AN: Not too much to say about this one. It's all in the title, haha! A bit shorter than the others, but given the content, I think you guys will forgive me. ;)
As always, read, enjoy, and please review!
A Needed Heart-to-Heart
They stared at each other for a few moments, frozen, Diana's face shocked while Akko's only showed that tight displeasure. Then the brunette tilted her head, crimson eyes glittering. "What are you doing in my room?" she asked with a clipped voice.
"I-I don't know, I thought this was Avery's room!" she stammered. She shook her head slightly, trying to center herself as she leaned over to the bed she had put her stuff on, grabbing her key card. "Room 418?"
Akko nodded, face still very unhappy. "So now the question remains, what are you doing in my room? Lotte was just here a few minutes ago!"
Diana froze at that, everything suddenly clicking into place…Lotte and Avery talking, the odd behavior of Hannah and Barbara, Lotte running into her, forcing them to drop all their stuff. "Oh. Oh no."
"What?"
"Lotte…she bumped into me, and we both dropped our key cards…she picked them up, looked at them, and then gave me one of them."
Without another word, Akko strode over to the phone, picked it up, and angrily tapped the 0 button. "Hi, operator? Would you mind connecting me to Avery Hazel's room? Thank you." She waited, foot tapping impatiently, face stony. "Miss Hazel? This is Akko. Put Lotte on the phone," she hissed, voice coldly threatening. Another short pause, and then Diana heard a soft voice answer through the phone. "Lotte, you need to get back up here and give Cavendish the right key card, now." Then she blinked, her expression turning thunderous as Lotte replied. "What do you mean, no?!" Then she rattled off in furious Japanese for a good minute before she was cut off by a much more assertive tone from the other end. "What do you mean, we need to talk it out? Lotte? Lotte! Did you just hang up on-?!" she snapped before pulling the handset away from her ear, glaring at it for a second before slamming it back on the phone, immediately picking it back up. "Hello, front desk? I'd like a six pack of beer delivered to 418, charged to Lotte Jansson, please. Thank you." Then she hung up, more gently this time, heaving a heavy sigh.
Diana cleared her throat, not entirely certain what just happened. "Umm…if you'd like, I'm sure I could get another room." She wasn't entirely happy with being played like this, especially since it obviously was distressing Akko, and figured that the best way to deal with it was to leave.
To her surprise, though, Akko just sighed again before shaking her head. "No, I remember Badcock saying it was lucky we reserved the rooms when we did, the hotel is booked solid. Something about softball championships."
Diana blinked. Oh, the irony. "Ah. I see. Well then, perhaps another hotel…?"
Akko glanced up at her, crimson eyes suddenly unreadable. "No. It's a bit late for that, plus there are reports of Silent Spring being in the area. It's not wise for any of us to go out alone right now. I guess we'll just have to deal with it."
Diana shifted uncomfortably. But still, at least there wasn't the same hostility between them as before. "I'm going to take a shower," she said softly, and Akko's eyes ran quickly up and down Diana's figure, and was that a flicker of heat in those red eyes? Diana felt the blush come to her cheeks again as she, too, looked over Akko's figure, feeling a warmth settling deep in her lower belly. Oh, this wasn't good, not at all. Clearing her throat as she brushed her braid off of her shoulder, she collected up her toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb, and headed into the bathroom, feeling a tingle wash over her as she stepped into the still warm and humid air, her mind suddenly reminding her that Akko had just been in here, naked and showering, and Diana had to bite her lip to stifle the groan at the thought of Akko washing her lithe body in here, just minutes ago. Then she blinked, realizing just what she was thinking. No! Stop it! Everyone showers, there's nothing overtly…ah…sexual about it. Get your mind out of the gutter, woman!
Taking a steadying breath, she, too, took a shower, attempts to not think about the one woman she actually had romantic feelings for entirely fruitless. And who could blame her when Akko was just in the next room, only separated by a thin door? As she quickly washed herself, she realized her skin felt almost too small for her body, heat prickling across her body as the day's exhaustion, the beer she had drank before coming up here, and the memory of Akko's skimpy clothing and frankly gorgeous body all caught up to her.
