Chapter 7
Preparations
The hot Sunday morning sun shone on the glistening skin of Atsuko Kagari as her feet moved quickly down the sidewalk. She waved happily at her early rising neighbors as she ran past the houses located on the winding street that led to her home. Starting to feel shallow of breath, she forced herself to push a little harder, closing the distance quickly between herself and her destination. Red earbuds blasted loud rock music into her ears, the fast beats now matching pace with her quickened heart rate. The brunette all but sprinted to the marker she had set on the running app on her phone and collapsed onto the grass breathing heavily. She took out her phone and checked her time, comparing it to her previous attempts at the same distance weeks before.
"Shit." She breathed out in a disappointed whisper.
She had not beaten her time, in fact, she had lost nearly a minute on her best time. Her mood as of late had done a number on her motivation to do much of anything apart from school and hockey practice, but this morning she couldn't wait to get up and start her day, eager to get back to her old routine. And for that, she had a certain beautiful blonde haired girl to thank. The girl had set a new fire in Akko, one that she had not felt in a very long time. Since the moment she felt those soft lips on her own, she couldn't think of anything else. When she closed her eyes, every thought was drowning in those deep pools of azure eyes, and she never wanted to come up for air. It would be a sweet death, a sweet death indeed.
"You're up early. Back to the old grind I see?"
Akko was yanked out of her reverie by a low, fatigued voice coming from the front door of her blue house. Amanda was standing in the open doorway in her usual track shorts and t-shirt, holding a large coffee mug in her hands.
"Yeah, felt pretty good this morning." The brunette grinned proudly.
"Gee, I wonder why?" The red head mumbled, lifting the mug to her mouth to hide her smirk.
Oblivious to Amanda's sarcastic statement, Akko finished her last stretch, stood up and skipped happily over to the red head.
"Seriously, Akko. How do you have any energy left? Are you even human?" Amanda said with with her eyebrows raised.
"Superhuman, Amanda. Superhuman." Akko laughs and nudges the redhead in the side playfully as she walks by into the house and Amanda followed, closing the door behind them. "Hey Amanda, do you think seven o'clock was too early to text Diana?"
"You texted Dia…." The redhead trailed off, stopping herself from letting the snarky comment make its way out of her mouth. 'Give them a break' she thought, Lotte's words coming back to her from the night before. "Has she...texted you back yet?"
Akko pulled out her phone to check it once more. It was just past 8 o'clock, and Diana was no doubt still asleep after her late arrival home. The brunette just shook her head no in answer to Amanda's question.
"Then yes. Seven o'clock was too early." The redhead said simply before walking to the kitchen for a refill of her precious coffee.
Akko only hummed in reply. She wasn't an idiot. She knew it was too early, but she didn't really care. Diana was the first thing on her mind that morning, and she wanted the blonde to know that. Was that weird? Was that too much? 'Shit, what if she thinks that's too clingy?' She thought as she gripped her phone tighter.
"Ugh, you're already talking about Diana? Didn't we see enough of her last night?"
Akko jumped at the tired voice coming from the couch. Sucy sat there along with Lotte, both of them reading their favorite books. The former staring at her in irritation.
"Oh Sucy, you had fun last night. Don't try to act like you didn't." Lotte chimed in, slapping the pink haired girl playfully on the shoulder. "You were even nice to Diana, I think you secretly think of her as friend now."
"How dare you!" Sucy looked at her friend in horror. "Never say that again."
Lotte giggled uncontrollably at her friend's reaction. And through the feigned horror, a small smile crept onto the pink haired girl's face as she watched the scene. Until she remembered the brunette standing behind them was watching, Sucy quickly turned her expression back to one of disinterest and cleared her throat. Akko looked on in amusement, arching an eyebrow at the pink haired girl.
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Sucy asked flatly, pursing her lips at the brunette.
"Yeah yeah. I'm going." Akko smirked as she turned toward the stairs and retreated to her bedroom.
She gathered her things from her room and took a long, much needed shower. While she was basking in the hot water running over her body, a message tone from her phone rang out over the sound of the running water. Akko stuck her head out beyond the curtain, contemplating whether to wait to check it after she was done, or check it right away. After a few seconds, she decided to step out and dry her hands off before picking up her phone and unlocking it to check the message.
'Good morning, Akko. You were up early. Did you have something important to do this morning?'
The brunette smiled fondly at the screen and typed out a quick reply.
'Nah, just went for a long run this morning. Now I'm taking a shower. Sorry for texting so early btw.'
