A short chapter as we begin to lead into ~drama~


CHAPTER SIXTEEN

AFTEREFFECTS


Moriko is in a daze when she returns home, the sun setting behind her as she sighs wistfully. Reve notices her demeanor immediately, scanning the forefront of her memories to see what happened on the date;if they need to be worried about their secret coming out anytime of white lilies growing through open skin and soft smiles flood Moriko's mind. She wants to scold her, wants to know what made her think that it was okay to risk it, but her memories provide all the answers. The emotional impact of each image makes it hard for her to confront Moriko, so she settles down with a tired sigh as butterflies swarm her gut.

Is this how it's supposed to feel? Reve wonders in the back of her mind, her eyes glancing over toward Kato. The large cat doesn't notice her gaze, instead sniffing the air cautiously before strutting over. She nudges Moriko's palm with her large snout. She can smell lilies mixed with flowery scents, protruding from the center of Moriko's skin. She knows the smell well and can see the scar tissue forming over a new wound. Kato whines lightly nudging the spot before she looks up at Moriko with mild judgement, cat eyes gazing deep into hers.

"I know," Moriko flushes deeply, taking her hand away from Kato to cradle it protectively toward her chest, "But I had to do something. She looked so - so - cute and I just -"

"-You just had to produce a flower and risk our secret rather than get one from the literal garden you all were visiting," Reve raises a judgemental brow, arms stretched out against the back of the couch as she leans back into it.

Moriko doesn't immediately answer, fumbling over her words as they get stuck in her throat. Her face is as red as the roses scattered against her skin like tattoos. Kato huffs indiginitately before she starts to shift out of her cat form, feeling the need to stretch a different body that was starting to feel caged in.

The cracking of bones and the sound of flesh shifting is never pleasant; Reve does them a favor by immediately blocking the noise from reaching them, blocking it out from their minds until Kato stands before them with an unabashedly naked body. Her sudden shift takes them all by surprise, with Kato usually taking to shifting into her human body in the comfort of her room while having no qualms of shifting into a cat at any time.

There's something that Moriko can't place about the action before a warmth grows in her chest as she realizes that, while admitting it or not verbally, Kato is beginning to show just how comfortable she is in her human form.

Showing no acknowledgement of this change, Kato stretches before plopping down on the couch beside Reve. Reve distinctly crosses her knees tightly, inching a bit away from Kato, a deep flush settling into her cheeks. She immediately cuts ties off the mental link, hoping that with Kato in her human form that no one will notice. Her eyes glance toward her, briefly glancing down curiously before looking away abruptly when her curiosity was (however briefly) satisfied.

She tries not to jump when one of Kato's arms drape across the back of the couch, her palm touching her shoulder. Her skin grows warm against Kato's palm, her heart beating wildly against her chest rapidly. Fantasies are already starting to spur in her mind and she covers her face with her hands as discreetly as she can.

Moriko briefly looks at Reve with stifled confusion, noticing the red setting against dark skin. She glances between Kato's absolute oblivious expression and Reve's all-too-aware body language. She tries to reach out to Reve mentally, if anything to get some answers without seeming too rude by asking about it openly (and in front of Kato). To her surprise, she's met with nothing but her own thoughts. Something about that and the way Reve refuses to look away from the wall create a rock in her gut.

"I don't get it," Kato grumbles, brows furrowed as she digs at something in her teeth with her pinky nail, "Why did you have to go on a date with her anyway?"

Moriko's attention snaps back to Kato, only sighing when she sees the way Kato sits, her knees spread out wildly as she takes up most of the room on the couch.

"Haruhi," Moriko questions and gets only a grunt in return. "That's simple. I like Haruhi."

"What do you mean, you like Haruhi," Kato leans forward in interest, putting her elbows on her knees. At the very least, this shadows her private areas, making it a bit easier for Moriko to face her. "How'd you know you like her?"

Moriko pauses, a bit unsure at Kato's sudden interest in the romantic aspect. For as long as she can remember, Kato has always expressed a distinct lack of interest in anything romantic, nevertheless with humans. The closest thing she can compare it to is Kato's brief fling with that one wolf guy a while back ago - something that Moriko hardly thinks was romantic in nature.

"She makes me feel nice," Moriko finally answers, gaining Reve's attention as she eyes Moriko.

"You mean she turns you on," Kato asks abruptly, huffing as she leans back on the couch, uninterested if it's what she expected it to be and unsure as to why that bothers her.

Moriko flushes deeply, stammering through denial, "Romantic interest isn't just about sexual attraction. You should want to do more than just fool around with someone. You want to spend time with them, you want to learn more about them. You actually enjoy their presence and want to do cute stuff with them like kissing and holding hands -"

Moriko rambles on for a minute, caught up in her own daydream as she begins to think about Haruhi and her doing said things, her eyes glossing over with a lovey sigh.

She's oblivious to the way that Kato shifts on the couch, an uncomfortable expression on her face as Reve's lips press against her temple.


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