a/n: gay rights!
Kumiko could acutely feel each little stripe of the rainbow painted on her cheek as Natsuki held her face still, tongue poking out a bit in concentration.
"Ya sure you don't want one, Kousaka?" she called out as she put down the last brush. Kumiko stepped back, unable to stop herself from smiling. Reina, standing a few feet away, shook her head.
"I'm fine," she retorted. Natsuki shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
"It's loud out here." The way Reina phrased it, it almost sounded like she was talking to herself, staring idly at the sky. Indeed, someone was blasting dance music a few floats over, a thousand conversations merged into one. It was brilliant.
"It's your first time, huh?" Natsuki stowed the face paint away, turning to Reina, who nodded just barely, just a little upturn of her head. Still, statue-like. Kumiko was surprised she'd come at all. "I'll never forget mine."
"You could've phrased that better," Kumiko said. Natsuki shrugged.
"If not now, when?"
"Fair point." A pause. "W-why didn't you bring Yuuko along with you?"
"Eh, she's never liked this stuff much." Natsuki jammed her hands in her pockets. "'It's too loud' and 'I can never get the glitter out of my clothes,' all that. Speaking of which . . ."
"You brought a bunch of glitter, didn't you?" Reina deadpanned. Natsuki shot her a pair of finger guns.
"Right on the money, Kousaka! Now, if I can just remember where I put it . . ."
"You've been to these before?" Reina whispered, leaning over to Kumiko while Natsuki was distracted. It still made her shiver pleasantly, having this beautiful girl so close to her.
"This is my third one, y-yeah. I dunno how long Natsuki's been going to them."
Reina glanced over at where Natsuki was dumping out the contents of her bag in search of the glitter.
"She seems experienced."
"She is."
"Do I have anything to worry about?" Reina grinned, just a tiny bit. Kumiko flushed red.
"N-no! Of course not! Geez, Reina, you're being possessive today, aren't you?" Kumiko leaned in, bumping Reina's nose with her own.
"Do you like it?" Reina whispered. Kumiko couldn't stop giggling.
"As a matter of fact, I think I-"
"Hey, lovebirds! Get a room!"
"Sorry, Natsuki!" Kumiko and Reina broke apart, flustered, and Kumiko called out to the third member of their party.
"Nothing to be sorry about!" Natsuki yelled back. "If not here, where?"
"She has a point," Reina whispered.
"Anyway, I was just about to tell ya that the parade's starting. There'll be time for snogging later."
"Oh, crap!" Kumiko scurried over to where Natsuki had set herself up, the multitudes of marching people almost overwhelming. It made her smile so much that her cheeks hurt, but she didn't mind. She didn't mind at all. "Reina, look at this!"
"It's wonderful."
And it was. Oh, how it was.
"Magical, huh?" Natsuki folded her arms, content. Kumiko and Reina nodded. "I know it's corny, but I just love being a part of this . . . thing, y'know, it's bigger than ourselves. I love it."
"So do I," Kumiko murmured, and her heart grew as big as the sky as she looked out on the sea of rainbows and celebrations.
a/n: this was short but when inspiration strikes it strikes y'know? there are pride parades in japan - the lgbt rights movement there is gaining steady ground, and a few weeks ago (when i started writing this fic) there were actually several articles about several couples suing the country for the right to marry. so yeah!