Hello people. Finally found it in myself to write. Special thanks to Sappho for the beta read!

Sorry to keep you waiting, but here it is!

-Nova

.

"Oy, what do you think you're doing?" Matsuri grabbed the Caretaker's sleeve.

"I think that's them over there."

"Yes, of course it's them." Matsuri smirked in the dark and had a pretty good idea what the two distant shapes, one hovering over the other, were doing. She kept her voice low, although she was sure their approach had gone unnoticed. "They can find their way back in when they're done."

"Done with what?"

"Snogging, of course," Matsuri scoffed. "Stop staring, creep. Let's go."

"They're doing what? I can't just leave them there."

"They're seventh graders, both consenting adults and perfectly capable of taking care of themselves." Matsuri was already dragging the confused man up the hill towards the castle. "Won't let you screw this up. I put a lot of effort into getting those two together."

"Well, aren't you a real Cupid..."

"Oh, shut up."

Yuzu had no idea how long they had been kissing. The cold air was creeping through her thin layer of clothes and Mei's warmth under her was providing little protection against the cold September night. She didn't want to be the one to pull away so she tried to ignore the chill when Mei's hand previously resting on the small of her back moved and buried in her hair.

Something must have given her awkward struggle away when instead of pulling her closer, Mei lightly tugged on her hair and pulled away from the kiss.

"It's getting late, we should probably get back indoors," Mei suggested.

"Mmhm."

Yuzu quickly rose on her feet and offered her hand to Mei to pull her up. She expected Mei to release her hand when they both stood but she didn't. An unfamiliar giddy feeling was forming inside Yuzu when they approached the castle, and she found it hard to stop smiling. Not that she felt like she shouldn't, but something felt different about Mei now. Yuzu was sure she wouldn't run away.

Yuzu wasn't sure why, it could have been the cold or the adrenaline draining from her system, but she just couldn't control her body trembling while they walked the grounds.

"You're shaking. Are you cold?" Mei turned to Yuzu, concerned.

"A bit. It's okay… I'll be fine once we get inside."

"No, wait." Mei stopped and took out her wand. "Aer calidus!"

A warm breath of air washed over Yuzu and suddenly the numbing cold was gone. Again, she was amazed at how Mei seemed to have a spell for every occasion and the execution was flawless as always.

"Neat, thanks." She noticed Mei's slightly surprised look. "What?"

Mei chuckled. "You didn't even flinch."

"Why would I?" Yuzu was perplexed.

Mei kept studying Yuzu curiously. "I had my wand pointed at you. I thought you would react, even if it were unintentional."

"Is that so strange?" Yuzu asked. She did a quick rewind of the moment in her head and came to the conclusion everything happened so fast she didn't have time to react. Her head was still in a pleasant fuzz from the earlier make-out session.

"No, I'm flattered you feel so comfortable with me," Mei said with a warm smile. It was soon replaced with a worried glance under her brows. "Even when I haven't proven myself worth it."

"I have faith in you." Yuzu beamed. She meant it, though it sounded a bit too corny, even coming out of her mouth.

"Why?"

"Because everyone deserves a second chance. Or a third…" Yuzu tried to lighten the mood. But Mei still seemed to be worried.

"I haven't really been handling this too well, have I?" Mei looked down. "Although I admit, I still don't know what I should do."

"We can figure it out together," Yuzu said encouragingly. She felt bolstered by Mei's resolve when the grip on her hand tightened.

Newfound confidence shone behind Mei's eyes and she smiled carefully. "Everything will work out. If it's with you, I feel like anything is possible."

"Yeah, we just beat a dragon. We make a kick-ass team," Yuzu cheered.

"Well, technically we didn't beat it-we managed to escape. Barely, I might add…" Mei said seriously.

"Don't ruin this. If anyone asks, we beat the crap out of it."

As Yuzu had suspected, Mei wasn't quite ready for public displays of affection and she didn't want to insist. Mei let go of her hand with an apologetic glance when they stepped inside but Yuzu smiled back at her. She understood and wanted to take things slow, at a pace comfortable for Mei. Not entirely sure she was ready herself for all the attention and gossip, although she'd had a quite fair share of it already, thanks to Matsuri, mostly.

