AN: A little thing I wanted to get out of my system. Lowkey sad that LLS season 1 is over, but I'm sure that the second season will be sure to deliver. These two made me so happy, especially when they reconciled. I suppose you can consider this a sequel to Chilling Warmth, but really, I intended this to be a stand alone story, so it's probably that more than anything else. I hope you enjoy-I really liked writing about my babies. Or, my other babies, at least. DiaYou still has my heart, after all.

Ciao. c:

There was no doubt that Kanan loved the water.

Ever since she was little, Kanan would always race out of the school to go home, excited to put on her wetsuit and leap into the arms of the ocean. There, her adventurous self would dive beneath the surface and take the mysterious world of the sea in all of its vivid glory. And once her adventures of swimming with the fish were done and she didn't feel like getting out just yet, Kanan would float on her back, the waves pushing her here and there playfully, and watch the clouds languidly stroll by as the birds sang their song. Times like those were the best, Kanan thought, because there was a serene peace that only nature and its beauty could provide. It felt as if she was one with the ocean, and she would always feel so numb, yet so aware of her surroundings. The thought was comforting, and she could feel the stress of the day just melt away into the cold waters, leaving behind a reassuring warmth that told her everything was going to be okay. Kanan believed that such peace of mind could never be attained by anything else.

Until she met her.

"Kanan."

Kanan opened her eyes when she felt something poke her cheek. She took a moment to sigh, recollecting her thoughts, and summoned the remaining ounces of her energy. Then, with much effort, she turned to her side. A pair of golden eyes shimmered in the faint moonlight coming through the window behind Kanan. For a moment, she was stricken by their beauty; her breath hitched in her throat, her heart slowed down, and she was suddenly so aware of the amazing heat next to her bare body.

A light giggle broke Kanan out of her trance.

"Kanan?"

Then, everything went into motion; Kanan exhaled, her heart broke into a sprint, and she scooted closer to that warmth when her back felt a bit too cold. But the weight of her fatigue finally collapsed on her as well, and her eyelids grew very heavy. The only thing that compelled her to stay awake was the sparkling gold in front of her.

"Kanan, let's talk."

"Mari," the blue-haired girl paused to yawn, "go to sleep."

"No."

"We have school and practice tomorrow—"

"Let's talk. We still haven't had our post-se—"

"Too bad," Kanan quickly interjected. She could feel her cheeks beginning to burn, and she closed her eyes so that she couldn't see Mari's smug smirk. "If you wanted to talk, then maybe you should have waited for the weekend," Kanan tiredly slurred. She sighed out of her nose and could feel herself falling into sleep the same way she entered the ocean; tentatively sinking at first, then altogether diving under the—

"Kanan."

Kanan gave another sigh and irritably opened her eyes into a narrow stare. Mari smiled, completely unfazed, and leaned in to close the distance. Kanan could feel her annoyance leave her body as she relaxed into the kiss; the blonde always had a way to get whatever she wanted.

Mutually, they pulled back, and Mari stared fondly into Kanan's eyes. "Let's talk about sex, baby."

Kanan blinked several times. "W-what?"

"Let's talk about you and me."

"Mari, what are you saying—"

"Let's talk about all the good things—"

Then, everything was crystal clear to Kanan and she laughed before finishing the line. "And all the bad things that may be."

Now it was Mari's turn to laugh. "I never would have expected you to know that song."

"Well," Kanan averted her eyes for a moment as an intense guitar riff began playing in her mind, "you have an...interesting taste in music."

"Hey, industrial metal's good."

"Whatever you say."

"No, but really." The blonde scooted even closer, and Kanan could feel an arm snake around her naked waist. "Let's talk."

"About what, though?"

Mari hummed then trailed her eyes downwards. It didn't take long for Kanan to realize that Mari was staring at the mark that branded her chest. The blue-haired girl sighed and frowned as she shook her head.

"Can't you talk about anything else?"

The blonde's smirk came back. "You make it hard not to."

