a/n. Hello! This story is one from many things in my tumblr; it is actually a companion fic to angel fall series which EiyuuPicup at tumblr (or you can find her account in FFn, Picup) is working at. (It's YohaRiko! You guys might want to give it a read!). Both stories will reference each other but it will not contain any spoilers to each and another.
I hope you'll enjoy, and as usual, I don't own Love Live.
angel rain / mismatched falsetto
It is one of those days off she never expected as she already makes sure of her own schedules for the week. Her calendar near the open window is filled with colorful marks of different markers, each indicating where she should be present, or tasks she should finish.
Kurosawa Dia finds this holiday to be ridiculous to her perfectly-flawed agenda; a nice joke of a lifetime as it perhaps already ruins everything.
Although she didn't mind a day off or two, it sure breaks some of her habitual activities of the day; for example, checking on how Ruby is doing in her training regimen, observing the hall of new recruits, examining papers regarding angel and demon business, as well as—
"Buon giorno, Dia~"
—ignoring, avoiding, and waving off a certain blonde Angel whom always yell at her when their eyes meet.
Wait what was she saying, bonbon?
"Dia, I know you are inside! Open up!" a fierce knocking, more sighs escaping her lips.
She takes her flight in slow motion, almost not willing to let the guest in, white wings waving lazily as she walks to the door. As if on cue, a hyper Angel bursts inside her perfectly-arranged room, about to turn her room into chaos by her violent wing flaps.
"What is it, Mari-san?" her voice is full of resentment. "I hope you are not here to ruin my free day, I take it?"
"Aww that's cold of you~" Mari fakes a pout, she excuses herself to sit on Dia's bed without even asking. "I'm here to ask about our outings tomorrow!"
Dia tilts her head, "Tomorrow …?" she glances directly to her marked calendar, seeing writings in purple marker which is not her own. "Oh … do you mean our actual inspection visit?"
Inspection, whatever Dia will call it, Mari will label it as one of any normal things like they were about to visit a certain place with a spectacular view of huge mountains or fresh grass where humans reside. In actuality, it is a trip to Demon's Den where they will meet up and exchange greetings with lowly Demons—
"Dia, how about we go to that cafe last time they escorted us? It has your favorite pudding, right?"
—and oh, boy, look at how carefree this Angel is. It looks like communicating with Demons is not a bit of importance to fuss about.
"Mari-san, we are—"
"—not be there to play around, right? Right?" a smirk plays on the blonde's features. "I know, I know, but don't you need a little relaxation or two?"
Ohara Mari is one of the Angels who gains the same rank as her, up high on everything, not exactly top of the top, though they pretty much get privileges and advantages more than needed already; even that it means more works piled for them to do and more dangerous missions available, also more newbies to be observed. While Dia being the most diligent, elegant and meticulous Angel ever born, Mari is a bit on the different side, showing such free form of behavior but climbed to top ranks of Heavenly Scales nonetheless.
What is Mari's reason, really?
"Relaxations? Hmph, I do not need those." Dia huffs dejectedly. "I find a day off like this is a counter-productive to my entire schedule! I need to check on whether those new Angels take their mission right."
"Nah, nah, Dia, you're not allowed to work today, you're in your holiday. Ho-li-day~" Mari blocks Dia from escaping. "Everyone needs a rest and so you are~"
The raven-haired Angel arches her brow, "Okay …?" then she steps away from Mari to look over her packed papers on the table. Her paper works for the entire week are done nicely, needing only a single approval from The Councils before she can turn it in, which she can't ask for today since she is practically of duty. Her emerald bounces back to where Mari is, who's standing still before her door, leaning and silently examining whatever she is doing right now.
"What is it, Mari-san? Do you get something for me to do so I do not need to waste my time idly like this?"
There is a clap and eventually, Dia regrets her question.
"I came here since I'm on my day off too," the blonde Angel beams. "You know, I ever promised to give you a massage when I lost my bet, right?"
"H-Huh? M, Massage?"
"Yes!" she replies in a high tone. "Remember that day when we took a mission to find a missing recruit? That's when we placed our bets!"
"We did? Oh, perhaps it's only me who forgot …" Dia rolls her eyes, half of her mind tries to find when and where she did the deed. "But … a massage?"
"You did bet on your week worth of pudding, though." Mari cackles. "Anyway, that's it. I'm going to pay what I've promised!"
Mari grabs Dia by her shoulders and ushers her to her own fluffy bed, making her sit with Mari faces Dia's back. The raven-haired Angel clearly glancing at her with worry when she did, her wings flutters awkwardly in response. The blonde Angel pries the tense muscle wings away as she starts rubbing Dia's shoulder blades.
"… It sure feels nice."
"Of course~ this is what I call 'relaxing'." Mari hums as she applies a slight pressure.
Wait a sec.
When, in reality, she ever planned to place any bets with somebody like Ohara Mari? Is this a trap or—
Her trail of serious conjecture stops when Mari slips her hands to her sides, tickling her.
"H-Hey, w, what are you think you are doing there Mari-san!? Stop it! It t—ahaha!"
"Yay that I got to fool you today, Dia~"
Both Angels now struggling with another, fighting to release their own self from tickle attack, Dia uses her wings to try and slap Mari away occasionally while Mari always finds an opening to Dia's ticklish spot. What she never expects is that Mari entraps her with her own wings, effectively refrains her from any other movement. She then pushes forward and stumbles upon Dia, making both of them fall unceremoniously on the bed.
Feathers flocking everywhere from where they start, almost like a rain of white fluffs.
"Mari-san!" Dia screams, pushing the fallen Mari away from her. "This is not funny and y-you are heavy!"
"I'm sorry, Dia, I'm sorry~" she repeats, not even once sounding she was apologizing, though. Mari is about to sit upright when their eyes meet.
They are close; Dia's pout falters when she sees Mari drops her usual cheeky grin so suddenly. Mari's wings made her unable to move away, only the blonde Angel quietly shifts, arms supporting her now on the bed, those yellow eyes of her went more and more unreadable.
It has been a while since she saw Mari in her solemn, forlorn expression.
"Mari-san …?"
Mari brings her fingers to comb where Dia's right wing softly as it halts in a particular spot where four feathers missing from its place around the center, permanently removed.
"Mari-san?"
For once of their silence, Mari smiles—not her usual smile, not her million-watt, worry-free with a dash of an unbelievable amount of sugar smile, but not a fake smile either.
"I … still can't forgive myself for this," Mari let out a dry chuckle. "I sometimes wonder what kind of sin is this."
Dia looks away; a certain recollection floods inside her mind, a mission she couldn't erase its trace even if she requested to erase her memories.
"It was not your fault, Mari-san, I was the one who were asking you to."
"I know." a pause. One heavy pause, one smile. "And that was why."
As Dia returns to squint at whatever expression Mari is making, she finds the blonde Angel slumps lazily to the upper part of her right wings, snuggling into it.
"Ahh, so warm~"
"M-Mari-san!?"
All the tense atmosphere strips down as Mari does the unlimited snuggle works, burying and indulging herself to another wing while the owner of said wings keeps struggling.
How she forgot that she can't move because Mari practically locks her down!
"Mind if I sleep here, Dia?"
"No, no, no that certainly is not allowed!"
"But you're so warm~ your wings like blanket of warmth~"
"Wrap yourself on your own then!"
"It's different~ yours are warmer~"
"Mari-san!"
.
.
.
[There she repeats once, "I'm sorry." before she pulls herself away, living her usual smile and leaving.]
[ ]