Mei insisted they paid the Caretaker a visit, just to make sure the detention was over and their punishment rightfully served. His office still smelled like dragon urine, not as strong as it had been before but it was still there. After explaining the encounter with the dragon and Mei giving rough estimates of the location, the Caretaker's face went white as a sheet. Yuzu could have sworn she saw him eyeing the two of them suspiciously too, as if he had trouble believing the story. Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind the loss of two school robes they had unceremoniously ditched in the forest.

Once they finally reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, Mei turned to Yuzu before giving the password.

"So, about the sleeping arrangements…" She looked quite nervous, fists clenching and unclenching. "Have you decided anything yet?"

"I can come back, if you'd like." Yuzu felt nervous, but wasn't quite sure why.

"I would like that." Mei smiled and looked thoroughly relieved. "...If it's OK."

"Of course, I just need to get my things from Harumi's room." Yuzu turned to the Fat Lady and gave the password, tumbling turnips, which to her amusement got Mei coughing nervously, a hint of red coated her cheeks.

Yuzu had barely time to register brunette hair flailing in front of her when she felt Harumi's arms close around her in a tight hug.

"I was worried about you! I saw Matsuri in the hall just a moment ago and she said you weren't back yet. And you had to go to the forest, alone with her?!"

"Oh, we're fine. We just fought a dragon. No big deal," Yuzu joked.

"We?" Harumi took a step back and her eyes glared at Mei standing behind Yuzu. "What have you done to Yuzu this time?"

"That is what you got from what I just said?" Yuzu cut in before another fight would ensue. She turned to see Mei, responding with an equally intense stare directed at Harumi. "Oh, come on. We fought a dragon… a dragon, Harumin. I could have been killed but thankfully Mei was there."

"Oh, that's nice... she played her part saving you from danger you wouldn't have been in in the first place if it wasn't for her and her lack of self-control."

"I take full responsibility for my actions. But we did fight a dragon and I'm just glad Yuzu is OK," Mei said and reached for Yuzu's hand, still maintaining her eye contact with Harumi. "Could we at least agree that is what's important here?"

Harumi kept eyeing the Head Girl with suspicion. "Okay, Yuzu's well-being is the most important thing here, I agree. But do you understand that she might be better off without you?"

"HARUMIN?!" Yuzu was getting tired of not being heard, in matters that concerned her feelings, especially. The few students huddled in the corner pretending to be interested in their homework were suddenly alert and were not too discreet about their interest in the matter. Yuzu lowered her voice. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"I understand." Mei said quietly but refused to let go of Yuzu's hand. "However, I think Yuzu can decide for herself."

"You really think I don't know that?!" Harumi raised her voice and Yuzu had never seen her get so worked up. "Do you think it's fun to watch a friend suffer when someone they care about just shuts them off?! I don't care what you promised her this time, I don't believe a word of it!"

"Please, keep your voice down…" Mei asked quietly. Yuzu lowered her head when she noticed other people appearing from their dorms to the top of the stairs to see what the ruckus was about.

Great.. Just great… Keep shouting, I don't think the first-years in the corner rooms heard you yet...

"OH?! So, your spotless reputation doesn't get wrecked?! I think that's a bit too late, considering you blasted my friend through the wall the other day-"

"No… You're making Yuzu uncomfortable," Mei stated simply and tightened her grip on Yuzu's hand. Harumi took a look around and noticed all the commotion they had caused.

"Oh… Right. I'm so sorry, Yuzucchi. I guess I got a bit carried away." Harumi calmed down and stared at Yuzu under her brows apologetically.

"It's okay… I understand you're worried, but there's really no need to. I know what I'm doing." Yuzu tried to sound reassuring and glanced at Mei. She seemed unaffected by all the attention and when their eyes met, Yuzu felt like she understood exactly what the unspoken message anxiety her friend was experiencing was understandable too, but something in Mei had clicked in place that night. Something felt different. "So… I'm going back to my room tonight."

"Oh, I see. It's… OK, I guess… I mean, it's your decision and I can respect that." Harumi gave Yuzu a nonchalant nod, turned on her heels and before Yuzu could grasp what was happening, Harumi was pushing her way through a group of students in the stairs.