She pressed send and set her phone down. Quickly stepping back into the shower, she let out a satisfied sigh at the warmth. But before she could reach for the soap, the message tone rang out once more. Stepping out again, she dried off her hands and checked the new message.
'You're taking a shower? As we speak?'
Akko looked at her phone in confusion before typing.
'Uh yeah? I just wanted to text you back so I stepped out. But I'm shivering a little because I'm so wet.'
Again she pressed send, and stepped back into the shower under the warm water. She grabbed the soap and finished quickly before turning the water off. She stepped out and dried off, finishing up in the bathroom by putting on some comfortable lounging clothes. She set her things in her room and made her way back down the stairs into the kitchen where Amanda was sitting at the table, eating a bowl of cereal. Akko checked her phone again and was disappointed to see that Diana had not texted her back yet. The redhead must have noticed her sullen expression.
"You alright?" She asked before taking a bite of the sugary cereal and swallowed. "Diana hasn't texted you back yet?"
"She did. While I was in the shower. We texted back and forth a few times and then she stopped." Akko said, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Eh, maybe she's busy." The redhead shrugged.
"She didn't seem like she was. Look..." Akko slid the phone across the table and stood up to prepare her own breakfast.
The redhead opened the message app on the brunettes phone and began reading through the messages while taking a drink of her orange juice. Said orange juice quickly made it's way out of Amanda's mouth as she had involuntarily spit the liquid all over the table in front of her after reading the last message. Akko spun around quickly and stepped back flush against the counter.
"What?" The brunette asked in a panic.
"So wet?!" Amanda half shouted at Akko, pointing at the message with her eyebrows raised.
"I was wet. I was in the shower." The brunette tilted her head in confusion.
"Akko...no..." The redhead put her hands to her face, rubbing her eyes. "You really don't see anything...wrong with that message?"
"No?" Akko replied hesitantly, thinking through what she said one more time.
"You told her you were shivering because you were so wet!" The redhead raised her voice, throwing her hands up in the air and standing up to grab a towel to clean off the table with
"I was wet! And it was cold!" The brunette shouted back in the same frustrated tone.
"Okay, I'm done. I'm done!" Amanda threw her hands up in the air once more before wiping the table roughly, cleaning the orange juice from the surface. "You want to know why she probably hasn't texted you back?" She asked through clenched teeth. Akko could only nod her head, afraid to say anything at this point. "It's because you texted her while you were showering which means you were naked, and you told her you were shivering because you were so wet." The volume of her voice was increasing with every word. "And the sexual tension is so fucking thick between you two, she probably couldn't handle an image of you being naked and 'wet'!" Amanda gestured at the last word with her fingers making quotation signs. "Because even the refined Diana Cavendish isn't immune to having a dirty mind once in a while, especially when she's horny, I assume."
"Amanda!" Akko shouted, gasping in shock. The redhead only chuckled as she threw the dirty rag in the sink. The brunette put up a finger, readying herself to reprimand Amanda for her inappropriate words, when she froze. 'Shivering because I'm so wet' she thought again in her head. "Oh...my...gooood..."
"And the light bulb appears!" Amanda yelled victoriously.
"No no no no..."
"Yes yes yes yes my friend." The redhead patted her roughly on the back and sighed in contentment.
A flustered and very red Akko was left standing alone in the kitchen as Amanda strode out chuckling to herself and mumbling something along the lines of 'good luck with that'. The brunette lifted her phone and stared at the black screen for what seemed like an eternity. Ultimately she decided to let it go. Anything the brunette said at this point would probably only make things worse. And she was banking on the fact that Diana had been through a lot the last couple weeks, and she was probably starting to get used to this sort of thing.
"Why the hell she even stuck around is beyond me..." Akko whispered to herself and sighed. Her stomach rumbled angrily, reminding her of why she was in the kitchen in the first place. "Ah, yes. Gives me all the foods..." She said greedily as she grabbed her favorite cereal.
The vibration from the phone in her pocket made her jump as she was pouring her cereal, a few stray pieces fell onto the table and the floor. Grumbling, she picked them up and threw them away before taking out her phone to see that Diana had finally messaged her back. She was completely and utterly terrified to open in. She slowly brought her hand up to the screen, as if the slower she went, the less likely it was that the message wouldn't make her want to lay down and die. Taking a deep breath, she gingerly tapped the message icon.
'Are you done with your shower and fully clothed, Akko?'
Now, of all the terrible things she could think of reading in this particular message, this had not been one of them. Her fear was immediately replaced with confusion. She replied to the rather odd question.
'Yes I am. Why?'
She waited, watching the dots light up on the screen indicating that the blonde was typing out a message. A minute later, it appeared.
