A/N: Sorry this took so long. So, weird plugin, but come interact with me on tumblr, shintorikhazumi.
Ahhh, I don't know why I struggle with writing this story, haha. It's like I just open the file, stare at it, and worry. I've opened this file every day for the past week and some days more without updating it. Damn. I Apologize for the late... 3 year late updating these past few chapters.
Anyway, on an odd sidenote, someday I hope to be a good enough writer to get recommended to other people haha. I'm not quite there yet. But I might get there… probably. Probably? Probably. Let's start with finishing this fic.
Right, reminder that this is still around after Ep 20 so please don't be surprised if Akko still thinks of Chariot as Ursula. I'm going to be giving a heads-up though, that I might not be able to integrate canon events into this anymore and may just have to do the Chariot Croix reveal a different way. Or we'll see. Anyway. Apologies in advance if the quality and plot is bad…
This is so long, I could not beta and spot the mistakes. If you did, please tell me ahaha, I'll fix it, I guess. Sorry if there are a lotta typos.
Enjoy?
~Shintori Khazumi
A Warm Diana Chapter 7: A Scorching Heat
One kiss, two, then three.
Again, again, and again.
In their hidden corner of the library, behind the fountain, in front of their room door.
At morning, in the afternoon, and as the starry dark night blanketed the sky.
Warm, hot… hotter. Hot until their touches burned already heated skin.
And it would only get hotter still.
Ever since that day, the day they finally cracked, when they had finally overheated, it was as though the struggle to curb their emotional wants and affectionate gestures for one another only grew. It felt like shackles being removed, freeing them to do as they pleased.
Diana, in particular, wrestled with her will to keep her hands to herself every time Akko was near. She was just so lovely. Like a flower- well, a wildflower, but a flower nonetheless. What Diana would do to stroke her petals… Eyes, alluring and hypnotizing, seemed to always invite Diana in with their shyness, but at the same time heated passion.
Diana's throat would run dry as a desert. She would sometimes wonder if she harbored her own personal sun within her. It rendered her with a dry throat, sweaty palms- and sometimes feet-, intense heat boiling up from the deepest part within her… Diana felt thirsty. So, so thirsty.
Oh wait. If she was searching for the sun, Akko was the sun. Her bright, shining, warm, marvelous sun that lightened up her darkest days and had given her hope. Akko drew her cold-blooded soul in like a moth to a flame, and sometimes she worried. She worried she'd be an Icarus, free from the imprisonment that was the expectations of being Diana Cavendish; she was afraid she was flying too close to this Sun. She'd burn her wings and fall… fall… fall.
But Akko would catch her.
She was sure she would.
Just like right now.
Locked in place between Diana and a desk in an abandoned classroom- how cliché- Akko's breath heaved, cheeks tainted red. Diana loved that color on her. It suited her. The school was right to assign her to that specific-colored team. They chose well. It pleased Diana.
Akko pleased Diana.
So much so that Diana spent almost every moment she could basking under the sun's glow that belonged to Kagari Atsuko. She would always steal her away any moment she could.
Her restraint was that slim.
But still…
Though it happened often, their moments of heat and warmth were always hidden, tucked away behind curtains and closed doors, and covered by the shield that was Diana's reputation. The shield that might very well be a double-edged sword instead.
/-/-/-/-/
It was a normal day, a normal class to attend.
Diana strode down the halls as she always did, normally. With her teammates by her side, as per usual. That was normal. And she was at her normal state as well: Elegant and perfect.
Though this time, she had… someone else trailing a little after her, not exactly the same picture of elegance, but… perfect, nonetheless. In Diana's eyes, she was perfect.
It was a rule they decided to establish when in the public eye. As intimate and touchy as they were when in their own corner of the universe, PDA was something they both knew would greatly affect them both negatively while they were out and about in society. Especially for someone like Diana.
It pained her to think that this was something necessary as of the moment, seeing as how she had just found the opportunity, and had been given the chance to step forward as the next Cavendish heir- she needed the acknowledgement of the rest of her family, and she needed to prove her drive and sincerity to succeed the role she was to play in the household by being incredibly focused on- and dedicated to becoming a top-tier witch. She needed to prove to them that she was capable and driven, and wanted this position above all else.
But this wasn't just about that. There were so many things that prevented them from making their relationship public. School duties and responsibilities, studies, the teachers' mindsets when it came to such involvements, societies eyes. The connections they had to everyone. Not just to the elite, but to their friends and families as well.
Though maybe the 'friends' part wasn't quite as difficult-
Scratch that. Despite being so supportive of them before they made things "official", currently, Diana would catch Sucy and Lotte giving her warning looks every once in a while, to which she would return with a gaze that asked, 'what?'.
She wasn't doing anything wrong, was she?
Not when she would simply hold Akko's hand under the table; not when she would sometimes caress the smooth skin of her thighs and make her struggle to not squirm in that adorable way of hers; not when Diana would pick Akko up from her dorm room every morning, and take her back a little later than usual- but never breaking any curfew rules! She swore!
