"I'm sorry about this but is there any space left?" Misaki asked as they paced the front desk, They got a warm smile from the lady, the same one form last time in fact. Misaki flushed, but there was no turning back now, She'd already told her family she was going to be home late.
"Come on" Kokoro grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a free lane at the rather empty bowling alley. Misaki tried in vain to not to let the sudden contact affect her. She shook her head and focused on the task at hand.
"Put your shoes on first, and don't get so cocky, you won't be winning so easily this time!" Misaki grinned and Kokoro giggled.
Misaki was up first, the bowling pins were staring back at her down the lane. "Well, Here goes." She steadied the ball and gave it her best shot she managed to rack up a spare through probably dumb luck. Kokoro cheered for her way to loudly and she was sure she was fairly red but she ignored it.
"Just take your turn." Misaki pouted trying to dismiss the attention. Kokoro managed a spare as well, albeit she made it look way easier.
"Aha! We're even!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah yeah show off." Misaki grumbled fondly. "I guess I should get into it huh." She told herself as she aimed down the lane.
She didn't do as well this time, only about seven. It seemed however Kokoro was only getting warmed up, She got a perfect strike and Misaki once again asked herself why she was so good.
"I swear I need to add a ball and chain to you just to make it even" Misaki joked as she shot and missed once again.
"Hmmm." Kokoro contemplated as she got up to bowl, Kokoro tested the floors stability
"No, Absolutely not, No flips." Misaki chastised and Kokoro gave a sly grin.
"It could be fun"
"It is possibly the stupidest idea you've had up until now."
"They should create a bowling arena-"
"No"
"That has trampolines-"
"No they shouldn't"
"I think it would be fun." Kokoro beamed her arms outstretched almost toppling over as she forgot she had a bowling ball in her hands but she regained her balance a second later. Misaki found herself smiling despite herself.
"If you don't let that ball loose soon I'm gonna have to come and wrestle it out of your hands." Misaki warned and Kokoro had the audacity to give her a coy smile.
"That could be fun." She almost smirked and Misaki realized she was all bark and no bite as her cheeks reddened and she backed down.
"Just go" Misaki said, avoiding eye contact. Kokoro giggled and made another effortless strike. Misaki traded places with her trying her best to give her an unimpressed glare.
"Come on Misaki you can do it" Kokoro encouraged her from the sidelines, Misaki took her eyes off the lane in front of her to give her a dubious look.
"You say that but you're my opponent here." She deadpanned.
"We'll set a high score together!"
"I'm pretty sure that's not how bowling works."
"We'll get a bowling ball trophy and go to nationals!"
"..."
They bantered back and forth for the rest of the match, but it went fast. Way to fast. Soon enough they were standing back out front the entrance and Misaki found herself wishing it didn't end.
She clenched her fists as the night air entered her lungs, she wasn't ready for this to end… She took a shaky breath.
"Hey Kokoro?" She got the blondes attention by grabbing her hand.
"Yeah?"
"Let's do something else." She suggested and Kokoro smiled in surprise.
"Something else?"
"Like... an adventure." Misaki suggested hesitantly. "I don't want to go home just yet." She admitted quietly. Kokoro was studying her face, surely she knew this was uncharacteristic of Misaki but she couldn't help herself, as soon as she arrived home... It would be over.
"I'd love to!." She smiled a smile that Misaki would never get tired of seeing.
"So where do you want to go?" The blonde asked her. She hummed.
"Pick a direction." Misaki realized she was still holding Kokoro's hand and discreetly let it go, Kokoro's eyes darted around her options, her excitement building.
"That way." She pointed down some random street and she grabbed Misaki's hand proving her earlier attempt at subtlety pointless. She let herself get dragged along, finding it way easier to catch her balance and follow along with the girl now that she was on board to just let herself go.
"Do we have to run?" Misaki yelled over the wind rushing past them.
"Running's more fun!"
"Literally how?"
She didn't get an answer immediately they slowed down at a traffic light.
"I don't know, I feel more alive when my heart is beating fast, It makes me want to smile and explore!" She explained and Misaki was unsure how to translate that into normal human thoughts so she let it be.
They crossed the road and soon found themselves down some back alleys, some music was coming from a pub nearby. They naturally slowed to listen in.
"Sounds like they're having a band perform there." Misaki commented as her breathing evened, there was silence and she looked over to Kokoro who's eyes were glowing… That meant troub-
"I want to dance!" Kokoro proclaimed and Misaki raised a brow.
"I don't think there's much room to dance in a pub." She objected.
"What about here?"
"This is a small alley, we'd just be in the way."
"Then is there anywhere?" Kokoro asked leaving the ball in her court. Misaki's eyes met hers, and she seemed a little disappointed, not a site she liked seeing on the optimists face. Misaki looked around, there wasn't really anywhere that they could still hear the music from… Unless…
"Kokoro?"
"Yes?"
"Promise me, that if anyone asks, this was your idea, and that I was in no way supportive of it."
"Okay." Kokoro said with probably too little hesitation. Misaki didn't answer her verbally but instead began climbing the ladder that was at the back of the pub. Kokoro gasped in delight and followed her.
The roof wasn't used for anything but a smoking section and a place where the air-conditioner was situated, other then that it was a barren roof, isolated where nobody could see them, as long as Kokoro didn't jump up on the railing… They were alone.
Kokoro was practically bounding.
"This was such a good idea Misaki! it's so unlike you!" She skipped around on the roof for a few paces taking in the sights.
"I know." Misaki admitted.