'If you ever feel inclined to text me again from the shower, please refrain from telling me as much. Nor do I need to know when you are shivering and wet.'
Akko let out an involuntary snort at the formality of the message. Her shoulders shook up and down as she silently giggled, thinking of all the ways she could tease Diana. 'I shouldn't' she thought, trying to convince herself that it wasn't a good idea. 'I really...really shouldn't' she stared at the screen and the message that was awaiting a reply. 'Ah screw it' she conceded as she typed a message out furiously, grinning evilly as she pushed send.
'Okay, that's fair. Would you like me to text you when I'm shivering and wet in bed instead? ;)'
She laughed to herself when she could almost see the blonde pinching her the bridge of her nose at that very second. She felt a little bad but it was so fun to tease Diana. And as memory serves, the blonde had a knack for teasing her as well, usually to the point of speechlessness. A new message came almost immediately.
'Please delete my number.'
After a rushed apology text from the brunette and a shortlived silent treatment from the blonde, they fell into a comfortable conversation about their morning and settled on the day and time of their first date. Akko volunteered to plan the whole thing and asked Diana not to worry about a thing. The brunette had never been on a real date before, so she knew it was time to call in her reinforcements. Surely her friends would be more than willing to help. She gathered them all into the living area, pulling them from various tasks and projects they had been working on.
"I have gathered you all here today because we need to discuss something rather important." Akko stood in front of five girls seated on the couch and small love seat.
"Why are you talking so weird?" Sucy droned, looking as bored as ever.
"Hey, I'm running a meeting. I'm just trying to sound..." Akko paused, thinking of the correct term to use.
"Smart?" Amanda arched an eyebrow and grinned.
"Yeah. I mean, hey! I'm smart! Ugh. Never mind that." The brunette crossed her arms and huffed. "I need your help." Akko looked around pleadingly. When no one immediately answered, she continued. "With my date. I need help planning my date."
"Really?!" Lotte shrieked in elation.
Sucy, who was sitting next to the excited girl, jumped slightly. Everyone else stared at her, slightly shocked at her enthusiasm.
"You'll help me Lotte?" Akko asked, clasping her hands together against her chest.
"Of course, Akko!" She said starry eyed. "And Sucy will help too."
"Why are you dragging me into this?" Sucy's eye grew wide as she turned toward Lotte.
"Constanze and I will help!" Jasminka said proudly as she dug into her bag of potato chips. Constanze gave Akko an enthusiastic thumbs up.
"Well shit, I'm not gonna be the bitch who says no." Amanda grinned and winked at Akko.
"Guuuuys!" The brunette began to tear up. "Thanks so much!"
"Okay, Akko. Do you have any ideas?" Lotte asked as she shifted her body toward the edge of the couch, leaning forward in anticipation.
"Yeah, I actually do...have a few." She said nervously.
The brunette began to elaborate on the ideas she had come up with since she had asked Diana out the night before. They were just rough ideas, most likely pulled from movies she had seen but couldn't quite place. With every idea that came from Akko, her friend's eye brows lifted a little bit more in surprise. The brunette paced as she talked, more to herself than to the others, with her brows furrowed until finally she went silent. She turned to her friends once more and held her breath.
"So, what do you think?"
Akko was met with silence. She shuffled her feet nervously as five pairs of eyes stared at her in awe. Amanda was the first to break out of her trance, shaking her head a bit.
"Damn, Akko. That...just wow." The redhead whispered.
"A date like that belongs in Nightfall!" Lotte added dreamily.
"Gag me." Sucy mumbled, receiving a slight glare from Lotte.
"So..so you think it's okay? Do you think Diana will like it?" Akko asked hesitantly.
"I'd be surprised if she could keep her panties on long enough to make it to the end." Amanda snickered.
"Amandaaaa!" Akko whined, but before she could say anything else, she was cut off.
"I kid, I kid. Akko, she will absolutely love it. If...we can pull it off." The redhead tapped her bottom lip with her finger in contemplation. "I mean we have six days..."
"...So?" The brunette waited anxiously for Amanda to finish.
"Alright. Let's do this. Let's impress your lady, Akko! Hands in!" The redhead stood up and held her hand over the table.
Lotte quickly followed, putting her hand over Amanda's. Jasminka and Constanze followed after that with determined nods. Akko put her hand in and then everyone turned their gazes toward Sucy, who hadn't moved from the love seat. She rolled her eyes and sighed before standing up.
"Fine." She grumbled as she put her hand on top of the stack.
"Alright! Get Akko laid on three!" Amanda shouted.
