A/N: YEAH CAN I GET A FUCKIN UHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH FUNCTIONING OPERATING SYSTEM? Apparently not. Sorry for the delay friends, but I was two thirds of the way through this chapter before my computer shit the bed and then corrupted the entire file costing me everything. Fun times. Besides that mishap, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, I definitely don't like it as much as last week's but that's probably because this is mostly from my own brain and not from someone's suggestions. Creator self hate and all.

baka-akko: Hey thanks friend! I know that feeling. The otp calls and you must answer. As for your question.. hmm.. Well Sucy is a person that has zero knowledge on emotions, relationships or love, so maybe she would turn to Nightfall for help in her endeavours with Akko? Actually that's hilarious I'll write that down for later. Thanks!

HybridGraph: Hah I probably would have written something like that if it wasn't already super fuckin long and my fire was already burning out. maybe later I could do a continuation of that chapter and the fallout of that debacle. Thanks friend!

ThatFanFicGuy: Despite A Rose in Winter's absurd schedule suggesting otherwise, I do indeed work fast. It was such a fun idea I just started on it as soon as I got your suggestion. Thank you very much and your welcome my friend!

Some Random Dude: Yeah man sometimes you just need that role reversal! (paste mirror!Akko fanart here) But also Akko without inhibitions is kind of dangerous, that girl is strong and can be just as scary as Sucy when the time calls for it. (see broom race) Imagine if she was that unhinged all the time. Yeah i could do a full proper scene! What time would you like it at? During the show, after but still while they're at Luna Nova? Or maybe something like this here college roomates kind of deal.

DuwangChew: I too feel like a fully unshackled Akko has potential but am unsure where to take it next other than the obvious aftermath fic. Feel free to pm me a suggestion with any ideas you may have!

A Potato: Probably either shout or squee. Maybe both. Another vote for more unshackled Akko and confession! Alright I'll keep my brain working on both of those. Thanks friend!

I hope this chapter is sufficient! Let me know what you think!

Akko wasn't very musically adept, but she could still enjoy it in all of the forms it took. And sometimes, she noticed, even the simple sounds of living could be a soothing symphony.

The voices and laughter of the television blurred together into a meaningless hum, creating a steady baseline, while the heavy rainfall pelting against the windows flowed like the notes of a harp. Soft breathing, air shared between the two women who inhabited the apartment, would be the strings, each in and out not unlike the back and forth of a bow. Even the barely audible sound of Sucy's pen as it danced across her notepad added to the melody, gentle percussion that subtly announced her existence even when the brunette couldn't see her.

Their lives were so busy, running back and forth between jobs and school with barely enough time to eat before they had to sleep in time to do it all over again the next day. Akko cherished these moments of respite of late, two best friends sharing a space in comfortable quiet, enjoying eachother's presence.

"Do we have enough conditioner to last another week?"

But alas this peace was temporary. It was a Saturday: their scheduled day for shopping, and one of them had to take stock to decide what was needed for the coming week.

Obviously this responsibility fell to Sucy, as her roommate could barely be asked to check for crumbs on her face, let alone analyze the contents of the entire house and make a list that would have to be followed later.

No, while the alchemist walked around the house, continuously adding to the shopping list, Akko laid upside down on the couch, her legs curled around its back and balancing a remote on her nose.

Said bundle of sunshine looked up at her right knee, the closest thing to looking at her roommate without actually sitting up like the adult she technically was.

"Uhh maybe?" She offered uselessly, spinning the remote slowly around. "Put one down just in case."

"That should be it then..." The alchemist hummed, clicking her pen repeatedly. "...yeah."

Sighing in defeat, Akko allowed the remote to slide off of her face and topple onto the floor loudly. Even though any chance to spend time with Sucy nowadays was a treasured gift, the brunette found herself internally groaning at the thought of leaving the apartment: the store would be cold, and the car would be even colder.

"Alright bunny, hop to it."

