- Mari-san!
The alluded girl lightly hunched her shoulders at the shout of her name, knowing who that voice belonged to.
Turning around to answer, the blonde couldn't help but notice just how beautiful that girl was, even when angry. Long black hair cascaded down her back, perfectly straight, while bewitching turquoise eyes looked at her with a hint of real anger in them. A beauty mark, on the right side of her face just below her lips, complimented her elegant look. If not for the frown directed at her, the girl's face would have been the epitome of perfection in the blonde's opinion.
She would have continued to observe her, but sadly, the student council president was already in front of her, crossed arms and all.
Sighing to herself and wondering just what did she do this time to infuriate her classmate, Mari proceded to smile and ask:
- Dear Dia, what brings you here at this hour of the day?
''This'' been her secret (not so secret anymore) spot in the back courtyard of their school. Hidden between some trees and abundant brush, the blonde found herself there on the few times that she needed some space and quiet to think or simply just relax.
- You know perfectly well why I am here!
Angrily answered her friend, causing Mari to blink several times, honestly confused.
- I really have no idea what you are talking about Dia.
- The art room Mari-san! Ring any bells?
Oh
Oh!
Yes, now that Mari thought about it, she remembered her recent paint war with Yoshiko and Chika. Seeing something similar in a TV show last night, Mari just had to try it, and who better partners in crime that those two mischievous girls. Although they had made sure to clean the room afterwards, it seemed that somehow Dia had caught wind of it.
Playing it cool, Mari decided to keep an innocent act:
- I still don't know what you are talking about dear Dia, it's something wrong with the art room?
- Don't try to fool me Mari-san, Ruby told me everything, she really wants to participate in a paint war now.
- My! Of course! Tell Ruby-chan that next time we'll call her for sure, the more the merrier!
When Dia arched one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows at that, Mari knew that she had messed up.
- Mari-san, need I remind you that the use of school supplies for anything not school related is prohibited?
- We didn't use the school supplies though.
- Eh?
- I bought the paint. And the balloons, and the water guns too!
- What?!
At the bewilderment in Dia's face, Mari couldn't help but laugh a little, hiding her smile behind her closed hand.
- Tha-that still does not exculpate you of using the arts room as your litlle playground! -. Dia replied after a few seconds of looking at Mari, her cheeks a little red.
- But we cleaned it up, didn't we? You wouldn't have known if Ruby hadn't told you, right?
- Bu-but...
- ''All's well that ends well'' dear Dia.
Sighing loudly and feeling defeated, Dia dropped her shoulders, a small frown still on her face.
Mari didn't like that. Dia was beautiful even when angry, but the blonde girl loved her smiling face the most.
Extending her right hand, she proceded to rub the frown away with her thumb.
- Ma-Mari-san? What are you doing?! .- the black haired girl exclaimed with a little tremor in her voice and reddened cheeks.
- I'm rubbing your frown till it goes away -. the girl answered with a smile on her face.- I like your smiling face the best Dia!
A few seconds passed with no more words exchanged between the girls, until Dia bent forward a little, resting her head on Mari's left shoulder.
- Really Mari-san... I can never win against you... -. she confessed quietly.
From the corner of her eye, the blonde could see Dia's reddened ears, and faintly, she could feel the heat coming from the black haired girl's face on her shoulder.
- It's not a competition Dia -. Mari murmured softly, lightly encircling the girl with her arms reassuringly.
- I know... it's just that sometimes...
The girl started to explain, raising her head, but the rest of her sentence was curt short when turquoise eyes met lime ones, with just a few inches of distance between them.
Dia was looking at Mari's eyes transfixed, the blonde girl becoming more self-conscious the more time passed.
After almost a full minute had gone by with Dia just looking at her, the other girl gathered enough courage to ask:
- It-it's something wrong with my face?
Startling lighty in her arms, Dia made to separate herself from Mari, but the blonde's arms prevented her from doing so.
Lowering her face and hiding her eyes in shame, the black haired girl stammered:
- You just have a little bit of paint left on your cheek, and it really bothered me, that's all.
- Oh?
- Wh-what?
- Nothing~
- What is it Mari-san?
The girl just laughed and strengthened their embrace, making Dia come a little bit closer.
- What are you doing?! -. the other third year girl shouted , her face now resembling a tomato.
- Could you clean it for me please? -. Mari asked sweetly, with a hint of mischief in her eyes.
- Clean what?
- The paint that's on my face, of course!
Mari knew for a fact that there wasn't any pain in her face, they had used masks and old clothes so not to get themselves and their uniforms dirty, but Dia's embarrasment was proving to be too much fun to let go of the matter so easily.
What the blonde girl didn't count for was Dia actually doing it.
With her left thumb she started caressing Mari's cheek, making it as she was cleaning a stain.
The blonde's heart started beating really hard in her chest, so much that she feared Dia would be able to feel it in their proximity.
- Th-there, done -. the black haired girl said after some a minute, her hand stoping the soothing movements on Mari's cheek, opting instead for resting it on the blonde's shoulder.
- I see... th-thanks -. now was Mari's turn to stammer.
The girl could feel her cheeks start to get red and Dia's eyes, now fixed on her face, weren't helping either.
- So even you can get embarrased, who would have thought? -. the black haired girl teased, a small smile appearing in her face.
Again, it was Mari's turn to stare transfixed. That smile transformed Dia's face entirely, making it imposible fot the blonde haired girl to look away or even blink.
-Oh -. was the only thing she managed to say.
-What is it now?
-You are smiling.
-Eh? I'm not -. Dia denied, trying unsuccesfully to supress the smile on her face.
It seemed that the close proximity with the blonde haired girl, her arms around Dia and the red still on her cheeks made it imposile for the black haired girl's mood to sour.
Lowering her face a little, Mari joined their foreheads and with a voice so soft and sweet that Dia thought she could just melt, the blonde haired girl said:
- I love your smile.
- You said that already -. replied the turquoise eyed girl just as softly.
-Mm, because is the truth Dia, I love your smile -. Mari answered, her voice a little bit stronger.
-Enough already! I understand, okay?
Dia's face was now and interesting red color, but Mari's eyes were solely fixed in the turquoise ones.
- No Dia, you don't understand, I-
Warm lips covered her own, the unsuspecting girl not having time to respond before Dia broke their kiss, breathing hard.
- I understand Mari, because I love your smile too.
- You do?
- Of course idiot, who wouldn't like to see a smile on the face of the girl they lov-
Dia stopped herself in time, the rest of the declaration not exiting her lips just yet. Looking at Mari with embarrassment all over her face, she opted to stay silent.
-What where you going to say dear Dia? -. Mari asked, a brilliant smile on her lips, making her eyes shine in contentment.
- You already know! So I'm not saying it.
- Such a shame, I so wanted to hear it -. Mari teased, her smile transforming itself into a chesire cat grin.
Readying herself to give her a little scolding for teasing her in a moment like that, Dia's lips were covered by Mari's own before she could say anything. The kiss longer and more heated than their first one.
The blonde haired girl wrapped her arms more tightly around her, pulling their bodies flush against each other.
Dia found herself wrapping her own arms around Mari's neck, deepening the kiss, a little moan exiting her mouth before she could do anything to avoid it.
The blonde haired girl lightly bit Dia's bottom lip, eliciting a stronger moan from her.
Finally breaking the kiss after some minutes, Mari rested her forehead against Dia's own and softly murmured:
- I know, because I love you too.