She was glad her team seemed to have warmed up to Akko. Hannah and Akko would have the occasional cooking session, borrowing the academy's kitchen from time to time; Hannah was surprised to learn that Akko sometimes contributed to the breakfast preparations when she had spare time, or in the event that she woke up too early.
Barbara had been close with Lotte as of late, and she wasn't one to stay spiteful for long. She and Lotte had taken a shine to dressing Akko up in Nightfall-related clothing after the Japanese revealed some of her cosplaying habits back home.
Well, that was one way to bond, surely.
Diana loved watching them all interact.
(Though they all prevented her from watching whenever Akko was made to change into some of the aforementioned costumes. They even went so far as to kick her out of the room! Excuse them, but Diana was the one dating Atsuko, not them!)
She sighed.
Her roommates took a shine to Akko, but why did it feel like they took too much of a liking? They seemed more protective of Akko than of her. And the student body had supposedly labelled them as her lackeys back then!
And she hadn't even gotten started on the green team.
If a bullet were shot at Akko and Diana each, at the same time, their friends would rather form a line in front of the former and leave Diana to get shot.
These people.
She swept a glance over their little group. Despite all that, she smiled rather fondly. It was nice to know they were all closer, perhaps happier? Diana certainly was. And it was all thanks to the wonderful person she knew as Kagari Atsuko. She was a light, a hope. She was brilliant.
And everything was normal.
And just a tad bit better than that.
Drawing near to their designated classroom's door, Diana could hear the normal class chatter, though something felt slightly off as it seemed to be buzzing with more intensity than just the standard excited gossip, morning greeting, and casual conversation.
She shrugged it off as the tiniest change from the normal class dynamic, striding into the room with her typical air of confidence and authority. And then everything quiets.
Diana quirked a curious brow at this, feeling the weight of many gazes on her. Whispering ensued; some students not subtle enough as they throw glances at Diana far too frequently that she preferred they just stare blatantly instead.
Then Akko comes in right after her and the whispers increase their volume; not quite amplified enough to return to the earlier sounds of talks, but everyone was certainly louder in their murmuring
Not one to lose her composure in spite of the oddness of it all, as well as the pressure of all this attention, Diana takes a seat in the same normal way she does every school day. Once more, it quiets. This time she has to admit, she's begun to feel it: unnerved.
They are heavy. The many stares.
Then their first professor of the day walks into the room, and Diana felt her lungs capable of respiration again. Yes, this day would continue on as it always does. She would pour her all into her studies, she would be called as an example to the class, she would perform flawlessly, answer questions knowledgably, and she would have lunch with Akko and all their friend. They would get back to studies, and after class-
The teacher scanned the room, a nervous glint in her eyes, as if in search of a threat or a criminal.
Her eyes fall on Diana's, and they lock gazes. She found what she'd been looking for apparently, lighting up as she spots a certain brunette a few seats back. Diana knows that's who the teacher is looking at. She just knows.
And there is a call for them.
More whispers.
Diana barely misses Hannah shooting a glare at everyone staring, and she catches out of the corner of her eye, Barbara biting down on her lip while looking around nervously, the red and blue teams clearly confused and uncomfortable with whatever was occurring at this moment.
She tears her eyes away from the teacher, and regards Akko with a nod instead, a silent beckon to go out together. Lotte had taken a hold of the cuff of her teammate's sleeve, afraid to let Akko go, not knowing what this was all about. Or maybe they did. Maybe they all did.
Sucy is quiet. Not her normal Sucy quiet with underlying playful malice or sarcasm waiting to be released. Neither is it boredom or deliberate evil planning.
She was just so quiet. And still. Her eyes followed the brunette's retreating back, a hand on Lotte's shoulder, a way to keep the Finnish woman from following after her. She looked just about ready to run off with Akko somewhere where they wouldn't be subjected to this painful awkwardness.
Louder. Everything just gets louder. And maybe Diana has just become more sensitive to everything as her senses are heightened by adrenaline and nervousness. They exit the door just as it closes with a click behind them. And the droning whispers still follow them as they leave the area, barely drowned out by the silence of the halls.
/-/-/-/-/
"Miss Kagari." This is normal. Akko argued with herself that hearing this particular name from the strict disciplinary professor was nothing out of the ordinary. A perfectly normal addressing of her name, she and Diana used to it as the heiress was usually in the area when she got scolded. "Miss… Diana Cavendish."
Now those. Those were unfamiliar sounds, an unknown tone of voice directed at her partner. Odd on the palate of someone like Finneran, foreign. The way it was spoken, anxiety-inducing.
"Before I reveal anything, would you perhaps happen to know why you are here?"
Headmistress Holbrooke sat wordlessly in her seat. She did not look as though she was angered. There was something else in her eyes. It did not look to be something against her students, but rather, it was frustration towards the atmosphere surrounding all of them.
Akko had been genuinely confused since leaving their classroom, trying to list off all the things she could have done wrong; the rules she could have violated lately. Nothing came up, she only drew a blank in her head. After all, there was no reason for her to do anything unwise since most of her time had been spent with Diana- …something flashes in her eyes, a deep worry.
