SNOW
Snow was coming down heavily at Luna Nova. Swirling flakes dotted Diana's hair as she sat pensively on a bench on the outskirts of the school grounds. She shifted her weight backwards and tilted her head up towards the sky, deep in thought. Diana came here often to clear her mind. It was always a nice reprieve from her usual duties and the constant swarm of students and teachers who wanted her insight on some useless thing or another. She needed this.
Lately, Diana felt her concentration seriously lacking. Her nerves were getting to her and her heart felt like it was constantly racing, and she really wasn't sure what to do about it. So here she was. Avoiding responsibility, avoiding people, avoiding Akko, and secretly hoping that the snowstorm would magically give her a vision to solve all of her problems. It was pointless and the fact she was placing her hopes on frozen particles of water only exacerbated her desperation.
She sighed and furrowed her brow.
Who am I kidding. There's no getting around this. I mean really…how did it come to this. Why did that darned girl have to come into my life and throw me for a complete loop. I've taken so many precautions and in comes Akko, obliterating all of my walls and now I cannot stop thinking about her.
A snowflake lightly fluttered down on to her eyelash and she quickly wiped it away. "I need to get it together."
"Diana Cavendish needs to get something together? Now THAT'S a first," In her reverie, Diana didn't hear the crunching snow from someone approaching her in her secret hideaway. And now she'd been found.
By the worst (and secretly the best) possible person in this instance.
"Akko, I came here for silence. So if you are going to interrupt that silence, please consider otherwise." She didn't mean to sound so terse, but she was desperately trying to throw up a defense mechanism to keep the peppy girl at a distance.
Unfazed, Akko joined the green haired witch on the bench swiping a clear spot for her seat. She stayed silent for a second, before quietly piping in, "I'm worried about you, ya know?" The brunette inched closer to her friend. "You've seemed a little bit off, which is really unlike you. Are you feeling okay? Did something come up with your Aunt Daryl again? Do I need to go whoop some butt for you?"
Diana blinked and actually let out a slight chuckle, "You really are something, Atsuko Kagari." She let her racing thoughts subside for the moment.
"Well duhhhh," joked Akko with a huge small on her face, her eyes shined at her dear friend hoping to lighten up her mood.
"I come here to clear my mind. My thoughts have been really bogged down lately."
"By what?" Akko leaned in, attentively waiting for Diana to explain.
By my feelings for you.
"By…." Diana hesitated. "…feelings." Her heart was leaping again and she had the sudden urge to hop on her broom, briskly fly away, and never look back. She was not prepared to do this right now. "It's really nothing, Akko. Please don't worry" The wind had picked up, blowing the icy snow more violently into their faces.
Akko grabbed Diana's hands in her own. "Diana, I will always worry about you." Diana's hands were fire and she was content in letting them burn forever. She glanced over to the endearing brunette and couldn't help being drawn into Akko's deep crimson eyes. The sweetest smile played upon Akko's face; she didn't know what feelings Diana was so bothered by, but she wanted to cheer her up.
Diana turned her eyes back up to the sky, her hands still captured in Akko's. Why am I so enamored with her? Why did she have to grab my hands? This is way too much for me to bear.
She turned her focus back to Akko, who had mirrored her glance up to the sky. Akko's cheeks were rosy from the chilled wind. Maybe I can warm them up. A sudden burst of confidence overtook her, as she ever so deftly leaned over and placed a soft kiss to her friend's cheek.
As she pulled away, she was met with those ruby eyes quizzically blinking at her. Diana stood up from the bench.
"Hey wait! Where are you going?"
The British witch stretched out a hand to her friend. "Come, Akko. It's getting much too cold out here."
"But you… you. Cheeks. Kissed. Huh?"
Diana was running away again. But this time, she was running away with a very intense feeling of self-satisfaction. She'd deal with feelings another day. And maybe, just maybe Akko might be there to listen.
