Author Note: A lot later than I expected, sorry about that. I actually had most of it written before S2 started, but then ended up procrastinating when I missed that self-imposed deadline. I've deliberately avoided actual sex scenes in this story, but there is a brief near miss scene that probably earns the M rating.

~o~

Chika straightened up from her position slumped over the desk when she heard someone enter. Seeing it was Riko she smiled
"How did it go?"

"Ok" Riko seemed pre-occupied.

"I should have come-"

"No, really, it went much better than I expected. I told mom I was gay, that we were dating, and she was fine with it." Riko came behind the desk and imitated Chika's previous position, slumped over the desk with her head resting on her arms.

Chika uncertainly patted her girlfriend's shoulder. Clearly there was something else.
"And?"

Riko raised her head a little
"She said that she had known, about me, for a long time. She wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow night"

"I can do that. So it is a problem that she knew?"

"She said," Riko's voice was thick with horror, "you could stay the night if we wanted." She gave a shudder and put her head back down.

"Oh. Unexpected. But you wanted me to sleep over, so that's good, right?" Chika was not inclined to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"I said no. She wouldn't even let me take food up to my room until last year. Something is definitely wrong"

Chika pushed Riko's hair aside to kiss the back of her neck.

"What was that for?"

"To make you feel better. Is it working?"

Riko stood up to face her.
"Maybe. I thought we weren't allowed to do that where guests can see"

Chika smiled, pulling her girlfriend in close. People hardly ever came in at this time in the afternoon.
"I don't see any guests" she observed, stealing a quick kiss to make her point.

~o~

Yukimi Yamamoto pursed her lips as she noted the quiet exclamation and slight delay before Chika popped up from behind the desk, flushed and slightly breathless.

"Mrs Yamamoto, welcome back! Did you enjoy your cruise?"

The woman in question was a proud grandmother, but she still remembered a thing or two about being young.
"It was good enough. You can tell your boy behind the desk that I don't bite"

Chika responded with a perfectly straight face
"Mrs Yamamoto, I can assure you that there is not a boy behind the desk. May I help you with your bag?"

The older woman looked at her skeptically
"Yes, thank you. You're a better liar than I ever was, but you might want to button up your shirt first"

Adjusting her clothing, Chika walked out, picked up the bag and followed Mrs Yamamoto to her room as she reminisced.

"I recall those fit young fishermen were the best. Or was it the worst? I suppose it depends on your point of view"

"Mmm" Chika gave half hearted acknowledgement.

"Or maybe musicians?" The older woman noted her victim's blush, "I see, a musician. Certainly a good choice for the romantic gestures"

"Piano, and really good at it"

"Ah, pianists are all about the fingering..." Riko was relieved that she could no longer hear the conversation at that point.

~o~

When she returned Chika found Riko standing at the desk with her gaze directed downwards and sideways at the lost property box where a certain educational pamphlet lay open.

"You can take it if you like. My sisters just put it in there so I would read it"

"I-" Riko blushed guiltily. "Why would they do that?"

"I guess they thought I should know about that stuff"

"Oh" Riko snatched up the pamphlet and dashed off to sit in the corner hunched over, reading it. After a few minutes she spoke again. "How is your family so ok with this?"

"Shima said that there was a boy she really loved in high school, and one night they almost, you know, but they decided to wait and set up the perfect romantic night-"

"Did he die or something?" Riko asked suspiciously

"They broke up a few weeks later when she called his favourite anime sexist. But she says even though he turned out to be a dick, she still wishes that almost night had been her first time, because of how she felt, because at that moment she was ready. Mom says that mostly you regret the things you didn't do much more than the things you did"

Riko looked down at the pamphlet, lost in thought.
"Do you think you could find a ladder to reach my room? By tomorrow night?"

"I suppose so, why?"

"So you can climb in" Riko pointed out, as if it was obvious. "And uh, make sure your fingernails are clipped short and neatly filed"

"I always keep my nails short, otherwise they keep catching on..." Chika trailed off as she recognised the quote from the pamphlet. "Really? That story with Shima, I wasn't trying to say you should... Are you sure?"

Riko nodded and swallowed nervously.
"Yes. I think so. I mean, if you are"

"How about we say it's an option and see where it goes?"

Riko sighed with relief.
"See where it goes" she agreed.

