Chapter 8
It's A Date!
"You have a scooter?" The blonde whispers in disbelief. "You picked me up on a scooter?!" She asked a little louder, finally finding her voice again.
"Well, yeah. I wasn't going to bring my bike." Akko snorted. "Don't worry, I have a helmet for you and everything. Come on." The brunette gestured toward the scooter and began walking.
"Unbelievable." Diana mumbled to herself, looking up to the ceiling of the garage. She took a deep breath before forcing her self to move her feet to where Akko was excitedly waiting for her, already holding out a spare helmet. She took the object and stared at it for a moment. It was a plain black helmet, thankfully not unlike the riding helmet she would use when she rode her horses back home. She put it on carefully as to not ruin her hair too much as the brunette looked on in amusement, stifling a giggle.
"Ready?" Akko asked as she mounted the scooter and started it. The engine roared to life underneath her.
"How do I...uh..." Diana trailed off as she approached slowly.
"Just hop on and hold onto me. Pretty simple." The brunette smiled cheekily. She was enjoying this. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought this through before she took the cover off of her scooter for the first time in a long time. She knew exactly what she was doing.
"Right..." The blonde finally swung her leg over the back of the scooter and sat down, putting her feet on the extra foot rests.
"Alright hold on!"
Diana let out an undignified squeak as the scooter jolted forward, causing her to immediately reach around Akko's waist tightly, and in turn leaning the front of her body flush up against the brunette's back. Akko chuckled loudly as she went a little faster now, making their way out of the parking garage and in the direction of their first destination.
'Knock knock knock'
Upon hearing the knock, Amanda quickly stood up from the patio table and walked in through the already open back door, hurrying to the front of the house. She stopped momentarily at the mirror on the wall to take a once over of herself, winking at her reflection when she was satisfied and taking a deep breath before opening the front door. Hannah and Barbara stood side by side on the porch, the former looking thoroughly annoyed as usual.
"Hey. Thanks for coming. We were really screwed there for a minute." The redhead flashed a charming smile at the two girls.
"Oh, yeah. You're...welcome. Or whatever." Hannah shifted uncomfortably. "So..."
"Oh! Right, come in!" Amanda moved to the side to allow them entry before shutting the door. She gestured for them to follow her as she made her way through the house. "We need help out back. None of us really know how to pull off this romantic shit. And I figured you two would be more...knowledgeable?"
"W-well, I don't know about that. But we do know Diana and what she likes, so I suppose that's something." Hannah tried to reassure the redhead.
"Yeah! But we'll need to know the plan first...just to...uh...keep in mind. While we help." Barbara was itching to find out what Diana would be going through tonight, and she was a very impatient person.
"I'll get to that while we-" Amanda began.
"Hi Lotte!" The black haired girl waved excitedly at Lotte as they passed through the door into the back yard. Barbara skipped to the other side of the patio.
"Barbara! Hi! Thank you so much for coming!" Lotte stood up to greet the newcomers.
"Just so you know, Amanda, I'm more of a supervisor than a laborer." Hannah said haughtily as she walked past the redhead, following her friend.
"I'm more of a supervisor meh meh meh meh." Amanda quietly mocked out of Hannah's earshot, flailing her arms as she followed. "Akko so owes us."
The sun was setting on the Luna Nova hockey field as a little red scooter pulled into the empty parking lot adjacent to it. It came to a stop in front of the cement path leading to the bleachers and sidelines. Diana was the first to get off as Akko was keeping it steady for her. The brunette followed after and nudged the kickstand out with her foot.
"So what did you think?" The brunette asked as she chuckled and took off her helmet.
"It was...an experience." The blonde replied breathlessly, trying to undo her chin strap. "What are we doing here?" She mumbled, still struggling with her chin strap.
Akko giggled while she reached up and grabbed Diana's shaky hands with her own, pushing them gently back down to the blonde's sides.
"Let me help." The brunette whispered, smiling fondly at the adorable pouting girl in front of her. "This is the first stop of our date." She finished with the straps and gently pulled the helmet off of Diana's head. She set it next to her own on the scooter before taking the blonde's hand in her own and leading her to the field.