She hopes it isn't what she thinks it is. Every time she's made trouble before, the atmosphere was never this suffocating. Coupled with the fact that she was called together with Diana, it ruled out all possibility that this would just be Akko's normal scolding for things she had ruined/destroyed on campus, be it tangible items, or things such as classes and her teachers' temperaments for the day.
In contrast to her tense nature, Diana, calm as ever replied, "I'm afraid I have no clue." The heiress was brilliant in everything, even acting. But Akko could see the tiniest tremor of her hand, and the fear in crystal blues. "I don't believe we've done any wrong to warrant a call from you, ma'am."
Diana may be an expert at meeting any problem as they came, but even she couldn't keep her eyes from widening at the object their professor procured out of her coat pocket, hand holding it out in front of them pointedly.
"Well, then. I suppose you would have no problems explaining this photo?"
Them. It was a picture of them. A captured portrait of Akko and Diana in the library. This alone wouldn't have been anything of concern, but it was the act that they had been engaging in at that moment that warranted the alarms in possibly everyone's head.
They both knew when this was.
They could never forget it.
It was a memory that would play vividly in their minds in many moments. They saw it in their dreams, they dreamed it in their waking moments. It coursed through their minds, into their veins, a heart-pounding, magical sensation.
It was their first kiss.
"What…" Akko had no words to complete that. Her tense arms fell limply to the sides, legs trembling as if they would give out at any moment.
Diana was similarly speechless, staring at the photo blankly, mind running miles an hour.
"One would say that this was possibly photo-shopped to ruin your reputation, Miss Cavendish." Finneran continued, and Diana had half a mind to nod, maybe realizing that she could go along with this possible lifeline of an excuse… before it was harshly cut. "But the source is far too reliable to be that."
That seemed to have caught the heiress attention as she posed her inquiries. "What do you mean, professor?" Red eyes watched as fists clenched and loosened, the heiress' voice barely staying level. "Who exactly produced this photo?"
Finneran paused, appearing as though she were weighing some options in her mind, before deciding with finality. "It's something I cannot divulge to you. Not now, as you are. Maybe once you've reflected upon the wrong you've done."
Akko's head whipped up, that word she was so used to being associated with used again. But in this setting, in this context of her feelings for Diana…
Wrong.
Wrong…
Wrong?
What was?
Being in love with someone? Being in love with each other? Being in love with Diana?
What wr-
"And what wrong have we done?" Diana's sharp tone cut through the fragile air. "Is what we have together so wrong? We haven't broken any public rules, we did not bother anyone, nor did we force others to accept us right away, right in these very moments." She fumed, at the edge of bursting from all her emotional tension. "What right do you all have, to tell us who we can and can't love?!"
"Miss Cavendish."
Akko flinched, noticing Diana did as well at the Headmistress' tone of voice.
"We did not wish to jeopardize you, or undervalue your rights to freedom of choice, of expression, and of love. But there is one thing that is out of our control as of the moment and that is that these types of scandals are tied to a much larger picture. I'm sure someone like you can understand. The economy and society that used to be against us have only began to turn to support our school's growth-"
"So, this is about money; I see now." Diana butted in harshly, scoffing; anger, distress, and desperation blinding her usual rationality. She went on and on, words she would never mean or say. "You fear the support will pull out from you so you go against your values and standards in choosing witches, in raising witches and people, in guiding students, in encouraging their futures, and in teaching-"
"Diana." It was cold. The usually warm, kindhearted woman was so cold. "You know that is not true. It's not about that." The voice demanded attention, and Diana relinquished hers. "The person who produced this photo is threatening to spread it to the outside world, jeopardizing- not only Luna Nova's safety and reputation, as well as business opportunities- but the students'- your rights, future, privacy and safety as well. For all we know, it could have been published in newspapers, spread to inner circles of high society; and you know what that would mean for you." Holbrooke's voice dropped volumes lower. "You know what that would mean for your inheritance…"
Diana's brows were still pulled together, but tears of helplessness and frustration had pooled in the corner of her eyes in addition to the frown still marring her beautiful face. Even in anger, Akko found her to be the most stunning. And yet she feared that she had tainted that power of Diana's. The power to beguile and charm… simply because she was found greedily desiring the spot next to her. Like dirt on a gorgeous painting… Akko would destroy Diana's shine in the eyes of many if that picture leaked out.
No.
That could not be. Should not be.
The Japanese witch could only imagine how difficult this situation would be, how complicated, how humiliating it was for someone such as Diana.
The headmistress stood up, walking towards the blonde at the center of the room, head dropping low from its earlier defiant stature.
"We are trying to protect you."
Diana's back wasn't large by any means, but Akko had always thought it to be wide and intimidating. At this very moment, however, it seemed so small. As her hands were held in the wise professor's, Akko could faintly here the smallest hidden sniffle.
"Please, Diana."
"… Understood."
/-/-/-/-/
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Taptap-tap-taptap.
Tap.
"Akko?"