"So the ladder, if your mom says I can-"

Riko's expression hardened
"Ladders are romantic. And there is no way I am doing anything if my mother knows I am doing it"

"Ladder, right. On it." And a bag. Presumably to save her from an embarrassing shopping trip her sisters had also gifted her with a bottle of lube and some latex gloves which might have mystified her before the recent education campaign. She really couldn't think why she would want anything between her and Riko, but the option was nice.

~o~

"Gotta go get that ladder, see you later" Chika's hand briefly caressed Riko's shoulder.

Riko smiled as she watched her girlfriend walk out of the classroom. The touch wouldn't have been out of place between friends, but still it had felt intimate, particularly since most of their classmates now knew about their relationship. Tuning out the chattering of her classmates she packed away her books and stood up to leave.

"What about you? Sakurauchi?"

She belatedly realised she was being addressed.
"Excuse me?"

"Any steamy weekend plans with Chika?"

"I, err, um" She couldn't help the fierce blush that heated her cheeks when her thoughts jumped to their plans for the evening.

"That good huh?"

Riko gathered her thoughts. The other girls didn't know, she realised; they had just been talking about their plans with their boyfriends and included her. It felt weird to actually talk about it, being "out" took some getting used to.
"We are having dinner with my mother. Officially, now that she knows."

"Wow. Well, good luck with that."

~o~

"You are so beautiful" Chika smiled up at her girlfriend who was sitting naked on the bed, comparatively at ease despite the bright morning light filtering into the room. Their explorations the night before had left them both in a mood to experiment further.

Riko blushed. She was quite sure that Chika, down between her legs, was not seeing her best angle.
"Are you sure you want to try this?"

Chika dragged her attention away from the long fingers dancing as her the other girl fidgeted nervously. Those fingers! Last night Riko had been anything but reserved. Focusing on her immediate task, she planted a slow kiss on the inside of her lover's thigh before replying
"Absolutely!"
She used her fingers to part the soft folds in front of her, loosing a sigh at the pink flesh revealed. Following Riko's lead last night her fingers had explored quite thoroughly, providing a banquet of touch and sound. Now sight and smell were pushing the sensory experience to a whole new level. One last sense to try! She exhaled in anticipation, savouring the way Riko quivered at the feel of her breath on the sensitive skin. Even before her lips made contact she could sense so much of the other girl's reactions though her hands.

"Is Chika going to eat anything?" Riko's mother's voice carried clearly though the door.

Riko let out a quiet horrified squeak and froze. Chika could feel her muscles tense.

The silence drew out uncomfortably.

"Did I disturb you? Sorry. Just ask when you come down" Shortly afterwards there was the faint sound of her walking away.

It was safe to say the mood was gone. Chika gave a long disappointed sigh, got up off the bed and started dressing. Riko made no response other than to put her legs together as Chika withdrew.

After she had dressed Chika broke the silence.
"Your mom does a good breakfast, right?"

Riko gave her a scandalised look
"How can you think about that?"

"Well I was planning on eating-" she stopped, realising that Riko was in no mood for humour, "Look, we don't know what she knows, and we definitely don't know what she is thinking. Sooner or later you are going to have to see her"

~o~

Breakfast was surreal. They exchanged pleasantries and small talk as they ate as if nothing unusual had happened.

"Chika, I know it is short notice, but could you have dinner here again tonight? My husband would like to meet you."

"Of course Mrs Sakurauchi, I would be honoured"

"Thank you." The comfortable veneer slipped a little and some awkwardness crept in "It may be better if you didn't sleep over while he is here. Until he has had a while to get used to the idea"

Chika noticed Riko's growing confusion.
"Um, ok. Sure"

~o~

"Ok. That was a bit weird"

"I told you!"

"You have to talk to your mom"

"Dad is only here one night, I'll talk to her tomorrow"

~o~

As she crept back into the house early the next morning Riko reflected on the night before. The evening had gone fairly well. Her father tried to talk about sport, while Chika tried to talk about Idols then they both settled on talking about Riko, while the subject of their conversation tried to change the topic by bravely talking up Chika's virtues. It was certainly an improvement on the one before where her mother had shown Chika all her baby pictures.

She found her mother sitting in the kitchen looking stern.
"Your father took the first train. He was worried when you weren't in your room. I told him you must have got up early to see Chika"

"I'm sorry, I meant to come back last night, but we fell asleep"

"He wanted to tell you that the job in Numazu was confirmed last night, so we will be all living together soon"

"That's great!"