Although it wasn't completely dark yet, the quickly setting sun made it hard for Diana to see just where they might me going. She scanned the empty field skeptically, taking quick sideways glances at the happy girl next to her. The blonde was amazed at the size of the field once they stepped onto it and began walking toward one of the goals. After a few minutes of silent walking, Akko stopped and turned to the blonde, a grin never leaving her face. Diana raised an eyebrow at her in a silent question. Suddenly the blinding lights above the field came to life, lighting up everything in the immediate area and beyond. The blonde blinked rapidly, willing her eyes to adjust to the newfound bright light. Once they did, she looked around where they were standing. Two hockey sticks lay on the ground at their feet, and a bag of hockey balls next them. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked back up to the waiting brunette curiously.
"I thought we could play a friendly game of hockey." Akko smirked as she picked up one of the sticks and held it out for the blonde, who hesitantly took it from her. "With certain terms, of course."
"And these terms are...what exactly?" Diana arched an eyebrow.
"Well, for each goal you score, you get to ask me a question." The brunette leaned down to grab a ball out of the bag. "Any question you wish, and I'll answer." She through the ball down onto the grass. "And it'll be the same for me. The first person to five points wins."
"I see. And what does the winner get when the game is over?" Diana asked, a smile now starting to show on her lips.
"The winner," Akko paused dramatically and leaned in closer to the blonde. "gets a kiss from the loser."
Diana gigglesdat the brunette's antics, bringing her hand up to her mouth and turning away slightly.
"Now that..." The blonde put her arms around Akko's neck and pulled her in closer. "is something..." She leaned in close to the brunette's ear. "worth losing for..." Diana nibbled on the shell, making Akko shiver violently under her touch. She chuckled and pulled away from the brunette, who was closing her eyes tightly and had a strong hold on her hockey stick, so much so that her knuckles were a bright white.
"That's...that's not fair." Akko finally breathed out as she opened her eyes. "You can't just...do that!" She said a little louder, voice cracking.
"Oh? I wasn't aware there were any rules." Diana grinned mischievously.
"Well, technically...there isn't I guess." The brunette rubbed the back of her neck.
"Perfect. Now let us begin, Kagari. We don't have all night." The blonde walked up to the ball and winked in Akko's direction.
"Are you sure you don't need any pointers on how to handle that stick, Cavendish?" The brunette's playful retort fell on deaf ears as Diana swiftly knocked the ball past the brown haired defender and took a shot at the goal, placing it perfectly between the vertical posts. Akko could only watch in pure shock as the blonde sauntered back to her with a smirk on her face.
"One to nothing." Diana said as she passed by and leaned over to pick up another ball out of the bag.
"Wha…? How…?" The shocked girl couldn't get a complete sentence out.
"Now now, Akko. It is my turn to ask a question, is it not?"
The brunette nodded before clearing her throat, trying to collect herself.
"Yeah, of course. Go ahead and ask away." A smile found it's way back onto Akko's face.
The blonde only had to think for a second as she had already thought of many questions to ask Akko over the past couple of weeks.
"What are you majoring in?"
"Well, I uh….haven't officially declared anything, but I'd like to major in music theory and composition. I love writing music." Akko looked down at her feet shyly. Sometimes she felt so small next to Diana, the prodigy. The brunette had done some research after meeting the blonde and was so amazed at her accomplishments. She had been accepted into school of medicine and was now gaining a master's degree in oncology. And they were the same age. How did she handle it all?
"Well from the little I've heard, you are very good at it, Akko." The blonde smiled reassuringly.
Akko smiled back as they switched places so the brunette was on the offensive now. Before Diana could get fully set, Akko hit the ball in between the blonde's legs and spun around her before shooting the ball successfully into the empty net.
"One to one." The brunette said cheekily as she walked back to Diana. Without allowing the blonde to respond, she blurted out her question. "Where in the hell did you learn to shoot like that?" Diana chuckled at her lack of elegance.
"I played a little when I was very young. Not officially, mind you. I convinced my mother to set up a small field on our estate." The blonde smiled fondly at her memories and then looked at Akko in contemplation before continuing. "I may have been a fan of the France women's national team."
"What?!" Akko squeaked. "You were a fan of Cha-"
"One question at a time, Akko." Diana cut her off as she clicked her tongue and grinned at the brunette's giddiness.
Akko nodded quickly as she got into her defensive stance without another word. The blonde began to move, hitting the ball softly to her right first before the brunette over took her and stole it away. Quickly and with very little effort, Akko shot the ball into the goal once more.
"You're a fan of Chariot?!" She shouted immediately.
