You Should Have Kissed Me
A luxurious black car pulled up in front of the small cottage like house just off of the Seisho Music Academy campus. The vehicle's quiet engine went silent and the lights turned off, leaving the street mostly dark, the only light now coming from the porch of the small house. Maya and Claudine sat in silence as they stared across the neatly trimmed lawn, neither wanting the night to end so soon, yet neither wanting to voice it. The blonde was the first to open the passenger side door, sliding out gracefully, while the brunette followed suit, opening her own door and reluctantly exiting the vehicle.
Maya took Claudine's hand as they walked up the pathway that led to the front door, each step leading her farther into the unknown. The unknown of what would happen on that porch, what she should do, what she shouldn't do? Being classmates for years now, Maya felt she should know what Claudine wanted her to do, but figuring out the blonde had never been a simple process. Their friendship had taken a surprising turn when the brunette had realized she was falling for Claudine. She fell, and fell, and it never seemed to stop. Everyday she felt as if she was drowning in the blonde completely, and no matter how hard she resisted, no matter how hard she fought it, she could never seem to reach the surface for air. Ever since, she would find herself staring at Claudine more than she'd like to admit. Staring into Claudine's fiery eyes while they danced quickly became her favorite part of the day. Even if those pink eyes staring back at her were narrowed at her in a glare, Maya couldn't help but smile at how adorable it was. And although the blonde never seemed to notice, the brunette's gaze would flicker down to Claudine's soft, inviting lips every so often, leaving Maya lost in daydreams of being able to test that softness with her own lips, to taste the kiss she longed for. But unfortunately the blonde never seemed interested in being anything other than rivals.
It was a never ending dance between the two prideful girls, both fighting for the lead, neither willing to follow. So one could imagine the surprise when Claudine had asked Maya if she would accompany her to the movies. The brunette's heart had almost leaped out of her chest at the request as she agreed almost too quickly. But to her elation, she saw a smile on the blonde's face, if only for just a second. A sincere smile she had never seen on Claudine before, a smile that had been reserved for only her, it seemed, and it was the most beautiful thing Maya had ever seen. It was a glimmer of hope that the blonde may at least somewhat return these feelings that have been keeping the brunette awake at night, and thoroughly distracted during the day. There was only one question in Maya's mind, an important question that she dare not ask. Was this a date? What would Claudine think of her if this was merely a girls night, and friendly outing, and she read the signs wrong. What if she did something that ruined the friendship that had taken so long to build? As much as it pained her to do so, she decided she would relent and let Claudine take the lead on this one. The only time she had been willing to do so since they were introduced. She could totally let the blonde take the lead...right?
Earlier that day…
"Girls, please find a partner." Miss Urara, the girl's dance teacher, called out over the rambunctious class. "You will practice the steps we just went over for the remainder of our time today." The older woman clapped in an attempt to speed the process along as the volume in the room raised significantly, girls frantically pairing up with their preferred choices. Maya and Claudine were never asked to be partners with any of their other classmates, as they all knew by now that the two girls had always been, and will likely always be partners on the dance floor. The way they shined together never failed to catch the eyes of everyone in the room as they danced, perfectly in step and so passionate that there were always questioning whispers of whether or not the pair were partners outside of the dance studio as well. Maya had always brushed them off, but was always very curious as to what Claudine thought about the rumors. The brunette would have to think about that later, though, because right now she stood toe to toe with her rival, who was giving her a rather curious look. How long had she been standing here staring at her like a fool?
"Why are you staring at me like that, Tendou Maya?" The blonde's eyes narrowed the slightest bit in suspicion.
"How can I not when I have such a beautiful partner to dance with, Saijo Claudine?" The name rolled off of Maya's tongue as smoothly as syrup, her voice sultry as she reached a hand out to pull Claudine closer by the hip, smirking at the wide eyes staring back at her. "I simply can not help myself."
The blonde's face flushed with a brilliant blush as she looked away and puffed out her cheeks when she heard an alluring chuckle coming from her partner. She rested her hand on the brunette's shoulder and allowed Maya to take her hand as they assumed their starting position. The music began and the dance floor bustled with movement when Claudine's shining pink eyes finally met Maya's.
"You are truly infuriating." The blonde's voice come out in somewhat of a growl as they moved deftly about the dance floor, not missing so much as a step.