"Lets dance!"
Misaki put her hands up in protest, "Wait no no you said you wanted to dance you said nothing about me having to join yo-"
"Come on Misaki" Kokoro grabbed her hands and the argument died on Misaki's lips. She aligned herself with Kokoro, avoiding eye contact and blushing furiously and tried to just focus on the music.
And they danced, terribly, embarrassingly, Misaki was sure she'd stepped on Kokoro's foot a million times, the acoustic guitar not exactly prime dancing material, it was honestly a mess.
But they also laughed, smiling as if the rest of the world wasn't there, Misaki forgot to be embarrassed, as if it was only the two of them, and the music. Misaki was completely enamored and enchanted, helpless, a goner, and when the music slowed she naturally drew closer.
She gazed into Kokoro's eyes and wanted nothing more than to be right here forever.
"Misa..ki?" Misaki's eyes widened as Kokoro was staring at her wide eyed. Misaki had drawn her into a slow dance embrace and their faces were barely a few inches apart, and she didn't even believe it were possible but she'd managed to leave the talkative blonde at a loss for words.
She backed off like she had burned herself.
"Sorry" She scolded herself, she's gotten too comfortable, too carefree and now she was letting her feelings seep through. She should've known it was a bad idea to push her luck. Eventually even Kokoro had to notice her blatant feelings right?
"What's wrong?" Kokoro asked her and she sounded so genuinely worried and Misaki felt sick, how could she basically take advantage of Kokoro like that.
"Nothing I'm just… Tired, it's late…" She lied through her teeth, but she couldn't even look at Kokoro anymore.
"Misaki, are you okay?" Kokoro took a step towards her and she backed off the same distance.
"Did I do something wrong?" The blonde questioned and Misaki could hear a tinge of hurt and doubt in her voice, she felt a hundred times worse.
"No, you didn't, I did." Misaki corrected and Kokoro was puzzled.
"I don't feel well, I'm going home." Misaki stated flatly and made her way down the ladder.
"Misaki wait!"
Misaki ignored her as she returned to the street below.
"Misaki!" She forgot how fast Kokoro was and soon her path was blocked.
"You always do this!"
"Do what?"
"This!"
"Go home?"
"Stop yourself." Kokoro answered and Misaki averted her gaze.
"You always seem to be having fun and then you suddenly stop, like you remember that you're not allowed to or something!" Kokoro sounded exasperated, the first time Misaki has ever seen the girl like this in fact.
"You don't understand." Misaki began, how could she explain to the girl in front of her that she was almost kissed. When that would only at best make everything awkward and at worst gross her out.
"Then help me." Kokoro pleaded and Misaki resisted the urge to tackle her into a hug. Instead she stood there in silence, head downcast.
"Give me… some time." Misaki relented slightly. She probably couldn't keep it up forever, but until then she had to at least find a way to tell Kokoro so she wouldn't be scared off. But she'd need time. That seemed to be answer enough for Kokoro.
"Okay... but that's a promise." Kokoro yielded softly and a smile returned to her face, Misaki couldn't share in her smile this time around.
"Goodnight Kokoro… Thanks for everything." She almost whispered as a limousine pulled up out of seemingly nowhere to pick Kokoro up.
"I hope you feel better soon." Kokoro called after her and Misaki gave her a grateful smile in return. It was the most genuine smile she could muster at the moment. Her way home was quiet.
~0~
The following day, was hell, it was a weekend so she had no school, only practice in the afternoon. She woke up after dreams of bright yellow hair and dazzling smiles. Kokoro had wormed her way into her head and she wasn't about to leave.
She had tried to think about things other than the cheerful girl, truly, she'd tried browsing the internet and distracting herself, she'd tried felting, hell she'd tried banging her head against a wall for a solid five minutes. None of it seemed to work.
Giving in she sighed aloud in, love-sickness? Despair? A bit of both? She liked Kokoro there was no doubt about it, her face heating up at the memory of last night. She really wanted to kiss her and her dumb smiling face. Maybe she could wipe that carefree grin off her for at least a second, leave her stunned and blushing just for a second. God that would be nice.
But that wasn't what reality would let her have. Even if by some off chance Kokoro was also into girls, she highly doubted she'd ever be into her specifically, call it self depreciation or insecurity, she just called it being realistic.
She would expect a girl with no shame like Kokoro to just come out with a confession the moment she felt it, and if it hadn't happened to her by now. It probably never would.
The best she could do was pine from afar until the feeling subsided, not exactly the most exciting or romantic course of action but it definitely was the safest, she would probably end up telling the girl when she was feeling more stable and not like a hotpot of emotions and turmoil.
Sure she'd suffer way more this way, but it was less suffering than reading into every little thing Kokoro does in some vain attempt to get her hopes up just to be smashed and leaving her completely heartbroken.
She wasn't sure she could handle that.
She really was a sap when it came down to it, she supposed she had to be if she really stuck around for a band whose entire goal was to make the whole world smile. Hell she ended up caring for them, way too much because as much as being heartbroken from Kokoro scared her, she couldn't ignore the fear of losing the band on top of that.
Even more incentive not to do anything rash or stupid, which was exactly the opposite of what she did last night.
She let herself get to close, to comfortable and she almost ruined everything. From now on she couldn't afford a lapse in judgement like that, she'd had her fun but from now on she couldn't afford to get caught up in her own infatuation.
Soon enough it was time to head off to practice, so she took a few deep breath, steeled her nerves, and hoped Kokoro somehow forgot about the previous night... somehow.
She could only be so lucky.