It happened so quickly, Diana almost had whiplash just watching her. Before she could regain her focus, the brunette was already right in front of her, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly.
"I...uh...yes. I suppose I was." The blonde breathed out. "She was very popular back then, after all."
"I can't believe it!" Akko exclaimed, giggling. "I just...that is just...that is just amazing. Diana Cavendish, Chariot fan." She finally said, calming down a little.
Diana sent a glare at the giggling brunette before quickly shooting another ball into the goal without her noticing.
"Two-two."
"What?" Akko stopped giggling immediately and turned to confirm that the blonde had indeed just scored. "Ah...playing dirty. I can respect that." The brunette flashed a lopsided grin. "So, what's your question?"
Diana crossed her arms and drummed her fingers on her bicep as she thought. She needed something good, something embarrassing, something...and then it hit her. Something that Amanda had said two weeks ago at the bar.
"Have you ever had a sexual dream about me, Akko?" Diana asked this with the straightest face she could muster.
"What?!" The brunette's eyes shot open as wide as they possibly could and her jaw dropped. She backed away slowly, absolutely horrified at the question. For a whole minute, all she could manage to get out were 'uh' and 'um' and unintelligible mumbles. "Yes." She finally whispered, wringing her hands.
"What was that?" Diana put a hand to her ear.
"Yes! Okay? Yes! I have!" Akko said, a little louder than she had meant to. Her face and ears were now the same color as her crimson eyes, and she brought her hands up to hide that fact.
The blonde tried to hold in her chuckle, but she could not suppress a satisfied grin. She felt a little guilty at the distress she cause, though. But not guilty enough to keep her from one more question.
"Could you elaborate on that, Akko?"
"No..." The brunette groaned into her hands. "I am so going to get you back for that." Akko finally said in a playful manner, taking her hands away from her face after getting over her embarrassment.
They both laughed loudly as they switched positions once more. The game dragged on a little longer than it probably should have as the two girls spent more time engaged in conversation than actually playing the game. Akko learned that Diana had a competitive streak that could rival her own when she ended up on the ground twice trying to defend against the blonde's attacks. And Diana learned that Akko's pouting was probably the most adorable thing she had ever seen. They each asked their remaining questions, in which they found out that they had been each other's first kiss and that they we were both virgins. The last thing they learned was just how red they could both get from utter embarrassment.
The score was now tied once more, and Akko was on the offensive.
"I do believe you're going to owe me a kiss after this next goal, Cavendish." The brunette grinned before she threw the ball down in front of her and hit it gently back and forth with her stick.
"Maybe." Was the blonde's only response.
Akko quickly hit the ball to her left and ran after it. Diana made no move from the spot she stood, electing just to watch this time. The brunette ran toward to the goal and shot it in easily. She kept running as she let out a cheer and put her arms out to her side. This reminded the blonde of the cute picture she had seen of Akko on the very first day they met. She smiled brilliantly and giggled as Akko started to run a big circle around her still cheering.
"And Atsuko Kagari scores the game winning goal!" She yelled, trying her best to imitate a man with a deep voice. "And the crowd goes wild! Haaaaaaaa!"
Diana was laughing loudly now with both hands over her mouth and tears forming in her eyes. This was a memory the blonde would surely never forget. Because that was the exact moment that she had fallen head over heals in love with Atsuko Kagari. Diana slowly ceased her laughing when Akko slowed to a walk, making her way back to the blonde.
"So, I guess you...nnn" The brunette was cut off when the blonde immediately captured her lips in a deep kiss. Akko dropped her stick immediately and set both hands on the back of Diana's neck and pulled her closer. The blonde moaned quietly into the brunette's mouth at the action, and moved her hands to Akko's waist, capturing a handful of t-shirt and tugging the brunette close.
Both needing air, they pulled away from each other and gasped.
"Did you..." The brunette paused as she caught her breath. "Did you let me win so you could do that?"
"I did." The blonde chuckled. "I couldn't wait anymore." She said weakly. After a few more breaths she continued. "We were just delaying the inevitable. You were going to win anyway."
Akko giggled at that. She had taken it quite easy on the blonde and she knew it.
"You know, that's the beauty of this little game. We both win in the end." The brunette gave the blonde a small smile before leaning in and connecting with Diana's lips once more.
Behind the bleachers, two woman sat on a blanket laid out on the grass and watched little game of love happening on the field before them. The blue haired woman sat under an electrical box which stored the switches that controlled the bright lights to the large area. The lilac haired woman sitting next to her was snacking on popcorn from a bag that she had brought from their home.
