Friday Afternoon: Reunited and it Feels so Good
Dia sighed as Mari once again dragged her towards a panel room, the blonde practically bouncing in excitement as she readied to flash her badge.
"Mari-san, do I even want to know what's going on in there?" she asked halfheartedly.
"Why Dia! You don't know?" gasped Mari in fake surprise, "How could Kurosawa Dia overlook the singular main event for this time slot of this day for this year of MoeCon?!"
"Answer the question," replied Dia blandly.
The blonde gave off a disappointed noise at the lack of reaction but acquiesced. "If you insist," she said, "Then let me introduce you to..."
Mari pushed open the doors dramatically to reveal a large darkened room filled with people as they cheered and exalted at the stage at the front, currently occupied by a leather clad woman holding a microphone and someone cosplaying as an amazingly detailed mecha.
"Dante's Fabulous Dating Auction!"
Almost as if rehearsed, the audience suddenly cheered wildly, and one fortunate member of the crowd stepped up to the front to pay for the date she'd just purchased with Voltron.
Dia blinked. "I'm not going up there," she asserted.
But Mari only laughed. "Oh Dia, I wouldn't ask you to go up there. For the rest of the weekend, I want you all to myself!" The ravenette was glad the darkness of the room hid her blush. "No, no. We're here as observers and nothing more. Now come on. The chairs are all full but I see a free space against the wall over there with our names on it."
As she was dragged along once more, Dia sighed to herself. "It can't be any worse than the last panel..."
And surprisingly, it wasn't. Even though she was but a spectator in a crowd, there was something Dia found entertaining about watching as the participants attempted to convince people to buy them. It was also an opportunity for Dia and Mari to exchange some lighthearted commentary over the dramatic displays of some of the more outgoing participants.
Then it happened.
The announcer shuffled a cosplayer of Yoko Littner offstage as she prepared for the next date to auction, a twinkle in her eye at the amount they'd managed to raise for charity. Readying another perfect smile, she beckoned to someone behind a screen and called out.
"And now, for date number 22... Kanan!"
Mari gasped as the blunette walked nervously on stage, drawing numerous whistles of appreciation and applause as she waved and gave off a charming smile. "Dia... are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"I suppose that depends on what you're thinking," replied Dia, though there was a noticeable fire in her eyes.
"Well what are you thinking?" asked Mari playfully.
Emerald eyes narrowed. "Cash or credit?"
Kanan looked helplessly from one corner of the audience to the other, never sure where to rest her gaze as hundreds of adoring people squealed in delight at her. The blunette was quickly feeling overwhelmed, especially as the bids steadily rose higher and higher. At her side, the announcer had stars in her eyes as she pointed and called out bids, shattering dreams as quickly as she fulfilled them.
A small frown tugged at her face as she thought back to how she'd gotten into this mess. When she'd come across that poor girl crying her eyes out, the blunette had never imagined it would lead to her being suckered into offering herself for a dating auction. But Kanan always had a soft spot for girls in distress, and she could never resist a maiden's practiced crocodile tears. Though really, it could have been worse. The girl could have been selling timeshares.
Eventually, Kanan resigned to settle her gaze on the back wall, moving a hand up to keep the bright stage lights out of her eyes. Pasting an easy smile on her face, her violet eyes swept the darkened faces of the few not bidding, until they came across a pair of familiar faces.
Kanan's smile fell. 'Oh crapbaskets...'
She wanted to see them. She did. But not like this.
No matter how innocent it was or how wholesome the cause, she really didn't want her girlfriends to see her as the type of woman willing to sell herself.
"Unbelievable!" called the announcer, "Kanan is going for 450 dollars, and she's not even cosplaying! And we still have more takers! Do I hear 455?!"
"One thousand!" called Mari.
The room instantly quieted as every eye in the panel turned to look at the person to make such an audacious bid. A few seconds passed before the announcer regained her voice. "W-We have one thousand dollars to the blonde in the back! Will anyone go higher?"
Timidly, someone off to the side raised a hand. "One thousand and-"
"Two thousand!" shouted Dia.
