on her heel, covered her mouth. Her raucous laughed echoed on the walls loudly as she ran down the hallway.
Ruby groaned. Her face was still buried, and she had seen nothing out of the ordinary. "I said stop!"
"I mean it," Dia called back, cackling. "Keep that door open or I'll expect the worse outcome!"
"I told you, we aren't doing anything we shouldn't!" Ruby laid face-first on her futon and refused to look up, eyes screwed shut. Her hands harshly clasped over her ears to drown out Dia's retreating snorts.
Frozen, Hanamaru pieced together the little bit of information Dia had sent her way. She had winked. What did a wink signify, especially at her? Why would Dia wink at her when she was explaining the dangers of being too careless? Would she—
And then Hanamaru's mouth rounded.
… Teasing. That was it. Dia had been teasing Ruby.
The meaning clicked in Hanamaru's mind, and she banged her fist together in victory. So it was true!
So Dia was far more supportive than she conveyed.
Hanamaru returned to reality, fiercely relieved.
Now, she had Ruby's anxiety to deal with.
Ruby's shoulders slumped. She sniffled. Hanamaru went into protective girlfriend mode. She carefully deposited the notebook and pencil on Ruby's desk.
"It's okay, Ruby-chan," Hanamaru assured after she finally composed herself. She knelt and pat Ruby on the shoulder, rubbing her stiff muscles. Processing Dia's wink made her dizzy, but she heard the words in what could have been telepathic communication; take care of Ruby. "She's just teasin' ya, zura."
Despite her intentions, Ruby did not relent.
"She's so mean and embarrassing when she sees an opportunity," Ruby complained. She huffed. Hanamaru did not understand how but it made her cuter because it was such a Ruby thing to do. "I can't believe her! She knows she shouldn't bother us. I told her, but she's protective of me…" She threated her fingers in the creases of her blanket. "She knows you! She shouldn't be like that to you. And us."
Hanamaru picked up two of Ruby's other stuffed animals, a rainbow-colored fish and a hippocampus and made a purposeful detour to the door. She picked up the zebra and placed him properly on his hind legs. He stood there steadily, beady eyes latched on the door like a guard dog. Then, she put the fish and hippocampus on either side of him.
"There," Hanamaru announced. "Your stuffed animals will protect us. They'll be our bodyguards against Dia-san's evil. Watch the door, zura."
Even though she was deflated, Ruby peered up. She ended up smiling darkly at the display.
"She'll just blow in and step on him," Ruby mumbled angrily. "She doesn't care about my feelings. She'll just do whatever she wants, because she can."
Hanamaru's jaw worked, but she had to clamp her mouth closed—Dia had given her a blessing and telling Ruby would cause her even more panic. Revealing Dia's motivations would make Ruby blush furiously and bury her face in the pillow for the rest of the night out of fear Dia was outside filming them or something that was equally mean to their privacy. Hanamaru knew she would not do that, but Ruby might. While Ruby's adorableness would know no bounds, Hanamaru saved her the trouble.
"But Ruby-chan is cute like this, I swear." Hanamaru scooted next to Ruby and lay against her side. She carefully carded fingers through Ruby's hair and smiled softly. "It doesn't matter if Dia-san tries to scare us, anyway. I'll protect you, okay?"
Ruby pouted. Her eyes shone glossy, imploring.
"Always?" Ruby's voice rings tentatively. She grasps onto the hem of Hanamaru's sleeve, begging.
Hanamaru's head tipped upwards. Her lips gently connect to Ruby's temple. She pressed a kiss on her skin without hesitating. She lightly stroked her upper back, coaxing her wound, tense muscles to loosen up. Ruby's body relaxed under her administrations.
"Sorry…" Ruby sniffled. Cautiously and remorseful, she glanced up at Hanamaru. "This was supposed to be our first date together, and I'm ruining it."
"You're not," Hanamaru replied automatically, yet honestly. Dia's wink passed through her mind's eye again and she squared her shoulders. Why did Dia have to be so mean outwardly? But she supposed Ruby was okay now. That was all that mattered. "There are a lot of fun things for us to do, zura!"
"Like what?" Ruby asked. Curious now and a little distracted by her body heat, she sleepily glanced up at her. She wanted whatever Hanamaru wanted.
Being stuffed in a starch shirt and flowing skirt at a fancy restaurant would not have allowed Hanamaru to see the raw in emotion in Ruby's eyes. Yes all she needed was what she had here. In this environment fear had no place to exist.
Her thoughts flowed to simple adventures.
"We can just talk to each other." Hanamaru might struggle to come up with topics, but she could do it. She would do it if it she could tell Ruby everything she wanted without making it luxurious. Because dates were about being together at their core, right? "Well… I can read a story to you. Oh, we can play a video game! You didn't show me that new game. You said the graphics were awesome… and I don't' really get what that means, but... Or we can look around on the Internet. I love the Internet!"
Ruby eyed the rest of her room. However, she did not make any movement to get up and get anything.
"You love the Internet more than me?" Ruby asked. The tease in her voice was evident, and she nudged against her, playing tickling Hanamaru's side.
Hanamaru giggled and swatted her hand away. "Of course not! Ruby-chan is the sweetest thing ever!"
Hanamaru cupped her hands, embarrassed at her own omission. But Ruby smiled at her, amused.
She may have no heart. Her heart may have melted.
"I'd like it if you read to me," Ruby decided. Digging deeper, she imagined the books on her bookshelf. Hanamaru usually read and she was left out of that, so she wanted to hear her soothing voice as she read passages out of the book. "A fairy tale?"
"About a faraway land," she finished thoughtfully. Hanamaru was about to push herself up off the futon and trudge to the other side of the room, but Ruby's hand gripped hers and suddenly made her pause. Quizzical, she tried to decipher Ruby's expression, but she was caught too breathless by something in her expression that resonated along her skin.
"But first…" Ruby whispered, fidgeting.
"First?" Hanamaru was lightheaded.
"Let's start with this," Ruby said, closing her eyes.
Ruby's head tilted and Hanamaru followed her lead as if hypnotized. Their lips pressed together in a sweet, tender and dazzling kiss too enchanting to be real. Hanamaru tucked Ruby in her arms, and Ruby lightly reciprocated and draped her arms around her midsection. Ruby pulled her flush against her.
Even though they had shared their first kiss, making memories of more experienced ones would be nice.