"If all hockey games were like this, I'd probably show up to your team's games more often."
"Croix..." Ursula nudged Croix in the ribs and chuckled. "I think it's adorable. They are so cute together."
"Yeah, isn't it really weird how much they resemble us at their age though? The genius and the jock?" The lilac haired woman joked and winked.
"Seriously, Croix?" Ursula arched her eyebrow and sighed.
"Seriously, my love." Croix smirked and kissed the back of the blue haired woman's hand.
"A little full of ourselves are we?" Ursula asked as she arched her brow and took some popcorn.
"You knew what you were getting into when you kissed me all those years ago."The lilac haired woman chuckled.
"Riiight… oh look! They're going to kiss!" Ursula clasped her hands together in front of her chest as she watched Diana take Akko in a passionate kiss. "Aww...young love."
"This is better than anything we've seen on TV lately." The lilac haired woman popped a few more pieces of popcorn in her mouth. "So when are you going to tell her, Chariot?"
"What?! I'm not going to tell her. Ever!"
"Oh come on." Croix laughs. "It's just one little picture."
"A picture of me...in a bikini...above her bed. It's a miracle I can even look her in the eyes anymore without turning as red as a lobster." Ursula grumbled, stealing some popcorn.
"I'd put that poster above our bed if you'd let me." Croix mumbled quietly
"No."
"You should be flattered, really. The kids think you're hot enough to-"
"Stop! Don't you ever even think about saying that again." Ursula chastised her girlfriend.
"I just hope I don't 'accidentally' let it slip one day."
"Don't you dare!"
"Oh the look on both your faces will be priceless." Croix chuckles.
Unfortunately it was too late for the lilac haired woman to move out of the way when she noticed a hand swiftly moving toward her face.
'Slap!'
"Akko, did you hear that?" Diana stopped abruptly on the cement path leading to the parking lot.
"Yeah, like a...slapping noise?" Akko turned and looked around the field before shrugging. "Huh. Oh well."
The two girls walked hand in hand back to the awaiting scooter, putting on their helmets and readying themselves for travel again. The blonde secured her chin strapped and got an idea. A horrible idea if she was being honest. But her game with the brunette had invigorated her. Tonight she didn't have to be worried about her name or her status. She didn't have to worry about prying eyes and judgments being made. Tonight she was with Akko, and only Akko. The girl she loved, the girl who has had a glimpse of this rare side of Diana and welcomed it with opened arms. Feeling bold, she turned to the brunette who was finishing with her own chin strap and smiled at the sight of Akko's tongue sticking out at the corner of her mouth in concentration.
"Akko?"
"Yeah?"
"Will you teach me how to drive your scooter?" Diana's smile turned pleading.
"You want to...drive my scooter? For real?" Akko blinked back at her in shock. She was met by excited nodding. "Okay. Sure!"
"Really?" Diana's brilliant smile grew wider than the brunette had ever seen it before. The blonde lunged at Akko, wrapping her up in a tight hug making her giggle in delight.
"O-okay. Let's uh...uh Diana, you're gonna have to let go of me first." The brunette squirmed a bit in the blonde's arms.
"Oh...my god, Akko," The blonde let go immediately and took a quick step backward, putting her hands behind her back. "I apologize."
"It's okay, Diana." The brunette chuckles. "Go ahead and hop on."
Diana did as instructed and climbed on, sitting on the seat toward the front. Akko proceeds to tell her everything she needs to know about driving it. Luckily it had an automatic transmission, so it was mostly the basics she had to learn, which were easy enough. Accelerate, brake and balance.
"Alright, are you ready?"
"I...think so." Diana replied nervously.
"You'll do fine, Diana. I believe in you." Akko smiled reassuringly. "Now first things first. Fire it up!"
The blonde gave a determined nod as she turned the engine over. The brunette gave her a thumbs up before backing up out of the way.
"Now slowly accelerate." Akko shouted over the engine.
Diana did exactly that. She wobbled a bit at first but as she went faster, her balance found itself again. It was easier than she had thought it would be. The blonde cheered and laughed out loud as she zigzagged through the parking lot, not missing the opportunity to circle the brunette a few times.