The brunette's body seized as long thin fingers curled around her knee, the offending appendage's thumb rubbing gentle circles into the skin of her inner thigh. She immediately jerked upward to come face to face with her rather beautiful roommate's trademark grin.

Were she anyone else, the alchemist might have been impressed by such a movement; the abdominal power and flexibility required not something commonly seen in teenage girls, but the Kagari bloodline's inhuman strength had ceased to surprise long ago.

"We certainly make a pair don't we?" Sucy sighed, the grin on her face turning lopsided as she searched the brunette's bottomless pools of red. For what, she couldn't say; after years of looking, the alchemist had since forgotten. "You're the brawn, and I'm... everything else."

Akko averted her eyes from the alchemist's predatory gaze, the delicate skin of her cheeks burning a flustered pink. It wasn't so much the jab at her intelligence as it was the fact that her roommate- whom she had a massive crush on -referred to them as eachother's other halves.

There was a chuckle before two fingers grasped the brunette's chin, pulling her face back to look into the other witch's eye. She could feel her heart-rate increasing, pounding hard against her ribcage.

"I know it's gross out there but I'm gonna need help." Sucy asked in a soft tone, bringing her hand down to squeeze her best friend's other knee. "There are a few things we need to buy that I can't lift on my own."

She smiled then, tilting her head to the left and turning her palms upward in request. "I need you."

And all of a sudden, the brunette's reluctance to leave the apartment faded into nothingness.

Scholars would spend the next several centuries figuring out why.

. . . . .

Akko was right: the shop was cold and the car was colder. Though this was less of a problem than one would think, as Sucy's oddly affectionate behaviour continued. During the entire drive to the shopping center, she had kept her hand on the brunette's thigh; more than enough to send the poor girl's heart into overdrive and generate ample warmth.

Even while they were walking through the aisles Sucy stayed rather close, barely an inch between their shoulders, moving away quickly to grab something off of the shelf but always returning to that same spot at her side.

The brunette's mind was a tempest, a thousand thoughts swirling like a maelstrom as they swallowed all of her focus.

'Why is this happening?'

'She's so affectionate...'

'She's acting like my...'

'Does that mean...?'

'No don't be stupid.'

'But it could!'

There were numerous times where Sucy had to grab her arm to stop her from running down a small child or old lady in their path. The alchemist would only laugh in response, occasionally taking a quick shot at her cognitive functions before returning her focus back to the shopping list.

Every time afterword, the brunette's spine was stiff and her heart pounded in her ears for what felt like an eternity.

"Can you get this for me BunBun?"

Those damn adorable nicknames didn't help matters much either, in fact it just made everything worse.

Sucy stood bent over a large cardboard pallet of water, struggling to pull it from the stack. Ever the helpful friend and eager to do something with her hands besides fidgeting, Akko bent down and grabbed both sides, effortlessly lifting it up and sliding it under the cart.

"Why thank you my darling." The alchemist quipped, aware of how embarrassed such sweet words made her guinea pig, though blind to the reasons why.

This blindness wouldn't last much longer however, as an increasingly unstable Akko buckled underneath the weight of her own emotions, spinning her love around and quickly crushing their lips together before continuing to push the cart down the aisle at high speed.

Sucy could only reach her fingers upwards to hover over her still tingling lips, turning to look down the aisle at the girl's retreating form and blinking blankly.

They would need to talk about this later.

A/N: Whew finally we're done. Fuckin good job Akko, kiss and run, leave your girl in the dust. Honestly something in my gut shouts that this is the most in character way for Akko to reveal her love; a kind of shia labeouf just do it moment.

Poor Sucy. She's gonna need weeks to process this.

In other news maaaaaybe expect A Rose in Winter to be a day late. saturday night/ sunday morning? I guess? I'm gonna work on it for the rest of the week and see what I can do. I already basically know whats going on in the chapter so perhaps I'll post on time. What I'm saying is don't bet on it.

Kthxloveuguysbye