'Wha-" Akko gasped in shock but was immediately cut off.
"One!" The redhead shouted again.
"But-"
"Two!"
"No sto-"
"Three!"
"Get Akko laid!" Four girls shouted in unison. Constanze had only snickered quietly through the whole ordeal and Akko was now glaring at each and every one of them.
"I regret this already." The brunette grumbled as she rubbed her eyes in annoyance. "Okay, let's...just plan this out I guess." She sighed before kneeling down at the table in the middle of the room. Her friends gathered around eagerly.
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Monday afternoon arrived and the girls of the Luna Nova hockey team were finishing up their drills for the day. Coach Ursula blew her whistle and announced the end of practice. She smiled knowingly at the tired girls as mumbles and mutters filled the otherwise silent field. No body liked Mondays. The blue haired woman was surprised to see her energetic brunette player running up to her quickly. She had to take a step back fearing she was going to be tackled to the ground before the girl was able to stop.
"Ursula! Can I talk you?" Akko asked as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
"Yes, of course, Akko. What's up?" Ursula replies with a fond smile.
"I...um...I need your help."
"I can certainly try. What's going on?" The blue haired woman asked in mild concern at her player's nervousness.
"Well, I have a date on Saturday...with Diana." Akko blushed slightly as she said it.
"Oh! Congratulations, Akko! So you two finally started dating huh?" Ursula flashed the brunette a bright toothy grin.
"Oh. I mean, this is...this is our first date. And I want it to be perfect. Ya know?" Akko looked at the ground in embarrassment. "I mean, after the lap dance thing, and me passing out, and Amanda's teasing and the shower thing and my god, the poster thing!" She brought her hands up to her face and shook her head. "I want Saturday night to be perfect, she deserves it." The brunette looked back up to Ursula with a determined smile and resolute eyes.
"Poster...thing?" The blue haired woman was confused at her player's ramblings, but was genuinely curious about how a poster could have have any sort of impact on the girl's relationship.
"Oh." Akko pauses, surprised that out of all that, the poster thing is what Ursula was curious about. "It's dumb really. You know who Chariot DuNord is, right coach?"
"Yeah," Ursula's voice cracked and she froze on the spot. "I've heard of her."
"Well she's been my idol for a long time. She's so amazing and kind and strong and oh man is she ho-"
"I get the picture Akko." The coach cut her off immediately, a furious blush was creeping onto her face.
"Heh heh, sorry. She just really helped me through a really terrible time in my life. Her strength and her passion for life in general helped me to move forward when I thought I didn't have the strength to. I really wish I could meet her someday and thank her for that. Even if she did disappear, I can hope, right?" Akko finished meekly, before looking up at the blue haired woman with sad smile.
"Akko..." Ursula replied softly as she was holding back a flood of tears, threatening break the dam behind her eyes. She was elated and heartbroken, all at the same time. 'I should tell her' she thought. "I-"
"Anyway, Diana saw this poster I have of Chariot in my room. The one of her in a bikini and she's-"
"What?!" Ursula let out a piercing shriek. She knew exactly what photo Akko was talking about.
"Yeah, I think she was a little uncomfortable because it's above my be-"
"Akko stop!" Ursula said with a little more force than she had intended. The brunette jumped at the interruption and stared wide eyed at her coach, who's face was now a very bright red. After taking a deep breath, she continued. "Why don't you just tell me what you need help with." She said quickly. 'She can never find out who I am. I would just DIE!' She screamed in her head, trying to keep her expression calm.
"Oh, right. Heh. So here's the plan..." Akko began to explain her idea to Ursula and explain why she would need her help. After a few minutes of excited rambling, she finished. "So, what do you think? It's not stupid is it?"
"Akko, it's not stupid at all. I think it's a great idea." The coach grinned proudly at the brunette and put her hand on her player's shoulder. "And I would be honored to help you out on your first date."
"Yeah!" Akko jumped up off the ground, pumping her fist into the air. "Thanks so much, coach! You're the best!" She said over her shoulder as she grabbed her things and ran to catch up with her friends who had left for the cafeteria.
After the brunette was out of sight, Ursula let out a long sigh.
"I'm going to slap Croix for convincing me to the do that damn photo shoot."
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The rest of the week wasn't particularly kind to Akko, as she had fallen behind in her studies because of her sour mood and lack of motivation for the last couple of weeks. She found herself having to finish missed assignments and complete a few essays who's deadlines were nearing. This took up most of her attention every night, only stopping to shower, eat and text Diana. The only things she deemed important enough. And unfortunately, the other girls had heavy workloads as well, taking their attention away from preparing for the Akko's first date.