Akko watched the blonde with a goofy grin. Diana's laughs and giggles had become her most favorite thing in the world to listen to. It was music to her ears. This care free side of the blonde was so damn adorable. She was beautiful. She was amazing. She was...driving away. While Akko was lost in her thoughts, Diana had stopped circling and was now headed toward the outlet to the main road.
"Hey! Where are going?!" Akko yelled as loud as she could. But if the blonde had heard her, she made no indication as she pulled out onto the main road and proceeded to drive away. "What the..." She watched until Diana was out of sight. "She just...she just left me! She left me here!"
The brunette began to pace back and forth before pulling out her phone. She began searching through her contacts, but before she found the one she was looking for, she heard the familiar sound of her scooter engine coming closer and closer. Relief washed over her as the blonde came into sight. She had come from the same direction that she left, most likely making a u-turn while she was out of sight. Diana turned into the parking lot and slowed to a stop in front of Akko.
"Hey there gorgeous. Why don't you hop on so I can give you a ride on this shooting star." The blonde smirked and gave an exaggerated wink.
The two girls broke out into laughter in unison. It took a few minutes for the brunette to calm down enough to get any words out. She wiped a few tears away from her eyes before she spoke.
"Oh my..." Akko trailed off as she giggled once more. "I'll bet you say that to all the girls." She tried to pout but she couldn't seem to erase the smile that was plastered on her face.
"Only the beautiful hockey playing ones." Diana chuckled and jerked her head, gesturing for the brunette to get on seat behind her.
"Alright alright." Akko rolled her eyes playfully. "Are you sure you can handle someone riding behind you?" She asked as she threw her leg over the back of the scooter and sat down. "It's a little diff-"
The scooter lurched forward as Diana began to accelerate unexpectedly. Much the same as the blondes reaction earlier, Akko immediately wrapped her arms around Diana's waist to keep from flying off of the back, resulting in the scooter wobbling a bit before straightening out. The brunette could feel Diana's body shaking up and down in silent laughter in front of her. 'Oh god, we are going to die' she thought in the midst of her rising panic.
"So where are we going now?" The blonde yelled to the girl behind her.
"My house." Akko yelled back.
The blonde only nodded in response. The brunette spent the rest of the ride in terrified silence except for the occasion yelp and squeal at Diana's erratic driving. Luckily, the girls and shooting star arrived back to the house unscathed. The blonde turned into the driveway and accidentally came to an abrupt stop, jarring Akko's weight forward, almost carrying them up and over the handle bars.
"Oops." The blonde muttered. The brunette was silent behind her, still holding her very tight, uncomfortably tight. "Akko? Are you alright?" She asked, trying to twist her body around.
"Eh?" Akko squeaked.
"You can let go now."
"Oh, right. Yeah." The brunette spoke in a high pitched voice. She loosened her hold on Diana realizing that she hadn't let go, and that her palms were very sweaty. Akko slowly stood up and swung her shaking leg over the scooter. "O-okay. You can stand up and put the k-kickstand down."
"Alright." The blonde stood up and swung her own leg over, bringing down the kickstand before continuing. "That was a rush." She said breathing a little heavily.
"You're not wrong..." Akko mumbled.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!" The brunette said a little too quickly. "So let's get going then." She held out her hand for the blonde to take which she did.
"Akko, are you sure you're alright? You're shaking."
"I'm fine, really. Let's go." Akko pulled Diana along to the side of the house where there was a gate to the backyard.
Once the girls were through the gate, they could see that the yard was seemingly glowing, cutting through the darkness. When they rounded the corner, they both froze at what they saw. Every large tree growing in the backyard had a string of lights winding up the trunks. The usually dark gazebo was now bathed in a soft glow, thanks to lights wrapped around the four corner posts and also the strings of light attached to the beams holding the roof in place. Under the gazebo sat a small round table, mostly likely the table from the kitchen, which had a white table cloth draped over it. On the table there were two candles with small flames rippling from the top. Diana's breath hitched at the sight.
"Akko." The blonde whispered. "This is...amazing." She squeezed Akko's hand a little tighter.
The brunette nodded in agreement before remembering Diana had no idea that Akko had nothing to do with the beautiful sight, besides the haphazard planning. She was almost brought to tears by the work that her friends had put into this to help her. She chanced a sideways glance at the blonde, grinning when she saw a brilliant smile on her face. She tugged gently on Diana's hand and led her over to the table, pulling out the chair for her.
"Thank you." The blonde giggled shyly.
