Diana had been staring at her from across the room. Akko had to have been really oblivious not to notice.
When she did, she almost choked on her punch, catching the light reflecting off of Diana's ocean blue irises. Akko slinked away into the crowd to avoid that intense gaze that sent a sudden prickle down her spine.
It seemed every student and professor at Luna Nova was in attendance to the annual Yule Celebration Party. Students laughed and chatted among one another about gifts they were planning on giving out, as well as ones they had hoped to receive. The cafeteria had been cleared out to make room for decorations, rows and rows of delicious drinks and finger foods, even some space was cleared for live musicians.
Unfortunately, the lighthearted sound of piano keys did little to calm Akko's nerves. She searched through the crowd for a familiar face, her gaze finally finding her friend, Sucy, lingering menacingly by the punch bowl. Quickly sidling up to her, Akko let out a sigh.
"Sucy," Akko whispered to her. "Have you noticed anything weird about this party so far?"
"Aside from the way you're acting?" Sucy said, not looking up from the punch, her eyelids lowered in disinterest. "Nope."
"Sucy!" Akko hush-yelled. "I'm serious! Diana's been staring daggers at me all evening!"
"Maybe she's plotting your murder," Sucy said, flashing her pointed teeth to her as she grinned darkly.
Huffing, Akko opened her mouth to retort but was instantly caught off guard when she heard a familiar voice from behind her. Swiveling in place, she was met face to face with the girl whose eyes had been boring into her soul for the last half-hour or so.
"Akko," Diana said, turning her stare away for a moment to clear her throat. "May I speak to you in private?"
Upon hearing Diana say her name, Akko's knees wanted to give in and the floor under her feet seemed less stable than she remembered, as if she could fall through at any second. Diana looked so scary when she was all stern and cryptic, but usually Akko's face didn't flush when she was afraid.
"Uh, sure," Akko managed to say. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Amanda raising her eyebrows with intrigue, her smile wide and knowing. It wasn't the most comforting face to see right then, and Sucy's sudden disappearance didn't help either.
Diana pivoted around (way too gracefully) and began walking. After a moment of brain lag, Akko managed to get her legs working again and follow suit.
They exited out of the doors into the courtyard. The icy, winter air hit them both immediately, causing Akko to fold her arms with a shiver, her teeth chattering and her nose growing numb. Diana, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered by the stark temperature change.
"I swear if something happened, it had nothing to do with me!" Akko began, the cold air making her breath visible against the night sky. "I was good today!"
Not responding to the defenses, Diana headed over toward the Statue of Jessica in the center of the courtyard, her shoes making delicate footprints in the thin layer of snow. Rubbing at her nose, Akko reluctantly followed suit. Diana turned the corner and disappeared behind the statue. Cocking her head in confusion, Akko slowly and reluctantly followed her.
As soon as she turned around, Akko realized how close she was to Diana now, her eyes affixed to her face once more, with even heavier intensity. Gulping, Akko's hands began to tremble and heart wanted to jump out of her chest.
"Akko," Diana said. "Please understand that I have no choice but to do this. Otherwise I will not be able to focus completely in my studies." Diana nodded her head, moving even closer. "I apologize in advance."
Oh my god, was Sucy right? Akko thought. Was Diana going to kill her? Had she really pushed her friend that far with her antics? For some reason, Akko wasn't as surprised as she expected herself to be.
Akko opened her mouth to speak, but immediately realized the purpose of Diana's discretion. For she quickly took Akko's chin in her fingers and tilted it up for her their lips to meet. Diana leaned into the kiss and Akko's brain wanted to explode right then, a warmth spreading across her chest and the feeling of Diana's lips filling her thoughts.
When they finally broke away, Akko took a moment to take in the light blush that graced Diana's face and how shiny and blue her eyes looked against the backdrop of snow. She sighed.
Diana took a step back, seeming unsure of herself for a minute, her intense stare replaced with a softer one. She broke away and flipped her hair.
"Right then," Diana began walking back. "Shall we return to the party?"
Akko vaguely remembered nodding, following, and returning to the party. However, the rest of the night had been a blur. The last thing that she had remembered clearly was the warmth of Diana's breath and the way the moonlight caught in her eyes.