Wait. How long had she been standing under the shower's spray without doing anything? She shivered as she turned off the water, and quickly toweled off. What am I going to do when I leave the bathroom? she asked herself as she absently used the hairdryer. What does Akko expect us to do? Are we going to talk? Is she going to ignore me? It didn't take long to brush her teeth and comb her hair. Then she froze as the realization hit her. I don't have a change of clothes. No, she reassured herself, it was actually too easy with magic being awakened now. She cast the magic quickly, first a spell that cleansed her soiled clothing, and then a muttered 'Metamorphie vestesse' changed her clothing into pajamas. The ambient levels of magic should be enough to keep the clothes in their new forms overnight, which was good. Then she hesitated, glancing at her bra where it lay on the counter, face heating at the thought of going without it in Akko's presence. But then, sleeping with a bra on was terribly uncomfortable…that, and Akko was already without one. Deciding to bite the bullet, she pulled her pajama top on, shivering as the silk brushed almost sensuously over her exposed skin. Swallowing nervously, she pulled her underwear and pajama pants on, taking a brief moment to hug herself, feeling oddly exposed and almost naked despite being fully clothed. No need to dally any further. I can't stay in here all night.
With that thought, she took a deep breath and opened the door leading to the bedroom…only to find the room dark, Akko lying in her bed, shoulders drawn up to her neck, head turned away from the bathroom, only her long, brown hair visible, and Diana faltered. This wasn't quite what she had expected. She glanced at the three empty beer bottles on the nightstand next to Akko's bed, and frowned with concern. If she had drank those while Diana had been in the bathroom…
…no, it was of no concern of hers. Akko was an adult, she could very well make her own decisions. But still, that didn't alleviate the guilt that Diana felt. After all, she had rather compelling evidence that she was the reason why Akko had drunk three bottles of beer before going to bed. But what could she really do about it?
As silently as possible, so as to not disturb Akko if she was already asleep, Diana slipped under the covers on her bed, and shifted around, trying to get comfortable. After finding a position that she was happy with, she took a deep breath, wondering if she was actually going to be able to fall asleep with Akko in the next bed. Then, there was a hesitant, slightly slurred voice in the darkness. "Are your fingers alright?"
Diana glanced over at the other bed, but Akko was still turned away from her. "Yes, I was able to heal it immediately. It more startled me than hurt me."
"Good."
Silence reigned again for a moment. When it seemed apparent Akko wasn't going to say anything else, Diana decided to ask a question that had been at the back of her mind. "How did you get your dress to do that? It seemed to react automatically to a perceived threat."
"It's permanently imbued with a defensive spell in the transformation school…similar to the metamorphie vestesse spell, but with some differences." A moment of silence. "That form is more for the moments before a fight, to try and appear as intimidating as possible. When I actually get into a fight, it becomes much more streamlined…those spikes would just tie me up in combat."
Diana nodded, even though Akko couldn't see it. "That's very impressive. Permanently imbuing items with spells is a very difficult task, especially reactive spells like that. Who did it for you?"
An annoyed huff answered her. "I did it. I'm not the weak little girl I was in school, Cavendish."
Diana frowned. "I never said you were!" she replied with more than a little heat in her own voice. Then she forced herself to take a deep, calming breath. "I never said you were," she said again, softer this time. "I'm actually very glad to hear that you are so adept at magic." She swallowed nervously. "I get…very worried, whenever I hear news of something bad awakening, knowing that you are the one most likely to respond to it…"
There was a long moment of silence. "Bold words for someone who doesn't want to associate with someone like me."
Aaaaand there it was. Her parting words, out in the open. Diana's eyes squeezed shut as her heart sank. And, curse her cowardice, her first impulse was to try and deflect. "I'm surprised you want to actually talk about it."