At the mention of her name, wine-red eyes blink out of their stupor, turning to her motherly tutor as the pen in her hand freezes just before it can touch the desk of the woman's personal office another time. "Yes?" She offers a cheery smile that does little to convince Ursula of her current state. And Akko knows that.
"Are you alright?"
Akko would have scoffed at that question. Clearly, everyone in the school knew of her issue already. She loved her teacher, but that question felt too unkind. 'Are you alright?', the woman had asked.
Was she?
"I… guess not…"
"Would you like to tell me about it? How you feel?" That was somewhat of a surprise. After having been told off for 'how she felt' so few hours ago, she wasn't in the mood to discuss it, only to be told they weren't right.
But this was Ursula-sensei. She might just be different.
Akko hoped she would be.
Or her heart would break from having the only adult supportive of her who was close by, betray her as well.
She had already tasted it many times now. First, with her good friend Andrew, the wound still unhealing… Andrew… had he been right all along? That she could not bear the weight of a love like this, with someone like Diana?
No… that was not it. It should not be it. Diana was… Diana is…
Andrew was…
Akko shook her head. There was nothing to compare. Diana was a star, and Andrew was simply a friend she once had that had tore her trust to pieces, and though she longed to mend their former relationship… was it possible to recover in the first place?
These feelings of battling possible prejudices did not stop with the boy. It continued with the teachers, and then the judgment of possibly the entire school. Who even knows if her friends weren't just pretending at this point? Could they even stand to… stand by Akko? When everyone was leaving her bit by bit?
… just as her mother had, not even intending to.
Could she still open her heart to someone right now, without fear of it being trampled into the dust, the monsters of her mind daring her to try. Try and be cursed by the inevitable consequences of rejection and abandonment. Try to let people see… see her feelings. See the emotions that many had already labelled as filthy.
But she desperately needed to let it out. To let her pain and frustrations out, she needed someone to confide in. She needed… she needed… she needed someone there. Beside her. Someone not chained to society's expectations like Diana, someone not at risk of being ostracized from the rest alongside her…
She wanted to try to tell her.
Try… Trying… might not hurt. Or maybe it would.
"…Maybe." Ursula had her full attention to her beloved student at the first sounds that escaped her anxiously shivering frame, arms wrapped around her upper body in a protective stance, eyes unfocused and dimmed. Her heart broke at the raspy voice and the quietly posed question that came soon after. "Would you… hold it against me as well? These dirty feelings."
...
"Akko…"
The little witch's eyes hurt. They were stinging with pinpricks here and there, allowing tears to well up, only held back by sheer will to not cry in front of someone who might just judge her like everyone else. She couldn't take it. Not from one of the so few she trusted in, the few she believed in. One of the only people she could confide in.
Please, don't let Professor Ursula be one of…them.
Her hold on herself tightened as she curled into a ball in her seat, every part of her just hurting and wanting to hurt even more. Her chest felt so tight, almost as if it denied any fresh air from clearing her lungs and her thoughts that were filled with all the restrained sentiments she had held back for god knows how long after she'd left the office. Her heart clenched and yet tore apart at the same time. She felt as though every part of her being was bleeding. Bleeding what? Blood, sweat and tears, maybe. Her throat itched, and she let out a few coughs.
Please… not you.
Please…
Ursula had been so quiet; the atmosphere was weighing heavily on Akko and she was quickly being crushed by her demons of anxiety. Her eyes had begun darting from place to place on the floor she was staring at, the signs of a panic attack and stress making the back of her neck up to her ears burn hot, her hands and feet freezing in stark contrast.
Her eyes squeezed shut as her head began to spin, all these negative thoughts swirling about in a whirlpool of sickening negativities and passions.
Please.
Please just-
Arms wrapped around her, squeezing so tight, Akko would have complained about the inability to breathe. But then the dam broke as Ursula kissed her temple, whispering words like magic. "It's okay… I understand. I heard you. I heard your heart."
"Please… stay by ME." Akko felt helpless, like there was no one else. She just needed someone… Please someone. Anyone who would choose her. Who would believe in her.
Ursula continued to press gentle kisses to the crown of Akko's head, rubbing her back soothingly as the girl hiccupped, writhed in pain, moaned out her frustrations and wants.
"Please." Her voice cried, broken and tired. "I don't have anyone else… Diana… my friends… I don't want them to be…" A choked sob hid her words for a moment. "-just because of me…"
"No, No, Akko. Sweetheart, no. You are not to blame. I know. I also know you are in need. Of support, of someone." Ursula took a breath to calm her own wild horses, wanting to be rational in this fragile balance of a situation, but also let Akko know she would help. "There… there may be many occasions where I won't take your side, especially when it involves you getting hurt, or in trouble. But at this moment…
…I'm here beside you right now, and I believe in you. You and your feelings."
A sniff.
Then whispered words.
"They… are they so wrong? To love someone so amazing and try to do your best beside them… is that so wrong?!, Voice in a crescendo, Akko questioned everything. All the conflict that came even before this point. "Is it so wrong to want to be someone better, but by their side instead of being alone?" The professor only hugged her tighter. "Are my feelings so wrong?!"