"Smooth," Kanan commented sarcastically, "very smooth."

"I try."

Silence nestled between the both of them, and Kanan was heavily considering going back to sleep, even if it meant facing the wrath of a grumpy Mari in the morning; after all, proper rest was needed for proper activity. With another sigh, she looked over the head of askew blonde hair to peek at the garish red light of her alarm clock.

1:07 in the morning.

Kanan yawned as she sank back into her pillow, being sure not to disturb Mari as she did so. She took a quick glance to check if Mari finally decided to go to sleep, but was only met with light disappointment when she saw the blonde staring at her attentively.

"What do you think of Aqours?" Mari suddenly asked. It was obvious that she was asking to keep Kanan awake, and being the person that she was, Kanan complied with a sigh. Ever since they reconciled, Kanan found herself growing softer than ever, especially if it concerned a certain blonde.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Like, what do you think of our progress."

"Well...we're doing a lot better than I expected, including Hanamaru and Dia since they have lower stamina than everyone else. Everyone's really picking up the dances and practicing really hard. I can't help but feel so proud of all of them."

Kanan could feel the blonde's body tremble a bit as she laughed. "You sound like a dad," Mari said.

"Why a dad?"

"Because i would be the mom, obviously." Mari laughed at herself while Kanan chuckled; she couldn't believe her lover sometimes.

"Speaking of Dia," Mari's coy smile played on her lips again, "have you noticed anything new about her?"

Kanan raised an eyebrow. "No, why?"

"You really haven't noticed?"

"Notice what?"

Mari grinned. "Our dear Dia has the hots for You."

"Watanabe?"

"Kanan, there's only one You that we know."

The blue-haired girl hummed thoughtfully. Slowly, she put all the pieces together: Dia staring at You just a little longer than usual, the shy smiles they exchanged across the rooftop during practice breaks, jumping on any given opportunity to have at least a fleeting touch. Kanan was surprised she notice anything was off at all; it was all so obvious that both Dia and You were showing symptoms of falling in love.

A small feeling began to tug at Kanan's heartstrings.

"How nostalgic," she mumbled as a small smile crossed her face.

Mari raised an eyebrow. "What is?"

"Seeing someone fall in love with someone else is so nostalgic," Kanan explained, as she began to run her fingers through Mari's flaxen hair. Although it was tangled at the edges, its smooth texture reminded Kanan of the countless times she let water fall from her fingertips. It was a simple, yet comforting gesture that filled her with peace.

"Why's that?" Mari asked gently, melting into Kanan's touch.

Kanan stopped her ministration and cupped Mari's cheek. "Because it reminds me of you."

Then, Kanan could feel that familiar tranquility. It was the same one she felt when she would be all alone in the ocean, in quiet solitude. As she watched Mari's eyes grow wider and her cheeks grow redder by the second, Kanan felt that sensation of numbing awareness overtake her senses. Mari's scent, one that smelled faintly of lemons and of the ocean, was beginning to fog her mind. Kanan couldn't tell if it was because she was so tired or if Mari was just so breath-taking, but the blue-haired girl closed her eyes and leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together.

Kanan thought if nature's beauty was the only thing that could provide this serenity, then Mari must be the most elegant thing the Earth had to offer.

A warm tear slipped underneath Kanan's thumb.

"Y-you're so corny," Mari croaked, giving a quiet cough of a chuckle.

Kanan replied with one of her own. "Sue me."

Then together, they met halfway. Kanan could feel herself floating on that warm ocean of love, the ocean breeze blowing over her, a tint of lemon flavoring it. Her stress and her worries melted into the water, leaving behind that oh-so-familiar warmth. She couldn't tell where her body began nor where it ended, but Kanan didn't care.

All that mattered was that Mari was here, right beside her.

And, once again, they pulled back. They both opened their eyes slowly, and the blue-haired girl couldn't help her growing smile.

There was no doubt that Kanan loved the ocean.

But there was no doubt that Kanan loved Mari most of all.