Her heart suddenly felt heavy in her chest, and she felt like she should go after her friend and apologize. For what, she wasn't quite sure, but she knew Harumi was upset. Before she knew it, Mei was gently pulling her along, hand still securely squeezing hers and the confused students quickly made room and let the two of them past them to the dormitories. The fuzzy feeling in her head was returning and the heaviness lifted a bit, it felt like Mei was making a quiet statement that they were in this mess together.

Instead of turning the corner to their room, Mei continued down the corridor towards Harumi's dorm room. She stopped at a safe distance and turned to Yuzu.

"I think you need two need to talk. I can wait here or in our room, whatever you want."

"Thank you. For understanding and being so nice." Yuzu smiled. As much as she appreciated the offer of Mei waiting for her so she wouldn't have to walk back to their room alone, possibly carrying half of her possessions with her, she couldn't let her stand there alone waiting for indefinite time while other students would gawk at her. "You can wait in our room, I'll try to hurry."

"No, take your time. I can wait. Please, convey my apologies to Harumi for causing all this." With that, Mei gave a last squeeze to Yuzu's hand before heading back.

Yuzu headed towards the door and gave it a couple firm knocks before entering. "Harumin?"

Harumi was already stacking Yuzu's school books in a neat pile on the bed with her toiletry bag and some other essential things she had hauled into Harumi's room.

"I guess you came here for these?" Harumi said, refusing eye contact.

"Well, that… but I also want to talk to you," Yuzu said and closed the door behind her. The room was empty and she was glad they would have a moment to talk without prying eyes and ears.

"About what? I know you think I'm mad, but I'm really not. I just wish you would be more careful." Harumi continued packing her things.

"I am. And this time it's different, you should've seen-"

"Oh, so you conveniently end up alone with her in the Forbidden Forest, which, let me remind you again, was her fault, and she what? Kissed you again?" Harumi huffed and turned around.

"No. I kissed her." Yuzu drew a long breath. "And that was only after-"

Harumi raised her hand to get Yuzu to stop talking. "No. I don't need to hear why you thought that was a good idea. I knew this was gonna happen, I should've tagged along. She's just toying with your feelings again and you're just gonna end up hurt. And don't get me wrong. I'm still here for you but not right now. I don't want to talk. I just want to be alone right now." She grabbed the books and handed them to Yuzu. "That's for tomorrow's classes, I'll get you the rest later. And I'll take these. Now, let's get moving."

Harumi grabbed the rest of the things and swooped past the confused looking blonde. It took her awhile for the words to sink in and she followed the brunette, already turning the corner of the corridor. She hurried after her and heard the fervent knocking on their dorm room door.

Mei came to the door just when Yuzu stumbled behind Harumi who stuffed the things in her hands into Mei's lap. "Here. You better take good care of her this time or I'll make sure your life is going to be miserable. Night, Yuzu." Harumi turned back before either one could mutter a simple 'Good night' in return.

"Oh, that was fast. Did you talk?" Mei asked after Harumi disappeared behind the corner.

"No. She didn't want to talk tonight. But it's okay, we can just do it later. She needs some time to cool off, I think." Yuzu stepped in and noticed their third roommate, Cecilia, hunched over her desk and fixing her make-up over a small mirror propped against a pile of books.

"Ah, sorry... The bathroom was occupied, I'm off in a jiffy. Let you two have some privacy." She finished with a small wink.

Yuzu blushed. "No, it's okay. It's your room too."

"No, I get it… You need to work things out, I have plans anyway." Cecilia didn't bother to clean the mess on her desk, instead just got up and slipped out the door.

The silence was making Yuzu nervous, she wasn't usually the one to be quiet but Cecilia had left the room oozing with suspense. Maybe Mei had talked with her about the whole situation or it could have been common knowledge already after what happened with Mei and Matsuri. Either way, Yuzu felt like there were expectations that hadn't been there before. Things that people assumed were happening and her mind swirled with too many things at once. Harumi had said she wasn't mad, but the way she had stormed off didn't exactly feel like she was OK with everything either.