What could she even say besides her earlier words of standing by Akko? If encouraging these emotions meant more danger and future turmoil, should she shield the girl instead and save her from a crippled future? Or should she nurture them in some way, and choose the narrow path that could lead to everyone's destruction? In her heart, Ursula knew she was also betraying her, but on something unrelated to the current turmoil the girl was going through. It was a secret she was willing to take to the grave, even, if it meant that her beloved student would only reap more pain. But she mustn't think of that now. This was about Akko's state of emotion, her love for Diana, right now.
This situation was just not something in their control. She had heard from the headmistress that Holbrooke herself hardly minded such relationships so long as they were properly monitored, and proper behavioral protocol was still observed within the school.
The problem lay in the person who was against all of this, against the two students, against Diana… and her inheritance.
It wasn't something that they could easily intervene in. But the person seemed willing to pull all stops, even to the extremes to ensure that Diana never took something that was very rightfully hers. It was all they could do to be careful, and calmly try to protect the girls, even if it wasn't as effective as they liked.
Really. If only they could do more.
"I'm sorry…"
/-/-/-/-/
The "consequences" of the spreading scandal were laid out clearly for them to follow just before they left the room. They could still attend classes as the teachers had agreed that they didn't want to jeopardize their future, or make the situation look worse than it really was. This was also to stop rumors from spreading, and/or being confirmed. However, despite this privilege, they were not to linger after classes: Akko would go straight to Ursula for tutor sessions, and Diana would either study on her own in her room, or go on patrols; and Diana and Akko were forbidden from meeting at any time in any place.
To ensure this condition was met without struggle, Akko was moved to a different class to be separated from Diana. But this would also mean that she was separated from the rest of her friends, and the sole people who could be her comfort and support. In the new class, she was truly alone.
She knew no one.
She only knew judgment.
And that knowledge stabbed at Diana's heart each passing moment as she'd catch sight of their friends, the brunette's teammates, or simply her now-empty seat. It hurt.
Distracting her from being consumed by that ache in her heart, however, was the heat of everyone's gazes: overbearing, scorching Diana; her palms would sweat, ears turning red. Subjected to the discriminating scrutiny of people who knew no better than rumors, Diana acted with an air of defiance, trying to mask her frustrations with her situation with a cold pride.
Still, the comments…
"I didn't think Miss Cavendish was like that."
They were words she'd rather not hear.
"What about sir Andrew?"
"Was all of that just an act?"
"She acts like that to woo men in, only to actually lead them on, is that it? I'd never have thought."
"So miss goody-two-shoes actually has a rotten personality? I kinda saw that coming."
They made no dents on Diana's pride, nor did they hurt her one bit. If it was about her liking women, they could come at her all they wanted. If all they engaged in were rumors of her and men- most specially that disgusting Andrew, she couldn't care any less. Rumors were rumors. And people believe what they believe. She didn't think anything she'd say would change their impressions anyway, and she would rather die than plead for the acceptance of such shallow characters.
It was just that the chatter was becoming rather annoying. No longer able to bear the irritating notions thrown about her classroom, and seeing as class had been dismissed, there was no reason for her to lurk about here for much longer.
Swiftly standing from her seat and drawing the attention of all those around her, it seemed, Diana left with a swish of her hair, shoes tapping off the floor. She knew the mumbles would start up again as soon as she left the room, but she could no longer be bothered as she traversed the halls, following her mind's map to her room where she would spend her remaining hours before dinner.
Eyes followed her even in the halls, but that was to be expected. However, gazes once pointed at her due to admiration were replaced by wariness and possibly scorn. Though scorn may not be that new, after all. Diana was used to the burns of jealousy, but maybe not harmful judgment.
As she neared a corner, the average amount of students she encountered remained the same, but fewer and fewer were looking at her passing figure. Curious, she saw some holding a piece of paper, most of them identical from the last individual or group she saw. They all appeared to be quite shocked and interested in the photo. But Diana had no time for them. She only had time to figure out how to turn this problem in on its own head.
She was curious, nonetheless. More identical papers appeared in the hands of more students. And they all were simply captured by whatever was on it. Now it really got to Diana, and she was confused as to why.
Then her eyes caught sight of the bulletin board in the hall, and 'why' no longer existed. Diana stared at photo and article on the bulletin, disbelieving, ocean blues widening.
Now that she knew what was on it, Diana whipped her head about frantically, reconfirming the amount of people now in ownership of a copy of what was supposed to be one of the most magical moments of her life. Her first kiss with the one she loved more than anything in this world.
Like the sudden crash of lightning and thunder, noises filled her ears; she couldn't hear anything else but their judgmental murmurs. Overwhelmed, heating up, and feeling like she'd soon go mad, Diana took a step forward towards the nearest group of girls, having plans of snatching each and every photo to burn the torturous material to the ground.
The noises only got louder as people began to notice her plans and actions. Murmurs, mumbles, whispers… the usage of her name, the dragging of Akko's. She tried to reach for the girl's hand, but her school mate had moved away, everyone taking notice of her.
This silent, desperate Diana look-alike.