Thursday night rolled around and the occupants of the blue house found themselves scattered around the main living area, noses in text books, and pens in hand scribbling furiously in notebooks. The brunette groaned unhappily as she leaned forward and rested her head on the book she was currently trying to decipher.
"Ugh. Whyyyyyy?!" Akko groaned, words muffled by the object she was smashing her face into.
"Mood, friend." Amanda nodded her head to agree with the brunette as she turned a page in her book.
"We haven't even had time to decorate yet. This date is going to be a disaster." Akko said in distress, not lifting her head to speak.
"Akko, we have everything we need. And tomorrow is Friday, so we can stay up late if we need to." Lotte spoke softly, leaning over to pat her friend on the back reassuringly. "I promise everything will be ready."
"Yeah. What she said." The redhead added unhelpfully.
"Thanks guys." Akko stood up and gathered her things, letting out a big yawn before she spoke again. "I think I'm going to call it a night though. I can't hold my eyes open any longer."
The others mumbled their goodbyes as the brunette left the room. She entered her bedroom and dropped her books on her desk haphazardly before falling onto her bed. Before sleep could take her, she grabbed her phone and typed out a goodnight text to Diana. Good morning and goodnight texts had become a ritual for the two, and Akko couldn't imagine a better way to start and end her days than talking to the girl that she loved. But tonight she couldn't even stay awake to read the reply. She succumbed to the sweet temptation of sleep almost immediately after her head hit the pillow.
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Diana woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window on Friday morning. She used to curse them for waking her up in such an annoying way, but lately it seemed that nothing could sour her mood, even in the early hours of the morning. She sat up in her bed and immediately grabbed her phone to send a good morning text to her adorable...friend? Girlfriend? It was still unclear to Diana what the status of their relationship actually was. They hadn't talked about it yet, hopefully their date would clear things up for the blonde. All she knew was that Akko made her very happy, more happy than she could remember being in a long time. She wished she could talk to the brunette more often, but she knew that Akko was drowning in school work, as the girl had not so subtly put it. Diana giggled, remembering the clear disdain that Akko had for the work.
Before she could type out a message, she noticed she had an unread email showing on the screen from late last night. A message from her aunt Daryl. Diana sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Whenever her aunt reached out to her, it was never to bring good news. Daryl had always gone out of her way to avoid communicating with the heiress unless it was business related. Even then, she had always just sent a letter. So whatever was in this email was not a good thing. The blonde clicked on the icon, just wanting to get whatever it was her aunt wanted to say, out of the way.
'Diana,
The board of directors have called an emergency meeting on Saturday. You are required to attend. Your flight will leave at 11:00 am Saturday morning and your ticket will be waiting for you at the airport. I'll send a driver to pick you up. He will have your itinerary. Safe travels.
Daryl'
"Tomorrow?" Diana whispered sadly to herself as she read over the email again. Tossing her phone to the side, she brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. She was going to have to cancel her first date with Akko. Her heart ached. She suddenly had a hard time breathing as tears slowly trickled down her cheeks. The blonde quickly brought her hand up to wipe them away, even though nobody was there to see her being a complete irrational mess. 'Stop being so childish' she thought, chastising herself. Akko would understand surely, but Diana didn't want her to have to understand. She didn't want her to have to take a back seat to anything. But nothing could be done at this point. She was required to be in London tomorrow. She needed to tell the Akko as soon as possible.
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'Ring ring ring'
Akko snapped awake and groaned at the sound of her phone ringing. She groggily reached out for the loud object, fumbling with it a few times before getting a grip. Without looking at who the caller was, she answered sleepily.
"Hello?"
There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment and then a quiet sniff.
"H-hello Akko. I'm sorry, did I wake you?"
Akko sat up quickly, suddenly wide awake after hearing Diana's solemn raspy voice.
"Yeah, but it's okay. What's wrong, Diana? Did something happen?"
"Ahem. Akko I..."
The line went silent once more, long enough that the brunette had to check to make sure the call hadn't dropped.
"I received a message from my aunt, and I have to travel to London tomorrow morning for a meeting. I won't be able to make our date."
Akko's heart sunk immediately. Her mind went completely blank and she couldn't breath. When no reply came, Diana continued quickly.
"I'm so sorry, Akko. If it wasn't urgent, I would have declined."
'No, no, no, no...' she thought. 'This isn't right. I can't wait another week.'
"No..." The brunette whispered.
"Akko I'm-"
"Tonight." Akko blurted out suddenly, effectively cutting off the blonde.
"...Pardon?"