Just shortly after Akko pulled her own out and sat down, soft music filled air from speakers above them, recently installed in the corners of the gazebo. Akko recognized them as the same speakers that used to hang in Constanze's basement workshop. Someone came through the door from inside the house. The two girls looked over and saw Amanda walking toward them holding a bottle of wine and two wine glasses.
"Amanda?" Akko's eyes went wide. "Why are you all dressed up?"
Amanda wore her fitting dark gray suit pants along with a light gray suit vest over a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. And on her feet were her signature red converse shoes.
"Ah, that. Well you see Akko," The redhead started as she arrived at the table. She put the glasses down and began to fill them. "I was strongly urged to dress up by a red haired Hitler." Amanda gave the confused girls an exaggerated smile before continuing. "I'll be right back with your first course." She set the wine on the table and turned to walk back into the house.
"A red haired...what?" The brunette whispered to her self before turning back to her date who looked just as confused.
"If I'm being honest, that kind of sounds like Hannah." Diana said playfully before taking a sip of her wine making Akko snort and giggle into her own wine glass.
"Well, if anyone could terrify Amanda enough to get her to dress up, it'd be her." The brunette giggles once more.
Amanda once again stepped through the door and walked toward their table with two plates in hand. She set the first one in front of Diana and the second in front of Akko.
"Chef Jasminka presents to you..." Amanda trails off before looking at her hand, reading something she must have written. "Greens with oranges and sesame-ginger dressing. Enjoy." The redhead retreats, once again leaving the two girls alone.
"Akko, did you really plan all of this?" The blonde asked as she looked around and then down at her plate, eyebrows raised.
"Heh. It was something along the lines of...this" Akko chuckled and raised her hands and gestured in the general area around them. "They definitely outdid themselves though." She whispers, smiling down at her food. "It's official, I have the best friends in the world." The brunette said loudly so the girls inside could hear her.
"Yes, you do." Diana agreed before taking a bite of her salad. "But-"
"Hey! What are we? Chopped liver?! We're good friends!"
Diana and Akko jumped, turning their heads quickly toward the door leading into the house. An angry auburn haired girl was being dragged back into the house by Amanda.
"Hannah?" The two girls said in unison, eyes wide.
"Heh heh. Just go back to your meals! Forget you saw anything!" The redhead said over her shoulder after successfully shoving Hannah back through the door.
"What in the world?" Diana muttered as she stared at the door they had disappeared through.
"The red haired Hitler. It was Hannah!" Akko whispered loudly, covered her mouth as she laughed hysterically.
Diana shook her head and chuckled before taking a long sip of her wine.
"So apparently we have an audience." The blonde mused aloud.
"Does that surprise you?" The brunette asked completely seriously with her eyebrows raised.
"No," Diana giggled. "No it doesn't."
It didn't take very long for them to finish the first course of their late dinner. Amanda greeted them once more with their second course, but this time she was followed by Constanze who gathered up the empty plates before the red head set down the new plates of food.
"And for your second course we have Coq au vin." The redhead stated.
Akko eyed the dish warily before looking back up to Amanda.
"Coq a what?" She asked with an arched eyebrow.
"I just bring the food." The redhead simply said before turning and leaving.
"Well I'm not leaving you a tip then." Akko yelled after her, which was only met with Amanda flipping her the bird over her shoulder.
"Akko, it's chicken in wine sauce." Diana said after giggling at the exchange.
"Well then why not just say that?!" The brunette yells again in the direction of the door. "Chicken in wine sauce." She grumbled under her breath, cutting into the chicken on her plate.
Diana took a slow sip of her wine, smiling into her glass at the adorable girl in front of her. She lowered it and put in on the table, but her smile never left her face. Akko, noticing the silence, looked back up at the blonde and saw the amused smile on her face.
"Oh, sorry." The brunette blushed a bit.
"It's fine." Diana assured her. "You and Amanda have quite the dynamic."
"Yeah, well, she's my best friend. It's all in good fun." Akko sipped on her wine. "Most of the time." She mumbled under her breath. "So I forgot to ask, what are you going to London for? You said it was urgent, is there something wrong?"
"Oh, well I'm not exactly sure. I'm to attend a very important board meeting, but I don't know much else right now." The blonde finished what was left of her wine in one big gulp. "My aunt and I aren't on great terms. I thought it better not to ask."
"Hmm." Akko nodded her head. "Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be fine. And if you get lonely, I'll only be a phone call away." The brunette flashed a lopsided smile, making Diana chuckle.