No.
No.
Stop.
Please stop.
She swiped at the paper, but again, it was held out of her reach. She tried to snatch it, tear it apart; she could probably take it away so easily had she been in the right state of mind, but after the stress her usual composure had been subjected to, no one could recognize the pathetically mute, and desperate person the top student had become. As she stepped forward to make another grab for the item from fast hands, she could just see the evil little smirks, and the taunts forming on cruel lips.
"Oh? What's this? If it isn't the high and mighty Diana Cavendish, here to erase the evidence of her dirty little secret." Venomous and harsh, Diana loathed the tongue that spat out those words. "First, playing at friends, then now playing at lovers or something? Then being all ashamed of it?"
No. That's not true.
I'm not-
"Well, I guess I'd be ashamed too if the other party just so happened to be someone as embarrassing as that idiot, Akko."
Stop this,
I'm not like that.
I'm not ashamed of Akko!
Stop!
Please, stop-!
"She's such a-"
"What is this photo?!" A voice bellowed, righteous anger making its presence known. But though it was on Diana's side, she still did not want to be called out. She did not want more people prying into her well-kept private life.
Stop.
Don't look at it.
Diana wanted to scream.
Stop.
Don't look at me!
"O-oh, It's just the new story going aroun-"
"Oi." Biting and cold, if this was how death sounded like, so many ladies were already at death's door. "You all take that shit on the bulletin down, and stop yer annoying yapping. If you got nothing better to do than gossip, then fucking scram!"
Diana had lowered her head in her unusually timid state, so she could not see the expressions of the person? People? It seemed like they were accompanied, who had saved her. She felt arms wrapped around her shoulders, helping her fix her posture and begin walking again. Lifting up her eyes, she saw that at her side were her teammates glaring at anyone who dared take so much as a peek at her.
Sparing a glance around, she saw Lotte, Jasminka and Constanze taking copies away from students and walls where they could see the papers with the pictures. The voice Diana had heard was apparently Amanda, now cornering the group of girls who had kept Diana from taking their copy of the scandal away.
"Imma throw all this trash away," The redhead snarled. "-or in your faces if you keep up this little attitude." Amanda had suddenly appeared like the typhoon that she was, snatching the photo out of the girl's hand, tearing the photo loudly and savagely in front of them as a warning. Diana wasn't sure if she appreciated that, or if it made her want to cry. That moment… was not meant to be walked all over like this, trampled like the dirt. But it was her only salvation in this moment.
The rest of the girls were doing the same with the papers they had gathered, crumpling, tearing, Sucy burning a few. She had never quite seen Sucy and Jasminka angry, but by the looks on their faces, many students knew that they were dead serious with any threat they posed- or were about to pose.
Diana breathed deeply, eyes shutting as her inner working swam about, rendering her nauseous and barely conscious in the arms of her teammates. Upon opening them, her teammates helped her find her bearings, steadying her on her feet. They were about to walk back to the dorm before professor Croix came marching up to them and halted right in front of them, arms crossed intimidatingly at first, and Diana thought she'd have to fight another battle. But then she began scratching the back of her head awkwardly, before sighing.
"Cavendish. You have a call in the office."
"What do… they want with me this time?" Diana breathed out.
"I don't know. Something about a call from a manor is all I know. I think you better be quick. Holbrooke looks like she's dealing with a lot to keep them entertained." With that, she turned on her heel, leading the way for the trio to stagger on behind her.
Upon reaching the large doors of the office Diana had been in not too long ago, Hannah and Barbara were blocked by the teacher from entering with their leader. They would have voiced their opposition if not for Diana's chilling lifeless eyes that ordered them to obey. She then shut the door behind her.
/-/-/-/-/
"Who was it." She murmured, stomping down the halls, Hannah and Barbara barely staying in stride beside her.
"Hello? Who might be calling?"
"Who was it."
["Young Lady… it's Anna… I… I don't know how to tell you this…"]
"Who was it."
["There… have been rumors circulating… almost in all of… well England… and…"]
"Who was it." The eyes… the gazes, they burned, they were scorching hot. The scrutiny like magnifying lens under the sun. But Diana could spare them no mind as she approached the library to blow off steam, maybe through studying, or borrowing a new book on spells to occupy her mind instead of her rampaging thoughts.
["The people… who initially wanted to support and back you… for the succession… are pulling out one by one…"]
"Who was it." She tapped her foot under the table, tapped it impatiently as she lined up at the counter to have her book checked out.
["Young Miss… what must we do? How can we help you?"]
"Who was it." Not touching her food in the dining hall, Diana was found harshly tapping her fork against her plate.
["Is there… even something we can do? It's become so wide-spread miss, I… I…"]
"Who was it, who was it… who was it." She walks the dorm corridor to her assigned room. She entered, slamming the door shut. "Who was it?" She queries, hitting the wall with closed fists.
Hannah and Barbara looked up from their bed and study desk respectively, turning to one another before deciding to leave Diana for a bit. "We'll be back, okay Diana?" To Give her the space she so clearly needs.