"He is happy that you have someone, but you should be careful not to push too far. Give him time. We both just want you to be happy"

This was the time, she realised.
"But you are ok with our sleepovers?"

"I said so, didn't I?"

"How can you be so casual about me having sex?"

Her mother paled
"Sex?" she whispered.

"What did you think we were doing?"

"But you are both girls-" Seeing Riko's saddened expression, she clarified "I understand that you are romantic with Chika, I do. But I thought, I don't know, with no boy pressuring you for-"

"Girls can want it too" She was absolutely not going to ask her mother about her own sex drive.

"But what would you even-" Her mother stopped, realising the awkward nature of the question "Sorry."

Riko remained silent. At least it meant her mother had never found /those/ books. She knew for a fact her mother owned a vibrator, so it was likely she had enough experience to guess most of it.

"When I realised you were different, I was so worried that you would never find someone to be with you. Someone to care for you like you deserved. I couldn't see how it would happen. Then, after we moved here, I watched you, the way you are with Chika, the way she is with you and I could see it. That it wasn't so much different from being with a boy. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised it was even more alike than I thought"

Riko bowed her head in acknowledgment.

Her mother remained silent thinking for a minute
"So you and Chika have done this?"

"The night before last" Riko admitted, blushing with eyes downcast.

Her mother touched her arm to get her attention, making eye contact before asking her question
"And you are all right? With it all?"

Riko nodded mutely, before summoning the bravery to speak
"Yes"

"It must have been pretty awkward when I asked about breakfast in the morning" Her mother observed.

Riko's cringe and intensifying blush answered the question.

"I have no idea what I am going to tell your father." She thought for a moment "So last night you-"

"No. Um, we didn't, we just talked and" she pushed past her self-consciousness, "kissed".

"I need to think about this. It all seemed so much simpler when Chika's sister told me about seeing you cuddled up in bed together, and how sweet and innocent you looked"

Her mother's previous attitude to "sleepovers" was starting to make more sense.
"She didn't mention that we were naked?"

"She did not." Her mother noted, sourly. "I think I will be having a long conversation with Chika's family"

Riko sensed she was being excused. She got up to leave.

"And Riko, just because I have accepted your nature don't think I have given up on having grandchildren, eventually. Two healthy wombs, no excuses!"

"Mom!" She was grateful for the switch back to normal parental embarrassment.

~o~

As they ate breakfast Kanan was surprised no one else raised the issue. It had to be dealt with, since they would be staying at least another night for the competition. No doubt, as usual, the uncomfortable realities were being left to her. She broached the issue as politely as she could, glancing around the others for support before turning to Chika and Riko
"I understand sharing a bed, and that you have um, impulses, but while we are all together in the room I think it might be better if you could behave more uh, discreetly, and avoid a repeat of last night"

There was a brief silence.

"I-I think it was romantic" Ruby spoke with unusual fierceness.

Her lead was followed by nodding and murmurs of agreement

"La via dell'amore"

"So sweet, zura"

"Yohane is not disturbed by mere human affection"

Dia seemed to realise she was expected to say something.
"It wasn't so bad"

Kanan had the feeling they weren't all on the same page, but she wasn't going to be made into the bad guy for voicing a perfectly reasonable request.
"They had sex while we were all sleeping next to them in the same room!"

The silence following this statement was far more profound. The expressions on her friends' faces where almost uniformly shocked, although Mari appeared to be torn between amusement and admiration. The subjects of the discussion looked mortified. Belatedly Kanan realised it wasn't so much a different page, as a different book... in a different section of the library.

"Oh. Wow!" if there had been any other sound, Ruby's exclamation would have been inaudible.

"We thought you were taking about the goodnight kissing" Yō explained. She seemed by far the least surprised.

"Ah." She looked back to Chika and Riko. It seemed that in a literal sense they had been more discreet than she realised, but the guilty expressions on their faces didn't really leave any space for covering it up now. Dia looked like she was about to explode. "... sorry"

~o~

Chika pulled back from the kiss and stroked Riko's cheek. They had ducked into a small alcove backstage for a moment of privacy. Taking her girlfriend's hand Chika pressed her lips to the long elegant digits.
"I love your fingers"

Riko smiled and blushed.
"That is what got us in trouble last night"

The orange haired girl blushed.
"Sorry about how things turned out this morning. I know you don't like it when our private stuff... isn't"

"It wasn't your fault"

Chika sighed.
"I kinda started things-"

"You started a make-out session, I was the one who, um, escalated it." Riko blushed at the memory of Chika beneath her, eyes tightly closed, quivering with effort as she struggled to stay quiet. It had been utterly intoxicating. "Even if I had known we would be caught, I'm not sure I would have let it stop me." Smiling, she continued. "I wouldn't have believed it before, but I think it will work out ok, eventually. It may take some time; I know they accepted us dating immediately, but this is a lot... more"

Chika nodded.
"The sex thing. Dia is going to need a while" she admitted with a rueful grin. The team disciplinarian hadn't been able to make eye contact with either of them all morning.