Akko's reply was curt. "You're here, and Lotte, as much as I'm fucking pissed at her right now, is right." She paused, and Diana could hear the deep breath she drew in. "More than two years of close friendship shouldn't have ended that way that it did," she said, voice thick with emotion. "Diana…why did you say that? Did you secretly hate me all along?"
"No!" Diana cried vehemently. "No, it's the exact opposite!"
A shocked silence from the other bed. "…What?" Akko asked, confusion clear in her voice.
Diana sighed as emotion surged in her chest, feeling the tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "Akko…you were my dearest friend. Even more so than Hannah and Barbara. They weren't able to bring me back to Luna Nova after I returned home, you did. What I said…it was wrong, and cruel, but it was prompted by one of the worst days of my life. The day I lost my mother is the only day that I consider being worse. Only the shock of that loss can be worse than losing my best friend because of thoughtless words."
A shift of covers as Akko moved, and Diana turned her head to see that Akko had turned in her bed, peering at her through the darkness that obscured her features. "Then what did you mean?"
Diana bit her lip as she tried to figure out just how to phrase her words. "In some ways, what I said was true, but not for the reasons you might think. The way I said it…it makes it sound like I thought that the Cavendishes were too good for you, but it's the opposite, like I said. Akko…you were too good to be associated with the Cavendish name," she said, putting all her feelings into the words, trying so very hard to make Akko understand.
Akko didn't say anything for a moment, and then huffed out a single, unamused laugh. "Diana no baka," she muttered just loud enough for Diana to hear. "Diana, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, and if I spent the last decade bitter because of that, I don't know if I can forgive you."
Diana scoffed. "I don't want or expect your forgiveness, Akko. What I did was unforgivable. But stupid?" She shook her head. "Akko, the noble world is cruel in ways you can't imagine. My aunt and cousins, remember how they treated you? With all the barbs and sarcastic comments they threw your way, they would be almost entirely welcoming and kind compared to some of the other families of the Peerage. They would not have tolerated your presence." Her hand fisted in the sheets at the thought of Akko enduring those cruel slings and arrows. "It wouldn't have been safe."
Akko gave a dark laugh at that. "Safe? Safe? Diana, I'm a bloody monster hunter. I've seen more death and pain and destruction in the past decade than most people do in their entire lives! Don't talk to me about safe!"
That…that actually was a good point. "That's fair," Diana admitted. "But when I said what I said, neither of us knew that that was going to be what you were going to do, and I didn't get the chance to clarify my words that day."
"Then why didn't you write a letter or try to get into contact with me afterwards?!" Akko heaved a frustrated sigh. "Do you know how long I waited to hear from you, hoping, desperately wanting for you to show up, saying that it was all a mistake?" she asked, voice growing thick with emotion once more. "Diana, I cared so much for you, and then you said that, and then fucking disappeared for a decade, and then just show up, trying to talk to me like nothing happened? I was so pissed and bitter and angry…"
"And you had every right to be, but I was just trying to protect you."
"Protect me?" she asked, tone almost insulted. "Diana, do you really think that I wouldn't be strong enough to take it?"
"No, of course not!" Diana denied, but then stopped, and really thought about it. "Well…perhaps in part, but not completely. Time and time again, I've seen you throw yourself into situations that by every right you shouldn't have won or even walked away from, and I didn't want to be the one who put you into another situation like that. Plus…what kind of friend would willingly subject someone to such cruelty? I didn't want to bring you into this life, knowing that you would be treated in such a beastly manner."
"But weren't you subjected to that life anyway?" Akko asked, and Diana's silence was all the answer she needed. "Diana, wouldn't it have been better to go through that with someone at your side?"
"Yes," Diana replied, voice soft. "Having a…a close friend at my side would have made the past decade more bearable by far."
"A close friend," Akko replied, voice soft, and then drew off into silence, and Diana stared at the ceiling, feeling terrible for not saying what she wanted to say, that she wanted more than anything to be more than friends, that even after a decade of being apart from Akko hadn't diminished her desire for the Japanese witch in the slightest…but how could she ask for that after what she did? How could she deserve happiness after the way she treated Akko?