"Thank you, Akko. Yes, I'm sure it'll be fine." The blonde smiled trying to hide her worry and took a bite of her food. "And this food is absolutely amazing."
"Yeah it was." The brunette rubbed her stomach in satisfaction.
Diana looked down at Akko's plate, and sure enough, it was completely devoid of food except for the onions. How did she finish so quickly? She opened her mouth to comment on it but decided not to. Instead she picked up the bottle of wine and poured another glass. The blonde was only able to eat about half of her food before she pushed the plate aside, not thinking that she could eat one more bite. That's when the chef herself brought out dessert. Jasminka walked up to the table and set the first plate in front of an excited bouncing Akko, and the second in front of a politely patient Diana.
"For your dessert, chocolate mousse." Jasminka smiled proudly, watching the brunette bubble over with joy at the sight of the dessert.
"Thank you, Jasminka. The whole meal was simply delectable." Diana smiled appreciatively at the chef, who gave her a happy nod in return.
"Thanks so much, Jasminka! You're the best!" Akko stood up and wrapped her friend in a tight hug.
Jasminka returned the hug and patted the brunette on the back a few times before she let go and stepped back.
"You're welcome, Akko. I hope you enjoy your dessert." Jasminka leaned down close to Akko's ear. "We are all going to a movie to give you some privacy." She whispered, making sure the blonde couldn't hear her. The brunette nodded and with that, Jasminka give them both one last smile before leaving.
"Wanna take the first bite together, Diana?" Akko grinned, fidgeting with her spoon excitedly.
"Of course, Akko." Diana giggled.
The two girls dipped their spoons into the chocolate mousse. Instead of bringing it up to her mouth, the brunette held the spoon out to the blonde, who looked thoroughly confused.
"What are you doing?" Diana's eyebrows shot up.
"This is what people do on dates right, feed each other desserts? I'm pretty sure I saw it in a movie once."
"I...don't know about that." The blonde shifted uncomfortably and blushed slightly.
"You know you want toooo..." Akko cooed and grinned mischievously, holding the spoon closer to Diana's mouth. "We'll do it at the same time. Here..." She opened her mouth invitingly, gesturing to the blonde's own spoon.
"Why..." Diana's question trailed off, her glance flickered to the brunette's mouth and then to her own spoon. With a long drawn out sigh, she conceded. Slowly, she reached over the table and opened her own mouth for the incoming dessert. At the same time, the two girls took the chocolate mousse into their mouths. The blonde ate it silently, enjoying the sweetness more than she thought she would. But before she could swallow, she froze with her eyes shooting wide at the sound she heard next.
"Mmmmm..." Akko closed her eyes and moaned with pleasure as she ate the sweet treat. "Mmmmm...mmmmm...so good."
Diana swallowed the lump in her throat along with the chocolate mousse after hearing the oddly erotic sounds coming from the brunette. She stared as Akko took another bite and moaned again fluttering her eyelids. The blonde's heartbeat quickened as her body started to heat up. 'Is she doing this on purpose?' She thought as she continued to stare. Noticing the lack of movement, Akko stopped what she was doing and looked up to find a very red Diana across from her.
"Hey, are you okay?" The brunette's brows furrowed in concern.
"..." The blonde took another gulp of her wine, giving herself time to calm down. "I'm fine, Akko."
"Yeah you are." Akko winked.
"Really?" Diana replied flatly, arching her brow.
"Really." The brunette giggled as she finished up her dessert and let out another drawn out moan, making the blonde bite her lip and look up at the ceiling of the gazebo. "Aren't you going to eat yours, Diana?"
"Unfortunately I don't think I can take another bite." Diana said, not meeting Akko's gaze.
"Oh, I can eat it."
"NO!" The blonde yelped quickly, pulling the dessert dish out of the brunette's reach. "Uh...I might want to eat it later."
Akko narrowed her eyes a bit in suspicion while she nodded.
"Are you sure you're al..." The brunette began for hearing the new song coming from the speakers. Her face lit up considerably. "I love this song!" She whispered loudly to Diana.
For a few moments they listened to the sultry music filling the air around them. Beautifully harmonized voices joined the soft guitar in a haunting melody.
Take me by the hand
Lead me to a place where
Azure eyes met crimson ones upon hearing the beginning lyrics to the song. The blonde's embarrassment was long forgotten as she lost herself completely in the astonishing eyes of the girl across from her.