They stood there for a few moments in comfortable silence. The noise of applause signalled the end of another group's performance on stage.

"We should get back, we'll be on soon" Chika stepped out of their little sanctuary.

"Right" Catching up, Riko pulled Chika into her arms. "For luck," she explained as they stood face to face.

"I can always use more of that"

"I certainly hope so"

They closed the gap between their lips for a blissful moment before heading out to the stage. Neither of them heard the quiet gasp at the end of the passageway.

~o~

"The morality clause. They should be disqualified!" As the silence falling over the crowd revealed that her comment had been picked up by the microphone the girl seemed genuinely horrified by her own words.

The host hesitated, uncertain how to defuse the situation.

In those seconds the accuser's expression shifted to grim determination and she stepped forward to make her case.
"Just now back stage I saw two of the Aqours girls kissing. We are meant to set an example!"

"I'm sure that it was probably just-"

"I know what I saw. Why don't you let the perverts make their own excuses!"

"I-" the host seemed genuinely at a loss in the face of the girl's aggression. She looked uncertainly at Yō, then after seeing nothing there, at Kanan. Much, much, later they would joke about her choice of suspects.

To her own surprise Chika found herself stepping forward and taking the host's microphone.
"I-" Her heart was racing and her mouth was dry. From carefree kisses to live broadcast outing in a few minutes. She could feel everyone looking at her, judging her; was this the feeling that Riko was always so afraid of? Her building panic was calmed by the unexpected feeling of warmth; Riko had stepped forward to hold her hand. Much more steadily she started to speak again
"We're not-" her attention was pulled to a quiet commotion at the end of the stage.

"Please go back, you aren't meant to go on!" The worried request seemed to have no effect on the person in question as they brushed past the staff. Tossing aside sunglasses and an outsize hat the woman took the microphone from the paralysed Aqours leader.

Speaking calmly and confidently she somehow seemed address the crowd and the girls on the stage at the same time.
"We all came here for School Idols, not for amateur dramatics, so if everyone could please be patient for a short intermission while we sort this out"

"Who is she? She looks really familiar" Riko whispered.

Chika gave her a horrified look
"Honoka! μ's!"

"Oh!" Despite more pressing issues she found herself blushing at her failure to recognise her girlfriend's Idol idol.

"They deserve to know. You can't cover this up!"

"The morality rules are about public behaviour," Honoka covered her microphone, "like making sensational accusations on stage. Look at all these girls" She gestured to the groups on the stage who switched abruptly from looking for an escape to trying to look nonchalant.
"They all have social lives, private lives. You're performers, not a zoo exhibit!"

"At least a zoo is more natural than-"

Honoka grabbed the girl's microphone.
"That's enough of that!" She watched as the girl was ushered off the stage. "Well that was a disaster. I don't know why they didn't just mute her mic" While they all moved off the stage music started playing; apparently someone had the presence of mind to start up the highlight reel from previous years. Honoka nodded approvingly. "Finally"

~o~

The Aqours waited uncomfortably in a small room backstage.

Riko's phone had been ringing when they got back to their stuff, her mother calling from outside.
"I love you too" She hung up with a thoughtful look. "Mom wishes us luck"

Chika frowned, she could deal with whatever was going on there later, for now she was going to worry about the immediate problem
"Guys, we are so sorry-"

Dia cut her off sharply.
"NO! Sorry doesn't fix this!" She took a breath. "I mean, you don't have to be sorry... not for this, anyway. We can deal with the other stuff later" she looked to the others for support.

"We are going to stand by you, all the way!" Ruby stood firmly beside her sister.

Her statement was met with a chorus of agreement from the other girls.

Chika felt her eyes brimming with tears.
"Guys-"

Before they could talk further the door opened and Honoka slipped in.
"They'll want to see you soon. The committee. What is your story?" Seeing only blank expressions she clarified, "I know it is none of my business, and that in situations like this people can just misunderstand what they see-"

"The kiss was real. We are dating" Riko stated, putting her arm around Chika. "Our friends and family already know"

Their visitor looked at their defiant stand for a moment.
"So you won't be denying it?"