Mei cut her thoughts from spiraling further. "Where do you want me to put these?"

"Oh, right… on my nightstand is fine." Yuzu placed the books on her desk and found herself now just standing in the middle of the room and wasn't sure what she was supposed to do next. "So, uh… What happens now?"

"That's all up to you." Mei stated calmly and before Yuzu could even think of a response, she continued. "I don't usually pursue things I'm not good at. And that is why I turned back from my feelings and hurt yours in the process."

"I can understand why you thought you don't need the stress of maintaining a girlfriend on top of all your other duties-"

"It's not exactly that... " Mei interrupted Yuzu who was still silently cursing herself for jumping into talk about girlfriends and possibly scaring Mei again. "It's more of me feeling like I've lost points before the class has even started yet, so instead of starting from an unfavorable position, I gave up. But like you probably noticed, that didn't work out too well for me either."

"Hold up, so… you think of this as something you can get points in, like school?" Yuzu asked and took a step closer to Mei. She was beginning to understand where the Head Girl was coming from, yet it was not what she had thought. True, if there were 'points' to be given, Mei would have lost quite a few but that was not how Yuzu saw the situation. "If that is how you're looking at this, I reward you double the points you have lost so far, just based on tonight."

Mei looked at the grinning girl in front of her curiously. "Really? Double?"

"Yes." Yuzu was joking and to her relief, Mei smiled again.

"Sounds good," Mei said but shifted nervously. "And how can I get more?"

"More? Points, you mean?" Yuzu closed the distance and took Mei's hand. Mei nodded nervously and a thought crossed Yuzu's mind. "Wait- you're serious about that?"

"Well, I know dating has rules and I would like you to tell me what I need to do."

Yuzu felt her stomach fill with butterflies. "You want us to date?"

"Yes," Mei answered matter-of-factly. "But I need to know the rules. I don't want to break any. And there's still the matter of those points, how many would you say I have now and-"

Yuzu leaned in for a kiss and felt Mei relax into it. She had a hard time hiding her excitement about the dating prospects and Mei must have noticed something because she pulled away shortly after. Yuzu tried to collect her thoughts. "Oh, yes. Many points for that, just keep going…"

"Yuzu, I'm serious. I would feel a lot better doing this if I knew-"

"The rules. I know," Yuzu sighed. "Okay, but just so you know, I haven't really dated anyone before either so I guess we just have to make rules of our own."

"That sounds reasonable, we should get started." Mei seemed a little too enthusiastic when she went to grab her quill and piece of spare parchment from her ridiculously neat desk drawer.

Yuzu had a feeling it would be a while before they resumed their making out session so she slumped down on Mei's bed and admitted defeat.

Yuzu woke abruptly and looked around the dim room. Took for a while to realize she was back in her old room with Mei and she vaguely remembered falling asleep while Mei was frantically going through their list of rules they had managed to set so far. She was still laying on Mei's bed, now with a blanket tugged around her while Mei had helped herself to Yuzu's bed. The unfinished list laid on the side table. Yuzu grabbed the list and started going through it in the faint glow of the embers in the fireplace.

She got through the list of things they had agreed on, like do they want other people to know. No, except Harumin and Matsuri who already knew. There were many other things on the list too, but the earlier discussion about points was now permanently off the table. Yuzu managed to convince Mei this was not a competition and definitely not a class room so points were not needed. She was about to put the list back but noticed a small note in the corner that made her smile.

'Ask Yuzu about the sleeping arrangements'

After a short debate with herself, Yuzu decided to go back to sleep in her own bed. Next to Mei. She felt her heartbeat pounding in her ears when she finally managed to get under the covers. There were no changes in the steady breathing and Yuzu relaxed when she realized Mei hadn't woken up. The urge to wrap her arm around her new girlfriend was overwhelming but she decided not to while making a mental note to ask about cuddling and fondling while the other was asleep. Sneaking in the same bed might have already been a violation of their agreement but Yuzu decided it was worth the risk while drifting back to sleep.

AN: I write when I feel creative or have ideas, it has been hard lately so I can't give an estimate of update schedule. I'm happy if I can just keep writing and not lose the motivation again. Thanks for sticking by, even with the slow updates!