"Are you free tonight? Can I take you on a date tonight?" The brunette pleaded desperately.
Silence met her again. 'God, I sound so needy!' she screamed internally. But the truth was simply that she was needy. She desperately wanted to see Diana, and she just couldn't wait. She crossed her fingers and closed her eyes, waiting for a response.
"Yes, Akko. Tonight will work perfectly."
"Oh thank god." Akko let out the breath she was holding. "I mean...uh...c-cool." She backtracked before audibly smacking her forehead. The brunette was met with the sweet sound of giggling on the other end of the line that made her heart flutter. "I'll pick you up at...uh is eight o'clock okay? I have a late practice today."
"That's perfect, and I can't wait. But I need to get going. I don't want to be late for my first class."
"Oh right, class. Well I can't wait to see you tonight, Diana. Have a good day, okay?"
"I will most certainly try. You have a good day as well. Goodbye, Akko."
"Bye, Diana."
The call ended and Akko smiled at her phone for a whole minute before coming to a problematic realization. She was taking Diana out on a date tonight. TONIGHT! All the planning went out the window at that point. She wasn't ready, her friends weren't ready.
"Shit!" She shouted, jumping off her bed. She sprinted to the door and flung it open before running to the door next to hers. She knocked a few times before barging into Amanda's room. "Amanda! Wake up! Wake up, wake up, wake up!" The brunette shouted as she shook the redhead violently.
"What?!" Amanda flung the blankets off of herself and stood up immediately, looking around quickly in a fighting stance. After calming down, noticing the lack of immediate danger, her gaze fell on Akko. "What the hell is going on?" She said breathlessly.
"Tonight, Amanda. I had to change the date to tonight!" The brunette shouted in horror.
"Wha...why?!" The redhead shrieked.
"No time, we have to gather the others!" The brunette turned and ran out the door with Amanda hot on her heels.
After four other girls were successfully awoken and dragged unwillingly into the living room, Constanze literally being carried in by Jasminka, they settled in for the emergency meeting. Akko recounted the conversation she had with Diana, effectively expressing the desperation she felt as she paced back and forth, gesturing wildly.
"Calm down, Akko." Amanda pleaded. "We...can do this. Right guys?" She looked around at the other girls, searching for someone to back her up. "Jas, you can get it done right?"
"Most definitely." Jasminka smiled reassuringly at Akko.
"Okay, and the rest is just, like, decorating right?" The redhead spoke more to herself than anyone else.
"We're going to cut it close, but I'm sure we can pull it off." Lotte added tiredly.
Constanze, who hadn't even opened her eyes yet, just weakly gave them all a thumbs up before nuzzling back into the couch cushion.
"I'm so lucky I have you guys." Tears were now trickling down Akko's cheeks at the display of friendship.
"Don't get all sappy on us now, Kagari." Amanda smirked before walking over and wrapping the brunette in a tight hug that was welcomed enthusiastically.
"I don't know what I would do without you Amanda. Thank you so much." The brunette whispered.
"Hey, this is what friends are for right?" The redhead replied softly as she rested her head against the top of Akko's.
"I hate to break up the love fest, but we do have classes today. We should all start getting ready." Sucy stood up and walked out of the room without another word.
"Oh, right. Sorry you guys." Akko wiped the last of her tears and let go of Amanda. "Thanks again everyone."
Lotte hugged Akko on her way out of the room, following in the direction that Sucy had disappeared to. Jasminka picked Constanze up and squeezed the brunette's shoulder before retreating back to her room.
"Well, we should probably get ready too. Gonna be long day my friend." The redhead stretched her arms above her head as she yawned. "And you should probably text coach to let her know the change of plans." Amanda ruffled Akko's hair before walking to the stairs and disappearing around the corner.
"Right, I'll do that."
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"Lotte, I was wrong. We're fucking screwed." Amanda grumbled as she tried to untangle a string of lights.
Lotte and Amanda were busying themselves on the patio behind their house. The backyard itself wasn't very large, the patio taking up most of the area along with a small garden that Jasminka took care of. A large table with six chairs sat at the center of the patio under a large gazebo. Lotte swept the the area with a broom as she listened to Amanda's complaints.
"I mean, I literally just took these out...of...the...box!" She threw the lights back down on to the table in frustration.
"Yeah, it was pretty unlucky that Sucy was asked to tutor someone tonight. The fact that we all get home late on Fridays doesn't help either." She said, clearly as worried as the redhead was. "What if we-"
"So what do you think?" Akko strode out of the sliding glass door to the patio, showing off the outfit she had picked. She wore tight, slightly worn blue jeans rolled up at the bottom revealing her bare ankles, leading down to a pair of black and white checkered Vans slip ons. Her top was a dark gray vintage Def Leppard t-shirt. Her trademark half ponytail was still there, of course.