Chika glanced briefly at her team mates and saw only support. She paused to give them a grateful smile before replying.
"No, we won't be denying it"

The ex-idol favoured them with a small approving smile.
"Excellent"

~o~

The runner who guided them to the office hadn't paid much attention to the extra person, but the power-suited woman who met them there was a different story.
"Miss Kousaka, please return to the audience."

"I'm not missing this for anything"

"Despite our repeated invitations you have declined to be involved in this event. You have no standing to be here"

"Every μ's themed promo you've published says different"

Their conversation was interrupted when the door opened and several girls were ushered out, most of whom they recognised as Idols from other teams.

The two groups acknowledged each other awkwardly.

The woman studied them cooly before speaking
"They just threatened to withdraw if you are disqualified, how does that make you feel?"

"What!?"

Blushing furiously one of the girls hissed an answer
"If we beat you, we are going to do it fair and square!"

Feeling more than a little overwhelmed the Aqours where ushered into the office.

Seeing a several people sitting behind a table Chika stepped forward to make their case.
"We did kiss, but we are dating and-" she was silenced as the man at the centre held up his hand.

"A great many people seem to have been moved," he gave a tired glance at Honoka, "to tell us that your conduct should not be cause for disqualification, and we are inclined to agree. The problem is that the accusation has been made publicly, and therefore the issue now is the reputation of this event. School idols have a certain reputation-"

He was interrupted by Honoka's snort.

"Miss Kousaka?"

"I'm a single mother, you've never let that stop you using me in PR"

"A situation that arose after you ended your involvement with this event. We will just have deal with the prospect of the first lesbian school idols as it unfolds"

"First? Really? You think-" She hesitated.

"Miss Kousaka?"

"Not the first. Just the first you know about. It's not my place to say more"

"But it is ours" A tall redhead was speaking with a petite brunette beside her.

"Maki and Nico" Riko whispered to Chika, before being embarrassed to have pointed it out to the expert.

"Miss Nishikino?"

"Nico and I were already dating when μ's won. We will make a press release after the event"

Seeing Dia's shocked expression Honoka leaned over to whisper in her ear
"You should see them at home, they are adorable. My daughter's favourite aunts, I keep telling them they should have kids of their own and stop spoiling mine"

"And we will be making a statement of our own. Miss Takami, Miss Sakurauchi your participation is not under any threat, I don't believe it will be necessary for you to worry about this any further"

The ever present attendants started ushering them out

"But" Riko seemed surprised at her own voice "But what if we want to reply?" She seemed encouraged by the silence that followed "After what that girl said, if we don't answer it sounds like we are ashamed. I'm not ashamed"

The chairman briefly made eye contact with the other board members getting silent confirmation.
"As you wish, Miss Sakurauchi. Keep it brief, despite your team's efforts this is an entertainment event, not a publicity platform"

Before they knew it they were outside the office again.

"Riko?" Chika took her hand.

"Mom said that her and dad would be proud of me, no matter what. I want to do this"

~o~

"So, we won!" They were back at the hotel, exhausted after the ceremony and reception. Chika and Riko stood with arms linked and the others standing around them.

"How come you two are the ones that came out to the world and we are the ones that get hit on?" Yō complained.

"We're taken" Riko pointed out smugly, pulling her girlfriend closer, before continuing more sombrely "You're friends with us, even if you aren't interested, they know you won't be cruel to them"

"Between the reception and the fans outside, two girls tried to give me their numbers" Kanan admitted with guilty pride.

"Ha! Four!" Yō countered. "And one even gave me a spare set of clean panties for some reason" She waved the offending garment at them as proof.

"Um, Yō, those may not be, err, clean, exactly"

"Huh? But why would-" her cheeks flushed as she made the connection and dropped the underwear "Ewww"

Once her friends had stopped laughing she spoke again.
"I'm hungry, lets look for somewhere to eat"

"Me too, zura"

After a chorus of confirmations they all walked out, talking and laughing.

A/N: That Idol committee bit was hard... trying to get the right note when I only have a tenuous grasp of Japanese LGBT issues... hope it turned out ok. For the ending, I wondered about trying to do a super nostalgic looking back/moving forward, but then I realised the series already did that, so I just left it on a light friendly note.