Slowly back and forth
Moonlight dances on the water
It's only you and me there
Through the rise and fall
Akko couldn't take her eyes off of Diana at that moment. The words in the song only encouraged the flames that had slowly been smoldering inside her since she first laid eyes on the gorgeous blonde earlier that night. She suddenly felt the need to touch her, to hold her, to be hers. In any and every way possible. She wanted to be with Diana.
Won't you hold me while the waves sing us to sleep?
Won't you hold me while the waves rock us gently?
Feel the sway beneath our feet
Won't you hold, just hold, me
Akko stood up and took a few steps around the table until she was looking down at the blonde.
"Will you dance with me?" She asked asked softly.
Diana bit her lip and nodded slowly in response. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Akko's waist, pulling her in close. The brunette set her hands on the blonde's shoulders and started to sway with the music, her eyes never leaving Diana's intense gaze.
Listen to the hum of silence coming closer
Feel your every breath, nothing's meant to last forever.
Akko couldn't take it anymore. She closed her eyes and slowly leaned in, brushing her lips against the blondes, tugging her little closer. Diana moved her hands to the brunette's hips and dug her fingers in slightly as she shivered from the contact.
It's only you and me there
'Till the darkness calls
Diana took Akko's teasing lips in a slow sweet kiss. The brunette reciprocated, pulling the blonde in for another, more passionate kiss. The music melted away into the background, drowned out by the sounds of their own racing heartbeats. The rhythm of their lips against each other matched their slow swaying motions to the now muffled music.
Needing air, Diana reluctantly pulled away from Akko's lips and inhaled deeply. The blonde then leaned her forehead against the brunette, trembling slightly. When she opened her eyes, she met Akko's gaze once more. The brunette brought her hand up to Diana's neck, rubbing loving circles onto her flushed cheek.
Won't you hold me while the waves sing us to sleep?
Won't you hold me while the waves rock us gently?
Feel the sway beneath our feet
Won't you hold, just hold, me
"Stay with me tonight." Akko whispered in a desperate plea.
Diana stayed silent for a moment, searching the brunette's eyes for any doubt, any hesitation, but she found none.
"You're sure?" the blonde whispered back hesitantly.
"I've never been more sure about anything." Akko whispered before leaning in close to Diana's ear. "Will you be mine, Diana?"
"Yes." The blonde breathed out, the word almost inaudible.
The brunette brought her head back quickly to get a better look at Diana's face. She was met with a brilliant smile and sparkling eyes from barely contained tears of joy.
"Really?" Akko's asked in awe. Her smile slowly grew. "You'll be my girlfriend?"
"Yes. I will." The blonde chuckled, wiping a stray tear away.
The brunette smiled at Diana. It wasn't the smile the blonde was used to, the one where it didn't quite reach her eyes. This was a new smile. Not even the smiles in her old pictures could compare. This smile was for Diana, and only Diana. And it was undeniably the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
"Um...can I show you something, Diana?" Akko's smile suddenly turned shy as she looked down at the ground.
"Of course, Akko."
The brunette grabbed the blonde's hand and led her in through the door of the house. They turned the corner and made their way over to the piano where Akko sat down on the piano bench. She patted the seat next to her, urging Diana to sit next to her. She fumbled through some stray papers until she found what she was looking for.
"I...um...I starting writing this the day we met." Akko said sheepishly as she sat the papers upright against the music rack and began playing a slow intro. "I didn't understand at first. I thought that it was coming to me because I was in a good mood." She then started playing the first verse, a bit quicker and louder than the intro. "But, I noticed that when I was writing, the only thing I could think about was you."
Diana sat still, mesmerized by the song. She watched as the brunette's hands and practiced fingers moved back and forth on the white and black keyboard, playing a slow romantic melody. She laid her head on Akko's shoulder, making her miss a few notes.
"Damn it." She grumbled as she resumed effortlessly.
The blonde giggled and closed her eyes, letting the mood of the song wash over her. When the song slowed and was nearing the end, Diana lifted her head and looked at the brunette who was completely lost in the music until the very last note. Silence filled the room once more.
"So, uh, w-what do you think?" Akko asked as she pulled her fingers away from the piano, eyes not meeting the blonde's gaze.
"I think," Diana started as she leaned and placed a soft kiss on the brunette's cheek. "that I have no idea what I did to deserve you."