Before those dark thoughts could continue any farther, she blinked as she heard a sniffle from the other bed, and her head whipped around to see Akko pressing her palms into her eyes as a harsh sob tore through her. "Akko?" Diana cried in alarm. "Akko, why are you crying?!"
"I just…I just missed you so much!" Akko sobbed, and Diana reacted without thought, overwhelming urge to comfort surging through her, and she was out of her bed and into Akko's before she knew that she was doing, rubbing the Japanese woman's shoulder soothingly.
It was only after Akko spun in the bed and latched on to her that Diana realized she might have made a tactical error. But to pull away from the crying woman was unimaginable, and so Diana gently eased the two of them down so that they were lying on the bed, Akko's hands fisted in her pajama top as she sobbed into her shoulder while Diana continued to rub her back comfortingly. Time lost meaning as the two of them lay like that, Diana comforting Akko as Akko cried into the comfort of her embrace. But Akko's tears gradually slowed, and then finally stopped.
It was then, after Akko's emotional distress had all but disappeared, that Diana began to notice the effect that Akko's close proximity was having on her. It felt like a whole flock of butterflies had suddenly appeared in her stomach, and her palms began to grow sweaty as she squirmed slightly. Perhaps, now that Akko wasn't crying anymore…she pulled back slightly, and began to turn, only for Akko to clench her fists tighter, pulling herself even closer to Diana, and she had to be blushing, what with Akko snuggling into her upper chest. Does she know what this looks like, what it feels like? Diana asked herself as a heady warmth prickled across her body. "Akko?" she asked softly, able to keep her voice from trembling by some small miracle.
"Sorry for crying into your top," Akko murmured.
Diana shook her head, knowing that the wet fabric pressed against her skin was a small price to pay for Akko's comfort. "It is of no concern. Do you feel better now?"
Akko didn't lift her head at all from where it was pressed against Diana as she nodded. "Diana…please stay?" she asked, voice tiny and almost broken. "I don't…I don't want to be alone right now." Then she snuggled even closer, pressing her body flush against Diana's, and those damned butterflies in her stomach must have developed rabies with how their fluttering increased so! She had half a mind to politely decline, but then Akko's next words sealed her fate. "Please…I really need a friend right now."
Diana closed her eyes, taking in a deep, steadying breath, and she caught the subtle scent of cherry blossoms. Of course Akko smelled like cherry blossoms! "And a friend you shall have," she replied, her heart warming at Akko's relieved sigh.
"Thank you…so very much, Diana," Akko murmured, voice slow and drowsy. "I'm glad…we can be together like this…even if it's just as friends."
Diana couldn't think of a tactful way to answer that, and besides, it sounded like Akko was mere moments from slumber, something she likely very desperately needed. And so, Diana remained silent, her hand still idly rubbing up and down Akko's back, and sure enough, with a final, sleepy mumble, Akko snuggled as close as she could through the covers as her breath deepened in sleep. Diana waited a good ten minutes before she, too, very carefully slipped under the covers, fully joining Akko, very carefully not paying attention to the skimpiness of Akko's nightclothes as she gently pressed her body against Akko's once more, but it was all for Akko's comfort, she swore!
Given how close she was to the object of her desires, she fully expected to not be able to fall asleep, but within mere moments of joining Akko under the covers, the exhaustion of the day's events crashed down on her, and she felt sleep rapidly approaching, and she breathed a sigh of relief as her eyelids slid shut. She took another deep breath as she subconsciously moved even closer to Akko, taking comfort in their closeness and that subtle, cherry-like scent that was wholly Akko. This is nice, she thought drowsily. If only…if only we could stay like this forever…that would be nice.
That was her final thought as she slid into the waiting arms of gentle repose, heart and soul more at peace than they had been at any point in the previous decade. Despite the threats that lay on the horizon, the only thing that truly mattered was that she was with the woman she cared more about than any other person, and that?
That was enough for now.