["Miss, not to offend you, and I have nothing against it… I was simply surprised…"]
"Who was it, who was it, who was it?!"
["…I didn't know you… it… was like that."]
"WHO DAMN WAS IT?!" She finally screamed out all the pent up frustrations, slamming her hands on her desk.
A Knock on the door. Soft, but continuous. This only furthers her irritation as she runs to the door in blind fury, abruptly pulling it open to curse at the guilty perpetrator daring to add on to her madness.
"WHO BLOODY IS IT, DAMNIT?!"
…And there stood Akko, eyes wide, curled back into herself in horror. Diana only registers this as the girl lets out a whimper, tears released by lovely rosy eyes that Diana loved so much, but had hurt just as much.
"I-it's… it's only me, Diana." She croaked, backing up when Diana reached for her, making the heiress flinch. "I'm sorry, was I… was I bothering-" No, Akko could not leave, not now. Not when Diana needed her- the only one capable of keeping her sanity in tact- the most!
The brunette yelped as she was pulled in, door shut behind her, before being engulfed in a tight hug, arms circling her waist and a face buried in her neck, a tall nose inhaling her scent, tickling the spot with gentle brushes.
"It's just you… Akko…"
And the girl feels Diana's labored breathing calm, her high body heat burning against her skin.
"Diana…"
"Akko…" She murmurs in a defeated tone, broken. She the realizes what she had just done to Akko mere moments ago, dropping to her knees, the brunette going along with her. "I… I apologi-"
"Shh… It's okay now." Akko wraps her arms around Diana's shoulders, turning to plant kisses on any part of her head and hair that she could reach. "It's okay now. I'm here. It's okay now. We're here. Together."
She felt the bundle of blonde sorrow nod against her, and she raised her up, assisting her towards Diana's bed before sitting the tired heiress down. Diana refused to release Akko, and so the latter stood there between her legs, allowing Diana to draw her comfort from her. She'd do anything to help her calm.
"Let's talk this through, and make it out together. We will get past this. I know." She murmured, leaning down to plant a kiss against Diana's throbbing temple. She was under so much stress. "Do you want to lay down and rest?"
A shake of the head.
"But you really need it."
A sniff.
"What if… I rest with you, will you go to sleep?" Akko was hesitant to place down this offer, knowing that if she didn't leave soon, who knows what would happen if she got spotted.
But she couldn't leave. Not now, not even if she wanted to. And she didn't want to.
At Diana's nod, Akko guided them both to a better position atop Diana's dorm mattress, the top student, though with a larger frame, snuggled closely into Akko, resting under her chin, allowing the brunette to shield her away from anything outside of their tiny bubble of tranquil.
And in so few minutes, to the sound of each other's tired breathing and beating hearts, they both fell asleep.
/-/-/-/-/
The sound of soft rain pattering against her glass windows woke the light sleeper in Diana up. At first, she had panicked at the feeling of being wrapped up in someone's arms, under someone's weight. But faint scents of strawberry and a pleasant type of fresh earthiness tickled her nose, and she knew just who that someone was. With a wistful smile, she looked to the person who held her heart, and remembered every bit of yesterday, said heart aching. Brushing her bangs to clear Akko's face, Diana planted the faintest kiss on her chapped lips before sitting up, still in the other witch's embrace.
Her eyes surveyed the quarters, finding the absence of her roommates, but by her bedside, a small note, telling her of their location. Barbara and Hannah had left to fetch them some food in the event that they'd wake up late and/or around a time when many students would be walking about and would have a high chance of catching Akko leaving the room. They had also tried their best to make sure that no one was lurking about their room by placing a barrier spell that would alert the people inside if there ever was anyone. It was their way of looking out for them, and Diana cried with gratefulness in her heart for their gracious actions.
Not too long after she had closed the note, the door came ajar, and in peeked a ginger hair, looking tense, but then relaxing as they met Diana's eyes, realizing all was well.
Locking the door behind them as they entered, Hannah and Barbara placed the trays down on their little table in the middle of the room. Diana nodded gratefully as everyone seemed to have the same idea of allowing Akko more moments of rest after everything that had unfolded yesterday. They were all certainly drained.
Diana never knew of what other things the other seven had gone through while apart from them, but from the little she had witnessed, she knew she could trust them with her life. And really, she was already doing that.
Once Akko had woken up, the pair had their breakfast as the inhabitants of the room exchanged ideas on how to get Akko out to her own before anyone realized she was gone. It was already a surprise to see her here and without anyone barging in the previous night after rollcall. Hannah and Barbara assumed that Akko's roommates must have done something similar to them, telling the monitor that Diana was sick and asleep- which was not totally untrue.
Not long after, they had received a small note through the window, delivered by one of Lotte's little sprites, and it was urging them to return Akko. They knew she had to be in the blue team dorm, as that was the only place she'd logically be in after they had asked the green team and Professor Ursula and were given a negative that she had been with them the night prior. They had Alcor do a few rounds across the school grounds to confirm if Akko stayed in the ruins or tower, and with that turning up with a blank, the only remaining place she would be safe, was there.