"I think...it is very you." Amanda smirked, forgetting her irritation with the string of lights.
"What? Is very me...a good thing?" The brunette asked nervously.
"It looks good, Akko." Lotte said approvingly, flashing Akko a bright smile.
"Thank god, because I don't have any time to change. I'll see you guys later!" The brunette was gone in a flash with a final wave over her shoulder.
"Amanda, how is she getting to Diana's house?" Lotte wondered aloud.
"I don't know, maybe she...oh no. She wouldn't." The redhead's eyes grew wide.
"She wouldn't what?"
"No, she's not that...no, no she is that...oh god Lotte. The scooter!" Amanda said, horrified.
"She wouldn't!" Lotte gasped. "She had to have called a taxi right?"
Their answer came almost immediately with the sound of Akko's Vespa scooter starting up in the driveway, and a minute later the sound began to disappear as she drove further down the road and out of the neighborhood until they couldn't hear it at all.
"Why is she...the way that she is?" Amanda asked as she rubbed her eyes. Lotte giggled and shrugged in reply.
"I just wish I was going to be there to see the look on Diana's face when she sees her knight in shining armor ride up on a Vespa scooter." The redhead snorted, and Lotte laughed a little louder when she pictured it in her own mind.
"Oh dear." Lotte sighed. "Amanda we are going to need help. Do you have any ideas?"
"I do have an idea, but I'm having a very hard time deciding if it'd be worth it." The redhead pulled out her phone and turned it on.
"Do it for Akko. Whatever it is."
Amanda sighed heavily as she scrolled through her contacts to find the name she was looking for.
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"Diana, what...are these?" Barbara pulls out the new pair of shoes from their box sitting on Diana's bed. She held them with two fingers as far away from her body as she could, as if she'd get some sort of disease if she got too close.
The blonde was standing in front of her full length mirror fixing her hair for what seemed like the tenth time. She glanced at what Barbara was holding in the reflection with bobby pins in her mouth.
"She went shopping to impress her girlfriend." Hannah remarked cheekily as she was playing on her phone, sitting at the head Diana's bed. She missed an icy glare from the heiress in the reflection of the mirror.
"Akko messaged me and told me to wear something comfortable. Nothing in my wardrobe seemed to meet those particular perimeters." The blonde finished with her hair and turned back and forth in the mirror, inspecting her work before turning around and shrugging. "So I bought a few things."
"Sooo...the converse shoes and flannel shirt have nothing to do with impressing Akko then?" Hannah arched her eyebrow at Diana.
"They're comfortable." The blonde growled through clenched teeth.
"I never said they weren't." Hannah smiled innocently at a glaring Diana, tilting her head.
"Just give me those." She walked over and snatched the shoes out of Barbara's hands, picking up the rest of her outfit on the way. "I'll be out shortly." She grumbled over her shoulder before entering her bathroom and shutting the door behind her.
"Aww...go easy on her Hannah." Barbara giggled. "She's in love."
"I know, Barb. I just wish she'd admit it. You know? We're her friends."
Before Hannah had the chance to pout for too long, her phone began to ring. The number was one she didn't recognize, but she shrugged and answered quickly anyway.
"Hello"
"Hey there, ging...uh...Hannah. Hi. This is...Amanda."
"...How did you get my number?" Hannah glanced at a curious Barbara and mouthed 'Amanda'.
"That's really not important right now. Look, we need your help. Like right away."
"With?"
"Akko and Diana's date. We're decorating the-"
"Decorating?" Hannah said excitedly. "So you know what Akko has planned?"
"Yeah, uh we are dec-"
"Yes, we'll help."
"But I didn't ev-"
"Where?" Hannah interrupted once more.
"My house, bu-"
"Okay, see you soon."
She ended the call quickly as the bathroom door opened and Diana stepped out. Hannah and Barbara's jaws dropped as the blonde turned in a slow circle.
"So?" She asked nervously.
"You look absolutely amazing!" Barbara shouted in glee.
"Yeah, those clothes really suit you, Diana. You can totally pull off anything. I'm super jealous." Hannah jokingly pouted before flashing a genuine smile at her friend. "Akko's going to love it."
The blonde couldn't help but light up at he comment. She smiled brightly at her friends before turning around to give herself a once over, bouncing on the balls of her feet like a giddy little girl. Hannah and Barbara glanced at each other and grinned after seeing their friend so happy.