The brunette's lips visibly twitched as she tried her best to hold back a smile, but in the end she knew it was an impossible endeavor. Her partner was just so adorable when she was flustered and angry. An adoring smile made it's way onto Maya's face, only serving to anger Claudine more.
"You will not throw me off my game with empty flirtation and that beautiful smile, Tendou Maya."
"What?!" The brunette's eyes widened a fraction and for the first time since she could remember, Maya missed one of her steps due to the shock of hearing those words come out of Claudine's mouth. 'She thinks my smile is beautiful?'. To anyone else, the blunder would have been nearly unreadable by the way they continued on, but the smirking blonde in front of her had noticed, of course.
"What is this?" Claudine's eyebrows rose in surprise, her smile turning mischievous. "One compliment and the great Tendou Maya falls apart. This is a very interesting development indeed." She said, voice full of mirth. 'If I would have known she'd react this way, I'd have complimented her sooner!' The blonde screamed internally.
Their gazes turned intense as they fought for dominance, spinning and turning as the world around them seemed to fade away. The music began to build as the song neared the end, their steps becoming quicker, their breathing becoming more shallow. One last turn, Maya forcefully pulling Claudine along with her until the blonde fell backward into a perfectly timed dip, the brunette's strong arms holding her in place as the room went silent. They stared into each others eyes as they struggled to catch their breaths, still unaware of appraising eyes all around them, watching them in this oddly intimate moment. The blonde's hand moved from the brunette's shoulder to the back her her neck, her thumb brushed against Maya's cheek ever so slightly, causing the brunette's eyes to flutter shut and eliciting an involuntary shiver. It wasn't until someone cleared their throat awkwardly did they remember where they were and who was watching this scene unfold.
Maya stood up straight, helping Claudine up as well before they looked away from each other, their faces overcome with a deep blush.
"That was...quite good, girls." Miss Urara said hesitantly, still not sure she had really seen what had just transpired. "Great work today. You are all dismissed."
Whispers filled the room as the girls filed out, many glances were directed at Maya and Claudine as they toweled off, still both avoiding the other's gaze. The blonde watched the others leave, scowling at a smirking Futaba before she chanced a glance at the brunette, who was beginning to make her way out of the studio. Before she could stop herself, she called out to her rival.
"Wait!" She shouted a little too loudly, grimacing at her own tone of desperation.
Maya stopped in her tracks and slowly turned her head, eyebrows raised in surprise. She stayed silent, however, urging Claudine to go on.
"I was wondering..." The blonde trailed off and cleared her throat as she willed her nerves to subside. "We have both been training very hard. I feel we could use a break." She stood up as straight as she could and grasped her hands behind her back. "I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to the movies tonight. I-"
"Yes." The brunette answered quickly, both girls raising their eyebrows in surprise.
"Y-yes?" Claudine hesitated, letting a smile show through before she quickly covered it with a mask of indifference. "Very well. You may pick me up around six o'clock. Don't be late." She brought her hand up to inspect her nails as if she was already bored of the situation, although she didn't miss the smile that was directed at her.
"Of course, I wouldn't dare be late." With that, Maya turned and disappeared through the door.
Claudine let out the deep breath she'd been holding as she clutched her chest with her hands. She stared at the floor for a moment before closing her eyes tightly and couldn't hold back her elated smile any longer.
"She said yes." The blonde whispered to herself before biting her lip and glancing at the doorway where Maya had disappeared, only to be filled with horror when she saw who was standing there watching her. "Futaba!"
"You finally asked her out on a date, Kuro-chan?" Futaba teased, her infuriating smirk still glued to her face. "What took you so long?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Claudine answered petulantly before turning away from her friend and crossing her arms in a pout.
"Uh huh." Futaba arched her eyebrow. "Is there another reason Tendou hurried into the nearest classroom and squealed like a little girl?"
The blonde smiled and looked down at the floor after hearing that tidbit of information. She had asked Maya out on a date. This was going to be an interesting night.