The announcer cleared her throat. "Two thousand to the woman in the back, next to the blonde. Would you like to raise?" she asked Mari.
The blonde shook her head. She wrapped an arm around Dia's shoulders and pulled her close. "We're together!" she said as way of explanation.
"Very well then!" said the announcer. "Two thousand, going once... going twice...!"
"Three thousand!" shouted Mari suddenly.
"Mari-san!" exclaimed Dia, "We already won! What was the point of that?!"
"I couldn't let you get the last bid in!"
The Kurosawa heiress crossed her arms in exasperation and turned away. "And you wonder why we haven't spoken in two years," she muttered. Mari just giggled and stuck her tongue out playfully.
"Going once... going twice...! Sold! To the two ladies in the back for three thousand dollars!"
Still, despite Dia's annoyance, she followed willingly as Mari grabbed her hand and led her to the front of the room. After all, they had a prize to collect.
"So..." murmured Kanan quietly. She and Dia stood together, the blunette awkwardly avoiding those emerald eyes while Mari pulled out a few notes of higher denomination for donation to charity. "It's nice to see you again."
Dia let out a hum. "Likewise. Though it would have been better if you hadn't run off earlier," she said neutrally.
Kanan's cheeks lit up in shame. "Yeah," she agreed, "That was a mistake. And one that I really regret. I was scared, so I acted impulsively." Her voice quieted. "Much like what happened back then..."
A single finger came to rest on her lips. For the first time in years, Kanan turned to meet those piercing emerald eyes, gazing into her own violet irises with understanding and gentility.
"I know," breathed Dia. "We all made mistakes that day, and we all wish we could undo what happened. But we can't. All we can do is focus on here and now." Without breaking eye contact, she reached down and took hold of Kanan's hand. "I still love you."
"And I still love you," replied Kanan.
"And I still love you too," added Mari smoothly. She flashed a smile at Dia and hooked arms with Kanan, beckoning her to do likewise as she gestured with her head.
The ravenette complied and, with a girl on each arm, Kanan was guided away from the stage and through another set of doors into the bright corridor outside.
Then on cue, Dia and Mari each leaned in and gave Kanan a quick kiss on her cheeks, leaving the blunette blushing.
"So... we did just buy a date with you," remarked Mari. "Will you go out with us?"
Kanan couldn't help but chuckle. "Of course. I can only hope I'm worth the three thousand dollars," she said bashfully.
"Three thousand? You're worth more like thirty thousand!" upped Mari playfully.
"Thirty thousand? Perhaps three hundred thousand..." raised Dia even further.
"Hey now, you're just saying that to embarrass me."
"Is it working?"
"...yes."
.
.
.
Omake:
"I want you both," declared Kanan. "Now." She reached an arm around each of her girlfriends and somehow hoisted them into the air, both of them squeaking in embarrassment or amazement at her strength.
"Kanan-san, stop!"
The blunette paused and, fearing she'd misread the situation, gently put them both down. "You... don't want to?" she asked nervously.
"Mou, Kanan-san!" scolded Dia. "Mari-san and I have already agreed to wait until tonight. Surely you can control yourself until then?"
"But I don't want to wait that long!"
The ravenette frowned, Mari merely watching the pair with interest. Dia sauntered close to Kanan and leaned in to murmur into the blunette's ear. "Ne, Kanan-san... Did you know? Good things come to those who wait. And good girls who wait get to come," she purred sultrily. Violet eyes widened in desire.
Dia's hand reached underneath Kanan's shirt and began tracing a pattern around her belly button. "If you can wait until tonight..." She paused and gently nipped Kanan's earlobe with her teeth. "I'll do this for you." This referring to her tracing on Kanan's stomach. "But somewhere... better."
She pulled back, leaving Kanan flush with anticipation, speechless.
Taking the silence for agreement, the older sister smirked. "Now then. Shall we attend the next event on our schedule?" She sauntered off, making sure to put an extra sway in her hips for Kanan and Mari to admire.
Mari began to follow, but she paused to give Kanan an adoring kiss on the cheek. "Until tonight, mio amore~"
After staring at the pair for a few seconds, Kanan sighed in happiness and grinned. "God I've missed this."