Sucy had prepared some kind of dummy that was almost believable, and with Lotte's sprites, they were able to create a believable, clone that did minimal shuffling movements under blankets, a waving of hand, and a weird groaning sound that was very convincing for the dorm monitor.
But that wouldn't hold up in class.
They needed Akko back as soon as possible. So, they could only plan to sneak Akko out as discreetly as possible.
They began with the everyone taking their turns washing up and preparing for class. They somehow needed Akko to meet up with her own team on the grounds, far from the room. How they would accomplish that, they did not know. The most important part was that Akko and Diana were not to be seen together. They were under a probationary rule, and should they break terms regarding that, heavier consequences would definitely follow.
They wondered if they could have Akko transform herself into her mouse form and climb along the windows, but should anyone be outside and see that familiar brown creature, they might still be caught, especially if said animal was coming right from Diana's window.
However, the idea of transformation magic wasn't all bad. They decided to slip her into Hannah's pocket, hoping that if suspicion were directed at Diana and she were checked, they could get away somewhat.
With that agreed upon, they put their action into motion, Akko climbing into Hannah's uniform, and the blue team striding down the corridor, attempting to look as normal as possible.
Then Finneran barred their path, raised her wand, and for a moment, they thought it was an attack spell. A spell that would harm students, cast by a teacher.
But then-
"Metamorphie Faciesse!"
And laying on the ground was Akko. Caught.
"Not only did you break your agreement to stay apart, but what else could two people, essentially lovers, do when spending the night together?" The implications were strong, and they all knew it.
Very quickly, a crowd had begun to form around them.
"I never thought you'd dare engage in such… illicit activities, Miss Cavendish. This is beneath you!"
"Illi- No! There is nothing of the sort! Why would you-"
"Regardless of what you have done, the relationship in and of itself is immoral, and you two should not have been granted this much freedom." Finneran stated, stepping forward to grab Akko, before Diana came between them. "Diana Cavendish. You do not seem to understand your situation. You do not seem to understand that I am protecting you. You do not seem to understand that there may be eyes and ears all around you who could so easily procure another proof OF YOUR RIDICULOUSNESS IN PURSUING WHATEVER IT IS WITH… WITH THIS CHILD!"
"WHAT DON'T I UNDERSTAND-"
"It was all me." Akko's voice was barely raised, yet it tore through the tension, above all the screaming, clear and heard. "I'm the one who came to her room despite knowing the consequences."
'No... No!' Diana's eyes bolted to the girl behind her, disagreeing with her whole being, trying to reach for the girl, before her hand was slapped away and Barbara and Hannah held her back to prevent further damage from adding on to the situation. Akko was now their friend, yes, but her eyes had told them all they needed to know. That she was taking a bullet for Diana. And they were also reminded, that in the end, Diana was to be their priority. As her teammates, as her first friends.
This answer seemed to please the professor as she stepped back. "…Indeed. It was you. It would be hard to believe Miss Cavendish would initiate such… I believe even this whole charade of a relationship was of your doing? I don't know how you managed to do it, but to bribe and convince someone with a social standing as high as a Cavendish, you have quite the nerve." She scoffed. "Come to my office. We'll discuss the details of what will now happen to you."
Akko no longer responded verbally, nodding as she dusted herself off, trudging after the disciplinary teacher, not sparing Diana's pained form any glance.
Akko had taken the brunt of blame.
She had taken it all.
If only to lessen the weight of the events and rumors about Diana. If the headlines would soon change to be, 'An Untalented Witch Seduces An Innocent Rising Leader: Bewitching Is A Reality'- or something of that ridiculous sort, maybe things would work out. Anyone could conjure a tale that was almost believable. Maybe this would give Diana's reputation some leeway to be worked out.
So why shouldn't Akko be the first to create it?
As icy blues stared at the figure leaving her behind, slouched shoulders, and the gradually quieting echo of steps bouncing off the walls reaching silence, Diana's sense of hearing was replaced by those horrid sounds that infiltrated the peace of her mind.
They were back, to make Diana's ears bleed. To drive her insane.
The murmurs.
The rumors.
The whispers.
And hidden among those was a slivering hiss passing by, with eyes that would always say,
'No.'
A/N: I'm really sorry. I have a lot of disappointment for how I'm performing in this story. It's just so hard because, as I may have mentioned before, my laptop broke last year and wiped all my data, and my flash drive was lost with the backup. I've lost hours-worth of stories and data, and I really did cry for it. So I have no clue as to the direction the original scenarios were supposed to go. I'm trying to build off the older chapters, coming up with the story now. Ahhhh. I sincerely wish I could deliver this story better as I'm attached to it.
AHHHH I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE. Somehow, I don't like how I've written this out at all :'
Lowkey, the office scene feels like I wrote it from experience…
Everyone's attention in this chap on Diakko may seem a little dramatic (I'm sorry), but if you're somewhat well-known in school, and in a place that's either really strict or conservative, especially when it comes to morals, you'd know that people can be quite… scary. Maybe this Is just justification, I'm sorry.
~Shintori Khazumi