First Kisses

The awkward moment is broken as Eli trips, falling against Nozomi and pinning her to the floor. Her cheeks are flushed bright red as she stumbles over her words, attempting to apologize and Nozomi thinks that it is the cutest sight in the world. Her hand cups Eli's cheek and Nozomi leans forward, pressing a kiss against the corner of shaking lips, breaking the steady stream of rambling speech.

Hand Kisses

Eli's eyes are practically shining with excitement as the final notes of the song fade away, her hand tightly clasping Nozomi's own as applause begins to surround them. The soft brush of Eli's thumb against her knuckles makes her breath catch and Nozomi can feel the slight flush gathering on her cheeks as their gazes meet. There is a playful smile on Eli's face as she raises Nozomi's hand, leading her offstage and pressing a kiss to her fingertips once they are out of sight.

Second Kiss

The moment they are alone, Eli begins to fidget, eyes darting around the room nervously, one hand reaching out to tug at the sleeve of Nozomi's sleeve. Their eyes meet and each carefully prepared word is lost, her mind suddenly blank. Taking a deep breath, Eli steps forward, attempting to control the rising flush that threatens to give her away and trying not to be distracted by the gentle curve of Nozomi's lips as she smiles.

The kiss is sudden, a slight pressure that barely lasts more than a few seconds before Eli nervously pulls away. Nozomi is quick to wrap her arms around Eli's waist, keeping her in place even as her own cheeks take on a slight pink hue. Her voice is almost breathless, a hint of laughter in her words as she gently teases Eli about her sudden boldness.

Shoulder Kiss

"Are you ready?"

Eli nodded, not quite trusting herself to speak at the moment. She took a deep breath, attempting to calm her nerves even as the room was flooded with darkness. Each small noise was amplified, a sudden creak to the right making her shiver.

"N- Nozomi?" Her voice cracked but it hardly mattered as she began to blindly reach out into the darkness, panic nearly setting in when there was no immediate answer.

"I'm right here."

The bed dipped slightly and Eli nearly jumped despite the familiar voice. It wasn't until Nozomi settled behind her, hands gently kneading her tense shoulders, that she began to focus on her breathing.

Nozomi began to hum lightly and Eli closed her eyes, trying to block out everything but the soft melody. She slowly began to relax, letting the familiar sound of Nozomi's voice wash over her.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Eli inhaled sharply as Nozomi nuzzled her neck without warning, fingers toying with the strap of her dress. A soft giggle reached her ears and she could feel her cheeks begin to burn as kisses were trailed across her shoulder. The sensation of Nozomi's lips curving into a smile against her bare skin making her shiver.

"See, the dark isn't so bad, now is it?"

A strangled whimper was the only response she could provide as Nozomi's hands began to trail lower.

Cheek Kiss

The room was filled with the sound of Eli's pen scratching against the paper and Nozomi could feel her lashes growing heavier by the minute. Propping an elbow on the table, she let her chin fall on top of her palm. She remained silent, content to rest her eyes for a moment or two as Eli finished whatever needed to be done.

"If you're tired, you can leave first." The movements of the pen stilled and the room was silent for a beat. "You don't have to wait for me."

Nozomi blinked once, twice, before letting her eyes focus on Eli. She smiled softly, taking note of the apologetic look on Eli's face, the nervous way she twirled the pen in her hand, even the subtle glances at the stack of paperwork that still needed to be signed. "I don't mind waiting."

The look of relief that came over Eli's face was priceless and Nozomi bit her lip, holding back the urge to laugh out loud. Leaning forward, she waved her hand towards the papers.

"You know, I could help…"

Eli's eyes lit up, her hands reaching out towards the stack, only faltering slightly as she caught Nozomi's next words.

"… for a price."

…

"Do I even want to ask?"

Nozomi pretended to think about it for a moment, finger lightly tapping against her chin. "How about a kiss?"

The sudden flush that colored Eli's cheeks was predictable and Nozomi delighted in the sight, smiling widely. Eli fidgeted under her gaze, eyes darting around the room. She stood, hands gripping the edge of the table and before Nozomi could confess that she had just been joking, Eli stepped forward, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.

Nozomi could feel her own cheeks flaming in response. She stared, wide-eyed as Eli carefully deposited half of the paperwork in front of her, barely able to meet her eyes.

Lightly touching her cheek, Nozomi whispered, "Ah… I should have been more specific…"

Eli's face practically burst into flames, her forehead meeting the desk shortly after the words reached her ears, arms covering her head as the sound of Nozomi's giggles began to fill the room.

(and an extra kiss)

Eli fiddles with the lock on the door as Nozomi gathers up her things. She is unable to look in her direction, the memory of the kiss they shared earlier still making her cheeks flame. The sound of approaching footsteps breaks her concentration and Eli tries to compose herself.

There is an unexpected tug at her sleeve and Eli turns without thinking, blush returning full force when she finds Nozomi much closer than expected. Her hand clutches the door tightly as Nozomi leans forward, eyes sparkling in amusement. She closes the distance between them, lips brushing softly against Eli's cheek.

"Eli-chi deserves a reward too."

Nose Kiss

Eli paced up and down the hall, muttering something softly under her breath. After the tenth circle around the backstage area, Nozomi decided that to step in, carefully approaching and placing a hand on her arm and halting the frantic movements.

"Nozomi?" Eli's eyes were beginning to clear, taking note of her surroundings.

Her fingers lightly stroked along smooth skin. "You were about to wear out the floor."

A hint of pink appeared on Eli's cheeks. "Sorry."

Nozomi placed both of her hands on Eli's face, making sure she had her complete attention. "Everything will be just fine." Before Eli could respond Nozomi leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on her nose. "You're going to be amazing out there."

The pink tint turned into a full blush within seconds. Eli's hands came to rest on top of Nozomi's own, a shy look in her eyes as she softly uttered a thank you.

Hundredth Kiss

She was half asleep, lips pressing softly against Eli's jawline. The sound of soft laughter made Nozomi pause and she leaned back, a fond smile on her face.

"One hundred."

Nozomi waited for her to elaborate, but no further response came.

"One hundred?"

Eli pouted slightly, a light flush settling across her cheeks. She murmured something under her breath and Nozomi leaned forward, attempting to catch what was said.

"…kiss…"

Raising one brow, Nozomi could only watch as Eli began to hide behind her hands. For a moment, she didn't quite understand the reaction. When it finally came to her, she grinned, pressing against Eli's side.

"Eli~chika is too cute." Nozomi pressed another kiss to each hand covering Eli's face. "Keeping count of our kisses."

Forehead Kisses

They take a break from practicing and Nozomi stretches out across the warm concrete with a sigh. Eli settles next to her, pushing a cold water bottle against her cheek and biting her lip to keep from laughing when she catches the surprised gasp.

A slight pout appears on Nozomi's face when she spots the amused expression on Eli's face. "So mean."

"Sorry. I couldn't resist." Eli reaches over, fingers lightly brushing over Nozomi's hair and tugging playfully at the long strands. Sparing a glance at the others and seeing that no one is watching, she takes a deep breath before pressing a quick kiss to Nozomi's forehead. Pulling back, she averts her gaze in an attempt to hide the hint of red that is beginning to spread across her face. "Am I forgiven?"

Nozomi sits up with a smile, leaning close enough so that her voice is barely above a whisper. "How could I stay mad when you're so adorable?"