"Well, Diana. Barb and I actually have a thing to get to. So if you don't need us for anything else, we'll be going." Hannah stood up from the bed and straightened out her clothes.
"Oh? What are your plans tonight girls?" Diana asked curiously.
"A thing." Hannah simply stated once more, not changing her stone expression.
The blonde narrowed her eyes suspiciously and turned to Barbara. She could crack Barbara. She was never as strong willed as Hannah, and therefore, much easier to get information out of.
"Barbara, what are your plans for the evening?" Diana asked, eyebrows raised.
"...A thing." She squeaked out, her voice betraying herself. The blonde opened her mouth to speak once more but was cut off.
"Okay! Have fun Diana!" Hannah sang over her shoulder as she grabbed Barbara and they quickly exited the room, leaving a shocked Diana behind them.
"You really need to work on your poker face, Barb." Hannah mumbled as they exited the apartment and began walking down the hall.
"She has this look Han, I just...I can't lie when she gives me that look!" The black haired girl whined as they reached the elevator.
The elevator opened immediately before they had the chance to push the button. A familiar brunette stood there staring back at them, holding a bouquet of white roses and fidgeting nervously.
"Oh, h-hey guys...girls. Hey girls." Akko winced at her stuttering and she stepped out into the hallway.
Hannah and Barbara looked her up and down and then glanced at the bouquet. To the brunette's surprise, they both gave her small smiles and approving nods before rushing past her into the elevator before it closed.
"Hello, Akko." Hannah said over her shoulder.
"Have fun." Barbara turned around and winked.
"Oh...o-okay. Th-thanks!" Akko raised her voice as the doors closed. She turned and began making her way down the hallway toward Diana's door. "Calm down Kagari, you can do this." She mumbled to herself. "Just breath, just breath."
She made it to the door and stopped in front of it. Taking a few deep breaths, she brought her hand up to knock and paused. Akko took a few more deep breaths, and then a few more, and a few more. That is when she realized she might be having a slight panic attack. Groaning to herself she stepped away from the door and turned around.
"Come on! You can do this!" The brunette growled at herself. "She wants to go on a date with you!" She started pace back and force. "This gorgeous amazing woman wants to go out with you." She mumbled. "She made out with you for god's sake just knock on the door!" Taking one last deep breath she turned toward the door once again. Akko froze in place when she realized the door was now open, and a very amused looking Diana was leaning against the door jam, staring at her.
"Gah!...uh...how m-much...how much of that did you hear?" She managed to squeak out.
"Enough." The blonde grinned mischievously.
"I'm sorry...I was just...holy shit you look hot!" Akko's eyes grew wide when she noticed what Diana was wearing for their date. The first thing she noticed was her hair, which was styled in a long braid laying on the front of her shoulder. Further down, she was wearing a simple low cut white tank top under a blue and black flannel long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Even further down, she wore tight black jeans which were slightly worn, and finally a pair of black and white converse shoes.
Diana giggled quietly as the brunette looked her up and down in awe.
"See something you like?" The blonde smirked and leaned her head against the door frame.
"You." Was all Akko could say as she nodded slowly and swallowed dryly. "You are so beautiful, Diana."
The blonde was taken by surprise at the genuine admission and felt the temperature rise in her cheeks. The corners of her mouth upturned into a shy smile as she stared into crimson eyes.
"These are you for you." Akko stared back with her own shy smile as she moved forward to give Diana the bouquet of roses.
"Thank you, Akko. They're beautiful." Diana said barely above a whisper. She brought the flowers up to her nose and smelled the wonderful fragrance. "Will you come in for a moment while I put them in a vase?"
Akko nodded with a grin and followed the blonde into her apartment. It only took Diana a minute to pull out a beautiful crystal vase and set the flowers in it. When the flowers were taken care of, they made their way down to the parking garage making small talk, asking each other how their day had been. After walking through the last door together, Diana stopped abruptly, noticing that there was no car waiting for them.
"Akko, where is..." She trailed off as she looked around for a car that she may have missed. Then she saw it. A bright red scooter parked in the closest visitor parking stall. The blonde knew it did not belong to anyone living in the building, in fact, no one living in the building would ever even think of getting on a scooter. She hadn't, until just now.
"Is that..."? Diana slowly brought her hand up to point at the Vespa.
Akko narrowed her eyes, following the direction of the pointed finger with her gaze.
"Oh, yeah. That's mine. Good old shooting star." The brunette smiled proudly.
"You have a scooter?" The blonde whispers in disbelief. "You picked me up on a scooter?!"