Present…
Maya and Claudine approached the front porch, the blonde's hand beginning to feel clammy as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. She was still surprised at how bold the brunette had been tonight, taking her hand as they sat in the movie theater, distracting Claudine thoroughly enough that she couldn't even remember most of what happened in the movie. But she could remember clearly how their hands fit together perfectly, as if they were designed for each other to hold. She could remember how soft Maya's hand was, how warm the brunette made her feel inside, how she shivered when Maya would lean close to whisper something into her ear as to not disturb the other people in the theater. How the brunette's breath on her ear and neck elicited feelings she'd never had before, elicited thoughts she would never express out loud. She remembered greedily inhaling the flowery scent of Maya's perfume, a scent that had suddenly become her favorite. All Claudine could remember from tonight was Maya, and only Maya.
Now she was walking hand in hand with the brunette, the night coming to an end more quickly than she wanted it to. They finally reached the door and turned to face each other, neither knowing exactly what say. They stayed silent for a long moment before either of them could get a word out.
"I had-"
"Claudine-"
They spoke at the same time before both laughing nervously. Maya smiled and nodded her head, allowing Claudine to speak first.
"I had a wonderful time tonight, Maya." The blonde mumbled, uncharacteristically shy as she looked away from the brunette.
"I did as well." Maya smiled adoringly at the girl in front of her.
When Claudine looked up once more, she lost herself in beautiful, sparkling purple eyes. She couldn't bring herself to look away as they stood in silence once more. She had never before felt this connection with anyone, and had never wanted anyone to reach out and hold her until now. She wanted Maya's arms around her, she wanted her fingers in her hair, she wanted to find out if the brunette's lips were as soft as she always imagined they'd be on her own lips. The blonde's gaze flitted down to Maya's lips for a millisecond and unknowingly began to lean forward ever so slowly but stopped abruptly when the brunette took a step back.
"I'll see you on Monday then, Claudine?" Maya said, voice shaky as she backed away from Claudine. When the blonde nodded slowly, the brunette smiled and turned to walk toward her car.
Claudine watched her walk away in shock before she numbly fished the keys out of her purse and unlocked her door before quickly making her way inside. She closed the door forcefully and leaned against it, breathing heavily and shaking slightly. She turned off the porch light and looked out of the window next to the door and watched as Maya climbed into her car and turned it on.
"Damn it, you should have kissed me, Tendou Maya?" Claudine whispered loudly, frustrated at the brunette and herself for not taking the step that the blonde wanted so badly to take.
Maya sat in her car, internally screaming at herself. 'She was leaning in. She was leaning in and you ran away you coward!' She looked up at the roof of the vehicle and groaned. She didn't know why she suddenly was terrified of kissing Claudine, something she had wanted to do for a very long time. She wanted it, she wanted Claudine. The brunette was already drowning in regret as she looked back to the house, the porch light had already been turned off, every other window void of light as well. 'She was leaning in. I should have kissed her.' Maya thought once more before her expression turned to one of determination.
"I should have kissed her." The brunette mumbled as she fumbled with the keys to turn off the car before opening her door and stumbling out of the vehicle. After slamming her door shut, she took a deep breath and made her way determinedly up the pathway and stopped in front of the door. "You can do this, you're Tendou Maya!" She whispered to herself before balling her hand into a fist and bring it up to knock on the door. But before she could, the door swung open, Claudine standing in the doorway with an arched brow. The blonde opened her mouth to say something but was effectively stopped as Maya rushed forward, cupping her cheek and crashing their lips together in a passionate kiss. Claudine moaned in surprise into the kiss as her eyes fluttered shut. The brunette forced the blonde back slowly until Claudine's back hit the wall softly and was now pinned against it as Maya's hand tangled itself into her blonde locks. Claudine grabbed the brunette's hips, trying to pull her impossibly closer as she felt Maya's tongue brush against her bottom lip to which she opened her mouth, allowing entry. Their tongues crashed together, eliciting a moan of pleasure from both girls before they were forced to part due to lack of oxygen. Maya pulled away slightly and rested her forehead against Claudine's as they panted and gazed dazedly into each others eyes for a long moment. The brunette leaned in for one last soft kiss.
"Goodnight, my Claudine." Maya smiled lovingly before turning and walking down the pathway once more, this time with much more confident strides.
Claudine, still leaning against the wall, smiled and bit her lip as she watched the brunette go before bringing her fingers up to touch where Maya's lips had been only seconds earlier.
"Bonne nuit ma Maya."
Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed!
(I posted this on ao3 a while ago and completely forgot to post on here. Oop!)